The Bloomington Common Council heard budget proposals for 2025 from its Economic and Sustainable Development Department on Tuesday night.
Jane Kupersmith is the department’s director. She said its goals for the coming year include formalizing an economic development strategy, improving climate resilience, growing the arts economy, and strengthening the local business ecosystem.
Part of its economic strategy adds a capital projects manager position and is about $111,000 of the department’s proposed budget. The new position would oversee projects like Hopewell– the neighborhood set for development on the old downtown hospital site.
"This role is cross functional and outward facing," Kupersmith said. "This position would both increase internal capacity and lower contracted project management costs."
The budget, $7.5 million, is $858,000 less than the year before because of the end to American Rescue Plan funds.
Kupersmith said rising cost of living in Bloomington make it increasingly difficult for artists to live and work in Bloomington, despite it being a key piece of the local economy.
To address this, the department is launching a pilot program to fund affordable studio space and performance venue.
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The the city's Parks and Recreation Department also presented its proposed budget, which is about $200,000 less than the year before.
Tim Street, the Parks and Recreation Department administrator, said it plans to keep spending level before completing a new five-year Master Plan.
Street added security is an essential service for the department currently.
"I really want to shout out to our staff that are so dedicated that clean up messes and take care of graffiti on a daily basis," he said. "I want to be careful not to conflate this entirely with street homelessness. Of course, there is some correlation, but there's also people who just behave poorly, and that is a part of it too."
Street says around $400,000 of the department’s more than $12 million budget next year will go to security.
