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Bloomington council adopts strategic priorities, grants and contracts; passes police handgun purchase after amendment fails
Summary
At its Feb. 2026 meeting the Bloomington City Council approved a series of contracts and grants — including a three-year federal lobbying contract, Backflow Solutions agreement, and John M. Scott Health Trust awards — adopted city strategic priorities and approved a staff-recommended purchase of Walther PDP Pro handguns for the police department after a proposed amendment to remove trade-in/buyback language failed.
The Bloomington City Council on Feb. 2026 approved several contracts, grant awards and a resolution setting the city’s 2026 strategic priorities, and it resolved a contested police equipment purchase after a proposed amendment failed.
Council action and votes at a glance: The council moved and approved the remainder of the consent agenda after two items were pulled for discussion. It approved a three‑year agreement with Thorn Run to provide federal lobbying services (staff cited $5.7 million in federal funds secured while working with the firm). The council voted to authorize a three-year contract with Backflow Solutions Inc. to manage the city’s cross-connection/backflow compliance program and approved John M. Scott Health Trust grant awards totaling roughly $900,000 across categories for FY2027. The council also adopted a resolution establishing the city’s 2026 strategic priorities and core principles to guide future policy and budget decisions.
Police handgun purchase and amendment: Council debated a staff recommendation to waive formal bidding and purchase Walther PDP Pro handguns from Acme Sports Inc. during a pulled consent item. Councilmember Ward moved three amendments to remove language allowing trade-in credits and a proposed officer buyback of prior Sig Sauer firearms, arguing it would be inappropriate to make those firearms available for resale if the department had concerns about them. After extended discussion — including testimony from the police chief, corporation counsel and staff about warranties, national litigation involving the manufacturer and training‑board restrictions — the amendment failed. The council then approved the purchase as presented by staff.
Why it matters: The package of votes advances the city’s near‑term infrastructure and public‑safety work and secures third‑party management of regulatory compliance for water protection. The handgun vote highlights tensions between officer preferences, liability concerns and adherence to state training‑board guidance.
What’s next: Staff will finalize contracts and implement programs according to the approvals. Public comment on the CDBG annual action plan remains open through Feb. 23; final CDBG allocations will be adjusted when HUD issues the city’s annual allocation.
