A modified plan for the first phase of Bloomington’s downtown streetscape project sparked a lengthy discussion during Monday’s city council meeting.
“It’s something that’s going to pay generational dividends, so I very much strongly support this plan,” said council member Cody Hendricks, noting a majority of the improvements in the project address infrastructure.
“A significant part of this is stuff that we need to be doing, have to be doing, should have been doing already,” added council member Mollie Ward. “This isn’t ‘nice to have;’ this is essential.”
The reworked agreement to upgrade the 300-600 blocks of North Main Street as part of the “Downtown for Everyone” streetscape initiative totals $13.2 million, after the original bid from Stark Excavating came in at $18.6 million.
“It’s a big number, it is a big reduction,” said Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus. “And we did it in a way that we tried to identify reductions that would not cheapen the project or reduce it from what people expected.”
Factoring the cost of the city bringing some of the project work in-house, the total savings on the new plan is projected at $4.8 million. Tyus put the value of the in-house labor from the parks and recreation and public works departments at $700,000.
The council voted unanimously to approve the only regular business agenda item during the 90-minute meeting. However, council member Sheila Montney raised concerns about whether moving forward with new projects comes at the expense of neglecting other areas that need to be addressed.
“We really need to inventory all of the deferred maintenance that we have and that we can project to come into the near future,” said Montney. “Everything that we do has an opportunity cost, and we need to start thinking about things and evaluating things with opportunity cost also in mind.”
Monday’s council action included four resolutions, beginning with the $13.2 million pact with Stark — with $9.5 million coming from the general fund and $2 million through a state grant. Stormwater, sewer and water enterprise funds account for the rest.
The second resolution amends a utility maintenance agreement with George Gildner Inc., to include an additional $550,000 for vault remediation. The third approves a $195,200 professional services agreement with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, and the fourth amends a previous agreement with CMT for lead service line replacement at a cost not to exceed $32,000.
Tyus said some of the changes in the new agreement are “scope adjustments” that will result in $1.7 million in savings.
“We think we were able to get to a place where we were able to reduce costs enough to where this is something that we can afford,” he said.
Tyus said construction on the first phase of the streetscape project will start in the second half of this year, with some of the preliminary work possibly beginning as soon as next month.
Market Street garage
In an item pulled from the consent agenda by Hendricks, the council voted 6-3 to approve a contract for monthly inspections and development of a hazard mitigation plan for the deteriorating Market Street parking garage.
While the approved contract is for $80,000, City Manager Jeff Jurgens said ultimately the repair work “is likely to exceed six figures.” That fact didn’t sit well with some council members.
“I just feel like this is just throwing good money after bad, and we’ll be right back where we are in another year, another six months, whatever it is. And I just can’t support that,” said Ward, who was joined by Montney and Mike Straza in voting “no.”
Tyus told the council the city currently is leasing 250 spots in the garage that is expected to be razed next year to make way for a Connect Transit transfer station.
“The ultimate goal was to get this into early 2026, when hopefully we will have an agreement in place with Connect Transit and other parking options available,” said Jurgens. “Right now, we don’t have site control over anywhere close to 250 parking places or the number that they may need.”
Partnership against human trafficking
The second of two proclamations recognized Bloomington’s certification as the first city in Illinois selected as a “Partner in Peace” with the Peoria-based Center for Prevention of Abuse for its efforts to stop human trafficking.
“The subject of human trafficking, though difficult, is one that demands our unwavering attention, collective resolve and proactive action as public servants and as members of an engaged community,” said CFPA Executive Director Carol Merna. “The city of Bloomington has risen to the occasion.”
Merna noted that more than 75% of city staff has completed comprehensive human trafficking awareness training, and that Bloomington has implemented an anti-trafficking policy.
“We are now partnered by a common goal, and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to offer hope and restoration to all those impacted by this crime,” she said.
The other proclamation acknowledged July as Parks and Recreation Month.
Other business
A public hearing was held for the 2024 program year Community Development Block Grant performance evaluation.
Community Impact and Enhancement Director Cordaryl Patrick said the city used more than half of its $700,000 allocation on housing rehabilitations, with other funding directed at public services and infrastructure upgrades such as sidewalk improvements on the city’s west side.
No community residents spoke during the public hearing.
Items approved as part of the consent agenda include:
- Entering an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Normal, McLean County, and the Illinois State University Police Department on a new electronic court case management system;
- Separate collective bargaining agreements with the unions representing police sergeants and lieutenants, and library staff;
- Authorizing the purchase of bulk rock salt totaling as much as $504,000 for the 2026 fiscal year;
- Allocating $500,000 in motor fuel tax funding for street lighting maintenance and improvement;
- Spending $407,000 to buy seven new trucks for the Public Works Department, and declaring the trucks being replaced as “surplus” to give the city authority to sell them at auction;
- Approving a $114,000 contract for new police uniform shirts and pants.
In his regular report, Jurgens said he authorized an emergency demolition contract to tear down the Reconcile Church on East Mulberry Street following a roof collapse over the weekend.
“We’re actively working with the owner of the property and their insurance company to help determine coverage and next steps, but we do anticipate this is going to be a costly demo and repair,” he said.
