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Ask The Mayor: Hamilton Responds To Armored Vehicle Protests

More on the protest disruption during the State of the City Address, a new bike sharing program could begin this May, dirt will be moving on Switchyard Park soon and I-69 officials are working to keep traffic moving during work commutes.

On this week's installment of Ask The Mayor, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton addresses these issues and more. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Hren: Looking back at the State of the City Address that protesters shut down, is there anything you or the city would have done differently in response to the interruption?

Hamilton: It's not like I'm doing particular business that night. I do think if it's a city council meeting or public meeting where legislative bodies are meeting to accomplish specific things or if it's in a courtroom where you have a judicial proceeding going on, I do think then the democratic process needs to let the democratic process work and not let someone change it. But this was just a speech. If I don't get my speech out that night, it really doesn't change how government is working. So I think it was appropriate to let it proceed.

Hren: Let's talk about this armored vehicle - could it go away, is it going anywhere? I mean, it's purchased by the city, it's done?

Hamilton: The vehicle is under contract. It's planned to be submitted in the summer. Let me just make a couple comments about it. We live in a world I wish we didn't, that's dangerous. We have public safety officers that work hard to protect us and my job as mayor is to try and make sure we protect public safety. I've been on shifts with police officers, we don't want them to be hurt or killed in protecting us.

There is definitely a concern many share, I share of the militarization of the relationship between public safety and people. We've seen it happen in other places in very bad ways. I think in Bloomington we do a quite a good job with it, not just me, but the past 40 years and we need to keep doing it.

We didn't do as good a job with transparency of this armored car discussion. We messed that up. We're trying to fix it because it does deserve public discussion and that's what's happening now. But ultimately, do what's right for Bloomington - protect our public safety and to build the trust that's so fundamental between the public and the public safety officers.

"We didn't do as good a job with transparency of this armored car discussion. We messed that up. We're trying to fix it."

Hren: Let's review some of the highlights of your address that we were able to catch up with the next day on CATS TV. I see the city has a contract with IU and another company that will kick off the bike sharing program?

Hamilton: Yes, we have signed a contract with a company out of Massachusetts, Zagster Pace. We're doing it with IU this spring. We should see a lot of bikes popping up in town for everybody to share, use and drop off. It's one of these dockless systems and it should be fun.

Hren: This is the year dirt begins moving for Switchyard Park - as soon as May. You call it a new signature park for the ages. What makes it so?

Hamilton: Well, it's bigger than Bryan Park. The features including a great lawn with a band shell, a beautiful pavilion that I think will be really flexible space for people with both indoor and outdoor space. Pickelball courts, bocce courts, chess games, basketball, dog park, playground, skate park, splash pad so it will really be a phenomenal place to go.

Hren: We've heard a little more on the construction of I-69 this past week, INDOT says it's still on schedule to be complete by August, what are they telling you?

Hamilton: Well I spoke to the commission of INDOT this week. I was urging they try to accommodate our commuter traffic a little more. I appreciate people's patience, it's tough, INDOT is pushing really hard. We welcome ideas and input on that. It's tough because they're cranking on getting the big job done and we're encouraging them to look at off hour construction.

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