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This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, April 29th, 2021.
Later in the program, we have an excerpt from this week’s episode of Interchange. Producer Doug Storm talks with journalist Vincent Bevins about his book The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World. More coming up in today’s feature reports.
Also coming up in the next half hour, on Wednesday, Mayor John Hamilton announced that the city will resume annexation plans starting this spring. More in the top-half of today’s show.
Bloomington City Council Committee of the Whole
The Bloomington City Council Committee of the Whole began discussion over multiplexes in Bloomington. Development Services Manager Jackie Scanlan presented the ordinance, which would classify duplexes as permitted use. She said if more units are built in Bloomington, the overall price to live in Bloomington would drop.
Councilmember Dave Rollo introduced an amendment that would prevent duplexes from being built in Residential Zones 1 through 3. He warned that people living in single-family homes would sell to investors, making a large profit and raising the cost of all homes in Bloomington. Councilmember Jim Sims questioned Rollo on where homeowners would move, in Bloomington, after selling their houses.
After hours of public comment, Councilmember Steve Volan moved to adjourn. Councilmembers agreed 5 to 3. The Bloomington City Council will continue discussion of amendment one at a special City Council meeting on May 4th.
The City of Bloomington Resumes Annexation Plans
On Wednesday, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton announced that the City of Bloomington will move forward with annexation plans starting in early May.
Four years ago, the city of Bloomington underwent plans to annex almost 10,000 acres of Monroe County land. However, that year, the Indiana General Assembly addressed the city’s annexation in the state budget. Section 11.8 of the budget prevented Bloomington’s annexation plans and barred the city from annexing the proposed areas for five years.
Then, the City of Bloomington brought a lawsuit against Governor Holcomb seeking relief on the grounds that the General Assembly violated special legislation and the single-subject rule.
Special legislation refers to laws that target a small, identifiable group but not all members of a given class — meaning the law targeted the city of Bloomington and not the state of Indiana.
In December 2020, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the state legislature was unconstitutional by banning the city of Bloomington from annexing several areas of land in a 3-2 vote.
Mayor Hamilton outlined the decision to move forward with the annexation starting this spring in a 4-minute video announcement on Wednesday.
According to a city press release, Bloomington City Council will discuss fiscal plans in a May 12th meeting. A final vote on the ordinances is expected sometime in September.
In the meantime, public opinion will be offered at a later date and a slew of hearings are set to take place with the possibility of in-person meetings.
Some county residents outside of city limits are concerned with annexation ordinances, fearing higher taxes. A Facebook group even sprouted up in 2017 called the Citizens Opposed to Radical Annexation.
However, others like Council President Jim Sims, have shown support for annexation. In a city press release Sims is quoted saying, “As our population increases it is prudent that we regularly reassess Bloomington’s boundaries in the interest of maintaining the health of the greater collective community at large for the long term.”
According to the city’s website, the amended annexation ordinances would go into effect in 2024. The city will release fiscal plans for the annexation as soon as next week at bloomington.in.gov/city/annexation.
Bloomington City Council – American Rescue Plan Meeting
The Bloomington City Council met on April 27th to begin discussion on the American Rescue Plan. Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton proposed four categories for places the funds could go.
City Controller Jeff Underwood revealed the biggest difference between American Rescue Plan funding and previous rescue funds is that ARP funds can be used to recover lost revenue. He said the funds need to be spent by the end of 2024.
Councilmember Susan Sandberg identified housing as a high priority. Councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith suggested using funds to buy land. She said the city could build perpetually affordable housing on that land. Councilmember Steve Volan echoed the priority on affordable housing. He specified that funds could go a long way towards supporting citizens experiencing homelessness.
Councilmember Ron Smith proposed establishing a grant to help people buy homes. Councilmember Kate Rosenbarger said that something like Bloomington Police Department’s down-payment assistance program could be piloted with other groups in town. Councilmember Jim Sims pointed out some ideas won’t be possible without raising wages in Bloomington.
Mayor Hamilton ended the meeting looking forward to further ideas and conversation.
Monroe County Board of Commissioners
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners discussed county COVID-19 restrictions at its April 28th meeting. County Attorney Jeff Cockerill presented an ordinance for the Monroe County Health Department’s local coronavirus restrictions. He explained the state legislature may pass a law requiring that county government approve local health orders.
Commissioner Julie Thomas thanked Cockerill and the Health Department for being proactive. She expressed disappointment that state legislature is making the pandemic a political problem.
Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance.
Feature Report:
Next up, we’ll hear a selection from an Interchange episode titled “The Communists Made Us Do It.”
Producer Doug Storm talks with journalist Vincent Bevins about his book The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World.
The Jakarta Method is the anticommunist playbook concocted by the CIA and employed to great success, prompting replication in several other countries in South America and Latin America.
We begin with local police impunity as a way to understand CIA covert operations across the planet and then hear how those methods crushed a real alternative to the so-called Western ways of organizing our communities.
Interchange airs each Tuesday at 6 p.m. on WFHB Community Radio. The full program is available online here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Kade Young and Jake Jacobson, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Doug Storm.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
