Common Council Regular Session

In the Council Chambers of the Showers City Hall, Bloomington, COMMON COUNCIL Indiana on Wednesday, August 03, 2022 at 6:30pm, Council REGULAR SESSION President Susan Sandberg presided over a Regular Session of the August 03, 2022 Common Council. Councilmembers present: Matt Flaherty, Isabel Piedmont-Smith, ROLL CALL [6:31pm] Dave Rollo, Susan Sandberg, Sue Sgambelluri, Ron Smith Councilmembers present via Zoom: Kate Rosenbarger Councilmembers absent: Jim Sims, Stephen Volan Council President Susan Sandberg summarized the agenda. AGENDA SUMMATION [6:32pm] There were no minutes for approval. APPROVAL OF MINUTES [6:35pm] Piedmont-Smith noted her upcoming constituent meeting. REPORTS  COUNCIL MEMBERS Smith acknowledged the Parks and Recreation department’s efforts [6:35pm] to fix the basketball goals at Switchyard Parks. Flaherty mentioned his upcoming constituent meeting. Sgambelluri also mentioned her upcoming constituent meeting. Rosenbarger noted her upcoming constituent meeting. There were no reports from the Mayor or city offices.  The MAYOR AND CITY OFFICES [6:39pm] There were no council committee reports.  COUNCIL COMMITTEES [6:39pm] Bradley Rushton, President for the American Federation of State,  PUBLIC [6:39pm] County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) #2487, thanked the council and city for supporting the police department. He commented on the ongoing contract negotiation with the city as well as previous agreements including wage increases. Stephen French spoke about the need for reasonable and fair wage increases and the ongoing contract negotiation. Steve Robertson discussed staff turnover due to higher inflation and cost of living, and the lack of competitive wages. Lisa Martin commented in support of the AFSCME members and thanked council for their work. She read a brief statement from Mayor John Hamilton. Jennifer Pearl, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), invited community members engage in a new initiative called The Economic Vitality Project which hoped to identify challenges and gaps for prosperity, and how to better support initiatives. There were no appointments to boards or commissions. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS [6:59pm] p. 2 Meeting Date: 08-03-22 LEGISLATION FOR SECOND READING AND RESOLUTIONS [7:00pm] Rollo moved and it was seconded that Ordinance 22-20 be read by Ordinance 22-20 – To Amend Title title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 15 of the Bloomington Municipal 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Clerk Nicole Bolden read the legislation by Code Entitled "Vehicles and title and synopsis. There was not a do-pass recommendation. Traffic" - Re: Amending Section 15.12.030 to remove three Rollo moved and it was seconded that Ordinance 22-20 be adopted. signalized intersections and add three signalized intersections; Beth Rosenbarger, Assistant Director of Planning and Section 15.20.010 by deleting the Transportation department, presented the legislation. She reference to restricted turn summarized the amendments to Title 15 in the Bloomington intersections; Section 15.24.020 Municipal Code (BMC) including removal of signals, deletion from by changing speed limits at four the BMC, changes to speed limits, parking, loading zones, locations; Section 15.32.030 to neighborhood parking zone updates, pay by phone parking, and an change parking on Lincoln Street administrative fee for towed vehicles. between Smith and Third to back- in angle parking and to add pull-in parking on S. Morton Street from W. Patterson Drive and Grimes Lane to 190' north of W. Patterson Drive and Grimes Lane; Section 15.32.050 to allow for prohibiting parking in municipal parking lots to respond to weather and maintenance issues; Section 15.32.080, to remove no parking spaces on S. Morton Street and S. Rogers Street and to add no parking spaces on Lincoln Street and N. Park Avenue; Section 15.32.100 to add two 2 loading zones on E. 4th Street; Section 15.37.020, to change the boundaries of the Garden Hill Residential Neighborhood Permit Parking Zone; Section 15.040.010, to add paid parking spaces and the Trades District Garage; and Section 15.48.020 to add an administrative towing fee when vehicles are towed for reserved parking or outstanding citation violations [7:00pm] Sgambelluri moved and it was seconded to adopt Amendment 01 to Amendment 01 to Ordinance 22- Ordinance 22-20. 20 Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment clarifies that the loading zone listed in Section 7 of the ordinance is located on East Fourth Street by inserting the word “East” into the proposed new row of Schedule O. There were no council questions. Council questions: There was no public comment. Public comment: There were no council comments. Council comments:  Meeting Date: 08-03-22 p. 3 The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 22-20 received a Vote to adopt Amendment 01 to roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Ordinance 22-20 [7:13pm] Piedmont-Smith asked why the changes had not been brought to Council questions: council at an earlier date. Neil Kopper, Senior Project Engineer, Planning and Transportation, said that Title 15 updates could have been done earlier. The changes were presented to the Traffic Commission. Piedmont-Smith asked why the legislation was not done sooner. She referenced the change in parking on South Lincoln Street. B. Rosenbarger stated that she did not know exactly, but that there were challenges in compiling the updates, and commissions relating to traffic. She preferred to have presented earlier. Sgambelluri asked how speed limits were determined, in regards to Henderson Street. Kopper said that state code only allowed speed limits to be twenty miles per hour or higher. He noted that it was on par with surrounding streets. Sgambelluri asked if there was a mechanism to obtain feedback from residents in areas where speed limits were changed. Kopper stated that in the case of Henderson Street, feedback would have been obtained during the Traffic Commission’s evaluation of the street and the request to lower the speed limit. Flaherty asked how many amendments to Title 15 were presented to council in a given year, and if there was regularity with that. B. Rosenbarger stated that the goal was to have three updates per year, but that it had been only twice per year due to staffing shortages and other issues. Smith asked about the impact on changing the boundaries of Garden Hill. B. Rosenbarger said the impacts were minimal, and provided some examples pertaining to the neighborhood parking permits. Piedmont-Smith asked for clarification on the administrative fee for towing. Michelle Wahl, Parking Services Division Director, said that the fee was presented earlier that year. Staff removed the Bloomington Police Department (BPD) tow fee, and captured it as a tow citation fee. Piedmont-Smith asked what the fee paid for. Wahl explained that the fee covered the processing and towing of the vehicle, and that it would be changed to a citation fee. Previously, to get a tow release, a driver could go to BPD which was open at all hours. There was no public comment. Public comment: Piedmont-Smith asked if the instructions for back-in parking would Council comments: be posted on South Lincoln Street. B. Rosenbarger responded that she would have to confirm. Instructions had been placed on cars for some time, instead of citations, as well as handed out at the Boys and Girls Club. Piedmont-Smith said that on-street paid parking zones were expanding and asked if that was a policy decision. B. Rosenbarger said that the decision was demand based. The areas that were included in Ordinance 22-20 were adjacent to Indiana University (IU) and were in demand. Without paying for p. 4 Meeting Date: 08-03-22 parking, drivers would leave their cars for large amounts of time. Ordinance 22-20 (cont’d) She provided additional factors. Piedmont-Smith asked if it was to discourage drivers from essentially storing their cars. B. Rosenbarger confirmed that was correct. Piedmont-Smith asked that Title 15 updates go to council on a Council comments: quicker basis. She was not comfortable with updates coming to council after construction or a build out had already started. Sandberg agreed with Piedmont-Smith and expressed concern with staffing shortages. She also noted the benefit of having the Committee of the Whole (COW) so that the public could weigh in. The motion to adopt Ordinance 22-20 as amended received a roll Vote to adopt Ordinance 22-20 as call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. amended [7:28pm] LEGISLATION FOR FIRST READING [7:29pm] Rollo moved and it was seconded that Ordinance 22-21 be read by Ordinance 22-21 – To Amend Title title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8 of the Bloomington Municipal 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and Code, Entitled “Historic synopsis. Preservation and Protection” To Establish A Historic District – Re: Sandberg referred Ordinance 22-21 to the Committee of the Whole Bethel A.M.E. Church and to meet on August 10, 2022 beginning at 6:30 pm. Parsonage (Bethel A.M.E., Owner and Petitioner) [7:29pm] There was no public comment. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT [7:30pm] Stephen Lucas, Council Attorney, reviewed the upcoming council COUNCIL SCHEDULE [7:31pm] schedule. Rollo moved and it was seconded to cancel the Council Work Vote to cancel Work Session Session on Friday, August 5, 2022. The motion received a roll call [7:31pm] vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Rollo moved and it was seconded to adjourn. Sandberg adjourned ADJOURNMENT [7:32pm] the meeting. APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana upon this 26 day of _____ July ____________________, 2023. APPROVE: ATTEST: _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Sue Sgambelluri, PRESIDENT Nicole Bolden, CLERK Bloomington Common Council City of Bloomington