BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington Common Council is set to review a comprehensive legislative package at its upcoming November 4, 2026, regular session, covering major updates to housing density rules, fire safety codes, emergency funding, public safety infrastructure bonds, and a proposal to ban artificial superintelligence within city limits.
The meeting follows several summer sessions where council members debated high-profile community issues, including the seasonal vehicle closure of Kirkwood Avenue, which failed after a mayoral veto, and expanding local housing options.
Key Legislative Items for First Reading
The council’s November 4 agenda introduces several high-impact ordinances across zoning, fire enforcement, public finance, and emerging technologies:
- Housing Attainability & UDO Amendments (Ordinance 2026-31): Sponsored by Councilmember Hopi Stosberg, this legislation updates the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to align local rules with state legislation (House Bill 1001). The changes would expand the maximum size for attached and detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to up to 1,000 square feet. The ordinance also eases density and size restrictions for cottage home developments and eliminates the annual cap of 15 approved duplexes, alongside removing 150-foot spatial buffers between duplexes in R1, R2, and R3 residential zones. The Plan Commission forwarded the measure with a unanimous 5-0 favorable recommendation.
- Voluntary Annexations and Rezonings (Ordinances 2026-32 & 2026-33): The council will consider zoning map amendments for two properties seeking voluntary annexation into the city along South Johnson Avenue. Ordinance 2026-32 proposes zoning 0.77 acres at 222 S. Johnson Ave. as Mixed-Use Corridor (MC), while Ordinance 2026-33 seeks to assign a Residential Multifamily (RM) designation to 5.53 acres at 104 S. Johnson Ave. Both petitions carry 5-0 favorable recommendations from the Plan Commission.
- Overhaul of Fire Safety Codes & Emergency Funds (Ordinances 2026-35, 2026-36, & 2026-37): A trilogy of fire department measures aims to modernize Bloomington’s fire prevention regulations for the first time since 1997. Ordinance 2026-35 repeals and re-enacts Title 18 of the municipal code to adopt current state building codes, establish updated fee/fine structures, and clarify inspection authorities. Ordinance 2026-36 creates a dedicated, non-reverting Fire Department Community Fund to capture fee revenues for public education, equipment, and outreach, while Ordinance 2026-37 amends Title 14 to allow fire officials to directly issue citations for repeat false emergency alarms.
- Trades District Alley Vacations (Ordinance 2026-34): Petitioner Trades District Community Development, LLC (operated by Amplify Bloomington) is requesting the vacation of two 12-foot-wide platted, unimproved alley segments near West 11th Street and North Rogers Street to clear site impediments for future technology sector redevelopment.
- Elected Official Salaries for 2027 (Ordinance 2026-27): Recommended by a 2-1 vote of the Special Fiscal Committee, the ordinance fixes 2027 salaries for elected city officials by applying a 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), matching civil city staff. The proposed baseline figures set the Mayor’s salary at $149,953, the City Clerk’s at $94,926, and Council Members’ at $26,368. Councilmember Stosberg has filed two alternative amendments: Amendment 01 would distribute the total COLA pool evenly as a flat $1,152 increase for each role, while Amendment 02 would freeze salaries at 2026 levels.
Second Readings: Superintelligence Ban, Capital Bonds, and Development Standards
Three major measures return to the council floor for second readings and votes:
City_Council-20261104-Packet.pdf
- Prohibition of Superintelligence (Ordinance 2026-29): Sponsored by Councilmember Dave Rollo, the ordinance seeks to add Chapter 14.25 to the municipal code to ban the deployment or distribution of artificial general intelligence (AGI) or superintelligence within city limits. Citing existential hazards, loss of human control, and potential risks to municipal utilities and digital infrastructure, the draft establishes an “interim safety perimeter”. Under the proposed text, the ban could only be lifted if scientific consensus proves safety at a 99.9999% (“six nines”) certainty standard and 95% of Bloomington voters approve the technology in a local referendum. The ordinance would automatically expire 91 days after any future comprehensive state legislation. City_Council-20261104-Packet.pdf+ 4
- $6.87M General Obligation Bonds (Ordinance 2026-30): Introduced by Mayor Kerry Thomson’s administration, the bond ordinance authorizes up to $6,868,664 in General Obligation Bonds (with an additional appropriation authority up to $7,000,000 including interest earnings) to fund public safety and transportation projects. Key investments outlined by city staff include $2.5 million to replace a 7-year-old Bloomington Fire Department aerial platform ladder truck, $1.7 million for street safety and pedestrian enhancements along 10th Street between College and Park avenues, $1.5 million for signal modernization and corridor improvements at 3rd and Rogers/Madison streets, crosswalk safety projects, priority sidewalk and bikeway projects, and citywide intersection lighting upgrades. City_Council-20261104-Packet.pdf+ 4
- UDO Limited Compliance Adjustments (Ordinance 2026-23): Sponsored by Councilmember Stosberg, the petition modifies nonconforming site feature rules in the Unified Development Ordinance. It eases financial burdens on small businesses by raising thresholds for when building additions or parking lot alterations force an entire site into full UDO compliance. The Plan Commission recommended approval by a 7-0 vote. City_Council-20261104-Packet.pdf+ 4
Summer Session Recaps: Vetoes, Merit Commissions, and Surveys
Minutes slated for formal approval during the meeting highlight several pivotal decisions made over the summer:
- Carless Kirkwood Veto Stands: On June 10, the council initially passed Ordinance 2026-12 by a 5-4 vote to establish a seasonal, vehicle-free pedestrian zone on Kirkwood Avenue starting in April 2027. Following a mayoral veto by Mayor Thomson on June 19, a motion to override the veto failed on July 22 after a 4-4 tie vote (with members citing a desire for collaborative planning rather than adversarial mandates).
- Fire Merit Commission & Utility Reforms: On July 29, the council gave final approval to Ordinance 2026-15, amending Title 2 to formally incorporate the newly created Fire Merit Commission and adjust oversight responsibilities previously held by the Board of Public Safety. Earlier in June, the council also passed Ordinance 2026-13 regulating cash reserve fund deposits and utility-to-utility loans.
- Community Survey & Parking Rate Study: At the August 5 meeting, administration officials presented the 2026 Community Survey results alongside a comprehensive Parking Rate Study by Walker Consultants. Council members expressed concern over the survey’s low response rate (4–5%) and the exclusion of non-permanent IU student perspectives. The parking study recommended zone-based pricing, updated mobile license plate readers, and centralizing parking citation appeals—a suggestion City Clerk Nicole Bolden publicly pushed back against, defending the Clerk’s Office’s current efficient 3-day median appeal turnaround.
- Alcohol Permit District Rules: After tabling earlier draft guidelines, the council moved Ordinance 2026-18 forward on August 5 to establish formal local review criteria for issuing new non-quota three-way liquor permits made available under state Senate Bill 89.
Meeting Details & Public Access
The Common Council regular session will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers (Room 115) at City Hall, 401 N. Morton Street.
Members of the public may attend in person or participate remotely via Zoom (Meeting ID: 815 8723 7460, Passcode: 416696). Two dedicated public comment periods of up to three minutes per speaker are scheduled on the agenda. Meetings are broadcast live via Community Access Television Services (CATS) and the City’s official YouTube channel.
