~ Bloomington City Officials Address Recent Media Coverage

The City of Bloomington has always prioritized open and transparent communication with its community. In light of recent media coverage, the city would like to address certain details to ensure accuracy and clarity.

During a segment of WFIU/WTIU's "Ask the Mayor," Mayor Kerry Thomson responded to a question from Dave Askins, editor of B Square Bulletin, regarding the five-month turnaround time for a public records request. The request was for exhibits admitted into evidence during an annexation trial.

In her response, Mayor Thomson aimed to provide context for why fulfilling records requests can sometimes take time. However, after the segment aired, Mr. Askins requested further clarification on the matter.

It was revealed that the Mayor had mistakenly referred to a "complete transcription" request, confusing it with depositions that had already been submitted as evidence. The original request only pertained to records that were already on file.

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While the Mayor mentioned redactions in her response, it was later confirmed that no redactions were applied to the city's response to this request. However, as part of their review process, city staff did evaluate the documents for any personally identifiable information. Fortunately, none was found. This thorough process, combined with other staff responsibilities, contributed to the five-month timeline for fulfilling the request.

In addition to this issue, recent reports have stated that the Downtown Maintenance and Infrastructure Improvement Project was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). However, it has been clarified that this project was actually funded using one-time allocations from the former Community Revitalization Enhancement District (CRED).

The City acknowledges that these projects may have caused inconvenience and disruption in timing but emphasizes their long-term benefits for accessibility, safety, and infrastructure. Due to factors such as school schedules and high traffic volumes, swift action was necessary in order to take advantage of available funding and complete construction within a short season.

The City of Bloomington values its ongoing collaboration with residents and the media and is grateful for the opportunity to clarify these matters. For further details, interested parties can contact comms@bloomington.in.gov or the Mayor's office at 812-349-3406.

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