Tag: Fairview Street

Bloomington posts 30-day deadline for encampment near Rail Trail, cites fire safety risks

The aerial image is from Monroe County’s parcel lookup system, from a flyover photograph taken on March 11, 2024.
The aerial image is from Monroe County’s parcel lookup system, from a flyover photograph taken on March 11, 2024.

On Monday this week, the city of Bloomington posted a 30-day notice to vacate the area at homeless encampments along the Rail Trail south of Country Club Drive and north of Gordon Pike.

That was a day before a storm blew through Monroe County, downing trees, powerlines and damaging several houses.

It will be the fourth significant encampment closure since the start of the year, when Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson first took office. The first came in early January, at a city-owned property on the northwest corner of the intersection of Fairview Street and Patterson Drive. The second closure came at the end of January, on a wooded stretch of city-owned property behind Wheeler Mission.

The third encampment clearance came in early May on public and private property at the southwest edge of Switchyard Park. Continue reading “Bloomington posts 30-day deadline for encampment near Rail Trail, cites fire safety risks” →

Bloomington city council’s first meeting puts familiar faces in leadership, gives public safety some airtime

Shruti Rana (Jan. 10, 2024)
Matt Flaherty (Jan. 10, 2024)
Hopi Stosberg (Jan. 10, 2024)
Dave Rollo (Jan. 10, 2024)
Kate Rosenbarger (Jan. 10, 2024)
Isak Asare (Jan. 10, 2024)
Gretchen Knapp (Jan. 10, 2024)
Kerry Thomson (Jan. 10, 2024)
Sydney Zulich (Jan. 10, 2024)
Isabel Piedmont-Smith (Jan. 10, 2024)
Kerry Thomson (Jan. 10, 2024)
Andy Ruff (Jan. 10, 2024)
Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson addresses the city council (Jan. 10, 2024)
Bloomington’s city council (Jan. 10, 2024)

On Wednesday, the 2024 edition of Bloomington’s city council gathered for the first time at city hall since it was sworn in on New Year’s Day.

One of the first orders of business at the council’s first meeting, which is required by state law, was to choose a president and vice president to serve for the upcoming year.

The job of president went to District 1 representative Isabel Piedmont-Smith. The job of vice president went to at-large representative Andy Ruff.

A requirement of local law, but not state statute, is to choose a parliamentarian. The job of parliamentarian went to District 3 representative Hopi Stosberg.

For all three council officer positions, those who were chosen were the only members nominated. The votes were all unanimous on the nine-member council.

Much of Wednesday’s meeting was first-of-the-year housekeeping, including the introduction of new Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson, and deputy mayor Gretchen Knapp, who each delivered brief remarks.

Also introduced were some new department heads: Jane Kupersmith, head of economic and sustainable development; Jessica McClellan, city controller; and Sharmaine Pechac, head of human resources.

But the topic of public safety—in general, as well as in connection with the clearance of a homeless encampment last Thursday—got some discussion at the meeting. Continue reading “Bloomington city council’s first meeting puts familiar faces in leadership, gives public safety some airtime” →

Homeless encampment in southwest quarter of Bloomington displaced, mayor on site for work

After-hours-ambassador, Charles Culp, who works in the city’s community and family resources department (CFRD). (Jan. 4, 2023)
Encampment displacement at Patterson Drive and Fairview Street. (Jan. 4, 2024)
Bloomington director of public works, Adam Wason. (Jan. 4, 2024)
Encampment displacement at Patterson Drive and Fairview Street. (Jan. 4, 2024)
Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson visits with a camp resident and his canine companion. (jan. 4, 2024)
Encampment displacement at Patterson Drive and Fairview Street. (Jan. 4, 2024)
This February 2022 aerial image is from Monroe County’s online property lookup system.

An encampment where reportedly up to a dozen people were living in the southwest quadrant of Bloomington was cleared Thursday morning by city staff from public works and the community and family resources department (CFRD), with police officers standing by.

The land is city-owned property on the northwest corner of the intersection of Fairview Street and Patterson Drive.

Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson was on site assisting with the work, and talking to the people who were being displaced.

Continue reading “Homeless encampment in southwest quarter of Bloomington displaced, mayor on site for work” →

Analysis: Bloomington OKs public offering of Hopewell land with apparent mistake in description

At its regular Monday meeting, Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC) approved a public offering of property south of 1st Street opposite the location of the former IU Health hospital.

Responding to a question raised by The B Square, about the accuracy of the textual description of the three separate pieces of land, the board amended their motion on the offering before adopting it.

The new motion required city staff to add a map—one that is labeled numerically for each of the three parcels.

Based on the map that the board asked to be added, it might be possible to tell exactly what land the city is putting up for sale.

But an apparent mistake in the textual description was allowed to remain. Continue reading “Analysis: Bloomington OKs public offering of Hopewell land with apparent mistake in description” →