The $270 million Indiana Connectivity Program was launched this week to connect residents and businesses that lack access to broadband internet service with service providers and to assist in the cost of extending broadband to those locations. It is offered by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

To be eligible for the program, a location must either have no access to internet, or access to download speeds less then 25 Mbps and upload speeds less than 3 Mbps. Homeowners and business owners looking to participate in the program can go to the Next Level Connections portal and enter their address and information. They can also call the Indiana Broadband Connect Center during business hours at 833-639-8522.

Click here for more information about the Connectivity Program.

The City of Bloomington's 4th Street parking garage, at the corner of 4th and Walnut, will open on Monday, Aug. 23. The structure has over 500 spaces, a covered bicycle area, public bathrooms and retail space.

The smaller parking garage that had been on the spot was closed in 2018 and taken down. 

A public art display will be installed in early October. The city plans to have a dedication ceremony in the fall.

Regional Opportunity Initiatives has released a plan designed to build a stronger digital infrastructure throughout Monroe County.  The 6-page plan includes five goals with strategies to help implement each goal. Goals are:
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1. Strive to establish and sustain a digital equity ecosystem.
2. Build/upgrade affordable and adequate broadband connectivity throughout the community and improve adoption.
3. Ensure residents have access to quality and reliable devices.
4. Improve digital literacy and skills among all residents.
5. Integrate digital inclusion strategies into community, economic, and workforce development.​

Click here to read the full plan.

The City of Bloomington has released survey results showing preferences for how to spend American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the city is receiving.

Of the 147 responses, priorities were: 36% housing insecurity, 31% public infrastructure, 23% jobs/economic recovery, and 10% city revenue replacement. The choice of these "bucket" categories had already been determined by the city.
Read more about the survey here.

The City of Bloomington is seeking responses to an RFQ (request for qualifications) for managing the Waldron Art Center. The deadline to respond is 12 p.m. on Friday, August. 13.

The city wants an entity "to manage the city-owned facility as an arts center for no less than five years, embrace the facility’s core users (including WFHB, community artists, and arts organizations), conduct joint marketing efforts with these stakeholders, lead fundraising activities, maintain the structure and its building systems, and actively pursue community outreach for diversity and to build audiences."

Read the RFQ here.

The 11-county region known as the Uplands – which includes Monroe County – will be submitting a proposal for funding through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI).

The Uplands proposal is being led by Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) and Radius. They are asking organizations and individuals to provide information on potential projects and programs that have the capacity to grow the region’s economic outcomes through investments in place-based talent, business, and quality of place opportunities. 

Read more about this initiative here. Submit your project ideas here. The deadline to submit ideas is July 30.

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.

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.