City Announces Proposed Plans for Future Annexations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2017

For more information, please contact: Mary Catherine Carmichael, Communications Director, 812-349-2489, carmichm@bloomington.in.gov

City Announces Proposed Plans for Future Annexations

Bloomington, Ind. - Today, Mayor John Hamilton will ask the City Council to initiate a process for considering a proposed annexation that would expand the boundaries of the City of Bloomington. If the plan is approved, the Mayor is proposing that the annexations not take effect until 2020. Although the areas proposed for annexation are already a part of the Bloomington community in many ways, they are not within the city's municipal boundaries at this time. The proposed annexations will allow everyone in the community to be a part of the same future and provide for a more uniform and efficient local government.

Before introducing any annexation ordinances, the City will hold six public meetings, on March 20 -25 at City Hall, to provide citizens with information concerning the proposed boundaries of the seven annexation territories, proposed plans for the extension of services to these territories, and the expected fiscal impact on affected property owners. The public information meetings will be informational in nature and have specific stations set up in an open house format. There will be no large-group presentation, however an area will be available for people to provide comments. The City anticipates that the annexation process will result in enhanced fire and police services, improvements in street maintenance, opportunities for transit expansion and high speed fiber to every premise in the city, and other programs such as park services. "We are one community, and these annexations will make that official," said Mayor Hamilton. "The property taxes from the annexations will support the neighborhoods and communities that we are committed to serving as we work to provide better and more efficient services to the areas affected." The dates, times and location of the public meetings are as follows:

All meetings will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 401 North Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404

• March 20, 2017 (Mon.) 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• March 21, 2017 (Tues.) 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• March 22, 2017 (Wed.) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• March 23, 2017 (Thurs.) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• March 24, 2017 (Fri.) 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• March 25, 2017 (Sat.) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Free parking surrounding City Hall will be available for those attending the meetings. For those unable to attend a meeting, the maps, proposed services and fiscal impact information are available on the City's website, located at bloomington.in.gov/annex, or at Bloomington City Hall during regular business hours. You will also be able to provide comments or questions on the website as well. All comments will be considered in the annexation process.

Following the public information meetings, the next step for the City is to introduce ordinances for one or more of the proposed annexations.

If you have questions about the public information meetings, please contact Diane Daily, Customer Service Representative for the City of Bloomington, at (812) 349-3802.

###