Poised to act Tuesday on jail: Monroe County council could adopt 0.2% tax, or re-advertise at reduced rate

Public hearing on Monroe County jail local income tax. (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Marty Hawk (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Cheryl Munson (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Kate Wiltz (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Geoff McKim (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Jennifer Crossley (Sept. 16, 2024)

Monroe County councilor Trent Deckard (Sept. 16, 2024)

A required public hearing on Monday night saw a total of 14 people weigh in on a proposed 0.2-percent local income tax (LIT) to fund the construction of a new Monroe County jail.

All but three were against imposing the tax, some strongly against, citing a range of reasons, including: a recent increase to another category of local income tax; ever increasing property taxes; skepticism about the need for a new jail as big as the 500-bed facility that some have proposed; treatment for substance use disorder as a better use of funds; and the still undecided location for a new jail.

Monroe County council could vote to impose the tax at its regular meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 17). Another option would be to scrap the current proposed jail tax rate, and to re-advertise a jail tax rate at some lower rate.

[Updated at 10 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2024. At its Tuesday meeting, the county council voted to amend the jail LIT rate to 0.175 percent and to re-advertise that rate for another public hearing to be held on Oct. 7.]

It’s not clear that the seven-member council would have the four votes it needs to impose a 0.2-percent tax. Not able to attend the public hearing to participate in Monday’s post-hearing discussion by the council was councilor Peter Iversen.

Not yet on the council’s 5 p.m. Tuesday meeting agenda is an item related to increasing the jail LIT.

But council president Trent Deckard indicated during discussion after Monday’s public hearing that he’s looking for the council to take action of some kind on Tuesday—either to impose the 0.2-percent tax, or reach a consensus on some lower rate.

Whatever lower rate the council might decide would need to be re-advertised for another public hearing. Continue reading “Poised to act Tuesday on jail: Monroe County council could adopt 0.2% tax, or re-advertise at reduced rate” →

New jail notebook: 0.2% tax advised by Monroe County consultant would generate $8.5M a year

June 21, 2024 meeting of the Monroe County council’s long-term financial planning committee. From the left corner of the table next to the empty chair, going clockwise: councilors Cheryl Munson, Marty Hawk, Trent Deckard, Geoff McKim, and Peter Iversen; Mike Guerrettaz, and Greg Guerrettaz, with Financial Services Group.

This year, Monroe County should enact a corrections local income tax (LIT) at the full 0.2 percent rate that’s allowed by state law, according to Greg Guerrettaz with Financial Services Group (FSG).

Guerrettaz was speaking at a Friday morning meeting of the Monroe County council’s long-term finance planning committee. FSG is the county’s financial planning consultant.

The additional jail income tax would have an impact on all residents of the county. A household with a taxable income of $60,000 would pay $120 a year due to the jail tax. [Listen to this report] Continue reading “New jail notebook: 0.2% tax advised by Monroe County consultant would generate $8.5M a year” →

$8M in county bridge bonds OK’d, library sidewalk connections won’t be as late as feared

Fullerton Pike looking west

Sidewalk along Fullerton Pike looking west, with MCPL branch on the right.

Sidewalk along Fullerton Pike looking east, with MCPL branch on the left.

Overview of location for Fullerton Pike project.

Inset of Fullerton Pike project.

By the time Fullerton Pike reaches the eastern edge of the project, the name changes to Gordon Pike. Site plan for the MCPL southwest branch, showing the two sidewalk connections that are to be built “by others.”

On Tuesday night, the Monroe County council unanimously approved the issuance of $8 million in bonds to pay for a new Fullerton Pike bridge over Clear Creek.

The 524-foot structure—which will feature a 6-foot median, a 10-foot multi-use path and a 5-foot sidewalk—will span Clear Creek Trail and the creek itself.

The bridge is part of a bigger new road project that will complete a Fullerton Pike connection from Rockport Road on the western end, to the Rogers Street roundabout on the eastern end.

On a related note, the council also got an indication that sidewalk connections to the recently opened Monroe County Public library branch would not depend on the timing of the Fullerton Pike project. Continue reading “$8M in county bridge bonds OK’d, library sidewalk connections won’t be as late as feared” →

Decision on Showers building purchase postponed by Bloomington city council until Jan. 25

Left is the existing 3rd Street Bloomington police station. Right is the western part of the former Showers Brothers factory building currently owned by CFC properties.

A decision on an $8.75-million real estate deal to expand the footprint of city hall inside its existing building has been postponed by Bloomington’s city council.

What has been delayed until next week is a decision to approve the Bloomington redevelopment commission’s purchase agreement for the western part of the former Showers Brothers factory building that houses city hall.

It’s part of Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s plan to put both the city’s main police station and fire department administration in the same historic city hall building. The proposed move is part of a bigger plan estimated at over $30-million—which includes reconstructing the flood-damaged Fire Station #1 and remodeling Fire Station #3.

Wednesday’s vote, which was unanimous among the eight councilmembers present, came after more than two hours of deliberations.

Absent was Jim Sims, who in early December described as “a joke” a “Plan B” alternative, which involves just renovation of the existing 3rd Street police station.

The approval of the building purchase is part of the same agenda item as the ordinance that appropriates the proceeds of $29.5 million in bonds that have already been issued. Based on the wording of the bond issuance, the proceeds have to be used for public safety purposes.

Postponement came at the point in the meeting when Ron Smith moved an amendment that would remove from the appropriation ordinance the reference to the building purchase. The amendment would also prohibit use of the bond proceeds for purchase of the Showers building.

Based on their comments at Wednesday’s meeting and previous meetings, two councilmembers sound like they’re firmly in support of the Showers building purchase, three are firmly opposed, and three somewhat undecided, even if they’re leaning in one direction or another. Continue reading “Decision on Showers building purchase postponed by Bloomington city council until Jan. 25” →

Electronic meetings statute stops vote on $5.8M bond issuance by Bloomington parks board

The final approval of $5.8-million in general obligation bonds appeared on Tuesday’s agenda for Bloomington’s board of park commissioners.

view of city council chambers with two park commissioners seated at dais with numeral "1" and "2" labeling them and a third park commission appearing on screen. — Tues. April 26, 2022 meeting of Bloomington’s board of park commissioners. Two were present in-person. One was present on the Zoom platform.

It did not get a vote, because only two of the four park commissioners were attending the meeting in person.

A special meeting will be scheduled so that a vote can be taken.

A third commissioner attended Tuesday’s meeting by using the Zoom video-conferencing platform—which allowed the board to achieve its quorum of three members to transact other items on its agenda.

Under Indiana’s Open Door Law (ODL), an attendee who participates by electronic communication counts towards satisfying a quorum.

And under ordinary circumstances a remote attendee’s votes count towards whatever majority is needed for a particular item to be approved.

But under the ODL, there are some circumstances that preclude a member’s participation in a meeting using electronic communication. Among them are meetings when the governing body is taking final action to “establish, raise, or renew a tax.”

Issuing general obligation bonds has the impact of raising property taxes. Continue reading “Electronic meetings statute stops vote on $5.8M bond issuance by Bloomington parks board” →

Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Road to reopen after pilot closure, but “not anytime soon”

Section of road proposed for closure. It stopped short of the underpass, and did not extend to College Avenue.

Section of trail proposed to city council in Oct. 31, 2018 bond proposal. It goes south all the way to College Avenue.

Locator map for proposed road closure.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a Bloomington city staff recommendation to permanently reopen the road through Lower Cascades Park was delivered to the four-member board of park commissioners.

That was followed by an update to the three-member board of public works from public works director Adam Wason, about the parks staff recommendation to re-open the road.

That meant board of public works members did not have to vote on the question of a road closure.

Still, Wason told them the road could not be opened “anytime soon.” For one thing, the road sustained substantial damage as a result of weekend’s heavy rains, which caused flooding in several places.

For another thing, it will take some time to design and construct the kind of traffic calming measures that are being recommended—to try to make the road safer for people bicycling and walking along the park road. Continue reading “Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Road to reopen after pilot closure, but “not anytime soon”” →

City consultant says food and beverage tax could support $42.7M in bonds for convention center expansion, in the range of covering whole cost

Bloomington city councilmember Jim Sims

Monroe County councilors Marty Hawk and Geoff McKim

Monroe County councilor Eric Spoonmore

Bloomington city councilmembers Isabel Piedmont-Smith and Chris Sturbaum

Bloomington’s mayor John Hamilton

At a meeting held Monday night at the Monroe Convention Center, elected officials from Bloomington and Monroe County governments got an analysis of revenue from the countywide food and beverage tax. It’s a one-percent levy that has been collected since February 2018.

Buzz Krohn, of O.W. Krohn and Associates, told the group that the city’s portion of the food and beverage tax would provide roughly $42.7 million of bonding capacity—on the “preferred” option for bonding.

That’s maybe $1.3 million shy of the $44 million needed for the current project to expand and renovate the convention center.

Another $15 million, for a 500–550 space parking garage, is reckoned by the city to be paid for out of tax increment finance (TIF) money, a different revenue stream from the food and beverage tax. Continue reading “City consultant says food and beverage tax could support $42.7M in bonds for convention center expansion, in the range of covering whole cost” →

Sawtooth tech district parking garage with 379 parking spaces gets Bloomington plan commission OK

Aerial image from Monroe County GIS system from the west.

West elevation of proposed parking structure.

Based on the city plan commission’s unanimous recommendation Monday night, downtown Bloomington will be getting roughly 250 more parking spaces by the end of 2020.

Winning approval from commissioners was a three-story, ~~369~~379-space parking structure that the city will build on a wedge of land in downtown’s technology district. The site is flanked by the B-Line trail on the west and the Showers building, which houses city hall and CFC Business Plaza, on the east. The Beacon counted more than a hundred parking spaces in the surface lot currently at that location.

Last year, on Dec. 13, the city council approved the $10.96 million worth of tax increment revenue bonds from the Bloomington Redevelopment District that will be used to pay for the structure. Continue reading “Sawtooth tech district parking garage with 379 parking spaces gets Bloomington plan commission OK” →

Monroe county’s commissioners: GO, dog. GO bonds!

Cropped courthouse dog sign IMG_2565

The largest dollar-amount item on the regular meeting agenda for Monroe County commissioners on Wednesday morning was approval of a $5.17 million general obligation (GO) bond, to pay for a raft of projects. The two commissioners present on the three-member board—Julie Thomas and Penny Githens—approved the bond issuance.

Also at the meeting, a few ordinances regulating behavior on the courthouse grounds were revised, to add some additional punishments for violating the existing county laws on hours of operation, littering and camping. The new penalty allows for an escalating series of bans from the property, in 30-day increments.

The ordinance revisions were made, because of persisting “incidents of alcohol consumption during the day, fighting, and the deposit of trash, garbage, human waste, and used syringes on the Courthouse grounds,” according to the resolution approved by commissioners.

A separate ordinance revision, also related to the courthouse grounds now allows dogs on the grounds, if they’re on a leash and under control.

Downward dogs will also be allowed as a result of the approval commissioners gave to a contract to with a yoga teacher to give classes to county employees at no cost to them.
Continue reading “Monroe county’s commissioners: GO, dog. GO bonds!” →