The Bloomington City Council has selected Zach Walker to serve as the city's next city manager, Mayor Tim Busse announced during the week of July 14. Walker, who currently serves as city manager of Independence, Missouri, was chosen from four finalists after extensive interviews conducted Monday and Tuesday.

Walker brings nearly two decades of executive local government experience to Bloomington. Independence, with a population of 120,000, shares similarities with Bloomington, according to Busse. The conditional offer depends on a professional background check and successful contract negotiations, with Walker expected to join the city soon.

The council partnered with Mosaic Public Partners, a firm specializing in executive-level public sector recruitment, to conduct the search. The process included input from city council members, community stakeholders and city staff. Interim City Manager Kathy Hedin was among the candidates considered, with Busse noting her continued valued leadership.

In other business, the council voted 7-0 to reject proposed changes to the city's sidewalk snow removal services. The proposal would have reduced snow removal routes from 260 miles to approximately 135 miles, focusing on major roads, parks and school routes. Property owners would have become responsible for clearing remaining sidewalks, potentially saving the city $60,000 in staff overtime.

Council members expressed concerns about increased resident salt usage, confusion over which sidewalks would receive city service, and whether operational benefits outweighed service costs. The council agreed the current system fails to meet standards for efficient service delivery, with discussions expected to continue on improving winter sidewalk maintenance.