Case Date:

6/4/2024

Someone has been camping in the woods east of the rail trail behind my house for the past week. They have multiple dogs and have been running a generator.

Case Date:

6/5/2024

On June 4, 2024, the Bloomington Police were on the Rail Trail with their patrol cars for a disturbance / argument at a homeless camp around 11:45am. On June 5, 2024, around 7:45am the Monroe Fire Protection District was on the Rail Trail for some sort of fire related issue at a homeless camp. This is on the Rail Trail north of Gordon Pike and south of Country Club Drive, in the Terrace Drive vicinity and to the east of the trail in the woods. Can the City clear ALL of the homeless camps along the Rail Trail between Country Club and Gordon? The ongoing threat to public safety in 2024 that the City allows along this trail is asking for problems. The City must put an end to this now before someone gets harmed.

Case Date:

6/6/2024

Just before 10am on June 6, 2024, the same group from U-report 188774 are arguing yet again out in the woods along the Rail Trail. 2 or 3 people are shouting and cussing at each other. This has been going on for 20+ minutes this morning and is starting to be a regular, daily occurrence now. This is annoying to nearby property owners and frightening to trail users. Clear these homeless camps out, from Gordon Pike to Country Club Drive. The City's inaction along the Rail Trail is allowing the problem to not just continue, but grow ever since the Switchyard camps were cleared and more people moved south. This is a threat to the safety of everyone in the area, and dangerous for the homeless camp residents as it is a challenging area for police to respond to quickly if situations escalate.

Case Date:

6/13/2024

I am the President of the Board of Trustees at Unity of Bloomington. Our parking lot is partially owned by us, and partially City property as the B-Line runs behind our building on S. Rogers & Gordon Pk. (We currently maintain the entire parking lot vis-a-vis snow removal etc.) Recent changes, especially in Switchyard Park, have precipitated a migration of unhoused persons south on the B-Line trail. The UoB parking lot has become a stop-over for derelict vehicles and we're experiencing a significant increase in loitering and trash. The Board of Trustees recognizes that this is an important ministry opportunity, and we are engaged in prayerful consideration of reasonable steps forward. In the meantime, we host a nursery school in our facility and safety is an ongoing concern. My current request is this: 1. Could we receive help from the City to secure a larger trash barrel than the small trail-sized container currently in place near our parking lot (and would it be up to us or the City to tend it)? 2. Could the City help by providing a cigarette butt receptacle for our parking lot? (My husband and I collected more than 100 cigarette butts from the Unity parking lot before services last Sunday) 3. Are there any other recommendations or resources the City might provide in a situation such as this? Thank you for any advice and assistance you can provide, Joanie Spain UoB Board President

Case Date:

6/18/2024

The morning of June 15, 2024, around 6:30am the Monroe Fire Protection District was out on the Rail Trail for a fire at the homeless camps north of Gordon Pike on City owned property. The City should not be allowing the homeless to openly burn material back in the woods there. The fire department cannot easily get their equipment back into the wooded area to deal with fires at the homeless camps.

Case Date:

6/18/2024

June 16, 2024: In the evening the homeless camp on the Rail Trail north of Gordon Pike smelled as if it was burning trash. The smoke was heavy in the area and smelled like burning trash. The City should not be allowing the homeless to openly burn trash on property that is owned by the City along the Rail Trail. This needs to be shut down immediately as it is hazardous to the health of everyone in the are.

Case Date:

6/18/2024

The homeless camp along the Rail Trail north of Gordon Pike is burning trash on the evening of June 18, 2024, after 10pm. The smell is very strong in the surrounding area. The City needs to put a stop to this activity immediately as it is occurring illegally on City owned property. The city is allowing the homeless to openly burn on City property, which is ridiculous.

Case Date:

6/19/2024

I live off of Thornton Dr and walk the B-Link trail to Switchyard Park daily. I have been observing a Cooper's hawk and two chicks in a nest for several weeks now, and was dismayed to see the city doing tree work over the last few days. They seem to have missed the tree with the hawks in it, but I would like to know 1) what environmental assessments were undertaken prior to conducting the tree work and 2) why the decision was made to remove branches now, during the nesting season, rather than in the fall or winter when most birds are not actively nesting. The disturbance from neighboring trees and noise could have been enough to make the birds abandon the nest out of fear for their safety, and they have lost significant protection from neighboring trees.

Case Date:

6/19/2024

This was reported as a fire hazard, and also being reported as a trails issue to keep the parks dept updated on the activity along the Rail Trail. Large fire at 10:10pm on June 19, 2024, in the woods along the Rail Trail. The homeless camp on City-owned property (according to the GIS) is burning a large, open fire this evening. This is on the Rail Trail north of Gordon Pike maybe 0.3 to 0.4 miles, east and south of the Terrace Drive area. This is a significant hazard to the City property and neighboring private property. The fires need to stop and the camps need to be cleared out immediately before the homeless burn acres of woods, fences, sheds, houses, trailers -- anything in the vicinity could go up in flames soon.

Case Date:

6/28/2024

A tent city has developed on the B-Line Trail, south of W Country Club Dr and north of W Gordon Pike. They are cutting down foliage for more tents and dogs are running loose.