Tag: Bloomington

Settlement could mean end to dispute between Monroe County, Sojourn House over shelter for human trafficking victims

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A settlement agreement in a legal dispute that started last year, between Sojourn House and Monroe County, could soon result in a zoning variance for the nonprofit.

Sojourn House wants to operate a residence for up to eight victims of human trafficking with post-traumatic stress disorder and other related disabilities at a property that it purchased for that purpose, located on Kerr Road about four miles east of Bloomington.

When the county’s BZA denied its application for a use variance in spring 2023, then refused to hear an amended application in summer 2023, Sojourn House filed a lawsuit in Monroe County circuit court.

The lawsuit alleges that the BZA violated Sojourn House’s rights under the FHA (Fair Housing Act), ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and the U.S. Constitution. The case was transferred to federal court but was then punted back to the county circuit court.

The settlement agreement does not grant the variance sought by Sojourn House—only the BZA can do that.

But on Oct. 9, county attorney David Schilling got approval from the board of county commissions for the settlement agreement, which charts out a path to resolution of the dispute. Continue reading “Settlement could mean end to dispute between Monroe County, Sojourn House over shelter for human trafficking victims” →

Salary notebook: Bloomington police officers, firefighters up for big increases in 2025

Bloomington police officers and firefighters are set to receive significant pay increases in 2025 compared to what they earned in 2024.

Appearing on the city council’s Oct. 30 meeting agenda is the salary ordinance for police and firefighters,  which will put the legislative body’s stamp of approval on the collective bargaining contracts that have already been ratified by the police and fire unions. Continue reading “Salary notebook: Bloomington police officers, firefighters up for big increases in 2025” →

Bloomington prevails in court, gets extra time for abatement of Davis’s Washington Street property

Monroe County circuit court judge Emily Salzmann (file photo from 2022)
Washington Street property subject to abatement order by city of Bloomington (Oct. 17, 2024)
Joe Davis at Bloomington board of public works hearing. (Nov. 21, 2023)

In a ruling issued on Tuesday (Oct. 15), Monroe County circuit court judge Emily Salzmann found in favor of the city of Bloomington in its years-long attempt to enforce what it considers to be violations of city code on Joe Davis’s Washington Street property.

By Thursday morning, Davis had already filed with the court a hand-written notice of appeal.

Responding to an emailed B Square question, the city’s communications director, Desiree DeMolina wrote: “We’re currently working with our teams to ensure the next steps are carried out according to the court’s order. However, we aren’t able to provide further details on specific actions at this moment.” Continue reading “Bloomington prevails in court, gets extra time for abatement of Davis’s Washington Street property” →

Week 8: Free speech policy protesters persist at IU Bloomington, hear report of search warrant

Sunday evening marked two months of weekly protests at Sample Gates in Bloomington, against Indiana University’s new “expressive activities” policy, which was effective Aug. 1.

Sample Gates is the spot where Kirkwood Avenue dead ends at the western edge of the Bloomington campus.

On the university campus, during the 7-hour window from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the policy prohibits expressive activities like vigils.

The temperature of 57 F degrees with a steady 10 mph breeze, and stiffer gusts, made it a brisk Sunday night.

Hosting the vigil, as she did last week, was Heather Akou, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit the ACLU has filed in federal court, over the constitutionality of the policy. Akou is a professor in IU’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design.

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit over the policy on behalf of ten plaintiffs—all of whom joined the protest in Dunn Meadow against the war in Gaza on April 25, or in the following days, according to the filed complaint. Continue reading “Week 8: Free speech policy protesters persist at IU Bloomington, hear report of search warrant” →

Likely to be fueled by Monroe County ARPA: New west-side Bloomington bus, ‘shadow’ rural service

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To see the official Federal Transit Administration’s UA maps, see: http://tinyurl.com/FTA-Urban-Area

A new bus route to the west side of Bloomington—which will go outside city limits, to serve Ivy Tech, Simtra, and Cook Medical, among other employment centers—looks like it will get its $177,885 annual cost covered by Monroe County government.

That’s one of the bits of transportation news that came out of a joint meeting of Monroe County commissioners and councilors this past Wednesday (Oct. 9).

Another piece of transportation news from that joint meeting affects riders who have for years relied on Rural Transit to provide urban-to-urban trips inside More County—if one of the end points is outside Bloomington city limits.

At Wednesday’s meeting, it appears that county commissioners and councilors have reached a consensus that they will provide all of the $156,989 in funding required in 2025, for Rural Transit to continue to provide the rides.

In common parlance, the service now provided by Rural Transit with local money—instead of the federal funds that were previously used—is called by some a “shadow” service.

Earlier, county officials had hoped that the town of Ellettsville would pay $70,645 as its share of the door-to-door service. But that proposal foundered on a 2–3 vote of the town council in late September.

To pay for both transportation initiatives, Monroe County government is looking to tap ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money. Like other public entities, Monroe County government is under an end-of-year deadline to get all of its ARPA funds allocated, or face a loss of those funds. Continue reading “Likely to be fueled by Monroe County ARPA: New west-side Bloomington bus, ‘shadow’ rural service” →

Bloomington releases annexation trial exhibits, court of appeals case still waiting on transcript

Numbered locations in drone video.
One frame of the drone video included as an exhibit during the trial.

Responding to a B Square records request, the city of Bloomington has produced the exhibits that were admitted into evidence as part of the bench trial on annexation of Areas 1A and 1B, which was conducted in late April and early May of 2024.

The B Square has published the material in the form of a simple list of links to individual files in alphabetical order. Continue reading “Bloomington releases annexation trial exhibits, court of appeals case still waiting on transcript” →

Early voting notebook: Monroe County turnout so far in 2024 outpacing 2020 numbers

A Friday evening email from Monroe County election supervisor Kylie Farris delivered the daily totals for the first week of early in-person voting in Monroe County for the Nov. 5, 2024 election.

Those daily totals added up to 4,249 ballots cast over four days, starting Tuesday (Oct. 8).

Based on B Square reporting from 2020, the total of early in-person voting through the first four days of early in-person voting that year was 3,646. So this year’s 4-day total is about 16 percent better than four years ago. Continue reading “Early voting notebook: Monroe County turnout so far in 2024 outpacing 2020 numbers” →

New jail tax rate is 0.17%, will take effect for all Monroe County residents at start of 2025

Starting in 2025, Monroe County residents will pay a local income tax rate that is 0.105 points higher than the current rate.

A rate of 0.105, when applied to a taxable income of $20,000 per year, works out to an extra $21 a year.

The county council voted 5–1 to enact the tax, which is supposed to help fund a new county jail and related justice center with a construction budget of up to $200 million or more.

Dissenting was Marty Hawk. Absent due to illness was Cheryl Munson. Continue reading “New jail tax rate is 0.17%, will take effect for all Monroe County residents at start of 2025” →

Election 2024: Early in-person voting for Monroe County gets off to legally required loud start

Early voting line at election operations center in downtown Bloomington before the polls opened. (Oct. 8, 2024)

In-person early voting for the Nov. 5 election has started in Monroe County, Indiana.

At 8 a.m. sharp on Tuesday, county clerk Nicole Browne opened the door at the election operations center at 3rd and Walnut streets in downtown Bloomington and proclaimed: “Hear ye, hear ye, the polls are now open!”

Poll-opening audio: Oct. 8, 2024

The announcement is not just for fun. It’s a requirement of state election law, which says the announcement about the start of voting must be made “in a loud tone of voice” to “the people outside the polls.”

About 25 people were in line with two minutes to go until the polls opened. The temperature was a brisk 41 F degrees.

[Updated at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 8.  According to Monroe County election supervisor Kylie Farris, the total in-person voter count on Oct. 8, 2024, the first day of early in-person voting was 1,093. In 2020 the first-day total was 899. In 2016, the first-day total was 924.]

Continue reading “Election 2024: Early in-person voting for Monroe County gets off to legally required loud start” →

Week 7: A call for kindness at IU Bloomington free speech protest, filings complete for prelim injunction

 

Around 10:41 p.m. on Oct. 6, 2024 at Sample Gates, Indiana University Bloomington.

Starting around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night was the weekly protest at Sample Gates in Bloomington against Indiana University’s new “expressive activities” policy, which was effective Aug. 1.

Sample Gates is the spot where Kirkwood Avenue dead ends at the western edge of the Bloomington campus.

On the university campus, during the 7-hour window from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the policy prohibits expressive activities like vigils.

Highlights of Sunday’s event included a poem, read aloud by Heather Akou, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit the ACLU has filed in federal court, over the constitutionality of the policy.

The filings by both sides are now complete on the ACLU’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the policy. That sets the stage for a ruling on the preliminary injunction.
Continue reading “Week 7: A call for kindness at IU Bloomington free speech protest, filings complete for prelim injunction” →