BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington Common Council will convene for a regular session at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, featuring a presentation on the city’s new brand strategy, key police title updates, and additional budget appropriations.
Communications Director Desiree DeMolina and consultant CivicBrand will present the “Bloomington City & Place Branding Report”. Following a 2016 Wage Growth Task Force recommendation, the city initiated a citywide place-branding effort in 2025, supported by a $95,000 contract with CivicBrand. Centered on the platform “Unlocking Potential,” the brand strategy incorporates a geographic ‘B’ icon and updated visual guidelines intended to boost economic development and retain young professionals.
The council will also consider several key pieces of legislation:
- Police Title Reclassifications (Ordinance 2026-19): Sponsored by Councilmember Dave Rollo, the ordinance updates Title 2 of the municipal code to align job titles with the 2027–2030 Fraternal Order of Police collective bargaining agreement. The changes replace “Senior Police Officer” with “Officer First Class” and “Officer First Class” with “Officer Second Class” to clarify rank hierarchy and align with state pension benchmarks, carrying an estimated $450,000 fiscal impact for retirement fund contributions over four years.
- Public Works Appropriation (Appropriation Ordinance 2026-01): Re-appropriates $134,139 from the Parking Meter Fund for milling, resurfacing, and ADA upgrades to parking lots 1, 3, and 5. The action follows the revocation of a previous contract after the initial low bidder requested a price increase and withdrew; the second-lowest bidder, DC Construction Services, will perform the work for $149,483, with existing budgets absorbing the cost difference.
- Housing and Sustainability Amendments (Ordinance 2026-20): Introduces Unified Development Ordinance updates recommended 6-2 by the Plan Commission pursuant to Council Resolution 2026-05 to promote housing affordability and environmental sustainability.
Additional agenda items include collective bargaining agreement resolutions for the Fraternal Order of Police (Resolution 2026-15) and Local 586 Firefighters (Resolution 2026-16), alongside reports from Mayor Kerry Thomson and council committees. The meeting takes place in Council Chambers at City Hall and will be accessible remotely via Zoom and broadcast on CATS.
