![]() On June 16, Bloomington Council approved a new ordinance requiring landlords to sign and maintain an affidavit listing occupants of their rental properties. Tenants must also sign. The law applies to buildings with four or fewer units. The original proposal, which council amended, was submitted by the city's Housing & Neighborhood Development (HAND) department and would have required the document be turned into the city. It also would have required tenants to disclose their relationship with each other. Questions about privacy issues prompted revision of the ordinance. The affidavit is intended to help the city track compliance with occupancy limits. Certain zoning districts set a limit of three unrelated adults who can live in a rental unit. Watch the council's June 16 deliberations on CATS here.
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![]() Regional Opportunity Initiatives is collecting data about broadband speeds and mapping those speeds in the community to help get grants and other support to improve broadband capacity. As part of the project, they're asking residents and businesses to take an internet speed test. The goal of this project is to create an accurate regional map of where internet service is available, where it is unavailable, and what broadband speed residents are currently receiving. Read more about this project and take the test here. ![]() The City of Bloomington Utilities Department has released its annual drinking water quality report. As part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency requires community water systems to deliver this report to their customers each year. The report provides information about local drinking water quality, data from tests conducted the previous year, and contact information for any questions or concerns. Listed in the 2021 report are the 12 contaminants detected in Bloomington's drinking water during 2020, such as disinfectant byproducts (DBPs), lead, and copper. All are within allowable levels, according to the CBU. Read the full report here. ![]() Southern Meadows, a project to add 190 residential units on 37 acres in the Clear Creek area, was rejected by Monroe County Commissioners at their June 9 meeting. Commissioners Julie Thomas and Penny Githens voted against it. Commissioner Lee Jones was absent. Builder Tom Wininger is already approved to build 90 single-family homes on that lot, but wanted to increase density in order to make each unit more affordable. Among other things, commissioners objected to density in that part of the county. Watch the project discussion on CATS here. Click here for meeting materials related to Southern Meadows. ![]() Starting July 1, all Indiana employers who employee five or more employees under the age of 18 (per location), must begin using the Youth Employment System (YES) to track and report minor-employee information. Schools will no longer issue work permits effective July 1, and the new requirement is designed to simplify the process of hiring minor employees. YES is live now, and employers can begin using the system now to set up their accounts and start inputting their minor-employee information. Employers who fail to comply with the new law effective July 1 could face a penalty of up to $400 per infraction. More information is available on the DOL's Youth Employment site here. ![]() An ordinance requiring landlords and tenants to sign annual occupancy affidavits was postponed by Bloomington Council to their June 16 meeting. The ordinance, intended to better monitor occupancy for smaller residential rentals, would require disclosure of the relationship between tenants (family or unrelated), as well as contact information and signatures. Non-compliance could result in fines and possible felony charges. John Zody, director of the city's Housing & Neighborhood Development department, said that the ordinance is a priority for the administration. Mark Figg, president of the Monroe County Apartment Association, expressed concerns and said landlords hadn't been aware that this ordinance was in the works. Watch the June 2 council deliberations on CATS here. Read the relevant meeting materials here. ![]() Bloomington Council has approved the extension of programs that support downtown businesses, including "parklets," designated pick-up/drop-off zones, and the closing of parts of Kirkwood Avenue. The extension, intended to support downtown businesses as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, extends through Oct. 31, 2021. Councilmembers unanimously voted to approve it at their June 2 meeting. Watch the council's deliberations on CATS here. Read the related meeting materials here. ![]() At their June 2 meeting, Monroe County Commissioners approved an agreement with Baker Tilly for consultants to review and analyze the City's of Bloomington's annexation fiscal plan. The contract is for an amount not to exceed $50,000. Commissioners previously released a statement on annexation here. The City of Bloomington has relaunched an annexation effort that began in 2017 but was halted by state legislative action. The city successfully sued the state and resumed a process that is expected to conclude this fall. More information about the city's annexation initiative is here. ![]() The City of Bloomington has formed a Future of Policing Task Force to evaluate law enforcement and create an "optimal vision of law enforcement for Bloomington and Monroe County for the next three to five years," according to a city press release. Members of the task force are:
![]() A public forum is planned for Wednesday, June 2 focused on a digital inclusion plan to improve infrastructure, internet speed, connectivity, access to devices, and digital literacy in Monroe County. The June 2 forum, which starts at 5:30 via Zoom, is hosted by the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, along with members of the County Digital Advisory Team. The event will review and seek feedback on initial findings of a digital inclusion survey. To receive the Zoom link, RSVP by emailing Meagan Niese at [email protected]. More information about this initiative is available here. |
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