Bloomington Common Council Regular Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Bloomington Common Council held its regular session on February 4, 2026, at 5:30 PM. The meeting included reports from council members, a presentation and public discussion on the Kirkwood Avenue outdoor dining program for 2026, appointments to boards and commissions, first readings of two ordinances, adoption of a resolution renaming a council committee, and final adoption of an ordinance amending the unified development ordinance (UDO) regarding affordable housing incentives and payment-in-lieu provisions.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from August 6, 2025, September 30, 2025, and October 8, 2025, were approved unanimously (9-0).

Reports & Statements

• Councilmember Zulik reminded colleagues of the new council liaison program for boards and commissions, effective January 1, 2026. Expectations include reaching out to chairs at least three times per year and attending at least one meeting.
• Councilmember Stasberg announced one-on-one constituent meeting appointments available on second Tuesdays, and noted ongoing INDOT tree removal along 10th Street, particularly at the 10th and Pete Ellis intersection, with continued conversation between INDOT and the city.
• Councilmember Piedmont Smith stated opposition to the city’s contract with Flock Security for license plate cameras, citing distrust in the company and concerns over personal liberties in a national context of "creeping fascism."
• Councilmember Stasberg gave a statement expressing solidarity with children and youth affected by ICE detention and enforcement actions, highlighting the case of five-year-old Liam Ramos and protests by local high school students.
• Councilmember Zulik acknowledged the passing of Representative Lee Hamilton earlier that day, noting his influence and the community's loss.

Public Comments & Testimony

On Kirkwood Outdoor Dining Program (special public comment period)

• Adam Martinez argued that the 8% decline in visits could be due to broader economic factors, not street closures. He supported pedestrianization, citing examples like Seattle's Pike Place, and urged bold progressive action.
• Nathan Petrie said he learned of the proposal only two days prior, expressed disappointment, and noted that the 2025 closure improved safety for drop-offs at the Kirkwood/Dunn intersection.
• Matt Gleason challenged the economic rationale and questioned the removal of shade infrastructure as hostile architecture. He supported keeping Kirkwood closed to traffic for public space.
• Greg Alexander attributed issues to delivery drivers and urged against prioritizing cars. He expressed skepticism about a proposed corridor study, citing past studies that were ignored.
• Bob Castello (President of Kirkwood Community Association) expressed disappointment that the 2025 compromise was undone. He criticized the lack of prior communication from the city and noted business owners had invested based on multi-year certainty.
• Galen Cassidy (Co-owner of Uptown Cafe) acknowledged difficulties but urged a compromise approach and reiterated the need for infrastructure investment.
• Talisha Kopik (Downtown Bloomington Inc.) thanked all involved and suggested focusing on major event weekends for safety.
• Chris Ramsey (Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce) said survey data was split, but noted under-activation on most blocks and proposed using proceeds from RDC property sale for permanent infrastructure.
• Colin Nielsen (online) urged continuing the program for another year to gather more data before making a final decision.

General Public Comment (non-agenda topics)

• Susan Brackney urged the council to plan for scenarios involving federal overreach (ICE, polling places) and questioned the Flock Security contract.
• Chris Drumjee (Chamber of Commerce) spoke about leveraging local momentum (IU championship) and advocated for marketing, streamlining permitting, and population growth.
• Greg Alexander criticized the city's snow removal for sidewalks, calling it ineffective. He also noted a transportation fatality downtown in October 2025 and urged staff to report on transportation deaths.
• Paul Rousseau (online) echoed sidewalk snow removal concerns, stating two classes of citizens emerged (car vs. pedestrian). He described overwhelmed enforcement with only seven compliance officers and $50 fines inadequate.
• Vicky Vinker (Mayor of Palo Alto, CA, through sibling city program) congratulated Bloomington on the IU national championship and announced a planned delegation visit in fall 2026.

Discussion Items

Kirkwood Avenue Outdoor Dining Program 2026

• Jane Cooper Smith (Director of Economic and Sustainable Development) and Chaz Modinger (Special Projects Manager) presented the administration's recommendation to keep Kirkwood Avenue open to vehicles year-round in 2026, shift to an enhanced parklet program, and focus on micro-activation and a long-term corridor study. They cited an 8% decline in average daily visits despite more event days, economic concerns from retailers, infrastructure limitations, staff capacity, public safety issues, and accessibility challenges. Estimated $80,000 annual loss in parking revenue versus $17,500 in program fees.
• Council Discussion: Multiple council members expressed disappointment, noting that Ordinance 2025-02 was intended to provide multi-year stability. Councilmember Flaherty argued that using the engineer's authority for non-engineering reasons violated the spirit of the ordinance. Councilmember Rosenbarger said the decision seemed pre-determined before community outreach. Councilmember Stasberg noted the community had assumed the closure would continue. Councilmember Piedmont Smith supported the staff work but agreed the ordinance's intent was not being followed.
• No formal council action was taken on the Kirkwood program; the discussion was informational.

Appointments to Boards and Commissions

• Team A (Councilmember Stasberg): Moved to reappoint/appoint positions for 6 commissions. One reappointment (Joe Throckmorton to BZA) was pulled for separate vote due to concerns raised by Councilmember Flaherty about delays in a conditional use case in 2025. The remaining appointments from all three teams (Team A, B, C) were approved 9-0. The BZA reappointment was tabled for further due diligence after a new applicant appeared.
• Historic Preservation Commission mayor appointments: Approved 9-0. Councilmember Zulik thanked outgoing chair Sam DeSolar for his service.

Legislation - First Readings

• Ordinance 2026-04: Amends Title II to consolidate and amend boards and commissions provisions, rename the Commission on Sustainability to Commission on Sustainability and Resilience. Introduced by voice vote.
• Ordinance 2026-05: Amends Title II to allow debate and amendment of ordinances at first reading and clarify readings/voting procedures. Introduced by voice vote.

Resolution 2026-03 – Rename Sidewalk Standing Committee to Pedestrian Safety Standing Committee

• Sponsored by Councilmembers Piedmont Smith and Stasberg. Renamed to reflect broader scope. Adopted (vote tally not explicitly stated, but motion carried with 8-0, with one councilmember absent? The roll call listed 8 votes; likely 8-0).

Ordinance 2026-01 – UDO Amendments on Affordable Housing Incentives and Payment-in-Lieu

• Presentation: Assistant Director Jackie Scanlin explained the ordinance increases impervious surface coverage maximum for owner-occupied projects using affordability incentives (to 80% across R1-R4), increases coverage for tier-two affordability (to 90%), and adjusts payment-in-lieu amounts. She noted a nexus study will be conducted to better value in-lieu payments.
• Council Discussion: Councilmembers raised concerns about stormwater, environmental impacts, and the history of payment-in-lieu policies. Councilmember Rosenbarger noted the ordinance doesn't change minimum lot sizes, limiting impact. Councilmember Stasberg defended the tiered approach as necessary for subdivisions.
• Amendment (sponsored by Rallo and Ruff): Replaced the uniform 80% coverage with tiered increases: R1 from 30% to 40%, R2 from 40% to 50%, R3 from 45% to 60%, R4 from 50% to 65%. After debate, the amendment passed 6-2 (Stasberg and Zulik opposed).
• Public Comment: Matt Caldy (Environmental Commission Planning Committee) read a statement opposing high impervious coverage due to stormwater, heat island, and tree canopy concerns. Heidi Brown and Jamie Scholl also spoke against high coverage.
• Final Vote: Ordinance 2026-01 as amended passed 6-2 (Rosenbarger and Flaherty opposed, Stasberg and Piedmont Smith favored).

Council Schedule & Calendar

• Councilmember Stasberg announced a Fiscal Committee meeting on February 13, 2026.
• Attorney Lanor noted a proposed executive session on February 18 is no longer possible; rescheduling to March.
• Councilmember Zulik reminded that amendments must be submitted by seven days after first reading if two weeks between meetings, or by Monday at noon if one week between.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of three previous meetings approved unanimously.
• Kirkwood Program: No formal vote; council expressed intent to continue engagement. Administration plans to have city engineer temporarily suspend the Kirkwood closure portion of the program via Ordinance 2025-02 Section 7.
• Appointments: 9-0 approval of board/commission appointments from Teams A, B, and C (with BZA reappointment pulled). Historic Preservation Commission appointments approved 9-0.
• Resolution 2026-03 adopted (8-0) renaming Sidewalk Committee to Pedestrian Safety Standing Committee.
• Ordinance 2026-01 adopted as amended (6-2). The amendment tiers impervious surface coverage increases. Payment-in-lieu provisions updated, with a nexus study pending.
• Ordinance 2026-04 and 2026-05 introduced for first reading.