Amendment 4 would decrease density and housing options, the exact opposite of what the City should be doing. It additionally poses a real threat to the viability of actual families being able to live in such units. HUD and the law strongly disfavor eliminating housing options for larger families. Please pass my remarks along, as most resident such as myself can't go to nightly 6 hour meetings . . .
City council members get paid thousands to make decisions about the quality of life for the citizens of Bloomington and the employees who work for them. However, they do not consistently show up to do the work. This is unacceptable as all employees are required to show up to work or are fired, and given the current climate and time of year - the council is not raising pay consistent with inflation (only 5%?) but is hearing budgets to use funds in other ways? Very confused about the hypocriticism. You all should be keeping up with the adjacent county meetings also as they stated on record they expected to keep with inflation at 9.5%…. Yet funnily enough all the fees in town should be raised and yet both governments aren’t putting that money back into the pockets of the local economy by sticking at a much lower rate. If we are gonna keep paying council to not show up for work and just assert their opinions and vote for personal gain, then at least be fair and use funds for all employees.
Please share with council ahead of tonight’s budget hearing: The “updated” budget released by administration does nothing for non-unionized, regular employees. These are the people who rely on council to advocate for them because they are not protected and eligible to negotiate via a representative. Instead they have to silently watch their continual fate because their bosses are in control of their pay without discussion every year via the administration’s budget. For a quarter of a billion dollar budget, the focus is not on the regular citizen or employee who in turn is the backbone of the local economy. In order for the budget to be as “progressive” as the administration claims, why do we not see a 9% minimum wage bump for those below pay grade 9 to adequately address stagnant wage growth. If you make what the mayor and his department heads make, 5% is great because they’re at almost 6-figures and above in pay. This information is public and is continually ignored by all hiring processes and “initiatives” by admin to recruit and retain employees. When you keep the majority of employees in low pay grades and will not adjust wages accordingly in times of high inflation or value education and experience, your administration keeps cycles of poverty ongoing. Questions have been raised that need addressed: what is the difference between the highest paid full-time salary worker and the lowest paid full-time salary worker?, how many employees live within city limits versus outside of city limits? How many employees in city limits have ownership of their home versus how many who live in city limits are renting? These questions provide information that shed light on the lack of wage to keep up with the cost of living in this city. The highest paid workers, including the mayor, are the only ones afforded the ability to own a home in city limits and utilize all services fully. This budget is tone-deaf and shows how only unionized worker groups and sections of city workers are valued - why do all employees not have access to assistance with home ownership or rent? Our neighbors in the county still are working for better wages, however they also have the privilege of more holidays per year, a clinic, and most employees work an hour less per day as the county closes at 4pm. Why does the city think it is acceptable to tell folks that one should accept a low wage because ‘benefits’ when the benefits aren’t reflective of “an employer of choice”? Bloomington should be more than matching the county but now you cannot keep up. Citizens and workers are asking of council to uphold our worth and advocate for actual, beneficial change. No one questions the ordinances for council and admin’s wage growth but the regular employee is forgotten.
I just find it unacceptable that members of the city council can’t for some reason show up in person for a city council meeting. I just can’t wrap my head around in 2023 that we are still doing zoom? I don’t see this happening anywhere in other forms of government meetings. I would like to see the city end this policy. I wish I could go to work via zoom but like the majority of individuals, I have to show up in person.
Disheartened to see council members intentionally amend resolution to raise the base pay of the clerk. This goes against the whole idea of modernizing this archaic system and keeping up with the economy.
A question for information that can't find on the City website. Probably my lack of skill searching. Who are the current CAPS commissioners? And, specifically, when was Jason Michálek appointed? Thanks in advance.
The date noted for Resolution 22-02 (TO ESTABLISH FOUR STANDING COMMITTEES AND ABOLISH CERTAIN OTHER STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL) at https://bloomington.in.gov/council/legislation/Resolution/2022 is January 19, 2022. The correct date appears to be January 12, 2022.
Comment from Josh Conway on Facebook: How about getting a sidewalk on N Crescent rd between Marquis and fountain drive??? I see people forced to take wheelchairs up and down that section of city road. People in cars just keep buzzing them.
Sidewalk is blocked by overgrowth of shrubs. A great amount of pruning is needed.
At the corner of Valley Blvd and Cedar Ave, there is a landscaped area with a large sign that says City of Bloomington Welcome, with benches and a tribute to the high school class of 2020. The plants that were put there as part of the landscaping are DEAD OR DYING. There is garbage everywhere. There is a shopping cart filled with trash and filthy blankets. There is an ad for repossessed houses real cheap on metal stakes stuck into the landscaped area. Can you water the plants? Remove the garbage? Maintain it a little bit? It looks like an urban wasteland and is not a fitting tribute to the high school class that just graduated nor to the "City of Bloomington". It looks terrible. How hard is it to water and pick up the garbage twice a month? Also, along Cedar Avenue from there going, I guess, north toward the Fontana Courthouse on Arrowhead, visible along the entire way are usually mattresses, couches, refrigerators, today a poor little dead PUPPY in the middle of the road, GARBAGE everywhere, dead tumbleweeds on the sidewalks, broken baby strollers, automobile SEATS apparently removed from the interior of the car, blown tires for, apparently, big rig trucks. I dont know, the tires are so huge they look like truck tires. We see this detritus EVERY SINGLE DAY for months on end. How are you not aware of it? if you are employed to maintain the streets, maintain them. And please don't tell me it's not your jurisdiction. Just pass this on to whomever has jurisdiction over the aforementioned areas. People are trying to walk on these streets, especially in the early morning, trying to get some exercise. Should children have to grow accustomed to this kind of urban landscape, to think that this is the best it can be here? PLEASE WATER THE PLANTS that were put in the little landscape by the freeway. Or else take them out and give them away. Thank you.