Board hears report on heavy vandalism and daily cleaning needs at Seminary Park porta‑let; camera options discussed

Amy Linebeck, operations coordinator, told the board contractor photos show the Seminary Park porta‑let is regularly trashed and vandalized and cannot go more than a day without cleaning. She said the rental unit has experienced fires and damage and that cleaning on a daily basis is required to keep it usable.

"It became very clear that it was being regularly, trashed and vandalized, every day," Linebeck said, adding that the contractor provides before‑and‑after photos and that staff clean the park daily. She said the Economic and Sustainable Development department has committed to fund daily cleaning of the porta‑let in 2027.

Board members pressed staff to explore security cameras and signage notifying users that the area is monitored; Jim Whitlatch asked to see the contractor photos and recommended signage and enforcement language. Brian Giffin, the city's homelessness response coordinator, said the city and Bloomington Police Department have discussed camera options and expressed support for exploring them.

Staff noted one existing, older camera covers part of the plaza area and that newer camera infrastructure tied to recently installed fiber/Wi‑Fi could expand options for monitoring. The board discussed the porta‑let's placement (chosen for truck access to service the unit) and whether other mitigation (trash cans, hours of park access) could reduce trash and vandalism. Staff cautioned that trash cans alone are unlikely to stop the vandalism and that cameras and monitoring may be needed.

Next steps: staff will share the contractor photos with board members on request, continue discussions with BPD and the homelessness coordinator about camera options, and may return to the board with proposed camera solutions and cost estimates.