May 28, 2026: Jail vote, jail court filing, Lake Monroe high water

Civic Solver

This week’s puzzle is a jigsaw. It is related to the convention center expansion. Did you ever wonder what the fifth proposal for public art looked like? Complete the jigsaw puzzle to find out!

Weather Talk

Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.

Thursday: Slow down! There’s a dense fog advisory through 10 a.m. But after that the day will turn mostly sunny, with a high near 83F°.

Friday: You’ll be fine without any outer wrap. But if you wear a stylish jacket, you won’t overheat, because even though it will be mostly sunny, the high will just be around 78F°.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• ACLU makes swift move to dismiss Monroe County jail lawsuit, would open door to fresh action on current conditions.  A federal lawsuit over conditions at the Monroe County jail is poised to end after the county council again rejected the North Park site for a new jail. But the dismissal could expose the county to fresh litigation, new court orders, and renewed scrutiny over overcrowding and jail conditions.
• Water levels at Lake Monroe high, but not record-setting, drier weather in forecast.  Lake Monroe remained nearly 13 feet above its normal level on May 27, ranking among the highest late-May levels on record. Flooding has closed beaches, campsites, and roads but the lake remains open for boating as dam releases stay limited to protect downstream communities.
• North Park dead as jail site after Monroe County council repeats clear rejection, search for alternate location now urgent.  Monroe County’s proposed North Park jail site appears finished after the county council voted 1–6 on the purchase agreement, then 6–0 to deny it outright. The decision leaves the county without a selected site and facing likely renewed litigation over jail conditions.
• North Park vote as it unfolded: 1–6 on approval, 6–0 on denial.  This is where the vote on the North Park purchase agreement will be reported live from the Tuesday, May 26, 2026 meeting of the Monroe County council. The one agenda item that will be tracked in these updates is the purchase agreement for the North Park property for use as a jail site.
• Monroe County council faces yet another high-stakes North Park jail vote on Tuesday (May 26).  With a federal lawsuit deadline just days away, Monroe County councilors on Tuesday (May 26) will again vote on the controversial North Park jail site. Commissioners say there is no backup plan if it fails, while opponents continue to raise concerns about cost and long-term impacts.

Quick Notes

Settlement in drinking water rate case. No agenda was posted for the 5:15 p.m. Tuesday (May 26) special meeting of Bloomington’s utilities service board (USB) and it turns out it had nothing to do with the May 14 settlement agreement that was reached with the interveners in Bloomington’s proposed increase to drinking water rates. Nevertheless, it’s news that the settlement agreement was reached. When the IURC (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission) signs off on those rates, it will become final. The chart below compares current rates (green) with Bloomington’s proposal (orange) and the settlement agreement (purple).

On the calendar

Alternate bids on convention center renovation. On the agenda for a 9 a.m. Saturday (May 30) special meeting of the Monroe County capital improvement board (CIB) are the awards for alternate bids for the renovation of the existing convention center. The pricing for the alternate bids for work like window replacement and masonry repairs expires this weekend, so the CIB wanted to get the bids approved ahead of a potential price increase.

High school graduations. Over the next three days, 827 high schoolers in the Class of 2026 are set to graduate from the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC). The district’s four high schools each have their own commencement ceremonies:

• Bloomington Graduation School: Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m. in the Jackson Creek Middle School auditorium
• Academy of Science & Entrepreneurship: Friday, May 29 at 5 p.m. at Ivy Tech Community College Shreve Hall
• Bloomington High School South: Saturday, May 30 at 10 a.m. in the Bloomington South gymnasium
• Bloomington High School North: Saturday, May 30 at 2 p.m. in the Bloomington North gymnasium)

All four ceremonies will be live-streamed. Links to the streams are available on the MCCSC graduation page. The B Square’s advice to this year’s graduates: Words matter. Deadlines are real. Get out there!

No county commissioners meeting this week. The regular meeting of the Monroe County commissioners has been cancelled for Thursday (May 28).

Garden Walk: June 7. The Bloomington Garden Club will host its 37th annual Summer Garden Walk on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, June 7, from noon to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour will feature six private gardens around Bloomington, along with a flower show at Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. You can buy $10 tickets are from local vendors, with proceeds supporting children’s gardening education programs and other local beautification projects.

Bingo Brunch at Cardinal Spirits: June 28. It’s every Sunday 12-2 p.m. at Cardinal Spirits: Bingo Brunch with celebrity callers! You might wonder: What is the Cardinal Spirits definition of celebrity? It needs to be flexible enough to include ... me, the founder of The B Square. I plan to apply all the principles I have learned about government meeting procedures to bingo calling—in the best possible way! You have never heard letters and numbers sound so great.

Meet Banana!

This very, very good boy is a hound mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written for Banana:

I am new to the shelter and we are all getting to know each other. If you are interested in adopting, stop by the shelter for a visit.

Photo Finish: Washington Street & 7th Street

The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great weekend!

Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com

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