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Mayor John Hamilton announced in coordination with City Council leadership that the city annexation process underway four years ago is scheduled to resume in early May. The City was in the middle of a months-long annexation process, heading for more public discussion and ultimately a council vote, when the state legislature unconstitutionally ordered action halted in April 2017.
The City of Bloomington invites residents to participate in the online 2021 Bloomington Community Survey from April 21 - May 5. The survey is available at https://bloomington.in.gov/communitysurvey. This open participation survey complements the scientific survey that was mailed to a random sample of 3,000 Bloomington households during the last week of March. Residents who were not mailed the randomized survey now have the option of completing the same survey online. The confidential responses to each part of the survey will be collected, analyzed, and published (anonymously) in separate data sets that will provide the City critical feedback about the quality and value of City services and conditions.
Six Bloomington community members were honored in an online presentation of the Be More Awards on Thursday, April 22. The recipients of this year’s awards honoring local volunteers for committed community service, response, and support were revealed in a video presentation Thursday at noon that may be viewed at www.BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org/bemore.
In coordination with Indiana University, the City of Bloomington has begun the process of renaming Jordan Avenue and invites residents to propose alternative street names using this online form. Mayor John Hamilton has convened a task force to review proposals and select new name options for the road south of 17th Street and other options for the extension north of 17th. The Renaming Task Force comprises the following city residents and IU faculty and administrators:
Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are underway this season to advance community goals, including safety, sustainability, accessibility, equity, economic vitality, and quality of life in Bloomington. The City will provide regular public updates on a range of these improvements as they progress.
A presentation of the City of Bloomington Climate Action Plan (CAP) to the Bloomington Common Council, with the recommendation for Council to pass a resolution to accept it as an advisory document for the City of Bloomington and broader community.
The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males (CSBM) invites middle school- and high school-aged males to attend a one-day Black Male Youth Summit in Bloomington on Thursday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. via Zoom. “More Life” is the theme of the second annual summit. The summit, focused on African American and Latino males, is open to young men of all races and backgrounds.
The City’s second Black Lives Matter street mural was approved April 13 by the Board of Public Works for installation on the north side of the downtown square. The first mural having been installed next to the Banneker Center last fall, the second will be painted on West Sixth Street between North College Avenue and North Walnut Street on Saturday, April 17, weather permitting (with a rain date scheduled for Saturday, May 1). The block will be closed to traffic and its parking spaces unavailable on the day of installation from 6 a.m until 8 p.m., while the sidewalks will remain open. Local businesses have been notified of the closure.
The Bloomington Arts Commission (BAC) invites area arts groups to apply for funding through the Spring 2021 Grants for the Arts program. Nonprofit organizations and arts-based entities in the arts and cultural sectors may apply for operational funds (only for eligible nonprofits) or support for projects that foster the arts and cultivate cultural experiences in Bloomington.
Mayor John Hamilton invites the press and the public to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Trades District Garage. The event will include remarks by the mayor and other local leaders, tours of the new facility, and an opportunity to contribute to the public artwork commissioned for it. The ribbon-cutting will be held in keeping with current public health protocols for physical distancing and face covering.
The City of Bloomington’s longstanding commitment to the arts will produce four major public artworks in 2021, as the city recovers from the pandemic and its distressing effects on the economy and the arts. Projects at the Trades District, Switchyard Park, the Trades District Garage and the Fourth Street Garage, funded through the One Percent for the Arts Ordinance mechanism, will be installed this year. An expanded search process and creative funding arrangements have resulted in a selection of works by a diverse range of artists.
One Bloomington Fire Department (BFD) employee and one Parks and Recreation employee reported receiving positive results of COVID-19 viral tests over the last week. None of the employees was a close contact of a previous COVID-19 case at the City.
Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are underway this season to advance community goals, including safety, sustainability, accessibility, equity, economic vitality, and quality of life in Bloomington. Projects are described at the City’s website, and regular public updates offered on a range of these improvements as they progress.
Sixty-four new homes are on track to be built on City-owned land adjacent to Switchyard Park, with groundbreaking scheduled for June. Retreat @ the Switchyard will provide a mix of supportive and affordable housing as well as market-rate units in a new apartment building at 1730 South Walnut Street. The City’s Redevelopment Commission (RDC) purchased the 1.5-acre site at the park’s eastern entrance in 2017 to help steer development consistent with the community’s long-term goals.
Mayor John Hamilton and Bloomington Fire Department (BFD) firefighters held a push-in ceremony Thursday, April 1 at 5 p.m. at Station Two (209 South Fairfield Drive) to dedicate the City’s newest fire apparatus. The 2021 Typhoon class, 100-foot aerial ladder truck that will be known as Truck 2 was purchased through Public Safety Local Income Tax (PS-LIT) revenues for $1.19 million to replace a 20-year-old 75-foot dual axle aerial apparatus.
One Bloomington Transit (BT) employee, one Parks and Recreation employee, and a Public Works employee each reported receiving a positive result of a COVID-19 viral test over the last week. None of the employees was a close contact of a previous COVID-19 case at the City.
