Author Archives: sgv
Hospitals, campuses and urban form
NYTimes.com yesterday ran a story about cities and health-care facilities: Plan for New Orleans Hospitals Draws Outcry. We’ve had our share of battles with our local hospital. But all the politics aside, one word keeps jumping out at me when … Continue reading
This week in Council: off
The Council won’t meet this week for its usual Committee of the Whole. We had only one item for First Reading at last week’s Regular Session. Anticipating the Thanksgiving holiday, we held a Committee of the Whole last week right … Continue reading
Coughing through Budget Week
David R. Grubb is back to visit us. It’s an unusual week here at City Council. Normally we meet Wednesday nights at 7:30, but¬†this week we’ve been hearing the proposal from each city department for the 2009 budget, so we’re … Continue reading
Welcome to the new site
Part of the reason I haven’t posted in almost a year was that I wanted to leave Blogger. But I wasn’t too familiar with better options. So not only did I stay, I sorta gave up. It happens. Now I’m … Continue reading
Two types of Council meetings, and the obscure difference between them
The Bloomington City Council meets weekly, on Wednesday nights at 7:30. While these meetings are always open to the public as a matter of course, how one gets to participate depends on what week of the month it is. Regular-strength … Continue reading
The chicken who came to Council to roost: FAQ
Yes, it’s true: I entered the Council Chambers after last week’s meeting began, and took my seat as an elected member of that august body…clad head-to-toe in a chicken suit, which I wore the entire meeting. The photo’s caption: “Chicken … Continue reading
Getting your questions asked in a Council meeting
I chaired the July 27th budget meeting, the last of four over four straight nights. There wasn’t a single public comment on any section of the budget, which we have been reviewing one department at a time. Virtually no member … Continue reading
Issue: Reopen 7th Street near Jordan Avenue
The portion of 7th Street just north of the Indiana University Auditorium (just west of Jordan Avenue) has been closed to all traffic for a couple of years now. It is being used as a staging area for construction trailers … Continue reading
Budget week 2006 (July 24-27)
Since the budget process went from five weeknights over two weeks to four straight weeknights over one week, the city budget hearings have coincided with the week of the Monroe County Fair. Monday and Tuesday nights were four hours each, … Continue reading
The new dawn of Hoosier Daylight Saving Time
Until early this morning, other states used to revolve around Indiana. The country changed its clocks twice a year; we didn’t because we were right on the time zone line geographically, and we’re a vertical state. After many years living … Continue reading