Common Council Regular Session

In the Council Chambers of the Showers City Hall, Bloomington, Indiana on COMMON COUNCIL Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 6:30pm, Council President Sue Sgambelluri REGULAR SESSION presided over a Regular Session of the Common Council. October 18, 2023 Councilmembers present: Matt Flaherty, Isabel Piedmont-Smith, Dave Rollo, ROLL CALL [6:30pm] Kate Rosenbarger, Sue Sgambelluri, Jims Sims, Ron Smith, Stephen Volan Councilmembers present via Zoom: none Councilmembers absent: Susan Sandberg Council Vice President Isabel Piedmont-Smith gave a land acknowledgment AGENDA SUMMATION and Council President Sue Sgambelluri summarized the agenda. [6:30pm] There were no minutes for approval. APPROVAL OF MINUTES [6:34pm] Smith reported on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) REPORTS [6:34pm] meeting. He also urged the public to volunteer at the ReStore, as he did.  COUNCIL MEMBERS Volan echoed the call for volunteers at ReStore. He commented on the consideration of Bloomington Transit service outside of the city. Holly Warren, Interim Director, Assistant Director for the Arts, Economic  The MAYOR AND CITY and Sustainable Development (ESD) department, presented the OFFICES [6:36pm] Bloomington Arts Commission’s (BAC) work. She described BAC’s mission, background, members, and the importance of art in the community. She noted projects, operations, and emerging artist grants that were awarded in 2022 and 2023. She spoke about public art and the public art master plan. Gerard Panekoek, Chair, BAC, discussed why the arts were important for the city. He provided details on the grants that were awarded. There was discussion on the maintenance of the painted electrical boxes, guided tours of city public art, amount of grants in relation to need, art spaces, BAC’s participation in the design of the Miller-Showers Park monolith, and collaboration with the Capital Improvement Board (CIB) for the expansion of the Convention Center. There were no reports from council committees.  COUNCIL COMMITTEES [6:57pm] Collin Nielsen spoke about his experience of nearly being hit by a car that  PUBLIC [6:58pm] ran a red light on 10th Street and Woodlawn. He said that adjusting the traffic signal could help make the intersection less dangerous. Marc Haggerty commented on democracy in the city, elections, political parties, and write-in candidates. Christopher Emge, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, discussed work being done by the chamber and recent and upcoming events. Volan moved and Flaherty seconded to appoint Todd Mullins to seat C-7, APPOINTMENTS TO Adrianne Weber to seat C-8, and Jenna Buckner to seat C-11 on the BOARDS AND Community Advisory on Public Safety commission. The motion was COMMISSIONS [7:15pm] approved by voice vote. Vote to appoint [7:15pm] Flaherty moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to notify Shefali Prabhakar, currently appointed to seat C-2 on the Commission on the Status of Women, of the Council’s intent to consider her removal from the Commission due to non-attendance pursuant to Bloomington Municipal Code 2.08.020. Ms. Prabhakar should be notified of the Council’s intent to consider a motion for p. 2 Meeting Date: 10-18-23 her removal and invited to provide any extenuating circumstances in APPOINTMENTS TO writing. BOARDS AND Flaherty provided a brief description of the process that was taken on the COMMISSIONS (cont’d) motion. Vote to notify [7:17pm] The motion was approved by voice vote. LEGISLATION FOR SECOND READING AND RESOLUTIONS [7:18pm] Rollo moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 23-28 be Ordinance 23-28 –To introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved Amend Title 15 of the by voice vote. Clerk Nicole Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Bloomington Municipal Code Entitled “Vehicles Rollo moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 23-28 be and Traffic” Re: adopted. Amending Section 15.08.040 to update how Neil Kopper, Senior Project Engineer, Engineering, briefly presented the temporary, experimental, updates in the legislation. He discussed 180-day orders, stop sign placement or emergency traffic at certain intersections, one-way lane on Henderson, speed limit changes, regulations may be made parking, restriping on streets, and noted there was a minimal fiscal impact. and enforced; Section 15.12.010 to add three Rollo asked about data on stop sign placement and on crashes. stop intersections; Kopper said staff had looked at motor vehicle volume and the Manual and Section 15.16.010 to Uniform Traffic Control (MUTC) which guided where to place stop signs. amend the included Rollo asked how police and Engineering coordinated on the 180-day intersections of one-way order. travel on Henderson Kopper stated that was dictated by code and an internal administrative, Street; Section 15.24.020 written policy requiring the coordination, along with other departments to modify the posted like Planning and Legal. speed limit on Seventeenth Street; Sims asked for clarification on back-in, angled parking on Pete Ellis Drive. Section 15.32.030 to add Kopper clarified that it was safer than forward facing parking, specifically back in angle parking on while exiting the parking spot because the driver could see traffic. Pete Ellis Drive; Section Sims asked if back-in, angled parking would be used more throughout the 15.32.080 to add no city and how it would be determined that it was successful. parking spaces on Eight Kopper stated it was possible to use that parking more, and described the Street, Swain Avenue, two areas with that type of parking. He gave additional details on the Wilson Street, Southern evaluation of using back-in parking. Staff would look at crash data after the Drive and Third Street back-in parking was installed. and to; Section 15.32.090 to remove limited Volan said another benefit of back-in parking included loading cars from the parking zones on Allen sidewalk. Street, Eighth Street, Kopper confirmed that was correct, as well as safety for children exiting a Swain Avenue and Third vehicle. Street and add limited There was additional discussion on areas in the city that might be parking zone on Third considered for back-in, angled parking and the factors staff would consider. Street; Section 15.32.100 to add a loading zone on Piedmont-Smith asked for clarification on the Fountain Drive and Crescent East Longview Avenue; Drive stop sign change, and how it related to the B-Line extension. and Section 15.32.110 to Kopper explained the need for an additional stop sign in that intersection add a bus zone on Third because the traffic pattern was dominant on Fountain with lower volume on Street [7:18pm] 11th Street. There would be a multiuse path on Fountain Drive extending the B-Line. He gave additional details. Council questions: Flaherty understood there was not statistical analyses of crash data at other locations with forward, angled parking. Kopper said that back-in, angled parking was notably safer. He provided examples such as bicyclists passing behind parked cars.  Meeting Date: 10-18-23 p. 3 Flaherty commented on forward, angled parking on Morton, with the recent changes near 7th street and in front of City Hall, and the painted Ordinance 23-28 (cont’d) center lane that gave drivers a lot of space to back out. He asked if roads were being designed to be wider and if so, for what reasons. Council questions: Kopper noted that Morton was a unique example, and for angled parking, roads were not changed. He expected that back-in, angled parking would require less space, but he was not certain. Sgambelluri asked if it had been considered to decrease the speed limit on 17th street to below thirty miles per hour. She asked what was being done to alert drivers of the change. Kopper stated that there had not been a corridor study and the change was for consistency on the street. He said that there would be a posted speed limit sign and with the changes, drivers would be alerted. Sims asked if a traffic signal on Pete Ellis Drive would change the parking. Kopper said a study could supply a variety of considerations and parking would be included. A traffic signal near back-in parking did not prohibit that type of parking. Piedmont-Smith asked about the No Parking Zone on Swain between 3rd Street and State Court Street. Kopper was not specifically familiar with that change; it was on a previous Title 15 ordinance, and was maybe requested by police. Rollo asked for clarification on the 180-day orders and any extensions that were to be brought before council. He asked how many extensions could be put in place. Kopper said any order could be in place for 180-days and extensions of the same order were not prohibited. He was not aware of any limits. Allen added that consecutive orders could be done, and were used sparsely. Stephen Lucas, Council Attorney, stated that council was not obligated to act on those orders. Volan asked for clarification on the name of East State Court Street. Kopper said it was codified to include the word “street.” Volan asked why a loading zone was defaulted to twenty four hours. Kopper described the purpose of loading zones, including not obstructing traffic flow and parking, and could be reconsidered. Sue Tuohy commented on 17th Street and its speed limit. She wanted to reduce the speed on 17th Street all the way to the bypass. Public comment: Rollo asked how it was known that future councils would not reverse the changes. Council comments: Volan appreciated back-in, angled parking and commented on parking in the city. He agreed with slowing traffic on 17th Street. He would be proposing Title 15 changes in the near future. He believed the intersection on 10th Street and Woodlawn Avenue needed addressed. Volan moved and Rollo seconded that Amendment 01 to Ordinance 23-28 be adopted. Amendment 01 to Ordinance 23-28 Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment corrects the spelling of Eighth Street in the title of the ordinance. There were no council questions. Council questions: There was no public comment. p. 4 Meeting Date: 10-18-23 There were no council comments. Public comment: Council comments: The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Vote to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 23-28 [8:12pm] There were no council comments. Council comments: The motion to adopt Ordinance 23-28 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Vote to adopt Ordinance 23-28 as amended [8:13pm] Rollo moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 23-23 be Ordinance 23-23 – To introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll Amend Title 15 of the call vote of Ayes: 3 (Rollo, Smith, Volan), Nays: 5, Abstain: 0. FAILED Bloomington Municipal Code Entitled “Vehicles Clerk’s Note: Ordinance 23-23 was passed by the council on October 04, and Traffic” – Re: 2023. Mayor John Hamilton vetoed the legislation on October 13, 2023. Amending Section 15.12.010 (Stop Intersections) to remove a stop intersection from Schedule A and add a multi-stop intersection to Schedule B [8:14pm] There was no legislation for first reading. LEGISLATION FOR FIRST READING [8:14pm] There was no additional public comment. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT [8:15pm] Lucas reviewed the upcoming council schedule and noted that there was no COUNCIL SCHEDULE legislation for review at the next meeting. There was brief council [8:19pm] discussion. Piedmont-Smith moved and Flaherty seconded that the Council authorize Vote to cancel Regular the Council President to cancel the Regular Session meeting scheduled for Session [8:19pm] November 1, 2023 if no items of legislation were ready for consideration. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Piedmont-Smith adjourned the meeting without objection. ADJOURNMENT [8:19pm] APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana upon this 06 day of March _____ ____________________, 2024. APPROVE: ATTEST: _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Isabel Piedmont-Smith, PRESIDENT Nicole Bolden, CLERK Bloomington Common Council City of Bloomington