Bloomington City Council

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.

The city council approved a separate measure supporting efforts to improve water department infrastructure, but did not approve algae treatment at Lake Bloomington.

Township supervisor Deb Skillrud says the program would provide temporary help to hundreds of families, who would be able to get between $200 and $500 per month — depending on the number of family members — for as long as funding is available.

A little more than two years after its creation, a Bloomington city commission has presented a final report of recommendations for improving community safety and reducing gun violence.