City of Bloomington, Indiana / Facebook Live Town Halls

May 20, 2019
_____________
Author and journalist Sam Quinones shared the observations he made in the course of writing Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, winner of the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. During the roundtable, City officials and members of the local recovery community shared Bloomington’s own experience with opioids and efforts toward solutions.

Guests included:

Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic
Linda Grove-Paul, Centerstone, Vice President of Adult Services
Tammy Hooten, Centerstone
Beverly Calender-Anderson, Director, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department
With moderator Yael Ksander, City of Bloomington, Communications Director.
_____________

Sam Quinones’ visit to Bloomington was sponsored by Centerstone, the City of Bloomington, and the IU Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenge initiative.

March 28, 2019

In 2017 the City of Bloomington started using a new system to track budget goals to create greater transparency and accountability with regard to City projects, and the spending they require. Using the collaborative Trello software, department heads track and share goals and activities, and provide real-time updates. This information is then shared to the City website semi-annually. Now that 2018 budget goals may be measured against outcomes, Mayor John Hamilton, Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen and other City staff shared the updated 2018 budget goal report in a conversation in this Facebook Live Town Hall.

Our budget update documents can be found here:
https://bloomington.in.gov/city/budget/updates

March 21, 2019

Together with other government, business, and non-profit leaders, the City of Bloomington has been exploring ways to establish a diversion program to provide better outcomes for non-violent offenders. Diversion programs take different forms in the communities that have established them, but their common goal is to provide alternatives to conviction to reduce recidivism and rehabilitate those who have committed crimes. As community leaders consider how an official diversion program might work in Bloomington, numerous diversionary components are already well established here.

During this conversation, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton joined Police Chief Mike Diekhoff and several public safety officials to discuss the ways in which diversion can provide the nuance and flexibility necessary for a more effective criminal justice system.

Guests included, from left to right:
Brett Rorem, Bloomington Police Downtown Resource Officer
Melissa Stone, Bloomington Police Social Worker
Erika Oliphant, Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney
John Hamilton, Bloomington Mayor
Mike Diekhoff, Bloomington Police Chief
Tami Giles, Street Outreach Worker, Centerstone
Greg May, Administrative Director, Adult and Family Services, Centerstone

March 7, 2019

During his 2019 State of the City Address February 21, Mayor John Hamilton announced the formation of a task force to examine the feasibility of an initiative to convert the community's waste into fuel for the City's buses, sanitation trucks, and other vehicles. The system would involve the conversion of the City's largest wastewater plant to an anaerobic digestion process, which could turn the 40 percent of the local waste-stream that is compostable into compressed natural gas, saving landfills and reducing methane release, and creating a local fuel source to power public vehicles.

During this live discussion, Mayor John Hamilton and guests discussed how this cycle works, share best practices from other communities, and consider the feasibility of this renewable energy system in Bloomington.

Guest from left to right: Vic Kelson, Director, City of Bloomington Utilities; Autumn Salamack, Assistant Director for Sustainability, Mayor John Hamilton, Lew May, General Manager, Bloomington Transit.

February 28, 2019

In 2018, the Bloomington Housing Authority announced its plans to pursue funding to fast-track improvements of the city’s 312 public housing units. In February of 2019, the BHA presented its plan for the rollout of those improvements to its board.

Through the federal department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, or RAD, the BHA will hope to secure financing to reduce the timetable for rehabbing units from 20 years to just five.

During this discussion, Mayor John Hamilton led a conversation about the potential this financing holds for Bloomington residents. Our guests included:
Amber Skoby, BHA Executive Director
William Hosea, BHA Board Chair; and
Sherry Clay, Commissioner and Bloomington Housing Authority Resident Council President

October 16, 2018

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton and Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop announced their cities’ entrance into a partnership designed to connect and amplify entrepreneurial activity and boost economic growth in both Indiana municipalities.

Our panel also included:
Cindy Frey, President of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Pat East, Executive Director of The Mill

This discussion was moderated by Yael Ksander, City of Bloomington Communications Director

May 10, 2018

Featuring interviews with Dave Williams, Operations and Development Director, and Julie Ramey, Community Engagement Manager, from our Parks and Recreation Department. This Town Hall included two segments -- Dave was first, discussing Switchyard Park and answering questions about the history of the park’s development, the construction period that’s just begun, and the park’s special features. Julie followed, providing details and answering questions about 2018 summer programming in our parks.

Moderated by Laura Collins, City of Bloomington Digital Communications Specialist.

January 30, 2019

Although Indiana is one of only five states lacking Hate Crime legislation, the City of Bloomington's legal and police departments have been reporting and recording hate crimes and bias incidents for decades.

In this Facebook Live Town Hall event, City officials and community partners discuss local efforts to report and combat hate crime.

Guests include:
Mayor John Hamilton
Michael Diekhoff, Chief, Bloomington Police Department
Jim Sims, President, Monroe County Branch NAACP and City Council Member
Lesley Levin, President, Board of Directors, Congregation Beth Shalom — Bloomington Jewish Community
Doug Bauder, Director, LGBTQ + Culture Center at IUB
Beverly Calender-Anderson, Director, City of Bloomington, IN - Community and Family Resources Department
Barbara McKinney, Director, City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission.
Erin Predmore, President and CEO, The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
Ricky Tellez, IU student
Adrianne Embry, IU student

January 23, 2019

During this Facebook Live Town Hall, we went through some of the findings of the 2017 City Survey Report, shared actions and developments undertaken as a result, and previewed the 2019 City Survey.

Our guests today are:
Mayor John Hamilton
Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen
Mary Catherine Carmichael, Public Engagement Director
Yael Ksander, Communications Director

January 16, 2019

2019 is the Year of Food in the City of Bloomington!
The City of Bloomington Economic & Sustainable Development department is launching a series of actions to increase access to healthy, local food in the community, connect local growers to local institutional consumers, and raise awareness and enhance engagement around food insecurity, local services and local producers.

Our panel included:
John Hamilton, Mayor of Bloomington
Yael Ksander, Communications Director for the City of Bloomington
Autumn Salamack, Assistant Director of Sustainability for the City of Bloomington
Jodee Ellett, Community Engagement Coordinator for the IU Sustainable Food Systems Science Initiative.
Steve Thomas, the Self-Sufficiency Center Program Director from Monroe County United Ministries
Ryan Conway, Chair of the Bloomington Food Policy Council and board secretary of the Center for Sustainable Living

October 2, 2018

Listen in on a conversation about how the City of Bloomington celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. In addition, learn about services available to our Spanish-speaking residents.

Our panel will include:
Josefa Luce, Latino Outreach Coordinator, City of Bloomington
Gavin Everett, Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs

Moderated by Yael Ksander, Communications Director, City of Bloomington

September 24, 2018

The Bloomington City Council will be voting on the City's 2019 budget proposals next month. With that in mind, we wanted to provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the budget process as well as evaluate the success of the 2017 - 2018 budget.

View the 2017 Budget Update discussed in this digital town hall as well as a form for public comment on those updates here: https://bloomington.in.gov/city/budget/updates

August 9, 2018

Local experts discuss affordable housing initiatives that have been implemented in the City of Bloomington, along with forward-thinking strategies for the future.

Our guests from left to right:
Doris Sims, Director of City of Bloomington, IN- Housing and Neighborhood Development - HAND
Alex Crowley, Director of City of Bloomington Economic & Sustainable Development
Terri Porter, Director of City of Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department
John Hamilton, Mayor, City of Bloomington
Amber Skoby, Executive Director, Bloomington Housing Authority
Yael Ksander, Communications Director, City of Bloomington

July 26, 2018

Watch as Mayor Hamilton, City of Bloomington Communications Director Yael Ksander, and local experts discuss innovative public safety practices that have been implemented in the City of Bloomington, along with forward-thinking, community-building strategies for our future.

Our guests (from left to right):
Linda Grove-Paul, Vice President of Adult Services, Centerstone
Michael Diekhoff, Police Chief, Bloomington Police Department Yael Ksander, Communications Director, City of Bloomington
John Hamilton, Mayor, City of Bloomington
Beverly Calender-Anderson, Director, Community and Family Resources Department, City of Bloomington
Karen Allen, Director, Social Work Program, Indiana University School of Social Work

May 22, 2018

Bloomington Police Chief Michael Diekhoff and Public Works Director Adam Wason discuss additional steps, in coordination with the state agency, to alleviate congestion on West 3rd Street.

April 12, 2018

Facebook Town Hall with Adam Wason on road work projects throughout the City and County.