Common Council Regular Session

Bloomington Common Council-Regular Session Minutes Bloomington Council Chambers, City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, Indiana Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 6:30pm CALL TO ORDER [6:31pm] Council President 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 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 (left at 10:17pm) District 6 City staff, officials, and guests present: Nicole Bolden City Clerk Susan Stoll Deputy Clerk Lisa Lehner Council Attorney Kari Bennett Deputy Council Attorney Christine Chang Temporary Council Researcher Katie Gandhi Metropolitan Planning Organization, Transportation Planner Pat Martin Metropolitan Planning Organization, Director Sharr Pechac Human Resources, Director Katherine Zaiger Utilities, Director Eric Greulich Planning and Transportation, Development Services Manager 2. AGENDA SUMMATION [6:34pm] Stosberg noted it was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and listed statistics and several resources, including Middle Way House. She then summarized the agenda. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES [6:37pm] Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to approve the minutes of March 05, 2025, April 30, 2025, and May 07, 2025. The motion was approved by voice vote. 4. REPORTS [6:38pm] 4.1. Councilmembers: Zulich presented a letter she composed to the Monroe County Commissioners and the Monroe County Councilors opposing the purchase of the North Park location for a new Justice Center. There was discussion on what was included and excluded in the letter, as well as signing as a council or individually. Zulich moved and Asare seconded to approve the letter and to present it to the Monroe County government in both physical and electronic form. The motion was approved by voice vote, Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Rosenbarger spoke about a triplex that had been converted to a single family home located at 601 W. 4th Street. It was sold for nearly $295,000, remodeled, and now was selling for $559,000. The process had  Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 removed three affordable homes, within walking distance to downtown. Currently, a triplex could not be built in the neighborhood. Asare said Canopy Bloomington held the first of three plantings across the city. He mentioned the upcoming plantings. He commented on the current state of affairs, the eroding of institutions, and the difficulty of regaining lost ground. He noted the federal government shutdown, the National Guard being mobilized against the will of local governments, elected officials not being sworn in, and the literal tearing down of historical parts of the White House. He highlighted the importance of local governments. Piedmont-Smith praised the organizers and participants in the “No Kings” rally which had over two thousand people. It had been a peaceful protest based on the right to assemble and free speech. She noted that the federal government was attacking DEI, civil rights and liberties hard fought in the 1950s and 1960s, and public education. She mentioned the upcoming Freedom Fund banquet hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Stosberg extended the time for councilmember reports until 7:00pm without objection. Ruff noted technical difficulties for his and Rollo’s recent constituent meeting. Stosberg announced her upcoming constituent meeting. She stated that councilmembers could suggest topics for the upcoming Deliberative Session. 4.2. Mayor and City Offices: Katie Gandhi, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Transportation Planner, Planning department, noted that the MPO received federal funding from the Federal Highway Administration to distribute to local public agencies for multimodal transportation projects. She summarized the projects that received MPO federal funding during fiscal years 2018-2025. No projects were fully funded by federal grants. Gandhi presented projects that would be funded from fiscal years 2026-2030. Asare asked about strengthening the MPO’s ability to secure federal funding. Pat Martin, MPO Director, said the city was maxed out and had optimized all opportunities as much as possible. The projects were recommended by the Engineering department and then approved by committees. He gave additional details on funding, and the federal funding timeline and process. There were project-specific questions and discussion. 4.3. Council Committees: There were no council committee reports. 4.4. Public: Greg Alexander was disappointed that the slides he prepared were not going to be presented due to accessibility reasons. He spoke about sidewalks that were blocked and gave examples of consequences. Paul Rousseau discussed his recent experience of having a bicycle accident. Eric Spoonmore, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, commented on the pending decision on a new jail and its impact on downtown Bloomington and businesses. Christopher Emge, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, thanked council for their work during the budget process. He spoke about the chamber’s Success School for seventh and eighth graders to explore different types of careers including civics. 5. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS [7:33pm] There were no appointments to boards or commissions. 2 Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 6. LEGISLATION FOR FIRST READING [7:33pm] 6.1. Ordinance 2025-42 To Amend Title 2 of the Bloomington Municipal Code Entitled “Administration and Personnel” – Re: Amending BMC 2.04.380 (Order of Business at Regular Sessions) Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-42 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Deputy Clerk Susan Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. 7. LEGISLATION FOR SECOND READING AND RESOLUTIONS [7:34pm] 7.1. Ordinance 2025-38 An Ordinance Fixing The Salaries Of Officers And Employees Of The Police And Fire Departments for The City Of Bloomington, Indiana, for The Year 2026 Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-38 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-38 be adopted. Sharr Pechac, Human Resources (HR), Director, presented the legislation. She highlighted key changes in the proposal. Piedmont-Smith moved and Rollo seconded to introduce Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-38. Piedmont- Smith presented Amendment 01. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment adds the words “not,” “and,” and a period (.) to Section III C and corrects “benefits-elegible” to “benefits-eligible” to fix a typographical error. There were no council questions. There was no public comment. Stosberg thanked Piedmont-Smith for spotting the error. The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-38 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Piedmont-Smith asked about off-duty pay and shift pay differential. Pechac said the minimum off-duty pay was two hours; shift pay differential was separate. Stosberg asked about bonuses or retention pay for dispatchers, given that it was difficult to train and retain dispatchers. Pechac said that had not been discussed but was a valid suggestion. There was no public comment. There were no council comments. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-38 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.2. Ordinance 2025-39 To Fix The Salaries of Appointed Deputies and Employees of The Bloomington City Clerk for The City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana for The Year 2026 Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-39 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. 3  Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-39 be adopted. Clerk Nicole Bolden presented the legislation. There were no major changes aside from the cost of living adjustment (COLA). Piedmont-Smith asked if the COLA of 2.7% was the only change. Bolden stated there was a longevity pay increase for one staff member, following the same structure the administration used for civil city staff. Rollo asked if the salaries were competitive with other clerk’s offices in the country. Bolden said that most of the research had focused on other second-class cities in Indiana. Clerks and deputy clerks had been historically undervalued and the positions were typically held by women. The work done by clerk staff was not valued the same as other departmental staff. Rollo supported keeping the clerk’s office salaries competitive in order to hire the high quality staff like Clerk Bolden employed at the time. Stosberg asked about interns and Bolden said there was money budgeted for interns. There was no public comment. Daily thanked Clerk Bolden and her amazing staff. Council could not hold meetings without a member of the clerk’s office present. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-39 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.3. Ordinance 2025-40 An Ordinance to Fix The Salaries of Appointed Officers, Non-union, and A.F.S.C.M.E. Employees for All The Departments of The City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana For The Year 2026 Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-40 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-40 be adopted. Pechac briefly presented the legislation. Piedmont-Smith moved and Rollo seconded to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-40. Piedmont- Smith presented Amendment 01. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment clarify that the $0.50 per hour premium was implemented in a prior salary ordinance, but remains effect. It also adds the words “not,” “and,” and a period (.) to Section 2 L, and corrects “benefits-elegible” to “benefits-eligible” to fix a typographical error. There was no public comment. Stosberg thanked Piedmont-Smith for catching the errors. The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-40 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. Piedmont-Smith asked about administrative assistant positions in the City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU). Katherine Zaiger, CBU, Director, said one position was being moved from one division to another. Piedmont- Smith asked if the 5% increase for hourly pay was in the recently passed budget, and Pechac confirmed it was. Piedmont-Smith asked about revising the living wage ordinance to reflect an actual living wage. Pechac said that had not been discussed but the city made an effort to offer competitive wages within budget constraints. There was no public comment. 4 Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 Piedmont-Smith expressed interest in increasing the pay in the living wage ordinance for Bloomington. Stosberg reminded everyone that a COLA was inequitable because staff making the least amount of money received the lowest increase while those making the most money received the largest raise, and gave examples. Having a COLA across the city made the wage gap bigger. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-40 as amended received a roll call vote of Ayes: 9, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 7.4. Resolution 2025-18 To Approve The Naming of The Stadium District in The Area Surrounding Miller-Showers Park Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Resolution 2025-18 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to adopt Resolution 2025-18. Stosberg passed the gavel to Piedmont-Smith. Stosberg presented the legislation noting that it was first introduced and presented two weeks prior. An amended map was sent out the previous day which was not adequate time for council review. Stosberg moved and Daily seconded to postpone Resolution 2025-18 until the Regular Session on November 05, 2025. Rosenbarger stated that other neighborhoods and neighborhood associations needed to be contacted, not just Maple Heights. Many residents did not like the word “stadium” and did not want to live in a district with that title. She believed more time was needed. There was discussion on postponing the legislation. The motion to postpone Resolution 2025-18 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. (Rollo out of the room) Piedmont-Smith passed the gavel back to Stosberg. 8. Ordinance 2025-32 To Amend Title 20 (Unified Development Ordinance) of the Bloomington Municipal Code – Re: Use Table Amendment – “Urban Agriculture” Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-32 be introduced and read by title and synopsis only. The motion was approved by voice vote. Stoll read the legislation by title and synopsis. Daily moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded that Ordinance 2025-32 be adopted. Eric Greulich, Development Services Manager, Planning and Transportation (PT) department, presented the legislation. He explained the process and requirements for updating a use table as well as urban agriculture, generally, and limitations to things like educational activities held outdoors. He gave additional details. Rollo asked about selling produce from one’s property and hiring landscapers. Greulich confirmed that was allowed. There was discussion on educational activities, property management and landscaping, appropriate uses, and changes with the proposed legislation. Asare asked about the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) process and Greulich explained that the proposed use would have to be approved by the BZA. Asare asked about the standards for BZA review. Greulich said there were seven criteria for conditional uses that were reviewed and if granted there was not an expiration date for the use. He discussed violations, and noted that conditional use approvals were very rarely rescinded. Rosenbarger asked about public outreach for the proposal. Greulich said that every property owner was notified via mail but there were not specific 5  Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 meetings held. She referenced the difference in process with a recently converted duplex off of Wylie Street. Greulich said the public was engaged during the Plan Commission process. There was discussion on public input on multiple Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) amendments, and the use table location for urban agriculture commercial. Flaherty noted that most of what was envisioned with the use was already covered by other existing uses with the exception of the education home business component. He asked about home occupation definition and Greulich clarified that it was limited to being within a building. The definition could have been updated to include the outdoors but that would be expanded to other home occupations that may not be appropriate. Flaherty preferred a set of rules that applied more broadly and gave examples. There was additional discussion on homeowners who currently sold from their home, neighborhood garden plots, frequency and timing of educational activities, residential areas, value-added product uses, conditional use, taxes and homestead exemptions, and the change of being allowed to teach outside of a building under home occupation uses. Use-specific restrictions, enforcement, and more was discussed. Stosberg passed the gavel to Piedmont-Smith. Stosberg moved and Rollo seconded to introduce Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-32. Stosberg presented Amendment 01 by highlighting the key points. Amendment 01 Synopsis: This amendment replaces the Attachment A. Asare asked why there were votes against the proposal when it was before the Plan Commission. Stosberg recollected details of the process undertaken by the Plan Commission. There was discussion on process and actions council could take. Jeff Stake spoke about land use law, and disruption to neighborhoods. James Glenn opposed Ordinance 2025-32 and gave reasons in opposition. Connie Cook Glenn discussed the benefits of having children grow food on school property, as was done by the Farm to School program. She opposed the legislation. Joseph Wynia supported the proposed legislation and gave many reasons in support. Dan Conkle commented on value-added products and proposed changes in the legislation. Christopher Emge stated that the deliberation that evening was convoluted, and that going before the BZA was complex. Steve Volan spoke about parking, transportation, council processes, and changes in neighborhoods. Jami Sholl discussed the establishment of the Farmer’s Market, urban agriculture, and growing food. Sara Jane Hughes urged council to deny the proposal and gave reasons why. Ellie Spier spoke about removing barriers for urban agriculture and in favor of the legislation. Kathy Berry asked council to vote no and gave varying reasons. Matthew Austin discussed urban agriculture and teaching, per plot size, and supporters of the proposal. Flaherty asked for staff’s input on the amendment. Greulich said staff did not oppose it. There was additional discussion on the legislation and Amendment 01, home occupation, and possible council actions. The motion to adopt Amendment 01 to Ordinance 2025-32 received a roll call vote of Ayes: 5, Nays: 3 (Rollo, Rosenbarger, Asare), Abstain: 0. (Zulich left the meeting at 10:17pm) 6 Meeting Date: October 22, 2025 Piedmont-Smith passed the gavel back to Stosberg. Asare moved and Piedmont-Smith seconded to postpone Ordinance 2025-32 as amended until the Regular Session on November 5, 2025. Rosenbarger noted other legislation that had been postponed to the next regular session. Stosberg mentioned that leadership had anticipated a potential third reading of the legislation. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes; 7, Nays: 1 (Rosenbarger), Abstain: 0. 9. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT [10:20pm] Matthew Austin spoke about food fermentation and free workshops by GardenQuest at the Bloomington Community Orchard. Sara Jane Hughes requested that the city repaint the speed bumps in the city. 10. COUNCIL SCHEDULE [10:25pm] Stosberg reviewed the upcoming council schedule. Piedmont-Smith noted the upcoming Fiscal Committee meeting. 11. ADJOURMENT [10:26pm] Stosberg adjourned the meeting. APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, upon this 18 _______ 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 7