The Monroe County Council has approved a draft interlocal agreement outlining a plan for the county convention center expansion.
Councilors unanimously voted in favor of the revised agreement Tuesday, almost exactly three months after former Bloomington mayor John Hamilton and city council members first signed the previous draft.
Revised Draft Interlocal:
The document requires signatures from the mayor, city council members, county council members, and the county commissioners to go into effect.
Since the document has been altered, it must go back to the mayor’s office and the city council for approval again. Mayor Kerry Thomson and several new council members took office in January.
The commissioners have not yet signed the document. They are likely to decide whether they'll do so at their next meeting Feb. 21.
Although the document could still be changed before finalized, county council members expressed optimism after voting Tuesday.
“There’s a sense of elation and excitement that we’re finally voting on this after all this waiting,” said council member Peter Iversen. “I cannot speak for my city colleagues or my county commissioner colleagues, but I’m pretty sure people are really excited to get this passed and to expand the convention center.”
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County officials were hesitant to sign the agreement in November over concerns about appointments to the Convention Visitors Commission, which oversees expenditures of Inkeeper’s Tax revenues.
Indiana Code requires the commission to consist of five members — three appointed by the county council and two appointed by the county commissioners.
Under the previous draft interlocal, one of the county council appointees would have been selected from a list of four candidates nominated by the city council. County officials felt that limited their choices.
Former Draft Interlocal:
That language has since been removed.
County Attorney Molly Turner-King said the revision was made because Indiana Code already lists specific requirements for commission appointments, which the county legal department felt was sufficient.
“In essence, we would be following the statutes,” Turner-King said. “That was the major change from previous drafts.”
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Commissioners previously said they were concerned the document did not specify how many people would serve on or who would make appointments to a city nonprofit building corporation that will issue debt and own property on the city’s behalf.
Turner-King told WFIU/WTIU News Indiana Code also addresses those questions.
She also said county legal representatives the city has already been made aware of the changes through discussions between city and county legal representatives.
It’s unclear when the mayor or city council members will decide whether to sign the revised document.
