Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson, joined by Bloomington City Council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith, speaks to a crowd of people Monday at Summit Elementary School.
(Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News)
Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson is collecting feedback directly from the city’s residents at meetings called “Traveling Town Halls.”
Thomson and District 1 city council representative Isabel Piedmont-Smith talked with residents in an open forum Monday at Summit Elementary School.
It was the first of several of these meetings already scheduled for later in Thomson’s first year as mayor. A traveling town hall will be held in each of the city’s six districts.
Thomson said she organized the meetings as part of her goal to make government more accessible to the entire city.
“Whether they're in (your) district or not, all are welcome to come to these town halls,” Thomson said. “We're just moving them around to make sure that we get in every different location that we can throughout the city.”
Thomson speaks with WFIU/WTIU News after the Monday town hall. (Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News)
Residents brought up issues as specific as sidewalks and speed bumps in their neighborhood to ones as comprehensive as homelessness and public safety.
Bill Henderson, who lives near undeveloped lane adjacent to the B-Line Trail, said there are about nine unhoused people staying there.
“I'm telling you: I feel a lot less safe than I used to,” Henderson said. “I realize this is part of a systemic problem (…) that said, I would like some assurances.”
Bill Henderson voices his concerns at the town hall. (Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News)
Others say they feel less safe at public parks because of nearby encampments. Thomson said public spaces must be accessible to everyone — but encampments aren’t safe for anyone.
She added there’s no perfect solution to addressing homelessness but said residents must feel safe in their neighborhoods and in public spaces.
“I am committed to finding the path of as much dignity as possible to ensure that we can commit to people that we have a roof for people to sleep under, at night,” Thomson said. “When we move a camp, my goal would be … we can say, ‘Here is a place that you can sleep, and it has supportive services.’”
Thomson says that’s not currently the case, but she is working on solutions with faith leaders and social services organizations.
Last month, Thomson announced she and local churches are partnering to open a shelter for unhoused individuals to stay during colder months.
The city has removed two encampments since Thomson took office in January — one from a city-owned lot on the southwest side, and another from behind the Wheeler Mission on the west side.
Residents also brought up issues including housing affordability, transportation and the convention center expansion project.
Pauly Tarricone, a resident and member of the Bloomington Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Commission, wanted to know more about Thomson’s stance on land use, housing and transportation.
“There's a lot of us that just kind of don't know what to expect,” Tarricone said. “I think building enough housing is crucial to actually making housing more affordable, semi-regardless of whether it's affordable or market rate.”
Pauly Tarricone provides comments at the town hall. (Lucas González, WFIU/WTIU News)
Thomson said the city needs the “full spectrum of housing,” which includes building more housing and preserving the affordability of existing housing as much as possible.
The city is currently transforming the former IU Health Bloomington Hospital site, called the future Hopewell neighborhood. The city envisions a mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood — but one resident said he’s concerned many of the units will not be affordable to most residents.
Thomson said it will be a challenge to figure out how to keep the new units affordable. She added developers have expressed interest in the project, and she is investigating what funding sources the city can use.
She added there’s a lot to be done but wants to start by hearing from residents on what’s important to them.
“In addition to these town halls, we’re looking at ways — through technology and other ways — that we can make ourselves available,” Thomson said. “But really, there’s no substitute for showing up in person.”
The next town hall be in April and focus on a specific topical issue. The city hasn't announced the topic, date and location.
