Bloomington council overrides mayor’s veto of resolution on Gaza by same 9–0 vote as before

Bloomington city council (May 1, 2024)

Bloomington city council meeting. (May 1, 2024)

Bloomington city councilmember Dave Rollo. (May 1, 2024)

Bloomington council president Isabel Piedmont-Smith. (May 1, 2024)

Bloomington councilmember Isak Asare. (May 1, 2024)

Bloomington city council meeting. (May 1, 2024)

Nejla Routsong speaks from the public mic, thanking the eight councilmembers who signed an open letter to IU president Pamela Whitten, calling for a reversal of the Dunn Meadow policy and the bans from campus for those who were arrested. . (May 1, 2024)

At its regular Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council voted 9–0 to override mayor Kerry Thomson’s veto of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza so that humanitarian aid can be delivered.

The 9–0 tally satisfied the two-thirds majority on the nine-member council that is required to override a mayoral veto.

Council chambers were packed on Wednesday night with a crowd who were there to support the override of the veto.

Many of that crowd also appeared to be in attendance in order to support speakers at the public mic who denounced the actions to taken by Indiana University president Pamela Whitten on April 25 and April 27, when she called in state riot police on Dunn Meadow protesters and made a total of 55 arrests over two days.

Council president Isabel Piedmont-Smith led off the meeting reading aloud an open letter to Whitten, signed by eight of nine councilmembers. The letter demanded among other things that the university rescind its quickly enacted new policy, that prohibits tents during the daytime in connection with Dunn Meadow protests. Continue reading “Bloomington council overrides mayor’s veto of resolution on Gaza by same 9–0 vote as before” →

Mayoral veto looks likely for Bloomington city council advocacy resolutions, including any on Gaza, as anti-pipeline measure passes with 4 abstentions

Bloomington city councilmembers from near to far: Matt Flaherty, Sydney Zulich, Dave Rollo, Andy Ruff, Isabel Piedmont-Smith, Hopi Stosberg, Isak Asare, and Courtney Daily. Kate Rosenbarger attended via Zoom. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Hopi Stosberg. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Andy Ruff. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Matt Flaherty. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Isak Asare. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmember Dave Rollo. (March 27, 2024)

Councilmembers applaud Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden’s achievement of the status of master municipal clerk. (March 27, 2024)

An additional Bloomington police officer was assigned to city council chambers. (March 27, 2024)

Many in the audience held signs that read: “Cease Fire Now”. (March 27, 2024)

Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson. (March 27, 2024)

Bloomington city council meeting audience. (March 27, 2024).

Bloomington city council meeting. (March 27, 2024)

On Wednesday night, Bloomington’s city council just barely passed a resolution opposing the construction of a pipeline in north central Indiana for the diversion of water from the Wabash River.

The resolution, which had been put forward by Andy Ruff, got support from just five councilmembers, which is a majority on the nine-member body. Voting for it were: Ruff, Dave Rollo, Isabel Piedmont- Smith, Hopi Stosberg and Courtney Daily.

Abstaining on the vote were: Matt Flaherty, Sydney Zulich, Isak Asare, and Kate Rosenbarger.

The resolution passed with some amendments, including one that added a request that the General Assembly establish a comprehensive water management plan.

The council had discussed the resolution opposing the LEAP pipeline at its March 6 meeting, but postponed it until this week.

Before the council voted, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson gave a clear indication she would not be signing the resolution, or any similar resolutions in the future.

Addressing the council, Thomson put it like this: “While it is your prerogative to pass resolutions that express viewpoints on matters that we do not oversee, as a matter of principle, I will not be signing any resolutions that do not directly impact the business of our city.”

Continue reading “Mayoral veto looks likely for Bloomington city council advocacy resolutions, including any on Gaza, as anti-pipeline measure passes with 4 abstentions” →

Bloomington city council overrides mayoral veto on convention center governance, path forward unclear

Newly elected Bloomington city council president Sue Sgambelluri (Jan. 11, 2023).

From left: Bloomington city councilmembers Matt Flaherty, Kate Rosenbarger, and Susan Sandberg (Jan. 11, 2023).

From left: Bloomington city councilmembers Isabel Piedmont-Smith, Sue Sgambelluri, and Dave Rollo (Jan. 11, 2023).

From left: Bloomington city councilmembers Jim Sims, Ron Smith, and Steve Volan (Jan. 11, 2023).

Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas (Jan. 11, 2023).

Bloomington deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael (Jan. 11, 2023).

A mayoral veto of a Bloomington city council resolution supporting a capital improvement board (CIB) as the governance method for a convention center expansion, has been overridden by the city council.

It was at 3:15 p.m. Friday, the day before Christmas Eve, when Bloomington mayor John Hamilton issued his veto of the council’s Dec. 14 resolution.

In December the council had approved the resolution by an 8–1 vote, with Kate Rosenbarger as the sole voice of dissent.

At this Wednesday’s city council meeting, the outcome of the vote was the same, satisfying the two-thirds majority required under city code to override the mayor’s veto.

On Wednesday as in December, Rosenbarger’s dissent was not based on any support for Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s preferred convention center expansion governance structure, which is a 501(c)(3). Instead, Rosenbarger is skeptical that a convention center expansion should be built at all.

Continue reading “Bloomington city council overrides mayoral veto on convention center governance, path forward unclear” →