The Bloomington City Council is continuing to look at potential budget cuts from a task force report. They include changes affecting the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, bulk and solid waste pickup, and downtown policing.
Mayor Tari Renner says the majority of aldermen do not support selling the BCPA. "There seems to be a very strong commitment on the council to further operations at the BCPA," Renner says. Some alternatives to a sale include combining management functions with the Coliseum, attracting a wider variety of performers, and getting rid of the Creativity Center.
The council is also discussing charging $20 for picking up a first bucket of bulk waste with $40 for each additional bucket for a single residential stop. Renner said Aldermen are nowhere near agreement on the bulk waste package yet. "We were divided on solid waste, once again, 4-4." Alderwoman Amelia Buragas was absent and did not cast an advisory vote at the work session. Renner said a measure could be put in place, but that hinges on a tiebreak from Buragas. "The City Manager will be putting together a proposal, possibly, on solid waste, depending on what Alderwoman Buragas' position is on that."
Aldermen are looking at finding a way to adequately fund peak time downtown police protection in the extra duty hire back program. Several council members favor increasing liquor license fees to pay for the $130,000 shortfall in the program. Alderwoman Diana Hauman, who originally favored exploring that option, says she no longer thinks that's necessary. "They're paying another two percent over and above the regular sales tax, the food and beverage tax, so, to my mind, we're already getting some of that back through the extra tax that they pay." She says having more police is part of making downtown a destination and the city should subsidize the program.
City Manager David Hales will present a draft budget proposal next month. Before that, city staff will audit the BCPA and a public hearing will be held at the liquor commission to allow the council to get more public input on the downtown policing proposal.