The meeting, which took place Wednesday night, included an official public hearing for the 2016 municipal public budget.
This marks the second reading of the city budget. The final decisions for the 2016 budget will be made in a special session Oct. 14.
The council at whole unanimously approved new salary agreements for the Bloomington Police Department and Bloomington Fire Department.
Under three- and four-year agreements, the proposal states firefighters will receive a 1.5 percent salary increase. Police officers will receive a 1.25 percent salary increase in 2016.
Deputy Mayor Adam Wason said the police pay will also increase by 1.5 percent in 2017 and 1.75 percent in 2018.
The police chief and fire chief will receive a 2-percent increase, as proposed for the city council’s non-union employees.
Elected officials will also receive a two percent increase.
AFSCME union employees will, according to another budget proposal, receive a 1-percent raise, and non-union employees will receive a 2-percent raise.
Doris Sims, the director of the city’s Human Resources department, also read to the council that, as part of a budget proposal, the Records Archivist position in the city clerk’s office will be removed at the end of the year.
The city expects to save more than $31,500 after eliminating the position.
Lew May of Bloomington Transit informed the council that September’s public transport use reached record-breaking numbers.
About 426,000 Bloomington residents took the buses in September, May said, possibly the highest-ever monthly total.
Bloomington public transit broke its daily record Aug. 24, the first day of the fall semester, with nearly 21,000 passengers.
During the weeks of Aug. 24 and 31, May said the weekly record was also breached twice, with about 105,000 passengers each.
