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.

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 mayor after state police remove Gaza protest tents on IU campus: ‘I’m not supportive of unauthorized encampments, nor of violence.’

Town hall. From left: Monroe County councilor Jennifer Crossley, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson, state senator Shelli Yoder, and Bloomington city councilmember Isak Asare. (April 27, 2024)

Dunn Meadow State police action April 27, 2024.

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In a video message released at 4:17 p.m. on Saturday, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson took a position on the recent state and university police action on the Indiana University campus, which has seen the arrest of 55 protestors, including both faculty and students, on two separate days.

In Thomson’s message, which lasted about three minutes, she said, “I’m supportive of the protesters and their freedom to express themselves.”

She continued, “I’m not supportive of unauthorized encampments, nor of violence.” Thomson added: “I urge all involved to use the principles of non-violence and de-escalation and to be aware that these times are already charged for so many. ”

The demonstration, against the killing of civilians in Gaza by the Israeli army and in support of Palestine as a state, included some tents and pavilions set up on Dunn Meadow. It’s a spot with more than 50 years of tradition as a location for political protest.

Up until this past week, the right to use any “sign, symbol or structure” as part of a demonstration was ensconced in a university policy enacted in 1969.

In her video message, Thomson twice used the word “unauthorized” to describe the tents in Dunn Meadow that were the stated basis for police action on Thursday and again on Saturday. Continue reading “Bloomington mayor after state police remove Gaza protest tents on IU campus: ‘I’m not supportive of unauthorized encampments, nor of violence.’” →

Jail committee tries to turn page on infighting: “Talking more is always a good antidote to talking less or talking crosswise.”

Community justice response committee (Feb. 6, 2023)

From left: Monroe County circuit court judges Kara Krothe and Catherine Stafford and deputy prosecutor April Wilson.

County councilors Jennifer Crossley and Peter Iversen. Community justice response committee (Feb. 6, 2023).

This Monday marked the first meeting of Monroe County’s community justice response committee (CJRC) after the membership was revised by county commissioners—to include all three commissioners, reduce the number of judges from four to two, but not add any representatives from Bloomington city government.

The previous couple of meetings had been contentious.

And much of the friction centered on the makeup of the group, which is supposed to be responding to the work of two consultants, released to the county government more than 18 months ago.

The meetings were contentious enough to prompt a rebuke of the committee from various quarters. Friction between the judicial and the executive branch surfaced about how input is treated from different people at the table, and how information is shared.

That friction surfaced at a previous meeting when county commissioner Lee Jones told circuit court judge Catherine Stafford, “I’m sorry, Catherine, would you please stop interrupting me.”

This Monday, it was Stafford who was asked by committee co-chair county commissioner Penny Githens to get the meeting started with some remarks.

The way Githens cued up Stafford’s speaking turn made it plain she wanted to start a new chapter: “I was chatting with my friend judge Stafford recently, and I was going to ask her if she would start the meeting off with just a few brief sentences.”

Stafford responded by alluding to some of the rocky terrain the committee had traversed: “I think that talking more is always a good antidote to talking less, or talking crosswise.” Continue reading “Jail committee tries to turn page on infighting: “Talking more is always a good antidote to talking less or talking crosswise.”” →