Sturbaum said he opted to donate when challenged, then promptly dumped a cup of ice water over his head in the council chambers to end his remarks.
The city council met Wednesday night to hear new ordinance proposals.
The city’s Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan was required to be updated. The act prohibits federal and state governments from discriminating against disabled citizens.
The updated plan proposed fixing city facilities that did not meet the guidelines in a survey created by the City’s Council for Community Accessibility and Barbara McKinney, the City’s ADA coordinator and Bloomington Human Rights Commission Director. IU students were hired to conduct the survey.
The most necessary changes are to 177.93 miles of city sidewalk, said Vince Caristo, bicycle and pedestrian planner.
Sidewalks were assessed on a block-by-block level and judged by standards established in the ADA, he said.
The cost to repair the sidewalks are estimated to be more than $16 million, which totals $18 to $34 per liner foot of sidewalk.
Additionally, sections of 21 Bloomington park facilities were also deemed inaccessible.
Indiana requires cities to update their ADA Transition Plans to receive transportation funding.
The plan also estimates to improve 146 curb ramps this year and 428 next year.
Another ordinance read at Tuesday night’s hearing would exempt three historic districts from requiring residents to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness when changing exterior paint color of a building located in that district. State law requires the exception for paint color in a city’s ordinance.
Residents in McDoel, Prospect Hill and and Garden Hill would be able to paint their homes whichever color they desire without seeking government permission.
Tax abatements for a new downtown construction project were also proposed.
Elmore Y Orrego, LLC, hopes to demolish a one-story building at its 304 W. Kirkwood Ave. property and build a four-story residential and commercial building project. The project, Cornerstone Headquarters, will be designed to target professional adults, coordinator Danise Alano-Martin said.
According to the City Council legislative packet, founder D.G. Elmore is founder and CEO of travel agency technology support company Cornerstone Information Systems. It was founded in Bloomington in 1992.
The project is estimated to cost $14.6 million and create 77 jobs.
