Virtual meetings have become the norm for many, and the Bloomington-Normal Association of REALTORS® (BNAR) has been making the most of this type of platform.

To stay engaged with local officials and to keep its members informed on local issues, BNAR continued its virtual meeting series with presentations by the city of Bloomington and town of Normal.

A Bloomington presentation featured Community Development Department staff in a discussion of the city’s process for review and adoption of the 2018 International Code Council’s (ICC) family of codes. Particular attention was given to the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC).

In addition, an update was provided on Bloomington’s sign ordinance, its historic preservation plan and a study of residential densities for the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area.

It is important to note that REALTOR® advocacy efforts during Bloomington’s last IBC code adoption cycle resulted in the city exempting the residential fire sprinkler requirement in new one- and two-family home construction. That exemption remains in place for the new 2018 version of the ICC Bloomington is hoping to adopt.

Additional REALTOR® advocacy on Bloomington issues includes submittal of formal comments on the sign ordinance, its zoning ordinance, REALTOR® participation on the city’s historic preservation plan commission and its planning commission.

In addition to meeting with city of Bloomington staff, BNAR also will be hosting a separate virtual meeting with town of Normal officials. REALTORS® will explore several grant opportunities with Normal, hoping to utilize the REALTOR® Party Smart Growth and Placemaking Grant programs.

If you’d like to receive a personalized local update at your office, contact our Member Outreach Team: www.illinoisrealtors.org/outreach