On an 8-1 vote, the Bloomington City Council accepted the Transportation Demand Management Plan as an advisory document. Ron Smith (District 3) dissented.

Beth Rosenbarger, the city's planning services manager, presented highlights from the plan at the council's June 3 meeting, including three key recommendations:

​1) Hire 2.5 full-time employees. Staff recommends starting with one full-time employee to start building the TDM program.
2) Implement carsharing as a way to provide vehicles that serve more people and take up less space.
3) Increase prices for parking permits and increase permit options.

Councilmember Smith voted against the plan because he was concerned about the cost of implementing it at an estimated annual cost of $490,000. Other councilmembers pointed out that merely accepting the report does not cause the plan's recommendations to be implemented.

​Click here to see the full TDM Program Plan. Watch the council presentation on CATS here.

Andy Ruff prevailed in a field of 5 candidates for the Democratic Party nomination to the 9th District Congressional seat and will face incumbent Republican Trey Hollingsworth in November.

Here's a rundown of other winners in competitive races on June 2:

• State Senate District 40: Shelli Yoder (D)
• State Representative District 60: Peggy Mayfield (R)
• State Representative District 62: Jeff Ellington (R)
• Monroe County Council At-Large: Trent Deckard (D), Geoff McKim (D), Cheryl Munson (D)
• Monroe County Circuit Court Division 1: Geoff Bradley (D)
• ​Monroe County Circuit Court Division 8: Kara Krothe (D)

Click here for a full list of Monroe County election results in the June 2 primary. Candidates will move on to compete in the general election on Nov. 3. 

The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission gave approval on June 1 for Dimension Mill to draw circles on the grass near its building to help encourage physical distancing, though one commissioner called the idea "silliness taken to the extreme."

RDC members also got updates on parking garages in the Trades District, where the Mill is located, and at 4th & Walnut. The Trades District garage is under construction, and the city plans to install a webcam there to monitor progress. Alex Crowley, the city's director of economic & sustainable development, described the project as on time and on budget.

For the 4th Street garage, F.A. Wilhelm Construction – the firm hired by the city as construction manager – is reviewing bids received for that project's first phase and will likely be awarded this week. Bids are currently being accepted for the construction phase. This project, which is expected to be completed in late 2020, will also have a webcam filming the site. 

Regarding the Mill's request, Crowley said that since the RDC owns the vacant land in the Trades District, the co-working nonprofit was seeking permission to mark circles on the grass to measure physical distancing in this COVID-19 climate. The commission ultimately approved the request, with dissent from David Walter. Walter said the area is public and anyone can be there, regardless of whether they practice social distancing. It's a matter of personal responsibility, he said.

Watch the full June 1, 2020 RDC meeting here.