Common Council Regular Session

Bloomington Common Council-Regular Session Minutes Bloomington City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, Indiana Wednesday, August 06, 2025, 6:30pm CALL TO ORDER [6:31pm] Council President Hopi Stosberg called the meeting to order. 1. ROLL CALL (*Indicates participation via Zoom) [6:31pm] Councilmembers present: Isak Nti Asare At-Large Courtney Daily District 5, Council Parliamentarian Matt Flaherty (absent) At-Large Isabel Piedmont-Smith District 1, Council Vice President Dave Rollo* (arrived at 6:32pm) District 4 Kate Rosenbarger District 2 Andy Ruff (absent) At-Large Hopi Stosberg District 3, Council President Sydney Zulich District 6 City staff, officials, and guests present: Nicole Bolden City Clerk Lisa Lehner Council Attorney Christine Chang Temporary Council Researcher Eric Greulich Planning and Transportation, Development Services Manager Daniel Cyr Petitioner’s Counsel for Ordinance 2025-30 Jackie Scanlan Planning and Transportation, Assistant Director 2. AGENDA SUMMATION [6:31pm] Stosberg spoke about education and said Indiana was the first state to implement a state-funded public school system in the 1816 constitution, and more. She then summarized the agenda. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES [6:39pm] Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to approve the minutes of April 02, 2025. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 4. REPORTS [6:39pm] 4.1. Councilmembers: Piedmont-Smith reminded all that it was the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima which killed one hundred and forty thousand people, and more, through radioactive fallout. Nihon Hidankyo was a nationwide Japanese network of atomic bomb survivors who were known as Hibakusha. The group was established in 1956 and won the Nobel Peace Prize the previous year. She thanked the organizers and participants of the Taste of Bloomington. She then mentioned her constituent meeting. Daily noted her upcoming constituent meeting. Zulich said the final construction bids for the Convention Center had been awarded, totaling $51 million; $1 million under budget. She thanked all who were involved. She concurred that the Taste of Bloomington was a success and spoke about her experience.  Meeting Date: August 06, 2025 Rollo recognized the bombing of Hiroshima, and spoke about Howard Guest, a microbiologist at Indiana University, who had worked on the Manhattan Project. He noted the Szilard petition for President Truman to understand the effects of the atomic bomb, and be demonstrated, prior to using it on a civilian population. He warned of a nuclear accident and urged lawmakers to negotiate in good faith with other countries. Stosberg mentioned her upcoming constituent meeting. 4.2. Mayor and City Offices: Ryne Shadday, Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission, Chair, presented the 2025 award to the Bloomington Severe Winter Emergency Shelter (BSWERS). He gave a robust summary of the organization and its efforts to provide shelter, community, and dignity to those needing assistance, especially during severe weather. Host sites were provided by the First Christian Church, First United Methodist Church, and First Presbyterian Church. He praised volunteer coordinators Allie Jewell, Caleb Hoagland, and the Reverends John Nyota and Sarah Lynn Gershon, and the one hundred and ninety six volunteers. Daily was thankful for BSWERS. Piedmont-Smith spoke on her experience volunteering with BSWERS and the importance of assisting those at risk of freezing to death in the winter. Stosberg thanked BSWERS and the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission. 4.3. Council Committees: Piedmont-Smith reported from the Committee on Council Processes which recommended revising the rules for public comment to refer to “residents” and not “citizens.” Zulich moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to approve the rules for public comment to reflect the change of the word “citizen” to “resident”. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Piedmont-Smith reported from the Public Safety Local Income Tax (PSLIT) committee. She explained how much of the 0.25% of the PSLIT rate would go to the Central Dispatch budget. It would be the same as the previous year, with the rest to be distributed amongst the four governmental units; Bloomington, Monroe County, Ellettsville, and Stinesville. As required by state law, the committee issued a call out for proposals, and there were no applications from emergency service providers for funding from the PSLIT. 4.4. Public: Christopher Emge, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, thanked Shadday and BSWERS, and spoke about homelessness, public safety, and compassionate effective care. It was important to focus on outcomes. 5. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS [7:06pm] On behalf of Interview Committee Team A, Rosenbarger moved and Asare seconded to appoint Navdeep Badhni to seat C-1 and Zoe Zollman to seat C-2 on the Board of Housing Quality Appeals. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 6. LEGISLATION FOR FIRST READING [7:07pm] There was no legislation for first reading. 7. LEGISLATION FOR SECOND READINGS AND RESOLUTIONS [7:07pm] 7.1. Ordinance 2025-25 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code Re: Use Table Amendment and Use Specific Standards- “Storage, self-service” 2 Meeting Date: August 06, 2025 Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-25 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Clerk Nicole Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-25. Eric Greulich, Development Services Manager, Planning and Transportation department, stated that the proposal would reduce the use “storage, self-service” to the Mixed-Use Corridor zoning district. He provided details and examples, and a maximum footprint. In the Mixed-Use Student Housing district, the use would be allowed as an accessory use if there were more than twenty dwelling units. The PC voted 5-0 with a favorable recommendation to council. Rollo asked about storage buildings in gateways to the city, like on North Walnut. Greulich said they were held to the same standards as housing units, but the one Rollo was referencing was in the county, not the city. Asare asked if there were any that would become non-conforming, and Greulich said it was possible, and they could remain but not expand. There was discussion on the demand for storage units, negative land uses, and better uses for the land. There was a lot of land in other districts for storage buildings. Paul Rousseau wondered how pedestrians and bicyclists would get to the storage buildings. Rollo asked about non-vehicular access to storage facilities and Greulich said the proposal included arterial corridors that had better access for pedestrians and bicyclists. Asare spoke about individuals who used storage units and their needs. Greulich reiterated that there would still be large amounts of land for storage units, but that restricting them allowed for better usage of land, like housing. Rosenbarger was in favor of limiting new storage buildings, and noted that there were two storage buildings along the BLine. Stosberg commented on the number of available storage units and the high cost of renting the units. There was no real benefit to the city; no jobs, no housing, and no street activation. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-25 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.2. Ordinance 2025-26 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code Re: Use Table Amendment- “Fraternity or sorority house”; “Artist Studio or workshop”; “Vehicle Fleet Operations, Large and Small” Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-26 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-26. Greulich presented the legislation and summarized the legal requirements for use tables, including sending a notice to every property owner within the city. The legislation was a housekeeping clean up to the UDO. It would also allow things like office space or workshops in floor levels of Mixed-Use Student Housing districts. Stosberg passed the gavel to Piedmont-Smith. Stosberg moved and Daily seconded to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-26. Stosberg presented Amendment 01. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment adds the red-lined pages to the Attachment A. There were no council questions. There was no public comment. There were no council comments. 3  Meeting Date: August 06, 2025 The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-26 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Piedmont-Smith passed the gavel back to Stosberg. There were no council questions. There was no public comment. There were no council comments. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-26 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 6, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. (Daily out of the room). 7.3. Ordinance 2025-27 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code Re: Use Table Amendment- “Vehicle Fuel Station” Piedmont-Smith moved and Zulich seconded that Ordinance 2025-27 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 6, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. (Daily out of the room). Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Zulich seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-27. Greulich presented the legislation which would reduce the “Vehicle Fuel Station” use to Mixed-Use Corridor, with plenty of land where the use was still allowed. Asare asked if there would be any non-conforming stations, and Greulich said yes and they could remain, but not expand. There was discussion on expanding via a permitted use, which was allowed. Electrical charging stations would be allowed in an expansion. Changing ownership did not change the allowed uses. Virginia Southern commented on potentially naming a fuel station a “fossil fuel station.” Piedmont-Smith referenced the definition of vehicle fuel stations which included electrical charging stations. Greulich said if a business wanted to add charging stations; it was an ancillary use. Staff would ensure that the UDO was clear on that. Rollo asked if charging stations were allowed in all districts and Greulich said yes. Rosenbarger thanked staff and Flaherty for starting the UDO amendments. Stosberg agreed that it was necessary to clarify the definitions pertaining to electrical charging facilities and fuel stations. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-27 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.4. Ordinance 2025-28 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code Re: Use Table Amendment- “Vehicle Wash” Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-28 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Asare seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-28. Greulich presented the legislation which reduced the zoning district where vehicle car washes were allowed to Mixed-Use Corridor only. The PC voted 5-0 with a favorable recommendation to council. Daily moved and Zulich seconded to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-28. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment replaces the Attachment A with the correct table. There were no council questions. There were no public comments. There were no council comments. 4 Meeting Date: August 06, 2025 The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-28 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Asare asked why the eastside Crew Car Wash did not have vacuums and Greulich said it was the company’s decision and was not restricted by the city. Stosberg added that it was also not the City of Bloomington Utilities that did not allow vacuums. There was no public comment. There were no council comments. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-28 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.5. Ordinance 2025-29 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code Re: Use Table Amendment and Definitions- “Tattoo or piercing parlor” Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-29 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-29. Greulich presented the legislation which redefined how the use was classified and would therefore be allowed in any “Personal Service” districts. There were no council questions. There was no public comment. Stosberg appreciated the amendment. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.6. Ordinance 2025-30 To Vacate a Public Parcel Re: A 12-Foot Public Alley Adjacent to 909 E. University Street Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-30 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 7, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-30. Stosberg noted that this part of the meeting constituted the legally required public hearing and delineated the process required by Indiana Code. Dan Cyr, Attorney, Pagnelli Law Group, gave an overview of the petition and history of the alley. He then described the process that was undertaken and examples of public parcels being vacated. Jackie Scanlan, Assistant Director, Planning and Transportation, summarized the petition and noted that the City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) objected to the vacation, while Centerpoint did not, and Duke Energy requested an easement. The petition was different than most due to the request for full ownership of the 12 foot right of way, which was normally divided equally between adjacent property owners. The adjacent property owner requested six feet or that council deny the request to vacate. There was lost opportunity for future use by the city if the alley were vacated. She gave a brief history of the alley, the adjacent properties, and impacts to the city. Staff recommended that council deny the request. Jim Boer, Attorney, Clendening, Johnson, and Boer, representing the adjacent property owners, Tim Miller and Jenny Southern, explained that the objection was to vacate the entire alley to Dr. Bardonner. He described several concerns including restricted access to a garage. He urged council to deny the petition. 5  Meeting Date: August 06, 2025 Daily asked for clarification on converting the alley to a bike path. Cyr said the property owner’s garage had not been surveyed so the exact width of the alley was not clear, and there were power lines and structures to address. Rollo asked about an equal division of the alley. Scanlan said staff’s preference was to deny the vacation outright, but if council approved the vacation, it was best to split it equally. Asare asked what the core problem was and Cyr stated the goal was to make improvements to the back yard and accessory structures. There was additional discussion on alternatives to vacating the alley, and complications with putting in a fence. Zulich asked why not split the alley with the adjacent property owners, and Cyr said it was primarily due to the costs incurred by the petitioner. Council discussed if a tree was unhealthy and needed to be removed, the costs of requesting a petition, and maintenance of alleys. Paul Rousseau spoke against the request. Rollo commented on the removal of the tree, alley vacations benefitting only one property owner, and said he would vote against the petition. Asare spoke about the criteria council used when considering alley vacations and future use; he would vote no. Rosenbarger discussed encroaching into alleys, curb cuts, access to alleys, alleys that had become roads with homes on them, and wild fruit in alleys. The city had not vacated alleys for private use since 1996. Piedmont-Smith stated she would vote no because there was no public benefit in vacating the alley and it could have future uses. She was concerned with the garage access of the adjacent property owners. She noted that the tree was removed because the petitioner wanted to, not because it was necessary. Stosberg said it was not useful to have a dead end alley, and wrong to give a public parcel to an individual. She referenced the Transportation Plan and goals for unimproved alleys. There was brief council discussion on the packet materials provided by the petitioner with the inclusion of disparaging information against one property owner. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-30 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 0, Nays: 7, Abstain: 0. FAILED 8. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT [9:07pm] Christine Chang, read a comment submitted via Zoom chat, by Samuel [Last Name Unknown], commenting on types of work experience that was considered for city jobs. 9. COUNCIL SCHEDULE [9:07pm] Stosberg reviewed the upcoming council schedule including the budget hearings. 10. ADJOURMENT [9:18pm] Stosberg adjourned the meeting. APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, upon this 04 _______ day of February __________________________________________, 2026. APPROVE: ATTEST: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Isak Nti Asare, COUNCIL PRESIDENT City Clerk Nicole Bolden Clerk’s Note: The above minutes summarize the motions passed and issues discussed rather than providing a verbatim account of every word spoken. Bloomington City Council meetings can be watched on the following websites:  Community Action Television Services (CATS) – https://catvstv.net  YouTube – https://youtube.com/@citybloomington Background materials and packets are available at https://bloomington.in.gov/council 6