Board denies three Wells and Wells appeals, approves Duke Energy closure and $3.84M in claims

The Bloomington Board of Public Works on Jan. 13 approved several motions affecting permits, public works operations and city spending.

Appeals denied: Staff presented three notices of violation stemming from December 2025 incidents involving Wells and Wells. Public Works Director Adam Wason described blocked side paths and an unapproved road closure. For the Dec. 1 appeal, the board moved to deny the appeal and uphold the notice of violation; the motion passed on roll call. The board similarly denied appeals for Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 incidents; members recorded aye votes and expressed concern about repeated compliance failures.

Road closure approved: Kyle Paul, program manager (engineering), outlined a Duke Energy request for intermittent lane and sidewalk closures on South High Street (just south of Woodstock Place) for an approximate three-day project window between Feb. 23 and March 9. Work will avoid school arrival/dismissal hours and be monitored by field specialists. The board voted to approve the closure and sidewalk diversion.

Claims approved: The board approved claims in the amount of $3,842,378.28 by roll call.

Votes and procedure: Motions on the appeals, the Duke Energy closure and the claims were moved and seconded on the record and passed by roll call (ayes recorded). Where roll-call names appear in the transcript, members Caron (listed as Caron/Carone in the record) and Board President Kyla Cox Deckard were recorded as voting aye.

Context: Adam Wason and staff said notices of violation were issued after on-site inspections and U-Report submissions and that withholding of permits can follow unresolved compliance issues. The board noted the importance of maintaining right-of-way access and public safety when evaluating such permit and enforcement matters.

The meeting adjourned after the claims vote.