The Bloomington City Council met Wednesday night to hear a presentation from the mayor on the 2020 budget.
Before Mayor John Hamilton spoke, the council began by passing a tax allocation that moved money between the Public Safety Answering Point and General Public Safety Purposes. After it was unanimously adopted, the council adjourned to move on to a special session to hear a presentation from Mayor Hamilton and discuss six pieces of legislation.
In opening the presentation, Mayor Hamilton made comments in reference to the opening of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
“I hope D.C. will restore the rule of law, but we must continue to work together amid these extraordinary challenges,” Hamilton said.
He presented details on sustainability and the police force from the 2020 city budget, which covers 15 departments and 850 employees.
He addressed the ongoing contract negotiation for the Bloomington Police Department, as it has not yet reached an agreement with the administration.
“We’ve been in 18 months of negotiation, 16 offers and counter officers,” Hamilton said. “The ongoing negotiations reflect our deep respect for and commitment to fair compensation.”
Although many have expressed concern over staffing issues with BPD, he said Bloomington is right at the national average of one police officer per 1,000 citizens.
The first item on the agenda included fixing salaries for police officers and fire departments with wage increases, but the issue of retention difficulties and low salaries was brought up by both council and community members.
“While salary is being negotiated, I’m questioning our ability to meet the needs of the officers,” council member Susan Sandberg said. “I want to make it clear that there is no substitute for having well-trained, well-cared-for police officers.”
Multiple community members came up for public comment and expressed their concern with how long it is taking to negotiate.
“We do feel like there’s a lot of issues that aren’t being addressed appropriately,” said Jacob Woods, the night shift representative from BPD.
Council member Chris Sturbaum asked BPD Chief Michael Diekhoff about the large amount of overtime.
“That more demand than supply, sometimes the staffing level isn’t adequate to apply to everything we need,” Diekhoff said. “People don’t really want to be police officers anymore.”
This ordinance was passed and will not be voted on until the contract with police reaches a decision. The council also passed voting on multiple other ordinances regarding the budget.
Hamilton also spoke about climate action and outlined the progress Bloomington has made in its commitment to be a more sustainable city.
“We face enormous challenge and opportunity," Hamilton said. "We have to get this right. I believe in the existential importance of addressing this issue locally, regionally and beyond.”
The Sustainability Action Plan, which was adopted in October 2018, outlines eight areas of focus: waste, water, ecosystem health, city operations, local food and agriculture, transportation, energy, the built environment and climate change and adaptation.
Council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith suggested the mayor appoint a person to be in charge of the plan.
“It is essential that the city has such a position,” Piedmont-Smith said. “While I appreciate what the mayor has done, I agree with him that it’s not enough. We need it in our budget as soon as possible.”
The city is aiming to achieve an 11% reduction in community-wide greenhouse gasses, a 20% reduction in community-wide building energy use and a 20% reduction of per capita water usage by 2023, Hamilton said.
Bloomington has already made progress, Hamilton said. City trees increased 56% over 12 years, he said, and the city recently approved the purchase of a new electric bus.
An ordinance to fix salaries of all elected city officials was passed unanimously. It includes an increase of wages to council members.
“This salary adjustment is fair,” Piedmont-Smith said. “It’s reflective of the amount of work we do. It’s not easy for any of us up here. I hope it’s not viewed as voting to line our pockets.”
