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Council processes committee backs digital sign-in, formalizes written‑comment options and recommends rule language change
Summary
The Bloomington City Council committee on council processes voted July 14 to send a proposed digital public‑comment sign‑in and a revised Google‑form routing process to the full council, and approved forwarding a redline to replace “citizens” with “residents” in public‑comment rules. Members stressed accessibility and staff capacity.
A Bloomington City Council committee voted July 14 to forward a package of procedural proposals to the full council, including a proposed digital sign‑in for public comment, a routing form for deliberation‑session topic proposals, and a redlined change to public‑comment language that would replace the word “citizens” with “residents.”
The committee heard a demonstration of a draft sign‑in form — an iPad/tablet view with fields for first and last name, a one‑line description and an item indicator — from Nicole Holden, city clerk. Holden said the tool could be available in the room on a stand or via QR code and a chat link for remote participants, and recommended opening the form only while a meeting is in session. “I would recommend that the suggestion for public comment during the meeting … opens when the meeting opens and closes when the meeting closes,” Holden said.
Supporters said the digital sign‑in would make speaker order easier to manage and reduce lines at meetings; others urged keeping a paper option and retaining email as an avenue for written comments. One committee member noted staff and accessibility constraints, pointing out new accessibility standards that take effect in April 2026 and the staff time needed to make text submissions accessible for the public record.
The committee unanimously approved a motion to recommend the digital sign‑in form for regular council sessions and asked staff to forward the proposal to the full council for consideration.
On deliberative‑session planning, committee members discussed a prior Public Access Counselor (PAC) opinion that cautioned against shared, editable online documents for topic deliberation because the receipt of information can constitute official action under the Indiana Open Door Law. Legal counsel recommended a different route: use a form that submits items to a single point of contact rather than a shared editable sheet. The committee voted unanimously to revise its previous proposal and forward a Google‑form routing approach that would send suggested topics to the council president (rather than publishing an editable document for all members).
The committee also approved a motion to forward a redline of the public‑comment rules that replaces references to “citizens” (and similar phrasing) with “residents.” The chair said a redline version will be provided to the committee chair and the change will be presented to the full council on July 30.
Votes at a glance
• Recommend sign‑in form to full council — unanimous approval by the four committee members present. • Revise shared‑doc proposal to a Google Form routed to the council president — unanimous approval. • Forward rule language change from “citizens” to “residents” — unanimous approval.
What’s next: The committee asked staff to prepare materials and a redline for the full council packet. The sign‑in form and rule change are scheduled to be presented to the full council for discussion at the July 30 meeting; the routing form for deliberation sessions will be included for consideration as revised.
