A homeless encampment north of RCA Community Park will have one week longer to evict after the Monroe County Board of Commissioners granted an extension Friday.
The board issued the extension in response to complaints and pushback from community members during and after the board’s Dec. 4 meeting held in the Nat U. Hill room in the Monroe County Courthouse.
The eviction, originally scheduled for Dec. 8, was pushed until Dec. 15.
The encampment sits on land known as the Thomson property, located on South Rogers Street near the Duke Energy substation. It’s classified as county land, not City of Bloomington land, giving the board jurisdiction over the eviction.
Those living at the Thomson property encampment were told Dec. 1 about the notice — giving them one week to leave, initially. The eviction notice came as another homeless encampment, this one under Bloomington authority, was given an eviction notice with a month’s notice also for Dec. 8.
The board cited Monroe County Code 257 in its Dec. 5 press release addressing community concerns regarding the Thomson property eviction.
The board referenced a portion of the code which states it is “unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any property owned or controlled by Monroe County, Indiana, government without the express permission of the Board of Commissioners of the County of Monroe, Indiana” as grounds for the extension.
County commissioners meeting
About 20 people attended the meeting in person; their coats piled on the floor in the open aisles. Others joined via Microsoft Teams.
Shelbie Porteroff, a county resident, spoke first during public comment, referencing the board’s opening statemen renewing their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“I really appreciated some of the lines in your statement where you affirmed your commitment to protect and for all folks in Bloomington and Monroe County to live peacefully and without fear,” she said.
Porteroff urged the board to use Monroe County Code 257 to postpone the eviction.
“The folks who are in these encampments have their materials in place and solidified in place for them to survive the winter,” she said. “Right now, we do not have enough volunteers for our emergency shelters to open overnight and the few shelters that we have there year-round are completely full.”
Jesse Kogge, a Monroe County resident and IU student, later addressed the board, continuing Porteroff’s sentiments as someone who regularly visits encampments for outreach in Monroe County.
“I can say with certainty that these are good people who selflessly look out for their neighbors, whether that means sacrificing meals for hungry visitors or opening their insulated tents to someone stuck out in the cold,” Kogge said. “Personally, I don't want to believe that you are in the business of hurting good people. I imagine that you feel that you are helping these people by forcing them into what you see is a better situation, whether that's a shelter, public housing or even a friend's couch.”
Those who spoke at the meeting continuously asked for the eviction notice to be pushed until spring due to its warmer weather, and proposed April 1 as the new date. Some attendees expressed frustration at the board for not responding to their direct questions during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“Are you aware of the reasons why people don't take shelters when they're offered?” one commenter, who only identified themselves as Heather, asked. “There are good reasons. Are you aware?”
“Please continue with your comments,” county commissioner president Julie Thomas responded. “We're not— we don't engage in dialogue.”
“Don't kill my goddamn friends,” Heather said, near the end of their statement.
After public comment closed, the board briefly continued its discussion on the community response to the eviction. While Thomas was emphasizing that some members of the county had expressed gratitude regarding the evictions, Porteroff started singing “Let It Be” by The Beatles.
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me,” she sang. “Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
The board exited the room while Porteroff and three others sang two verses of the song. Some in the room spoke while addressing the empty chairs at the opposite end of the room, as if they were still occupied.
After a few speeches to the empty chairs, those demonstrating agreed to stop so the meeting could resume. The commissioners left the room for about 30 minutes.
About 10 people left the meeting as the board continued with their agenda.
“I think you were heard,” a security guard said to the group in the hallway after.
Commissioners’ response
The commissioners didn’t add a vote on the encampment to the meeting’s agenda like some citizens asked.
In the press release, the board said they agreed to a proposal to work with a group of concerned citizens, including some who were at the meeting, until Dec. 15. The goal with the extension was to allow the group to assist those living at the encampment in moving out and determining next steps.
“This is not just about moving a site — it’s about doing right by our unhoused community members and helping to ensure the transition is orderly, humane and grounded in our shared commitment to safety, dignity and connecting our unhoused neighbors to available community resources,” commissioner Jody Madeira said in the board’s press release.
