Bloomington City Council

The Bloomington City Council ultimately voted 8-1 to authorize spending up to $120,000 on 145 new Walther PDP handguns for the police department.

Bloomington residents and businesses can no longer possess or sell the herbal substance kratom and synthetic alternatives, following action taken by the city council.

According to a staff memo to the city council, the city cites an FDA advisory that kratom can cause liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. It’s also been linked to deaths in rare cases, primarily in combination with other drugs.

Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said the downtown business community largely drove the city decision to scale back on First Friday promotional events. The city will now pick its spots to promote First Fridays, tied to happenings such as the Route 66 Festival, Tour du Chocolat, or holiday programs.

The City of Bloomington is making adjustments to regulations governing sidewalks and storefront doorways in portions of the downtown area, potentially allowing some businesses to expand their entry areas.

WGLT talks to Bloomington residents and city council members about the city's new approach to property maintenance issues, as well as how things work across town in Normal.

The Bloomington City Council approved the levy amount for the current fiscal year, as well as a nearly $7 million levy amount for the Bloomington Public Library.

The City of Bloomington is taking a more proactive approach to property maintenance enforcement, shifting away from the current model that primarily works off complaints from residents.

The city council will vote Monday on a request to resume free, every-other-week curbside bulk waste pickup starting in January. Additional bulk waste would cost an extra $30 per bucket.

The City of Bloomington intends to set its 2025 property tax levy at $25.3 million, an increase of $3 million over the previous year.