Board of Public Works OKs directional voting signs, approves elevator-service contract

At its April 7 meeting the Bloomington Board of Public Works approved two actions affecting election logistics and building maintenance.

City Attorney Audrey Brittingham explained the board was considering a resolution allowing Monroe County to place directional signs in 2026 that direct voters to the North Showers polling location while prohibiting political or campaign signs in the public right-of-way. Vice President Kyla Cox Deckard asked for clarification on where such signs could be placed; Brittingham said signs in the public right-of-way need permission from the owner of the polling location. "They would need the permission, of course, of the owner of the polling location," she said. The motion passed unanimously.

The board also approved a full-service maintenance contract with Murphy Elevator Company to provide preventative maintenance and repairs at City Hall, West Showers, BPD dispatch and city garages. Public works director Adam Wison described the contract and the board voted unanimously to approve it.

Relatedly, at the Monroe County Election Board meeting on April 9 County Clerk Nicole Brown described an early-placed candidate-sign incident that prompted a resolution to find appropriate locations; Election Supervisor Kylie Ferris provided turnout figures showing 90,180 registered voters in the county and early/absentee statistics (430 early-voting check-ins at the time of reporting; 603 mail ballots sent with 86 returned; 57 emailed ballots sent with eight received). Ferris said the first day of early voting produced 178 check-ins, the most in county history. Monroe County GIS coordinator John Beaton demonstrated a new early-voting dashboard and noted 339 votes cast over two days and 89,755 registered voters as of April 7.

What happens next: The Board of Public Works will meet again on April 21; the Monroe County Election Board will meet on April 23.