Case Date:

9/26/2016

"For the past 3 weeks the tenants across the street, at 509 S Highland Ave, have left their trash sitting out on the curb. I have made numerous complaints with HAND (Maria is assigned to the case.) There is clear evidence at this point that the tenants are not planning to remedy the issue even with the several tickets they have received. I have attached several photos of the trash. There is clear evidence of animal activity, it has become a public health issue, and as a property owner I am concerned about my property value as well as the prestige of the Elm Heights neighborhood"

Case Date:

8/8/2016

Hello from new Bloomington resident; green initiatives 1 message Jane <seejaneread@gmail.com> Mon, Aug 8, 2016 at 11:33 AM To: mayor@bloomington.in.gov Dear Mayor Hamilton, Hello, My name is Jane Cronkhite. I have recently moved to Bloomington. I grew up here and lived in Bloomington from 1980-2000, attending Indiana University from 1996-2000. I returned and am now the Associate Director of the Monroe County Public Library. I am very excited to be back in the city I love with so many wonderful amenities! I have heard many great things about you from other residents and I was just reading about you on the City's web site. I saw you have a background serving the State as Commissioner of Environmental Management, which is fantastic. I've spent my last nine years living in San Jose, California. One thing I've noticed upon my return to Bloomington is while there are some extraordinary green spaces in the City and wonderful parks I plan to take advantage of, I think Bloomington has a way to go with other environmental protective measures. I encourage you to consider an expansion of measures such as a plastic bag ban or a more robust recycling program. I've spoken to several people who tell me they take their recycling in themselves, which I think is an inconvenience. Reading the City's sanitation page, apartments and complexes with more than four buildings do not have bins provided. I am a renter and I do not have bins, and in my few weeks in town, I've seen trash overflowing at my complex. I expect many students who live off campus are not recycling. I think the vast majority of the City's waste that is eligible for recycling is going to landfills, which is a shame. Please consider putting in more green sanitation measures to protect the City. I think residents would pay for services to protect the City; I know I would. Thank you for your consideration, and congratulations on your position serving the City! Best, Jane Cronkhite

Case Date:

7/19/2016

Homeless people on our back porch again David Webb <spiderwebb103061@yahoo.com> Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 9:48 PM Reply-To: David Webb <spiderwebb103061@yahoo.com> To: "mayor@bloomington.in.gov" <mayor@bloomington.in.gov> Dear Mr. Mayor Once again tonight one of my managers had to kick another homeless man off of our back porch area. This same man was warned about trespassing on our property just a week ago and was told that if he came back on our property that he would be arrested. Officer Kevin Frank was the responding officer after we had to call a second time to get anyone to respond. Officer Frank talked to the man and just let him go warning him again that he was trespassing once again and then informed my manager that since the officer didn't see him on our property that he couldn't do anything about it. The Man admitted to the officer that he had been on our property again tonight but nothing again was done. I don't understand why the police are not able to do anything even after this man has been warned that the next time he would go to jail. I'm sympathetic but when my employees are being threatened and spit on things are getting very much out of hand! What is going to take? Maybe one of my employees getting hurt before anything gets done with this problem?One of my customers told me she works in the poplars building and she is doesn't feel comfortable walking to Cafe Pizzaria for lunch in the middle of the day! Things a really out of hand and if one of my employees gets hurt because of this problem I am going to be very upset that nothing is being done. I don't know what the answer is but I do know that our police chief has reached out to us and I appreciate this very much but when nothing happens after warnings have been issued ... Very frustrated with our city government! Thank you for hopefully taking the time to read this, Sincerely, David Webb/Cafe Pizzaria,Inc.

Case Date:

7/13/2016

Dear Mayor Hamilton- Three months ago I sent you an email asking about the installation of assisted listening devices at speaking venues, especially where the city and county councils and various public advisory groups hold meetings. Also at the courthouse and other places where the public engages the judicial system. While many facilities including churches and the Monroe County Public Library have responded affirmatively to this need, the Buskirk-Chumley and the Waldron Arts Center have not; they are badly in need of assisted listening device to replace their present antiquated systems. I never received a response to my earlier email but I hope this is an item you have on your mayoral agenda. Attached is a copy of a guest column about this subject that appeared in the Herald Times. Thank you, Robert Woodley

Case Date:

7/12/2016

Dear Mayor, After the events in Baton Rouge LA,, Falcon Heights Minnesota, and Dallas TX what can you tell Monroe County residents about race relations in Bloomington. How does the Bloomington Police department connect with minorities in our city. What are their outreach programs with citizens on Pigeon Hill? Can anything further be done? I grew up in Bloomington, attending Broadview Elementary, Central Middle School, and Bloomington South. I have always viewed our city as a melting pot. We have so many ethnic restaurants that I once said that you could find a restaurant for any kind of food you can think of.I am also, a white mother that believes #BlackLivesMatter. Thank you, Anita

Case Date:

7/7/2016

Locally, there are three entities that could afford to repurpose the existing hospital: IU, IUHealth, and Cook. Externally, a hotel chain might see an opportunity. Could IU and IUHealth work out a deal to convert all or part of the structure to student housing, with more amenities than the dorms on campus? This could ensure the survival of new, student-oriented businesses occupying the many buildings that are currently home to medical services that have sprung up near the hospital. This would take some pressure off of residential neighborhoods adjacent to proposed high density student apartments, and meet the popular goal of curtailing the construction of student high rise apartments in the downtown area. It's also the best bet for preventing these ancillary businesses from becoming an urban blight zone - the local real estate market is too small to absorb this number of properties as the businesses migrate to the new hospital site. If the current structure is retained, fully or in part (partial demolition), it makes sense for VIM to occupy the space presently allocated to the ER. There is a large parking garage - would IUHealth consider donating it to the city, or swapping in a quid pro quo? Regarding a VA facility, there is a need, as many patients must now make the trek to Indianapolis for treatment. However, it would be impractical to maintain a separate full service hospital for vets, when the obvious solution is to extend VA accreditation to the existing hospital, at both the present site and the new site along the bypass. Kevin Haggerty​

Case Date:

7/6/2016

Dear Bill With Indiana's gun laws pre-empting any local action, it may be challenging for City Legal to find a way to revise parade policy to prevent people from carrying assault weapons through the parade. On Monday I fled the parade upon seeing men with assault weapons bearing down on my family as they rode down College Avenue. If they had opened fire, I would have no time, and no where, to escape. So I left immediately. Since then I have pondered on how our City might protect us from this experience in the future. Posting about this on facebook, 100 comments ensued. My suggestions are: 1) At parade line-up, insist on verifying gun licenses belonging to people bearing weapons. Call in BPD for help, if necessary. (I hear a rumor that City employees failed to check gun licenses this year). 2) Make an explicit statement requesting no assault weapons in the parade, or somehow explicitly not allowing them. 3) Issue a statement warning citizens that floats will bear assault weapons in the parade, so that we can choose to protect ourselves by not attending the parade, if the City really has no recourse. 4) Take on the legal issue of state law pre-empting local provisions, perhaps through an action of City Council. Appeal rulings, if necessary. 5) Since a private institution may choose to not allow open carry of weapons, perhaps the City creates a separate, private institution to administer the parade. A public-private entity like the Friends of the Market effort to raise funds for farmer's market. Really hoping you can prevent this experience in future. It goes far beyond the diversity and open-mindedness we want our parade to express. It is about danger and safety. All the very best, Julia DeBruicker Valliant 1992 City of Bloomington July 4 parade Grand Marshal 2013 City of Bloomington July 4 parade float organizer 2016 City of Bloomington July 4 parade terrified spectator

Case Date:

7/6/2016

To Whom it May Concern at the Office of the Mayor: Hello! My name is Aubrey Seader, and I'm a resident of Bloomington (living in the two-mile fringe on the south side). Recently my family and I were involved in and attended the annual 4th of July parade in downtown Bloomington. The parade was mostly really great! It's great to see so many people and organizations that are a part of my community, that I don't normally get to interact with. There was one float in the parade, however, that made myself and many of my friends and family very nervous and very angry. The float consisted of two vehicles - both Jeeps I think - carrying men holding up or displaying in some way automatic rifles. Machine guns. Men and women walked beside the cars displaying side arms, and other large guns. One man held up over his head a laminated copy of the constitution. As offensive and sickening as this display was - just weeks after the attack on Pulse nightclub that killed 40 people - I realize it was completely legal and that the city is not permitted to refuse entry to the parade to any group if what they are doing follows the letter of the law. I'm not even sure if the mayor's office has anything to do with city events like the parade. I just wanted to write to someone and say that seeing this float was terrifying. These people not only had multiple automatic weapons... these weapons were clearly loaded. I could see the clips and rounds attached to them. And families, children, all of us just had to hold our breath and watch as they passed. Gun violence has traumatized the US for years now, as we've seen our own president give 16 condolence speeches following mass shootings .. just within the past FOUR YEARS. I remember the day I heard about the shooting at Sandy Hook. All the breath just fell out of me and I'm still not quite able to get past the knowledge that after the horrifying deaths of dozens of elementary-aged children, America did nothing to enact stricter, common sense gun safety laws. In my mind, the way this 4th of July float, in our City of Bloomington parade, made light of this grief, this trauma we all sit with everyday, could be compared to a float making light of the events of September 11th. There has to be some way we can at least prevent people from bringing loaded assault weapons to public events. Perhaps they can be allowed to bring the mechanical part of the gun, but we have to make sure they leave all their amo at home. I'm sad that we can't remove guns from public places the way we've banned smoking within so many feet of local businesses and public buildings. But for now, can we work on requiring parade participants to leave their assault rifle amo at home? I can't imagine the fear struck in the hearts of every parent in that crowd on Monday. Those people that made that float should be ashamed of themselves. Thank you for reading this. If there's anyone at the city you can suggest I speak to about this matter, I'd love to get their contact information! Thanks for all the great work you do! Best, Aubrey Seader

Case Date:

7/6/2016

Dear Mayor Hamilton, I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. It was a pleasure to meet you to discuss possible opportunities with your administration. I enjoyed our discussions very much and wanted to take the time to send you a thoughtful note following our meeting. You mentioned the need for strong project management. Many of the projects I've worked on over the years entail various moving pieces that all happen simultaneously, and/or require forethought on how to structure implementation in order to keep things moving. My references will be happy to share with you in detail about complex project we've worked on together. With regards to competency and writing skills, I graduated #1 in my Masters program at Valparaiso University with a 3.87 grade point average. Furthermore, the professors inducted me into the Atheneaum Honor Society for my demonstrated leadership, charter and academic performance. Following graduation in May 2011, I became an adjunct instructor at Valparaiso University School of Business School beginning that Fall semester. In addition to municipal experience, my professional portfolio over the years includes extensive engagement in smart cities and emerging/advanced markets, particularly in regions of the world who are at the forefront of next generation infrastructure, advanced markets and cities of the future in these areas (i.e., Amsterdam, Finland, Estonia). I regularly publish articles for various media sources on these topics, such as a recent piece on Smart Cities and the Age of Urban Tech. I was also interviewed in Forbes last year. If you would like additional published works/writing samples, I'd be happy to send more your way. As discussed, I've built a strong network of global thought leaders in smart cities and emerging tech industries. As a result, I often receive invitations to conferences and/or asked to speak on panels at workshops around the world. Most recently, I was invited to the smart cities in Nice, France http://www.tmforumlive.org/agenda_category/smart-city-live/ and the New Cities Summit in Montreal- http://www.newcitiessummit2016.org/ . There are additional upcoming conferences I've received invitations to, and hope to have the opportunity to attend. Speaking of which, I was unable to travel to Europe or Vegas these two weeks in July, so I am around and available to meet again. The opportunities highlighted appear to be in sync with your vision for the tech park and trade district, among other priorities for your administration. I welcome the opportunity to learn more about your priorities and how you envision balancing the interests/needs of your constituents while laying the foundation to set up Bloomington for success in the future. Thank you again for your time and consideration. It was an honor to meet you, I look forward to hearing from you. Just for fun, attached is a photo I took with John Kerry while working on his campaign back in 2004! Respectfully, Lauren E. Riga

Case Date:

7/6/2016

Bill What were you thinking? I have been attending our parade for over 30 years. I hope to never see a parade like this again. Those two Taliban machine gun pick up trucks could have made mince meat of me and the entire street if even one of the participants got unhinged. Live ammo? Really? What if they were scared by a firecracker or bottle rocket and started shooting at parade watchers? They looked and acted mean and had no place in our parade. Epic fail Duane