Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Council June 10 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bloomington City Council backs federal AGI moratorium resolution and approves seasonal car‑free Kirkwood on 5–4 vote; tax‑abatement questions raised
Summary
On June 10 the Bloomington City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging a federal moratorium on artificial general intelligence, approved ordinance 2026‑12 to create a permanent seasonal car‑free Kirkwood Avenue by a 5–4 vote, and discussed a tax‑abatement compliance report that showed Novo Nordisk reporting far fewer employees than originally projected.
The Bloomington City Council met June 10 and took several notable actions, including unanimously adopting resolution 2026‑10 calling on the federal government to impose a moratorium on artificial general intelligence development until the technology’s alignment with human values and well‑being is guaranteed.
Anthony Aguirre, director of the Future of Life Institute, urged local governments to add pressure for national regulation, saying the issue requires urgent federal and international action: "If companies can't stop themselves, it falls to the rest of us to do so in the common interest," he told the council.
The council also debated ordinance 2026‑12, which would establish a permanent seasonal car‑free Kirkwood Avenue and a framework for pedestrian‑focused downtown planning. Supporters said pedestrianizing Kirkwood could be successful with the right investments; Council member Hopi Stasberg expressed concern that additional planning and funding are needed before a permanent closure of multiple blocks. After debate and public comment, the ordinance passed on a 5–4 vote and now goes to Mayor Carrie Thompson for consideration.
Council members reviewed the city's 2025 tax‑abatement compliance report and questioned why Novo Nordisk (noted in the report as formerly Catalent) was considered substantially compliant when staff reported far fewer employees than projected; Council member Isabelle Piedmont Smith highlighted the discrepancy between projected 4,212 jobs and 1,867 actuals. City staff said compliance considers factors within a company's control and attributed part of the decline to the collapse of certain COVID‑era vaccine markets.
Council also discussed guidelines for future alcohol‑permit districts authorized under Indiana law. Aubrey Williams, cofounder of Heartwork Brewing, told the council liquor‑license costs can reach "a quarter million dollars or more," disadvantaging local operators; the council postponed the final vote on district guidelines to allow further revisions.
What’s next: ordinance 2026‑12 will be sent to the mayor; pending alcohol‑permit rules will return for later consideration.
