Indiana legislators have started to file bills for the 2021 General Assembly session, which runs through April 29. Find a list of the proposed bills for the Senate and House of Representatives here.

​The Chamber's Legislative Council will be tracking bills of interest to the business community. And legislators representing all or parts of Bloomington/Monroe County will give their insights on the upcoming session at the Chamber's Legislative Preview on January 15. Click here to register.

The Bloomington City Clerk is seeking applications for the new Community Advisory on Public Safety (CAPS) Commission. The commission, created by the Bloomington City Council earlier this year, aims to "to increase the safety of all Bloomington community members, especially those often marginalized due to race, disability, gender, sexual identity, or sexual orientation."
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Click here for the City Clerk's press release about applying to CAPS. To apply for this or any city advisory commission, click here.

Several employees of Chamber-member organizations were among those honored with The Mill's Fast 15 awards, which recognize Bloomington's fastest-growing businesses and MVP employees.

They include:

• Markay Winston, MCCSC assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction & assessment
• Cory Hawkins, City of Bloomington Banneker Center program specialist
• Molly Nagy, director of people operations at Brainlabs (formerly Hanapin Marketing)
• Kurtis Cummings, founder & president of Switchyard Brewing Co.
• Kyle Caird, Global Vision brand manager at Cook Medical
• Becky Throckmorton, HR manager & EEO officer at Weddle Bros. Construction
• Stephen Crane, Bloomington Herald-Times editor

​Congratulations to these Chamber members and all Fast 15 awardees! Learn more here.

The Monroe County Plan Commission will review a draft zoning module at its Dec. 14 meeting, as part of a major zoning overhaul that the county is undertaking. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. via this Zoom link. The draft module, which focuses on administrative procedures, is available here.

This revision of the County Development Ordinance (CDO) is being undertaken by consultants McBride Dale Clarion and consists of three modules. Module 2 focuses on zoning districts and uses, while Module 3 will cover dimensional and development standards and definitions.

Background and more info is on the Monroe County CDO site.

On Dec. 9, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. Representative Trey Hollingsworth for a Federal Focus event.

Hollingsworth, a Republican who represents Indiana’s District 9 in the U.S. House of Representatives, was re-elected to his third term in November. He discussed a wide range of issues in response to questions from Chamber members, including COVID-19 support for businesses, the presidential transition, balancing public health and economic recovery, and much more.

The event, attended by over 60 people, was covered by Indiana Public Media. Read their report here.

Christopher Emge, principal of the Success School at the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, was appointed this month to the City of Bloomington Parking Commission. 

He was appointed by Mayor John Hamilton for a term ending Jan. 31, 2022.

The Chamber's Success School, formerly known as the Franklin Initiative, acts as the connection between the business community and the education community. Find out more about the Success School here.

In a Dec. 6 article in the Indiana Daily student, Erin Predmore, CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, stressed the importance of shopping locally for the holidays to support Bloomington/Monroe County businesses.

Premore also highlighted the Chamber's Holiday Gift Guide, which provides dozens of suggestions for shopping local. 

​Read the IDS article here.