Tag: Trent Deckard

Imminent interlocal accord gives boost to convention center expansion, but project timeline looks longer

From left: CIB member Joyce Poling, controller Jeff Underwood, and CIB member Eric Spoonmore. (Feb. 14, 2024))
CIB legal counsel Jim Whitlach. (Feb. 14, 2024))
From left: CIB members John Whikehart and Doug Bruce. (Feb. 14, 2024))
Foreground: CIB member Adam Thies. Background: CIB member Jim Silberstein. (Feb. 14, 2024))

The likely signing of a key agreement by the end of February has given a little bit of impetus to the plan to expand the Monroe Convention Center at 2nd 3rd Street and College Avenue.

But the aggressive timeline that Monroe County’s capital improvement board (CIB) had hoped to follow looks like it will probably be dialed back a bit. An expanded facility that is ready to host events by the end of 2026 may not be realistic.

The bright spot of news that CIB members got to chew on at their Wednesday meeting was the previous evening’s unanimous ratification of an interlocal agreement by the Monroe County council, which is one of the four parties to the accord.

The other three parties are the Monroe County commissioners, the Bloomington city council, and the mayor. The agreement is expected to appear on the agenda for county commissioner on Feb. 21, followed by a possible adoption by the city council the following week, on Feb. 28.

Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson told The B Square on Tuesday that if the agreement on the county council’s agenda was the same one that she had seen most recently, she is in support of it.

The current version of the interlocal that is now making the approval rounds has been revised since the city council and the mayor approved it last year. That’s why the city council and the mayor will need to re-approve it.

At their December meeting, CIB members  had been looking at a potential timeline that included opening an expansion for business in late 2026.

But at Wednesday’s meeting, it was apparent that even if the CIB is making progress on selecting a construction manager, owner’s representative, and retaining an architect, it’s not as fast as the timeline draft provided by Schmidt Associates in December. Schmidt is the architectural firm that did the preliminary conceptual design work in 2019 and before. Continue reading “Imminent interlocal accord gives boost to convention center expansion, but project timeline looks longer” →

Election 2024 | 4 contested races in Monroe County primaries: 1 council at-large, 3 commissioner

Friday at noon was the deadline for declaration of a candidacy for local office in a major party primary this year.

This graphic is a three-column table Column 1 Race Column 2 Party Initial Column 3 Candidate name County Commissioner District 2 D Julie Thomas County Commissioner District 2 D Peter Iversen County Commissioner District 3 D Jody Madeira County Commissioner District 3 D Penny Githens County Commissioner District 3 D Steve Volan County Commissioner District 3 R Joe VanDeventer County Commissioner District 3 R Paul White Sr. County Council at large D Cheryl Munson County Council at large D David Henry County Council at large D Matt Caldie County Council at large D Trent Deckard

When the deadline passed, the filings in Monroe County added up to four contested primary races—three for the Democrats and one for Republicans. The primary election falls on May 7, with early voting starting two months from now, on April 9.

It was the District 3 race for county commissioner that drew the most interest, with a total of five filings—by three Democrats and two Republicans.

The incumbent, Democrat Penny Githens, will compete in a three-way race for her party’s nomination. Filing for District 3 on Jan. 10, the first day it was possible to declare a candidacy, was former Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan. Filing for District 3 on Friday, the final day of the window, was Indiana University law professor Jody Madeira.

For the Republicans, the primary race will be contested between Joe VanDeventer, who is director of street operations for the city of Bloomington, and Paul White, Sr. who has previously run for elected office, most recently for county recorder.

In the District 2 race for county commissioner, two Democrats filed paperwork—incumbent Julie Thomas and challenger Peter Iversen, who currently serves on the Monroe County council. Continue reading “Election 2024 | 4 contested races in Monroe County primaries: 1 council at-large, 3 commissioner” →

Elections 2024: First filing day—both Monroe County commissioner races could be contested for Dems

David Henry submits paperwork at Election Central to depuy clerk Larime Wilson. He’s running for county council. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Sierra Roussos submits petitions for Valerie McCray’s campaign for U.S. senate. Working the counter is Larime Wilson (Jan. 10, 2024)
Peter Iversen submits paperwork to run for the District 2 county commissioner seat. Working the counter is deputy clerk Larime Wilson. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Trent Deckard stands just inside the door at Election Central to submit his paperwork to run for re-election as a county councilor. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Deputy auditor Christopher Muench with incumbent auditor Cathy Smith, who filed paperwork to run for county treasurer. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Brianne Gregory files paperwork as candidate for Monroe County auditor. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Monroe County Election Central time stamp. (Jan. 10, 2024)
Steve Volan. The B Square missed Volan at Election Central on Jan. 10, 2023 but he addressed the new Bloomington city council from the public mic later that day.

Official filings on Wednesday mean that Monroe County voters in the 2024 Democratic Party primary might have choices in both of the county commissioner races that are up for election this year.

Previously announced was District 2 county commissioner Julie Thomas’s intent to seek re-election and Peter Iversen’s intent to challenge for the seat. Iversen’s District 1 county council seat is not up for election this year.

Incumbent for the District 3 county commissioner seat is Penny Githens, who has been considered likely to seek re-election. Filing paperwork on Wednesday for the District 3 county commissioner seat was Democrat Steve Volan, a former Bloomington city councilmember.

Volan’s 20 years of service on the city council concluded at the end of 2023. After representing District 6 on the city council for two decades, he sought the party’s nomination to one of the three at-large council seats, but was not among the top three vote getters in the 2023 primary.

Reached on Wednesday, Githens indicated to the B Square that she has not yet decided whether to run again for the District 3 county commissioner seat.

The districts for county commissioners define the limited geographic areas where candidates have to live—but the voting for county commissioners is countywide.

Wednesday was the first day it was possible for this year’s candidates for local office to file their official paperwork.

It was also the first day that candidates for U.S. president and U.S. senate could submit signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.  Incumbent Joe Biden’s  presidential campaign, and Valerie McCray’s senatorial campaign submitted signatures from Monroe County voters on Wednesday.

Up for local election this year in Monroe County are the positions of auditor, coroner, surveyor, treasurer, circuit court judge (Division 3, Division 4, and Division 9), county commissioner (District 2 and District 3) and county councilor (three at-large seats). Continue reading “Elections 2024: First filing day—both Monroe County commissioner races could be contested for Dems” →

Local officials sworn in, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson says, “It’s time to get moving.”

Judge Valeri Haughton administers the the oath of office to Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden. (Jan. 1, 2024)
Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden administers the oath to Ellettsville clerk treasurer, Noelle Conyer. (Jan. 1, 2024)
Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden administers the oath to Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson. (Jan. 1, 2024)

Starting a few minutes after noon on New Year’s Day in Bloomington’s city hall, the mayor, city clerk, city councilmembers, and the Ellettsville clerk treasurer were sworn into office to start four-year terms.

The chambers were packed, including the upper level, leaving some to stand in the lobby.

First to be sworn in was Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden. Administering the oath was Monroe County circuit court judge Valeri Haughton, who is Bolden’s mother.

That set up Bolden to administer the oaths of office for some of the other officials.

Bookending the proceedings was the swearing in of Ellettsville clerk treasurer Noelle Conyer.

When Conyer’s turn was reached on the program, Bolden said, “I think it is easy for us in Bloomington to forget that we in Monroe County host several communities, and so it is my distinct honor and pleasure to next administer the oath for my colleague and counterpart in Ellettsville.”

Before the ceremony started, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson delivered remarks lasting about seven minutes. Continue reading “Local officials sworn in, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson says, “It’s time to get moving.”” →

Column: Staring into the civic sun in 2024, the year of a solar eclipse

This image was generated by Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator (powered by DALL·E 3).

In 2024, the local civic cosmos could see some big changes, in the same year when a rare literal cosmic event will unfold.

On April 8, a solar eclipse will briefly cast a shadow directly over the Bloomington area, turning daylight into gloam. (Yes, that is an awfully fancy word for “twilight,” but it’s the kind of highfalutin fare that is customary for a newspaper year-in-preview column.)

During an eclipse, in the battle between dark and light across the visible disk of the sun, the dark begins with a steady assimilation of the light’s territory, but the light always reverses the trend and prevails in the end.

That’s either a great or a lousy metaphor for municipal annexation, depending on a person’s political perspective.

In fall of 2021, Bloomington’s city council approved the annexation of seven different territories, all of which are still the subject of litigation.

Metaphors aside, 2024 holds the potential for some court decisions on those pending annexations, which might settle the question of how much Bloomington’s boundaries will change.

Of course, annexation is just one of myriad civic issues that are in the queue for Bloomington and Monroe County in 2024.

Here’s a non-exhaustive rundown of topics The B Square will try to track in the coming year. Continue reading “Column: Staring into the civic sun in 2024, the year of a solar eclipse” →

Fernandez tapped to serve as Democratic Party’s appointee to Monroe County election board

In a news release issued on Monday, the Monroe County Democratic Party has announced that former Bloomington mayor John Fernandez will serve as David Henry’s replacement on the county election board.

John Fernandez at a Sept. 27, 2023 meeting of the Bloomington redevelopment commission.

On the three-member board, Fernandez will join the Monroe County Republican Party’s appointment, Judith Benckart, and county clerk Nicole Browne.

Browne serves on the election board in her role as elected county clerk.

As party chair, it was Henry who chose his own replacement to the election board.

Henry’s choice of Fernandez will not be considered a big surprise.

Fernandez served as Henry’s proxy during the spring 2023 episode when the residency of the Democratic Party’s nominee for Bloomington’s District 6 city council seat was disputed.

It was alleged that David Wolfe Bender did not satisfy the requirement that a candidate live in the council district that they hope to serve.

The board referred the matter to the prosecutor’s office and Bender wound up resigning as the nominee, which cleared the way for Sydney Zulich to be selected during a party caucus as the party’s candidate. Zulich was unopposed on the Nov. 7 ballot and is set to be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2023,

Fernandez currently serves as the vice president for innovation and strategic partnerships at The Mill, which is a coworking space in Bloomington’s Trades District. His public service includes a stretch working for U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. Continue reading “Fernandez tapped to serve as Democratic Party’s appointee to Monroe County election board” →

Tax abatement gets final OK from Monroe County, could mean NHanced production of chips by fall 2024

Bob Patti, CEO of NHanced Semiconductors, explains how semiconductors are built.
Monroe County council (Dec. 12, 2023)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1MPwXPeN28DzOspwyZ6qBPWWBbs5nzKU&usp=sharing

Winning unanimous approval from the seven-member Monroe County council on Tuesday night was the approval of a request from NHanced Semiconductors for a 10-year tax abatement.

Based on remarks from NHanced CEO Bob Patti made at Tuesday’s meeting, the company could start semiconductor production in Bloomington by fall of 2024.

The request was for 100 percent of personal property taxes each year, in exchange for a planned $152-million investment by NHanced.

NHanced did not ask for any abatement of real property taxes. Its investment will be almost exclusively in personal property.

Personal property refers to movable assets like equipment, while real property means immovable assets, like land and buildings.

The county council’s approval on Tuesday followed the previous week’s approval by county commissioners.  Tuesday’s county council vote was the final action needed. Continue reading “Tax abatement gets final OK from Monroe County, could mean NHanced production of chips by fall 2024” →

Monroe County sheriff announces jail transition director: Cory Grass

Cory Grass (Dec. 12, 2023)
Cory Grass (Dec. 12, 2023)
Monroe County chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker (Dec. 12, 2023)
Monroe County chief deputy sheriff Phil Parker (Dec. 12, 2023)
Monroe County council (Dec. 12, 2023)
Monroe County council (Dec. 12, 2023)

A jail transition director for Monroe County was announced and introduced at Tuesday night’s county council meeting.

Cory Grass will lead the transition from the current jail at College Avenue and 7th Street to facility to be constructed at a location that is not yet determined.

Grass is a Monroe County native who interned at the Monroe County jail, went on to serve in Bloomington’s police department, and more recently in the FBI, before starting his own consulting firm, Apex Solutions Group.

Making the introduction to county councilors at their regular Tuesday meeting was Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté’s chief deputy, Phil Parker. Continue reading “Monroe County sheriff announces jail transition director: Cory Grass” →

Ellettsville town council OKs 3 months of transit funding, future uncertain after that

From left: Ellettsville town councilors Scott Oldham and William Ellis (Dec. 11, 2023)
The blue shading indicates “urban area” as defined by the US Census and Federal Transit Administration. The current, pre-annexation city boundary for Bloomington is shown in black. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1irTiPkrnMPTnxXQcejdpvF0EMyR1jvo&usp=sharing

Rural Transit riders who use the transportation service to make on-demand trips inside Monroe County’s urban area will continue to be able to do that—at least through the end of March 2024.

But after March, it’s not clear who will pay the bill for Ellettsville-based trips.

Ellettsville’s town council voted on Monday to pay monthly invoices from Rural Transit based on actual rides given, starting in February, for rides taken the previous month.

But the vote reflects a commitment just for three months. After that, the council will reassess the town’s financial situation. Based on the town council’s deliberations on the topic, which lasted around 50 minutes, it’s not clear from which fund the money for the trips will be drawn.

But Ellettsville clerk treasurer Sandra Hash will take the steps to give public notice of the additional appropriation.

Based on historical data, Ellettsville’s cost for the whole year would work out to $132,000. Continue reading “Ellettsville town council OKs 3 months of transit funding, future uncertain after that” →