Bloomington city councilmember Susan Sandberg (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington city councilmember Kate Rosenbarger (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington city council member Sue Sgambelluri (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington city councilmember Dave Rollo (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington city councilmember Matt Flaherty (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton (Jan. 25, 2023).
Former city councilmember David David Sabbagh speaks against the Showers building purchase (Jan. 25, 2023).
Police union president Paul Post (Jan. 25, 2023).
Bloomington police detective Jeff Rodgers (Jan. 25, 2023).
The view is from the west of the Showers building. The pink outline shows the portion of the building that Bloomington has made an accepted offer to purchase from CFC Properties. The image is from the Pictometry module of Monroe County’s property lookup system.
On Wednesday night, Bloomington’s city council took action that will, as councilmember Dave Rollo put it, shape the city’s public safety building footprint “for decades to come.”
The council split 5–4 on a vote to approve the Bloomington redevelopment commission’s purchase agreement with CFC Properties—for the 64,000 square feet in the western portion of the former Showers Brothers furniture factory that currently houses city hall.
Asked by Rollo if he agreed that the “decades-to-come” description of the deal’s impact is accurate, Bloomington’s mayor John Hamilton confirmed that he did.
Bloomington city hall’s footprint inside the former Showers Brothers furniture factory building on Morton Street will expand by 64,000 square feet to include the western portion of the building, where the city’s police station and fire department administrative headquarters will be located.
That’s because at its Wednesday meeting, the city council voted 5–4 to approve an ordinance that appropriates $29.5 million in bond proceeds, which includes $8.75 million for the purchase of the western portion of the Showers building.
It’s part of Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s plan to put both the city’s main police station and fire department administration in the same historic city hall building. The proposed move is part of a bigger plan estimated at over $30-million—which includes reconstructing the flood-damaged Fire Station #1 and remodeling Fire Station #3.
Left is the existing 3rd Street Bloomington police station. Right is the western part of the former Showers Brothers factory building currently owned by CFC properties.
A decision on an $8.75-million real estate deal to expand the footprint of city hall inside its existing building has been postponed by Bloomington’s city council.
What has been delayed until next week is a decision to approve the Bloomington redevelopment commission’s purchase agreement for the western part of the former Showers Brothers factory building that houses city hall.
It’s part of Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s plan to put both the city’s main police station and fire department administration in the same historic city hall building. The proposed move is part of a bigger plan estimated at over $30-million—which includes reconstructing the flood-damaged Fire Station #1 and remodeling Fire Station #3.
Wednesday’s vote, which was unanimous among the eight councilmembers present, came after more than two hours of deliberations.
Absent was Jim Sims, who in early December described as “a joke” a “Plan B” alternative, which involves just renovation of the existing 3rd Street police station.
The approval of the building purchase is part of the same agenda item as the ordinance that appropriates the proceeds of $29.5 million in bonds that have already been issued. Based on the wording of the bond issuance, the proceeds have to be used for public safety purposes.
Postponement came at the point in the meeting when Ron Smith moved an amendment that would remove from the appropriation ordinance the reference to the building purchase. The amendment would also prohibit use of the bond proceeds for purchase of the Showers building.
Councilmembers will be deciding whether to approve a purchase agreement for the western part of the former Showers Brothers factory building that houses city hall.
It’s part of Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s plan to put both the city’s main police station and fire department administration in the same historic city hall building. The proposed move is part of a bigger plan estimated at over $30-million—which includes reconstructing the flood-damaged Fire Station #1 and remodeling Fire Station #3.
Bloomington police station, looking east on 3rd Street (Jan. 9, 2023).
The view of the CFC Properties side of the former Showers furniture building, from the southwest.
Under Indiana’s building code, newly constructed police stations and fire stations have to be built to conform with Category 4 risk standards.
That’s the highest standard in the code. Category 4 includes facilities like emergency surgery facilities, and power-generating stations—essential facilities that are needed in response to disasters like tornadoes and earthquakes.
So, at least for new construction, it’s worth considering two kinds of value that are connected to compliance with Category 4 standards.
First, there’s legal value that comes from compliance with the requirements.
Second, there’s practical value attached to a building that has a better chance of surviving a tornado or an earthquake.
Bloomington’s city council is currently faced with a decision that should focus not just on legal value, but also practical value. Here’s the question:
Is renovating and expanding the existing police station on 3rd Street a better or worse value proposition than purchasing part of an existing building at a different site, and renovating that space for combined police and fire use?
Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg (Jan. 3, 2023).
Bloomington deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael (Jan. 3, 2023).
From left: Bloomington deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael, assistant city attorney Larry Allen, director of public engagement Kaisa Goodman, councilmember Steve Volan (Jan. 3, 2023).
A 3- or 4-story addition? Administration’s drawing of possible expansion to Bloomington police department’s current station.
Wayfinding sign in front of city hall.
Bloomington city council committee meeting From left: Bloomington deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael, assistant city attorney Larry Allen, director of public engagement Kaisa Goodman, councilmember Steve Volan (Jan. 3, 2023).
From left: Bloomington deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael, assistant city attorney Larry Allen, director of public engagement Kaisa Goodman, councilmember Steve Volan (Jan. 3, 2023).
At a city council committee meeting last Tuesday, Bloomington councilmember Steve Volan said to deputy mayor Mary Catherine Carmichael: “With all due respect, this is a very basic question: How many stories did that figure contemplate—three for four?”
Volan was responding to a remark from Carmichael about a need to spend several hundred thousand dollars, in order to answer “fairly meaty” design questions.
The three-versus-four-story question was about a possible expansion to the existing police station on 3rd Street. Whether it’s a three-story or a four-story addition to the police station that was considered is not something that requires a design charrette to answer, Volan said.
But the number of stories in a possible expansion to the 3rd Street police station could be moot—at least from the administration’s perspective.
It was established at last Tuesday’s committee meeting that the administration appears committed to a “Plan B” that does not include new construction to expand the 3rd Street police station, but rather only renovation.
The image is from Monroe County’s online property lookup system.
The image is from Monroe County’s online property lookup system.
Chatting with councilmembers before the Dec. 21, 2022 meeting is Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff. In the background is deputy fire chief Jayme Washel.
After the postponement, key members of administration gather in the lobby outside council chambers. From left: Don Griffin, Beth Cate, Larry Allen, Jayme Washel, and Mike Diekhoff.
Councilmembers from left: Ron Smith, Jim Sims, and Isabel Piedmont-Smith.
Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan.
From left: Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan and Jim Sims.
Bloomington city councilmember Sue Sgambelluri.
Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg.
Bloomington city clerk Nicole Bolden distributes some of the police union figures to councilmembers a the Dec. 21, 2022 meeting.
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton. (Dec. 21, 2022.)
The Bloomington police station’s move from its current 3rd Street facility to the western part of the historic Showers building that houses city hall has still not been decided by the city council.
Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s idea is to incorporate the police station, as well as the fire department’s administrative headquarters, into the western part of Showers.
Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg.
Bloomington city attorney Mike Rouker.
President of FOP Lodge 88 Paul Post.
On a unanimous vote, Bloomington’s city council has approved a new labor agreement with its police union, which has been unsigned since it was ratified in early March by a vote of the FOP Lodge 88.
The council’s action came at its regular meeting on Wednesday.
The highlight of the new four-year deal, which starts in 2023, is more pay for police officers. In the first year of the agreement, the contract calls for a base salary increase of around 13 percent, which works out to around $7,800 a year. Increases in each subsequent year are around 3 percent.
On Wednesday, it was city attorney Mike Rouker who reviewed for city councilmembers the legal and political nuts and bolts of the deal.
Among the political points was the fact that Bloomington’s mayor John Hamilton made the new labor deal contingent on the city council’s recent approval of an increase in the local income tax.
Rouker pegged the direct fiscal impact of the new agreement over four years at $4,917,000. Rouker called it “a truly unprecedented investment in public safety and in our police officers.”
B Square file photo of Paul Post, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Don Owens Memorial Lodge 88
The current agreement between Bloomington and its police union expires at the end of 2022.
In the first year of the agreement, the contract calls for a base salary increase of around 13 percent, which works out to around $7,800 a year. Increases in each subsequent year are around 3 percent.
City attorney Mike Rouker gave a caveat on the agreement in an email to The B Square: “The contract is contingent on the city identifying a revenue source adequate to fund the salary adjustment.”
Bloomington’s city council will still need to approve the contract.
In Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s state of the city address, delivered on Feb. 24, he put the money question like this: “We need major investments in public safety, ongoing revenue for adequate police salaries as city council directed last year, and as our proposed four-year labor agreement has included.”
B Square file photo of Mike Rouker, city attorney, addressing Bloomington’s city council in December 2019.
That “ongoing revenue” is likely to be sought in the form of a local income tax increase, which could be enacted by Bloomington’s city council for all of Monroe County.
In an emailed statement to The B Square, Post wrote: “The FOP is pleased that an agreement has been reached between the BPD [Bloomington Police Department] bargaining unit and the city.”
The statement from Post continued, “This contract provides significant increases to salary amounts and longevity payments, with the hope of both recruiting new officers to fill our large officer shortage, and hopefully retaining our well trained existing officers.”
B Square file photo of Paul Post, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Don Owens Memorial Lodge 88
The police chief or his designee is the sergeant of arms for the city council.
File photo of Mike Rouker, city attorney, addressing Bloomington’s city council in December 2019.
Bloomington police officers now have a contract with the city for the next three years, through the end of 2022. The four-year deal, approved by the city council on Wednesday night, stretches back to the beginning of 2019, when the current contract expired.
Officers have been working this year under an “evergreen” clause of the old contract.
The 2-percent raise for this year was not applied retroactively, though it feeds into the schedule of raises each year for the next three years, which range from 2.65 to 2.9 percent.
Instead of applying the raise retroactively, which according to city staff would have been administratively too complex, officers received a $1,000 bonus. The bonus is about $60 less than 2 percent of the base salary for an officer, which was $52,916 in 2018.
Paul Post, who’s president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Don Owens Memorial Lodge 88, told the city council that the main point of contention—about which the union members were not happy—was a move away from seniority as the sole factor in determining shift assignments.
