Unknown Speaker
Hello and welcome to ask the mayor on WFIU, I'm Joe Hren this week we are on zoom with Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton for the first time in 2023. Happy New Year. Hello and welcome.
Unknown Speaker
Happy New Year to you, Joe, good to be with you and all of your followers, subscribers, viewers, listeners, etc. It's good to be with you.
Unknown Speaker
Of course, today's Tuesday but still happy MLK Day. I know this just kind of comes without saying we're still talking about hate as we condemn the apparent racist stabbing attack coming off a Bloomington transit line last week. It just a mind boggling when you read this affidavit from the woman that told investigators she stabbed the victim because she appeared Chinese how was that something still happening today? But it is.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, it's really upsetting, depressing. Of course, our community, in many, many ways worked so hard to be welcoming and inclusive. We are we celebrate the diversity of Bloomington. It's a terrible blow, of course to the individual, our hearts go out to her in her recovery. But also just to all of us as a community of feel there's still these, this terrible bigotry and hatred, racism, bias that persists, it reminds us it does persist, we have to keep working at it. And we will keep working at it, working closely with IU and of course, have an accountability for those who act out in these ways. But it's just it is a reminder that, hey, as hard as we try we we have to keep at it to make sure everyone feels welcome is welcome, that they're all safe. And we're we're committed to that in a deep way in this community.
Unknown Speaker
And I know you, you say that is what we hear all the time, how to how do you get deeper than that? Like, you know, this woman, Billy Davis? I mean, how do you get to people like that? How do you educate people?
Unknown Speaker
Well, part of it is our community as a whole, certainly government playing a part but so many other people do to continuing to talk about the importance of diversity and inclusion and belonging that really does matter to keep to keep saying it to each other. To all of us. I do think actions are important, too. I think, you know, we do training in the city government on diversity and equity inclusion. I think that's important in a lot of our institutions that do that, I think investing in resources that can help mental health and, you know, providing public health resources to people who, who need help with with their own mental health and public health. I think there are a lot of steps we can take. We needed, you know, they're backward steps. I'm worried what the state legislature may do, for example, in sending opposite signals about people, whether you belong or not, I think those are very concerning. And we need to speak out against that. And in favor of the inclusion of everyone.
Unknown Speaker
Is Bloomington safe. And is Bloomington safe with two minorities?
Unknown Speaker
Well, Bloomington is a safe community where we're of course, all of this is relative to other places, but we're a relatively very safe community in terms of physical violence. We are not the most diverse community in Indiana, to be sure we're, we're under about 15% people of color. So that's an issue and it's actually something I think the community needs to own and talk about how we keep evolving that way. I think, you know, continuing to invest again, in public safety like we do, but also in inclusion and diversity and training is all really important. And in public health, frankly, you know, some of this is some of this is I'm not going to talk about individual cases, but some of this is it reflects people who, who need public health help dealing with mental illness or dealing with stresses in their lives through the school system through getting more public health investment from the state and from our local government to
Unknown Speaker
why you started the new year quickly announcing a nonprofit to focus on arts tech housing, it's a 501 C three. We've heard that multiple times these last few years regarding a CIB. But these are all city owned entities. I was reading Buskirk Chumley theater, the Waldron Art Center trades district the mill So can you explain how this works? Is it a management group?
Unknown Speaker
So Joe, thanks for asking about that. You know, I came into office seven years ago and change and one of the first things I taught about was the string of pearls, these big projects that are in front of the city unusually, all at the same time that included the hospital relocation, the switchyard. Park, the the trades district, as well as the convention center, possibly. But all of those projects have continued to move in different ways. And they've demanded a lot from city government. So, you know, we felt we helped open the mill, we own the mill and invested in the trace district, we're doing the same in Hopewell, we, of course have opened switchyard Park. In the arts community we've now added, as you mentioned, to the Buskirk, we've added to Waldron, and we got a recommendation to do more than that. So it's really kind of been building and this nonprofit is meant to help city government advance all of these really unusual and really important opportunities. We have everyday work that we do in all of our city departments. And we've kind of been doing all of this together. But the next five and 10 years, there's going to be more work on all these projects than we've had to date. So the 501 C three is meant to help accelerate a resource that kind of work, help oversee the projects help us provide some management oversight. I think it's a really good move. We'll be working with city council and our partners on making that happen.
Unknown Speaker
So who makes up this nonprofit?
Unknown Speaker
Well, it would be residents appointed mostly by the mayor. I do kind of want to point out unlike some advisory Commission's like the Planning Commission or the Public Safety Commission or others this, this is really a an executive, delivery of services, an arm of city government and city administration. So I feel it's really important to be closely tied and connected with the mayor. Now that won't be me, you know, I'm not doing this for me personally, but I do whoever the mayor is, is going to need to have real close collaborations with this just just as an example. The trades district, we have a new building that we're we're partially funded, we need to get more funding. We got to redevelop the land around that. That's something we work on every day in city government, but having a nonprofit that's focused on that that's staffed up for that, I think and move that even faster.
Unknown Speaker
So speaking of nonprofit, you vetoed City Council on its approval of a CIB, in place of a 501 C three for the convention center expansion. They overrode that veto, which I believe was expected. But I guess we're at a point here January 17. What happens now?
Unknown Speaker
Well, thanks. Yes, as you know, I've been a proponent of the downtown expansion of the convention center for seven years now and continue to be I did veto that, that order that resolution because I needed to make clear the county had passed a Capital Improvement Board and said this board exists if the mayor approves in the City Council approved and I needed to make clear I didn't approve. And the best way to do that was to that veto. It's been overwritten. But as you indicate it really doesn't have any effect right now. Anyway. So I think, you know, my door is open, my phone is available, I'm ready to meet at any time with anybody who wants to talk about how to move this forward. I continue to have serious concerns about whether a CIB can efficiently, effectively, aggressively move forward with a building construction design project. That's something I think we're good at and we could do with with a 501 C three or something else. But I'm happy to talk about it. I think it's important for the city. We'll see what happens next. I'm not sure. But we're going to keep advocating and and trying to get the project done.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I believe didn't the commissioners give a deadline of was a January 1 For that see, CIP that they created?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, it was an unusual ordinance that they kind of sprang on everybody. Nobody knew it was coming or what it exactly meant. But it said if the city council and the mayor do not agree by January 1, then this, this CIB goes away. So I think effectively, that's now gone away, and I don't know what their next step will be. Again, I'm my door is open. I'd love to chat. We've we've been trying to sit down and discuss for many, many, many months with the county what the next steps could be and they just haven't accepted that offer, except in some very unusual formal settings. So my doors open. Happy to talk about
Unknown Speaker
now we're underway the general assembly at the Indiana State House, talk about sunsetting the food and beverage tax. When people hear that, again, it's something being talked about. I think it was talked about last session as well. That's something that the chamber the Bloomington chamber has been concerned about, because that's the basic funding for the convention center expansion. I believe, as days ticked by, are you getting Little bit more worried and worried about that?
Unknown Speaker
Well, look, the food and beverage tax should be used for what it was passed, which is to expand the convention visitor, the convention center downtown. We agree with that. You know, I'm not a fan of the legislature, pulling the rug out from under local governments they gave us they don't they don't give us that many authorities to undertake revenue where we need it. This is one of them, I would strongly urge them not to do anything to remove that. But I agree that we want to move forward with it. We've we've collected the tax for several years now we've used it. We used it during the pandemic to help a bunch of restaurants and businesses survive, which has been helpful, but it's time to turn the page we're ready to do that. I hope they don't get involved in the signals are that we think we've got good discussions going on with them about that. But please let the local governments move forward ourselves. Don't Don't. Don't stick your hands down in here and twist the dials or move move into things that you don't need to we've seen that happen before.
Unknown Speaker
Indiana Senate Republicans prioritizing health care in 2023, lawmakers will craft their two year state budget this session. Are you looking at anything in particular that that would affect Bloomington besides that food and beverage tax?
Unknown Speaker
Well, look, I listened to the governor state of the state, I've looked at some of the projections and plans the city, the state is in a very strong fiscal position, we should be investing a lot more in public education. The governor has asked for substantial amounts, we support that we should be investing a lot more in public health. The governor has asked for half of what his recommendation was for the first year, and then the full amount $250 million the second year, I'd prefer that get started right away, because it always takes a while to get stuff moving. I don't know if the legislature will do that. But it's a it's a terrible shame that Indiana is so low in investing in public health we have we have the health outcomes to reflect that with obesity and maternal health difficulties and smoking and mental health, frankly. So we I'd love to see both of those very substantially invested in it would make a huge difference in our community public education and public health. And I hope they don't get into some of these other things. Now, Joe, you know, I've been very clear to I think the work on reproductive health has been terrible. I think it's terrible for the state for recruiting companies for retaining people in the state. I wish they would reconsider that I'm not hopeful. But we will continue to advocate to try to protect the rights of all our Hoosiers to get full reproductive health care to.
Unknown Speaker
county commissioners are looking for county owned land now to build a new jail. City says they've been felt left out of the process and seeing more about critics saying that there should be more done about alternatives to building a new jail. Where's the process live with you and the city right now, with the county looking for a new GL site?
Unknown Speaker
You know, this is a lot to keep track of. I know for your viewers and listeners, there's a lot of moving parts, a lot of complexities. But let me let me just try to make a couple key points. One rjL is is a stain on our community. I've toured it, it needs to be fixed, it's a terrible place. We it does not reflect our values. So I think most everybody recognizes we have to take some serious action to improve the jail and the services around it. The second point I'd make is that we I think most of us would agree as well that this community wants to invest in things besides just a jail, we want to see that people can get the services, they need to stay out of jail, or when they come out of jail to be successful back into the workplace with housing, with, again, mental health support with with substance use disorder support with job placement. So I think it's imperative on us as a community led by the county to make major investments right now in those key areas besides just the jail, let's lead with our values. And then let's deal with the jail as we go along. I think I think the location of the jail the size that has been talked about if 25 acres all got ahead of what should have been the first foot forward, which is let's invest in the values our community supports is better mental health, better job placement, better services, if you're in jail, better services after jail and before you're at risk of going to jail. So I think I hope maybe there's a little bit of reef reviewing and revisiting that and the city is willing and I think we can be a really good full partner in making good decisions happen.
Unknown Speaker
I guess that was my that'd be my follow up question. Could you elaborate a little bit more on on that discussion between the county and the city and then how that's moving forward?
Unknown Speaker
Well, again, I look our doors are open. We've been trying to be around that table. Whether officially we're not welcomed at that table with because it is what it is. I don't think that's a good judgment. You know, the Bloomington Police Department is the larger us largest user group of the jail and they're not at the table, talking about the planning for the new jail. I don't think that's smart. I think we can be helpful. I think the community, the judges, the parole officers, the prosecutor, the sheriff all need to be around a table talking about not just the jail, but the whole community justice system, I think there's a lot of room to make good progress. It's complicated. It's difficult to understand that. But I think I think there's room for improvement. The idea that we need to start by saying we need a 25 acre site for a big new jail, I just think kind of has come at it backwards. I think we ought to lead with the services that we need to wrap around the jail and then figure out what kind of jail do we need after we invest in all those services.
Unknown Speaker
City Council's looking at three options for police fire headquarters, you hope council would approve purchase renovation of the CFC Plaza that's joined there to city hall, they want to look at all three options. Do any of those other options look appealing to you,
Unknown Speaker
Joe, they're really not valid, valuable, valid, viable options. I mean, there's the option is either we buy the showers building and move the police headquarters as well as the fire into there, which has terrific benefits to our community brings public safety into one roof where they work together better, it brings them into the city government roof, which where we work together, and it gives us plenty of room to expand. The other options just don't do that. So they're not on the table. From my perspective, I hope we'll move forward with that. We're very, very proud of our public safety services. You know, you've heard me say it again, we're the only city in the state with a nationally accredited police department and a top ranked fire department in the in the insurance ratings of safety. So we're really proud of them. And I think this is the next step to take them bring them together, more and more public safety is happening, kind of in between the sworn officers have police and fire with social workers and community service specialists and mobile integrated health services. And that's going to continue to grow. So I'm very hopeful that the council will support it, if they don't support it. We just we won't be able to do the kinds of things we need to do for our public safety going forward, I believe.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah. And I did see a chart that listed the cost and square footage to renovating the current space to move into CFC. And it was almost like the space doubled for CFC. And the cost was almost the same. But the police union prefers to upgrade the current station. What Why are they so concerned about moving to CFC?
Unknown Speaker
Right, the police leadership wants to move and they've made that clear. They think the values in that but some of the FOP the Fraternal Order, police does not always agree with some of these plans. My own view, I think they're they're kind of used to the culture of being their own department and having their own building. And I get that I just don't think that's the future. I think it's being better integrated with other public safety like fire. And it's being better integrated with city government, whether it's community and family resources, or building codes or planning and all those other things. So we respectfully disagree about that. But let me be clear, if and when we do move into the showers, which I hope will happen to the frontline officers, the Fraternal Order of Police will be right there as we design, how to make it the best police station we can. The alternatives are just not good. The current space they're in is not adequate. It's too small, it's old, it's dark, there's hardly any windows. We don't think rehabbing that makes sense and expanding next to it. Maybe would fix five years, but within five years, we're out of room again. So it's just not a good plan. From our perspective.
Unknown Speaker
One of the ask you about this new public policy, I believe, for anyone who wants to display public art, and it's a little bit more difficult. Now, this is also a court ordered process. So can you talk about what led up to this? And what's the new policy?
Unknown Speaker
Thanks for asking Joe. You know, the world of city government and public officials and the First Amendment and free speech can get complicated pretty quickly. So I won't pretend to try to get all of it. But But basically, the city. On the one hand, the city can sponsor speech ourselves in all kinds of ways we can. We can run conferences, we can put up public art, we can put up things that are the city speaking on behalf of all of us. And we can do that with a lot of flexibility. When you open up a space for what's called a public forum to let the public speak. We have to be extremely careful that we don't discriminate against different viewpoints. We can decide what kind of art we want to put up or what kind of conference we Want to say, but we can't if we open up a space for the public to speak in a public forum, you think like a speaker's forum. We can't tell people Oh, we don't, we don't agree with your your voice. So what this is trying to do is deal with public spaces that way. So the city, for example, can sponsor a Black Lives Matter mural as a city speech, we are we are affirmatively doing that, or we can do an arts mural. But if we say we're going to open up this wall to let everybody put murals up, we can't tell you what kind of mural you can put on. Well, that gets a little tricky in a street on a sidewalk. So this, this tries to set up process together. So if you want to do a public project like that, and put up a mural or sidewalk painting, or something you can apply, and we have a process for that now. And a court wanted to make sure we're balancing all that evenly. So it's tricky, but I think we're I think we're getting there.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I was reading words, but no speech words, letters, logos. So sorry, go ahead. No, no, no, I'm trying to to understand the difference there. So no speech words, letters, logos, but the BR BLM murals are still okay.
Unknown Speaker
Well, those are city speech, those BLM your I sponsored speech. And we're allowed to do that as the speaker as the city. But when we open it up to all other speakers, we have to be very careful. And there's, there's a different rule if it's a temporary like you think about sidewalk chalking, and all that we we don't really get into that last like temporary less than seven days. But but if you wanted to, if you wanted to paint a piece of art on a city street or a sidewalk, we can't let everybody do that willy nilly. And we're also trying to manage what does get put up that we can control? Enough to make it open. But but but workable. And again, it's pretty complicated. But the Board of Public Works, which is three city residences is in the middle of this, our lawyers, and we did have a court that told us you need to have more specific procedures. So that's what we've done.
Unknown Speaker
Since we begin a new year, what are you diving in with first, what are your high priorities right now?
Unknown Speaker
Well, you know, this public safety is critically important to improve police and fire headquarters, that's front and center, the 501 C three advancing the interest in the arts community, we had a big report that recommended we pursue a potential new Arts Incubator kind of like the mill but for artists so so that's front and center with us hope well, of course, is a huge project this year, where we're just getting ready to start the building of the infrastructure on our east, what we call phase one East you can see the hospital coming down, we expect to get ownership of the rest of that land this year. So all that all that's on our front plate, front burner, as well, as you know, all the other stuff that we do of making sure our parks are safe and well used and sanitation picked up. We're looking at some exciting new things I'll be talking about in the state of the city in just over a month. Joe, that'll kind of lay out some more details on all this too.
Unknown Speaker
That is something driving down Second Street and seeing all that Landau isn't it.
Unknown Speaker
It really hits you how much. Yeah, the new neighborhood in the downtown. I mean, it's an extraordinary opportunity. And we're excited about what the next years will bring for that.
Unknown Speaker
Well, that's all the time we had. Did you have any other special announcements or anything that you wanted to mention really quick?
Unknown Speaker
No, Joe, I just welcome everybody to 2023 We're excited about hopefully that, you know, we've learned how to get beyond the pandemic. I can't say we're through it, but to reopen and I appreciate everybody being back in Bloomington. We look forward to an exciting year ahead.
Unknown Speaker
Thank you very much. We'll see you next month.
Unknown Speaker
Thank you, Joe. Take care
Hello and welcome to ask the mayor on WFIU, I'm Joe Hren this week we are on zoom with Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton for the first time in 2023. Happy New Year. Hello and welcome.
Unknown Speaker
Happy New Year to you, Joe, good to be with you and all of your followers, subscribers, viewers, listeners, etc. It's good to be with you.
Unknown Speaker
Of course, today's Tuesday but still happy MLK Day. I know this just kind of comes without saying we're still talking about hate as we condemn the apparent racist stabbing attack coming off a Bloomington transit line last week. It just a mind boggling when you read this affidavit from the woman that told investigators she stabbed the victim because she appeared Chinese how was that something still happening today? But it is.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, it's really upsetting, depressing. Of course, our community, in many, many ways worked so hard to be welcoming and inclusive. We are we celebrate the diversity of Bloomington. It's a terrible blow, of course to the individual, our hearts go out to her in her recovery. But also just to all of us as a community of feel there's still these, this terrible bigotry and hatred, racism, bias that persists, it reminds us it does persist, we have to keep working at it. And we will keep working at it, working closely with IU and of course, have an accountability for those who act out in these ways. But it's just it is a reminder that, hey, as hard as we try we we have to keep at it to make sure everyone feels welcome is welcome, that they're all safe. And we're we're committed to that in a deep way in this community.
Unknown Speaker
And I know you, you say that is what we hear all the time, how to how do you get deeper than that? Like, you know, this woman, Billy Davis? I mean, how do you get to people like that? How do you educate people?
Unknown Speaker
Well, part of it is our community as a whole, certainly government playing a part but so many other people do to continuing to talk about the importance of diversity and inclusion and belonging that really does matter to keep to keep saying it to each other. To all of us. I do think actions are important, too. I think, you know, we do training in the city government on diversity and equity inclusion. I think that's important in a lot of our institutions that do that, I think investing in resources that can help mental health and, you know, providing public health resources to people who, who need help with with their own mental health and public health. I think there are a lot of steps we can take. We needed, you know, they're backward steps. I'm worried what the state legislature may do, for example, in sending opposite signals about people, whether you belong or not, I think those are very concerning. And we need to speak out against that. And in favor of the inclusion of everyone.
Unknown Speaker
Is Bloomington safe. And is Bloomington safe with two minorities?
Unknown Speaker
Well, Bloomington is a safe community where we're of course, all of this is relative to other places, but we're a relatively very safe community in terms of physical violence. We are not the most diverse community in Indiana, to be sure we're, we're under about 15% people of color. So that's an issue and it's actually something I think the community needs to own and talk about how we keep evolving that way. I think, you know, continuing to invest again, in public safety like we do, but also in inclusion and diversity and training is all really important. And in public health, frankly, you know, some of this is some of this is I'm not going to talk about individual cases, but some of this is it reflects people who, who need public health help dealing with mental illness or dealing with stresses in their lives through the school system through getting more public health investment from the state and from our local government to
Unknown Speaker
why you started the new year quickly announcing a nonprofit to focus on arts tech housing, it's a 501 C three. We've heard that multiple times these last few years regarding a CIB. But these are all city owned entities. I was reading Buskirk Chumley theater, the Waldron Art Center trades district the mill So can you explain how this works? Is it a management group?
Unknown Speaker
So Joe, thanks for asking about that. You know, I came into office seven years ago and change and one of the first things I taught about was the string of pearls, these big projects that are in front of the city unusually, all at the same time that included the hospital relocation, the switchyard. Park, the the trades district, as well as the convention center, possibly. But all of those projects have continued to move in different ways. And they've demanded a lot from city government. So, you know, we felt we helped open the mill, we own the mill and invested in the trace district, we're doing the same in Hopewell, we, of course have opened switchyard Park. In the arts community we've now added, as you mentioned, to the Buskirk, we've added to Waldron, and we got a recommendation to do more than that. So it's really kind of been building and this nonprofit is meant to help city government advance all of these really unusual and really important opportunities. We have everyday work that we do in all of our city departments. And we've kind of been doing all of this together. But the next five and 10 years, there's going to be more work on all these projects than we've had to date. So the 501 C three is meant to help accelerate a resource that kind of work, help oversee the projects help us provide some management oversight. I think it's a really good move. We'll be working with city council and our partners on making that happen.
Unknown Speaker
So who makes up this nonprofit?
Unknown Speaker
Well, it would be residents appointed mostly by the mayor. I do kind of want to point out unlike some advisory Commission's like the Planning Commission or the Public Safety Commission or others this, this is really a an executive, delivery of services, an arm of city government and city administration. So I feel it's really important to be closely tied and connected with the mayor. Now that won't be me, you know, I'm not doing this for me personally, but I do whoever the mayor is, is going to need to have real close collaborations with this just just as an example. The trades district, we have a new building that we're we're partially funded, we need to get more funding. We got to redevelop the land around that. That's something we work on every day in city government, but having a nonprofit that's focused on that that's staffed up for that, I think and move that even faster.
Unknown Speaker
So speaking of nonprofit, you vetoed City Council on its approval of a CIB, in place of a 501 C three for the convention center expansion. They overrode that veto, which I believe was expected. But I guess we're at a point here January 17. What happens now?
Unknown Speaker
Well, thanks. Yes, as you know, I've been a proponent of the downtown expansion of the convention center for seven years now and continue to be I did veto that, that order that resolution because I needed to make clear the county had passed a Capital Improvement Board and said this board exists if the mayor approves in the City Council approved and I needed to make clear I didn't approve. And the best way to do that was to that veto. It's been overwritten. But as you indicate it really doesn't have any effect right now. Anyway. So I think, you know, my door is open, my phone is available, I'm ready to meet at any time with anybody who wants to talk about how to move this forward. I continue to have serious concerns about whether a CIB can efficiently, effectively, aggressively move forward with a building construction design project. That's something I think we're good at and we could do with with a 501 C three or something else. But I'm happy to talk about it. I think it's important for the city. We'll see what happens next. I'm not sure. But we're going to keep advocating and and trying to get the project done.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I believe didn't the commissioners give a deadline of was a January 1 For that see, CIP that they created?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, it was an unusual ordinance that they kind of sprang on everybody. Nobody knew it was coming or what it exactly meant. But it said if the city council and the mayor do not agree by January 1, then this, this CIB goes away. So I think effectively, that's now gone away, and I don't know what their next step will be. Again, I'm my door is open. I'd love to chat. We've we've been trying to sit down and discuss for many, many, many months with the county what the next steps could be and they just haven't accepted that offer, except in some very unusual formal settings. So my doors open. Happy to talk about
Unknown Speaker
now we're underway the general assembly at the Indiana State House, talk about sunsetting the food and beverage tax. When people hear that, again, it's something being talked about. I think it was talked about last session as well. That's something that the chamber the Bloomington chamber has been concerned about, because that's the basic funding for the convention center expansion. I believe, as days ticked by, are you getting Little bit more worried and worried about that?
Unknown Speaker
Well, look, the food and beverage tax should be used for what it was passed, which is to expand the convention visitor, the convention center downtown. We agree with that. You know, I'm not a fan of the legislature, pulling the rug out from under local governments they gave us they don't they don't give us that many authorities to undertake revenue where we need it. This is one of them, I would strongly urge them not to do anything to remove that. But I agree that we want to move forward with it. We've we've collected the tax for several years now we've used it. We used it during the pandemic to help a bunch of restaurants and businesses survive, which has been helpful, but it's time to turn the page we're ready to do that. I hope they don't get involved in the signals are that we think we've got good discussions going on with them about that. But please let the local governments move forward ourselves. Don't Don't. Don't stick your hands down in here and twist the dials or move move into things that you don't need to we've seen that happen before.
Unknown Speaker
Indiana Senate Republicans prioritizing health care in 2023, lawmakers will craft their two year state budget this session. Are you looking at anything in particular that that would affect Bloomington besides that food and beverage tax?
Unknown Speaker
Well, look, I listened to the governor state of the state, I've looked at some of the projections and plans the city, the state is in a very strong fiscal position, we should be investing a lot more in public education. The governor has asked for substantial amounts, we support that we should be investing a lot more in public health. The governor has asked for half of what his recommendation was for the first year, and then the full amount $250 million the second year, I'd prefer that get started right away, because it always takes a while to get stuff moving. I don't know if the legislature will do that. But it's a it's a terrible shame that Indiana is so low in investing in public health we have we have the health outcomes to reflect that with obesity and maternal health difficulties and smoking and mental health, frankly. So we I'd love to see both of those very substantially invested in it would make a huge difference in our community public education and public health. And I hope they don't get into some of these other things. Now, Joe, you know, I've been very clear to I think the work on reproductive health has been terrible. I think it's terrible for the state for recruiting companies for retaining people in the state. I wish they would reconsider that I'm not hopeful. But we will continue to advocate to try to protect the rights of all our Hoosiers to get full reproductive health care to.
Unknown Speaker
county commissioners are looking for county owned land now to build a new jail. City says they've been felt left out of the process and seeing more about critics saying that there should be more done about alternatives to building a new jail. Where's the process live with you and the city right now, with the county looking for a new GL site?
Unknown Speaker
You know, this is a lot to keep track of. I know for your viewers and listeners, there's a lot of moving parts, a lot of complexities. But let me let me just try to make a couple key points. One rjL is is a stain on our community. I've toured it, it needs to be fixed, it's a terrible place. We it does not reflect our values. So I think most everybody recognizes we have to take some serious action to improve the jail and the services around it. The second point I'd make is that we I think most of us would agree as well that this community wants to invest in things besides just a jail, we want to see that people can get the services, they need to stay out of jail, or when they come out of jail to be successful back into the workplace with housing, with, again, mental health support with with substance use disorder support with job placement. So I think it's imperative on us as a community led by the county to make major investments right now in those key areas besides just the jail, let's lead with our values. And then let's deal with the jail as we go along. I think I think the location of the jail the size that has been talked about if 25 acres all got ahead of what should have been the first foot forward, which is let's invest in the values our community supports is better mental health, better job placement, better services, if you're in jail, better services after jail and before you're at risk of going to jail. So I think I hope maybe there's a little bit of reef reviewing and revisiting that and the city is willing and I think we can be a really good full partner in making good decisions happen.
Unknown Speaker
I guess that was my that'd be my follow up question. Could you elaborate a little bit more on on that discussion between the county and the city and then how that's moving forward?
Unknown Speaker
Well, again, I look our doors are open. We've been trying to be around that table. Whether officially we're not welcomed at that table with because it is what it is. I don't think that's a good judgment. You know, the Bloomington Police Department is the larger us largest user group of the jail and they're not at the table, talking about the planning for the new jail. I don't think that's smart. I think we can be helpful. I think the community, the judges, the parole officers, the prosecutor, the sheriff all need to be around a table talking about not just the jail, but the whole community justice system, I think there's a lot of room to make good progress. It's complicated. It's difficult to understand that. But I think I think there's room for improvement. The idea that we need to start by saying we need a 25 acre site for a big new jail, I just think kind of has come at it backwards. I think we ought to lead with the services that we need to wrap around the jail and then figure out what kind of jail do we need after we invest in all those services.
Unknown Speaker
City Council's looking at three options for police fire headquarters, you hope council would approve purchase renovation of the CFC Plaza that's joined there to city hall, they want to look at all three options. Do any of those other options look appealing to you,
Unknown Speaker
Joe, they're really not valid, valuable, valid, viable options. I mean, there's the option is either we buy the showers building and move the police headquarters as well as the fire into there, which has terrific benefits to our community brings public safety into one roof where they work together better, it brings them into the city government roof, which where we work together, and it gives us plenty of room to expand. The other options just don't do that. So they're not on the table. From my perspective, I hope we'll move forward with that. We're very, very proud of our public safety services. You know, you've heard me say it again, we're the only city in the state with a nationally accredited police department and a top ranked fire department in the in the insurance ratings of safety. So we're really proud of them. And I think this is the next step to take them bring them together, more and more public safety is happening, kind of in between the sworn officers have police and fire with social workers and community service specialists and mobile integrated health services. And that's going to continue to grow. So I'm very hopeful that the council will support it, if they don't support it. We just we won't be able to do the kinds of things we need to do for our public safety going forward, I believe.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah. And I did see a chart that listed the cost and square footage to renovating the current space to move into CFC. And it was almost like the space doubled for CFC. And the cost was almost the same. But the police union prefers to upgrade the current station. What Why are they so concerned about moving to CFC?
Unknown Speaker
Right, the police leadership wants to move and they've made that clear. They think the values in that but some of the FOP the Fraternal Order, police does not always agree with some of these plans. My own view, I think they're they're kind of used to the culture of being their own department and having their own building. And I get that I just don't think that's the future. I think it's being better integrated with other public safety like fire. And it's being better integrated with city government, whether it's community and family resources, or building codes or planning and all those other things. So we respectfully disagree about that. But let me be clear, if and when we do move into the showers, which I hope will happen to the frontline officers, the Fraternal Order of Police will be right there as we design, how to make it the best police station we can. The alternatives are just not good. The current space they're in is not adequate. It's too small, it's old, it's dark, there's hardly any windows. We don't think rehabbing that makes sense and expanding next to it. Maybe would fix five years, but within five years, we're out of room again. So it's just not a good plan. From our perspective.
Unknown Speaker
One of the ask you about this new public policy, I believe, for anyone who wants to display public art, and it's a little bit more difficult. Now, this is also a court ordered process. So can you talk about what led up to this? And what's the new policy?
Unknown Speaker
Thanks for asking Joe. You know, the world of city government and public officials and the First Amendment and free speech can get complicated pretty quickly. So I won't pretend to try to get all of it. But But basically, the city. On the one hand, the city can sponsor speech ourselves in all kinds of ways we can. We can run conferences, we can put up public art, we can put up things that are the city speaking on behalf of all of us. And we can do that with a lot of flexibility. When you open up a space for what's called a public forum to let the public speak. We have to be extremely careful that we don't discriminate against different viewpoints. We can decide what kind of art we want to put up or what kind of conference we Want to say, but we can't if we open up a space for the public to speak in a public forum, you think like a speaker's forum. We can't tell people Oh, we don't, we don't agree with your your voice. So what this is trying to do is deal with public spaces that way. So the city, for example, can sponsor a Black Lives Matter mural as a city speech, we are we are affirmatively doing that, or we can do an arts mural. But if we say we're going to open up this wall to let everybody put murals up, we can't tell you what kind of mural you can put on. Well, that gets a little tricky in a street on a sidewalk. So this, this tries to set up process together. So if you want to do a public project like that, and put up a mural or sidewalk painting, or something you can apply, and we have a process for that now. And a court wanted to make sure we're balancing all that evenly. So it's tricky, but I think we're I think we're getting there.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I was reading words, but no speech words, letters, logos. So sorry, go ahead. No, no, no, I'm trying to to understand the difference there. So no speech words, letters, logos, but the BR BLM murals are still okay.
Unknown Speaker
Well, those are city speech, those BLM your I sponsored speech. And we're allowed to do that as the speaker as the city. But when we open it up to all other speakers, we have to be very careful. And there's, there's a different rule if it's a temporary like you think about sidewalk chalking, and all that we we don't really get into that last like temporary less than seven days. But but if you wanted to, if you wanted to paint a piece of art on a city street or a sidewalk, we can't let everybody do that willy nilly. And we're also trying to manage what does get put up that we can control? Enough to make it open. But but but workable. And again, it's pretty complicated. But the Board of Public Works, which is three city residences is in the middle of this, our lawyers, and we did have a court that told us you need to have more specific procedures. So that's what we've done.
Unknown Speaker
Since we begin a new year, what are you diving in with first, what are your high priorities right now?
Unknown Speaker
Well, you know, this public safety is critically important to improve police and fire headquarters, that's front and center, the 501 C three advancing the interest in the arts community, we had a big report that recommended we pursue a potential new Arts Incubator kind of like the mill but for artists so so that's front and center with us hope well, of course, is a huge project this year, where we're just getting ready to start the building of the infrastructure on our east, what we call phase one East you can see the hospital coming down, we expect to get ownership of the rest of that land this year. So all that all that's on our front plate, front burner, as well, as you know, all the other stuff that we do of making sure our parks are safe and well used and sanitation picked up. We're looking at some exciting new things I'll be talking about in the state of the city in just over a month. Joe, that'll kind of lay out some more details on all this too.
Unknown Speaker
That is something driving down Second Street and seeing all that Landau isn't it.
Unknown Speaker
It really hits you how much. Yeah, the new neighborhood in the downtown. I mean, it's an extraordinary opportunity. And we're excited about what the next years will bring for that.
Unknown Speaker
Well, that's all the time we had. Did you have any other special announcements or anything that you wanted to mention really quick?
Unknown Speaker
No, Joe, I just welcome everybody to 2023 We're excited about hopefully that, you know, we've learned how to get beyond the pandemic. I can't say we're through it, but to reopen and I appreciate everybody being back in Bloomington. We look forward to an exciting year ahead.
Unknown Speaker
Thank you very much. We'll see you next month.
Unknown Speaker
Thank you, Joe. Take care
