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.
Left: Map by the B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. Right: B Square file photo. Monroe County councilors listen to commentary from the public mic. From left to right: Marty Hawk, David Henry, Peter Iversen, Jennifer Crossley, Trent Deckard, Kate Wiltz, and Liz Feitl. (Dave Askins, Dec. 9, 2025)
Set for Tuesday evening (May 26) is a pivotal vote by the Monroe County council on a $11.375-million purchase agreement for North Park as a jail site site. The B Square will provide live updates from the council’s meeting in the timestamped log below.
The vote comes at a critical moment in the county’s years-long effort to address overcrowded conditions at the Monroe County jail and comply with a federal settlement agreement tied to a 2008 ACLU lawsuit.
On Monday, the public focus on the county council’s vote was sharpened with the release of two high-profile public statements that framed clearly different visions for how Monroe County should move forward.
In a column sent to The B Square, former Bloomington mayor John Hamilton argues against building what he described as a “huge new incredibly costly jail” at North Park or anywhere else. Instead, Hamilton advocated a “scattered site” approach that would combine smaller-scale jail and service facilities with increased investment in housing, mental health treatment, addiction services, and diversion programs.
Hamilton’s piece mentions several locations that could play a role in providing a solution to the problems, including the county-owned Curry Building just south of the current jail, the old post office site, current county health building, and Showers West.
Hamilton’s administration purchased the Showers West portion of the city hall building with an eye towards moving the city’s police headquarters there, but Kerry Thomson, who took over as mayor in 2024, did not pursue that plan. The old post office site is the whole block, bounded by Third and Fourth streets on the north and South and Washington and Lincoln streets on the east and west. The real estate is owned by First United Methodist Church.
A second statement, jointly issued by the three Monroe County commissioners, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson, Bloomington city council president Isak Asare, and county councilor Peter Iversen, says North Park is now “the only viable option” given legal deadlines, financing timelines, and the refusal of the ACLU to extend the current settlement agreement unless a purchase agreement for North Park is approved.
The joint statement acknowledges significant concerns about the site, but says county officials now face a “hard and necessary decision point” where “delay is not neutral.”
The inclusion of the commissioners (Julie Thomas, Jody Madeira, and Lee Jones) in the statement is not a surprise, because they have uniformly supported North Park as their preferred site for a new jail. Iversen’s inclusion is also not surprising, because his was the sole vote of support two weeks ago when the council voted on the North Park purchase agreement.
The inclusion of Asare as a signatory is notable because it appears to mark a departure from the Bloomington city council’s formal opposition to the North Park location, expressed in a resolution adopted a month ago. At the April 26 meeting of the city council, when the resolution was adopted, Asare laid out reservations about passing a largely symbolic statement that the city might not be able to back up with concrete action. Asare still voted for the resolution, which had unanimous support.
Tuesday’s (May 26) county council meeting begins at 5 p.m. What follows below will be live log of developments related to the North Park vote, filed from the meeting, as county councilors decide whether North Park moves forward as a jail site—or gets voted down again.
[The log will update automatically. There is no need to refresh this page.]
Live Log: Monroe County council May 26, 2026
8:21 p.m. Now the vote on North Park is truly over.
8:20 p.m. Roll call is 6–0 to deny, with Henry having left the remote connection.
8:19 p.m. Now comes a motion from Iversen to deny the ordinance on the purchase agreement. He says he hasn't changed his mind, but he wants to move forward with the rest of the council and will vote yes on denial.
8:17 p.m. The council agrees to remove the second North-Park related agenda item (the appropriation, not the purchase agreement) from the agenda.
8:17 p.m. Or hold on. Wiltz is suggesting that a vote be taken on rejection.
8:14 p.m. There are a few agenda items left, but this will end The B Square's transmission. (It does not appear that the council will take a vote on rejection.)
8:01 p.m. The motion fails 1–6. Crossley calls for a five-minute recess.
7:59 p.m. Roll call vote: Hawk, no; Iversen, yes; Deckard, no; Henry, no; Crossley, no; Wiltz, no; Feitl, no.
7:58 p.m. "We can do well, or screw it over," Crossley says. She wants to really get down in the trenches and collaborate. Crossley quotes American rapper 2Pac: "keep ya head up.... and handle it."
7:56 p.m. A procedural question that could arise after the vote on adoption could be whether a vote on rejection will also be taken.
7:54 p.m. Crossley says she wants to revisit the question of Thomson. She says the PUD request has to be put in front of the city plan commission by the commissioners. (The use as a jail is already a part of the PUD, but there are other revisions involving a road that need to be approved.)
7:52 p.m. Crossley delivers a line that gets a laugh from the audience: "You can't spell North Park without no." She is stressing the idea of "using what we already have."
7:50 p.m. It's now to council president Crossley. She has counted 33 people who spoke from the public mic. She thanks the sheriff for his efforts to improve conditions here. The difference sheriff Marté has made is "like night and day," Crossley says.
7:50 p.m. Hawk also points out that Thomson is already paid for. She thanks everyone for being here tonight.
7:49 p.m. We need another location and we need one quickly, Hawk says. She is advocating for Fullerton Pike.
7:48 p.m. We will save millions if services are located closer to the jail, Hawk says.
7:48 p.m. Marty Hawk says she prayed about this and "God was listening."
7:47 p.m. Collaboration without any compromise at all is not any kind of collaboration, Henry says.
7:43 p.m. Henry says it's important to think about what Charlotte Zietlow would do. He doesn't question the sincerity of his colleagues at the city. But he raises the question of whether the urgency is manufactured. He says that the council has not received adequate information to exercise its fiscal oversight role. He said before the meeting that he would be voting no for a third time. So none of what Henry is saying now is a surprise.
7:42 p.m. Feitl says a different site has to be identified immediately and they need to then move forward.
7:42 p.m. It's now clear that the vote to adopt will fail.
7:41 p.m. Liz Feitl says she comes from a representative background with unions. In that context, she says she'll vote no.
7:39 p.m. Addressing Iversen's point about no timeline for any other site, including Thomson, Wiltz says it's because time since October has been squandered. She says she's voting no.
7:37 p.m. "I know that a vote against this site is going to cost a lot of money, and that's not all that different from a vote for this site." The conditions at the jail "weigh on my soul," she says. She says several months have been squandered since last October's council vote against North Park.
7:35 p.m. Wiltz talks about the various constituencies that councilors represent. If we're going to spend vast amounts of money, it should be for things that reflect our values, she says. "Our community will pay the price, regardless."
7:35 p.m. Kate Wiltz is next to speak.
7:32 p.m. The next step is to continue to work earnestly and to continue conversations, says Deckard. He says Fullerton Pike would be his preference. The city council has indicated a willingness to help expedite, Deckard says.
7:31 p.m. Deckard says the path to "peace" is four votes on the council and two from commissioners and a nod from the sheriff.
7:30 p.m. The comment draws applause. Deckard's vote would likely have been needed in order to achieve the required four-vote majority.
7:28 p.m. Ultimately, he will vote the way he voted in October, Deckard says. That is he'll vote no.
7:25 p.m. Deckard says he listened back through the council's meeting two weeks ago, because he could not attend it. The vote tonight is about the purchase agreement, he says. The council's decision is not an easy burden to shrug off, given the fiscal issues, Deckard says. Any vote to move forward on the council needs four votes, he says.
7:24 p.m. Next up is Trent Deckard. He says he's going to try something new—reading aloud three pages he's written out in preparation.
7:21 p.m. Iversen warns against arguing three more years in court. The time to do something is now, Iversen. It's not a false urgency, but because of those who are incarcerated. He calls for influencing the solution towards mercy. He calls voting for North Park that is a "marginally optimal one." It's a chance to love mercy and walk humbly, says Iversen.
7:19 p.m. There is no timeline for any other option, Iversen says. He says his vote for the purchase agreement is a vote to stop ignoring the inmates.
7:18 p.m. Bonding requires action tonight, Iversen says.
7:16 p.m. Iversen says the most important deadline is consideration of the 263 inmates in the jail last night who are suffering the worst harms. "Action is needed tonight," Iversen says.
7:13 p.m. Iversen goes first for council comment. He talks about the window of opportunity in the ordinance in front of the council as the only path that he thinks will lead to justice. He's hearing mostly that residents want action, an end to 17 years of no action. He is talking about finances. He says it's the cheapest option. A few shouts of "No!" come from the audience. Litigation avoids commissioner control, Iversen says, but adds costs, millions of dollars.
7:12 p.m. There is an attempt to get Jason Funk unmuted on the Teams connection. That is unsuccessful. That closes public comment.
7:10 p.m. That looks like the last of the public commentary.
7:08 p.m. Tracy Hutchings-Goetz is now speaking from a remote location. She's talking about moving the jail to a location far away from services.
7:05 p.m. Steve Volan is at the mic. The commissioners have come back with the same proposal over and over, he says. No one has said: This site is preferable on the merits. He notes that as a Bloomington councilmember he voted with the unanimous majority when the council voted against the Fullerton Pike location. He lays the blame for the situation on the incompetence of the county commissioners. He calls on the commissioners to "do the honorable thing" and resign their seats.
7:03 p.m. Andrew Henry calls the situation a "slow motion train wreck." Alluding to Madeira's allusion to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, Henry says this is not a good hand. Maybe a federal judge has to tiebreak the situation, he says.
7:01 p.m. Missed the name of current speaker. She says it's ridiculous that the vote is being taken again. When the council said no to North Park, a different site could have already been selected, she says. "We have the Thomson site," she says. She says she hopes councilors vote with their hearts and that they vote no.
6:57 p.m. Christian Easton says he worked as a police officer for 30 years. Police officers are not looking for people to put into jail, he says. A new jail probably needs to be a little larger, he says. "I'm urging you to quit talking about it, and start doing it." He indicates a preference for the Thomson property over North Park.
6:54 p.m. Dawn Johnsen introduces herself as a constitutional law professor at IU. The national ACLU is clear about what communities should be doing, and that is reducing rates of incarceration, she says.
6:51 p.m. Kaden Smith is at the mic. He questions whether Madeira wants to work collaboratively, given that the council voted no on North Park, but the commissioners keep insisting on North Park. He asks the council to vote no.
6:48 p.m. Cathleen Paquet says that commissioner Julie Thomas left the meeting as soon as public comment started. Paquet calls the situation a manufactured crisis. A lawsuit "seems cheaper." She points to the joint statement from commissioners and city officials as admitting the shortcomings of North Park, and "doubling down" on a bad site.
6:44 p.m. Jamie Ford is at the mic. She questions statements from Madeira about the Thomson property requiring a change to the PUD. Ford also questions statements made by Madeira about having done due diligence on other properties besides North Park, but then saying North Park is the only property on which due diligence had been done.
6:43 p.m. Reneé Miller says the council has already voted no on the North Park location. Stop asking, she says. Social services are needed nearby.
6:40 p.m. Sheryl Langdon agrees with some of the points that Garza made from the public mic. But she says maybe it is better than a federal judge has something to say about it. "I'm a little confused, because everyone is in every direction," she says. The jail should stay in the city of Bloomington as the city's problem, she says.
6:38 p.m. Mike Shields built a new house 43 years ago a mile away from North Park. He says whatever the solution to the problem is, it's not building a new jail at North Park.
6:36 p.m. Susan Easton is speaking as a resident of the Stony Brook neighborhood against North Park. She says the Thomson site is better than North Park.
6:33 p.m. Alice Silver asks the council to vote no. She asks how we know the jail will not become an ICE detention facility.
6:29 p.m. John Hamilton, former mayor of Bloomington is speaking from the public mic. He says there are many many good people in the room. He refers to the written statement he submitted recently. He recalls the statement he wrote with Charlotte Zietlow six months ago. He calls the decision an important pivot point. He ticks through some "yeses" that should come with the no vote. Those "yeses" include more services, and goal setting for the jail population. Another "yes" is a commitment to spend $1 on diversion for every $1 on incarceration. He asks the council to vote no again.
6:27 p.m. Seth Mutchler, with Care Not Cages is at the mic. He says there are two things being said. Those who want a yes vote talk about "what ifs" but those who speak against it are talking about specific facts and anecdotes. Don't give in to fear mongering, Mutchler says.
6:24 p.m. Sam Holdeman asks the council to vote no. He tells them they are scared of what a federal judge might force them to do, but they are doing more preemptively to comply with that than they will ever be forced to do. Building a new jail is not a final solution, he says. A new jail will be overcrowded soon after it is open, he says.
6:21 p.m. Richard Garza is focused on buying the land and none of the other issses. He asks the council to vote yes. Delay will add to the cost, he says. He cites work experience in the justice center. "Everything that could have been, has been wasted on circular conversations." "Enough is enough. Approve the purchase agreement."
6:19 p.m. Hopi Stosberg, Bloomington city councilmember, is speaking from a remote connection. She says she was dismayed that the council president was mentioned in news release that she says left the impression that president Isak Asare was speaking for the city council.
6:15 p.m. Matthew Joseph speaks against a new jail. He gives an example from Missouri. Within two years, the jail was again overcrowded—more beds means more inmates, he says.
6:12 p.m. Misty James, with New Leaf New Life shares stories against a vote for the North Park location. One of the stories she shares is her own, when she had no one to call to come get her from jail. "There's so many Mistys sitting in that jail ... sorry for crying." Big applause when she concludes.
6:09 p.m. Kurtis Cummings works in social services and is in and out of the court system on a regular basis. The county government has a responsibility to act. But it can't continue kicking the can down the road, he says. We can't solve today's problems while limiting the options for those in the future. That's the problem with North Park, he says. In addition, North Park is a strategic location for other economic development, Cummings says.
6:08 p.m. Jack is now at the mic. He asks how the bond will be paid—property taxes or income taxes. Crossley says it's not a time for back and forth. Jack says he thinks it might be worth letting a judge decide.
6:04 p.m. Now at the mic is Sarah Ryterband, who is the county's health officer. This is not a question of how but of when to build a new jail, she says. She says that it is unsafe when there is not enough room to separate people with communicable diseases. All the sites have been reviewed, she says and there's no other feasible site, besides North Park.
6:02 p.m. Barry Herbers says that the apparent housing policy of the city of Bloomington is not to build housing for the homeless, but rather to put them in jail. "Our community needs to be helped, not crushed with a bigger fist."
6:00 p.m. Jennifer Burrell she says she's written several email messages asking them to vote no. She says she has not heard back from commissioners, in contrast to councilors who have responded. "The community will pay the price if you vote yes tonight."
5:59 p.m. Mindy Flat: "I say vote no and let a judge take this up."
5:57 p.m. Janet Johnson agrees with everyone who has spoken so far. She talks about the importance of transportation for families of inmates.
5:54 p.m. Zach Ammerman is now at the public mic. Adding more beds will mean those beds will be filled at a greater rate, he says. "Please hold the line, and vote no again," he says. There's no way this would pass a referendum, he says. Do what the people of the county want you to do, which is not vote for this purchase agreement, he says. Nothing has changed since the last vote, he says. County commissioners don't understand what "no" means.
5:52 p.m. Now speaking from a remote connection is Sarah Mosier. She speaks against the purchase agreement for North Park.
5:48 p.m. Now commenting from a remote connection is Matt Jacobs. He raises the question of a conflict of interest for anyone with an employment relationship with Indiana University.
5:47 p.m. Bland give an example of someone who was able to make successful reentry, something that will be more challenging if the jail location is moved to North Park, she says. Applause from the audience.
5:45 p.m. Now at the mic is Heather Bland, who is executive director of New Leaf New Life. She asks the council to vote no.
5:45 p.m. Piedmont-Smith's comments wrap up with applause.
5:45 p.m. "This situation was caused by our county commissioners," Piedmont-Smith says.
5:42 p.m. Piedmont-Smith says she agrees with the statement from former mayor John Hamilton. She says a jail at the North Park site is not a good use of taxpayer money. She says her attempts to collaborate with the county commissioners have been ignored.
5:41 p.m. Crossley opens the meeting to public commentary. Three minutes is the time limit for each speaker. First up at the mic in person is Isabel Piedmont-Smith, a Bloomington city councilmember: "Council president Isak Asare does not speak for me on this issue."
5:39 p.m. Thomas asks that she be allowed to say something before public comment starts. She points to the May 29 deadline in the ACLU settlement agreement. She also points to the July deadline for issuing a bond. She says that not choosing North Park would give up control over what happens to a federal court.
5:38 p.m. Marté asks the council to consider that "We know what we're doing."
5:37 p.m. Hawk says that the council wants to move foward with a new jail, but the only question to be answered is where it should be.
5:36 p.m. County commissioner Julie Thomas moves to the front table. Councilor Marty Hawk responds to Madeira's comments by saying that she wants to hear the advice of the county attorneys.
5:33 p.m. Marté is now speaking again. He says the jail cannot be repaired.
5:29 p.m. County commissioner Jody Madeira is now describing what she thinks will happen next, if a new lawsuit is filed. She says the ACLU will file a new lawsuit and seek summary judgment. She thinks the ACLU will win. The history that Monroe County has on the matter counts against it in court, she says. The federal court might not choose a site, Madeira says, but will impose constraints so severe that only one site would remain. She warns of the “scars” that litigation would bring.
5:28 p.m. County commissioner Jody Madeira is now describing what she thinks will happen next, if a new lawsuit is filed. She says the ACLU will file a new lawsuit and seek summary judgment. She thinks the ACLU will win. The history that Monroe County has on the matter counts against it in court, she says.
5:27 p.m. Marté says staff are stressed to the point that he is worried about them. If a new lawsuit is filed, the sheriff says, he will be called to testify, as will the jail commander. He fears the county would come out on the losing end of such a lawsuit. He tells councilors that they could be subpoenaed and called to testify as well.
5:20 p.m. Marté warns of flare ups of temper when conditions are overcrowded. But he says use of force has dropped 80% since he took office. He is focusing on safety of staff and the inmates.
5:16 p.m. Marté is now addressing the council. He says he's given a "tremendous amount of thought" to what he wanted to present. He mulled presenting photographs of jail conditions from past presentations. He opted against that.
5:14 p.m. Sheriff Ruben Marté and jail commander Kyle Gibbons are at the table to address councilors. Right behind them are commissioners Julie Thomas and Jody Madeira, county attorney Jeff Cockerill and the commissioners administrator Angie Purdie.
5:13 p.m. Iversen is reading aloud the ordinance on the purchase of the North Park real estate.
5:10 p.m. Now for Item 8A which is a request from emergency management for a $5,500 appropriation. That passes on a unanimous vote, which sets the state for the vote on the North Park purchase agreement.
5:08 p.m. The council is now considering Item 7, which is a request from the technical services department to fill a vacancy during the hiring freeze. That passes on unanimous vote.
5:05 p.m. Crossley asks that councilors not dwell too long on the part of the agenda that's ahead of the North Park vote. The consent agenda was just read by Iversen. It gets a roll call vote, because David Henry has joined remotely and roll call votes are required whenever a member has joined remotely.
5:03 p.m. There's no general public comment. So we're on to department updates.
5:02 p.m. Crossley confirms David Henry is expected to attend remotely.
5:01 p.m. Council president Jennifer Crossley has called the meeting to order.
5:00 p.m. All councilors are present in the room except for David Henry. He might be joining through a remote connection.
4:58 p.m. Sheriff Ruben Marté and chief deputy Parker are here. County commissioner Jody Madeira is also here. A couple of dozen people in the audience. Bloomington city councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith is here.
4:50 p.m. Represented so far in the audience are New Leaf New Life, the prosecutor's office, and Care Not Cages.
4:49 p.m. Councilors Marty Hawk and Kate Wiltz have now arrived.
4:40 p.m. Three more people have arrived in person for the meeting.
4:35 p.m. The Nat U. Hill Room is all set with nameplates and working mics for all seven county councilors. The room is still mostly empty, with three members of the public, one member of the press, and Kim Shell, who is the county council administrator.
4:13 p.m. Another useful link: Monroe County council May 26, 2026 calendar item.
4:05 p.m. Another potentially useful link: Microsoft Teams connection
2:33 p.m. If you're looking for the county council's meeting information packet with an agenda, here's the link: Monroe County council meeting packet for May 26, 2026
6:33 a.m. Basic connection test. Passed.
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