The Monroe County Health Department is distributing signs reminding the public that a mask mandate is still in effect at least through May 28. 

Face coverings are required in public, as is maintaining 6 feet of social distancing. Private gatherings are limited to 50 people in Monroe County outside of Bloomington, and limited to 15 people in the City of Bloomington.

​The current public health order, which took effect on April 7, remains in place until May 28. Confusion has arisen because some other parts of the state have lifted these regulations.

Monroe County officials hope that businesses and other organizations will place the signs prominently. Click here and here to download the signs. The signs are also available in Spanish here and here.

Friends of Lake Monroe's Maggie Sullivan briefed Monroe County Council on the development of a watershed management plan at ​the council's March 23 work session.

The project is creating a plan of action for addressing water quality goals by identifying problems and solutions with the watershed, a 440-square-mile area around Lake Monroe. Built in 1964 as a reservoir, Lake Monroe is the largest lake in Indiana and the primary water source for this region.

​Click here to watch the presentation on CATS.

Clear Creek Urban, a proposed five-building mixed-use project on South Rogers in Perry Township, was approved by Monroe County Plan Commission on March 23.

The vote was 6-3. It will now move to the three-member Monroe County Commissioners for final approval. Commissioner Julie Thomas, who also serves on the Plan Commission, voted against it.

Click here to watch the Plan Commission's deliberations on CATS.

The Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute presented a report to Monroe County Commissioners about this area's climate resilience.

The Hoosier Resilience Index is a survey to help local governments understand how prepared they are for the impacts of climate change. The main impacts are increases in extreme heat and extreme precipitation. The most vulnerable populations, including low-income and minority residents, will be the first to feel the impacts, according to researchers Andrea Webster and Zach Richardson.

Watch the presentation at the commissioners' March 24 working session here. A written report is forthcoming.

The Monroe County Board of Health has approved increasing the size limits of gatherings to 50 people, as long as the county stays in the "yellow" COVID-19 status. That status is determined by the State of Indiana's Guidelines by Color. Previously, the county limited gathering size to 25.

The local rules, approved by the Board of Health on Feb. 2, are still stricter than the state guidelines. Under state rules, counties that are in the "yellow" status can have gatherings up to 100 people.

Monroe County differs from state guidelines in several other ways as well. Click here to read the latest Monroe County health order.

A Monroe County program to reimburse local businesses and nonprofits for pandemic-related expenses has been extended until April 30. 

Organizations can request up to $30,000 in non-payroll reimbursements, offered by the county through funds from the federal CARES Act. 

Click here for details and to apply.

A new mixed-use development west of Bloomington was approved by Monroe County Commissioners at their Jan. 27 meeting.

​Called Westgate on 3rd, the 38-acre project at 4755 W. State Road 48 includes a mix of office, retail and residential space. The residential portion will consist of 330 apartment units.

The property, located in Van Buren Township, is near Ivy Tech, Cook Medical and Highland Elementary. It is currently vacant and has been part of the Daniels Farm for over 60 years.

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.

Monroe County Commissioners have approved a new program to reimburse businesses and nonprofits for COVID-related expenses and increased the eligible reimbursements to $30,000. The previous cap was $20,000.

​The previous reimbursement program, which covered non-payroll COVID-related expenses, was slated to end on Nov. 30 and was part of the federal CARES Act. At their Dec. 2 meeting, commissioners voted to create a similar program funded from $4.7 million that the county received from the CARES Act.

Click here for the reimbursement application form.

A draft of Module 1 for Monroe County's County Development Ordinance (CDO) was reviewed at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Ordinance Review Committee. Module 1 focuses on administration, processes, subdivision control, and enforcement.

This project is being led by consultant McBride Dale Clarion. The ordinance is divided into three modules, which the county Plan Commission will review separately but approve as a whole, likely in 2021. The CDO will then move to the Monroe County Commissioners for approval.

Click here for information about the CDO process.