News and Notes from Around the Community

WGCL Chamber Update with Glass in the Afternoon

As the municipal primary results are behind us, the summer slow season is upon us. Now is as good a time as any to clean out the advocacy notebook. 

The “trash talk” has commenced in the City of Bloomington (COB). Ordinance 23-11 will amend Title 6 of the Bloomington Municipal Code titled “Health and Sanitation”. This is a polite way to indicate the price of your trash collection will be going up.  Residents may see a 58 to 75 percent increase in that cost. Currently, money from the general fund pays for the shortfall in fees.  A subsidy is also required to fund the cost of curbside recycling.  The current proposal attempts to ensure trash collection pays for itself and recycling.  The debate will be heated as the fee increase represents  sticker shock.  This is coming after the large local income hike that went into effect last October.  Council members will be required to be in attendance and not virtual to vote on this amendment. 


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Based on staff recommendation, the COB Common Council will also take up updates to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).  From a Chamber perspective, it adds parking maximums for various types of businesses. More importantly, it increases the maximums for restaurants and fitness centers.  I spoke at the May 10th meeting. At least two of the council members pushed back on the proposed increase in parking.

In the County, the Redevelopment Commission had a public meeting that provided an overview of a proposed housing TIF district along State Road 46 or the Criderville area.  Bonds would be issued to pay for infrastructure (sewer, roads)  for housing developments.  The bond would be paid off through an increase in the assessed value of the property.  The State Legislature this past session passed a law to make it easier for communities to put these districts together.
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Also in the county, the Criminal Justice Response Committee has been put on hiatus by the commissioners.  The County council implemented a resolution creating the Justice Fiscal Advisory Committee. This adds individuals who were not included, such as a Bloomington representative.  15 members, 3 people on the committee, and 12 ad-hoc.  3 council and 1 commissioner including ex-inmates, judges, etc.  They will meet every other week.  The council has the purse strings and they are looking to use that authority to influence the new location of the justice center and the programs within to reduce the recidivism rate.  

In Ellettsville, the Town Council passed  Ordinance 2023-05 Approving a Moratorium on "NEW"  Construction and Development of Certain Structures in Commercial and Industrial Districts. This would be in affect until their UDO is passed which looks to occur sometime around October. 

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