EVENING EVERYONE AND WELCOME. I WILL CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECL MTING OF THE BLOOMINGTON COUNCIL. TONIGHT IS MONDAY NOVEMBER 20TH, 2023. THANKS TO EVERYBODY WATCHING AT HOME. APPRECIATE IT. THANKS COUNCIL FOR BEING HERE. WE HAVE A BASICALLY TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. THE MAIN EVENT IS ITEM 2.1 IS THE DISCUSSION OF THE FINAL 2024 TAX LEVY AND BUDGET DISCUSSION WITH ALL OF THAT AND WE'LL WRAP UP AS WE DO WITH OUR 2.2 OUR CITY MANAGER COUNCIL UPDATES AND THAT WILL BE OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING. ANYTHING TO ADD OR SUBTRACT OR DISCUSS. IF NOT I WILL MOVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA. WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR TONIGHT'S AGENDA BECAUSE COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO IS JOINING US HERE REMOTELY JOINING US REMOTELY THIS EVENING. WE WILL HAVE TO DO A VOICE VOTE FOR OUR AGENDA. SO MR. ZABEL, I WILL CALL IT UP IN HERE. OKAY. VERY GOOD. AND AS MANDATED COUNCILMEMBER MARTIN I DID THE SANDRA I LOWMAN I CARTER I WA I NELSON HI MAYOR BUSSEY I MOTION CARRY SEVEN ZERO WE HAVE AN AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR AGENDA ITEM 2.1 OUR FINAL 2024 TAX LEVY AND BUDGET DISCUSSION AND COREY CARLSON IS WITH US THIS EVENING TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS AND I THINK WE'RE WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF THIS BEFORE, BUT I KNOW WE'RE GOING HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION ON THE FEW THINGS I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES, SOME UPDATES AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU . GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENI MAYOR AND COUIL THINK THINK MY PRESENTATION WILL BE COMING UP HERE SHORTLY . GREAT. SO HERE IS MY AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION. THERE'S A REVIEW OF OUR BUDGETARY APPROACH A RECAP OF THE BUDGET PROCESS UPDATE ON INCREASED PUBLICNGAGEMT OUNDHE BUDGET, A REVIEW OF THE KEY EXPENSE DRIVERS AND UPDATED TAX LEVY FOR 2024 UPDATED IMPACTS TO THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES. AND THEN FINALLY SOME FOLLOW UP ON ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS FROM THE PAST FEW WEEKS. SO JUST AS A REVIEW THIS 2024 BUDGET REQUEST CONTINUES THE CONTINUES COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY IS A MAIN THEME IT'S STRUCTURED TO MAINTAIN THE CITY SERVICES RESIDENTS VALUE AND EXPECT AND THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS ON THE STRATEGIC ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND THE AND THAT THE BUDGET REQUESTS ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN. BLOOMINGTON TOGETHER AND FINALLY WE'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS SO HERE IS THE OVERALL RECAP JUST WALKING YOU THROUG AGAIN WHAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE AND WHAT'S COMING BUT A RECAP OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO IF YOU RECALL THE KICKOFF FOR CITY DEPARTMENT STARTED BACK IN THERE WERE INTERNAL MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY MANAGER IN JULY AND AUGUST THERE WAS A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MUCH LIKE THIS ONE ON AUGUST 21ST AND THEN THE COUNCIL SAID THE PRELIMINARY 2024 BUDGET AND TAX LEVY ON SEPTEMBER 18TH AND THEN ON BOTH OCTOBER 16TH AND LAST WEEK NOVEMBER 13TH WE HAD COUNCIL DISCUSSION AROUND THE 2024 UTILITY RATES AND THE CORRESPONDING BUDGETS AND THEN ALSO THROUGHOUT OCTOBER IN NOVEMBER THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS PRESENTED THEIR 2024 BUDGET REQUEST TO COUNCIL IN MORE DETAIL SO TONIGHT HERE WE ARE AT THE SECOND SPECIAL COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING OF THIS NEXT MONDAY IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 24 UTILITY RATES ON NOVEMBER 27TH AND THEN DECEMBER 4TH IS THE DATE OF THE TRUTH AND PUBLIC HEARING. AND ALSO WHILE ALL OF THIS GOING ON THERE WERE BUDGET PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS HELD FROM MAY THROUGH OCTOBER . SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, GIVE AN UPDATE SO OUR CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL HAVE BEEN FULLY COMMITTED TO INCREASED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE HAD TABLES AT 13 EVENTS THIS YEAR WITH INTERACTIONS WITH OVER 900 RESIDENTS AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THE CITY HAS WORKED TO INCLUDE THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS AS YOU KNOW AND IN WAYS THAT WE HADN'T DONE BEFORE AND SO WE WERE OUT AND ABOUTN COUNITYATHERING FEEDBACK ON WHAT RESIDENTS VALUE AND PRIORITIZE WE WERE AT THE NORMANDY ARE LAKE BANDSHELL FARMERS MARKETS KIDS SHOWS AT THE PARK AND AT THE PUBLIC WORKS AND THE POLICE AND THE FIRE PUBLIC WORKS I'M SORRY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSES AND WE MADE A POINT THIS YEAR TO NOT ONLY GET OUT TO A GREATER OF EVENTS BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THOSE EVENTS WERE AT THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY AND DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY AND ON DIFFERENT DAYS OF WEEK. AND AS YOU ALSO KNOW, I WAS JOED BY OER CY STAFF THESE TABLES THAT INCLUDED DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALSO SOME MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHICH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. SO THOSE BUDGET TABLES, THE COMMUNITY EVENTS HAD AN ACTIVITY WHERE COULD USE CHIPS THAT REPRESENTED PROPERTY TAXES AND ALLOCATE THEM ACROSS THESE SIX DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO REFLECT THE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITIES AND FROM THOSE 13 EVENTS THE CATEGORY RECEIVED THE MOST CHIPS WAS PARKS AUNT'S RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND 25% AND THEN THE SECOND WAS PUBLIC SAFETY A CLOSE SECOND AT 23% AND THEN AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY WERE VERY THEY BOTH HAD ABOUT 15% FOLLOWED BY 13% FOR EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND 9% FOR A CONNECTED WELCOMING COMMUNITY. AND WE ALSO HAD AND ALL THESE EVENTS WE HAD AN EASEL WITH A QUESTION RIGHT NOW WHAT DO YOU WANT CITY COUNCIL TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES FOR CITY SO IT WAS FREE FORM RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF RESPONSES AND SO INCLUDED IN THE PUBLISHED AGENDA PACKET FOR THIS EVENING IS A DETAILED REPORT THAT YOU ALL HAVE AND THE PUBLIC HAS OF THE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT INTERACTED WITH US AT EACH OF THOSE EVENTS AS WELL AS ALL THEIR RESPONSES TO THAT QUESTION AND I ALSO INCLUDED ON THAT SAME DOCUMENT IN PACKET FEEDBACK I RECEIVED FROM AN ADDITIONAL THREE RESIDENTS THAT HAD CALLED OR EMAILED ME. SO IT'S ALL TOGETHER THERE AND THEN IN IT IN ADDITION TO OUR IN-PERSON INTERACTIONS 271 PEOPLE FILLED OUT THE PRIORITY RELATED SURVEY ON LEDS TYPE BLOOMINGTON. SO IT'S STRUCTURED IN A SIMILAR WAY BUT A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE AS ONLINE SO FOR THE ONLINE VERSION PEOPLE HAD TO RANK THE SAME SIX PRIORITIES BUT THEY HAD TO RANK THEM FROM 1 TO 6 AND SO THE TOP RANKING THIS FOR ONLINE WAS PUBLIC SAFETY HAD THE TOP RANKING FOLLOWED BY PARKS AND RECREATION AND THEN THIRD WAS FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOU CAN SEE THE RANKING ON THEIR SO AGAIN THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMENTS ONLINE AND THE FULL REPORT WITH 178 WRITTEN RESPONSES IS INCLUDED AGAIN IN THIS PUBLIC AGENDA PACKET THAT WAS PUBLISHED FOR THIS MEETING TONIGHT AND WE'VE PUBLISHED THESE BEFORE BUT THESE HAVE MORE UPDATED RESPONSES BASED ON WE'VE HAD MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS SINCE LAST TIME WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS. SO NEXT I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME KEY EXPENSE DRIVERS IN THIS 2012 BUDGET. SO AGAIN AS A REVIEW THERE'S, THREE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT ARE DRIVING CITY EXPENSES NEXT YEAR THERE'S LABOR MARKET PRESSURE. UNEMPLOYMENT IN MINNESOTA IS AT A LOW RATE AND COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE NEEDED TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED PERSONNEL TO PROVIDE CITY SERVICES. SECOND BLOOMINGTON'S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO THIS T4 PROPOSAL IS ADDING SIX ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO CONTINUE WITH OUR OF TNSITNING TO HYBD PART TIME AND FULL TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS ADDING ANOTHER DISPATCHER IN OUR DISPATCH CENTER AND THEN ALSO JUST THE OVERALL ECONOMIC VOLATILITY THAT IS AFFECTING COSTS OF MATERIALS AND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. SO I JUST TALKED ABOUT SOME ADDITIONS IN THIS PROPOSED 2024 BUDGET REQUEST BUT JUST AS A REVIEW FROM ADDITIONS THAT WERE ALSO ADDED LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR FOR THE 2023 BUDGET. SO IN THE 23 POLICE BUDGET THERE WERE FOUR ADDITIONAL POCE OFFERS THAT WERE BROUGHT ON SO THEY WERE RUN ON THIS YEAR ALONG WITH AN DISPATCH TRAINING COORDINATOR AND. THEN AS I SAID IN THE 24 POLICE BUDGET THERE IS A REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL DISPATCHER AND THEN AND THEN 23 FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET THERE WERE 21 NEW FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS ADDED 18 OF THOSE WERE FUNDED WITH THE SAFER GRANT THAT LASTS FOR THREE YEARS AND THE AGAIN THE 24 BUDGET REQUEST IS INCLUDING SIX NEW ADDITIONAL FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS . SO THIS IS A SLIDE OF IN THE 2024 BUDGET REQUEST IN THE GENERAL FUND WHAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL FULL TIME POSITIONS. SO HERE'S A RECAP FOR THE GENERAL FUNDS I JUST MENTIONED. THERE'S SIX FIREFIGHTERS, ONE DISPATCHER THERE'S AEQUEST TO R CSS A CURRENT PART TIME PARKS AND RECREATION POSITION UP TO A FULL TIME COMMUNITY SERVICES VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION. AND THEN THERE ARE TWO PARKS AND RECREATION POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY PART TIME THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED TO GO FULL TIME IN 2024 AND THOSE TWO PART TIME PARKS AND RECREATION POSITIONS THEY ARE BEING THOSE INCREASED SALARIES BENEFITS ARE BEING OFFSET BY SOME COST REDUCTIONS IOTHERREAS A PARKS AND RECREATION SO IT'S NOT AN INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX SUPPORT FOR THOSE TWO. AND AS YOU HEARD DURING THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET PRESENTATIONS LAST WEEK THERE'S A NEW POSITION OF ASSISTANT BUILDING OFFICIAL THAT WAS ADDED AS PART OF THE SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR A PHASED RETIREMENT FOR THE CURRENT BUILDING OFFICIAL AND THEN THEN THE LAST TWO ON THE SLIDE THERE'S A REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL LEGAL OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST AND THAT WOULD BE FUNDED THAT ONE TIME BLIC SETY STE AS FOR TWO YEARS. AND THEN THERE'S THE PLAN THAT DISCUSSED OF TEMPORARILY ADDING 13 ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS THAT ALSO WOULD BE FUNDED FROM THAT ONE TIME PUBLIC SAFETY, STATE AID AND FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR ANTICIPATED RETIREMENTS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND THESE ARE THE TWO OF THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS. THERE'S THERE'S TWO PROPOSED REQUESTS. ONE IS FOR A NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR AND 19 BUDGET AND THEN THERE'S ONE FOR AN ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE POSITION AND THE FACILITIES FUND. OKAY. SO THIS WAS THE SLIDE THAT HAS THE PRELIMINARY 2024 TAX LEVY REQUEST THAT WAS PASSED IN SEPTEMBER AND THIS WAS A TOTAL TAX LEVY OF 81.6 MILLION AND IT WAS A LITTLE OVER 7 MILLION INCREASE FROM 2023 WHICH IS A 9.49% INCREASE FROM 2023. SO THIS IS WHAT WAS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER FROM THAT REQUEST WE REDUCED THE LEVY AMOUNT BY HUNDRED AND 84,000 AND THE MAJORITY ARE 300,000 WAS DUE TO AN INCREASE OUR PERMIT REVENUE FORECASTS AND FOR 2024 AND IF YOU RECALL IF YOU RECALL WE HAD BROUGHT THAT DOWN PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY BUT BASED ON JUST FOR KEEPING WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AND BASED ON FORECASTED ACTIVITY AND TRENDS IN ECONOMIC CONDITIONS WE DID BRING THAT UP BY 300,000 FROM THE ORIGINAL FORECAST IN 24 BUDGET AND THEN THE REMAINING $84,000 REDUCTION FOR THE PROPERTY TAXES WAS A COMBINATION OF AN INCREASED AMOUNT FORECASTED FOR THE OVERHEAD REVENUES RELATED TO POLE CONTRTUAL OVERME THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN LITTLE BIT OF BUDGET RELIEF FROM THAT ONE TIME PUBLIC SAFETY, STATE AID MONEY AND THEN SOME SMALLER ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET REQUESTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I DID WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE THE 2024 LODGING IN ADMISSION TAX REVENUE FORECAST. SO A TEAM FROM THE PORT AUTHORITY AND FINANCE AND ASSESSING WE TO ANALYZE THE LODGIN EMIION T CLOSE WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE EARLY IN 2020 AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT CLOSELY AND AND IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE AND THE GENERAL FUND NEXT TO PROPERTY TAXES. SO IT DOES HAVE A BIG IMPACT. WE RECENTLY AND DETERMINED THAT THE PRELIMINARY FORECAST FOR 2020 FOR LIQUOR LODGING EMISSIONS IN THE BUDGET STILL THE MOST APPROPRIATE FORECAST BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT STR FORECAST WE HAVE SO WE ARE NOT PROPING THA WEAISE THE LODGING OR ADMISSION TAX FORECAST IN 2024 AND JUST AS A REMINDER OF CURRENTLY THE 24 BUDGET FOR LODGING AND ADMISSION TAXES IN THE GENERAL FUND IT IS 693,000 MORE THAN WAS IN THE 23 BUDGET AND NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THE LODGING IS BUDGETED TO BE JUST 3% LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS FOR THAT 2019 BENCHMARK THAT WE KEEP LOOKING TO ADMISSIONS. HOWEVER, THEY'RE DOING REALLY WELL AND HAVE EVEN SURPASSED 19 PFORMAN SO AND THAT'S ACTUALLY BUDGETED AT 10% HIGHER THAN WHERE WE WERE AT IN 2019. SO WITH ALL THOSE THINGS THIS IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR A WORKING MODEL FOR THE 2024 PROPOSED FINAL TAX LEVY. SO WITH A $384,000 REDUCTION FROM BEFORE THE INCREASE GOES DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO 8.97% FOR THE OVERALL CHANGE FROM 23 TO 24 AND THAT CORRESPONDS TO A 5.12% INCREASE IMPACT TO THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME. AND JUST TO LOOK AT HOW THAT BREAKS OUT FOR PER WEEK PER MONTH PER YEAR. SO FOR A MEDIAN VALUE HOME A 5.1% INCREASE IS A DOLLAR 31 MORE PER WEEK OR $5.69 PER MONTH $68.25 FOR THE YEAR FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME AT THE END OF LAST WEEK THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE RELEASED THE PRELIMINARY 2024 TAX LEVIES FOR THE WHOLE STATE SO YOU CAN SEE COMBINED FOR CITIES INCREASE IS 8.4% FOR COUNTIES IT WAS 6% FOR TOWNSHIPS IT WAS 6.8% INCREASE FOR SCHOOLS 9% AND THEN FOR THE SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS 7.8% INCREASE AND HERE'S THE COMPARISON WHEN WE LOOK AT BLOOMINGTON'S UPDATED 8.97% AND THEN THIS IS COMPARED TO THE OFFICIAL PUBLISHED PRELIMINARY THAT THAT ARE THAT WE HAVE THAT SO YOU CAN SEE THE BLOOMINGTON IS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN AND THEN COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES AROUND THE METRO WHERE WE LAND AT 8.97 AND THEN AGAIN JUST TO BRING THIS UP AGAIN THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE ALL THE FINAL NUMBERS FROM 2023. SO THIS IS WHAT THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME LOOKS LIKE FOR BLOOMINGTON AT $111.09 PER MONTH FOR THE CITY PROPERTY TAX ON A MEDIAN VALUE HOME COMPARED TO OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES. SO THEN JUST SOME OTHER INFORMATION I'VE GOT SOME FOLLOW UP INFORMATION TO PRESENT ON SIX ITEMS HERE THAT WERE DISCUSSED OVER THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS DURING THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. SO THE ITEMS THAT I WOULD GIVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON ARE A SAFER GRANT TRANSITION FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THOSE 18 FIREFIGHTERS RETAINING WALL REPLACEMENT PLA COMPENSATION STUDY PLAN SOLUTION THE ANIMAL SHELTER ANALYSIS OF SIDEWALKS SNOW PLOWING SERVICE AND SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC RELATIONS, STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION. OKAY. SO THE MOST INVOLVED ONE I HAVE TO GO OVER HAS TO DO WITH THE SAFER GRANT TRANSITION PLANNING. SO JUST TO TAKE A STEP BACK FOR THE SAFER GRANT SO SAFER STANDS STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGCY EMEENCY AND IT WAS A GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR AND IT WAS AWARDED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2022 AND THE FUNDS COME FROM FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY OR FEMA AND THESE GRANT PROCEEDS AND I'VE CALLED THE BLOOMINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HIRE 18 FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR TO BETTER SERVICE BLOOMINGTON AND PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED ADDITIONAL STAFFING FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND THE SAVE FOR GRANT FUNDING WILL END IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026. SO BEGINNI IN E SOND QUARTER OF 2026 THE CITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SALARY AND BENEFIT OF THESE 18 FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS. SO WE WILL OF COURSE FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY GRANTS BUT IF WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING ADDITIONAL SAFER FUNDS WE DO HAVE A PLAN TO USE OF THE FIRE PREVENTION RESERVE TO HELP WITH THE TRANSITION OF THE COST TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THE COST OF 18 FIREFIGHTERS IS MORE THAN $2 MILLION OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND IS EXPECTED TO GROW EACH YEAR. AND RATHER THAN BRINGING ALL THAT EXPENSE OVER MILLION DOLLARS INTO THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY IN ONE YEAR WE ARE PLANNING TO USE SOME OF THE ACCUMULATED FIRE PENSION FUND RESERVE TO TRANSITION IN THE COST OVER YEARS. SO WITH AROUND RIGHT AROUND 790,000 80,000 BEING ADDED TO TAX LEVY EACH YEAR INSTEAD OF ALL IN ONE YEAR OF $2 MILLION. SO ON THIS CHART YOU CAN SEE THE YEAR AND THE AMOUNT OF ESTIMATED IMPACT OF BRINGING THOSE 18 FIREFIGHTERS ARE IS IN THAT SEND COLUM ANDHEN THE AMOUNT THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO TRANSFER IN FROM THE FIRE PENSION FUND IS IN THE THIRD COLUMN AND THEN THE REMAINING AMOUNT IS IN THE FOURTH COLUMN AND THEN THAT LAST ONE IS THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD BE ADDING TO PROPERTY TAX LEVY EACH YEAR AND. SO HERE IS THE FIRE PENSION FUND LONG TERM BUDGET MODEL THAT FACTORED IN IN THAT BLUE LINE THE BOTTOM. SOE FEEONFIDE THAT WE CAN DO THIS AND STILL HAVE RESERVES IN THE FIRE PENSION FUND. THE WORKING CAPITAL ALLOWANCE WITH THIS PROJECTION DOES GO ROUND COMPARED TO THE GOAL AND 28 TO 9 BUT THEN IT'S GOING BACK UP IN 2030. SO WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS WE DID HAVE SOME NICE INVESTMENT RETURNS THE END OF THE YEARS WE JUST HAD TO PASS THROUGH THE STATE AID TO THE FIRE PENSION AND THEN JUST GOING BACK TO RETAINING WAS THIS WAS BROUGHT UP IN A DISCUSSION THAT THE CITY MANAGER SHARED FOR THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND AND SOME PROPOSED SUGGESTIONS FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER. AND SO BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE FROM THE COUNCIL WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF REQUESTING 200,000 AND BUDGET CARRYOVER FOR THE TWO WARS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN 24 THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AND HAVE BEEN INSPECTING AND READING RETAINING WAL CONDITIS THROUGUT THEITY AND STREET MAINTENANCE IS GOING TO DETERMINE A LONG TERM PLAN TO ADDRESS FUNDING TO REPLACE ONE AND TWO DETERIORATED WALLS EACH YEAR. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PART IT'S NOT CURRENTLY PART OF THE 2024 BUDGET REQUEST OR PLAN TO BE A TRANSFER FROM STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND THEN A SIMILAR ITEM IS WAS COMPENSATION STUDY THAT WAS FOR 250,000 AND WE'RE GOING TO ALSO LOOK INTO SEEIN WE CAN DO BUDGET CARRYOVER FOR THAT RATHER THAN BEING SOMETHING FROM THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND AND CURRENTLY THIS IS NOT THIS IS NOT IN THE BUDGET REQUEST FOR 2024 AND THEN THE NEXT ONE THE ANIMAL SHELTER. THIS IS ALSO NOT PART OF THE 2024 BUDGET REQUEST BUT WE'RE STILL PLANNING TO PROPOSE THIS AS A A $100,000 TRANSFER FROM THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND JUST FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE DONE NOW TO IMPROVE SHELTER CONDITIONS AND BRING THAT TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION AND THEN CONTINUE TO WORK ON A LONG TERM SOLUTION FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER DUE DURING THE PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET DEPARTMENT BUDGET PRESENTATIONS THIS WAS MENTIONED SO STAFF WILL BE ENGAGING COUNSEL AND THE COMMUNITY A ROBUST DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLY REDUCING THE SIDEWALKS NO ALLOWINGERVICE TOLLOWOR REALLOCATION OF PARK MAINTENANCE STAFF WINTER WORK TOWARDS PARKS FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN A MORE EFFICIENT AND IMPACTFUL MANNER SO CHANGES CAN POTENTIALLY BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THE 24 AND 25 IS NO POSTSEASON. NOTHING IS IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS BUT JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE DISCUSSED DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL ABOUT THIS AND THEN FINALLY COMMUNICATIONS STAFF WILL GIVE A DAILE PRESENTION AND AND DISCUSSION AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIC PLAN. SO NOTHING IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED IN THE 24 BUDGET. IT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED WHAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DO FOR AND AS FAR AS REGARDING USING RESEARCH RESOURCES FROM THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND FOR THIS AND WITH THAT THAT'S THE END OF THE INFORMATION I HADO SHARE SO I'LL TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS DISCUSSION. THANK YOU, MS. CARLSON. MR. ROONEY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. APPRECIATE PRESENTATION FROM US. CARLSON RECOGNIZED THAT MAYBE THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTS THERE WHO ARE JUST TUNING IN TO THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS SO I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S JUST WATCHING NOW FULLY UNDERSTANDS. I JUST WANT TO RECAP ON ONCE AGAIN WHEN WE STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS BACK IN MAY INSTRUCTIONS TO DEPARTMENTS WERE TO DELIVER ESSENTIALLY A HOLD THE LINE BUDGET AND I THINK THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE WITH THE WITH EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS COUNCIL HAS UNDERSTOOD WHAT THOSE REQUESTS WERE THE INFORMATION THAT COREY SHARED ABOUT THE STAFFING I THINK GOES TO DEMONSTRATE THEN THAT THIS IS AGAIN HEAVILY FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY THIS YEAR WITH THE SIX NEW FIREFIGHTERS WHICH IS CONTINUING OUR PLAN TO TRANSITION FROM THE AREA OF A PAID ON COAL FIRE DEPARTMENT TO A HYBRID FULL TIME AND PAID ON CALL DEPARTMENT OR A PART TIME DEPARTMENT AND THE ADDITION OF ONE DISPATCHER AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER GENERAL FUND ADD IS A IS AN ASSISTANT BUILDING OFFICIAL TO MANAGE SOME SUCCESSION PLANNING OF A LONG TERM EMPLOYEE THAT'S RETIRING AND THEN A PART TIME TO FULL TIME POSITION FOR A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR. SO AGAIN I THINK THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE DONE AN ADMIRABLE JOB OF PUTTING FORWARD A HOLD THE LINE BUDGET BECAUSE WE KNOWAVE SOME COST DRIVERS THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH INFLATIONARY EXPENSES IN OUR SUPPLIES AND AND IN SOME COMPENSATION COSTS AS WE'RE NEGOTIATING OUR CONTRACTS FOR THE COMING YEARS AND SEEING WHERE OTHER CITIES ARE LANDING IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS AND THEN WE ALSO HELD DOWN INCREASES IN OUR INTERNAL SERVICE CHARGES WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO A NORMAL LEVEL WE HAVE DONE BEFORE. SON TH WITH THE SOME ANTICIPATED DEBT SERVICE WE END UP WITH AN INCREASE THAT IS JUST BELOW 9% WE STARTED AT 9.5 COUNCIL INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TRY TO GET LOWER AND SO WE'RE AT 8.97 RIGHT NOW AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT STAFF DID. I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL AND I KNOW YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THIS BUT THE THE INFORMATION THAT COREY SHOWED WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE SEEING INCREASES YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF CITIES ARE FACING THE SAME ISSUES WE ARE AND A LOT OF THOSE HIGHER NUMBERS ARE BEING DRIVEN BY THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO. BUT THEY'RE ALSO MAKING CAPITAL INVESTMENTS LIKE WE ARE AND ALSO A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE MAKING SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY INVESTMENTS THAT WE ARE ALSO VERY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES TO MANY OF THE CITIES IN METRO AREA I'LL STOP THERE AND YOU CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS MR.. THANK YOU . BEGGEMANN COUNSEL QUESTIONS SO WE I APPRECIATE MS. CARLSON ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES AND QUESTIONS THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD OVER THE COURSE OF A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AND TO TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS FOR EXAMPLE THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF FIRE FIGHTERS COMING ON INTO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO USE OUR CARRYOVER FUNDS, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO USE THE THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AT OURISCRETIO ERY YEAR AND SO IT'S A I APPRECIATE OBVIOUSLY LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD AND WENT FORWARD WITH THEM. I UNDOUBTEDLY DIDN'T MEET EVERY NEED OR EVERY DESIRE OF THIS COUNCIL BUT AT LEAST THEY I DO THINK THEY PUT THE EFFORT IN TO TRY AND MAKE THIS A WHOLE BUDGET BUT AT THE SAME ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT THE COUNCIL DID BRING UP OVER THE COURSE OF THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS ANY SPECIFIC DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER LOWMAN THANK YOU, MAYOR. A NICE JOBY STAFF OF BRIINGHIS IN INTO OVER A REASONABLE NUMBER AND AND ALSO ADDRESSING AS YOU SAID MAYOR SO I WANTED TO ASK WAS JUST KIND OF A COUPLE OF OVERALL QUESTIONS. SO IS THERE ANY RISKS WITH THIS BUDGET, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, BOTH NEXT YEAR AND THEN AS WE LOOK IN AND YEARS WHAT THINGS SHOULD WE AS POLICYMAKERS BE LOOKING AT AS WE'RE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS? AND THEN I HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION AROUND THE FIRE PENSION PIECE, BUT I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW ANERING I'LL GO FIRST AND SEE IF COREY HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD IN TERMS OF RISKS IN APPROVING THE BUDGET AS IT'S PRESENTED OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS NOT JUST FOR THE NEXT YEAR. I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE MITIGATED THE RISKS THAT I THINK CITIES DEAL WITH MOST OFTEN THEY'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WHICH IS A DECISION ABOUT LEVELS SERVICE AND WHETHER CONSEQUENCE DECIDIN TORY AND NSTRAIN LEADS TO A SERVICE REDUCTION THAT RESIDENTS MAY NOT BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT STAFF HAS HEARD FROM THE COUNCIL IS YOU DID NOT WANT TO SEE SERVICE LEVEL REDUCTIONS AND SO EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED AT. THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING TODAY WITH, THE ADDITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ONE OR TWO OTHER PLACES. SO IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, RISKS FOR SOMETHING THAT A RESIDENT OR PROPERTY TAXPAYER OR VISITOR OR BUSINESS HERE MIGHT I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE BUDGET THAT'S PUT IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU KNOW THE OTHER THE OTHER WAY THAT I THINK ABOUT IT IS WHAT IS THIS BUDGET DOING FOR SETTING UP THE COUNCIL FOR FUTURE YOUR DISCUSSIONS THE BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTED TONIGHT AT 8.97% WOULD AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS NEXT YEAR WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT AN 8.08% IREASE BED ON WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW . IF WE IF WE GO LOWER THERE'S GOING TO BE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR FOR WHAT WHAT THAT IMPACT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. COREY CAN CORY CAR COREY CAN HE GET A NEW ONE YOU'RE NOT CARRY ANYMORE NOW YOUR COREY COREY CAN EXPLAIN SOME OF THOSE DYNAMICS A LITTLE BIT MORE BUT THE YOU KNOW THE CONCERN IS JUST WE HAVE THESE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE'RE ADDING WE'RE BUILDING FIRE STATIONS. RIGHT. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME HIGHER THAN NORMAL LEVELS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROVIDE A PATHWAY THAT LEVELS IT OFF TO THE GREATEST EXTENT. SO LIKE I SAID, 8% FOR 2025 BASED ON OUR PRELIMINARY NUMBERS RIGHT NOW AND IF WE PULL DOWN THE LEVY THIS YEAR, IT'LL HAVE THE EFFECT OF PUSHING THAT NUMBER UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER NEXT YEAR. SO COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN, BEFORE I LET YOU GO ON TO ANOTHER LINE OF QUESTIONING AS CITY COUNCILMEMBER ALESSANDRA RAISE YOUR HAND. OH, I JUST WANTED TO FINISH MY LINE. PLEASE GO AHEAD ON MINE. YEAH. SO MY MY SECONDARY ONE IS SPECIFICALLY TO THE FIRE PENSION. OH, YOU'RE SORRY. AND I'M JUST I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT YOU KNOW I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME GOOD YEARS THERE WITH INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL YEARS DOES THAT T US UP FOR AND I KNOW IT POPS RIGHT BACK AFTERWARDS BUT IS THAT BUILT INTO THAT? IS THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT? MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER LOWMAN THE FIRE PENSION FUND IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MODERATE IMPACT OF THE 18 FIREFIGHTERS IN 2026 WHEN THEY COME ON BECAUSE AS COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THAT IMPACT WOULD BE ABOUT $2.4 MILLION WHICH IS ABOUT 3% OF LEVY INCREASE. SO RATHER THAN DO THAT UTILIZE THE FIRE PENSION FUND TO SMOOTH THAT OVER THREE YEARS. SO IT'S ONLY ABOUT 2% TO ACTUALLY BE LESS THAN 2% BY THE TIME W GET THERE EACH YEAR. SO BASED ON ON THE FORECAST FROM OUR CFO IN , OUR DEPUTY FINANCE OFFICER, WE ARE COMFORTABLE THAT THE FUND IS IN POSITION TO MANAGE THAT SMOOTHING EFFECT. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENING IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBER OF PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTERS IS GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS AND SO LONG. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT FUTURE PENSION IMPLICATIONS. WE'VE A FIRM MILLIMAN THAT IS GOING TO BE DOING AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIRE PENSION FUND AND WE HOPE TO HAVE INFORMATION FROM THEM IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH COUNSEL AS WELL. YOU KNOW, YOU THINK BACK TO WHY THIS FUND BECAME SUCH A CONCERN AND IT REALLY WAS A BLACK SWAN EVENT BACK IN 2009 OR SO RIGHT AFTER THE MARKETS CRASHED AND THE THE FUND WASN'T IN POSITION TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT THE CITY HAD TO ISSUE DEBT FOR FIVE YEARS TO COVER THE FIRE PENSION AND. WHAT WE DID STARTING IN 2015 2016 TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HAS HAS WORKED OUT WELL IN STABILIZING THE FUND. I CAN'T SAY WE'LL NEVER ANOTHER EVENT LIKE THAT BUT FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL CHARACTERIZE AS A PRETTY REALISTIC I THINK WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE YEAH COUNCILMEMBER DIOSDADO GOOD EVENING HI EVERYBODY ARE YOU DOING I I'M STILL THERE'S A QUESTION FOR ME ABOUT THE 13 POLICE OFFICERS AND USING ALL THAT MONEY DO I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THAT IT WAS ABOUT $2 MILLION OF THAT GRANT THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET IS RIGHT. MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO THAT'S SOUNDS RIGHT. I WANT TO SAY IT WAS ABOUT 1.8 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT THAT'S JUST SO THE QUESTION THAT I WANT TO KNOW IS YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE PLANNING OF IT. I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THAT I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD GO KIND OF HALFWAY WITH THAT SO IT WE HERE'S WHERE I'M GOING WITH IT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THERE'S $2 MILLION THERE, YOU TAKE HALF OF THAT AND PUT IT TOWARDS NINE OR INSTEAD OF 13 IT'S I DON'T KNOW SEVEN EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE COVER OVER EIGHT AND THEN WE TAKE THAT OTHER HALF AND TAKE THAT MONEY AND PUT IT AGAINST THE THE EQUITY PURCHASES THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING IN THIS YEAR. BUT MY QUESTION BECOMES DO WE SAVE A PERCENT ON THE LEVY BY DOING WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, 650,000 OF THAT AND PUT THAT TOWARDS THE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES WE WERE GOING TO MA IN 20 ANYWAY. AND AS A RESULT WE CAN BRING THIS DOWN A PERCENT IS THAT IS THAT IS THAT IS THAT A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONSIDER? IT DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT ANY OTHER BUDGET. IT JUST IS YOU KNOW AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'RE JUST MOVING MONEY AROUND BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE THE BENEFITS TO THE TAXPAYER AND THE RESIDENTS IS HIGH BY BRINGING THAT DOWN 2% AND THE BENEFIT THE POLIC FORCE STAYS MODERATE IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE STILL COVERING ABOUT HALF OF WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COVER ANYWAY AND WE YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING IT'S OVER 18 MONTHS BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THOSE 18 MONTHS THAT MIGHT GIVE US THE ABILITY TO COVER IT EVEN FULLY THROWING THAT OUT THERE AS AN OPTION FOR US. THANK YOU. MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBER DALLESSANDRO I'M GOING TO HAVE COREY TAKE A SWING AT IT FIRST JUST FROM THE EQUIPMENT PERSPECTIVE AND IF THE IF AN INFUSION OF REVENU INTOHE EQUIPMENT FUND WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE LEVY THIS YEAR, SIR MERE COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO SO I'M CURRENTLY THERE IS AGE AN INTERNAL CHARGE TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT FUND WHERE WE HAVE MONEY ACCUMULATED FOR LARGE FIRE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES AND SMALL FIRE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES SO I WE MAY B COMPLETELY WIPED OUT THAT TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND THAT COULD AFFECT THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY SO THAT I MEAN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY DO IT WILL HAVE THE EFFECT FOLLOWING YEAR OF HAVING TO PUT THAT BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND HAVING KIND OF A SPIKE HAPPEN IN THE 2014 BUDGET BECAUSE ONGOING WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE THAT TRANSFER OF MONEY THE GENERAL FUND TO THAT INTERNAL SERVICE FUND FOR FIRE FIRE EQUIPMENT. IF I COULD FOLLOW UP COMMISSIONER BUT THAT'S BUDGETED EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. SO IT WOULDN'T SPIKE IT SO MUCH AS TO SAY WE DON'T WE WE HAVE TO COVER IT THE WAY WE WOULD PLAN COVER IT ALREADY IT WOULD BE ALL I'M LOOKING FOR IS A WAY TO REDUCE THE LEVY THIS THIS YEAR BY USING DOLLARS ONLY GET FOR THIS YEAR TO TO TACKLE A BUDGET ITEM YOU MENTIONED FIRE I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING OF POLICE BOSS BUT EITHER WAY I GUESS DOESN'T MATTER BUT YEAH THE OPEN QUESTION IS ARE THERE ONE TIME CHARGES IN THE 2024 BUDGET THAT COULD BE THAT MONEY COULD BE APPLIED TO THAT WOULD WOULD HELP US WITH THAT REDUCTION ASSUMING WE DIDN'T USE A MILLION OF THAT $2 MILLION OR WHATEVER IT IS TO COVER UP 13 TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. THEY'RE TEMPORARY UNTIL THOSE PEOPLE RETIRE AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY SHIFT THE BUDGET BACK. BUT IF WE DO THAT WIT NINE VERSUS 13 OR SIX VERSUS 13 OR WHATEVER IT IS, WE'RE STILL HEDGING OUR BET THERE AND WE'RE ACTUALLY THEN POTENTIALLY PROVIDING SOME RELIEF SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF INVESTMENTS ON THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE MANAGING THIS . OBVIOUSLY HALF OF THIS IS SIMPLY HALF OF THIS BUDGET IT LOOKS LIKE IS SIMPLY TRYING TO MANAGE COSTS SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT AND YOU CAN TELL ME IF I'M SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO I'M JUST IT SEEMS LIKE A POTENTIAL POTENTL PLACE WHERE WE COULD SUPPORT SOME IMPROVEMENT THERE . THANKS, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A A REASONABLE QUESTION TO ASK I I LOOK AT THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE POLICE OFFICER STAFFING WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY AID FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. AND I THINK THE INTENT THERE WAS TO REALLY ADDRESS STAFFING AND AND OTHER POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS HOW PUBLIC SAFETY IS DELIVERED AS MUCH AS IT IS A BUDGETARY CONSIDERATION RIGHT AND SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO WITH THE 13 OFFICERS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY LOSS OF SERVICE IN THE SKILLS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. RIGHT. SO THAT WE HAVE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION WHEN. ONE OFFICER IS RETIRING NOT HAVING ANY DOWNTIME, HAVING ANY OPENINGS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN CONTROL THAT AND ALSO GETTING THE EXPERIENCE LEVELS HIGHER FASTER WE HAVE BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH THIS NEXT YEAR AND A HALF PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT 60% OF OUR PATROL WILL BE LESS THAN THREE YEARS OF SERVICE OR THREE YEARS OF SERVICE OR SO RIGHT. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING AS MH EXPERIENCE AND MAIAIN FULL STAFFING TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE THEN DOING HALF THE NUMBER WOULD WOULD AFFECT I GREATLY. I KNOW THAT I CAN SAY THAT BUT IT WOULD IT WOULD NOT MEET THOSE TWO OBJECTIVES. SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS DO YOU WANT TO TRY TO USE THE PUBLIC MONEY FROM THE STATE TO GET TAX LEVY THIS YEAR OR DO YOU WANT TO PUT IT INTO YOU KNOW, HOW WE HOW WE DELIVER PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES AND RELATED THAT IS I JUST CHECK MY NOTES HERE I THINK CHIEF HODGES TOLD US THAT THE CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE REPLACING 17 OFFICERS WHO ARE ALL ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT IN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 MONTHS. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE 13 OR THE 12 THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS THESE THESE BACKFILL THROUGH THESE SUCCESSION PLANNING. I MEAN THERE ARE THERE'S A LARGER NUMBER THAT YEAH. SO THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AS WELL. BUT I AGREE WITH YOUR POINT. I MEAN IT'S AN INTERESTING AN INTERESTING QUESTION, AN INTERESTING WAY OF LOOKING AT IT AND THE QUESTION OF HOW YOU NT TO APPROACH THIS WHETHER IT'S TO YOU KNOW. YES. FROM MAY MR. MAYOR, THAT THE THE THE OPEN QUESTION AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING FACETIOUS HERE, WHICH I DON'T MEAN TO BE IS THAT I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A FULLY STAFFED, EXPERIENCED POLICE FORCE. SO LIKE WE HAVE THE BEST IN THE STATE WE ALL AGREE ON THAT AND KNOW THAT I SUPPORT THEM REGULARLY. WE ALSO KNOW THAT CRIME GOES UP WHEN PEOPLE STRESSED ABOUT MONEY AND AND SO THERE'S A LITIGATING EFFECT HERE RIGHT HAVING A REALLY STRONG POLICE FORCE THAT CAN HANDLE ALL THE CRIME IS ONE THING BUT REDUCING CRIME IS ALSO A RIGHT . ENFORCING THE RULES IS PART OF IT BUT THE CRIME REDUCTION IS ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS AND I DON'T WANT TO FEEL YOU KNOW I DON'T WANT TO SEE THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THAT WATER SELECT THE BETTER EUPHEMISM TO SAY LIKE YOU KNOW, LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE A STRONG POLICE FORCE THAT'S AWESOME. BUT WE IF WE PUT MORE PEOPLE INTO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS WE CAN CREATE A PLANET THAT INCREASES THE POTENTIAL CRIME AS WELL. SO I THAT OUT THERE FOR CONSIDERATION AND THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAVE OTHERWISE I THINK THANK YOU COREY FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS THE YOU DID THIS THROUGHO THE YEAR WAS IMCCABLE SO THANK YOU FOR THANKS THANK COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON THANK YOU MAYOR A COUPLE OF ITEMS HERE. ONE OF THE COST DRIVERS THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS THE VOLATILITY THE PRICES I GET THE LABOR SIDE TAKE THAT PART OUT BUT INFLATION ACTUALLY RELATIVELY LOW IN THE MINNEAPOLIS SAINT PAUL BLOOMINGTON AREA. AND SO WHY ARE WE FORECASTING SUBSTANTIAY HIGHER COSTS IN A FAIRLY LOW INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO? IS CARLSON OR MR. RUBY RUBY MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER NELSON SO SO A BIG PART OF THE BUDGET IS SALARIES AND BENEFITS CLOSE TO 80% OF OUR BUDGET. SO THAT'S A LARGE PART BUT THERE DEFINITELY ARE ALSO INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE SUPPLIES THAT WE PURCHASE SO WE CAN GIVE YOU SOME MORE DETAILS OF EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE THAT WITHIN THE BUDGET JUST TO GIVE YOU MORE OF A DETAILED EXPLANATION BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE INCREASES, A LOT OF THAT IS COMING WITH FOR PEOPLE I WOULD SAY ON THE ON THE MATERIAL SUPPLY SIDE TOO THE INFLATION IS EASING BUT THE PRICING THE PRICES ARE NOT GOING BACK DOWN. RIGHT. THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK DOWN TO THE LEVELS THEY WERE WHEN WE BUDGETED LAST YR. RIT. AN SO IT MAY LOOK A LOT BETTER WHEN WE'RE PUTTING THE 25 BUDGET TOGETHER BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP TO THE COST INCREASES OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO OR FIRE PENSION. I HAVE THE SAME QUESTION AS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN ABOUT THE MARKET IMPACT SO APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER BUT KIND OF ALONG LINES OF COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO QUESTION I MEAN IF I LOOK AT THAT CHART IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE WE'RE CHARGING $1,000,000 IN PROPERTY T LEVY THIS AND NEXT YEAR TO SAVE A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. YOU KNOW IF WE'RE SAYING THAT WE DON'T THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT MONEY OUT OF IT IN THE FUTURE YEARS. WHAT WHY DO WE NEED PUT IT IN THERE IN THE CURRENT YEAR BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S PROPERTY TAX SUPPORT OF THE OF THAT TO THE TUNE OF 1,050,000 SO I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE NUMBER. SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, YOU'RE WONDERING IF WE CAN'T IF WE CAN'T REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING THE FIRE PENSION FUND FOR 24 AND LOWER THE LEVY THIS YEAR AND JUST RETURN TO THAT LEVEL AND FIVE BASED ON WHAT IT WHAT IT WOULD DO TO THE FUTURE YEARS YEAH IF WE TOOK THE IMPACT OF TRYING TO SUPPORT THOSE FIREFIGHTERS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT WOULD WE NOT NEED TO DO THAT? AND THEN THE BECOMES DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO CHARGE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER TAXES NOW IN ORDER TO HAVE TO BUILD UP THAT RESERVE TO PAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN STARTING IN 2026? THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I THINK IS BEING PROPOSED IS WE'RE GOING TO CHARGE HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES FOR NEXT TWO YEARS SO THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THAT LARGE INCREASE IN 2026. IS THAT ANCCURATE UNDERSTANDING? MR. MARIN COUNCIL MEMBERS I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE'RE WE'RE CHARGING MORE IN TWO YEARS THE 1,050,000 WAS WHAT WE HAD SCHEDULED IN HERE BEFORE WE LOOKED AT UTILIZING THE PENSION FUND FOR THE SMOOTHING BECAUSE IT'S AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION WE'VE BEEN MAKING TRYING TO KEEP THE AMOUNT CONSISTENT. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE INCREASING A COUPLE OF YEARS TO MITIGATE IT A COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WE'RE INCREASING THE LEVY TO FUND TH THOUGH WE AREN'T INCREASING WHAT WE WERE PUTTING IN THERE BUT WE ARE INCREASING THE LEVY FUND IT AND YOU KNOW FROM WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE FUND DOESN'T NEED IT. THE SALARIES OF THE FIREFIGHTERS NEED IT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND SO YOU SAID WE'RE INCREASING THE LEVY BUT WE'RE INCREASING IT. WHAT IS THE IT THE THAT WE'RE INCREANG THE LEVY. WE HE $1,000,000 BUILT INTO THE LEVY TO DO THAT. IF WE DON'T DO THAT WHICH THE FUND NEED THE MILLION DOLLARS FROM WHAT I HEARD THE LEVY COULD BE $1,000,000 LESS SO LET ME REPHRASE IT FROM WE'RE INCREASING TO WE'RE NOT THE LEVY BY $1,000,000 THAT THE FUND DOESN'T NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS IN 2026. RIGHT. I THINK I DISAGREE WITH THE CHARACTERITION AND CHARACTERITION THATHE FUND DOESN'T IT IF WE TAKE THE MILLION OUT THIS YEAR IF YOU LOOK OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SMOOTH THAT OUT THAT PUTS THE FUND CAPITAL WORKING CAPITAL BALANCE PRETTY PERILOUSLY LOW AND THE LEVY SAVINGS THAT YOU WOULD GET THIS YEAR BY DOING THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY BENEFIT TO THAT SMOOTHING EFFECT IN 26 ,27, 28 SO WE'D HAVE TO FACE THE ISSUE OF THE 3% JUMP WHEN THE FIREFIGHTERS COME ONTO THE LEVY. ALL WE WOULD BE DOING IS REDUCING THE LEVY FOR 24 WITHOUT RESOLVING THAT FUTURE ISSUE. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT. YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO BE CHGING MORE TODAY TO SMOOTH THE FUTURE ? MY ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE YES BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT HAVING HAVING A 3% COST DRIVER IN 26 IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER COSTS THAT WE KNOW WE'RE TO HAVE, IT SETS THE COUNCIL UP FOR I THINK A REALLY DIFFICULT CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT THE TAX LEVY IS GOING TO BE OKAY AND I WOULD JUST THEN THEN I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WE'RE SAVING UP MONEY FOR THIS WE'RE AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY T LEVY IS YES AND WE'RE WE'RE PULLING FIRE PENSION FUND INTO THE RED FOR OUR WORKING CAPITAL FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE WE THINK IT CAN SUSTAIN IT IN THE RED BUT IT'S STILL LESS THAN WHAT OUR TYPICAL POLICY IS FOR HOW WE MANAGE OUR FUNDS. RIGHT? THAT'S FAIR. YEAH. YES. AND IT'S AT 389% FOR 2024. SO MOVING ON TO NEXT QUESTION IF WE AREN'T USING STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE COMPENSATION FUND STUDY AND THE RETAINING WALLS, CAN WE USE THAT FOR ADDITIONAL TAX LEVY STABILIZATION AND OR REDUCTION? MR. COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER NELSON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS WERE RECOMMENDED TO BE FUNDED OUT OF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND NOT OUT OF GENERAL LEVY DOLLARS. WHAT I HEARD THE REASON WE INCLUDED IT AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION IS THE COUNCIL WANTED THINGS LIKE THAT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE OPERATING BUDGETS THEY DIDN'T WANT TO USE GIMMICKS AS IT WERE TO FUND THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE COURSE OF DOING SO WHAT WHAT WE'LL DO WITH THE RETAINING WALLS LIKE CORY MENTIONED IS WILL UTILIZE CARRYOVER FOR 2024 SO THAT WE DON'T NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE LEVY OR FORCE OTHER DECISIONS THERE BUT THEN HAVE THE RETAINING WALLS BACK IN THE BUDGET FOR 25 AND 26 SO THAT WE HAVE A FULLY INFORMED VIEW OF WHAT THE OPERATING COSTS ARE GOING TO BE THEN WE'LL MANAGE THOSE ISSUES AND WHEN WE GET THERE THE COMPENSATION STUDY HAS A ONCE EVERY FIVE OR TEN YEAR THING AND SO I THINK THE CARRYOVERS IS A REASONABLE PLACE TO PROVIDE THAT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT OTHER STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND DON'T TAKE THE ONE YEAR HIT OF HAVING IT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET. ALL RIGHT. BUT EXCUSE ME, COUNCILMEMBER BUT I THINK I HEARD YOU ASK THOUGH IF WE AREN'T TAKING MONEY FOR THOSE PROJECTS OUT OF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND, COULD WE THAT MONEY THAT IS STILL THEN IN THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND TO REDUCE THE LEVY? YES. AH MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION . I THINK IT GETS TO A QUESTION THEN OF HOW COMFORTABLE YOU ARE HAVING STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE BECAUSE THAT WOULD INCREASE AMOUNT OF TRANSFER IN FROM THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND FOR THE TAX LEVY STABILIZATION WHICH IS CURRENTLY AT ABOUT $1.1 MILLION ALREADY . AND A QUICK ANSWER TO THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT. I'D LIKE TO DRAW DOWN STRATEGIC PRIORITIES MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE ASSISTANT BUILDING OFFICIAL IS THAT A PERMANENT POSITION OR IS THAT ONLY TEMPORARY TO AND BRIDGE THE GAP UNTIL THAT INDIVIDUAL TAKES OVER FOR THE HEAD BUILDING OFFICIAL WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PERMANENT POSITION YET OKAY WHAT IS IN THE BUDGET? WE DO NOT HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET FOR 25, CORRECT? CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. IS IT AN ENTIRE YEAR IN THE DGET FOR 24 AND IT ISITH IT IS SORT OF WHEN THE RETIREMENT HAPPEN THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RIGHT NOW. THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN I SAW YOUR HAND UP EARLIER. I THINK YOU JUST BRIEFLY COUNCILMEMBER IF YOU COULD PUT YOUR MICROPHONE FINANCIALLY OH I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FIVE YEARS. I'LL GET IT RIGHT AT THE FINISH LINE JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY REAL BALLPARK I GUESS THIS MILLION 15,000 THE PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTION TO FIRE PENSION IS THAT PRETTY CONSISTENTLY WHAT WE'VE BN DOING THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT ABOUT MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR? YES. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMAN MARTIN, THAT HAS BEEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY HAVING IN THE TAX LEVY. I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE BROUGHT IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN THE THREE LEVY BY 50,000 BUT IT RIGHT AROUND $1,000,000 IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DOING FOR A WHILE. GOTCHA YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE AND I WON'T REHASH THE PREVIOUS AS A GOOD QUESTION COUNCILMEMBER NELSON BUT I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SMOOTHING I THINK ABOUT THE TAX LEVY STABILIZATION FUND THAT WE ESTABLISHED TO HELP US CLIMB OUT OF THE WAS A REAL KIND OF DEFINITE TIME PERIOD AND PURPOSE THAT WE WERE LEVERAGING FOR WHEREAS THIS SEEMS TO ME MORE JUST BEING STRATEGIC STACKING UP CASH BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY CHANGING THE PROPERTY TAX CONTRIBUTION WE'RE PROJECTING TO THIS FUND OVER THE LONGER TERM. SO I JUST I'M TIED MY BRAIN INTO THAT FOR A MINUTE AND I'M GUESSING FOLKS AT HOME RE JUST CONFUSED ON I WOULD LIKE TO COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON POINTING OUT THE THE WORKING BALANCE IN 2024 AT 386% OF THE GOAL I'LL BE HONEST I WAS I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND TODAY WHO TOLD ME THE WORKING CAPITAL BALANCE IN HER FUND WAS A 200% AND MY EYES POPPED OUT OF MY HEAD. 386% IS A BIG NUMBER AND. IT MIGHT MIGHT BE A WORTHWHILE CONVERSATION. PROBABLY NOT NOW. BUT AS WE MOVE INTO NEXT YEAR WHAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH AS A COUNCIL IN TERMS OF THESE WOING CAPITAL BALCES, AT'S A LOT OF MONEY SITTING ON THE SIDE AND I UNDERSTAND IT PLAYS TOWARD OUR OVERALL CREDIT RATING, IT PLAYS TOWARDS SAFETY, IT PLAYS TOWARD MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE CASH ON HAND SHOULD EVERYTHING GO KABOOM WE HAVE THAT CASH ON HAND. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH THE CONVERSATION TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER BALANCING ALL THOSE THINGS WITH THE FACT THAT THAT'S A OF CASH ON HAND THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY I WON'T SAY WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED I WILL SAY THAT WE THAT COULD BE REALLOCATED OR LOOKED AT IN OTHER WAYS. YEAH. MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ONE OF THE COMMENTS I'D ALSO MAKE IS ONE OF THE OTHER WAYS THAT WE'RE UTILIZING THE FUND IS TO MANAGE PRE-DEVELOPMENT COSTS FOR OUR FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION. SO YOU SEE EACH OF IN THE LONG TERM MODEL WHICH YOU HAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER IF YOU'VE GOT IT UP OTHERWISE MAYBE COREY CAN POP IT BACK UP THE $1.3 MILLION THAT GETS TRANSFERRED IN FOR FOR THE FIRE STATION PRE-PLANNING AND THEN WHEN WE END UP ISSUING THE DEBT THAT COMES IN BUT THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP THE FUND AGAIN WHEN THOSE FUNDS GO OUT AND WHEN THEY COME BACK IN . SO YOU CAN SEE DOWN ON THE LOWER LINE THE TRANSFER FOR THE FIRE STATIONS OUT IN 25 AND 26 AND THEN YOU SEE THEM COMING BACK IN IN 26 AND 27. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A HIGHER SPIKE RATE NOW WE COULD LOOK AT SOME OTHER FUNDS IF IF COUNCIL WANTED TO DO THAT AND FIND A DIFFERENT SOURCE FOR THESE. BUT THIS IS THIS IS THE FUND WE'VE BEEN USING FOR THAT PURPOSE. SO COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO, YOUR HAND UP AGAIN COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO YES SIR. MUST SAY AS A REACTION TO YOUR COMMENTS I THINK I MADE A SIMILAR COMMENT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE LIKE THE PMP WORKING CAPITAL BALANCE AND IN PUBLIC UTILITIES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, I KNOW THAT ARE BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW IF I HAD IF I WAS LISTENING TO YOU KNOW SUZY ORMAN OR WHOEVER AND SHE TOLD ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EIGHT MONTHS OF MY, YOU KNOW, WORKING CAPITAL IN MY THING ORDER TO BE LIKE A SOLID AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT PERCENT OF AMERICANS DON'T HAVE THAT AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT LIKE WE COULD LOOK AT 80 TO 90% OF THOSE WORKING CAPITAL BALANCES ACROSS WORKING CAPITAL BALANCES AND FIND A LOT OF MONEY. AND I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD DO THAT ALL THE TIME. BUT WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A HISTORIC HIGH IN LEVY OVER PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS WITH OUR PARKS, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, FINDING THOSE RESOURCES ELSEWHERE FEELS LIKE FEELS LIKE SOMETHING WE COULD DO AND FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. NOW I KNOW THAT THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE. YOU KNOW I TRUST GARY AND I TRUST YOU KNOW, MRS. SCHULLER AND OTHERS AGAINST THIS I KNOW WHERE OR WHEN THE POLICY OR LIKE THESE WORKING CAPITAL BALANCES CAME FROM. BUT I AM I TEND TO BE MORE ORIENTED ANYWAY AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE I TRY TO THINK OF THE THE THE VALUE TO OUR TAXPAYERS HOLDING THAT MONEY UNLESS WE'RE GETTING UNLESS WE'RE GETTING BETTER THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN RETURNS ON THOSE ON THOSE INVESTMENTS BECAUSE THE RATES ARE SO HIGH THAT IT'S LIKE BLEEDING MONEY RIGHT NOW WHICH . IT SHOULD BE IF WE'RE DOING STUFF AT THESE NUMBERS IF THAT'S NOT HAPPENING THEN SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY SITTING THERE WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS RIGHT NOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO OUR RESIDENTS LIKE AND NOT GREATHINGS LIKE PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING. SO I DON'T KNOW I JUST FEELS LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. I SAID IT ABOUT THE PMP, I SAID IT ABOUT THE OTHER PLACES WHERE WE SAW A BIG YOU KNOW, WORKING BALANCES THAT WERE TRYING TO I THINK IT WAS ILITIES WERE TING TO KEE THEMLL AT ABOVE 100. I GET IT. BUT I ALSO THINK MAYBE THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IT BEING AT 90% OR 85% AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE FOR FOLKS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO THINKING PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME AND MAYBE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG IN THE HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS OF DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE I AM LOOKING AT I'M NOT SURE WH SIDE THIS I GUESS BUT THE SLIDE THAT SAYS THE IMPACT OF THE 8.97% TAX ON THE INCREASE WILL ACTUALLY TRANSLATE TO A 5.12 INCREASE FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME AND . I THINK PROBABLY MOST OF US UP HERE UNDERSTAND WHY IS BUT CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW HOW HOW DO YOU COME TO THAT 5.12 NUMBER FOR THE ACTUAL IMPACT, SIR? MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER THE OVERALL LEVY AMOUNT IS A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVIES AND SO THAT IS $81.2 MILLION FOR $2 MILLION IS WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS PROPOSED FINAL TAX LEVY FOR 24 AND THAT LEVY AMOUNT GETS ALLOCATED OVER ALL OF THE PROPERTIES IN BLOOMINGTON. SO IT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THAT BUT BASICALLY THE PROPERTIES THAT HIGHER VALUES PAY MORE OF THAT OVERALL LEVY AMOUNT THAN THE ONES THAT HAVE SMALLER VALUES AND THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES HAVE MORE THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY THAN RESIDENTIAL AND SO IT'S BASED ON ASSESSED VALUES OF THE HOMES THAT THE ASSESSING DIVISION DOES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. AND SO ON HOW THE VALUE OF SOMEONE'S PROPERTY OR IN THIS THE MEDIAN VALUE PROPERTIES SO THAT'S THE THE HOME VALUE THAT IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THE PROPERTIES IN BLOOMINGTON DEPENDING HOW THAT CHANGED IN RELATION TO ALL THE OTHER PROPERTIES VALUES IN BLOOMINGTON AND WHAT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES DID AND IN CONTRAST TO RESIDENTIAL THAT IS THAT'S THE CALCULATION THAT HAPPENS. SO BECAUSE OF THAT A LOT OF TIMES IT DOESN'T WORK OUT WHERE THE INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY TRANSLATES TO WHAT THE INCREASES ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY TAX STATEMENT SO THOSE FACTORS MAY GET CONFUSED WHEN LOOKING AT HOW THE TAX LEVY IS INCREASING . A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE HAD AN INCREASE OF 2.75% FOR THE OVERALL T LEVY INCREAS AND . SOME PEOPLE WERE SEEING 16% INCREASES ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX AND THAT WAS DUE TO A MAJOR SHIFT OF OUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES GOING UP REALLY HIGH AND COMMERCIAL DECREASING AND THAT SHIFT OF THE TAX BURDEN ONGOING THAT WAY. SO IT IS IT'S A HARD THING TO EXPLAIN. I MEAN DEFINITELY THE TAX LEVY INCREASE IS A FACTOR AND WHAT PEOPLE WILL SEE ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX STATEMENTS. BUT THE OTHER FACTOR IS HOW THEIR PROPEY VALUATION IS CHANGI AND IN RELATION TO ALL THE OTHER PROPERTIES IN BLOOMINGTON I THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL AND A GOOD REMINDER FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WATCHING YOU KNOW, I THINK PART PART OF WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS JUST I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF A LOT OF GREAT WORK HAS HAPPENED TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND KNOW THAT I THINK CITY STAFF HAVE DUG PRETTY DEEP IN TERMS OF TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE SUCH A HIGH TAX LEVY HERE TODAY AND OFTENTIMES WE DON'T REALLY IN THIS PART AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING TO ACTUALLY YOU KNOW, BOLSTER THAT COMMERCIAL SIDE WHICH THEN HELPS OFFSET THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES. AND SO I JUST I GUESS I SAY THAT OUT LOUD WE SAW A DIRECT IMPACT DURING THE PANDEMIC LIKE YOU SAID WHEN THE MALL AND THE HOTEL SHUT DOWN AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYERS FELT IT EVEN THOUGH WE REALLY DIDN'T PASS A TAX, A HIGH TAX LEVY AT ALL ANYWAY. SO I KIND OI FEEL LIK I WANTED TO PLANT THE SEED THAT MAYBE WE START TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT KIND OF SIDE OF THE EQUATION TOO BUT OTHERWISE ALL OF THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED. I DID ALSO HAVE THE QUESTION RELATED TO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND AND MAYBE DRAWING ON THAT A LITTLE BIT BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT CREATES A STRUCTURAL AND BALANCE IN THE BUDGET WHICH I'M NOT A HUGE FAN OF BUT WE DO HAVE QUITE A QUITE A BIT OF MONEY SITTING IN THAT FUND SO. I THINK IF WE CAN USE IT TO HELP OUT IN EVEN A BITND THAT WOU BE GOOD. MR. MAYOR IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE OF THOSE THINK IT COUNCILMEMBER CARTER COREY'S EXPLANATION WAS REALLY GOOD IN TERMS OF HOW THE DYNAMICS OF THE LEVY VERSUS WHAT THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME IS GOING TO SEE IN THE WE USED TO SHOW A CHART FOR SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED A LITTLE LONGER THAT WOULD SHOW THE INCREASES AND THE COMMERCIAL INCREASES ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS GOING BACK LIKE 15, 20 YEARS AND YOU KNOW SOMETIMES THERE'S A WEEK A WEEK RESIDENTIAL STRONG COMMERCIAL STRONG RESIDENTIAL OR WEEK COMMERCIAL SOMETIMES IT'S BALANCED. THIS IS A YEAR WHERE THERE WAS STRONGER COMMERCIAL VALUATION GROWTH THAN THERE WAS RESIDENTIAL VALUATION GROWTH AND THEN WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE COMMERCIAL SEGMENT ENDS UP TAKING MORE OF THE BURDEN OF THE LEVY INCREASE WHICH IS HOW THE NUMBERS SO IT IS REALLY COMPLICATED. I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION FROM COREY AND I APPRECIATE YOUR OBSERVATIONS AS WELL ABOUT THE YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE DO TO TRY TO KEEP OUR COMMERCIAL BASE STRONG AND. THAT'S ONE THING THAT I HOPE RESIDENTS OF BLOOMINGTON DO APPRECIATE IS THAT WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN MANY OTHER CITIES IS THAT WE HAVE AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG COMMERCIAL BASE AND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IT WAS THE FACT THAT WE HAD MORE VALUATION IN COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY THAN WE DID SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL I THINK IT MAY JUST BARELY STILL BE THE CASE BUT WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA THAT HAS THAT BALANCE RIGHT. AND SO THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE MAKE TO KEEP OUR COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS HIGHER IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS. MR. COUNCILMEMBER BROOKING OH EXCUSE ME IF THAT'S A DEMOTION OR COUNCIL MEMBER AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING SAY AND I GUESS THE OTHER SO IT'S INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT FISCAL DISPARITIES THERE AND AND HOWHAT'S PUNISHED,OU KNOW, THE CY OF BLOOMINGTON SO REALLY DO APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS ARE ON OUR COMMERCIAL STEWARDSHIP THAT WE NEED TO DO SO I JUST HAD TWO COMMENTS OR ONE MAYBE ONE'S MORE OF A QUESTION, ONE'S MORE OF A COMMENT OR MAYBE THEY'RE BOTH COMMENTS. I KNOW. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PENSION FUND AND YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YOU HAD MENTIONED IDEA WHERE YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AND THAT NUMBER TO JUMP OUT ME AS I SAW THAT. BUT YOU KNOW I RECOGNIZE YOU KNOW WHY WE'RE DOING THAT AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO THERE BUT IT DOES COMMUNICATE A MESSAGE. I MEAN COUNCILMEMBER CARTER TALKED ABOUT THA YOU KNO AT IS THE RESIDENCY? I MEAN YOU TALKED ABOUT IT TO MAYOR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND SO I'M WONDERING IF IT MAKES SENSE TO SPLIT THOSE OUT TO JUST MAKE SURE BOTH THAT WE'RE BEING CLEAR YOU KNOW AND I DON'T MEAN I'M NOT A BUDGET PERSON PER SAY IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE'S ONE'S FIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUT BECAUSE I THINK THAT DOES YOU KNOW, BY SPLITTING THOSE OUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. YOU COULD BUT BY SPLITTING THOSE OUT THAT REALLY DOES COMMUNICATE WHAT THINGS ARE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITHIN EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS. AND I JUST GET CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, FUTURE TAXPAYERS OR FUTURE COUNCILS MAY NOT SEE THAT NUANCE THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH PUTTING THAT MONEY ASIDE AND PUTTING IT BACK. AND SO THAT'S JUST YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S A COMMENT AND I HAVE ABOUT THAT. AND THEN IN TERMS OF PROVIDING SOME TAX RELIEF TO FOLKS, YOU KNOW, I'VE AND I THINK EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT THIS YEAR BECAUSE THAT MIGHT MAKE A MESS FOR YOU. SO I DON'T WANT TO RELITIGATE THAT PART OF IT BUT YOU KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT CARRYOVER, YOU KNOW IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR WE'VE GOT THIS POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE DOES MAKE SOME SENSE TO YOU KNOW IF YOU KNOW SOME FOLKS MIGHT SAY THAT'S OVERTAXATION JUST BEING EFFICIENT WITH YOUR BUDGET YOU KNOW IT MIGHT MIGHT SAY THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE GIVE SOME PERCENTAGE OF THAT BACK YOU KNOW MAYBE NOT 100% BUT MAYBE 50% AND THAT MIGHT BE A WAY IN WHICH THAT WE COULD EASILY KIND OF GET OURSELVES OUT OF THAT TRICK BAG OF CREATING IMBALANCES WITHIN OTHER BUDGET ITEMS OR WITHIN BUDGETS KIND OF GOING FORWARD BECAUSE WELL THAT'S ALREADY KIND OF OVER ORIGIN. WE'VE DONE A NICE JOB AND SO NOT ONLY DOES IT REWARD OUR YOU KNOW, OUR GRE WORK OF DOING IT BUT ALSO SAYS TO TO AND SAY YOU WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT BACK BECAUSE WE DID A GREAT, YOU KNOW, OUTSTANDING OF OF WORK IN THIS BUDGET TO CONCLUSION. SO THERE'S JUST A THOUGHT THAT I HAD ON ON BOTH THOSE THINGS I GOT KNOW NOT PROPOSING THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THIS THINGS THAT WE WANT TO USE IT FOR WHICH MAKES SENSE TOO BUT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT GOING FORWARD. MR. MAYOR COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBER LOWMAN ON THE OBSERVATION ABOUT CARRYOVERS SPECIFICALLY IT ACTUALLY I WON'T SAY IT COMES TO THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS BUT IT DOES COME BACK TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE CARRYOVERS WHATEVER WE DON'T UTILIZE IN CARRYOVER ENDS UP IN THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND. RIGHT. AND SO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND IS USED FOR ONE TIME OPPORTUNITIES OR PRIORITIES AND THEN WE HAVE THE TAX LEVY STABILIZATION SO YOU KNOW IT'S NOT THAT THE THE MONEY THAT DOESN'T GET SPENT ONE YEAR ISN'T GETTING UTILIZED TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY IN A SUBSEQUENT BECAUSE I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT IS THE THE OTHER ISSUES TO YOUR POINT COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN AND I DIDN'T RESPOND TO COUNCILMEMBER DOLLAR SANDRA'S ABOUT THE FUND BALANCES YOU KNOW EACH YEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR GARY MEETS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS NOW AND AS YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO LOOK AT THIS YEAR? I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE PUT THE FUND BALANCE POLICIES AND ASSUMPTIONS ON THE LIST TO LOOK AT. I'M A LITTLE BIT RELUCTANT TO TAKE AN APPROACH HERE IN TH NEXT TEN DAYS A WE PUT TOGETHER INFORMATION LEADING UP TO OUR FINAL LEVY. BUT I'M SENSING THAT THAT'S A THEME HERE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD PUT A FAIR AMOUNT OF EFFORT INTO FOR NEXT YEAR WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR OUR BUDGET APPROACH AND COME TALK TO THE COUNCIL AND MAYBE APRIL OR MAY BEFORE WE GET GOING IN OUR LENGTHY ON THIS FOR BRUYERE SEEING NODDING HEADS SO I THINK THAT'S THAT MIGHT BE THE RIGHT PATH TO GO COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOUAYOR. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE MOST OF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED BUT BEING THE FRESHMAN COUNCILMEMBER HERE I WANT TO THANK STAFF FIRST OF ALL FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF WORK BUT I ALSO WANT TO SHARE WITH THE RESIDENTS HOW DIFFICULT THIS HAS BEEN. YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE MY KIDS HAVE BEEN SICK FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS BUT EVERY HOUR THAT I'VE BEEN AWAKE THIS HAS BEEN ON MY MIND BECAUSE I'M A RESIDENT HERE TOO. I'M A FATHER I HAVE KIDS I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE KIDS. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED AND ON FIXED BUDGETS A IT'S THAT BALANCE OF WHAT DO WE GIVE UP TODAY? HOW DOES THAT IMPACT US TOMORROW OR WHAT CAN WE DO TODAY THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US BUT IS IT A BRIGHTER TOMORROW OR NOT? AND SO IT'S BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT TO REALLY BALANCE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THIS IS GOING TO BE. AND SO I TRULY THE WORK THAT STAFF HAS PUT INTO IT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS THAT MY MY FELLOW COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE PUT IN TO REALLY PUT THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS INTO PLACE ON WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS AND WANTS AND DESIRES OF THE RESIDENTS OF BLOOMINGTON BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HOW CAN WE MAKE LIFE FOR PEOPLE BLOOMINGTON EASIER AND SO SOMETIMES THAT'S LOWERING LEVY AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND SOMETIMES THAT'S STRATEGICALLY INVESTING THE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLING US FOR A LONG TIME. SO THAT'S REALLY I WANT TO SAY IS THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY PROCESS. I'M GLAD WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IT IF WE CAN DO ANYMORE THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CITY NEEDS THESE INVESTMEN TO COINUE TO GROWND BE PROSPEROUS AND SO IT'S BEEN AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE FOR ABSOLUTELY BEING A FRESHMAN COUNCILMEMBER HERE. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING DONE COUNCILMEMBER I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN STATUS I THINK NEXT YEAR'S YOUR ACTUAL FRESHMAN YEAR THIS EIGHT MONTHS HERE HAS BEEN A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN YEAR FOR YOU BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY HONOR AND YOU MENTIONED THE THE ENGAGEMENT THAT THE THE STAFF DID THIS YEAR TALKING TO PEOPLE AND IF YOU WHILE YOUR KIDS WERE SICK IF YOU TOOK AINUTE TO AS YOU SCROLLED THROUGH ALL THAT WE GOT IF YOU AT THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THERE'S PAGES AND PAGES THE COMMENTS AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBED THAT THAT BALANCE THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON COMMENTS PEOPLE SAYING I'M ON A FIXED INCOME YOU STOP START SPENDING MONEY AND THEN THREE THREE COMMENTS IN A ROW PUBLIC SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY. WE YOU KNOW, SLOW PEOPLE DOWN AND LYNDALE AVENUE AND FIX LYNDALE AVENUE I MEAN ALL THE DIFFERENT THE BACK AND FORTH AND WE SEE THIS WITHIN THE COMMENTS THAT WE GET WITH THE COMMUNITY. I THINK WE ALL HEARD IT PRETTY MUCH CONSISTENTLY OVER THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. BOTH SIDES OF THIS OF THIS ARGUMENT AND THIS CONVERSATION AND I AGREE IT'S A IT'S A TOUGH ONE. IT'S DIFFICULT AND I APPRECIATE THE STAFF WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO TRYING TO BALANCE ALL OF THIS. I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL THAT HAS GONE INTO TRYING TO BALANCE ALL OF THIS. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO THE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE, THE SPENDING THAT WE DO AS CITY REFLECTS THE VALUES AND THE PRIORITIES OF OUR RESIDENTS AND FRANKLY IT HAS TO IT ABSOLUTELY SHOULD YOU LOOK AT THE SPENDING ON PUBLIC SAFETY YOU LOOK AT THE CONTINUATION OF OUR PUBLIC SERVICES OUR BASIC SERVICES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE NOT AN EXPANSION OF THOSE SERVICES MINUS PUBLIC SAFETY. YOU KNOW, AN EXPANSION OF OUR SERVICES BUT JUST MAINTAINING WHAT PEOPLE HAVE COME NOT ONLY APPRECIATE BUT EXPECT FROM THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON AND TO MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE IT'S NOT A ZERO IT'S NOT A ZERO THERE. IT'S IT TAKES ADDITIONAL FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON SALARIES, BASED ON THE SUPPLIES THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED THE PRICE OF GASOLINE TO MOW OUR PARKS I MEAN JUST THE BASICS KIND OF LIKE THAT. SO BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS COUNCILMEMBER BECAUSE YOU'RE DEAD ON THIS IS BALANCING ACT AND THE A A BUDGET REFLECTS IS A IS A VALUES DOCUMENT WE HEARD THAT FROM REPRESENTATIVE COULTER A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TIMES AND THAT'S WHA I THINK WE' DOG HERE AND IT'S A BALANCING ACT THAT IS IS TRICKY BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE STEWARDS WE'RE STEWARDS OF PUBLIC DOLLARS AND IT'S A IT'S A CHALLENGE AND AS I SAID I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL, APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE STAFF TO TRY AND FIGURE THIS OUT BECAUSE IT AIN'T EASY AND IT'S NOT GOING GET EASIER OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SO COUNCILOR, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT I THINK THE FINAL THING THAT I WOULD ASK OR AT LST THROW OUT A A REQUEST AS I SAID YOU'VE DONE WORK AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE THE COUNCIL HAS BROUGHT FORWARD. ARE WE BALANCED? YOU WERE ON THE YOU WERE STAFFING THOSE BULLETS. YOU HEARD FROM PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING AND BASED ON ALL OF THAT AND I APPRECIATE BRINGING IT DOWN TO THE 8.97% AND I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU DO MORE. IS IT POSSIBLE TO TO ONCE AGAIN SHARPEN THE PENCILS, FIGURE OUT WHERE WE COULD TAKE ANY PERCEAGE OFF TO TRY AND WITHOUT IMPACTING THE THE SERVICES THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT? BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO SHARPEN THE PENCILS AND REDUCE THIS LEVY ANYMORE AND I WILL I WILL ASK YOU AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT I WOULD LOOK AT MR. ROONEY AND LOOK AT THIS. CARLSON REST OF THE STAFF IF WE CAN DO THAT, LET'S FIND A WAY IF WE CAN. MR. MAYOR MEMBERS WE WILL WE'VE GOT TEN DAYS BEFORE WE HAVE TO PUT THAT FINAL PACKAGE TOGETHER ALTHOUGH WE CAN THANK YOU. THANKOU. YOUR FINANCE OFFICER NEVER SLEEPS. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE MOTTO AROUND HERE ALSO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS CONCERNS ANYTHING WE WANT TO BRING FORWARD HERE TIMEFRAME I JUST ADD ONE MORE THING PLEASE DO COUNCIL APPROVAL ETC. I DO WANT TO I DO WANT TO GIVE I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME ESTIONS I'M NOT SUPER THRILLED WITH THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN PARTS DESERT ISLAND PRIORITY LIST IT IS FOR PEOPLE I THINK WE'RE KIND FLAT THERE BUT I ALSO DO WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE FOLKS IN PARK AND PARKS AND REC WHO I THINK ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT BROUGHT IN WHAT ARE WE GOING TO STOP DOING OR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CONSIDER STOPPING DOING WHICH I AM ALWAYS GRATEFUL FOR. SO YOU KNOW THAT MAY BE A CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY IN THE WORLD OVER HERE THINK CAN STOP DOI THAT WOULD HELP US WITH THIS. I THINK IT'D BE A REALLY GOOD EXERCISE. THERE'S NOT ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET FOR STOPPAGE OTHER THAN THE PROPOSED SIDEWALK WHICH I KNOW IS IN THE 2024 THING BUT BUT BUT OF CONSIDERATION SO YOU KNOW THEY'RE FLAT ON THEIR FLAT ON RESOURCES EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE MOVING STUFF AROUND TO FOR THE RIGHT PLACES AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO TO REDUCE AND SO KUDOS TO THE PARKS AND REC TEAM AND I'D LIKE TO YOU KNOW I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT FROM EVERYBODY. THANK YOU AGREE COUNCIL MEMBER WE LOVE THE STOP DOING LIST MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS I WON'T EVEN CALL IT WHAT WE'VE CALLED IT FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS BUT I'LL JUST ODYSSEY IN TERMS OF THE OBSERVATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM ESPECIALLY ON THE INVESTMENT IN THE PARKS. YOU KNOW ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS THEY'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW AND WE'VE BEEN FORECASTING A LITTLE BIT IS THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW TO DEFINE THE THE SERVICE STANDARDS FOR MAINTENANCE OF ALL 97 OF OUR PARKS AND IS TO BE VERY WELL DEFINED UTILIZING OUR GIS SYSTEM WHICH WE'VE JUST BEEN IMPLEMENTING. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GOING OUT AND DOING GIS CAPTURES OF EVERY ELEMENT OF OUR RIGHT SO THAT WE KNOW ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT ARE THERE, ALL THE TREES EVERYTHING AND PUTTING THAT INTO THE WORKING DOCUMENT FOR OUR SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS SO I'M JUST FORECASTING THAT WHEN HAVE THOSE DEFINED WILL BE COMING BACK AND WE MAY BE ASKING FOR MORE THE PARKS AND RECREATION THAT WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THOSE SERVICE STANDARDS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO PUT A PRETTY HIGH PRESSURE ON OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF TO DELIVER. RIGHT. AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKING AT IS A REALLOCATION OF STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TRY AND DO THOSE THINGS. COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO REFERENCED THE THE SNOW PLOWING THAT'S OUR PARKS MAINTENANCE TEAM DOES THAT IN THE WINTER YOU KNOW THE FORESTRY WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO STOP RESPONDING TO RESIDENTS REQUESTS TO LOOK AT TREES ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY AND TO ASSESS THE HEALTH OF TREES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR FORESTERS FOCUSED ON TAKING CARE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND IN THE OTHER WORK THAT HE HAS TO DO. SO WE ARE MAKING SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS. IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE LARGE OBVIOUS IMPACTSUT YOU KNOW WE'RE EVALUATING THEM CAREFULLY AS WE GO. I EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT STARTING IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS. THANK YOU, MR. . WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIAL ACTION ITEM ON THIS ITEM 2.1 BUT YOU'VE HEARD THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL AND UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION THE DIRECTION THANK YOU AND UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION BOTH AND LONG TERM BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A FEW THINGS HERE THAT WE CAN CARRY OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO WITH THEIR DISCUSSION WITH THE BUDGET. SO I THA YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL ARE ON THE OTHER ITEM TONIGHT IS ITEM 2.2 OUR CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL UPDATES. MR. FABBRO ANYTHING TO UPDATE US ON THIS EVENING? YOU KNOW, MR. MAYOR, THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE IS MORE OF A FUN THING AND THAT IS THAT THE THE MAYOR FOR A DAY PROJECT FROM LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WHICH GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO A THIRD OR FOURTH OR FIFTH GRADER SOMEWHERE IN MINNESOTA TO WRITE AN ESSAY OF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS MAYOR FOR A DAY. AND SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE HAD A YOUTH NAMED SPENCER ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WHO WAS THE MAYOR FOR A DAY AND MADE AN APPEARANCE AT OUR STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AND HE WAS QUITE A PHENOMENON. SO THAT'S OUT THERE AND I'VE SHARED THE INFORMATION WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND VEST THEM TO SHARE IT WITH THEIR THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE WORD OUT. BUT I LIKE TO SAY A WORD AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE SO WE WILL THEY FOLKS ARE LOOKING THEY CAN GO TO THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITY'S WEBSITE WHICH IS LMC AND LOOK FOR MAYOR FOR A DAY. THE THING THAT I THINK BEARS MENTIONING IS THAT LAST WEEK WE PARTICIPATED IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE BONDING COMMITTEE TOUR FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE SEEKING STATE FUNDING . THE MAYOR AND I AND SEVERAL OTHERS MET THE COMMITTEE DOWN IN APPLE VALLEY. THEY WERE TOURING DOW THERE AND RODE THE BUS WITH THEM TO NORMANDY OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND AT THE COLLEGE WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE ROAD TO DRIVE RIGHT DOWN NORMANDY BOULEVARD WHERE WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS WHICH IS THE THE FROM 94TH DOWN TO OLD TRACK B ROAD AND THEN AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN ADDITION TO COLLEGE FOLKS TALKING ABOUT THE ASK THAT THEY WILL HAVE WHICH IS INVESTMENTS IN A NEW LIBRARY BUILDING THE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES THAT WERE THERE INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINNETONKA WHO ELSE WAS THERE ANYWAY? A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES, YEAH. SO WE PRESENTED ON FOUR SPECIFIC REQUESTS. IT WAS THE NORMANDY BOULEVARD TRAIL IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR REGIONAL PARKS. IT'S THE KELLY PLAY FIELDS VALLEY VIEW AND SCOTT AND THEN WE ALSO INCLUDED OUR NEXT FIRE STATION AND THE MAINTENANCE GARAGE FACILITY. SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR BIG ASSETS THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER BONDING REQUESTS BUT FOR SAKE OF TIME AND REASONABLENESS WE THOUGHT IT WAS BEST TO ONLY DO FOUR SO SO WE'LL SEE OUR OUR LEGISLATORS ARE ALL AWARE OF WHAT IT IS WE'LL BE ASKING FOR AND I EXPECT WE'LL BE ACTIVE PARTNERS FOR US AS THE SESSION GETS GOING HERE. THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME THAT MR. BRUGUIERE WAS. IT IT WAS A GOOD DAY AND GOOD TIME. WELL TIME WELL SPENT WITH LEGISLATORSND BRINGING THEM TO BOMINGTON. IT WAS NICE AND NORMANDY OTHER HOST AND I MADE THE POINT THAT DESPITE SPENDING A YEAR THERE AT NORMANDY I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A LIBRARY. SO IT WAS SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE REQUEST THAT THEY HAD FOR THE LIBRARY AND FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THEM AND I KNOW THEY'RE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF SO IT'S GOOD IT'S A GOOD GROUP COUNSELOR ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD HERE? AN ITEM TO POINT TO I WILL JUST SAY IN THE SEASON OF GRATITUDE HERE THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ALL THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK SPECIFICALLY ON T BUDGET. THANKS F ALL YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. AND I SAY THAT TO THE COUNCIL. I SAY THAT THE OTHER WAY AS WELL TO THE STAFF. I SAY THAT I SEE YOU ALL THERE AND I THANK YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AND I SEE YOUR DEPUTY CHIEF OVER THERE SPREAD AND SPREAD THE WORD AS WELL TO OUR OUR MEN AND WOMEN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. TULSA IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN TONIGHT'S MEETING SOME OF AND A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADJOURN THIS EVENING I GUESS WE HAVE TO GO ON A ROLL CALL MIZ TO SHOW ALL RIGHT MARTIN HI LA SANDRA I LOWMAN I CARTER I MUA NELSON MAYOR BUSSEY I MOTION KARI SEVEN ZERO WE ARE ADJOURNED THANKS VERY MUCH. HAVE EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING WEEKEND THANKS THANKS