News Releases

Join Mayor John Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael as they discuss the 2023 Community Survey.

The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market opens for the 2023 season on Saturday, April 1, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Showers Common, 401 N. Morton Street, next to Bloomington's City Hall. Mayor John Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael will both be at the first market of the season from 10 a.m.-noon, ready to greet and chat with the Bloomington community. Find them by looking for the Mayor at the Market signage on the north end of the market next to the Parks Department tent. 

The City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development is pleased to announce the Earth Day Community Challenge for Bloomington residents will kick off on April 1. 

In an effort to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and promote the acceptance of diversity in the community, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission is planning a week of remembrance and celebration of African American history in Bloomington through art and storytelling. This week begins on Tuesday, April 4, which marks the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic and untimely death. Each year, the MLK Commission remembers the terrible event that occurred on the balcony of the Memphis Lorraine Motel in 1968, where Dr. King was in support of Black sanitation workers who were on strike and demanding safer working conditions and better pay.

The City of Bloomington is accepting applications from community members who would like to serve on a City board or commission.

Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, Nashville Town Manager Sandie Jones, and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton invite the public to attend an announcement on Friday, March 24, at Nashville Town Hall about the next steps of working together in a bipartisan, cross-sector, multi-county effort to address climate change.

Beginning this week, the City of Bloomington will ask residents to participate in the 2023 Bloomington Community Survey. This fourth community-wide, biennial, scientific survey of Bloomington residents since 2017 is again being administered by National Research Center, Inc. (NRC).

The City of Bloomington Utilities Department (CBU) invites homeowners to apply for funding through the fifth annual Residential Stormwater Grants Program. CBU helps homeowners pay for environmentally friendly drainage projects such as rain gardens, bioswales, and detention-pond maintenance. CBU will host a public information meeting about the grant application process and project requirements on Wednesday, March 22, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Utilities Service Center, 600 E. Miller Drive.

On Friday, March 17, the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control (BACC) seized 68 dogs and puppies from a hoarding/unauthorized breeding operation. These animals were taken with the assistance of the Bloomington Police Department (BPD) and the Animal Management Officers from the Monroe County Sheriff's Department.

In today's video update, Mayor Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Carmichael provide an update on the new public safety investments, including the new public safety headquarters. At its January 25 meeting, the City Council approved appropriating proceeds from the recently approved public safety bonds (https://bton.in/OBxjM) for public safety facility improvements, including the purchase of 320 W. 8th Street, a section of the Showers Building adjacent to City Hall.  

The City of Bloomington is partnering with Indianapolis-based art collective One Drop to produce an exhibition titled Underground featuring over 20 local and regional emerging BIPOC artists in the Fourth Street Garage Storefront from Friday, March 17 - Saturday, May 13. The exhibition will feature work across artistic media, including collages by Honey Hodges, textiles by Beatrice Atencah, and photographs by the 2023 LensCulture Top prize recipient, Justin Carney. Hodges, Atencah, and Carney are among several local artists featured in the exhibition. 

Ticket sales have been extended for The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women’s 2023 Women’s History Month Luncheon. The luncheon will take place on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the Monroe Convention Center at 302 S. College Ave. in Bloomington. 

During Wednesday night's City Council meeting, City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) Director Vic Kelson and Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Adam Wason updated council members on the recommended move of CBU to the Winston Thomas site and centralizing DPW at the current Miller Drive campus. 

Join Mayor John Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael as they discuss the State of the City event held on February 23 at the Waldron Arts Center.

The Nature Trail and Hiking Trail will be closed during and for one day after the prescribed fire.

Bloomington will receive $1.8 million in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI)funding for construction on Jackson Street as part of the new Hopewell neighborhood. This housing investment was approved by the Indiana Uplands READI Steering Committee and the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) Board of Directors, and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The Indiana Uplands is an 11-county region encompassing Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties.

The City of Bloomington is pleased to announce another Expanded Outdoor Dining season. This program closes 2 ½ blocks of Kirkwood Avenue to all for expanded outdoor dining and a pedestrian thoroughfare, and parklets, which expands outdoor dining in parking spaces closed off by orange jersey barriers directly outside the participating businesses in the downtown area. 

Join Mayor John Hamilton and Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) Director John Zody as they discuss three affordable housing focus areas–housing security, rental housing, and home ownership. 

In April of 2021, the Bloomington City Council voted unanimously to add nearly 80 “No Turn on Red” signs in the downtown and campus areas to increase safety. Both the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission and the Traffic Commission endorsed the measure, which was taken to protect pedestrians and cyclists, the most vulnerable users of roads, in the areas of heaviest pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Bloomington is a vibrant community filled with activity. Each month there are numerous opportunities to enjoy and engage socially and civically. The City will provide monthly updates on what is happening in and with the City, and you will discover that no matter your interests or inclinations, there is something for everyone.