On Wednesday night, the transportation committee within Bloomington city council couldn't agree on the terms of Appropration Ordinance 20-02:
- Appropriate $900,000 from the Local Income Tax (LIT) Special Distribution Fund to match an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) grant for the Sare Road Multiuse Path and Intersection Improvements Project.
- Transfer $1,731,205 from the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund (MVH) to the MVH-Resctricted Fund as suggested by the State to better track and manage highway projects.
- Transfer $386,000 in the Cumulative Capital Development Fund from Category 2 (Supplies) to Category 4 (Capital) to provide funds for the College Mall Road paving project.
The committee was pleased with the plan to improve the intersection for the Sare Road Multiuse Path, but there were disagreements on the moving of funds for the College Mall Road project.
“I’m apprehensive with this project because it feels like we are again putting our dollars toward improving roads for cars and not looking at improving our street system for our people on bikes and for people walking," councilmember Kate Rosenbarger says.
Several other committee members were interested in knowing if the project could include a bike lane.
“I will say that for some portions of the road that could be possible, but for other existing portions it’s not wide enough to keep the same number of travel lanes and install a bicycle lane," project manager Neil Kopper says.
Kopper says if the city were to change the striping on the road and add plastic bollards for a bike lane it would cost an additional $50,000.
The city says it still wants to proceed with the repaving of College Mall Road as planned because it’s the most efficient way to keep the road in good shape before it gets even worse.
“College Mall was last paved I think 20 years ago, so it’s really starting to crack and deteriorate," director of street operations Joe VanDeventer says.
With the concern for adding a bike lane, the transportation committee failed to come to an agreement.
Appropriation Ordinance 20-02 will now go to the common council next week as a neutral recommendation that will need further clarification before it's approved.
The council administration committee also met Wednesday night to introduce a new staff positon within the city’s Information and Technologies Service Department.
The new position is for a Network and Security Administrator who will be in charge of the city’s cybersecurity across all networks.
“I think IT security is much needed, especially during this crisis where we’re constantly using online networks,” council president Steve Volan says.
The new position will be compensated $88,000 per year and cost the city $44,000 for the remainder of 2020.
Both Ordinance 20-08 and Appropriate Ordinance 20-02 will be discussed further by city council on Wednesday, May 20.
