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This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, September 25th, 2024.
Later in the program, Big Talk host Michael Glab speaks with political scientist Jeff Isaac who works as a professor at Indiana University. More in today’s feature report.
Also coming up in the next half hour, “Cryptocurrency Scams” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. More following today’s feature.
But first, your local headlines:
Bloomington City Council
During the September 20th meeting of the Bloomington City Council, Council Member Kate Rosenbarger started the meeting by reporting for “Safe Streets for All.” She reported most crashes occurring on Bloomington streets are at speeds of 30 miles per hour or higher.
She said that “Safe Streets for All” encourages a 20-mile-per-hour speed limit, but Indiana makes this difficult due to their speed limit minimum being set to 25 miles per hour except for school zones and related zones.
Post-crash care and the structure of the second highest priority intersection, 3rd and College are being looked into.
During his council report, Council Member Isak Asare reminded the public that we are in the midst of National Hispanic Heritage Month running from September 15th to October 15th. For more information, visit Bloomington.in.gov/latino/nhhm.
Next, the council heard a report from the Bloomington Housing Authority Director of Real Estate Development, Nathan Ferreira, who spoke on the development of the Summit Hill Works.
Ferreira said that because incomes don’t keep pace with rising housing costs, more and more subsidies are required to develop affordable housing. He explained that the primary purpose of the Community Land Trust is to acquire and hold land and perpetuity for the benefit of the community.
While the Community Land Trust retains ownership of the land, it is used to develop or renovate housing to be sold affordably to income-qualifying households.
He shared that with Clear Creek modular homes, they have been able to build four homes, and two are under construction. One two-bedroom home is currently available for purchase. With land excluded from the equation, Ferreira said homes range from $205,000 to $226,500.
Ferreira shared a story of a homeowner who was able to buy a home through their program.
He said that she is a single mother of four and works at a local bank, and could not afford a home in Bloomington. She is a graduate of the Bloomington Housing Authorities Family Self-Sufficiency Program, so she was able to convert her Section 8 voucher into a mortgage payment. The opportunities Summer Hill Works has provided her have been able to create some stability.
Ferriera spoke on another housing situation.
Ferriera explained that projects have an affordability period, and when they expire, they often go to the market rate. With their model, this won’t happen, because it will still be part of Summit Hill, which has an affordability mission.
They are planning to complete a Learning Center and Core Community flats in 2026. They are also aiming to build out current Community Land Trust homes by early 2027.
You can apply for one of these homes by completing their information session found on [email protected], and completing the city’s Home Buyers Club which also creates access to $10,000 in down payment assistance. The Federal Home Loan bank of Indianapolis has an additional Down Payment Assistance Program for minority home buyers of up to $25,000 that can be paired with the cities.
Next, during public comment, Bloomington Resident Greg Alexander called the skywalk a show of “segregation” between those experiencing the Convention Center and the general public. He explained that once the budget was passed for the Capital Improvement Board during the last city council meeting, the decisions for where that money now goes are out of the public’s hands.
Another Bloomington resident, Joe Davis, spoke on the new Convention Center expansion. He said there are millions of dollars being spent without hardly any public input and called the expansion a “glorified YMCA”.
Then, legislation for ordinance hearings was read.
An ordinance that updated the grading permit and other erosion control regulations and amendments related to steep slopes was passed 8-0.
Appropriation Ordinance 2024-03 was read and explained by the Corporation Council, Margie Rice. She said that Bright and Bloomington asked for $72,000 to backfill the Temporary Employee Budget and pay the salary of the facility’s Asset and Operations Coordinator.
The Council asked why Bright and Bloomington was asking for so much so late into the year.
Rice explained they did not realize it was a two-step process that required more money. She said that the Coordinator was originally hired as a temporary employee, but is now a full-time employee that is still being paid out of the Temporary Employee Budget. Rice said $32,000 of the total would be going to the Coordinator’s salary and the rest to backfill the Budget.
Council President Isabel Piedmont-Smith reacted to the ordinance proposal.
Rice said she disagreed that the original synopsis was not true, but agreed that it is not as detailed and specific. All of the $72,000 would be going to payroll, but the details that it would be going to a full time position and then back-filling temporary positions was not stated in the synopsis because she did not know this information on July 26th, when she filed the ordinance.
The Council decided to continue the public hearing for the appropriation ordinance at their next meeting on October 1st. The motion was passed 7-1.
Lastly, the council went over the council schedule. They highlighted a special session being held Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30 p.m. to discuss and vote on the fire and police personnel salary ordinances, and a joint meeting between the city council, the mayor, the county commissioners, and members of the Capital Improvement Board at the Monroe Convention Center in the Duke meeting room at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the Convention Center Project.
Feature Report:
In today’s feature report, Big Talk host Michael Glab speaks with political scientist Jeff Isaac who works as a professor at Indiana University. Isaac breaks down the 2024 presidential election. This interview comes from our public affairs program, Big Talk, a one-on-one conversation with some of Bloomington’s most fascinating people. To hear the full interview, click here.
Up next, “Cryptocurrency Scams” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Jasmine Wright and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Michael Glab.
Better Beware is produced by Richard Fish.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
