Common Council Special Session

Bloomington Common Council-Special Session Minutes Bloomington Council Chambers, City Hall, Bloomington, Indiana Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 5:00pm Call to Order [5:00pm] Council President Isak Nti Asare called the meeting to order. 1.​ Roll Call: (*indicates participation via Zoom) [5:00pm] Council Members: Isak Nti Asare At-Large, Council President Courtney Daily District 5, Council Parliamentarian Matt Flaherty At-Large Isabel Piedmont-Smith District 1 Dave Rollo (absent) District 4 Kate Rosenbarger * District 2 Andy Ruff At-Large Hopi Stosberg District 3 Sydney Zulich District 6, Council Vice President City staff, officials, and guests present: Nicole Bolden City Clerk Sofia McDowell Chief Deputy Clerk 2.​ Agenda Summation [5:01pm] Asare amended the agenda to review the charge document and then to appoint the Hiring Committee with no objection from the council. He then summarized the agenda. Clerk’s note: The Hiring Committee charge document is attached to these minutes. 3.​ Deliberation and Approval of Charge Document [5:02pm] Asare explained that the council would be authorizing a hiring committee to coordinate the council’s processes for recruiting and recommending candidates to fill council’s legal and administrative staff roles to ensure continuity of the Common Council’s operations and long term structure of the positions. He referenced and summarized the draft charge document.The first deliverable was to consider the structure of the council office and consider continuing with the current structure of two attorneys and one legal researcher, or, exploring the role of the council attorney/administrator. He noted the importance of having all councilmembers be involved throughout the process. Piedmont-Smith found it problematic to have the current legal researcher and the O’Neill Fellows report to the Hiring Committee. There was discussion on having a point person instead of the committee. Stosberg mentioned that currently, there was one employee that reported to the Common Council and the others reported to that person. She did not believe that a hiring committee would have the expertise to rewrite those job descriptions because they did not know everything that council staff did. There was discussion on options. Flaherty understood that the intent of the hiring committee was to bring options to the full council who would then select the next steps; the Hiring Committee would not hire one or two attorneys on its own. Rosenbarger said the process could be very long, and appreciated that one or more hirings could be done, depending on the candidates. She wondered if it was ideal to hire a consulting firm. Stosberg asked about the supervision of current council staff. Council discussed supervising council staff, and liaising with external temporary February 25, 2026 counsel. Asare asked Clerk Nicole Bolden for her input. Bolden stated that it was ideal to start with the Hiring Committee appointments, have a draft charge, assess work load, and examine the options for supervising interns and staff. She noted that the Office of the City Clerk had stepped in before when the Common Council was understaffed and could do so again. Clerk staff could assist in ensuring the council was able to continue the work of the city. There was discussion on motions. Stosberg moved and Daily seconded to authorize the committee to fulfill the scope of work for items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, and research and recommend external legal support options to the council as a body. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 8, Nays: 0, Abstain: 0. 4.​ Appointment of Hiring Committee [5:24pm] Asare appointed Piedmont-Smith, Zulich, Rollo, and Asare to the Hiring Committee, and Daily as the liaison. Stosberg believed the full council would vote on the liaison. Rosenbarger expressed concern with confidentiality regarding candidates. Asare amended his motion to exclude Daily as the liaison. Asare appointed Piedmont-Smith, Zulich, Rollo, and Asare to the Hiring Committee, and Zulich seconded. The motion received a roll call vote of Ayes: 6, Nays: 2 (Piedmont-Smith, Rosenbarger), Abstain: 0. Asare discussed scheduling an Executive Session before the next regular session. 5.​ Adjournment [5:30pm] Asare adjourned the meeting. APPROVED by the Common Council of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, upon this day: 29 of July, 2026. APPROVE: Signature of Isak Nti Asare, Common Council President ATTEST: Signature of 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 Common Council meetings can be accessed on the following websites: ●​ Community Access Television Services1 (CATS) ●​ City of Bloomington YouTube2 Background materials and packets3 are available on the Common Council website. 1 https://catvstv.net 2 https://youtube.com/@citybloomington 3 https://bloomington.in.gov/council/meetings 2 February 25, 2026 DRAFT CHARGE Ad Hoc Council Hiring Committee Purpose​ The Ad Hoc Council Hiring Committee is established to lead and coordinate the Council’s process for recruiting and recommending candidates to fill vacant Council legal and administrative roles, ensure continuity of Council operations during the transition, and advise Council on the appropriate long-term structure of these positions. This charge establishes the Committee’s purpose, scope, authorities, limitations, and accountability to the full Council. Scope of Work 1. Role Structure & Design ●​ Evaluate whether the functions of Council Attorney and Council Administrator should remain combined or be separated into distinct positions. ●​ Develop structural options, including reporting relationships, responsibilities, and compensation ranges. ●​ Present recommended structure(s) to the full Council for approval prior to job posting. 2. Council-Wide Engagement ●​ Serve as liaison to the full Council. ●​ Provide multiple opportunities for Council members to offer input on: ○​ Role structure ○​ Job descriptions ○​ Required and preferred qualifications ○​ Interview process ●​ Ensure all Council members have an opportunity to meet finalists. 3. Recruitment & Search Process ●​ Work with Human Resources and appropriate City entities to: ○​ Draft and finalize job descriptions (subject to Council approval) ○​ Develop outreach and recruitment strategies ○​ Screen applications ○​ Conduct interviews ●​ Prioritize inclusive recruitment practices and transparent communication throughout the process. ●​ Conduct due diligence and reference checks. 4. Candidate Recommendations ●​ Bring forward no fewer than two qualified candidates for each open role to the full Council for consideration and final vote. ●​ Provide written rationale for all recommendations.​ ​ 5. Continuity of Operations ●​ Be authorized to: ○​ Identify and contract, in coordination with appropriate City processes, with external or temporary legal counsel as necessary to ensure uninterrupted functioning of the Council Office. ○​ Oversee and supervise the work of Council interns, fellows, or temporary support personnel during the transition period. ○​ 6. Timeline & Reporting ●​ Propose an initial hiring timeline to the Council within 15 days of formation. ●​ Provide a status update at every regular Council meeting until the process is complete. 3 February 25, 2026 ●​ Present major structural decisions to the full Council prior to implementation. ●​ The Committee shall aim to complete its work in a timely manner while prioritizing quality and institutional stability. 7. Documentation & Recordkeeping ●​ Maintain and archive: ○​ Job descriptions ○​ Evaluation criteria ○​ Interview protocols ○​ Rationale for structural recommendations ○​ Rationale for candidate recommendations Authority The Committee is authorized to: ●​ Collaborate with HR, City Legal, the Clerk’s Office, and other appropriate bodies. ●​ Request comparative information from peer municipalities. ●​ Engage temporary or external legal support consistent with City procurement and contracting policies. ●​ Manage day-to-day supervision of Council interns or fellows during the transition. Limitations The Committee shall not: ●​ Make final hiring decisions. ●​ Extend employment offers. ●​ Finalize permanent structural changes without Council approval. ●​ Bind the Council to long-term contractual obligations beyond transitional support without Council vote. All final structural and hiring decisions remain with the full Council. Duration The Committee shall sunset upon confirmation of permanent hires unless extended by Council vote. 4