WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, January 22nd, 2024.
Later in the program, local journalist Dave Askins with the B Square Bulletin explores the amount of transparency within the Bloomington City Council. More in today’s feature report.
That’s Rhonda Greene from Johnson Christian Village, a non-profit serving local seniors. She’s looking for volunteers to make meaningful connections with our community elders. Hear more later in the show on a new episode of Activate!
But first, your daily headlines:
Bloomington City Council
The Bloomington City Council met on January 17th for its second regular session of the year. The council heard a second reading on a resolution to approve recommendations to the mayor for the distribution of community block grant funds for 2024. Deputy Clerk Jennifer Crossley read the synopsis for the resolution.
Interim Director of Bloomington’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Anna Killion-Hanson walked through the grant allocation.
Killion-Hanson also walked through grant funds which will be used for social services.
Newly elected Council Member Sydney Zulich representing the city’s 6th district, asked how estimations were calculated and if the numbers would change. Killion-Hanson responded.
District 3 Representative Hopi Stosberg asked about the history of how C-D-G-B funds were typically allocated.
Council Member Kate Rosenbarger chimed in to provide an account on how the requests for funds have worked in the past.
Council Member Dave Rollo noted that CDBG funding has generally declined over the years. He expressed concern that more funding could be allocated to social services such as the Jack Hopkins program, while devoting less money to the city.
Council Member Matt Flaherty shared Rollo’s concern about the decreasing funding, specifically around social services. To proactively address the issue, he proposed a cooperation between the Jack Hopkins and C-D-B-G social services committees in future years.
Council Member Kate Rosenbarger added that it is difficult for grant applicants to predict what the committees for the Jack Hopkins and CDBG grants will be considering each year. She suggested using software to facilitate this process.
The city approved C-D-B-G funds by a 9-0 vote. The city council will meet for its next regular session on January 24th.
Bloomington Utilities Service Board
The Bloomington Utilities Service Board met on January 16th, 2024. Lake Lemon Conservancy District Manager Adam Casey gave a presentation on their ongoing projects, and the work they have been doing to reduce sediment build up in the lake.
Casey shared their overarching goal is to maintain water quality and recreation potential, and how they have been working to achieve it.
He said the biggest problem they have is deciding where to put the sediment after they dredge it out of the lake, and the toxic algae blooms that grow in the lake.
Board Member Amanda Burnham asked if they have received any complaints from residents near one of the sediment dumping grounds. Casey responded.
The next regularly scheduled Utilities Service Board meeting will be held on January 29th.
Feature Report:
Up next, local journalist Dave Askins with the B Square Bulletin explores the amount of transparency within the Bloomington City Council. We turn to Askins for more.
Johnson Christian Village is a faith-based not-for-profit serving local seniors. Rhonda Greene works there and she loves to see volunteers come in and spend quality time with the residents, or take them out into the community to do a little volunteering of their own. Rhonda is our guest this week on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Elyse Perry, Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Kade Young.
Activate is produced by Chad Carrother and Michelle Moss.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
