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Thomson delivers second State of the City Address

By Joe Hren

Posted April 4, 2025

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson (Joe Hren, WFIU/WTIU News)

The fire department will be fully staffed by September and the police department has the biggest onboarding of new officers in two decades.

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson gave her second State of the City Address Thursday night at the John Waldron Arts Center.

The fire and police departments have been struggling with staffing and wages for years.

Chief Mike Diekhoff and other city officials spoke as well throughout the evening. Diekhoff said upgrades in pay, benefits, and training led to the retention of new officers.

“And as we strengthen our first responder teams, we must also provide appropriate and adequate facilities. That’s why the city is prioritizing a new headquarters for BPD. One that is built to last," Diekhoff said.

The city is recommending renovating a building located on south Rogers Street near the new Hopewell neighborhood.

Read more: Ask the Mayor on WFIU

Fire Chief Roger Kerr said its Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program is the first in the country to receive telemedicine kits. The kits enable real time medical assessments for faster diagnoses.

Human Resources Director Dr. Sharr Pechac said an employee reset was necessary to retain city staff.

“Paygrades had become stagnant and job descriptions hadn’t been updated and reviewed in years," Pechac said. "Our hiring process didn’t consider experience, education, or increasing work loads of our employees.”

She said the city had talent and the drive, but not the tools or support.

Thomson used the second half of her address to show how local experts developed a clear, community driven, data informed response to street homelessness.

“The plan is already in motion and strikes the right balance between immediate action and long term strategy," she said. "It prioritizes coordinated outreach so people don’t fall through the cracks.”

She said it aims to increase affordable housing with secure services to prevent exits back into homelessness.

Thomson also noted the partnership with the county on the convention center expansion and $2.5 million spent on downtown streets and sidewalk improvements.