Council Member Rivas declined to make a motion to reconsider the previously approved use agreement at Dar Al-Farooq after reviewing resident feedback, saying he had not received enough requests to bring it back. The mayor confirmed the council's original decision from two weeks prior stands and will not be reconsidered.
Council Member Nelson highlighted a previously discussed R1 zoning project moving forward after resolving concerns about density, private roads, and private sewers with staff, the developer, and nearby residents; the project's density was noted as nearly identical to adjacent River Crest townhomes. The council approved the associated motions 7-0.
The council unanimously (7-0) adopted a resolution awarding the sale of General Obligation Sewer Revenue Bonds Series 2026C, with JP Morgan winning the bid among eight bidders at a 3.93% interest rate over a 20-year term. The project, in planning since 2012, received a boost after the city secured $4 million in state bonding funds, reducing the bond amount from an original ~$24.6 million estimate; officials credited Bloomington's legislative delegation for securing the funding.
Following a public hearing, the council voted 7-0 to adopt ordinances raising commercial franchise fees (non-demand up $110/month, demand up $17/month, larger commercial/industrial up $18/month) while keeping residential rates flat; the increase covers 2027 and follows a three-year gap since the last increase in 2023. A resident, identified as Matthew Howitt, criticized the fee structure during public comment, arguing utility companies posting record profits should bear the cost rather than passing it to ratepayers; Council Member Dalisandro agreed the pass-through issue lies with state legislature/PUC rules, not the city.
The council voted 7-0 to rezone the property from FD2 (Freeway Development) to B1 (Neighborhood Office) to permit a small spa/salon retail tenant occupying about 6% of floor space, within B1's 25% retail cap; the change is consistent with the site's office land-use guide plan. Staff noted a proposed coffee shop at the site would still require a separate city code change since restaurants aren't allowed under B1 zoning.
Fire Chief Julie Seal and Deputy Chief Jay Forester presented 2025-2026 data showing average call-to-arrival time of about 9 minutes versus the department's 7:30 goal, with some districts (2 and 6) exceeding 10 minutes; multi-unit effective response force times were far above target (23-44 minutes). The department currently has 40 of 48 full-time firefighter positions filled plus 62 part-time firefighters, and is proposing to hire toward a long-term goal of 78 full-time/75 part-time staff by 2032, with new fire station construction and temporary bunk housing at stations 5 and 6 in the interim; officials cited a fatal 2025 incident, 11 injuries from a lithium battery fire, and one civilian fire fatality in 2025.
