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 Advocacy Matters
Local News & Updates

Monroe County Council OKs Bond Issuance for New Library Branch, Renovations

6/28/2021

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PictureRendering of the new library branch.
At its June 8 meeting, the Monroe County Council approved issuance of two series of bonds to pay for the construction of a new Monroe County Public Library branch and renovations at other facilities.

Series A bonds were approved to be issued in an amount not to exceed $2 million and will be payable over a period ending not later than Jan. 15, 2030. Those bond proceeds will be used for the renovation of and improvements to existing library facilities and purchase of equipment. The Series B bonds, together with the Series A bonds, will be issued in an amount not to exceed $6 million and will be payable over a period ending not later than Jan. 15, 2041. Proceeds of the Series B bonds will  pay costs of the design, acquisition, site development, construction, equipping and furnishing of a new library branch.

Read the meeting packet materials related to the bond approval here.

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Website Set Up for Reporting Flood Damage in Monroe County

6/22/2021

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Monroe County Emergency Management has set up a link for businesses and individuals to report damage due to last weekend's storms. The 211 Initial Disaster Intake/Assessment Form asks for basic information and for permission to enter your property to assess damage.
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A 211 REPORT
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Monroe County Releases Criminal Justice Report, Plans Public Meeting

6/21/2021

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The long-awaited Monroe County Criminal Justice & Incarceration Study has been released to the public. Among the findings:
​
  • The jail facility is incapable of consistently ensuring and sustaining constitutional levels of inmate care and custody.
  • People are staying in the jail for considerably longer time periods.
  • There is a distinct lack of easily available data to consistently measure and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of court and jail operations and practices.
  • Court criminal case processing is significantly slower than the national model time standards developed from data on efficient court systems.

Read the full report here. A June 23 joint meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners and County Council will review the recommendations. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. via this Zoom link.

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County Commissioners Create Infrastructure Development Zone for Broadband

6/21/2021

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At its June 16 meeting, Monroe County Commissioners voted to establish a infrastructure development zone for an area southwest of Bloomington.

​This infrastructure development zone would abate property taxes associated with development of broadband in the zone. 


Click here to read material from the commissioners' meeting packet.

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Bloomington Council Approves Abatement for Retreat at Switchyard

6/17/2021

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PictureJeff Ryan of Real America
At their June 16 meeting, Bloomington City Council unanimously approved a 10-year abatement for the Retreat at Switchyard, a residential development at 1730 S. Walnut St. 

The development involves construction of 64 residential units. Of those, 48 units will be devoted to households with low to moderate-incomes for a period of 99 years.  Ten of those 48 apartments are set aside for clients of StoneBelt.  The five-story building, adjacent to the Switchyard Park east entrance, includes a 3,000-square-foot first-floor retail space. The abatement, which is applicable only to the 48 affordable units, would start at 100% and step down to 5% in year 10.

The developer is Real America. The city's Redevelopment Commission intends to convey the land and structure to Real America for $1. That's a value of about $975,000, according to Alex Crowley, director of the city's Economic & Sustainable Development department.

Watch the council's June 16 deliberations on CATS here. Read abatement-related materials from the council's meeting packet here.

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Bloomington to Require Rental Occupancy Affidavit

6/17/2021

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On June 16, Bloomington Council approved a new ordinance requiring landlords to sign and maintain an affidavit listing occupants of their rental properties. Tenants must also sign. The law applies to buildings with four or fewer units.

The original proposal, which council amended, was submitted by the city's Housing & Neighborhood Development (HAND) department and would have required the document be turned into the city. It also would have required tenants to disclose their relationship with each other. Questions about privacy issues prompted revision of the ordinance.

The affidavit is intended to help the city track compliance with occupancy limits. Certain zoning districts set a limit of three unrelated adults who can live in a rental unit. Watch the council's June 16 deliberations on CATS here.

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Crowdsourced Internet Speed Project Tests Region's Broadband Access

6/14/2021

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Regional Opportunity Initiatives is collecting data about broadband speeds and mapping those speeds in the community to help get grants and other support to improve broadband capacity. As part of the project, they're asking residents and businesses to take an internet speed test.

​The goal of this project is to create an accurate regional map of where internet service is available, where it is unavailable, and what broadband speed residents are currently receiving.

Read more about this project and take the test here.

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City of Bloomington Issues Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

6/11/2021

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The City of Bloomington Utilities Department has released its annual drinking water quality report. As part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency requires community water systems to deliver this report to their customers each year.

The report provides information about local drinking water quality, data from tests conducted the previous year, and contact information for any questions or concerns. Listed in the 2021 report are the 12 contaminants detected in Bloomington's drinking water during 2020, such as disinfectant byproducts (DBPs), lead, and copper. All are within allowable levels, according to the CBU.

​Read the full report here.

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Southern Meadows Residential Development Rejected by County Commissioners

6/9/2021

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PictureRendering of proposed Southern Meadows paired patio homes.
Southern Meadows, a project to add 190 residential units on 37 acres in the Clear Creek area, was rejected by Monroe County Commissioners at their June 9 meeting. Commissioners Julie Thomas and Penny Githens voted against it. Commissioner Lee Jones was absent.

Builder Tom Wininger is already approved to build 90 single-family homes on that lot, but wanted to increase density in order to make each unit more affordable. Among other things, commissioners objected to density in that part of the county.

​Watch the project discussion on CATS here. Click here for meeting materials related to Southern Meadows.

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New Indiana Youth Employment Labor Law Takes Effect July 1

6/7/2021

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Starting July 1, all Indiana employers who employee five or more employees under the age of 18 (per location), must begin using the Youth Employment System (YES) to track and report minor-employee information. Schools will no longer issue work permits effective July 1, and the new requirement is designed to simplify the process of hiring minor employees.
 
YES is live now, and employers can begin using the system now to set up their accounts and start inputting their minor-employee information. Employers who fail to comply with the new law effective July 1 could face a penalty of up to $400 per infraction.
 
More information is available on the DOL's Youth Employment site here.

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The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.  All Rights Reserved.
421 W 6th Street, Suite A  |  Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: (812)336-6381 | info@chamberbloomington.org | sitemap
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