Bloomington City Council postponed a vote on new downtown alcohol permit rules and passed a restated police salary ordinance that adds a lieutenant position at its meeting Wednesday.
The council gave a first reading to Ordinance 2026-18, which establishes Bloomington’s guidelines and review processes for additional alcoholic beverage permits. This includes requiring businesses seeking a new class of on-premises alcohol permits downtown to sign formal written commitments as a condition of eligibility.
The permits come from Senate Enrolled Act 89, signed in February, granting Bloomington two additional three-way liquor permits.
Christopher Emge, Senior Director of Government & Community Relations, spoke for the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce during public comment, supporting the new permits.
“These permits can lower the real barriers for economic independence, fill vacant spaces, create places that better serve residents and visitors,” Emge said.
Council member Hopi Stosberg raised concerns over provisions requiring that 60% of an applicant's income come from food sales and questioned undefined terms like “good standing with the city.” After discussion, the council voted unanimously to defer the ordinance to its Sept. 2 meeting.
The council passed Ordinance 2026-16, which reissues the city’s police and fire salary ordinance in full and adds a fifth lieutenant position, freeing the department’s current training sergeant to return to patrol duty. The ordinance passed unanimously.
Ordinance 2026-17 was also passed by the council, reclassifying several city positions, including a Human Resources Talent Coordinator position from Grade 5 to Grade 7, among others.
The ordinance passed 7-1, with council member Kate Rosenbarger voting against it after Human Resources Director Sharr Pechac acknowledged she hadn’t notified the council office when the opportunity for reclassification opened.
During reports, Communications Director Desiree DeMolina presented results of the city’s 2026 community survey, which intentionally weighted its sample toward permanent residents and away from Indiana University students.
Some speakers, including Council Vice President and District 6 Representative Sydney Zulich, criticized that decision.
“To have conducted a survey that shuts out about 50% of our residents, the majority of whom are in council members Stosbergs and my district, I can’t see how this was a responsible use of taxpayer money,” Zulich said.
The council's next regular session is Sept. 2.
