Monroe County Perry Township Trustee Dan Combs sued Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton and the City of Bloomington last week in his continued search for records of Bloomington’s homelessness policy, according to an Indiana Public Media article.
Combs said he asked for records about the intended policies the city uses for people experiencing homelessness multiple times, as well as about the police force used to remove the Seminary Square encampments last winter.
Police force took place in Perry Township when authorities removed the Seminary Square encampments on Jan. 14. Combs said in his complaint that as a Perry Township trustee he should be involved in solving the crisis of homelessness.
Combs requested the records in mid-May and again in early June. While the city attorney replied June 30, Combs said in his complaint that the response did not provide adequate information on the event in Seminary Square. He also requested records in September about Seminary Square and another encampment removal under Grimes Street bridge that happened in August.
Combs said the city referred to his requests as a “fishing expedition,” according to an Indiana Public Media article.
The city said it is not required to provide the information because it falls under “advisory or deliberative article materials,” making it an exception to Indiana law, according to the article. Combs is asking the Monroe County Superior Court to order the city to provide the records, according to the article.
