Common Council Regular Session

Bloomington Common Council-Regular Session Minutes Bloomington City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, Indiana Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 6:30pm CALL TO ORDER [6:31pm] Council President Hopi Stosberg called the meeting to order. 1. ROLL CALL (*Indicates participation via Zoom) [6:32pm] Councilmembers present: Isak Nti Asare At-Large Courtney Daily District 5, Council Parliamentarian Matt Flaherty At-Large Isabel Piedmont-Smith District 1, Council Vice President Dave Rollo* District 4 Kate Rosenbarger District 2 Andy Ruff 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 Kari Bennett Deputy Council Attorney Christine Chang Temporary Council Researcher Margie Rice Corporation Counsel Rick Dietz Information Technology Services, Director 2. AGENDA SUMMATION [6:34pm] Stosberg spoke about the United States Constitution which was signed on September 17, 1787. She encouraged everyone to read it or reread it, and for her it read differently as a legislator. Ruff moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to amend the agenda and move Ordinance 2025-33 to the last item under legislation for second readings and resolutions. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Stosberg summarized the agenda. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES [6:36pm] Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to approve the minutes of February 19, 2025. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 4. REPORTS [6:37pm] 4.1. Councilmembers: Daily stated there were vacancies for boards and commissions and encouraged the public to apply. Piedmont-Smith requested that councilmembers sign on to a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding (EF). The EF found six major greenhouse gasses that endanger public health; that was the legal basis for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions via the Clean Air Act. The Public Rights Project drafted a letter, which would be submitted as part of the comment period, to the EPA. Piedmont-Smith quoted from the letter.  Meeting Date: September 17, 2025 Asare moved and Rollo seconded to approve the letter Piedmont Smith presented as written. Flaherty thanked Piedmont-Smith for bringing the matter to council’s attention. Stosberg concurred and noted several grant opportunities in the Economic and Sustainable Development (ESD) department for things like extreme heat, and more. The motion to approve the letter received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Rollo spoke against political violence and condemned the recent killing of Charlie Kirk. Stosberg reported from the Plan Commission and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. She mentioned her upcoming constituent meeting. She condemned political violence and noted that there was also a school shooting the previous week, which had no place in society. It was alarming that there was greater reaction over one person than over hundreds of school children shot over the years. 4.2. Mayor and City Offices: Nathan Ferreira, Executive Director, Bloomington Housing Authority, discussed the organization, funding, rental assistance demonstration, and Section 8 which includes seventeen hundred households and thirty- four hundred individuals. There was a long waitlist. He noted resident services like landlord risk mitigation and eviction prevention, Housing Choice Vouchers and specialty vouchers such as project based, veterans, emergency housing, and more. Over $18 million was invested in the community through housing assistance payments. The Summit Hill Community Development was under development with Kohr Community Flats, Chandler Early Learning Center, and the Summit Hill Community Land Trust. Ferreira spoke about potential projects. He explained the department revenue by fund. The most important factor was land donation in BHA’s developments. It was important to reduce barriers to missing middle housing, partnerships were key for long-term success, and it was crucial to fund supportive services. Asare asked about the pause on the landlord mitigation fund. Ferreira said the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds had been used, which was not allowed, so the city was going to provide funding. Piedmont- Smith asked about the grants from the city totaling $936,000 and Ferreira said it was primarily from ARPA, and provided brief details. Rollo asked for clarification on acquiring land. Ferreira explained that two appraisals were required before purchasing. He preferred allowing land to be donated especially by the city. 4.3. Council Committees: There were no council committee reports. 4.4. Public: John Linnemeier spoke about housing, and against homeowners being allowed to build plexes. Sarah Owen, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Exodus Refugee Immigration office, thanked Zulich for touring the new office space and learning about the organization, and the police department, too. She urged the city to have contracted interpretation services and gave reasons in support. 5. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS [7:18pm] There were no appointments to boards and commissions. 6. LEGISLATION FOR FIRST READING [7:18pm] 6.1. Ordinance 2025-35 To amend Title 9 of the Bloomington Municipal Code Entitled “Water” (Rate Adjustment) 2 Meeting Date: September 17, 2025 Zulich moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-35 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0 (Daily out of the room). Clerk Nicole Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. 6.2. Ordinance 2025-36 An Ordinance Authorizing the Acquisition, Construction and Installation by the City of Bloomington, Indiana, of Certain Extensions and Improvements to the City’s Waterworks Utility, the Issuance and Sale of Revenue Bonds to Provide Funds for the Payment of the Costs Thereof, and the Collection, Segregation and Distribution of the Revenues of Such Waterworks Utility and Other Related Matters Zulich moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-36 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. 6.3. Appropriation Ordinance 2025-08 To Transfer Funds from the General Fund to the Fiber Connectivity Fund and Specially Appropriate Funds Not Otherwise Budgeted Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Appropriation Ordinance 2025-08 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. 6.4. Appropriation Ordinance 2025-09 To Specially Appropriate from the General Fund Expenditures Not Otherwise Appropriated Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Appropriation Ordinance 2025-09 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Stosberg referred the legislation to a second reading on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. 7. LEGISLATION FOR SECOND READING AND RESOLUTIONS [7:25pm] 7.1. Ordinance 2025-34 To Establish a Fund for the Proceeds of the Surety Bond Secured for Work on Fiber Optics Network for the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-34 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-34. Margie Rice, Corporation Counsel, reviewed the project and problems with a subcontractor. Contractors were required to obtain a bond for insurance to protect the city from damage done in the right of way. The city filed a written notice with the insurance company and received a check on July 08, 2025 for $1 million. The legislation requested a separate fund from the General Fund for that money. Rice explained that the city had an agreement with Meridiam who had been responsive and were a great partner. There was now a different contractor working on the fiber optics network. She listed the multiple city departments that had worked on the situation. 3  Meeting Date: September 17, 2025 Asare asked what the funds could be spent on and Rice said that it was unclear what the damages or repairs were so the goal was to not limit the city’s ability to act. There was discussion on the unknown damages and repairs including utilities. Rice praised many city departments for excellent record-keeping which helped get the insurance payment in a timely manner. Rick Dietz, Information Technology Services (ITS), Director, said any new issues would be forwarded to Meridiam to fix, even if they occurred in the past. Stosberg asked about residents who had damage to their property. Andrew Cibor, City Engineer, said the best route for those homeowners was to use uReport or contact the Engineering department who would forward the information to Meridiam. Asare asked how the experience had impacted procurement processes for other infrastructure projects. Rice said it was difficult when there were subcontractors. Cibor added information about the agreement as well as changes to the permitting process. Dietz said the size of the bond would likely increase, too. Stosberg asked how residents would know that something was damaged and needed repaired. Rice said over-reporting was ideal since there was a viable contractor doing repairs. Cibor concurred and said it was a time intensive process with staff walking the roads where the damage was done. Asare asked where the public could find updates and Dietz said Gigabit Now could be contacted about progress as well as M Street Fiber, formerly known as Meridiam. The city website had information too. Kevin Keough wondered if there was information on the impact to the city and who was liable. Piedmont-Smith noted that the $1 million would not be used for repairs, and asked what it would be used for. Rice said it was too early to determine but it could be used for a variety of things. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-34 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.2. Resolution 2025-16 Requesting the Food and Beverage Tax Advisory Commission to Make a Recommendation for Expenditure of Food and Beverage Tax Revenues Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Resolution 2025-16 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Resolution 2025-16. Geoff McKim, Capital Improvement Board (CIB), Treasurer, presented the legislation. He referenced statute and the process needed for expenditures from the Food and Beverage Tax funds. There were no council questions. There was no public comments. There were no council comments. The motion to adopt Resolution 2025-16 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 1 (Rosenbarger), Abstain: 0. 7.3. Resolution 2025-15 To Establish Expectations and Procedures for Councilmember Liaisons to Boards and Commissions Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Resolution 2025-15 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Resolution 2025-15. Zulich presented the legislation. There was council discussion on how assignments would be made and how information would be shared from the boards and commissions. How councilmembers would be held accountable was discussed. The goal was to interact with boards and commissions and make them feel 4 Meeting Date: September 17, 2025 heard. The assignments would be done each year at the organizational meeting. There was additional discussion on meaningful feedback from boards and commissions regarding legislation and more. There was no public comment. Rosenbarger suggested having larger committees rather than three-person interview committees to allow for more effective discussions on appointments. Stosberg expressed concern on the lack of a mechanism if councilmembers did not fulfill the requirements. The motion to adopt Resolution 2025-15 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.4. Ordinance 2025-33 To Establish The Fiber Connectivity Fund For Digital Opportunity Initiatives Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-33 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Bolden read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Ordinance 2025-33. Jessica McClellan, Controller, presented the legislation. She said that M Street Fiber was the main company the city was working with. She gave a brief history of the project, initiated in 2022, with the goal of providing access to high-speed internet for low income families and affordable housing units. The legislation detailed why the fund was being created, what it could be used for, and how the goals would be met. She discussed the timeline. Asare asked about eligibility criteria and Dietz said it was defined in the master development agreement. There was discussion regarding how eligible households would be connected to the network. Stosberg asked if the fund was non-reverting and McClellan confirmed it was. Stosberg asked which departments would be involved in developing procedures and policies. Dietz said there were some in place already with the sole purpose of supporting the connection of low income units to the network. He gave additional details. Stosberg asked about the total invoices and Dietz said it was around $40,000. Stosberg called a recess from 8:33pm-8:38pm. Stosberg then called the meeting back to order. Stosberg passed the gavel to Piedmont-Smith. Stosberg moved and Daily seconded to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-33. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment adds the words “non-reverting” to Section 1 in order to clarify that funds shall not be reverting. There was no public comment. There were no council comments. The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-33 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0. Piedmont-Smith passed the gavel back to Stosberg. Kevin Keough commented on the progress of the project and the master agreement. Rollo asked about compliance and the timeline. Dietz said the construction was halfway done and there had been the unexpected delay so there was a new timeline for the project. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-33 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0 5  Meeting Date: September 17, 2025 8. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT [8:50pm] Christopher Emge, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, commented on the proposed Stadium District and development and other opportunities on the north side of the city. 9. COUNCIL SCHEDULE [8:53pm] Stosberg reviewed the upcoming council schedule. 10. ADJOURMENT [8:53pm] Stosberg adjourned the meeting. APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, upon this 14 _______ day of January __________________________________________, 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