State of the City Address 2011

Graffiti Reporting, Energy Dashboard and NeighborLink

Mayor Mark Kruzan unveiled the [online graffiti reporting tool|https://bloomington.in.gov/report-graffiti], the [energy dashboard|https://bloomington.in.gov/energydashboard] and the [NeighborLink online reporting tool|https://bloomington.in.gov/neighborlink] in his 2011 State of the City Address, three exciting new opportunities to help residents communicate with City government and be actively involved in keeping Bloomington a safe, livable and sustainable community.

State of the City Address 2011

Ladies & gentlemen, Shai Warfield-Cross & Caitlin Diekhoff! Bloomington's Got Talent!

I ask you, wouldn't you much prefer if we just let them sing for the next hour?

Thank you for that vote of confidence.

Speaking of votes of confidence, I received a Holiday Card from the CVB this past December. It offers "warm thoughts and best wishes," which is very nice. But then I noticed the address label. My personal holiday greeting is addressed to, and I quote, "Mark Kruzan . . . or Current Resident, Mayor's Office." I mean, I know it's an election year, but was that really necessary?!

As we've just seen, this city has a wealth of talent. It also has many venues at which to enjoy it, and an eager audience willing to support it.

It's part of what sets Bloomington apart.

And that's what I want to talk about, this evening. Setting Bloomington apart.

That's been the hallmark of our administration, and it continues to be our guiding light.

Each year, I'm asked what the theme of the State of the City will be.

This year, in a word, it's livability. Celebrating all we've done to improve it and unveiling fresh ideas for our future to make for an even better Bloomington.

Everyone loves Bloomington for its big city amenities and small town character.

It's not other places.

It's not generic.

It is Bloomington.

We've set this city apart as the most livable community in Indiana.

Thanks so much to the 700 city employees who make a city of 80,000 people work.

Thank you also to the Department Heads whose creativity and energy drive the process.

And there really aren't sufficient words of thanks to express my appreciation to Deputy Mayor Maria Heslin. Other than being a Yankee fan, she's been the perfect partner to run City Hall. Her imagination and solid analysis have made real difference.

To a person, your elected city leaders are driven by what they believe to be in best interests of Bloomington.

Your City Clerk, Regina Moore.
Your City Council Members At-Large,
Council President Susan Sandberg
Tim Mayer
Andy Ruff
District 1 Chris Sturbaum
District 2 Brad Wisler
District 3 Mike Satterfield
District 4 Dave Rollo
District 5 Isabel Piedmont-Smith
District 6 Steve Volan
City Council & Clerk Staff Dan Sherman, Stacy Jane Rhodes, Sue Wanzer, and Nicole Bolden.

We've had remarkable success.

» The state of our economy is among the strongest in the state.
» The state of city government's fiscal condition is remarkably healthy.
» The state of the city is among the finest in the nation.

Bloomington's success has not gone unnoticed.

When a liberal mayor is invited by Fox Business News to talk about the secret of that success, it's either the final sign of the Apocalypse or a sign that we're doing something right.

In the last 8 years, Bloomington has been recognized for its performance at a faster rate than at any time in its history.

Whether it be a USA Today Top College Town, the state's Best Walking City by Prevention Magazine, Bicycling Magazine's #7 in the nation Best Places To Bike, the #1 Gay & Lesbian-friendly Small Town by Advocate.com, one of America's Most Vegetarian-friendly Cities by PETA, a Milken Institute #7 Best Performing City in America, or a two-time, Top 10 Forbes Magazine Best Small Place for Business & Careers, Bloomington, Indiana, is a success story.

And the story is only now beginning to be told.

We've got a lot of chapters ahead of us.

Tonight, I'll outline just 4 of those chapters: The Economy, Public Safety, Quality of Life Initiatives, and Sustainability.

Let's start with the economy…


THE ECONOMY

When it comes to our economy, it's not only Fox News who was impressed.

The Indiana Business Research Center at the IU Kelley School of Business, recently released a report that begins, "During the Great Recession, Bloomington suffered considerably less than just about every other city or region in Indiana. In 2009 and 2010, Bloomington's peers would be justified in being a tad jealous. In the coming year, the prospects for the Bloomington area are almost optimistic compared to most of Indiana and the Midwest."

My only quibble with that assessment is the phrase "almost optimistic."

Bloomington is uniquely positioned among its peers to capitalize on it strengths.

And that's exactly what we're going to do.

Just this past year, in Downtown, for instance, 3 new buildings were constructed and 24 were renovated.

Unfortunately, 6 establishments closed for various reasons.

But 4 expanded and 40 new Downtown businesses opened.

From a broader perspective, as this BEDC ad entitled, "Bloomington, Indiana, City of Bright Ideas" notes, there have been significant job generators, and the Milken Institute ranked us #1 in the nation among 124 small metros for high tech employment.

Bloomington is setting itself apart from the pack.

It's the willingness of risk takers, the creativity of entrepreneurs, the courage of investors, and the foresight of community leaders.

It's customers who decide to Buy Local.

A business community that promotes investment.

It's Social Service agencies that empower people to be full participants in our economy.

It's the team of able, energetic, and imaginative staff we've assembled.

And it's progressive policies from City government.
Add all of that effort and you get the single greatest reason for Bloomington's healthy condition -- an increasingly diversified economy.

From Day 1, the mission has been to redefine economic development.

Our aim has been to make Bloomington the preeminent place to live, work, and visit.

We're taking specific, new steps to maintain our momentum.


◊ BLOOMINGTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BEDC)

For the first time in history, the City of Bloomington and the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation have entered into a
2-year agreement.

The City and BEDC have come a long way in 7 years. One of my first missions, and, I like to think, my first accomplishments was to set a more positive and productive tone between the two organizations.

Today, we have a strong working relationship in which mutual goals are being accomplished.

In our first-ever two year agreement, for 2011-2013, three such goals are funded:

1. Bloomington Technology Partnership where we are developing programs to lead the community in the retention, expansion and attraction of technology-focused businesses and employment.
2. Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership by promoting the partnership and region's life sciences strengths regionally and nationally.
3. Benchmarking the Local Economy with the Indiana Business Research Center to study Bloomington's economic performance.



◊ BLOOMINGTON HOSPITAL UPDATE

A still unanswered community question is the future of Bloomington Hospital.

We've communicated clearly to hospital officials that we're committed to keeping the facility downtown and willing to work with them even on unconventional manners to make that happen.

The City and Hospital recently met to discuss all the options. On a parallel track, we're considering practical solutions should the decision be made to relocate.

Whatever happens, we'll be ready.

To briefly outline those two tracks is our Pittsburgh Steelers-loving Planning Director, Tom Micuda.

In 2008, Bloomington Hospital launched a strategic planning process to make this important determination. The process started by the creation of a 24-member Facilities Task Force. The task force includes representatives of City, County, and State government; affected neighborhood associations, Indiana University, physicians, and community organizations. This task force has been charged with making a recommendation to the Hospital Board of Directors concerning the future course of action the Hospital should take.
Since January 2009, the Task Force has met on 5 occasions. Additionally, task force members have taken several tours of newly constructed hospital facilities. At the last meeting of the task force in 2010, members were asked to provide commentary on 4 different alternatives that would either renovate or expand Bloomington Hospital on the current 2nd Street site. The goal of the task force in future meetings is to select a preferred alternative and start comparing it to the alternative of constructing a new facility on the North Park site.

With the challenges presented by changes in economic certainty, the decision making process of Bloomington Hospital and the task force has slowed down. However, the work of the task force will continue in 2011. Bloomington Hospital representatives have indicated to task force members that a future larger community outreach meeting will likely occur as well so members of the community can become more familiar with issues associated with Bloomington Hospital's future decision.
One note I should add of which you may not be aware: Hospital administrators have indicated that even if a move is made, it will occur over the course of many years in a gradual transition. More importantly, not all hospital functions would move, at all. Significant health-related services such as (examples) would remain.

Our goal remains the same, however. In addition to our representation on the Task Force, the City Administration has met privately with Hospital leadership to demonstrate our willingness to consider even unconventional ideas to retain Bloomington Hospital in its current location. We look forward to continuing discussions and negotiations.


◊ ARTS AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

As part of our expanded definition of economic development, we aggressively included arts & culture policies and programming to our agenda.

The Bloomington Entertainment & Arts District, BEAD, was created and has taken shape.

One of the smartest additions to our team I've made was recruiting Miah Michaelsen to our Department of Economic & Sustainable Development.

To discuss a BEAD opportunity we're considering is the one & only Miah Michelsen.

One of BEAD's strategic initiatives has been in the area of arts space development. Having an adequate inventory of art space ensures that the District can continue to attract the creative and cultural sectors and allow for additional opportunities to experience arts and culture. These additional opportunities serve not only to increase capacity but also have a multiplier effect as audiences patronize local restaurants, retail and other amenities as part of their downtown experience.

Our arts space development projects thus far have been primarily partner-driven, but BEAD has yet to take the lead in developing a new arts space - until now.

We are so pleased to share with you tonight that BEAD will be developing a concept for desired uses, programming, and optimal space configuration for the Rogers Street Fire House for public arts access. Our very first step will be to work closely with our colleagues at the City of Bloomington Fire Department to ensure its operations staff, who currently use the facility, find a new home that works very well for them. The relocation of these three Fire Department staff members provides an opportunity for consideration of this adaptive reuse of the Rogers Street facility to meet an ongoing and identified need in the arts community.

Next we will launch a process to engage artists and arts organizations, neighborhoods, local business and other stakeholders, to integrate public input into an overall vision for the facility. This will include recommended management structure, as well as process, timeline and possible funding sources for completion of the proposed redevelopment.

Outcomes for this project include increased economic vitality in the Arts Row Character District; additional private sector investment in the area; public access to diverse arts activity and programming and expansion of the area as a tourism destination.

This project is far from being the only paintbrush in our art box this year. We have some additional artistic flourishes to add in the area of economic development, and we look forward to sharing them with you soon.



◊ DOWNTOWN TIF

The next two topics represent one of the greatest opportunities this community has seen or will see in many years.

There are two steps involved:

Step #1, and already accomplished, is expansion of the Downtown TIF.

TIF, Tax Increment Financing, allows us to finance infrastructure improvements and redevelopment in a designated area.

In late 2010, we decide to take an aggressive stance with the Downtown TIF. Created in 1985 and revised in 1990, we felt there were significant redevelopment opportunities ahead that would create economic vitality for the city.

With that in mind, we proposed a 48-acre TIF expansion that primarily overlaps with the Certified Technology Park.

The expansion of the Downtown TIF means we're poised to make public infrastructure improvements that will spur private investment.


◊ THE IU 12 ACRES

And that brings me to Step #2.

There are 12 acres of land currently owned by Indiana University to the north and west of City Hall and Showers.

The State of the City groupies out there will recall that I made a pitch for the City acquiring that land in 2008.

It continues to be important to me, and, I feel, the city, for many reasons.

» That land comprises nearly 20% of the Certified Tech Park.
» It's a significant parcel in the heart of the community that's not contributing directly to the city's economy.
» It's one of the last remaining Downtown areas that can be designed to meld with modern day concepts of what we want our City Center to be.

The Board of Trustees declared the acreage, valued at upwards of $10 million, "surplus property." IU intends to move all university functions presently located there back to the campus proper.

IU decided it would hold onto the land and lease it out to private tenants. In other words, the
12 acres would serve as income-generating property for IU.

But being a Cubs fan, I'm nothing if not patient. I continued to broach the subject with the university, quite possibly wearing out my welcome.

I've dreamed, literally and figuratively, about getting this accomplished for the community.


◊ THE PROJECT: REDEVELOPMENT IN THE CERTIFIED TECHNOLOGY PARK

My vision is that the City acquire the land, develop a master plan for the entire area, and then work to promote investment in the property that benefits the livability and economy of the community.
The City would sell off a parcel or parcels, as a project is prepared.

My strong belief is that the community's best interest will be served if Bloomington can control its own destiny.

These designs are only ideas, not formal plans, but they envision adaptive reuse of historic buildings and new multistory tech office space.

I'm seeking a more diverse mix of residents, with new housing options catering well beyond the college student market including an affordable housing component and active living for retirees.

As discussions between IU and the City continued, then-Trustee President Steve Ferguson certainly kept the ball rolling. I had a conversation with new Board President Bill Cast who also was quite supportive.

IU Vice President for Capital Projects & Facilities Tom Morrison, who despite having been at Ball State maintains a wonderful sense of humor, has done a fantastic job of keeping us informed, and the omni-present Lynn Coyne has continued to grease the wheels as the City and IU talk.
Many, many City staffers have spent considerable hours on this issue.

The citizen members of our Redevelopment Commission crafted the TIF expansion and will be key to activity within the new boundaries.

And so tonight I can announce that the City of Bloomington has reached an agreement in principle with Indiana University to purchase these critical 12 acres, preserve them, and turn them back over to benefit the public interest.

I'm excited by the potential and what this means for the local economy and Downtown environment.

Because this 12 acres is currently tax exempt, properties converted to private ownership and redevelopment will generate new income to the Downtown TIF.

That revenue will be used to facilitate public infrastructure improvements to attract private investment. At its core, the goal is to further diversify our economy and make it even more sustainable.

There are three critical points I want to make:

1. I don't want city government to be a landlord or to own this land in perpetuity. Instead, think Waldron. There, the City took ownership, found a civically minded partner in Ivy Tech, and recouped City taxpayer investment while simultaneously achieving a greater public good. Obviously, this is of much greater scale, but the principle remains the same.
2. And that brings me to financing. I want to be clear that our intention is to not use City General Fund dollars to make this happen. We won't use money intended for basic city needs, community support, or city employee pay. Instead, we will issue a special revenue bond funded by the Downtown TIF and land sale proceeds. We fully intend to recoup the purchase price with resale of the property.
3. There will be significant opportunities for public input on the purchase and even more on the long-term use of the land. This is truly a community investment, which demands a community vision.

My goal is not to sell the property to the highest bidder. It's to sell it to the best bidder. To the civically minded investor who will build with the community's best interests at heart.

We will only resell the land to private owners who ensure that the land is developed in line with the community's vision as expressed through the Downtown Plan, Growth Policies Plan, Certified Tech Park Plan, and UDO.

While IU would no longer be a landowner or landlord, it most certainly will continue to be a stakeholder.

As Bill Stephan, the university's vice president of engagement, recently said in an H-T article, IU plans to work with the City, BEDC, and others to help established businesses from 10th & The Bypass, "move into the Showers district, where the restaurants, shops, B-Line Trail and other amenities will appeal to those companies' work forces."

We're excited about the vision that IU has for the Technology Corridor along the Bypass.

Strengthened R&D and technology transfer efforts on campus will enhance city efforts to attract private sector investment not only at 10th & the Bypass, but also in our Downtown CTP.

Both areas stand to become significant job creators and economic engines.

Our full vision for the Tech Park includes strong and productive partnerships with all of the community's entrepreneurial support networks, chief among them those at Indiana University, Ivy Tech, and BEDC.

This is, it goes without saying, which means I'm going to say it, a major undertaking.

We literally have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the very definition of Downtown.



◊ THE SWITCHYARD MASTERPLAN

Another big investment we've made will reshape the City landscape as we head south of Downtown.

We'll complete the 3.1 mile B-Line Trail by Labor Day. We've already seen economic activity and interest in further investment along the corridor.

But the real potential of the Trail will be unleashed when we move ahead on the Switchyard property.

City government is preserving and improving a wonderful value for future generations in the
28-acre Switchyard. 2011 is the year a new community park will begin to take shape.

I want to get moving on this project. Just as with the Downtown 12 acres, we won't move forward without plentiful and meaningful public input.

To that end, we'll be coming to city council this year for funding of a Switchyard Master Plan.

We want to get it right, and it's an investment that will pay huge dividends.

The scope of study will involve environmental remediation, a decision on the extension of Hillside Drive, the redevelopment of South Morton and other areas, and affordable housing opportunities around the park.

We're also already thinking about:

• Restoration of Clear Creek, possibly re-routing the creek as a water element for the park;
• A community outdoor performance space with a venue for many types of community events;
• Trail connections to the B-Line within the park and from surrounding neighborhoods;
• Preservation and creation of natural environmental areas and greenspace, and
• Public art along the trail and at various high profile access points to the park.
I'm incredibly enthused about what the future holds for this part of town and the entire community.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Moving on to our second chapter, public safety has been a hallmark of this administration.

◊ Snow Control

I'm extremely proud, for instance, of our snow control efforts in the last 8 years, which I believe are the best in the city's history.

Something new we added to this year's budget is funding to hire contractors who will plow and treat our city's sidepaths as well as clear pedestrian ways in the downtown. We place a value on our bike and ped community and want to ensure accessibility for wheelchair users and all residents.


◊ BPD

On the Police Department front, I'm pleased to announce that our 2010 Uniform Crime Report to the FBI shows overall improvement from 2009, so we're headed in the right direction.

Property crime in 2010 decreased 2.2% from 2009. Violent crime decreased 16.4%.

We never stop working to improve police preparedness and service:

» We've added officers to our police force in each of the last 8 years;
» We built a state of the art training facility;
» Our officers are being equipped with the vehicles, in-car computers, and 800mhz radios needed to best protect them and the public.

And even as the crime numbers are declining, we want to strive to do better.

Here's how:

» Police Districts - a fifth patrol district, the Downtown District, increased patrols in the most concentrated area of Bloomington. That's allowed for better coverage in neighborhoods beyond Downtown, as well.
Officers get to better know the community, and the community gets to better know our officers.
» Detective Division - the Detective Division has been expanded to provide additional personnel and coverage so cases can be investigated more thoroughly and patrol officers have more time for service calls.
» Streamlined Process - Crime analysis and mapping are now the responsibility of the Administrative Captain to better target policing efforts.
» B-Line Patrol - A special patrol, both uniformed and plain clothes, is working the B-Line Trail area and has already addressed specific incidents, acted as a deterrent, and served as a public confidence builder for trail users.
» Online Reporting - citizens now have the option of filing police reports online to provide convenience, which gives patrol officers more time to perform other duties.
» Electronic Mapping/Internal Tracking - We've modernized the way in which we log and respond to crime reports. As cases come in, they're entered into our system to identify trends and patterns that empower proactive efforts to combat crime.
» Vehicle Locator Software - Vehicle Locator software has been installed in squad cars increasing efficiency in call response by automatically locating the unit closest to a call.

I greatly appreciate the efforts and professionalism of our officers.


◊ Bloomington Fire Department

As Chief Roger Kerr often says, he'd love for the Fire Department to be put out of business for lack of things to do. But that's not likely to happen, so this group of men and women continue to make theirs the most professionalized department possible.

These are people who are proud of what they do, and for good reason.

It's notable that with each passing year, the administration and the union continue to seek more and more effective methods and tools of the trade to protect the community.

One priority in particular the Chief has pursued is one he'll describe, this evening.

Three years ago when the Mayor appointed me Chief I had a plan to have a tactical rescue team on the City of Bloomington Fire Department. It's a substantial investment of funding and personnel, but I am pleased to announce that with the support of the Mayor that the steps to form a tactical rescue team are underway. The formation on such a team will allow us to have a dedicated team of personnel that will enhance our capabilities to respond to all type of tactical rescues.

A Tactical Rescue Team will be located at Station 1 (HQ) and allow the BFD to provide the community the following types of rescues:

1. Confined space. (Someone trapped in such places as a manhole)
2. Vehicle and machinery, including cars, buses, semis or any type of factory machines.
3. Trench (if someone becomes trapped in a ditch or hole that they are working in such as a water or utility ditch).
4. Swift water (we already do still and ice rescue).
5. Structural collapse (for major collapse such as after a tornado or earth quake).
6. Rope (this could be everything from a cell tower to a car in a ravine).
7. Wilderness (search for lost persons in large areas).

This will allow the Bloomington Fire Department to be better prepared to handle any type of emergency that the citizens of Bloomington might encounter. Once again I would like to thank the Mayor for his support in making the Tactical Rescue team a reality, and I look forward to working with council members on this opportunity to further protect the public.



QUALITY OF LIFE INITIATIVES

Keeping Bloomington a special place and improving our quality of life is a marketable commodity.

Whenever some misguided soul decides to leave Bloomington, I always remind them that, "Bloomington is always home." Inevitably, the heart aches to return. Bloomington has a unique way of becoming part of your DNA.

(Elizabeth Eckert video) - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCcRotGa5r8|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCcRotGa5r8]

-----------------------------------


"I don't have to stay, but I can never really leave." I thought that line summed it up nicely.

It's the eclectic nature, cosmopolitan amenities and small town character that roll into one highly livable community.

We have a number of quality of life initiatives to outline for you, tonight.


◊ Neighborhood Services Team & [NeighborLink|http://bloomington.in.gov/neighborlink]

Bloomington neighborhoods have distinct personalities and offer their own sense of place. Each face challenges, some in common and some unique to their area such as noise and vandalism in core neighborhoods.

To provide one-stop shopping, we've established a new Neighborhood Services Team made up of Neighborhood Liaisons from our Public Works, Parks & Rec, Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND), Planning, Police and Fire Departments.

These individuals will report neighborhood issues to one unified tracking system, called NeighborLink. Vickie Provine in HAND will head up this effort as the direct conduit for all neighborhood requests and by monitoring the timelines of all responses.

Additionally, starting tomorrow, residents will be able to submit a photo and description of a neighborhood issue online at www.bloomington.in.gov/neighborlink.

Finally, the City is partnering with Portland,
San Francisco and other municipalities to develop an Open Source smartphone app to allow residents to submit photos and text directly into the NeighborLink system for action. This app will be available this summer.


◊ Citywide 25mph Neighborhood Speed Limit

One constant concern that comes up in neighborhood walks I've done with residents in excessive speed.

Tonight, I'm announcing that we are instituting a citywide 25mph Neighborhood Speed Limit.

Anticipating the question, "why now?," we are in the midst of a federally mandated change out of all street signs that requires local governments to upgrade sign reflectivity. As we make changes, we'll post new speed limit signs.

I predict that the first comment on HTO about this change will be, "Dream on, it won't slow anybody down." And I don't necessarily disagree.

But officially acknowledging that slower speeds are appropriate for the places we live and raise our kids is the right thing to do. It at least sends a message that we care about the problem, and it's another tool for police to keep speeds down when and where possible.

And we're looking beyond just neighborhood streets.

The City has three classifications of streets: Arterial, Collector, and Local. At this time we feel completely confident that adjusting the speed limit to 25mph on streets designated "Local" is a positive step.

I have directed our Engineering Department to also look at speed limits on our Arterial and Collector streets to determine what, if any, other adjustments make sense.

This task will be accomplished by the end of the year.



◊ Graffiti Eradication Plan

A problem as persistent, illegal, and annoying as speeding is graffiti.

It's pretty obvious that as long as people refuse to respect other people's property, we're going to have to focus as much on treatment as symptom.

We've developed a plan to spearhead graffiti eradication with the support and active involvement of the local business community.

The most important factors are the very quick removal of graffiti and a commitment to repeat until no longer necessary.

Here is a quick rundown of what we'll be doing:

1) Promote what we already have in place, the Safe & Civil City phone hotline and website, [bloomington.in.gov/report-graffiti|http://bloomington.in.gov/report-graffiti], an online reporting and information page.
2) Add a graffiti app to the City's mobile website - take a picture/send it in to report it.
3) Two seasonal employees will power wash and paint over graffiti on private property, as authorized by an owner, within a 48-hour period.
4) Identify the most frequently hit areas, focus aggressive cleanup there, and add extra BPD patrols for a piloted amount of time.
5) Finally, we're already working with the Prosecutor's Office and Board of Judges to see about including graffiti cleanup as part of sentencing for offenders.


◊ Animal Shelter Success Tail!

Moving on to a much better story, quality of life isn't just for people!

Very briefly, I'm happy to report that:

• Intake is down 4%
• Adoptions are up 5% and
• Euthanasia is down 15.5%

I simply want to thank everyone at our animal shelter and all residents who foster and adopt forever friends.
◊ Investing in Human Infrastructure

I want to finish our discussion of quality of life issues with our most important investment - our investment in the potential of all Bloomington's people.

As was dramatically and passionately demonstrated one week ago in this very room, federal budget cuts threaten the state of our city.

As I said then, federal government has to live within its means, but budgeting cheaply is not the same as budgeting wisely.

Failure to adequately fund human infrastructure -- to invest in people, in families -- is a moral failure and will also exacerbate this nation's economic woes.

The more people we empower to increase their earnings, the more our tax base grows, and the more the entire community prospers.

There's a community-wide need and responsibility to improve the human condition, and city government is a full partner in the effort. That's why we so heavily invest in human infrastructure.

We have continued to increase financial and administrative support to social service agencies even while other levels of government reduce funding.

With strong support of council members, this year's budget allocation means that since we came into office, the Jack Hopkins Social Service Fund has exactly doubled.

We are preparing the 2012 budget now, and my proposal will be to take the Fund to a quarter million dollars, which will mean a 127% increase in 8 years.

Something I think we should be proud to note, is that in the first decade of the program, the City provided $930,000 to local social service agencies. In the last 8 years alone, we will have provided $1,530,000 for the kind of services that is increasing the livability of the community for more of our neighbors. That's real investment.



SUSTAINABILITY

Another area in which this city excels is sustainability. The Redefining Prosperity Report further propelled the initiative and serves as a roadmap toward a sustainable Bloomington.

One thing important to us was that city government set the example and the pace to maximize dollars and minimize energy usage.

We've already saved tens of thousands of dollars by increasing achieving efficiencies in City buildings. But we want to do even better.


◊ [Energy Dashboard|https://bloomington.in.gov/energydashboard]

One way we'll serve the dual purpose of reducing energy usage and setting an example for the general public is through the use of an Energy Dashboard.

Here to describe it, is our City Sustainability Coordinator, Jacqui Bauer.

One of the great challenges in promoting energy conservation and efficiency in energy use is getting access to accurate and timely information. Most utility customers never see anything but a monthly bill, days to weeks after their usage actually occurred, so tying specific behaviors to a specific level of usage is nearly impossible. Technology has changed this. In early January, the administration installed an "energy dashboard," which enables us to see our energy usage every hour, to compare that usage to the previous day, the previous week, the previous month, and eventually, once we have enough data, the previous year. Even within the first month, we've been able to adjust the settings on heating and air conditioning systems in ways that we haven't been able to before, saving us energy now and into the future. We plan to add more of our facilities to the system in the future.

Soon, the public will have access to the dashboard from the City of Bloomington homepage with the aims of both increasing transparency in government operations and serving as a model for other organizations who might benefit from similar technology. We encourage you to explore the dashboard and share your feedback.


◊ UDO AMENDMENTS ON SUSTAINABILITY

In addition to keeping our own house in order, we want to use the Unified Development Ordinance to enhance the community's sustainability with amendments revolving around Green Building Incentives as well as Urban Agriculture.

These amendments will be proposed to the Plan Commission and City Council and are part of our efforts to implement recommendations in the Redefining Prosperity report.


◊ Green Building Incentives

At the request of the Environmental Commission and City Council, Green Building Incentives were included in the UDO in 2007 to stimulate private sector green building construction and more sustainable site design.

While the private sector stepped up and incorporated a greater amount of environmentally friendly building practices, the incentives in the UDO designed to facilitate these development practices have not been successful.

With that in mind, we intend this year to set out to revise the ordinance to allow for more substantial fee waivers, greater building height and density, and an expedited review process in exchange for Green Building commitments.


◊ Urban Agriculture Provisions

On another front, the UDO was amended in 2009 to include first-ever allowances for urban agriculture and community garden plots.

Since that time, local food security has only become more important, and communities across the country are evaluating the need to update their ordinances to both facilitate and regulate local food production.

Given the rapidly changing nature of this issue, we are proposing to evaluate urban agriculture ordinances from across the country, with the goal of revising our own ordinance to address emerging local food issues.

I've asked staff to make each of these amendments a priority, and our estimate is that both ordinance revisions will take place by mid-June.

On a related note, congratulations to Middle Way on its urban agriculture initiative.

Last year, in its initial effort, Middle Way started a rooftop garden. Using just 1% of the roof's surface to grow salad greens and herbs, Middle Way was able to sell side salads at the Food Works Market and served salads to 115 people who attended their Fall Luncheon.

Middle Way is ready to take it to the proverbial next level, and I want city government to help. Middle Way is writing grant applications to extend the rooftop garden program to cover the entire surface of their facility. As part of that process, we're exploring the possibility of using the passenger shelter tops at the new Bloomington Transit depot. We'll look to build those structures with the concept of food production in mind so that Food Works staff can plant, tend, and harvest the produce.

This demonstration project could well launch a wonderful, sustainable food production system as well as a way for Middle Way to generate revenue and create more employment.

A classic win-win-win!



OUR FUTURE

Great things, whether to promote the economy, public safety, quality of life, or sustainability, come from community service.

In that spirit, I want to note that Sargent Shriver, the architect of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, passed away on January 11th of this year at age 95.

He was also the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this very month.

More than 200,000 volunteers in 139 nations have served an organization born out of the optimism, idealism, and energy that coalesced around the candidacy of John F. Kennedy.

Shriver once wrote of the Peace Corps, "We have a special mission, which can only be accomplished if everyone believes in it and works for it in a manner consistent with the ideals of service and volunteerism."

That's the spirit that drives Bloomington.

On MLK Day this year, alone, more than 4,000 people volunteered or participated in educational events.


◊ Mayor's Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement

The level of community involvement in Bloomington is beyond calculation, but we try to acknowledge it through the annual Mayor's Award for Civic Engagement. This year, that award goes to someone who was nominated for his dedication, creativity, and infectious enthusiasm.

The Associate Director for Environmental Operations for IU Residential Programs & Services, our honoree led the Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale, an incredible campus-community collaboration, that collected 5 semi-truck trailers full of stuff that would otherwise ended up in a landfill.

Instead, not only was that stuff sold for reuse, it raised $10,000 for local charities.

Here's a direct quote from Jacqui Bauer's nomination letter: "If smiling generated electricity, Steve Akers would be the solution to the nation's energy problems."

Please join me in congratulating Steve Akers.

Right on the other side of that wall, in the Office of the City Clerk, are the official records of the city council throughout its history. Those records are an account of the people who have nurtured Bloomington.

Our Clerk, in fact, is seeking a grant in conjunction with the Monroe County Public Library, the History Center, and the County Clerk for digitizing equipment in hopes of first securing those records but also to make them more widely and easily available to citizens.

I've been a strong supporter of this process because we have a responsibility to preserve history.

History made by our predecessors.

History being made by us.

I'm not much on including quotes in speeches, but tonight I'll make an exception.

It's a quote from American author, naturalist, and conservationist, Terry Tempest Williams:

"The eyes of the future are looking back at us and praying that we see beyond our own time."

I want to conclude tonight by thanking past generations for doing just that.

And I want to renew my vow to remain committed to that principle.

History books will show that we are a people who care about the State of our City.