Bloomington econ dev commission to ‘re-Zoom’ meeting efforts in time for review of tax abatements

Screenshot of the message that popped up for the Zoom access to Bloomington’s economic development commission meeting for May 30, 2023.

Gathered for the BEDC meeting on May 30, 2023 were, clockwise from the bottom corner of the table: Alex Crowley, Larry Allen, Andrea de la Rosa (city staff); and BEDC members Matt Flaherty, Vanessa McClary, and Kurt Zorn.

On Tuesday, Bloomington’s five-member economic development commission (BEDC) tried to meet for the first time since October of last year.

All the pieces for a meeting appeared to be in place. Three of the five BEDC members were physically present in the McCloskey Room at city hall.

The majority attendance meant the group had the required minimum number to meet—a quorum. That number also satisfied Indiana’s Open Door Law which has a 50-percent in-person requirement for electronic meetings—in case any BEDC members had wished to attend by using the Zoom video conferencing platform.

But the Zoom link that had been provided in the official public notice of the meeting did not work. When an attempt was made to launch the Zoom interface for the meeting, an error message was delivered, which read: “This meeting ID is not valid.”

Assistant city attorney Larry Allen told those who had assembled for the meeting that because Zoom access had been advertised to the public under a specific link, but could not, in fact, be made available, his advice was to not hold the meeting. Continue reading “Bloomington econ dev commission to ‘re-Zoom’ meeting efforts in time for review of tax abatements” →

Photos: Bald eagles on Memorial Day

American bald eagle in flight, Morgan County, Indiana (May 28, 2023)

American bald eagles in nest, Morgan County, Indiana (May 28, 2023)

On Sunday, The B Square made a visit to a bald eagle’s nest north of Bloomington, in Morgan County.

The adult eagle cut across the sky overhead, keeping watch over the two younger birds, which were sitting sheltered in their peaceful roost.

Let these photos of nature’s beauty and resilience serve as a commemoration of Memorial Day. Continue reading “Photos: Bald eagles on Memorial Day” →

Deer feeding ban to be mulled by Bloomington council, part of more than decade-old conflict

B Square file photo 1st and Lincoln streets (March 2022)

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In August of 2021, a Bloomington resident in the southeast part of town lodged a deer-related complaint in the city’s online reporting system:

A deer jumped my fence to attack my dog and ran up onto my patio before I slam[med] the door shut. My dog rolled and made it safely in the house. I’m tired of my neighbors in Winslow Farm feeding the deer and I’m willing to take action to stop the deer from killing my family. Take action or I will.

It is partly because of that kind of complaint about deer in neighborhoods that led Bloomington’s animal control commission to vote in April of 2022 to send a draft wildlife management plan to the director of public works Adam Wason for review.

At their May 10 meeting, Bloomington’s animal control director Virgil Sauder briefed city councilmembers on an upcoming ordinance that the administration will be proposing, to implement a deer feeding ban. Continue reading “Deer feeding ban to be mulled by Bloomington council, part of more than decade-old conflict” →

Photos: Bloomington’s fledgling hawks not yet ready to graduate from nest, but they’re getting closer

Adult hawk flying off from nest, leaving fledgling behind (May 27, 2023)

Fledgling hawks, Bryan Hall, Indiana University (May 27, 2023)

Fledgling hawk, Bryan Hall, Indiana University (May 27, 2023)

At this past week’s Monroe County Community School Corporation board meeting, superintendent Jeff Hauswald gave a preview of the numbers for today’s (May 27) graduation exercises.

The district is awarding high school diplomas to about 850 students this year—that includes the two high schools, as well as adult education programs.

As an homage to the tired cliché that compares the milestone of graduation to birds leaving the nest, here’s an update from the red-tailed hawk family that has taken up residence on Indiana University’s grounds. The nest was built in the big Sycamore tree that towers over Bryan Hall, on the western edge of campus.

The nest is visible from Indiana Avenue at the intersection with Fourth Street. There are at least two fledglings, and they’re getting pretty big. Their heads are still white, but the darker feathers are starting to appear on their wings and breasts. They look to be at least three-quarters the size of the adults.

The first in this series of photos shows one of the adults flying low, away from the nest, leaving the fledglings to fend for themselves for a while.

Congratulations to today’s graduates, and to their teachers, family and friends, who supported them, like a big, sturdy Sycamore.

There are more photos below. Continue reading “Photos: Bloomington’s fledgling hawks not yet ready to graduate from nest, but they’re getting closer” →

$80K emergency repair of bridge north of Bloomington OK’d by county commissioners

In the maps provided with this article, bridges with “good” ratings are shown in green, those with “fair” ratings in orange, and those with “poor” ratings in red.

Looking north along North Walnut Street towards Bridge #931.

In the maps provided with this article, bridges with “good” ratings are shown in green, those with “fair” ratings in orange, and those with “poor” ratings in red. The bridge indicated by the red arrow is the one that need an emergency repair.

Bridge #931 in Monroe County, which currently has a steel plate covering a hole in its deck. (May 26, 2023)

At their regular Wednesday morning meeting, Monroe County commissioners approved a $79,725 contract with CLR, Inc to fix a hole in the bridge on Bus SR 37 (aka North Walnut Street), just south of the on-ramp to I-69.

The bridge spans Beanblossom Creek.

The emergency work is expected to be done sometime in mid-August.

Of the three companies contacted by Monroe County’s highway department, CLR, Inc. was the only company to provide a quote. The other two companies that were asked for a quote were Force Construction and Ragle, Inc.

According the meeting information packet, those two companies were not able to give quotes, due to their current workload.

Highway director Lisa Ridge confirmed to The B Square that the steel plate that has been laid over the hole—marked with orange barrels and indicated on the bridge’s approach for drivers with signage reading “BUMP”—is a temporary measure, not the emergency fix. Continue reading “$80K emergency repair of bridge north of Bloomington OK’d by county commissioners” →

Possible reform of Bloomington boards, commissions gets study by city council committee

Clockwise around the table from right: City councilmembers Matt Flaherty and Isabel Piedmont-Smith; city of Bloomington public engagement director Kaisa Goodman; city council deputy attorney Ash Kulak; and city councilmember Sue Sgambelluri. On screen in the upper left of the frame is Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden. he meeting took place in the city council’s “library” room. (May 25, 2023)

On Thursday night, a special city council committee met to move ahead with a closer look at reforming various processes related to Bloomington’s boards and commissions.

Also up for consideration by the four-member committee are possible recommendations on merging some of the city’s roughly 50 boards and commissions.

The committee is hoping to wrap up its work on board and commission reform by the end of the year.

The committee was appointed by council president Sue Sgambelluri at the council’s first meeting of the year. It was the same meeting when she was elected by her colleagues as this year’s council president.

In addition to Matt Flaherty as chair of the committee, Sgambelluri appointed as members the three officers of the council—including herself (president), Isabel Piedmont-Smith (vice president) and Dave Rollo (parliamentarian). Rollo did not attend Thursday’s meeting. Continue reading “Possible reform of Bloomington boards, commissions gets study by city council committee” →

School district fields questions about possible Nov. 7 referendum on 8.5-cent tax increase

Randy Cassady, a member of Bloomington’s redevelopment commission, asked about the impact of TIF districts on the tax.

Former school board member Sue Wanzer asked where MCCSC would run its pre-K programs.

Maqubè Reese asked how MCCSC is preparing for the influx of a more diverse population.

David Sabbagh asked if the referendum could not be put off until 2024.

Monroe County Community School Corporation superintendent Jeff Hauswald.

On Wednesday night, MCCSC superintendent Jeff Hauswald presented the district’s case for a referendum on Nov. 7 that would add 8.5 cents to the district’s property tax rate.

Hauswald then fielded questions from meeting attendees.

Wednesday’s meeting came the day after the school board voted unanimously to pass a resolution authorizing Hauswald to consult with Monroe County auditor Cathy Smith about the calculations that would go into increasing MCCSC’s property tax rate by 8.5 cents.

A vote to put the question to the public as a referendum could come at the school board’s June meeting.

The revenue generated by the additional tax would go towards early childhood education for 3-to-5-year-old children, as well as other initiatives to make education more accessible.

The other initiatives include free instructional technology, supplies, and consumables for all students. Also made free would be Advanced Placement (AP) exams and tests that are needed for workplace certificates. The additional revenue would also cover free career education, including tuition, testing, supplies, and associated fees.

Based on the remarks and questions from the public who spoke, the dozen and half people who attended Wednesday night’s presentation were mostly friendly to the idea of the increased tax.

But former city councilmember David Sabbagh questioned the timing of the public vote. Sabbagh said he is a strong advocate of early childhood education. He told Hauswald, “I would have trouble disagreeing with anything you said.”

Sabbagh continued, “Unfortunately, we have this thing called city government that also taxes us.” He noted the Bloomington is considering an increase to trash collection fees. Sabbagh also noted that his tax bill had already increased due to the successful 18.5-cent referendum that MCCSC had put on the ballot in 2022—which passed with 68.6 percent support.

Sabbagh asked, “I wonder if you couldn’t put it off for a year?” Continue reading “School district fields questions about possible Nov. 7 referendum on 8.5-cent tax increase” →

8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24

Monroe County Community School Corporation superintendent Jeff Hauswald (May 23, 2023)

Monroe County Community School Corporation board president Brandon Shurr (May 23, 2023)

No referendum to increase property taxes has yet been placed on the Nov. 7 ballot by the Monroe County Community School corporation board.

But at its Tuesday night meeting, the board voted unanimously to pass a resolution authorizing district superintendent Jeff Hauswald to consult with Monroe County auditor Cathy Smith about the calculations that would go into increasing MCCSC’s property tax rate by 8.5 cents.

A press release issued immediately following the board’s meeting says, “In the November 7th election, MCCSC expects to ask voters to approve the rate not to exceed $0.085 per $100 of assessed property value.”

The revenue generated by the additional tax would go towards early childhood education for 3-to-5-year-old children, as well as other initiatives to make education more accessible.

The other initiatives include free instructional technology, supplies, and consumables for all students. Also made free would be Advanced Placement (AP) exams and tests that are needed for workplace certificates. The additional revenue would also mean free career education, including tuition, testing, supplies, and associated fees.

To lay out details of the potential referendum and to get feedback from the public, MCCSC is hosting a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (May 24) at the MCCSC Co-Lab at 553 E. Miller Drive, which is the regular board meeting location. Continue reading “8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24” →

Public works preview: Latimer Square lane closures, Hopewell contract, Rita’s Italian Ice walkup

Inset map for Latimer Square project.

Locator map for Latimer Square project.

Diagram showing protected bicycle lane along Clarizz Boulevard.

Feb. 2022, aerial photo of Latimer Square site from Monroe County property lookup system

View looking northwest along Clarizz Boulevard (May 22, 2023)

Motorists and pedestrians who are navigating north and south on either side of the Latimer Square apartment complex, which is now under construction at the site of the former Kmart off East 3rd Street, will notice some lane closures in the coming weeks.

That’s assuming Bloomington’s board of public works grants the requests from Gilliatte General Contractors, which is doing the construction work. The lane closure requests appear on the board’s Tuesday agenda.

The builder wants to close some lanes on Kingston Drive which runs north-south along the western side of the 900-bed apartment project, and Clarizz Boulevard, which runs north-south along the eastern side.

Closing down some traffic lanes and sidewalks will allow the improvements to the sidewalks and construction of bicycle lanes that are a part of the project site plan. Continue reading “Public works preview: Latimer Square lane closures, Hopewell contract, Rita’s Italian Ice walkup” →

Election notebook: Same old story, Bloomington voter turnout is one for the ages

It’s the custom of Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne to send out hourly updates over the course of Election Day.

The May 2, 2023 municipal primary was no different. One of Browne’s updates included this note: “I tried to find the oldest voter who has participated in this municipal election…and, so far, she appears to be 99 years young.”

Browne’s update continued: “Her 100th birthday will be this summer and I want to acknowledge her making the concerted effort to vote.”

The B Square has now confirmed—based on the voter history file provided by county election staff—that it was a 99-year-old who was the most senior voter to cast a ballot in person, on Primary Election Day.

But that nonagenarian wasn’t the absolute oldest person to vote in the primary. After expanding the pool to include those who voted early—either in-person or with a mailed-in ballot, it was a 101-year-old living in the Bloomington 22 precinct, who earned the “absolute oldest” distinction.

On the other end of the spectrum was a 17-year-old living in the Perry 15 precinct, who was the youngest to vote in the May 2 primary. She will celebrate her 18th birthday eight days before the Nov. 7 general election. (In Indiana, it’s possible to vote in a primary, if you turn 18 by the time the general election takes place.)

What about all the other voters in between? How old were they? Continue reading “Election notebook: Same old story, Bloomington voter turnout is one for the ages” →