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Bloomington mayor outlines snow response, housing plans and limits on Flock Safety camera use
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Summary
At a Jan. 26 town hall Mayor Carrie Thompson praised storm crews, urged residents to clear sidewalks and described the Hopewell housing project as a supply-side response to affordability. She said Flock Safety cameras are restricted to targeted investigations and staff are working to prevent outside access, including by ICE.
Bloomington Mayor Carrie Thompson said at a Jan. 26 traveling town hall that the city mobilized crews through a severe winter storm, working overnight and resuming full operations the next morning to clear streets and assist hospital transport. "We went down to 20% on our crews overnight last night, and then came back at full force, this morning at 6AM," she said.
Thompson said the city relied on multiple departments and outside equipment; she credited CBU for bringing extra equipment so crews could load dump trucks and move snow from downtown. She reminded property owners—both residential and commercial—that they are responsible for clearing sidewalks and described the Snow Buddies volunteer program that pairs able-bodied neighbors with residents who cannot shovel.
The mayor also addressed the Hopewell redevelopment, saying increased housing supply can help reduce costs and urging preparations for current and future residents. "When we increase supply, of course, we can help drive the cost of housing down," Thompson said.
On the city's contract with Flock Safety, Thompson said the cameras are used "to support targeted investigations" and are not for general patrol. "We don't use them for, general patrol," she said, adding that access is tightly controlled: only Bloomington Police Department staff with an active case number may query the system. Thompson said city staff are meeting with Flock Safety in February to review controls and that it is the administration's intention to prevent outside access, including by federal agencies. "It is our intention to ensure that law enforcement, including ICE, cannot access our data under any circumstances," she said.
Thompson said the administration will keep the public updated on its discussions with Flock Safety. The next mayoral town hall was announced for 2026.
