Bloomington mayor John Hamilton's last show before his term ends. We get an update on the administration transition, police station sale, interlocal agreement stalemate and more.
In this week’s installment of Ask The Mayor, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton addresses these issues and more during a visit to The Mill, just north of city hall. Listen to the full conversation with Indiana Newsdesk anchor Joe Hren by clicking on the play button above, or read some of the questions and answers below. A portion of this segment airs 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on WFIU. Here are some highlights.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hren: We are on location for our final show with mayor Hamilton, at The Mill in the Trades District, the largest co-working space in southern Indiana, how important is this area to the economy of Bloomington?
Hamilton: It's been a tech park for a long time, we've actually had a number of buildings. The first one was actually low income housing, B-Line Heights, which opened up to help more people live in this area, then The Mill opened. And now we've got next door, The Kiln which is getting remodeled, and the administration building has been remodeled is on the market, and the big economic development administration, federally supported building is under construction across the way, and another facility with potentially a hotel is looking at it, but it really is part of the bigger ecosystem of Bloomington jobs where things like Catalent, which came to town a few years ago and added a couple 1000 jobs and Baxter which has also been invested more than billions of dollars invested in Baxter.
So it's really transforming Bloomington economy. I remind people, we made the first color television in America. And we made the last color television in America. And we have to keep evolving.
Read more: Why some Bloomington streetlights are turning blue
Hren: We really appreciate you being on the show. We know not every mayor has to do this show. But we do appreciate it.
Hamilton: Joe, I hope you won't cut this. But I do want you to know, what you do is really important. Democracy is people power. That's what it means. And people need to understand what's going on, know that they can ask questions and get in and you help so much every week to get the word out. It's really important. I thank you for doing it. And I hope you'll keep doing it and that successors in this seat will too.
Hren: Let's get an update with the current transition, you said it was going well a month ago, then we reported on the letter that mayor elect Kerry Thomson wrote asking you please not to make strategic decisions, contracts. What's going on?
Hamilton: It's very good. We're meeting regularly, my deputy mayor meets weekly regularly with them. And then I know there are meetings going on between the new controller and the lawyers and the different folks. So that's happening. I've met with Kerry at some length, and continue to work with her now. We have to continue to do our work and she'll have the torch passed to her on the first.
Hren: So when why did Thomson send that letter?
Hamilton: Have to say I'm not really sure. We were talking a lot. I was surprised by the letter. I tried to call Kerry. I've been trying to meet with her for a couple of months. And so we finally got the meetings going and I'm glad... and the letter was a little bit of a surprise. But we've been working closely with her her team.
Hren: The issue seems to be the relocation of the police and fire headquarters to the Showers building. Is that getting the kind of attention it needs to move forward?
Hamilton: That project which is to bring the police headquarters and the fire administration together in a public safety headquarters and then put it with city hall has been important to me. And it was important to city council. Now there were definitely people who didn't agree with that. And there's been some issues still of concern about that. I do hope it happens. It'll certainly be up to the next administration to implement that. But the bonds have been sold, the building has been bought. The contracts are ready to sign to rehab, the building. We got good bids about a week ago. So everything is teed up to go.
Read more: Redevelopment Commission puts Showers contracts on hold
Hren: So part of that is your proposal to sell the current police station. But we've reported on the relatives of the original owner of the land are speaking out against it saying it would breach a deed because it was donated to the city at some point. So why is this all coming out right now?
Hamilton: They've been really, really wonderful supporters of the city. Many of those families are names that people would recognize in their ancestors who gave land and lots of support to the city, we deeply appreciate that. Now the actual Third Street park now Walden Hill Buskirk Park has been that park for more than 60 years, it hasn't changed, and we're not changing it.
I do wish I had talked to folks a year earlier, we didn't have all the detailed information that we should have but we continue to be confident that the sale of that police headquarters is legal and is appropriate. We're using the proceeds of that to buy another public building and we're not changing the park one square inch. But I think conversations will move that forward in the months ahead and the next administration will take that on. As the police move, that building will empty. And it makes no sense to keep it empty.
Hren: So last time we talked about the convention center interlocal agreement, you said it was good, ready to go. You said there was collaboration on it. And then it got to county council and the county commissioners and both boards put a halt to it. What's going on?
Hamilton: That's a little surprise to me too, the city and the county negotiated a detailed interlocal agreement over probably two months, and we got the negotiating parties both signed off, our city council approved it, I signed it within a day or two. And frankly, I won't say frustrated because I'm leaving soon, but it should have been approved by the county by now. And I hope it will be soon. It's a good agreement. It's what we negotiated.
Read more: Monroe County commissioners postpone convention center agreement
Hren: What have you learned about your hometown residents as being mayor during your eight years?
Hamilton: I've been a resident here for a long time, I was born in Bloomington and when one person described being mayor as being everyone's neighbor, you're like the neighbor to everyone in the community, which means you get to know what they care about. You to know what they worry about. You get to know what they hope for.
One of the great things about this job is you get to try to help people accomplish their goal, create more opportunity for people, create more success for people in Bloomington. Bloomington is a high ambition community. We are not as diverse as we think we are sometimes. And we need to really work hard on being a more inclusive community. So I do think that's one dissonance, one difference between how we see ourselves perhaps, and how others see us. But it's a great community, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
Read more: Protesters Shut Down Hamilton's State Of The City Address
Hren: I remember one of your State of the City addresses talking about the string of pearls, from Switchyard Park all the way down to where we're sitting today at the Trades District. Did you meet the your goals?
Hamilton: There were four as you mentioned, and three of them, I feel very confident - we are on the right tracks. The Trades District being very active and moving forward and Hopewell, the 24 acres of the hospital designed master plan, we are working with developing. The fourth is the convention center. So I'm crossing my fingers and I'm hopeful.
I'm very excited about the Bloomington momentum, not just in that string of pearls, but also 6000 new units of housing have been built. We need room for more people, that's one way to lower the cost - 1400 units of affordable housing designated a 20 fold increase in the speed of that. So I am excited about that. And I think I feel very good of what we've accomplished. I didn't expect a pandemic. I didn't know, in my view, we would have the worst president we've ever had that challenged us. Climate change has been very significant had some some big challenges, but I think we've met them.
I'm very proud of the digital infrastructure that I think will change this community for the better. And I'm really proud too of a lot of the basics, the financial infrastructure that we built, a strong revenue, strong surplus, the physical infrastructure that we've invested in the streets and the water system and the bus system, the climate responsibility.
Hren: What does 2024 see for you?
Hamilton: Oh, well, I don't know for sure. Except my wife I expect will continue to be working in Washington DC. So I'm going to spend quite a bit of time with her and relax a little bit and I'm not looking for next full time gig but I do expect I'll get involved in things I care about and try to advance the cause in different ways, but more in a supportive of her and in kind of some smaller, piecemeal work.
Joe, I appreciate the chance to talk with you. A lot of good willed people make it happen. And I hope people remember to lean into democracy. Our governments belong to us. They're really important helping us achieve our objectives and from local to state to national, even international government. Let's keep making them work better, and get involved to do so.
