In this week's installment of Ask The Mayor, Indiana Newsdesk's Joe Hren visits Bloomington's Mark Kruzan at City Hall. The mayor takes your questions and gives us an update on Indiana Statehouse legislation, parking meter changes and the downtown tech park.
Listen to their full conversation above. Here are some highlights:
Hren: You've joined other mayors opposing legislation that would repeal the state's 80 year old Common Construction Wage Law. If passed, wages would be determined by the free market, why do you oppose the repeal?
Kruzan: The argument is it's saving tax payer money and I guess the big question is at what cost. I think it's dangerous to believe just because you have the lowest bid you've got the best bid and this puts some protections in for the quality of work that gets done, the apprentice programs - although there were some efforts to amend some of those back in, are important to make sure you get the best qualified labor building public projects.
Bridges - we all know what happens when something goes wrong with bad construction. And also, taking away middle level wages from people and eroding the income base of a community.
Hren: It's been a couple weeks since the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been amended and signed into law, is Bloomington hurting from the controversy surrounding the act?
Kruzan: I think it does have an impact on people who are proud to be Hoosiers. It's something we won't know what the impact is in some ways. We haven't heard of formal cancellations. But you don't know who might not even take a look coming to your state, your community because of what happened.
Hren: Are the downtown parking meter changes coming soon?
Kruzan: Generally we're heading to reduced hours. It's likely the convenience fee will be eliminated. The $0.30 fee for using a credit card. And I think we'll get to a point we can use Park Mobile, when you park you start the meter and when you leave you stop it. My preference is they (city council) get this done during the summer time, and have everything in place before the semester begins.
