![]() An ordinance to amend Bloomington's Municipal Code regarding the pet shop sale of cats and dogs will have its first reading at the Nov. 17 Bloomington Council meeting. This policy proposal follows nationwide efforts by the Humane Society of the United States to decrease the number of puppy and kitten mills across the country. Legislators hope that by outlawing the sale of cats and dogs in local pet stores, a disincentive will be created for mill owners to exercise inhumane breeding practices. Stores will still be allowed to partner with shelters or other rescue organizations to feature pet adoptions, however. To view a copy of this proposed ordinance, follow this link.
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![]() A group of over 200 people heard from economists and economic development experts at the 2021 Business Outlook Luncheon, co-sponsored by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and the Bloomington Rotary Club. The Nov. 9 event was held at IU Alumni Hall. Panelists were Kyle Anderson and Jennifer Lynn Rice of the IU Kelley School of Business, Ryan Brewer of the IU Columbus Division of Business, and Jennifer Pearl of the Bloomington Economic Development Corp. Watch a recording of the event here. ![]() At the Bloomington Council's Nov. 3 meeting, John Zody, director of the city's Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) department, gave an update on housing initiatives. He reported that since 2016, 1,132 units of affordable housing (1,672 bedrooms) have been created in the city. He described a range of city resources, including rental inspections, the housing development fund and plans for the hospital site redevelopment. Watch the presentation on CATS here. View the presentation's slide deck here. ![]() An advisory group has recommended boundary changes to precincts in Monroe County as part of this year’s redistricting process. The changes need to be approved by the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. Click here for details. The Indiana Elections Division deadline for changes to precinct boundaries is Nov. 12. Monroe County Commissioners are expected to vote on the recommended changes on Nov. 10. When the county sets the precinct boundaries, the Bloomington Council will address redistricting of city council districts. The city also has an advisory group to make recommendations, though no appointments have been made to that group yet. The state’s deadline for making changes to districts is Dec. 26. ![]() Penny Githens, a Democrat who currently serves on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, has announced her candidacy for the Indiana House of Representatives in District 62. The redrawn District 62 will be an open seat. Current Rep. Jeff Ellington, a Republican, announced plans to move and run in District 45 next year. Republican Dave Hall, a Jackson County resident, also is running for the District 62 seat. District 62 covers portions of Monroe, Jackson and Brown counties. ![]() At their Oct. 27 meeting, the Bloomington Council voted 9-0 to approve the nearly $107 million city budget for 2022. Two weeks ago, the council had delayed action on the budget, citing the need to further negotiate with Mayor John Hamilton. Some councilmembers want to add a full-time climate action director who would oversee implementation of the city's climate action plan. Other councilmembers are concerned about the city's ability to recruit and retain Bloomington Police Department sworn officers, and want to increase officers' base pay. However, the budget adopted on Oct. 27 was unchanged from the previous proposal. Rather, councilmembers approved the budget based on the expectations laid out in a press release from the administration. In it, the mayor proposed a quarterly retention bonus for BPD officers and further investment in staff to implement the climate action plan. None of those changes affected the 2022 budget. More information about the city's budget is available here. ![]() The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for "cool things" manufactured in this state. The awards are set up in a tournament format, with winners chosen through public fan voting. Each winner goes to the next round until there are four teams and an ultimate Coolest Thing Made in Indiana champion. Nominations are accepted until Dec. 15. Click here for details. ![]() At their Oct. 21 meeting, the Monroe County Board of Health voted to extend the county's mask mandate. The current mandate ends on Oct. 31. If approved by the Monroe County Commissioners at their Oct. 27 meeting, the mandate will extend until the county's COVID-19 case numbers drop to fewer than 50 cases per week per 100,000 residents. Right now, the county is at about 100 cases per 100,000 residents. More information is available at the Monroe County Health Department COVID-19 website. ![]() Rep. Jeff Ellington, a Republican and Monroe County resident who currently represents District 62 in the Indiana House of Representatives, has announced plans to move to a property he owns in Bloomfield, a town in Greene County that's in the new House District 45. The Indiana legislature approved redistricting maps this fall, creating a more competitive District 62. According to a social media post made by Ellington, "I have also been asked by some of the new District 45's leaders to make this run. I want to be clear about that. Monroe County GOP Chairman William Ellis also encouraged me in this process, after our efforts to keep western Monroe and Greene together were ignored by the Statehouse.” Ellington voted against the redistricting maps. The Republican-controlled legislature approved new district maps for the State House of Representatives Districts, State Senate, and Congressional Districts. ![]() At their Oct. 19 meeting, the Monroe County Council approved the county's 2022 budget. The roughly $87 million budget supports a range of services, including roads, public health, criminal justice and more. Councilor Geoff McKim noted that the county's work "isn't very exciting but is absolutely essential to our quality of life here." Watch their deliberations on CATS here. Read more about the county budget here. |
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