. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND WELCOME. I WILL CALL OUR BLOOMINGTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER TONIGHT IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH 2025. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE JOINING US HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THANKS TO EVERYBODY WATCHING ONLINE. WE WILL BEGIN OUR MEETING AS WE ALWAYS DO IF YOU'RE ABLE PLEASE STAND. REMOVE ANY HEAD COVERING AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ONCE AGAIN, THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT ON A SNOWY DECEMBER EVENING. GREATLY APPRECIATED. WE WILL START OUR MEETING WITH YOUR APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA AND COUNCIL. WHAT WE HAVE THIS EVENING ON OUR AGENDA WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS UNDERNEATH OUR INTRODUCTORY ITEMS ITEM 2.1 IS OUR PRESENTATIONS OF OUR 2025 OMAGH BOND ROAD AWARD. WE HAVE TWO AWARD WINNERS THIS EVENING AND THEN ITEM 2.2 A PROCLAMATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON HAS OUR CONSENT TO BUSINESS THIS EVENING AND THE CONSENT AGENDA IS A HEFTY 24TEMS SO COUNCILMEMBER NELSON WILL LEAD US THROUGH THAT. WE'LL GET TWO HEARINGS RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES NEXT. THAT'S ITEM FOUR AND WE HAVE FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST ITEM 4.1 IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR TRUTH AND TAXATION 2026 PROPERTY TAX LEVY ITEM 4.2 IS PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR 2020 SIXTH THROUGH 2035 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN APPROVAL THAT'S THE CIP AND THEN 4.3 IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING BUT IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION SALES TAX REVENUE BOND SERIES 2026 A AND IN 4.5 WE'RE BACK TO A PUBLIC HEARING. THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2019 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND THAT IN 4.5 A PUBLIC HEARING ON OUR SMALL BUSINESS CODES AND PROCESS PHASE TWO ORDINANCE UNDER ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS ITEM 5.18 A RESOLUTION TO REVISE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR FULL TIME PART TIME SEASONAL AND TEMPORARY NONUNION EMPLOYEES FOR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. AND WE WILL WRAP UP AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND ISSUE UPDATES COUNSEL ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA PROPOSED HEARING NONE. I WOULD MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS STATED MOTION ON A SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO TO ACCEPT TONIGHT'S AGENDA NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. FIRST UP ON OUR AGENDA IS THE OMAR BOND ROAD PRESENTATION AND I'M GOING TO HEAD DOWN TO THE PODIUM TONIGHT. WE MAKE OUR PRESENTATIONS FOR OUR 2025 OMAR BONDER ROOD AWARD WINNERS THE OMER BY OMAR VANDER ROOD AWARD IS A BLOOMINGTON UNIQUE AWARD RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING HUMAN RIGHTS WORK WITHIN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. OMAR VANDER ROODE WAS I THINK THE INITIAL CHAIR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IF I RECALL. AND WAS HE DRIVING FORCE OF EQUALITY AND EQUITY AND DOING WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON? IT'S A IT'S AN HONOR TO GIVE THESE AWARDS OUT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT FOR YEARS NOW AND TO SEE THE WINNERS THAT HAVE HAVE COME THROUGH THIS CHAMBERS THEY ARE OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. THEY DO OUTSTANDING WORK AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TWO AWARD WINNERS TONIGHT. THE FIRST IS PRESENTED TO THE NORMANDY COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN HUMAN RIGHTS 2025 THIS IS ACTUALLY NORMAN DALES SECOND OMAHA BOND CROWD AWARD BACK IN 2019. THE GENERAL WORK THAT WAS GOING ON AT NORMANDY ALL RECEIVED A AN HONORABLE UNDERWOOD'S HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD TONIGHT WE VERY SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT AND RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE OFFICE OF EQUITY INCLUSION FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT THEY DO. I'M JOINED HERE TONIGHT AT THE PODIUM BY THE CHAIR OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ANITA SMITHSON. SHE'S GOING TO HAVE A FEW WORDS AND WE'RE GOING TO WATCH A VIDEO AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CALL OUR FRIENDS FROM NORMANDY ON UP. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EQUITY AND INCLUSION TEAM IS BEING HONORED FOR THEIR LONG ENDURING WORK TO CREATE A COLLEGE CULTURE THAT IS CULTURALLY CULTURALLY COMPETENT AND SERVICE ORIENTED. THIS TEAM HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS WORK FOR I BELIEVE NINE PLUS YEARS AND HAS EXPANDED TO BOTH FACULTY AND STUDENTS ENSURING THAT EMPLOYEES AT THE COLLEGE HAVE THE TOOLS AND TRAINING THEY NEED TO SHOW UP FOR THEIR STUDENTS IN THE MOST AUTHENTIC WAY TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT'S GROWTH AND LEARNING AND THAT STUDENTS ARE SEEN AS THEIR FULL SELVES AND THAT THEIR EDUCATORS ARE PREPARED TO HELP THEM SUCCEED. NORMANDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS A REPEAT HONOREE. AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE RECOGNIZE THE CONTINUED VALUE IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF 2025 IT FEELS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS TEAM WHICH HAS LED TO MEASURABLE IMPACT FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM AT NORMANDALE AND WE'LL LET THE VIDEO TO THE REST OF THE SPEAKING GRANT IF YOU COULD ROLL THE VIDEO PLEASE. I WOULD SAY EQUITY WORK IS LIFE WORK OUR EQUITY INCLUSION TEAM HERE AT NORMANDALE WE LEAD A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAININGS FOR OUR CAMPUS REALLY TRY TO LEAN INTO EQUITY MINDEDNESS AS A WAY OF ACCOMPLISHING OUR STRATEGIC GOALS HERE AT NORMAN GO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND HELP ALL OF THEM THRIVE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT A COLLEGE COULD EXIST FOR EVERYBODY NOT JUST THOSE STUDENTS WHO FEEL SO READY TO BE THEIR BUT ALSO THE STUDENTS WHO MAY EVEN QUESTION THEMSELVES OF WHY THEY'RE THERE INSTEAD OF PUTTING THE ONUS ON THE STUDENT TO KNOW ALL OF THE BARRIERS, ALL OF THE RESOURCES UP FRONT IS REALLY US AS AN INSTITUTION SAYING OKAY, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THAT WE SEE THAT COULD BE PRESIDENT OR POTENTIALLY PRESIDENT TO LIMIT STUDENT SUCCESS AND LET'S REMOVE IT ON THE FRONT END SO WHEN THE STUDENTS COME IN THEY CAN BE THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES. WE ALL REALLY BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WE BELIEVE IN THEM AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS REALLY ORIENTED AROUND THAT KIND OF DEEP CARE FOR THOSE STUDENTS AND THE DESIRE FOR THEM TO ALL BE DOING WELL HERE AND THE SAME FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? IF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE DOING WELL AND WE CAN SUPPORT THEM TO FEEL CONFIDENT AND INCLUDED AND LIKE THEY BELONG AT WORK, WE CAN HELP THEM DO THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO SUPPORT AND SPONSOR A FEW EVENTS SO A BLOOMINGTON PRIDE BLOOMINGTON, JUNETEENTH AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JESSE DEES EVENT AND THEN ALSO SIT ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK GROUP AS WELL. PART OF THE VALUE OF THIS TEAM IS JUST THE WAY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. THERE'S A LOT OF TRUST AND CARE FOR EACH OTHER ON THIS TEAM AND I REALLY HOPE THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT KIND OF RIPPLES OUT INTO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. AND I WAS LIKE WAIT, HOW DID WE GET NOMINATED FOR THIS? I REMEMBER SEEING THE IMA AND BEING LIKE WAIT WHAT? WHAT IS THIS? WHO DID THIS? YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET THAT DIRECT FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT YOUR WORK MEANS TO PEOPLE. SO JUST HAVING SOMEBODY VALUE IT REALLY OPENLY AND HAVING THAT BE PUBLIC THAT SAYS SORT OF LIKE THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT . IT MATTERS TO PEOPLE. IT MATTERED ENOUGH FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE THE TIME TO NOMINATE US. I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHERE THAT VALUE LIES FOR ME I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF AWARD IT REALLY SHOWS THE VALIDATION OF THE WORK AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK I WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYBODY IS THRIVING LIKE I THINK WE'RE ALL DOING BETTER WHEN WE'RE ALL DOING BETTER AND IT'S NOT ABOUT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANYONE. IT'S ABOUT HAVING EVERYONE BE ABLE TO LIFT EACH OTHER AND BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE THINGS THEY NEED TO THRIVE . PLEASE WELCOME RECORD REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NORM DALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION COME ON UP. WE WANT TO THANK CONGRATULATIONS EACH WOMAN WHO'S ON THE WHO'S ON THE MICROPHONE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I NEVER REALIZED HOW SHORT I WAS TO HAVE TO PULL THIS ALL IT DOWN. SO MY NAME IS COREY CROWDER. I'M THE ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADING THIS TEAM OF AMAZING INDIVIDUALS WITH OUR FOCUS ON ADVANCING EQUITY MINDEDNESS THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS TO THE COMMISSION AND THE MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST REALLY WANTED TO SHARE OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR THIS. AS ANITA KIND OF ALLUDED TO, THE CURRENT CLIMATE AROUND THE WORK THAT WE DO IS BEING CHALLENGED STRIDES BEING YOU KNOW SOME PLACES DISMANTLED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO TO HAVE THIS RECOGNITION, THIS AWARD IS REALLY THE PUSH WE NEED WHEN THE TIMES GET TOUGH TO CONTINUE TO WORK, TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY IMPORTANT BUT IT'S NECESSARY. AND SO AS AMY SHARED IN THE VIDEO, RIGHT, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT, NORMAN. I RECEIVED THIS AWARD BACK I BELIEVE IN 2015 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 2015, 1970 SOMEWHERE BUT THAT WORK WHEN I STARTED OUT WAS REALLY CENTERED THE FOUNDATION FOR US TO HAVE EQUITY INCLUSION TEAM BUT ALSO A FOUNDATION FOR THE INSTITUTION TO LEAN INTO EQUITY MIND TO WORK AND SO I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN BEING ABLE TO KIND OF SIT BACK AND REFLECT AND SAY WE'RE CONTINUING THAT MISSION. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR PART OF THAT LEGACY THAT THAT LEADERSHIP TEAM SET FORTH FOR US. SO ONCE AGAIN JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND RECOGNITION AND IF YOU ARE ANY CHANGEMAKER NOMINATIONS I HAVE TWO BEHIND ME SO MAKE SURE TO REACH OUT TO ME BUT THANK YOU. COMING TO YOU ON GRIM. SO OUR SECOND WINNER OF A 2025 OMAR BANDA RUED HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON IS YOU KNOW THOSE MINNESOTA ROUND OF APPLAUSE. WHAT I THINK IS VERY COOL ABOUT THIS AWARD OBVIOUSLY RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF I THINK THE SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL IN THE MINNESOTA STATE SYSTEM AND THE THE LONG TIME HISTORY THAT THEY'VE HAD HERE IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON BUT ALSO CELEBRATING THE WORK OF A SMALL GRASSROOTS STARTUP ORGANIZATION THAT LOOKING TO EMPOWER PEOPLE, GIVE THEM VOICE AND GIVE THEM STRENGTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S A WONDERFUL COMBINATION THE JUXTAPOSITION I THINK THAT SHOWS WHAT WE VALUE AND HOW WELL HOW WE VALUE THIS IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, ANITA THANK YOU AGAIN MAYOR AND COUNCIL YOU KNOW THOSE MINNESOTA IS BEING HONORED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO ADVANCING AND PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF MINNESOTANS. ANY OF THOSE HAS BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF MANY ISSUES INVOLVING WORKING FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANT FAMILIES INCLUDING ADVOCATING FOR AND EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ON THE DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR ALL LAW MOST PRESSING RIGHT NOW AND SO INCREDIBLY TIMELY TONIGHT IS THE WORK THAT YOU NEED THOSE IS DOING TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS REGARDING THEIR LEGAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF FEDERAL ICE RIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING IN MINNESOTA EVEN RIGHT HERE IN BLOOMINGTON YOU NEED THOSE HAS TRAINED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE I WOULD IMAGINE IN JUST THE LAST MONTH ALONE TO ENSURE THEY KNOW THEIR RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DOCUMENT AN IMMIGRATION RAID AT THIS TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY WHERE WE SEE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABDUCTED OFF OUR STREETS WITH A LACK OF DUE PROCESS AND A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU NEED THOSE MINNESOTA IS ON THE FRONT LINES HELPING TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE AND HELPING US ALL UNDERSTAND OUR RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOMS. AND I AM SO DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR WORK AND WE NOW HAVE THE VIDEO ON IT IS MINNESOTA IS A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT BY OUR RIGHT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ORGANIZING TO TRANSFORM THE CONDITIONS WE LIVE IN. WE ARE REAL IN THAT MINNESOTA WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SET THE AGENDA WE ORGANIZE FOR LONG TERM STRUCTURAL CHANGE. WE DO COLLECTIVE ACTION THAT LEADS TO REAL RESULTS THAT IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES. AND OUR WORK IS ABOUT DIGNITY, POWER AND BELONGING BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITIES THEY ARE NOT TO JUST SURVIVE BUT TO TRY ARE HAS BEEN PROUD TO WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS AND CITY LEADERS TO MAKE SURE LOCAL POLICIES TRULY REFLECT POLICIES ON THE NEEDS OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, TRAINING FAMILIES THE TOOLS AND DOCUMENTS TO STAND FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. WITH OUR WORK WE WILL TRANSFORM THIS PRISON THROUGH OUR BONDS AND REMINDS FAMILIES THAT THEY BELONG HERE WITH DIGNITY RESPECT. TOGETHER WE'RE HELPING SHAPE A CITY WHERE EVERY FAMILY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CRY AND FEEL SAFE CALLING BLOOMINGTON HOME THIS HOUR RECOGNIZES LEADERSHIP. THE COURAGE OF THE POWER IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ORGANIZING FOR A BETTER FUTURE . IT'S ALSO A REMINDER THAT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND THEY STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER AND LEAD WITH FAITH A LOT AND IT SHINES A LIGHT ON THE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN PUBLIC SPACES. IT'S A BOLD RECOVERY MISSION THAT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WE KNOW HERE IN BLOOMINGTON MUCH OF A TIME WHEN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES ARE UNDER ATTACK ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IT SHOWS OUR COMMUNITY THAT CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE NOT JUST FEAR. THESE ARE WHAT REFLECTS WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS WITH COURAGE, WITH UNITY AND HOPE. MINNESOTA WELCOME YOU FIGHTING FOR OUR BLOOMINGTON AND A MINNESOTA WHERE EVERY FAMILY CAN TRY BELONG AND BUILD UP RIGHT AND FUTURE TOGETHER PLEASE WELCOME NOW YES PLEASE PLEASE WELCOME OUR REPRESENTATIVES INTRODUCE MINNESOTA PLEASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I WROTE A SPEECH BECAUSE I'M NOT AS GOOD AS COREY SO I HAVE TO WRITE IT DOWN SO I CAN REMEMBER EVERYTHING. MY NAME IS DANIELLE DEL TORO AND I'M TRULY HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. ON BEHALF OF ONLY THOSE MINNESOTA GRADUATES ORGANIZATION AND BUILD BY AND FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE TRANSFORMING THE CONDITION THAT WE LIVE IN. I DON'T NEED THOSE PEOPLE EITHER. THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE. WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE WE WILL LEAVE THAT OFTEN WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TOGETHER, WHEN WE SET OUR OWN AGENDA AND WHEN WE ORGANIZE WE'RE LEARN. TURNING TO STRUCTURAL CHANGE REAL RESULTS FOLLOW OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL TOO. WE LET MINNESOTA WHERE EVERY FAMILY CAN LIVE WITH DIGNITY, SAFETY AND OPPORTUNITY. WE DO THIS BY ORGANIZING, BY LIFTING UP VOICES THAT TOO OFTEN HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT. AND BY REMINDING EACH OTHER THAT WE ARE THE STRONGEST WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER. OVER THE YEARS WHEN LEADERS HAVE BEEN PROUD TO PARTNER WITH A CITY OF BLOOMINGTON AND ITS RESIDENTS TOGETHER WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THEIR POLICIES AND THE CITY POLICIES REFLECT THE VOICES, VALUES AND EXPERIENCES OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WHO WHO CALL THIS COMMUNITY THEIR HOME. EARLY THESE YEARS WE LEFT NEW YEAR RACE TRAININGS TO HELP FAMILIES UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT WHAT'S THEIRS THEIR SAFETY, THEIR RIGHTS AND THEIR DIGNITY. DIGNITY THAT WORK BUILD TRUST AND STRENGTH RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS. AND IT REMINDS US THAT EVERY PERSON NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM, WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK OR HOW LONG THEY LIVE HERE DISTURBS TO BELONG, TO CONTRIBUTE AND TO THRIVE IN BLOOMINGTON. WHEN WE LEARNED THAT UNIDOS HAS BEEN HONOR WITH THE OMAR WHEN THERE WAS A WAR WE FELT PROUD NOT JUST FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHOSE COURAGE AND COMMITMENT TO MAKE THESE WHERE POSSIBLE EVERY DAY. THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES THE LEADERSHIP AND STRENGTH OR ORGANIZE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. IT'S A REMINDER WELL WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER AND LEAD? WE LAUGH. IT ALSO SUCH A LIGHT IN IN ON MANY CONTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE WHO OFTEN GO AND RECOGNIZE THE PUBLIC SPACES THAT WORKERS THE PARENTS, THE STUDENTS, THE ELDERS WHOSE EVERYDAY ACTS OR CARE AND COURAGE KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES A STRONG. THIS RECOGNITION IS REALLY MEANINGFUL. IT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WE ALL BELONG HERE. HE SENDS A MESSAGE THAT IN BLOOMINGTON DIVERSITY IS NOT JUST WELCOME IT'S CELEBRATED IT AND IT MATTERS ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONTINUE TO FACE FEAR THE OPPRESSION AND ATTACKS TONIGHT THESE ARE WORK STANDS AS A PROMISE THERE ARE CITY WILL TURN AWAY. BIDEN AND STEPH MOVE FORWARD WITH COMPASSION, UNITY AND COURAGE. I DON'T NEED THOSE MINNESOTA. WE KNOW THAT OUR FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER BUT THIS MOMENT THIS RECOGNITION REMINDS US WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE HEART AND PURPOSE WE ACCEPT THIS ARE WHY WE ARE READY TO AND RENEW COMMITMENT TO KEEP ORGANIZING, TO KEEP TO KEEP BUILDING POWER AND TO KEEP HERE IN A CITY AND MINNESOTA WHERE EVERY SINGLE FAMILY CAN THRIVE. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT . HERE THE PICTURE HERE. THANK YOU . THANK YOU. GOOD TO I THINK WHAT REALLY QUICKLY CAN WE DO A BIG PICTURE WITH ALL YOU COMMISSIONERS? THANK YOU. I THINK PROBABLY OVER HERE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF US THE SIZE OF OUR AND HERE IT IS IT IS GETTING LIKE 20 TO US. LOOK A LITTLE MORE THIS WAY WE CAN WE JUST LET THAT PARTY REALLY THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK . CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANKS TO OUR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR THEIR WORK TONIGHT AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. DID ANYBODY ELSE WONDER WHAT THOSE THINGS THOSE GUYS WERE USING WAS IT OH, THEY WERE CAMERAS I JUST DID. SO LET'S SEE THOSE ANYMORE. ITEM 2.2 ON OUR AGENDA DIRECTLY RELATED IN A LOT OF WAYS IT'S A PROCLAMATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DAY DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 I THINK BLAINE KELLY IS HERE WITH BLAINE HERE. THERE HE IS. COME ON UP. JOIN ME WHILE I READ THE PROCLAMATION THEN I'LL TURN THEM OVER TO YOU. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. PROCLAMATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DAY DECEMBER 10TH, 2025. WHEREAS THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON JOINS NATIONS IN THE WORLD IN RECOGNIZING DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 AS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY. AND. WHEREAS, THROUGH THIS YEAR'S THEME OF HUMAN RIGHTS ARE EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS, WE'RE REMINDED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT UNITE US ALL. THEY BEGIN WITH THE SMALL EVERYDAY CHOICE TO TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT. AND THEY DEPEND ON COLLECTIVE ACTION TO BUILD A CULTURE OF DIGNITY AND FAIRNESS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, BLOOMINGTON RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF CELEBRATING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE DIVERSITY THAT EXISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE STRIVE FOR AUTONOMOUS PARTICIPATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. AND. WHEREAS, THE BLOOMINGTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH INITIATIVES AND ADVOCACY FOR CAUSES INCLUDING DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT, FAIR HOUSING AND PERIOD POVERTY AWARENESS. AND. WHEREAS, THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ASSERTS ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN FREE AND EQUAL IN HUMAN DIGNITY AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY. AND. WHEREAS, THE DESIGNATION OF A SPECIAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY SERVES TO REMIND US THAT BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL PEOPLE. AND. WHEREAS THROUGH THE EFFORTS AND COMMITMENT OF OUR CITY IN PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS, OUR GOAL IS TO ADVANCE THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF ALL RESIDENTS BY ELIMINATING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND INJUSTICES. AND. WHEREAS, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS CELEBRATING 57 YEARS OF AIDING AND ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL IN ENSURING ALL CITIZENS HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES. AND. WHEREAS, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON RECOMMIT TO ITS GOAL OF PROTECTING AND ADVANCING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL. NOW THEREFORE I'M HERE TO SEE YOU HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 10TH 2025 AS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AND A ALL RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS IN MAKING BLOOMINGTON A MODEL FOR FAIR AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL PEOPLE. DATED THIS 28TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2025. BLAINE KELLY IS THE OUTREACH PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OASIS FOR YOUTH. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS EVENING. I'M GOING TO TURN THE MIKE OVER TO YOU. >> ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, LET'S GIVE IT UP AGAIN FOR THE MAYOR PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS BLAINE KELLY AND AS A RESIDENT WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN BLOOMINGTON, IT MAKES ME PROUD TO HEAR OUR MAYOR SPEAK TO THE VALUES THAT MY NEIGHBORS, COLLEAGUES AND I HOLD AS MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY HONORING OUR SHARED HUMANITY IS A VITAL PART OF CONTINUING TO ASSURE THAT BLOOMINGTON IS A PLACE WE'RE HAPPY TO CALL HOME. COMBINING THE SENTIMENTS FROM THE PROCLAMATION WITH VALUE DRIVEN ACTIONS FROM OUR CITY STAFF COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS CAN KEEP US ALL UNITED IN OUR COMMITMENTS TO HUMAN RIGHTS HOLDING STEADFAST TO THESE EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS IS A PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE AS WE STRIVE TOWARDS A CITY WITH A MISSION OF CULTIVATING AND ENDURING A REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE. AS ARTICULATED ACROSS THE CORE VALUES OF BLOOMINGTON'S STRATEGIC PLAN, THERE'S A CALL FOR US TO HOLD A SHARED RESPONSIBLE CITY IF WE WANT THIS COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE THRIVING. AND WHY WOULDN'T WE? THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE WORK, LEARN, GROW WHERE WE SHARE MEALS AND RAISE OUR FAMILIES. WE COME FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS BUT WE SHARE SO MANY OF THE SAME EXPERIENCES HERE AND WE EACH HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPERIENCE THOSE JOYS, THOSE DIFFICULTIES. SAFELY AND SECURELY. AND WHEN WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY, WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE RIGHTS A REALITY. AND HONESTLY, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME. I MEAN THINK ABOUT IT. IN A WORLD WHERE THE CHALLENGES WE FACE CAN AT TIMES FEEL OVERWHELMING, THERE'S SOMETHING EMPOWERING THAT ARISES WHEN WE'RE REMINDED THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE LIVE IN THROUGH OUR EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER. IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY. IN FACT THERE'S TIMES THAT IT'LL TAKE BRAVERY AND RESILIENCE. BUT FORTUNATELY HERE IN BLOOMINGTON OUR COMMUNITY IS FILLED WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE FUELED BY MISSIONS AND COMMITMENTS TO ENSURING OUR HUMAN RIGHTS AND MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY. I SERVE AS THE OUTREACH PROGRAM MANAGER AT OASIS FOR YOUTH. WE HAD THE HONOR OF BEING THE 2021 BOUNDARY OF HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDEES. FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS OASIS FOR YOUTH HAS SERVED YOUNG PEOPLE 16 TO 24 EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSTABILITY AND RELATED ISSUES RIGHT HERE IN BLOOMINGTON WITH A FOUR PROGRAM APPROACH THAT INCLUDES OUR FLAGSHIP DROP IN CENTER SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH MAHLUM ERICA EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIP AND SCATTERED SITE HOUSING PROGRAM. WE'VE BEEN HONORED TO CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MISSION AND VISION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY. WE'RE IMMENSELY PROUD OF THE WORK WE DO EACH DAY AND ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS FOR YEARS TO COME. AS PAST ATTENDEE OR AS PAST AWARDEES, WE'RE EXCITED THAT TONIGHT WE SEE THE WELCOMING ABOUT UNIDOS MINNESOTA AND OR MEDALS EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICE ONTO THE LIST OF RECIPIENTS. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS SPEAK BROADLY TO THEIR COMMITMENTS TO ENSURE THAT BLOOMINGTON IS A COMMUNITY WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS CAN THRIVE. ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR OASIS FOR YOUTH, THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENING. CONGRATS TO THE NEW RECIPIENTS AND HAPPY HUMAN RIGHTS DAY TO EVERYONE . I WANT TO READ ONE MORE ONE, TWO THREE GO. THANK YOU FOR . KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CITY COUNCIL. AS PEOPLE CLEAR WE WILL MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA. NEXT UP IS OUR CONSENT BUSINESS COUNCILMEMBER NELSON HAS OUR CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON? YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE ONE HOLD ITEM 3.23. DON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE SO I WILL MOVE APPROVAL OF 3.1 THROUGH 3.22 AND 3.24. >> SO A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER NELSON SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER TO ACCEPT TONIGHT'S CONSENT BUSINESS AS STATED. NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIF BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. ITEM 3.23. I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO COUNCILMAN RIVERSTONE MEMBER RIVAS. YEAH, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO IT AS A LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD THE WE MENTIONED THE GRADE I REQUESTED ADD INFORMATION ON HOW AND WHERE THE FUNDS WERE BEING SPENT. I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED YET THAT YET SO I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GET THAT AND I HAVE A BETTER IDEA HOW WE ARE SPENDING THE FUNDS. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION I BELIEVE THAT IS YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET FOR THE AGE GRADE AND I AM IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR AS OPPOSED TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE NEED TO GET FUNDS FROM THE HRA AND TO AN EXTENT THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY DO NEED THOSE FUNDS. I AGREE THAT WE IF WE HAVE THE FUNDS WE SHOULD PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE. HOWEVER, I AM STILL CURIOUS I WANT TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS. I KNOW WE GET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM THE STATE, FROM THE COUNTY AND ON TOP OF THAT WE'RE ALSO REQUESTING I BELIEVE IS A LITTLE OVER $2.5 MILLION FROM THE CITY LEVY. SO AGAIN WHAT I AM REQUESTING IS A DETAILING INFORMATION. I'M WORRIED THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT HOW IS BEING SPENT AND WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING THE ASSISTANCE TO THAT DO TO THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT YOU KNOW TO. AGAIN, I HAD REQUESTED IT AND I NEVER GOT IT. SO I WANT TO MAKE IT A POINT TONIGHT THAT I STILL WANT TO SEE THAT INFORMATION AND I BELIEVE THE RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHETHER THEIR FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE AND TO IF THEY IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PROVIDED BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS I KNOW THIS AS A LAST MINUTE THAT I WAS HOPING THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS PUT IN MY HANDS BEFORE THIS EVENING. SO THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT I'M NOT IN OPPOSITION TO THIS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GETTING ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY. BUT I DO WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING. IF I MAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, I JUST SAW IN AN EMAIL A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS INVOLVED IN THE HRA AND I JUST THOUGHT I THOUGHT IT CAME ACROSS TODAY BUT PERHAPS I'M MISREMEMBERING OR IT DIDN'T I DID NOT SEE IT CORRECTLY AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS SPECIFIC COST BREAKDOWNS BUT IT DID BREAK DOWN THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND IF I MAY WHAT I WANT TO SEE IS A ITEMIZED BREAKDOWN OF THE FUNDS. THE PROGRAMS DON'T TELL THE PUBLIC OR MYSELF ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW WHERE THE FUNDS ARE GOING. I SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS AN ITEMIZED PART OF EXPENSES AND HOW IS BEING SPENT AND WHAT IS THE BENEFIT THAT IS BRINGING TO THE NEIGHBORS OR TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. THAT'S MY POINT. I DO SEE THE BREAKDOWN BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE ME THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO THAT'S ALL I WANT AND I YOU KNOW AND I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR FOR THE RESIDENTS TO ACTUALLY SEE THAT WHERE THEIR TAX MONEY IS GOING RATHER THAN JUST HAVING A PROGRAM. THIS IS WHERE WE SPEND THIS AND THAT AND AND THAT THAT CERTAINLY EXISTS BECAUSE THE HRA OBVIOUSLY HAS APPROVED THIS BUDGET AND IT IS BROKEN DOWN FOR THE HRA SO THAT THAT INFORMATION IS THERE AND I THINK IT WOULD TURN TO STAFF AND SAY IF WE COULD GIVE THIS TO COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS AND PERHAPS WE COULD JUST HOLD THIS ITEM OVER UNTIL OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IF THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABL >> YEAH. AND AGAIN IT'S JUST YOU KNOW LIKE I SAID, I DON'T OPPOSE IT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET THAT INFORMATION UNDERSTOOD. THE RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF IT AND WHERE WHERE IS GOING AND HOW IS BEING SPENT. COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER MUIR COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. >> I KNOW THAT STARTING ON PAGE 105 OF TONIGHT'S PACKET IT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND SO I CAN SHOW YOU THAT IF YOU'D LIKE. BUT BUT IT'S LITERALLY A PROGRAM BROKEN DOWN BY A COUNTY CODE. IT'S THAT SPECIFIC SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WE COULD OFFER. I, I PERSONALLY AM SATISFIED THAT I KNOW WHERE EACH OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING BASED ON THIS INFORMATION WHERE WE'VE GOT THINGS LIKE LOAN SERVICE FEES, RENTS, FRAUD RECOVERY INSURANCE PROCEEDS, SUBSIDIZED RENT I MEAN EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS IS VERY WELL SPELLED OUT. MORE TO THE POINT THOUGH AND THE THING I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND IS THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OR IT'S EITHER CATER EITHER HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HAS ITS PUBLIC MEETINGS EVERY MONTH AS WELL AND THE NEXT ONE IS TOMORROW. SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT ANYBODY INCLUDING THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THINGS CAN GO TO THOSE MEETINGS AND ASK FOR QUESTIONS . BUT MAYBE I KNOW WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE ON COUNCIL BUT COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS CAN ALSO ATTEND THAT MEETING TOMORROW AND GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED AS WELL. >> COUNCILMEMBER HOUGHTON THANK YOU, MAYOR AND I WOULD JUST SAY WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE BUDGET MEETINGS ON THE HRA FOR JUST ABOUT AS LONG AS CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE STAFF OR I WILL PERSONALLY SEND YOU THOSE LINKS SO YOU CAN WATCH THEM AS WELL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD 4 OR 5 DIFFERENT MEETINGS ON THE BUDGET SPECIFICALLY THAT CALLS OUT THESE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR AND SO NOTHING'S BEEN HIDDEN. EVERYTHING'S IN PUBLIC. WE HAVE THOSE THOSE CONVERSATIONS FOR YOU TO MISS ME IF I MAY I JUST IT'S YOU KNOW, IS NOT THE INFORMATION YOURSELF FOR ME. I HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION THAT YOU BOTH HAVE AND AND AND THIS PARTICULAR TIME IT WAS IN THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE I ASKED DURING THE MEETING IT WASN'T SENT TO ME BUT IF I REQUEST ANYTHING FROM THE STAFF THEY USUALLY GIVE ME THE INFORMATION AS WELL BUT I DIDN'T REQUEST THEM BECAUSE I ASKED FOR IT AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE DISCUSS THE HRA. WHAT I'M SAYING IS I HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AND I UNDERSTAND IT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. HOWEVER THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS. THEY WHAT I WANT TO PRESENT THEM IS SOMETHING THAT ITEMIZES WHERE IT'S GOING AND HOW IT'S BEING SPENT. OUR PROGRAM DOESN'T TELL THE PUBLIC OR EVEN MYSELF WHERE IT GOES. I HAVE AN IDEA WHERE IT GOES BUT HE DOESN'T SPECIFY TO ME WHERE THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN SPENT AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. AGAIN, I DON'T OPPOSE IT. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT ALL THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IF WE'RE ASKED TO LOOK AT IT AND FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF TO DO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE LEAD ITEM 3.23 OVER THREE UNTIL OUR NEXT AGENDA UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING AND I WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT STAFF TO TO PRINT OUT PAGES 97 TO 109 IN OUR COUNCIL PACKET THIS EVENING AND GET THEM DIRECTLY TO COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS SO HE HAS THEM AND CAN SHARE THEM WITH ANYBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THAT IS A DETAILED BREAKDOWN. I MEAN THAT'S A LINE BY LINE OF THE BUDGET BUT IT'S ALSO A A SUMMARY BREAKDOWN OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO IT EXPLAINS THE PROGRAMING BUT THERE'S ALSO THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS TOO AND YOU'LL HAVE THAT I BET BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING IT WILL BE IN YOUR INBOX AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE IT. AND AS I SAID LET'S MOVE THIS I WILL MOVE THAT WE LAY THIS OVER UNTIL OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND SECOND AT THAT TIME. SECOND MOTION IN A SECOND TO LAYOVER ITEM 3.23 TO OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED NO MOTION CARRIES SIX ONE WITH COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO IN OPPOSITION THAT WILL COMPLETE OUR CONSENT BUSINESS CAN'T THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR HEARINGS, RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES. OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING OF THE EVENING IS I THINK THE THE BIG SHOW FOR EVERYBODY TONIGHT IT IS ITEM 4.1 OUR TRUTH AND TAXATION HEARING. THIS IS OUR 2026 PROPERTY TAX LEVY OUR BUDGET MANAGER COREY CARLSON WILL LEAD US THROUGH A PRESENTATION AND THEN WE WILL GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. >> GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. TONIGHT I WILL PRESENT INFORMATION FOR THE TRUTH AND TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED 2026 PROPERTY TAX LEVY AND BUDGET AND JOINING ME IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER CHAMBERS IS CITY ASSESSOR TIM BOLGER WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT ASSESSED VALUES HOMESTEADS AND THE STATE'S PROPERTY TAX REFUND PROGRAM AND THE SENIOR DEFERRAL PROGRAM. HE WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE LOBBY TO ASSIST WITH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY VALUATION QUESTIONS AND BEFORE I GET STARTED HERE I'LL SEE THE CITY BUDGET BEFORE YOU THAT I'M GOING TO PRESENT REFLECTS MORE THAN $1.7 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS FROM THE PROPOSED PROPOSAL USED FOR THE PRELIMINARY TAX STATEMENTS AS WELL AS A $500,000 REDUCTION IN THE HRA LEVY THAT WAS IN THE PROPOSED TAX STATEMENTS AS I SHARED TWO WEEKS AGO. THIS SLIDE SHOWS HOW THE 2026 TAX LEVY HAS MOVED THROUGH THE PROCESS THIS YEAR WE BEGAN WITH THE CONCEPTUAL INCREASE OF 17.92% WHICH REFLECTED THE FULL COST PRESSURES ACROSS THE CITY BEFORE ANY REDUCTIONS WERE MADE. BY THE TIME THE PRELIMINARY LEVY WAS ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER WE HAD BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO 9.44%. SINCE THEN WE HAVE CONTINUED TO REFINE THE BUDGET AND MAKE REDUCTIONS IN THE PROPOSED LEVY BEFORE YOU TONIGHT THE 7.48% INCREASE AND FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME A 7.48% TAX LEVY INCREASE WOULD TRANSLATE TO AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $2.57 A WEEK $11.14 A MONTH OR ABOUT $133.60 A YEAR FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOUSE. SO THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING I'LL GIVE A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE 2026 BUDGET PROCESS SUMMARIZE THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED. WE REVISIT THE PRELIMINARY LEVY ADOPT IN SEPTEMBER AND WALK THROUGH THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT REDUCE THE LEVY FROM 9.44% TO THE PROPOSED 7.48%. I WILL THEN PRESENT THE UPDATED LEVY AND GENERAL FUND REQUEST FOR 2026 AND CLOSE WITH SOME INFORMATION ABOUT PROPERTY TAX REFUND AND DEFERMENT PROGRAMS AFTER THE PRESENTATION THE MAYOR WILL THEN OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE WILL THEN TURN TO THE COUNCIL FOR DIRECTION AHEAD OF A MOVE SETTING THE FINAL LEVY ON DECEMBER 15TH. SO JUST AGAIN AS A QUICK RECAP OF THIS 2026 BUDGET PROCESS WE BEGAN IN APRIL THROUGH JULY WITH PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING WORK, REFINING BUDGETS, MEETING WITH DEPARTMENTS AND LOOKING OVER REQUESTS. ON AUGUST 18TH THE COUNCIL REVIEWED THE CONCEPTUAL LEVY AND BUDGET WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THE PRELIMINARY LEVY OF 9.44% WAS SET ON SEPTEMBER 8TH FOLLOWED BY A PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING UPDATE LATER THAT MONTH IN OCTOBER DEPARTMENTS PRESENTED THEIR BUDGETS TO COUNCIL AND ON NOVEMBER 17TH WE HELD THE UTILITY RATE PUBLIC HEARING AND THOSE BUDGETS WERE APPROVED NOVEMBER 24TH INCLUDED ANOTHER LEVY AND BUDGET DISCUSSION AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND THAT BRINGS US TO TONIGHT WITH THE TRUTH AND TAXATION HEARING AHEAD OF THE FINAL LEVY AND OPTIONS I SAID ON DECEMBER 15TH. SO I WENT INTO THIS A LOT MORE DETAIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. BUT JUST AS A REMINDER THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WE CARRIED OUT FOR THE 2026 BUDGET WE RECEIVED A FEEDBACK AND A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT ARE ON THE SLIDE. THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY SURVEYS SHOWED STRONG SATISFACTION WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE AND PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES LIKE WATER AND SNOW REMOVAL, SNOW REMOVAL. WE ALSO GATHERED INPUT THROUGH THE LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON BUDGET PAGE ALONG WITH PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS AND WE HEARD PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE AUGUST 18TH AND THE NOVEMBER 21ST FOURTH COUNCIL MEETINGS WE DID INCLUDE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THE LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON REPORT TODAY AND THE NOVEMBER 24TH COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET AND THERE'S AN UPDATED LET'S TALK REPORT AND THIS EVENING'S PACKET WE WILL PROVIDE ANOTHER ONE NEXT WEEK FOR THE DECEMBER 15TH AS WELL AND THEN ALSO THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER WE HOSTED SOME BUDGET INFORMATION TABLES AT COMMUNITY EVENTS REACHING RESIDENTS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO ADVERTISE THAT WE CONTINUE TO UPLOAD PRESENTATION SLIDES, REPORTS AND COUNCIL VIDEOS TO THE CITY'S BUDGET WEB PAGE SO THAT THE BUDGET INFORMATION IS EASY TO FIND IN ONE PLACE. THE PAGE ALSO INCLUDES LINKS TO THAT LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON SURVEY AND BUDGET BOOKS FROM PRIOR YEARS AND THEN ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THE OVERALL BUDGET INCREASE IS TIED TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO FOR FIRE THE TRANSITION TO A COMBINATION STAFFING MODEL CONTINUES WITH A LONG TERM PLAN TO REACH 78 FULL TIME AND 75 PART TIME FIREFIGHTERS AND UPGRADE ALL SIX FIRE STATIONS FOR FULL TIME COVERAGE. THE SAFER GRANT THAT FUNDED 18 FIREFIGHTERS THE FIRST SAFER GRANT WE RECEIVED THAT AND THAT WILL END IN EARLY NEXT YEAR. AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS FOR THE THREE FIRE BATTALION CHIEFS IS GOING TO END THIS YEAR AS WELL. SO THOSE ONGOING COSTS ARE GOING TO SHIFT TO THE LEVY. WE ARE USING SOME MONEY FROM THE FIRE PENSION RESERVE FUND TO KIND OF HELP BRING THAT IN BUT THAT IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE POLICE SIDE. THE ONE TIME STATE PUBLIC SAFETY AID THAT WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO RECEIVE A FEW YEARS AGO THAT SUPPORTED SEVERAL ADDED POSITIONS AND ABLE TO OVERFILL SOME OFFICERS THAT IS SOME OF THAT IS ALSO BEING ABSORBED INTO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AS WELL. SO THOSE ITEMS DO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF THE INCREASE IN THE 2026 BUDGET. AS A REMINDER ON SEPTEMBER 8TH THE COUNCIL SENT THE PRELIMINARY 2026 CITY LEVY AT $96.2 MILLION AND THAT WAS A 9.44% INCREASE FROM 2025 AND THIS REFLECTS ONLY THE CITY LEVY AND DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SEPARATE HRA OR PORT AUTHORITY LEVIES. AGAIN, THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE RELEASED STATEWIDE PRELIMINARY CITY LEVIES FOR 2026 SO TOTALING JUST OVER $4 BILLION IT WAS AN 8.7% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. SO JUST THIS JUST PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT AND SHOWS THAT MANY CITIES ARE FACING SIMILAR COST PRESSURES AND THEIR BUDGET AS BLOOMINGTON IS GOING INTO 2026. SO TO BRING DOWN FROM OUR PRELIMINARY 9.44% TO THE PROPOSED 7.48% STAFF IDENTIFIED ABOUT $1.7 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS AND ALSO IN SOME REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS. SO THAT INCLUDES LOWER DEBT SERVICE EXPENSE, SOME LOWER PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTER COSTS ,INCREASED FIRE STATE AID REVENUE, HIGHER PERMIT REVENUE AND REDUCTIONS IDENTIFIED THROUGH PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. SO TOGETHER THOSE TOTAL ABOUT $1.72 MILLION WHICH IS BRINGING IT DOWN TO THAT 7.48% AND THEN THE OVERALL CHART IS SHOWING THE 2025 TAX LEVY ON THE LEFT AND THEN 2026 ON NEXT TO THAT. AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE THE MAJORITY OF WHAT'S DRIVING THE INCREASE IN THE TAX LEVY IS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND. SO THIS SLIDE HAS A LOT OF NUMBERS. I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH IT. SO THE SLIDE SHOWS THE COMBINED 2026 TAX LOVE YOU FOR THE CITY THEY ARE A AND THE PORT AUTHORITY AND AS YOU KNOW THE HRA AND THE PORT ARE SEPARATE TAXING JURISDICTIONS FROM THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE CITY PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX STATEMENT. INSTEAD THEY APPEAR AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF OUR PROPOSED PROPERTY STATEMENTS IN THE SECTION THAT'S LABELED OTHER SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS. BUT THERE HAD BEEN A REQUEST EARLIER FROM THE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR IN MEETINGS JUST TO SHOW THE IMPACT OF ALL THREE OF THESE TOGETHER. SO WE DID THAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND I HAVE THAT HERE TONIGHT AS WELL. AND WHEN ALL THREE ARE COMBINED, WHERE WE'RE AT NOW IS THE OVERALL LEVY. THE UPDATED PROPOSED INCREASE IS AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 8.42% AND SO THOSE NUMBERS IN BLACK SOME OF THEM ARE CROSSED OUT ARE THE PRELIMINARY LEVIES AND THAT IS WHAT IS GOING INTO THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX STATEMENTS THAT HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED RECEIVED IN NOVEMBER . SO IN TOTAL THOSE PRELIMINARY LEVIES ACROSS THE CITY EACH REPORT REFLECTED A 10.86% INCREASE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT. THE UPDATED PROPOSAL LOWERS THAT BY 2.44 PERCENTAGE POINTS. SO WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 2.2 MILLION. THIS IS A PRELIMINARY GENERAL FUND BUDGET SHOWING BOTH TOTAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES AND YOU CAN SEE PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP A 67% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOLLOWED BY THE LODGING, THE LOCAL LODGING AND ADMISSION TAXES. THAT'S ABOUT 9% OF OUR REVENUES. AND THEN ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY HALF OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET WITH POLICE AT ALMOST $41 MILLION AND FIRE JUST UNDER THAT FIRE THE NEXT HIGHEST AT 17 MILLION. THESE NEXT TWO PIE CHARTS WILL SHOW THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES BROKEN DOWN VISUALLY. SO STARTING WITH REVENUES HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT PROPERTY TAXES THAT'S THE BLUE THERE DARK BLUE MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUES. THERE'S ALSO OTHER IMPORTANT SOURCES AS I SAID LODGING THE MISSION TAXES PERMIT LICENSING LICENSING FEES AS WELL AS GRANT REVENUES. AND THEN ON THE EXPENSE SIDE THE PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE LARGEST PORTION THERE IN DARK BLUE AND FOR POLICE AND AN ORANGE FOR FIRE. SO POLICE AND FIRE MAKE TOGETHER ABOUT NEARLY HALF OF THE EXPENSES. THE REST IS SPREAD ACROSS SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS. SO NOT ALL OF THESE EXPENSES ARE FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAXES AS WE SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE GRANTS AND OTHER REVENUES ALSO HELP SUPPORT THESE SERVICES ALONG WITH PROPERTY TAXES. SO I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT RAISING PROPERTY TAXES AND THE NEED FOR SENIOR TAX RELIEF, THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES HIGHLIGHT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA'S PROPERTY TAX REFUND PROGRAM. HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS MAY QUALIFY FOR A REFUND BASED ON THEIR INCOME AND THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAXES PAID. SO FOR MORE INFORMATION, RESIDENTS CAN VISIT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WEBSITE OR CALL THE PHONE NUMBERS LISTED CAN ALSO ALWAYS CALL OUR ASSESSING OFFICE HERE AT THE CITY THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF REFUNDS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STATE OF MINNESOTA'S M 1PR PROPERTY TAX REFUND FORM THE REGULAR PROPERTY TAX REFUND IS BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES AND YOUR TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME. THE SPECIAL PROPERTY TAX REFUND APPLIES WHEN TAXES INCREASE BY AT LEAST 12% AND AT LEAST $100 FORMS ARE DUE AUGUST 15TH BUT THEY CAN BE FILED UP TO ONE YEAR LATE TO QUALIFY FOR EITHER REFUND THE PROPERTY MUST BE HOMESTEADED THOUGH WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT . AND THEN THE SENIOR PROPERTY TAX DEFERRAL PROGRAM LIMITS ANNUAL PROPERTY TAXES TO 3% OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S INCOME WITH THE REMAINING AMOUNT DEFERRED UNTIL THE PROPERTY IS SOLD OR THE DEFERRAL ENDS TO QUALIFY, APPLICANTS MUST BE AT LEAST 65 YEARS OLD AND IF THEY'RE MARRIED HAVE A SPOUSE WHO IS AT LEAST 60 TO HAVE HOUSEHOLD INCOME UNDER 96,000 AND HAVE LIVED IN AND HOMESTEADED THE PROPERTY FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, INTEREST ACCRUES UP TO 5% AND AGAIN THE BLOOMINGTON CITY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS AVAILABLE TO HELP RESIDENTS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. AND SO WITH THAT IT COMES AT THE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MAYOR, AFTER YOU OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TRUTH AND TAXATION, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BEGIN WITH ACKNOWLEDGING ONE WRITTEN PUBLIC TESTIMONY INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. SO WHEN WE START OFF I WILL JUST SAY THAT I ANNOUNCE THAT ONE AND THEN I'LL STEP BACK. >> VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL ANY QUESTIONS OF MISS CARLSON BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING? COUNCILMEMBER LOGAN JUST ONE QUESTION. I JUST WANTED TO JUST CONFIRM WHAT THE MAJOR DRIVER WAS FOR THIS YEAR INCREASE. >> YES. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN DEFINITELY THE MAJOR DRIVER IS OUR INCREASE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND BOTH POLICE AND FIRE AND WITH SOME OF THE REVENUES THAT WE HAD HAD THAT ARE SUNSETTING NEXT YEAR WITH SOME FEDERAL GRANTS AND SOME STATE REVENUE AS WELL, YOU A 47% OR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS COUNCIL ALL RIGHT. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 4.1 AND JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, FIRST OF ALL, EVERYBODY'S WELCOME TO SPEAK AND WHAT WE'VE GOING TO ASK OF YOU IS A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL TO SIGN UP WE'VE GOT THE SIGN IN SHEET ON THE DESK THERE. YOU CAN SIGN IN BEFORE YOU SPEAK. SO WE COULD EVEN HAND THAT KIND OF THROUGH THE CROWD WHOEVER WANTS TO YOU KNOW, GET IN LINE AND SPEAK THAT THAT WOULD BE FINE. LET'S WE CAN BE EFFICIENT WITH THAT. EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE SHOT CLOCK ON THE WALL WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND WHEN WE GET TO FIVE MINUTES I WILL CUT YOU OFF NOT BECAUSE I MEAN BUT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIVE MINUTES ARE HERE TOO AND WE WILL WE WILL STICK TO THAT IF YOU ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TAKE THE QUESTIONS DOWN AND WE'LL ANSWER THEM AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING RATHER THAN TRYING TO ANSWER THEM, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING FROM THE HIP. WE'LL TAKE THE QUESTIONS DOWN AND ANSWER THEM ALL AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WHAT DID I FORGET? AND EVERYBODY GETS ONE BITE OF THE APPLE. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE OF IT AS WELL AND AND WE WE ALSO I'D APPRECIATE IT IF WE COULD KEEP THIS AS WE CAN KEEP THIS PROCESS JUST RESPECTING THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE IN PARTICULAR SOMEBODY MAY SAY SOMETHING YOU LIKE SOMEBODY MAY SAY SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE WE ASK THAT YOU DON'T CLAP. WE ASK THAT YOU DON'T BOO. JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF YOU THAN YOURS OR I MIGHT HAVE THE SAME OPINION BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO RESPECT THE PROCESS. WE'RE GOING TO RESPECT THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS ARE GOING TO LET THAT GO. SO IF WE COULD ALL DO THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I'VE OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING, MR. CARLSON, YOU'VE GOT A LETTER YOU WANT TO READ INTO THE TO THE RECORD FOR US. I WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT THE CITY HAS RECEIVED WRITTEN TESTIMONY FROM HANK GLOVER. A COPY HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND IT WILL BE FORMALLY INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC RECORD FOLLOWING TONIGHT'S MEETING. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. OUR PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN AND WE'D LIKE TO SPEAK . HELLO. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. >> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS FRANK LOWE AND I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 28 YEARS IN BLOOMINGTON. MY TAXES HAVE GONE UP BETWEEN 3 AND 6% OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I AM GOING TO PAY MORE THAN 10% THIS YEAR. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO GET ME OUT THE OLDER I GET YOU KNOW THE TAXES ARE GOING UP AND MORE AND MORE SO I AM YOU KNOW I'M A FEW YEARS AWAY FROM RETIREMENT AND THESE TAXES SOUND LIKE THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE COMING FROM A CITY THAT ISN'T WELL MANAGED. >> AND SO I'VE GOT GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THAT AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE MISS SAID ABOUT HOW OUR TAXES I WANT TO PAY TAXES. I UNDERSTAND TAXES ARE A GOOD THING. I ESPECIALLY LOVE OUR NEW POLICE CHIEF. I THINK HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB. I'LL GIVE HIM A RAISE SO BUT IT'S JUST TOO MUCH AND SOMEBODY'S GOT TO LOOK AT THAT. SO I'M GOING TO GIVE UP MY TIME FOR THE NEXT PERSON AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET ENOUGH RESPONSES SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN TAKE THAT BACK AND FIGURE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LONG DID DID WE GET YOU TO SIGN IN? MR. LONG IF YOU COULD JUST GRAB THAT AND SIGN IN AND THEN HAND IT TO WHOEVER IS COMING UP NEXT OR WILL BE BEHIND YOU ? ALL RIGHT. IT SEEMS WE ARE HAVING CLOCK PROBLEMS AND SO SO THAT MEANS I CAN GO ON FOR THERE YOU GO. FOUR DAYS YOU GO FOUR DAYS AND PEOPLE'S TIME IS THAT OKAY? AND SO WE'LL HAVE WE'LL HAVE ELIZABETH HAS TIMEKEEPER AND SHE'LL SHE'LL GIVE YOU A 32ND WARNING HOW ABOUT THAT WHATEVER WORKS MR. MAYOR MAYOR CITY COUNCIL JOHN WHO MOCKER RESIDENT SINCE 1992 I'M NOT REALLY HERE TO TALK NUMBERS ANYMORE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT REALLY MATTERS. I'VE COME HERE PLENTY OF TIMES TO BEAT MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL MANY, MANY TIMES 7.8% IS STILL TOO MUCH. INFLATION IS 3%. BUT I AM HERE TO PUT UP A CHALLENGE TO THIS COUNCIL TO CHALLENGE IS ACTUALLY AS MOST OF US ARE PAY ATTENTION NO THIS COUNCIL TAKING THE MAYOR OUT AS A 5 TO 1 COUNCIL 6 TO 1 WE INCLUDE THE MAYOR. WE KNOW WHERE YOU GUYS LEAD AND WE KNOW WHERE YOU GUYS COME FROM AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A BIG TILT TO THOSE SIX OF YOU VERSUS THAT ONE OF THE OTHER ONE. MAYBE IT'S TIME THAT THAT PART OF THE COUNCIL REALIZES THAT MAYBE OUTSIDE YOUR TRIBE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THERE ARE OTHERS THAT HAVE IDEAS THAT ARE VALID AND ARE GOOD FOR THE CITY AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT SIX LISTENS TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE ONE THAT THINKS THE OTHER WAY DOESN'T HOW MUCH POWER ON THIS COUNCIL I THINK IF YOU GUYS CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE VOTING BOOTHS NEXT NOVEMBER STOP BY. I CAN FILL THE FORMS OUT FOR YOU BECAUSE I'M SURE I CAN PREDICT EXACTLY HOW YOU GUYS WILL VOTE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW YOU GUYS VOTE ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND I DON'T THINK YOU SEEK INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY FROM PEOPLE THAT DON'T AGREE WITH YOU WITH THE SIX I DON'T GO TO THE JUNETEENTH STUFF. I DON'T GO TO THE PARADE FOR IT NOT BECAUSE I'M AGAINST THEM. I DON'T ATTEND THOSE THINGS. I HARDLY GO TO FARMER'S MARKET BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PLACES THAT YOU GO TO TO GET ALL YOUR OPINIONS. IT'S BECAUSE IT WORKS FOR YOU GUYS. YOU GET THE OPINIONS YOU WANT. YOU DON'T GET THE OPINIONS FROM PEOPLE THAT SAY DIFFERENT THINGS. I'VE YET TO COME HERE AT ANY TRUTH AND TAXATION SOME AGO THANKS FOR RAISING IT 7.8% THANKS FOR RAISING 9%. I'M SO GLAD TO BE PAYING 12% 10% 18% MORE. LET'S KEEP SPENDING. NEVER HEARD THAT AND I THINK YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT MORE THAN YOU DO. MY OTHER CHALLENGE TONIGHT TO THIS WHOLE CITY COUNCIL IS WE'RE IN A PUBLIC HEARING SO WE COME UP, WE GET PUT ON THE RECORD, WE PUT OUR NAMES DOWN ,WE SAY OUR PIECE AND I THINK THAT WHEN THE LAST PERSON SPEAKS TONIGHT AND NO ONE ELSE IS COMING UP, THAT'S NORMALLY WHEN THIS COUNCIL CLOSES THE PUBLIC MEETING AND WE SIT BACK THERE QUIET AS AS CHURCH MICE AND LISTEN TO EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SIT ON YOUR BULLY PULPIT AND TELL US HOW WE DON'T UNDERSTAND AND HOW WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING WRONG. I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK YOUR COMMENTS SHOULD BE PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD AND BE PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND I ALSO EVEN THOUGH MR. MAYOR, YOU SAID YOU ONLY GET ONE BITE OF THE APPLE, I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO THIS TO THE RESIDENTS THAT COME HERE IN THIS CITY THAT WE COME UP HERE AND WE GIVE YOU FEEDBACK ,YOU SHUT US OFF, YOU FEEDBACK US AND WE DON'T GET ANY RESPONSE TO THAT. NONE. THERE'S BEEN COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEN I'VE HEARD YOU, MR. MAYOR ,SAY I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE HAD ONE FIREFIGHTER IN A FIRE TRUCK NO WAY FOR YOU TO COME UP AND SAY HOW MANY TIMES WHEN DID IT LAST HAPPEN? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SEEN IT HAPPEN? BUT YOU GET A BULLY PULPIT. YOU GET TO TELL US THAT LAST MEETING COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER YOU SAID WELL, I THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HOLD SOME MONEY. WE CAN'T JUST SPEND THE $300 MILLION WE HAVE. BUT WHAT'S THE NUMBER? WHAT IT'S NOT FAIR FOR ME TO COME UP AND MAKE THOSE STATEMENT AND THEN YOU SHUT US DOWN AND THEN SAY WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING. WELL WHAT'S THE REQUIREMENT? TELL US WHAT IT IS. COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE YOU ACT AS THOUGH WE'RE ATTACKING THE FINANCE PEOPLE IN THIS THAT RUN THEIR PART OF THE CITY. NOBODY NOBODY'S EVER SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE FINANCE PEOPLE. I JUST THINK IT'S BAD THAT YOU SAY WE STARTED AT 18% AND WE'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB TO GET TO 7.48. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD JOB. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK THE ECONOMY IS VERY GOOD. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S BETTER THAN OTHERS BUT HERE WE ARE PILING ON AND MORE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN AND YOU GUYS GOT TO STOP. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU GUYS GET ON THE RECORD, KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING GOING AND THOSE OF US THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE GIVE US THREE MINUTES TO RESPOND BACK TO YOU WHEN YOU START GETTING ON YOUR BULLY PULPIT VERSUS SHUTTING IT DOWN, MAKING YOUR STATEMENT AND RUNNING AWAY FROM THE REST OF US WITHOUT ANY ACCOUNTABILITY FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HERO . NEXT UP ANYBODY . HI. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SHELLEY KARIS AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT IN BLOOMINGTON FOR 35 YEARS AND I'VE OWNED MY OWN HOUSE FOR 20 YEARS AND I HAVE TO SAY I'M A SINGLE MOM. I WORK FULL TIME. I DO ALL OF WHAT I NEED TO DO AND MY PROPERTY TAXES ARE 14.6% INCREASE. I MEAN I'M A WIDOW. I'M DOING EVERYTHING I SHOULD DO AND WHEN I LOOK AT THIS IT'S NOT EVEN WHAT THE LEV IS . THE LEVY IS WHAT 10.84 AND I'M 14.6. WHY MY QUESTION WHY WHY SUCH A HUGE INCREASE? I DID A SPREADSHEET FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT WE OWNED OUR HOUSE AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CALCULATION? THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW. I MEAN I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO PLEASE AND FIRE AND I LOVE THAT TOO. I ALSO LOVE COACH HAS I'VE HEARD MANY THINGS ABOUT HIM I HAVEN'T MET HIM BUT I LOVE THAT THAT'S GREAT. BUT HOW DID YOU GET TO THESE NUMBERS? THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MAJORLY NEGATIVE BUT THIS INCREASE IS HUGE 14.6 I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT TO MY NUMBER BUT I FEEL LIKE THE CALCULATION IS WRONG SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU AND WE WILL CONNECT YOU WITH A STAFF MEMBER WHO CAN OUR CITY ASSESSOR CAN LEAD YOU THROUGH THE STEPS. HOW THAT NUMBER BASICALLY WE DON'T PULL IT OUT OF THE AIR. IT COMES FROM A FORMULA. OKAY. I TRIED CALLING BUT WHOEVER ANSWERED THE PHONE DIDN'T KNOW THE CALCULATION OR HOW IT WORKED SO I THOUGHT WELL MAYBE I'LL JUST COME HERE AND SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT WHAT WE WILL CONNECT YOU WITH WITH THE STAFF MEMBER, OTHERS GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JEFF JOHNSON. I'M A HOMEOWNER HERE IN BLOOMINGTON AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MY PROPERTY PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX FOR 2026 THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING UP $410.48 FROM 2025 TO 2026. TO ME THAT ISN'T AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT FOR ONE YEAR'S TIME FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE $410 FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. THAT SHOULD TAKE YEARS FOR THAT KIND OF AN INCREASE YOU KNOW, AT LEAST A FEW YEARS FOR THAT KIND OF AN INCREASE. I, I CAN SAY THIS WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOUSE TEN YEARS AGO THE PROPERTY TAX WAS ABOUT $2,000. NOW IT'S GOING UP TO $4,535. THAT'S 2500 YOU KNOW WELL I MEAN THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, FOR TEN YEARS TIME YOU KNOW IT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE THE INCREASE. I AM NOW RETIRED AND I HAVE A FIXED INCOME AND MY INCOME IS NOT YOU KNOW HENNEPIN COUNTY SAID MY PROPERTY TAX WILL GO UP 10%. OKAY. WELL I CALCULATED IT AND IT IS APPROXIMATELY 10%. I CAN TELL YOU MY INCOME WILL NOT BE GOING UP 10% IN 2026. NO WAY IT'S GOING TO GO UP MY SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT WILL GO UP 2.8%. SO YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE COUNTY IN THE CITY EXPECT PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT ARE RETIRED TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THESE INCREASES INCREASES EVERY EVERYTHING IS GOING UP. YOU KNOW AND IF YOU'RE ON YOU KNOW MORE OR LESS A FIXED INCOME, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THESE INCREASES, ESPECIALLY THESE HUGE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES? THAT'S $410 FROM 2025 TO 2026. THAT'S FOR UNDER $10 THAT I CAN'T SPEND ON GROCERIES OR UTILITY THESE OR CLOTHING OR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S MONEY I CAN'T SPEND ON THOSE NECESSITIES . WELL, I COULD SAVE MORE BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BE I THINK I'VE MADE MY POINT PRETTY WELL SO I'VE SIGNED IN SO I'LL LEAVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK THEIR PIECE. THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON . MAKE IT THE OVERHEAD. YES YOU CAN. AND YOU CAN SIGN AND HAVE A SIGNING AND AFTER YOU'RE DONE . GRANT, CAN WE GET THE OVERHEAD CAMERA PLEASE? RIGHT HERE, RIGHT ON THE LOGO WITH US? YEAH. OKAY. SO MY NAME IS ANDY THOR 54. YOU ARE A REASONABLE RETURN LIFELONG RESIDENT. SO FIRST OFF I HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE HEAD OF AN COUNTY WEBSITE TAX STATEMENTS AND I'M JUST WANT TO THE SPEAKERS THAT I HEARD BEHIND ME HAD A 14% A 10%, A 12% INCREASE IN TAXES. MY AN UNDERSTATEMENT IS 9%. I'M LOOKING AT JENNA CARTER 3.8 THE LOWEST DWAYNE LAWMAN AT 6.9 MORE YOU'RE AT 5.5 AND TIM BUSSE AT 7%. AND THE HOMEWORK THAT I'VE DONE THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME SEEM LIKE THEY HAVE A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF TAXES ACCORDING TO THE HEAD OF A COUNTY WEBSITE. I'VE HEARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE THE COLA THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT A $1.1 MILLION REDUCTION. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT PEOPLE BEHIND ME AGAIN ARE NOT SEEING A LARGE WAGE INCREASE SO THE CITY EMPLOYEES COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT 0% YOU KNOW I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT THERE THE OTHER THING IS I HEAR THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO GET STEPS IN THEIR WAGE INCREASES. THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WENT OUT THAT ACTUALLY INCREASED THE WAGES OF THE CITY WORKERS TOO SO WE CAN ACTUALLY HOLD THE LINE AS A STATE WORKER I'VE BEEN I'VE HAD LIKE FIVE, SIX YEARS BEFORE MY WAGES HAVE BEEN FROZE. RIGHT? SO THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN. THE OTHER THING IS START WITH A IN THE BUDGETS IN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS START WITH A BUDGET THAT'S SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR AND THEN FIND OUT IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY HOLD THE LINE. WE'VE DONE THAT IN OUR STATE BUDGETING TOO. WE'VE HELD THE LINE IN OUR IN OUR VARIOUS BUDGETS ELIMINATE THE FINANCIAL WASTE BY TAKING INTO EACH DEPARTMENT AND LOOK AT COST EFFICIENT WAYS TO ACTUALLY TRIM BUDGETS OR TO SAVE MONEY. I DID TALK ABOUT THIS STARTED A LISTENING SESSION BUT A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS DRIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY FOR GAS BECAUSE OF THE CONTROLLED PROCESS BY THE GAS COMPANIES. BUT WE DO LOSE A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF TAXES. I BELIEVE THOSE CONVENIENCE STORES COULD SELL POP OR OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY SO WE NEED TO SOMEHOW LOBBY AND GET OUR CONVENIENCE STORES AND THE CITY COUNCIL ON BOARD WITH BETTER GAS PRICES TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS HERE TO ACTUALLY SPEND THE MONEY HERE IN THE CITY. WE LOSE A LARGE AMOUNT OF REVENUE BECAUSE OF THE GAS PRICES FLOWING THROUGH. THEN PEOPLE OUT. I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO TEAR DOWN THE FIRE STATION AND 96 AND NICOLLET THAT'S ONE OF THE NEWER FIRE STATIONS I THINK WAS BUILT BACK IN 95 OR 96. MAYBE WE COULD ACTUALLY REPURPOSE OR REMODEL THAT ONE AND KEEP IT AND NOT SPEND THE BIG MONEY TO REPURPOSE UP. HOW ABOUT CREATE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT? I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 54 YEARS OUT OF OUT OF TEACHER WE'VE WE'VE LOST A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF OUR TAXES AND OUR LACK OF WHAT I CALL BUSINESS FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE FOR OUR BUSINESSES TO THRIVE IN ORGANIZED TRASH COLLECTION. WE GOT IT EVERY OTHER YEAR PICK UP IT SEEMS THAT WE GET LESS SERVICES IN OUR TRASH COLLECTION THAN EVER HAVE AND THE RATES HAVE GONE UP. SO I'M PROPOSING THAT WE BRING THE MOVE IT BACK TO PRIVATE HAULERS YOU KNOW AND IN OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY CUT 5% FROM EACH BUDGET EACH DIVISION ACROSS THE CITY. I THINK THAT WE CAN CUT 5% OUT OF BUDGETS AND ACTUALLY LIVE WITH IT AND ACTUALLY SAVE SAVE OUR TAXES. I'M A BIG ONE HERE CUT DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION DEPARTMENT THINK WE SPENT ABOUT $500,000 ON A DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION DEPARTMENT ALONE. SO I THINK THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN TRIM AND I'M LOOKING AT THE NEW CITY MANAGER YOU GOT TO GET BUSY IN THESE DEPARTMENTS RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING AND I KNOW PEOPLE FROM THE CITY, RIGHT WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENTS THAT INSTEAD OF FIXING A TOOL OR A PIECE OR A PART, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE THROWING STUFF AWAY. RIGHT. AND WE'RE NOT OUR TRUCKS ARE OUR STUFF IN THE TRUCKS STUFF. IT'S IT'S LIKE A FREE CHECKBOOK RIGHT? FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE DEPARTMENTS. RIGHT. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY KEEP TRACK OF TOOLS, MATERIALS AND THE EXPENDITURES IN THIS IN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS OF THE NEW CITY MANAGER I'M GOING TO REALLY REQUEST THAT YOU GO AROUND TO THOSE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND START CLEANING HOUSE NEEDS TO HAPPEN. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT TO COME UP HERE AND KIND OF KIND OF LAMBASTE EVERYBODY. 7.48 IS TOO MUCH. YOU GUYS NEED TO LOWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. COOL . I HIGH CHAIR DAILY RESIDENT SINCE 2002 I HAVE A SPREADSHEET TOO IF WE COULD GET THE OVERHEAD WE'LL TURN THE OVERHEAD BACK ON AND MR. DALEY IF I COULD ASK IF YOU COULD GET INTO THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SURE AND OUR RESIDENT SINCE 2002 AND MY PROPERTY TAX INCREASE WAS 7.8%. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHETHER THAT'S HIGH OR LOW OR INDIFFERENT. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF US THEY'RE FACED WITH MUCH MORE. WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THE MARKET VALUES AND HOW THEY WERE DETERMINED THIS YR I TOOK A SURVEY OF THE HOUSES AROUND ME ON XERXES AVENUE. THEY'RE ALL APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AGE. ONE'S A LITTLE BIT OLDER. TWO OF THEM HAD A $9,000 INCREASE. THE OLDEST HOUSE BUILT IN 1939 HAVE $49.40 $900 MARKET VALUE INCREASE AND THEN MY HOUSE WAS 2200 INCREASE AND THE BUILDING VALUE DECREASED AND TWO OF THEM INCREASED ON ONE OF THEM AND THEN THE LAND VALUE IS ALL OVER THE PLACE IT INCREASED OR EXCUSE ME LAND VALUE WAS CONSISTENT IT WENT UP BUT THE BUILDING VALUE SO IN THE AND YOU HAVE TWO MARKET VALUE DECREASES AND TWO INCREASES I EMAILED THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE TALK TO JENNIFER BLOOMERS AND SHE SAID IT'S ALL DUE TO THE DEPRECIATION TABLES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY OR HOW THE MATH WORKS OUT SO I JUST LIKE TO GET SOME EXPLANATION ON THAT. THE SECOND SPREADSHEET I PUT TOGETHER WAS MY HOUSE VERSUS THE HOUSE DIRECTLY IN BACK OF ME. TRADITIONALLY I WAS TOLD THAT THE HOUSES ON XERXES BECAUSE IT'S A BUSIER STREET WERE VALUED LOWER THIS YEAR THE VALUES ARE CONVERGING SO TRADITIONALLY WASHBURN AVENUE HAD A HIGHER VALUE THIS YEAR MY HOUSE AND THE HOUSE ON WASHBURN ARE EXACTLY THE SAME SAME VALUE. SO THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I HAVE VERY GOOD WHAT I WILL DO IS AS WE TALKED WITH MS.. CAREY EARLIER, WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT YOU WITH OUR CITY ASSESSOR. HE'S HERE. TIM BULGER'S HIS NAME. BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU AND HE CAN EXPLAIN IT. AND I MEAN IT'S IT'S A PROCESS AND IT'S NOT IT'S NOT AN EASY ONE BUT IT IS A PROCESS AND HE CAN LET YOU HE CAN LEAD YOU THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU . OTHERS . GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. WELCOME . MY NAME IS MATT FREDERICK. I'M ON A COMMERCIAL BUILDING HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. OPERATE A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS AS WELL. WE EMPLOY 12 EMPLOYEES AND RUN ABOUT IT BETWEEN 6 TO 8 TEMPS AS WELL. IN 2022 OUR PROPERTY IN OUR. LET ME GO BACK A SECOND AND SAY ARE OUR BUILDING IS IT'S NOT THE TAJ MAHAL. IT'S LITERALLY A WAREHOUSE 73,000FT. NOT HUGE. IT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 70S. IN 2022 OUR PROPERTY TAXES WERE 127,000. I KNOW TAXES ARE IMPORTANT. OKAY. I AM ALL FOR SPENDING ON QUALITY THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE IN 2023. IT WENT UP TO 130,000. A 3.5% INCREASE. SIGNED ME UP. YEAH. RATE OF INFLATION. CRITICAL 2024. IT WENT UP TO 152,000. A 15% INCREASE. THAT IN 2025 IT WENT UP 14%. JUST IN CASE WE'RE NOT KEEPING TRACK, WE'RE AT 174,000. IN 2026 WITH THE PROPOSED NEARLY 8%. WE'RE AT 187,000. IT'S A $60,000 INCREASE IN FOUR YEARS. AS A SMALL BUSINESS THAT'S UNTENABLE. I WILL TELL YOU WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SEARCH COMMITTEE OUT LOOKING AT OTHER LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. BREAKS MY HEART. I WANT TO GROW HERE. I WANT TO I WANT TO EMPLOY HERE. BUT YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS. THAT'S $15,000 A MONTH FOR A BASIC BUILDING. AND YOU KNOW, MY HOPES ARE THAT YOU STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT HOW TAXES IMPACT YOU IN PROBABLY A MUCH SMALLER WAY . BUT HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF I SAID OPEN UP YOUR WALLET? I NEED $20 TODAY AND THE NEXT YEAR I SAID I NEED 40. AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT I SAID I NEED 2000. YOU'D START TO GO, HEY, HANG ON A SECOND. WE GOT TO PUMP THE BRAKES HERE. NOW IT'S HARD TO MAKE CHOICES. YOU RUN A BUSINESS. YOU HAVE BUDGETS. WE LIVE BY BUDGETS. WE DO THEM EVERY OCTOBER. RIGHT. AND WE REVIEW THEM QUARTERLY. AND WE LIVE BY THEM. AND WE MAKE TOUGH CHOICES. AND THE ONE THING I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IS TO THINK TO YOURSELF WHAT IS A WANT AND WHAT IS A NEED? AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT. AND THAT'S THE TRUTH. THINK ABOUT US BUSINESSES AND THE IMPACT YOU'RE MAKING. AND THE COMPOUNDING MATH OF DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE AND WILL END UP DRIVING US OFF A CLIFF. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FREDERICK . OTHERS . I'M ROCHELLE REYNOLDS AND I LIVE ON 83RD AND QUEEN. AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS. IS HOW MUCH MONEY IS GIVEN AWAY TO NGOS THAT SAY LIMITING GIVES AWAY? I KNOW THAT RAMSEY GAVE AWAY $39 MILLION AND NGOS. AND IF I'M JUST ASSUMING YOU KNOW, I CALLED HENNEPIN COUNTY AND ASKED THEM HOW MUCH IS SENT AS GIVING AWAY TO NGOS. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD IN TEN DAYS GIVE IT BACK TO ME. AND I HEARD NOTHING. AND SOMEBODY THAT I KW SAID IT TOOK THEM TWO MONTHS TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH HAD HAD COUNTY GAVE AWAY AND GOES AND THAT WAS 38.9 $38.4 MILLION WAS GIVEN AWAY. AND THE LIST OF NGOS THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HOUSES OR PROPERTIES. AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S RIGHT IF US PAYING OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE HAVING A HARD TIME STAYING IN OUR HOUSES BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD OUR PROPERTY TAXES. WHY IS THE CITY AND COUNTY GIVING AWAY ALL THIS MONEY TO OTHER COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED IT? BUT WE'RE NOT SAYING HEY IT'S OKAY YOU GIVE OUR MONEY AWAY WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE IT TO GIVE AWAY. YOU KNOW, MAKES SENSE. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH IS GIVEN AWAY TO NGOS AND HOW MUCH THAT AFFECTS OUR PROPERTY TAXES. I BOUGHT I'VE LIVED IN BLOOMINGTON MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE BORN AND RAISED GRADUATED FROM JEFFERSON. BEEN HERE MY WHOLE LIFE. THIS LAST HOUSE THAT I'M LIVING IN I BOUGHT IN 2012 AND I BOUGHT FOR 181,000. AND IT'S BEEN APPRAISED AT 485,000. AND I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO MY HOUSE. AND WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE I COULD AFFORD IT AT 181. AND MY TAXES WERE LIKE $2,400. NOW MY TAXES ARE 6489 WHICH YOU KNOW, I THINK IS PRETTY RIDICULOUS. I HAVE A REAL ESTATE AGENT FRIEND AND I SAID HE PUT SOME COMPS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A HALF MILE FROM MY HOUSE. AND I GOT ONE THAT'S LIKE THREE HOUSES DOWN FOR ME 8336 PENN JUST SOLD FOR 303,000. THERE'S 8236 PENN OR QUEEN ON MY BLOCK AGAIN. SO FOR 370,000. ANOTHER ONE ON QUEEN SO FOR 390,000. SO WHY IS MINE? YOU KNOW, THESE ARE YOU KNOW, BOTH THREE BEDROOMS, TWO BATHS. WHY IS MINE AT 485,000? OH, BUT WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. IT WENT DOWN. IT WENT DOWN. MINE WENT DOWN TO 451,000. BUT MY TAXES WENT UP MORE. THEY WENT UP. SO THE PROPERTY IN MY HOUSE IS GOING DOWN. WHY AM I PAYING MORE IN TAXES ? AND 2021 MY HOUSE WAS APPRAISED AT 350,000 AND MY TAXES WERE 4420 23. IT WAS APPRAISED AT 336,000 AND MY TAXES WENT UP TO 60 202,024. IT STAYED THE SAME VALUE. BUT MY TAXES WENT UP TO 6324 AND 25. IT WENT DOWN TO 451. AND IT'S AT 6489. I FORGOT MY PAPER IN THE CAR. WHAT WERE MY 2026 TAXES WERE GOING TO BE? BUT I KNEW THAT IT'S NOT RIGHT AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. I JUST DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS FOR YOU. SO I'M WONDERING WHY MY HOUSE GOT JETTED UP SO HIGH WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE ON MY BLOCK IS STILL, YOU KNOW, IN THE 300,000. WHY IS MY AN ALMOST 500? I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO IT EXCEPT FOR PLANTS AND HOSTAS OR YOU KNOW IN LANDSCAPING DOESN'T MAKE YOUR HOUSE GO UP EITHER. SO SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THAT. AND WITH YOUR GUYS'S BUDGET, YOU KNOW, I REALLY NEED TO KNOW LIKE HOW MUCH IS GIVEN AWAY AND GOES A CASINO WHAT LIKE WALT'S IS DOING GIVING AWAY EVERYTHING AWAY TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHEN IT'S NOT HELPING US THAT LIVE HERE AND WE'RE THE ONES PAYING THE BILL . SO THAT'S MY DEAL. >> THANK YOU. MS.. REYNOLDS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS AGAIN I WILL CONNECT YOU WITH TIM BOLGER, OUR ASSESSOR WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT AS TO WHY THE DISPARITY ON YOUR BLOCK AND WHEN YOU SAY NGOS WE'RE TALKING NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. AND NONPROFITS, THAT KIND OF THING OR RIGHT. OKAY. SO LIKE IF IF RAMSEY GIVES AWAY 38 MILLION I CAN PROMISE YOU WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR $38 MILLION BUT YOU GUYS ARE GIVING AWAY SOME WE WE SUPPORT WE WE SUPPORT TWO OTHER NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY. YES. CAN I GET A LIST OF THAT? EVERYTHING YOU'VE GIVEN OUT. WE WILL WE WILL PROVIDE IT FOR YOU. THANK YOU. OTHERS WISHING TO SPEAK . GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JONATHAN BANKS. RESIDENTS ACROSS BLOOMINGTON ARE TIGHTENING THEIR BUDGETS. WE'RE ADJUSTING TO HIGHER COSTS FOR GROCERIES, UTILITIES AND INSURANCE AND HOUSING. SO IT'S FAIR TO ASK WHAT IS THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON DOING TO TIGHTEN THEIR OWN BUDGET? WE'VE SHIFTED TO PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. BUT FROM A RESIDENTS PERSPECTIVE WE'RE NOT SEEING ACTUAL REDUCTIONS. BUDGETING DOESN'T MEAN MUCH IF EVERY PROGRAM REMAINS A PRIORITY. AND SPENDING CONTINUES TO CLIMB WITHOUT MEANINGFUL CUTS OR CONSOLIDATION. OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT ARE ACTIVELY IDENTIFYING WASTE, FRAUD AND DUPLICATE SERVICES. YET HERE IN BLOOMINGTON WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE REDUNDANT FUNCTIONS SUCH AS OUR LOCAL SICK AND SAFE LIVE DEPARTMENT . DESPITE MINNESOTA ALREADY ENFORCING THE SAME REGULATIONS STATEWIDE REDUNDANCY IS EXPENSIVE AND I DON'T KNOW ANY RESIDENTS HERE WHO ARE EXCITED TO PAY MORE FOR SOMETHING THE STATE ALREADY PROVIDES. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A $750,000 ANNUAL PLAY MARKETING BUDGET AND RECENTLY APPROVED A $80,000 STATUE ART AND PLACE MARKING HAVE VALUE. BUT DURING HIGH INFLATION RESIDENTS REASONABLY QUESTION WHETHER NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR ADDITIONAL ESTHETIC SPENDING. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON COST SAVING MEASURES. ON TOP OF THAT I HEARD THAT THE ICE GARDEN RENOVATION RAN OVER BY $300,000 FOR CHILLERS . THAT WAS AN OVERRUN NOT CLEARLY COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC. WHEN TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE INVOLVED TRANSPARENT IS NOT AND IS NOT OPTIONAL. IT'S ESSENTIAL RESIDENTS DESERVE FULL DETAILS ON WHERE MONEY IS BEING SPENT AND HOW IT'S BEING SPENT AND WHY COST EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN IS OUR CONTINUED RELIANCE ON CONSULTANTS EVEN AS WE HIRE MORE CITY STAFF. WE'RE PAYING EMPLOYEES AND PAYING OUTSIDE FIRMS TO PERFORM OVERLAPPING WORK. CONSULTANT DOES HAVE THEIR PLACE BUT THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DEFAULT SOLUTION. WHEN WE HAVE INTERNAL CAPACITY . SO THE REAL QUESTION IS WHAT PROGRAM HAVE BEEN REDUCED? WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN STREAMLINED? WHAT CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN CUT. WHAT EFFICIENCIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED? BECAUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE RESIDENCY INCREASED SPENDING INCREASED HIRING AND INCREASED OUTSOURCING NOT REDUCTIONS. IN CLOSING, BLOOMINGTON CAN DO BETTER. TRANSPARENCY CAN BE BETTER. AND RESIDENTS DESERVE A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT TRIMS COSTS THE SAME WAY FAMILIES MUST EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BANKS. ANYONE ELSE ? MY NAME IS JIM SHAW LENDER AND I'M NOT A FINANCIAL WIZARD OR ANYTHING BUT I NOTICED ON YOUR CHARTS YOU HAD TWO DIFFERENT AREAS OF SPENDING AND REVENUES AND WHATNOT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT PARKS THOSE THINGS ARE AND I WOULD PRESUME THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A GOOD SERVICE AT A REASONABLE PRICE. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE BUT I DID NOTICE THERE'S ONE ITEM UP THERE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WAS 10% OF THE BUDGET. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS. I THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS MOSTLY DEVELOPED BUT I GUESS I WOULD ASK WHAT THAT IS. AND I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD IS WE LIKE A BREAKDOWN IN JUST WHAT THAT INVOLVES AND WHAT THE COSTS ARE BECAUSE THAT'S 10% OF OUR BUDGET. I HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT IT IS SO I ASK WHAT IS IT? COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS BASICALLY WHAT MR. THOR WAS TALKING ABOUT MAKING THIS A MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A PORT AUTHORITY. THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN BUSINESSES. THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS. IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BASICALLY . GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S DOUG GRAHAM. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT HERE SINCE 1989. I'M NOT AS ELOQUENT AS SOME OF THE OTHER FINE RESIDENTS OR CITIZENS OF BLOOMINGTON AND I GOT TO KEEP REMINDING MYSELF THAT I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT I'M A CITIZEN, A CITIZEN OF MINNESOTA, CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES. WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOME HERE MY TAXES WERE $800 A YEAR. I TELL PEOPLE THAT NOW THEY LAUGH AT ME, THINK I'M NUTS LIKE WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOUSE. WE WERE THE LOWEST TAX IN THE STATE FOURTH LARGEST POPULATION BUT THE LOWEST TAX . BACK THEN WE SHOPPED FOR GARBAGE. WATER WAS PAID ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS. YOU GO TO A GROCERY STORE YOU COULD AFFORD THINGS. I RAISED MY DAUGHTER HERE AND DAUGHTER WENT TO JEFFERSON AND UH AND NOW I'M MY GRANDPA. TWO BEAUTIFUL GRANDKIDS. I'VE FORTUNATE I CAN'T BRIBE MY DAUGHTER ENOUGH TO MOVE BACK HERE TO BLOOMINGTON BECAUSE IT COST SO MUCH. MY DAUGHTER PLAYED SPORTS HERE VERY SUCCESSFUL. SHE'S ONE OF THE ONLY STATE CHAMPION SOFTBALL TEAMS FROM THE BLOOMINGTON VA. PRETTY PROUD OF HER. I CAN'T CONVINCE HER TO COME BACK HERE. I LIVE OVER BY FRANTZ, AN OLD SHOT OF EROSION AND I CAN REMEMBER NIGHTS GOING TO TWO TO ANDIE'S TAP FOR SUPPER WHERE YOU COULD STILL TAKE YOUR KIDS TO GET A HAMBURGER OVER AT THE LOCAL PUB WHERE PEOPLE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, WORRIED ABOUT THINGS SO MUCH. AND I ALSO WATCHED THE CITY DO EMINENT DOMAIN TO THAT AREA AND TAKE OVER ALL THE PROPERTY AND THEN WAS BECAUSE A BUSINESS WAS GOING TO BUY A BIG CHUNK OF IT AND THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD A LITTLE MALL OVER THERE. WELL IN 2009 THERE WAS A DIFFERENT PLAN OF WHAT THE CITY WAS GOING TO DO BECAUSE THE BUILDERS BACKED OUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A PRETTY BIG HIT TO THE ECONOMY TO JUST LIFE IN GENERAL. THE HOUSING BUBBLE. RIGHT. SOMEHOW WE STILL FOUND A WAY TO INCREASE THE TAXES DOWN HERE IN CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. LIKE I GUESS I STARTED OUT WE PAID $800 A YEAR FOR TAXES AND TODAY MY TAXES FROM MY HOME WERE OF $4,600 AND OUR GARBAGE SERVICE NOW IS EVERY TWO MONTHS AND EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND SOMEONE IS TRYING TO NICKEL AND DIME ME A LITTLE BIT MORE TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND WATER IS NOW A TWO MONTH BUDGET AND IT'S ALSO COMBINED WITH MY GARBAGE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE IDEAS CAME. THE IDEA THAT THERE'S TOO MANY TRUCKS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET DURING GARBAGE DAY OR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK JUST DOESN'T HOLD WATER TO ME. YOU KNOW, I GET IT. WE WANT TO ATTRACT THE BEST LIKE YOU SEE ATTRACTED ME. THE TAXES WERE REASONABLE. MY NEIGHBORS WERE ALL SOMEWHAT INVOLVED. WE LIKE TO SAY I'M NOT AS OPEN AS MY FELLOW BLOOMING TONIGHT HERE AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH WRITTEN DOWN BUT I COULDN'T SIT AT HOME AND NOT NOT COME AND SEE THIS AGAIN BECAUSE AGAIN YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR MORE MONEY AND I'M WATCHING DOWN THE STREET HERE WHERE YOU'RE TEARING DOWN THE CREEKSIDE BUILDING WHICH HAS BEEN HERE FOREVER. I GET IT. BUT IT'S NOT REALLY THE TIME TO BUILD A $100 MILLION BUILDING. IS THIS NOW REALLY THE TIME? ESPECIALLY WHEN I WANT TO DO EMINENT DOMAIN AND TALK AND CHECK OUT A BUNCH OF BUSINESSES SO THAT YOU CAN BUILD SOME PROJECT THERE AND THEN WHEN THE MARKET ALL FELL APART WE FOUND A WAY TO BACK THAT UP AND SAY WHOA WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE. AND THEN WHAT? RICH PUT US TOGETHER INSTEAD OF GETTING THE SPOT WHERE THEY WANTED THEY GOT US FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR AND PUT IT WHERE THEY WANTED. NOW FORTUNATELY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT SOME MORE BUSINESSES OVER THERE AND THEY INTERCHANGE PRETTY MUCH I THINK NOW THE THE NEW ONE IS NOT NECESSARILY NEW BUT I THINK IT'S IT'S A BAR RESTAURANT NOW WHICH I GOT TO TELL YOU THE FIRST YEAR THAT THEY WERE OPEN AND THEY'RE PLAYING LIVE MUSIC THERE WAS KIND OF AN EYE OPENER FOR OUR LITTLE QUIET AREA OVER THERE. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO STAY INVOLVED IN IT AND AS MUCH AS I'VE THOUGHT I NEEDED TO BE BECAUSE I LIKE TO THINK THAT WHEN WE VOTE FOR YOU THAT YOU'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE INTERESTS OF MINE. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR, THAT YOU'RE HERE TO WATCH MY MONEY THAT I'M NOT THAT I SHOULDN'T NEED TO WATCH IT. BUT IT'S I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING IT ON. I JUST HAVE TO ASK MYSELF I'M ALL FOR FAIRNESS. I'M ALL FOR HELPING A GUY UP. WE. I'VE HAD AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF HELP THAT'S NEEDED. MR. GRAHAM YES. WE'RE OUT OF TIME NOW BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANKS . OTHERS WISHING TO SPEAK . MY NAME IS DANIEL MILLER, RESIDENT OF BLOOMINGTON SINCE 1978. I'M SORRY, DANNY MR. LAST NAME ROLL. I KNOW EACH OTHER. THANKS. THEN A RESIDENT SINCE 1978 AND THIS YEAR OUR TAXES ARE GOING UP A LITTLE OVER 11%. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS EACH ONE OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS REDUCE THEIRS BY 2% ON THEIR BUDGET AND SEE WHERE CAN I'VE WORKED IN BUSINESS BEFORE. AND I UNDERSTAND HOW BUDGETS GO AND I LIKE TO SEE SOMEWHERE SOMETHING PUT TOWARDS IT AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH BECAUSE THINGS ARE GETTING WAY OUT OF LINE HERE. YOU CAN'T BE GOING AT THIS PACE FOR 2027, 2028, 2029. THERE'S NO WAY THINGS CAN KEEP GOING AND THEIR PACE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU . I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. I DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE PODIUM, I DON'T THINK. BUT WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT WE NEED ANOTHER PRODUCT CENTER WHEN WE HAVE ONE ON AND WHY DO WE NEED TWO OF THEM? THANKS WILL ANSWER. I'LL TAKE THAT. WE'LL WRITE THAT DOWN. WE'LL ADD THAT TO YOUR QUESTIONS. WE'LL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS WHEN WE WHEN WE WRAP UP THE WRAP UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ? I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF BUT YOU PROBABLY KNOW ME WELL. THIS IS MY THIRD TIME I SPOKE ABOUT THE BUDGET AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IF ANY OF YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO CHIME IN THE RESIDENTS AGAIN LIKE YOU DID LAST YEAR FOR COMING TONIGHT, YOU CAN HOLD THOSE ESPECIAY FOR ME SINCE THIS IS MY THIRD TIME AND ALSO NONE OF YOU KNOW WHO OF THESE RESIDENTS HAVE ATTENDED THE POP UP TABLES AT THE PUBLIC EVENTS. ADDITIONALLY, RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE THEIR HARD NUMBERS UNTIL HENNEPIN COUNTY MAILS THEIR PROPERTY TAX STATEMENTS. MANY OF YOUR HOME VALUES WENT DOWN. WE'VE SEEN THE NOT WE'VE SEEN THE STATEMENTS WELL, MANY OF THOSE WENT UP. MY SECOND COMMENT THE HRA PLANNED ON A NEARLY 68% INCREASE IN THEIR LEVY FOR 2026. THEY DID REDUCE IT BY 500,060% DECREASE OVERALL WHICH WAS JUST A MEASLY 49%. YEAH YOU THREW US TAXPAYERS A BONE. HOW WOULD HOW DO YOU BELIEVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD RESPOND TO A CEO OR VP OF FINANCE PRESENTING THAT KIND OF BUDGET INCREASE? WHAT ABOUT A BUSINESS OWNER WHO HAD A FINANCE MANAGER ASKING FOR A 49% BUDGET INCREASE AFTER PICKING THEMSELVES UP OFF THE FLOOR FROM LAUGHING? THEY WOULD PRESENT THOSE FINANCE MANAGERS WITH A CARDBOARD BOX AND ASK THEM TO PROMPTLY EXIT THE PREMISES. I ALSO NOTED IN THEIR BUDGETS A SLIDE PRESENTATION THAT THEY HAD ONE THAT WAS WHEN THEIR BUDGET WAS WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY AND THEN THAT WAS SEPARATED OUT. THAT SLIDE SHOWED WHERE THEY WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE WHICH IS THE SAME AS WHEN THEY WERE TOGETHER WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY. IT WAS A VERY STEEP CURVE AND IT WAS IT'S GOING TO BE 50% OVER MANY YEARS TO GET UP TO THAT SAME BUDGET YOU HAD WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY HRA. I ALSO LEARNED ON 41 HOMES MOSTLY IN THE EAST FAR EAST AND CENTRAL AREAS OF THE CITY. THOSE ARE THE MOST AFFORDABLE ENTRY LEVEL HOMES. THE CITY HAS TAKEN THESE HOMES OFF THE MARKET WHICH RAISES THE VALUE FOR CURRENT HOMEOWNERS. YES, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SO CONCERNED ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABLE AND THEY THEN MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR FAMILIES TO MOVE IN AND PURCHASE THEIR FIRST HOME THIS IS NOT COMMON SENSE POLICY. NOT ONLY THIS BUT I WILL REITERATE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED CONCERNS BY OUR SENIORS ABOUT LOSING THEIR HOMES. WHERE WILL YOU EXPECT THEM TO LIVE WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR HOMES? NUMBER THREE I'VE HEARD QUITE A FEW COMMENTS DURING THE BUDGET PRESENTATION REGARDING THE UNKNOWN EFFECTS OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET. YOU NEED TO LOOK CLOSER TO HOME. THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE 2029 BIENNIUM IS ALMOST $3 BILLION BUDGET DEFICIT. SO YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT MONEYS YOU'RE EXPECTING FROM THE STATE BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE THERE. WE'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT AT LEAST 1 BILLION IN FRAUDULENT PAYMENTS WAS STOLEN FROM US FROM STATE STATE PROGRAMS AND NOW TEN PLUS MEDICARE PROGRAM IS BEING INVESTIGATED WITH ESTIMATES OF BEING BETWEEN 8 AND 4.5 BILLION MORE IN FRAUDULENT PAYMENTS MONEY WE WILL NEVER GET BACK. THEY CAN RECOUP SOME OF IT BUT A LOT OF IT'S GONE OVERSEAS AND WE'LL NEVER SEE THAT MONEY AGAIN. THAT IS GONE. BLOOMINGTON SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS DOWN. MINNESOTA RESIDENTS ARE LEAVING THE STATE A FASTER RATE THAN WE'RE GAINING THEM. WE LOST 47,000 SOME AND CONTRARY TO MOST OF THE TIME WE HEAR OH, IT'S JUST THE ELDERLY MOVING TO WARMER CLIMATES. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE LARGEST SEGMENT THAT LEFT MINNESOTA WAS BETWEEN 55 AND 65. THEY ARE TAKING THEIR WEALTH AND THEIR BUSINESS OUT OF THE STATE. AND OF COURSE WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE TO HIRE ALL THOSE FIREFIGHTERS WITHOUT A PLAN TO FUND THEM EXCEPT FOR ON THE BACKS OF TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU . ANYONE ELSE ? GOOD EVENING, JASON. I'M USED TO DOING PUBLIC ADDRESS AT HOCKEY GAMES SO I SOMETIMES SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER THAN YOU DO. DARREN ANDERSON. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FOR ABOUT 21 YEARS SO THAT MAKES ME KIND OF A NEWBIE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE PRIOR SPEAKERS. SEVERAL OF THE THEMES HAVE ALREADY BEEN BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT. I'M VERY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE. THAT BEING SAID, MY PROPERTY TAXES HAVE GONE UP 45% IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. MY WAGES FLAT. SO WITH THE INCREASE OF HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE I AM WAY BELOW WATER IN THE IN FIVE YEARS. LIKE I SAY, I'M STILL VERY FORTUNATE BUT I DON'T LIKE MY BALANCE SHEET AND WHAT MY BUDGET LOOKS LIKE. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SPOKEN OF MR. MANX AND OTHERS SPOKE ABOUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WANT AND NEEDS. EVERYTHING IN THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE A TOP PRIORITY. I THINK THE PRIORITY IS WELL EVERYBODY GETS A BASE BUT THE PRIORITY ONES GET MORE. I HAVEN'T LOOK BUT IT SAYS I'D BE SURPRISED IF ANY ANY REGULATORY BODY COMMISSION PROGRAM HAS EVER GONE AWAY IN 1015 YEARS THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. GOVERNMENT WANTS IT AND IT'S THERE FOREVER AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW. GOVERNMENT'S THE ONLY SECTOR THAT'S GROWN SINCE COVID. GOVERNMENT KEEPS EXPLODING IN SIZE AND THAT'S AT THE BACKS OF EVERY OTHER TAXPAYER. EVERYBODY ELSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES. I DON'T I HAVE NO GUARANTEE OF ANY PAY INCREASE AND YET GOVERNMENT ALWAYS GETS IT BUT IT'S ALWAYS AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERYBODY ELSE. NOT SAYING THAT PEOPLE AREN'T ENTITLED TO IT BUT WHEN IT'S COMING OUT OF MY POCKET I GET NOTHING AND I HAVE TO FUND EVERYTHING ELSE. I HAVE A BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH THAT WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. EVERYBODY IS OBVIOUSLY FOR THAT. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED. YOU KNOW WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO GO FOUR YEARS TO HAVE AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE. I TALK TO PEOPLE, THEY'RE SHOCKED THAT A CITY THIS SIZE STILL HAD AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO. IT'S STILL KIND OF MIND BOGGLING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT WHEN THEY'VE RULED THAT OUT AND IT'S LIKE WELL I GET THE MAIN RESPONSE TIMES FOR DROPPING STUFF LIKE THAT. GREAT. WE GOT A GRANT FOR THREE YEARS. THEN WHAT? WHILE THIS THIS INCREASE IN THE BUDGET WAS KNOWN THREE YEARS AGO, DID WE REALLY DO ANYTHING TO ANTICIPATE IT? IT'S STILL GOING TO GROW THE NEXT FEW YEARS. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WERE SPENT FROM THE STATE AND THE RECENT BIENNIUM? ALL THIS ALL WE GOT ALL THIS MONEY. LET'S START THESE PROGRAMS. IT'S GOOD FOR THE CURRENT BIENNIUM WHEN THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD EXPIRES. ARE THOSE PROGRAMS GOING TO GO AWAY? NO. TAXES ARE GOING TO GO UP TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT STUFF . WHEN THE GOVERNMENT, THE FED OR THE STATE GIVES YOU FREE MONEY, IT'S NOT FREE. WHEN ONE THAT EXPIRES FOR THAT SHORT TERM DURATION IT FALLS ON THE TAXPAYERS AND AS YOU'VE YOU'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL IT JUST IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. SO OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN WORK BUT IT'S LIKE THAT'S THE TYPE OF THINGS YOU JUST HAVE TO CONSIDER. EVERYTHING'S NOT A PRIORITY. WE HAVE TO TIGHTEN BELTS. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENS THAT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL. THE ONLY TIME THAT HAPPENS YOU HEAR ABOUT IT FEDERAL THEY'LL JUST STOP HIRING WHICH WILL ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL CAUSED THE SLOW OF GROWTH IN SPENDING BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY DECREASE IT. WE DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING IN BLOOMINGTON. EVERYTHING JUST KEEPS GOING UP. SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOME OF THOSE FACTS AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I'M ANYONE ELSE LEAVING? JIM FOSTER AND I'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF THIS BODY MANY, MANY TIMES UNDER WHEN GENE WINSTEAD WAS THE MAYOR. I'VE LISTENED TO ALL THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT AND I DON'T WANT TO BE REDUNDANT BUT I THINK I'LL PROBABLY BE THE WORST BUZZKILL OF THE WHOLE NIGHT. I'VE BEEN HERE 35 YEARS AND THE INCREASES ARE SIMILAR. I'M PLANNING ALMOST 6000. IT'S JUST GONE UP EXPONENTIALLY. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE IN CHARGE OF THE FINANCES OF THE CITY AND IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS AND I APPRECIATE IT. I HAD THOUGHT OF RUNNING FOR THE COUNCIL UNDER GENE MANY TIMES BUT I WAS TOO BUSY WITH CAREERS AND BEING A RISK MANAGER AND AN ADJUSTER FOR 35 YEARS AND THAT HAD BUDGETS OF OVER 350 MILLION. SO I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY THAT YOU'RE ALL FACED WITH. IT'S DIFFICULT. YOU'RE ALL INDIVIDUALS, YOU ALL HAVE LIVES AND AND IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB. ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL CITIZENS OF THIS CITY. SO ARE YOU. BUT I THINK THERE IS A POINT WHERE YOU CAN'T GET EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME AND I THINK YOU GUYS I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT YOU LIVE IN A BUBBLE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT FAIR EITHER. BUT WE ALL TEND TO WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH BIGGER NUMBERS OVER AND OVER FOR MANY YEARS IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A A NATURAL TRAJECTORY THAT HAPPENS IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. WE ALL KNOW THAT AND IT'S LOVELY. WE KNOW THAT HENNEPIN COUNTY TAKES WHAT, 17% OF THE BUDGET RIGHT OUT OF HERE. SO THERE'S 17% AND THAT'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO THAT'S HELPING THE COUNTY AND YOU CAN STAND IN FRONT OF THE HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMISSION TO HAVE DONE THAT AND SAY YOU GUYS ARE DOCILE COMPARED TO THEM BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. BUT I THINK EVERYBODY HAS A LEGITIMATE. SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS I MEAN I ALMOST FELL OFF MY CHAIR WHEN I WAS ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 15,000 A MONTH OR SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, IT'S A BUSINESS OBVIOUSLY. SO BUT I MEAN ALL OF YOU HAVE TO BEAT YOUR EAR. YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE. YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE IF YOU WEREN'T. AS PEOPLE APPRECIATE OVERSIGHT AND I. I HAD ONE SUGGESTION AT ONE TIME JUST TO HAVE AN OVER AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT WORKS WITH YOU NOT HAMMERING YOU BUT YOU KNOW, TRYING TO YOU KNOW, MAYBE INTERJECT IDEAS. I KNOW YOU HAVE FORUMS ALL THE TIME AND PEOPLE NEED TO SHOW UP MORE OFTEN. THAT'S THAT'S ON ON ON THE CITIZENS THEY NEED TO SHOW UP MORE. BUT I THINK THE INCREASES HAVE BEEN YOU KNOW EXPONENTIALLY I KNOW I'M A WE APPRECIATE GOING DOWN FROM 17.9 TO 2 9.4 AND NOW IT'S 7.48 OR SOMETHING. WELL, THOSE ARE STILL I WHEN I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF A BUZZKILL I'M JUST GOING TO MOVE OUT OF THE STATE. I LITERALLY AND I I'VE BEEN ON BOTH PARTIES FOR MANY YEARS SO I I'VE SEEN IT BOTH AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE MOVING OUT OF THIS OUT OF THE CITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WOW. IT'S GOING TO BE A SCARY, SCARY TIME HERE FOR BURLINGTON AND YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP HAMMERING ALL THESE LOVELY CITIZENS AND WE CAN'T JUST ALWAYS WELL, WE'LL JUST GET IT OUT OF THE THE HOMEOWNER AND AND I REALIZE YOU HAVE TO YOU KNOW THE JUDICIARY RESPONSIBILITY AND IT'S DIFFICULT SO I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT THAT YOU CAN DO THAT BUT LISTENING TO THESE CITIZENS IS ONE THING REACTING TO THE CITIZENS IS ANOTHER THING AND I THINK EVERYBODY IN GOVERNMENT IS LIKE THAT. YEAH, YOU WILL YOU GO IN WITH THE BEAUTIFUL INTENTIONS BUT YOU NEED TO REALLY HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IS PEOPLE ARE I'M GETTING OLDER TOO. I MEAN I CAN RETIRE. I'M IN A SITUATION WHERE I CAN DO THAT BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STUCK HERE AND THEY THEY HAVE THEIR JOBS OR CAREERS. I'M RETIRED SO BUT I THINK I WANTED TO KEEP A BALANCED DISCUSSION HERE A LITTLE BIT. THESE THESE ALL THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE FABULOUS BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A TENSION AND YOU GUYS HEAR IT EVERY WEEK. SO I MEAN I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT BUT REALLY HEAR WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEIR VERY SMART CITIZENS IN THIS CITY ARE EXTREMELY SMART AND I THINK MR. FOSTER SO THAT'S YOU'RE MY REPRESENTATIVE. >> YOU KNOW I'VE CALLED YOU MR. FOSTER. WE'RE A TIME NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME DOWN BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. ALL THESE IDEAS ANYONE ELSE I'D LIKE TO UM WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE SPEAK. WHO WHO WHO HAVE NOT SPOKEN YET. WELL, WE WILL ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP. WE WILL DO THAT. BUT WE WILL SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE NEEDS TO SPEAK HERE. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ? HELLO, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROBERT COLEMAN. I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE 2008 AND I DO AGREE WITH SOME SENTIMENTS THAT THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN IS UNSUSTAINABLE. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT. I THINK THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RECOGNITION THAT THERE IS LIKE A GREATER PROBLEM WE ARE FACING IN OUR CITY A A NEED TO FOR REGROWTH, FOR REPLACING ROADS, FOR REPLACING BUILDINGS AND A LOT OF THAT COST A LOT OF MONEY OR LIKE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN LATER TODAY AND WE ALL LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE MODELING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO BRING IT UP TO THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED FOR OUR CITY. YOU GUYS KNOW THAT BONDING FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE UNDERGOING IT'S GOING TO STAY ON THE BOOKS FOR MANY YEARS TEN, 15 YEARS. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED IT UP BUT I IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYBODY REALLY HAS A PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE THAT AND I DO NOT AND LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT LOOKING AT THE SPENDING IS NECESSARILY THE QUESTION RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE SERVICES THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDE AND I AS A TAXPAYER I WOULD BE MORTIFIED IF YOU GUYS WERE TO LIKE ZERO OUT THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT LIKE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO US ARE PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE TO BE PAID AND I THINK THAT AND IT SEEMS THAT LIKE FOR ALL OF THESE COSTS THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR LIKE THAT MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE AND THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM MAINLY SAY THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT AND OKAY IT KIND OF WE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS A LOT BUT THE WAY THAT THE CITY WAS DEVELOPED ORIGINALLY IS FINANCIALLY UNSUSTAINABLE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LOOK FORWARD TO THESE REGROWTH PERIODS WHERE A BUNCH OF THINGS NEED REPLACING AND CAN I GET THE OVERHEAD? SO IF WE GO BACK TO BASICS RIGHT. THANK YOU. YEP. THIS IS SO URBAN THREE IS A CONSULTING FIRM THAT DOES A LOT OF DIGGING INTO MUNICIPAL FINANCES TO FIND OUT WHERE AND WHEN CITIES ARE FACING THESE KINDS OF INSTABILITIES AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THROUGH WHAT THEY ANALYZE IN 2019 THAT SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LOSES MONEY BECAUSE IT COSTS MORE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES THAN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS BROUGHT IN. AND BACK IN THE DAY IN THE 70S YOU WOULD ONLY BUILD THESE TWO AND AT THOSE TIMES THE RATIOS WERE SUSTAINABLE FOR MANY YEARS AND I THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE CULMINATION OF DECADES OF SAYING THAT HEY, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY IS GOOD ENOUGH ON FOUR DECADES OF SAYING WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES WHICH MEANS MAKING HOUSING MORE EXPENSIVE AND THEN WE'RE SHOCKED THAT HOUSING IS EXPENSIVE NOW. SO THE WAY THAT YOU FIX THAT IS YOU NEED TO REPLACE SOME OF THIS STUFF WITH THE HIGHER STUFF. IF YOU DON'T DO THAT THEN THE PEOPLE HERE ARE GOING TO COME AND NOT BE HAPPY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING YOU KNOW, THIS SUBSIDY IS STILL THERE BUT THEY'RE NOT SEEING IT AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO. BUT I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN MAKE THIS LESS OF AN ISSUE, RIGHT, LIKE PENN LAKE CITY HOMES. I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC PROJECT THAT SHOULD BE LEGALIZED IN R-1 CITYWIDE. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU CAN GENERATE MORE REVENUE PER ACRE. THIS IS PER ACRE SORRY. AND IT IS IT IS A COST OF PROVIDING SERVICES THE THE AMOUNT BROUGHT IN MINUS THE COST OF DOING SERVICES PER ACRE AND SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A FEW THINGS THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF OUR REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS RIGHT? LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT IN BLOOMINGTON IN SCATTERED SPOTS BUT IN OUR MAIN REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS WE HAVE SEEN ALSO VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT IF WE TALK ABOUT AND OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE THE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM MORE IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT FOUR PLACES FOUR SITES IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, FIRST OF ALL IS THE REMOTE AIRPORT PARKING LOCATIONS. THE TWO OF THEM PER PARKING FLY GENERATES $45,000 IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE SPLIT BETWEEN THE CITY, COUNTY AND AND SCHOOL BOARD PER ACRE AND PARKING GO IS A LITTLE LESS IF THOSE TWO LOTS WERE GENERATING $352,000 PER ACRE WHICH IS INDIGO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THEN THAT IS A NET DIFFERENCE OF $7.5 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES FOR THOSE BIGGER FOUR THOSE BIGGER BUILDINGS WHERE THE FIRE STATIONS THE ROADS WERE ALL SPENDING THAT MONEY ALREADY. BUT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING THESE REDEVELOPMENTS HAPPEN, THE MONEY ISN'T COMING IN TO PAY FOR THEM. AND WHEN YOU WE'RE AT TIME SORRY THANKS PRIYANKA I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE SOMEONE ON THE PHONE MAYOR WE HAVE ONE PERSON ON LINE. CALL HER WITH PHONE NUMBER STARTING WITH 952564 YOU ARE NOW UNMUTED DO YOU WISH TO SPEAKER AND COME MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS MY NAME IS SHARON BILLINGS. I WAS THERE EARLIER TONIGHT BUT I HAD TO COME HOME AND I JUST THOUGHT I'D GIVE A CALL IN. I JUST WANTED TO SAY A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT MR. COLEMAN JUST SAID REALLY RESONATE WITH ME. I THINK HE HAS A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS AND I APPLAUD HIM FOR BRINGING HIS CHURCH IN AND SHARING HIS IDEAS. I SIMPLY WANTED TO CALL IN AND I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SATISFIED WITH HOW THINGS ARE TEND NOT TO SPEAK UP AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE AND SO I FELT COMPELLED TO CALL YOU TONIGHT AND SPEAK UP AND SAY JUST FROM MY BACKGROUND MY FAMILY MOVED TO BLOOMINGTON IN 1959. I LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE TODAY SO I'VE BEEN A BLOOMINGTON RESIDENT FOR ALMOST ALL MY LIFE. NOW I'M RETIRED AND I LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND MY RETIREMENT SAVINGS. I JUST CHECK MY TAX STATEMENT AND MY TAXES WENT UP 7.7% THIS YEAR AND I JUST SIMPLY WANT TO SAY I THINK YOU'RE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB. I'M SO PROUD TO CALL BLOOMINGTON MY HOME. IT'S SUCH A LOVELY CITY AND I'M HAPPY TO PAY MY FAIR SHARE OF TAXES TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THE CITY DOES AND ALL OF THE AMENITIES THAT WE ENJOY HERE. I LOVE PLAYING BLOOMINGTON IN MY HOME AND ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND AGAIN I JUST DON'T THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THAT WAY SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY. KUDOS TO YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK AN YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT EVENING. >> THANK YOU, MS.. BILLINGS IS HERE. ANYONE ELSE LOOKING TO SPEAK TONIGHT ? I COME UP. NO, NO, WE I LAID OUT THE RULES AT THE START. WE'RE GIVING FOLKS ONE BITE PER APPLE AND DESPITE MR. HITMAKER'S SUGGESTION, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO STICK WITH THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE MIDSTREAM. ALL RIGHT. I THINK I HAVE AN IDEA TO HELP PUT MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS. WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION AFTERWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, I DIDN'T TAKE UP MY BILL FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THEN IF WE LET ONE PERSON SPEAK THEN EVERYBODY'S GOING TO SPEAK TWICE AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE HERE TILL FOUR IN THE MORNING. THAT'S FINE. NO, IT'S REALLY NOT. THAT'S NOT HOW YOU MAKE GOOD PUBLIC POLICY. I HAVE A GREAT IDEA THAT'S GOING TO PUT MONEY IN THE POCKET AND IT'S GOING TO GENERATE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THANK YOU. WELL, WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION LATER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HIGHLAND HILLS IS SITTING THERE EMPTY ALL SUMMER WITH THREE CONCERTS. HIGHLAND HILLS IS OWNED BY THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT, NOT BY THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. CAN'T YOU GUYS MERGE INTO SOMETHING IT'S NOT OWNED BY THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON AND IT'S OWNED BY A SEPARATE ENTITY. >> WHICH LAST CALL FOR ANYBODY WISHING TO SPEAK. >> STEP ON UP PLEASE. I'M TELLING IT WEIRD. LET'S HERE SARAH. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH MICROPHONE I TAKE IT. THAT ONE'S PERFECT RIGHT THERE. OKAY. HI. JOHN PETERS, BLOOMINGTON RESIDENT SINCE 2007 MY WIFE AND I LIVE OVER BY DRED SCOTT SO I'M SURE A LOT OF THIS HAS BEEN SAID ALREADY BUT I'M MOSTLY HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MATH. OKAY SO MY PROPERTY VALUE ACCORDING TO THE CITY WENT UP BY 1.8%. HENNEPIN COUNTY TAXES WENT UP BY 7.3. OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THAT BUT MY CITY OF BLOOMINGTON TAXES WENT UP BY 8.3%. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DISPARITY. WE'RE ALREADY TAXED ENOUGH HERE AND I WONDER ABOUT THE WISDOM OF WHAT THE CITY CHOOSES TO SPEND ITS MONEY ON. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A FISCAL DISPARITY TAX. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK THAT IS. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS SPEND ON YOUR EQUITY DEPARTMENT AND SO FORTH AND ALSO $1 MILLION BATHROOM. IT REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO BE BUILT SO TAXES WENT UP AND LIKE I SAID 8.3% ON MY PROPERTY BUT MY VALUE ONLY WENT UP BY 1.8%. SO I WOULD THINK THAT TYPICALLY THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE IN LINE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THEY'RE NOT. THE IMPRESSION I GET FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL IS THAT YOU GUYS KIND OF WANT TO BE MINNEAPOLIS. WELL, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING MINNEAPOLIS BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING TAXED TO DEATH SO PERHAPS TAKE SOME OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND HAVE A LITTLE MORE RESPECT FOR THE TAXPAYER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PETERS. ANYONE ELSE ? ANYONE ELSE ON THE PHONE? PRIYANKA? MAYBE WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON LINE. LAST CALL, COUNSEL. WE'VE GOT NO ONE ON THE PHONE. NO ONE COMING FORWARD IN THE CHAMBERS. I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON AN 4.1 THE MAYOR I'LL MOVE THE SECOND MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER RAMOS OR COUNCILMEMBER NELSON. WHICH ONE WAS IT? NELSON GUZMAN. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON. SECOND COUNCILMEMBER LEMON CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCILMEMBER REVISED WITH THE MOTION. GOT IT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS COUNCIL? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. SOME QUICK ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND I MIGHT LOOK TO STAFF TO TO HELP ON A COUPLE OF THESE QUESTIONS. I MEAN THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND WE HEARD A LOT OF A LOT OF INPUT AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT THE I THINK WE COULD IT MIGHT WE MIGHT GO WITH MR. BOLGER THE THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS WE HAD ABOUT THE VERY THE VARIETY OF INCREASES I THINK I THINK JUST IN IN TERMS OF HOW THE TAX SYSTEM GENERALLY WORKS IN TERMS OF THE ASSESSED VALUES, THE SHIFTS BETWEEN COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AND SO ON. WHY WHY DO DOES THE 7.48 NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO A 7.48% INCREASE AND A TAX BILL? YEAH. MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THE CALCULATIONS SHOWED ON HER SLIDES REFERENCE THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME AND SO THE MEDIAN VALUE DID INCREASE BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS SO THAT BASIS AND THAT ROUGHLY 1% GROWTH BETWEEN YEARS ALONG WITH THAT AND ALTERNATIVELY AS DIFFERENT BASES OF OUR TAX BASE GROW AT DIFFERENT RATES THAN THE TAXES SPREAD OUT. SO LAST YEAR RESIDENTIAL GREW AT A HIGHER RATE THAN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DID SO SOME OF THAT TAX BASE SHIFTED TO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE OF IT. ANY OTHER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOU MAYOR CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE HOMESTEAD EXCLUSION ACT AFFILIATIONS THAT GOT ENACTED? MY EXPECTATIONS PREDICTIONS OF PROPERTY VALUES HAVE SHIFTED SO MUCH SINCE IT CAME DOWN FROM THE STATE. SURE. ELSEWHERE MORE MAYOR COUNCIL. SO THE HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION USED TO BE CAPPED AT 413,800 SO AS YOUR VALUE APPROACH THAT AMOUNT THE AMOUNT OF EXCLUSION YOU RECEIVED DECREASES THAT THAT CHANGED LAST YEAR UP TO 517,200. AND SO THE AMOUNT OF HOMES RECEIVING AN EXCLUSION INCREASED SO THAT INEVITABLY WE HAD THIS BAND OF HOMES RIGHT THAT THAT ARE VALUED BETWEEN 413 AND 517 ROUGHLY 5000 HOMES THAT NOW RECEIVE A HOMESTEAD EXCLUSION THAT THEY PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T. AND SO THAT WIPED OFF SOME OF THE TAX BASE FROM THOSE HOMES WHICH NOW GETS SPREAD OUT AMONGST THE REST OF THE CITY . MY QUESTION IS MR. BOLTER. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON YEAH. JUST ONE QUICK SPECIFIC THING. MR. PETERS HAD MENTIONED FISCAL DISPARITIES BUT THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. IS THAT ACCURATE? SO I WAS CONFUSED AS TO HOW WE HAD FISCAL DISPARITIES TAX ON THIS STATEMENT. YOU KNOW COUNCILMAN NELSON, MAYOR COUNCIL YEAH FISCAL DISPARITY IS IS A COMMERCIAL BASED SHARING POOL IN THE REGION HERE AND SO YEAH THAT WOULD ONLY IMPACT COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES MAYBE IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK WITH HIM AFTER THE MEETING TO GO THROUGH THAT AND BE HAPPY TO. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. BOLGER? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MR. BOLGER YEP. JUST A COUPLE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP. WE WILL GET AN ANSWER TO YOU ABOUT THE THE NGOS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN PULL THAT TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY BUT WE'LL GET THAT THAT ANSWER TO YOU ARE YOU MS. REYNOLDS YOU ALSO ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT TWO AQUATIC CENTERS. I ASSUME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER, THE OUTDOOR POOL AND THEN THE PROPOSED INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER. IT WAS IT WAS PROPOSED AS PART OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER AND WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE WANT A BED IS AN INDOOR RECREATION OPTION ALL YEAR LONG AND IT WAS APPROVED BY BLOOMINGTON VOTERS. SO I MEAN YOUR QUESTION OF DO WE NEED TO AQUATIC CENTERS WE HEARD VOTERS SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO AQUATIC CENTERS. THEY WANTED THE OUTDOOR IN THE INDOOR. SO THAT'S THAT'S PART OF THE NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER AND PEOPLE VOTED ON IT. I DON'T THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS A PRETTY BIG CITYWIDE REFERENDUM ON LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX AND WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD FUND AND BUILD THREE DIFFERENT PROJECTS IMPROVEMENTS AT BLOOMINGTON NICE GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS HAD DONE THE NINE MILE CREEK AREA AND TO BUILD A NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER. MR. MINKS TALKED ABOUT COST OVERRUNS AT BIG. I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR IF THAT IS ACTUALLY THE CASE BECAUSE WE DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT ONE AND SEE WHAT THE SPECIFICS WERE ON THAT. MR. MINKS ALSO REFERENCED THE INCREASED HIRING AND OF COURSE THROUGH INCREASED HIRING AND WE HAVE SEEN THE HEADCOUNT INCREASE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THAT IS BASICALLY OUR NEW FIREFIGHTERS AND IT'S I THINK EVERY OTHER EVERY OTHER POSITION WITHIN THE CITY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE SAME HEADCOUNT THAT INCREASED STAFFING THAT WE HAVE AND THE INCREASED STAFFING COST IS OUR NEW FIREFIGHTERS TO TO FUND AND TO STAFF OUR FULLIME FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. MR.. SHE LATER WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I MENTIONED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S CERTAINLY THE CASE BUT IT'S ALSO INSPECTIONS, IT'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. IT'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS BASICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THE COMMUNITY BOTH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUT ALSO NEIGHBORHOODS, BUILDINGS, NEW BUILDINGS, EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT THEY MEET THE STANDARDS OF THE CODES OF THE OF THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON MR. GRAHAM MENTIONED EMINENT DOMAIN AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS AT ALL ABOUT EMINENT DOMAIN ON ANY PROJECT, HAVE WE NOT SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE IN OCTOBER? MAYOR NO I, I DO NOT RECALL ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT EMINENT DOMAIN AT ALL TO THE SPEAKERS AND ASKED ABOUT THE HRA HOMES. I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT BECAUSE YES YOU CAN ASSUME THAT THEY MIGHT BE COMING OUT OF THE THE THE PUBLIC STOCK. I THINK ONE OTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT IS THOSE HOMES THAT YES ARE PRIMARILY ON THE EAST SIDE. SO BASICALLY THEY'RE YOUR NEIGHBORS, PEOPLE LIVING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THOSE HOMES ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF THOSE 41, IT'S NOT INCONCEIVABLE TO THINK THAT IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN BOUGHT BY THE HRA THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BOUGHT UP BY AN INVESTMENT COMPANY LIKE BLACKROCK AND THEY'D BE THEY'D BE RENTAL INCOME RIGHT NOW FOR FOR LARGER ORGANIZATIONS. AND THEN THE CONCERN ABOUT THE 41 HRA HOMES I MEAN THAT'S 41 HRA HOMES WE HAVE 21,000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. SO BASICALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 0.1% OF THE HOME. THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN BLOOMINGTON AND I THINK THE HRA DOES A NICE JOB WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DO WITH THOSE HOMES AND TRY AND GET PEOPLE INTO TWO TWO HOMES AND HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. UM, WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DIDN'T OTHERS WRITE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS DOWN AND I MEAN THERE WERE A LOT AND I THINK THERE WERE THERE WERE A LOT THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD COMMENTS BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO YEAH. I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION JUST ABOUT IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET HAVE THINGS BEEN REORGANIZED FOR EFFICIENCIES? AND I THINK IN MR. CARLSON'S PRESENTATION TO HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THOSE THINGS THERE WAS DEPARTMENTAL REORGANIZATION AND THEN THERE WAS SOME PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING SAVINGS AND THEN THERE HADND THAT WAS IN THE LATEST FROM THE 9.4 TO THE 7.4. THERE HAD BEEN SOME OTHER STUFF PREVIOUSLY TO THAT. SO I DIDN'T I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THAT THAT WORK WAS AND HAS BEEN BEING WORKED ON ON THERE. AND I ALSO NOTE JUST I THINK YOU KIND OF TOUCHED THAT MAYOR THAT SOME OF THOSE HOUSES THAT ARE IN THE RENTAL STOCK BY THE HRA ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE GET TO HOMEOWNERS SHIP. SO THERE'S CLASSES, THERE'S TRAINING, THERE'S EDUCATION AND THEN THERE IS YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO BUILD CREDIT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. SO IT IS ACTUALLY A PROGRAM THAT THAT HELPS MANY PEOPLE GET THEIR OWN HOUSE WHICH MAKE COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THEN COUNCILMEMBER REALIZE COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANKS, MR. MAYOR. I GUESS MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A COUPLE OF CLARIFICATIONS IF WE WANT TO DO THAT. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW WE COULD HAVE AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD SPEND $1 MILLION ON THE BATHROOM. I TOTALLY GET THAT. BUT THAT WAS NOT PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS. THAT WAS FEDERAL FUNDING. SO I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S DISCOURAGEMENT ABOUT THE BATHROOMS WHATEVER I GET THAT I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. BUT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT COMING OUT OF PROPERTY TAXES. THE SECOND ONE THAT I, I DO WANT TO JUST UNDERSTAND IS WE DIDN'T WE DID IMPLEMENT WE STARTED THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING DISCUSSIONS THIS YEAR. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT HAS NOT BEEN ROLLED OUT THROUGH ALL DEPARTMENTS UNTIL BEGINNING IN 24 THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. DO I HAVE THAT CORRECT? I'M ASKING THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE STARTED DOING IT KIND OF MIDSTREAM THIS THIS YEAR AND SO WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY CATCH THE WHOLE PROCESS OUT. BUT I MAYBE I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT SO I WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE I'LL EXPECT TO SEE EVEN MORE ACTIVITY AS IT RELATES TO PRIORITY BASED, YOU KNOW, DECISION MAKING AS WE ROLL THAT OUT MORE MORE COMPREHENSIVE EARLY DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? >> MR. WALKER I MR. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO YOU'RE YOU'RE CORRECT. THIS WAS THE ORGANIZATION'S FIRST YEAR USING THAT TECHNOLOGY AG AND TECHNOLOGY AND REALLY NOT EVEN THE RIGHT TERM. IT'S IT'S A MINDSET SHIFT OF HOW WE APPROACH BUDGET. I WILL TELL YOU COMING FROM MY PREVIOUS ORGANIZATION IT TAKES AT LEAST A FULL YEAR FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO DIP ITS TOES INTO THIS AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT ROLLED OUT AS WE GO INTO NEXT BUDGET CYCLE AND EVOLVE OUR THINKING AND OUR APPROACH TO BUDGET DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL. SO YOU'RE RIGHT THIS WAS INTRODUCTORY TO THAT AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE IT EVOLVE IN ITS COMPLEXITY AND UTILIZATION GOING FORWARD. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. I JUST I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE I KNOW WE DIDN'T ASK FOR IT TO BE PART OF THE WAY THAT WE DO THIS CYCLE UNTIL I DON'T KNOW THAT WAS PROBABLY JUNE THAT WE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT THAT. SO MY EXPECTATION WASN'T THAT WE WOULD NECESSARILY GET ALL THE WAY THERE FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE BUT FOR THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH BETTER HANDLE ON IT. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THE QUESTION AND COUNCILMEMBER NELSON'S I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW MANY OF THOSE HOUSES HAVE BEEN SOLE OWNED BY THE ACREAGE HAVE BEEN SOLD TO POTENTIAL RESIDENTS BUT THEIR HOMES SINCE THAT IS PART OF THE PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS ARE THERE IS THERE ANY WRECKER OF HOUSES I MEAN BY THE RESIDENTS I'M SURE THERE IS. COUNCILMEMBER MIGHT HAVE A GENERAL IDEA BUT IF NOTHING ELSE WE CAN I'M SURE THOSE RECORDS EXIST WITHIN THE HRA. COUNCILMEMBER YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR THOSE HOMES ARE NOT MEANT TO BE BOUGHT BY PEOPLE AFTER THEY LIVE IN THEM. THEY'RE MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE GET A DOWN PAYMENT TO GO BUY A HOUSE AND SO THEY SAVE THAT MONEY. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BOUGHT A HOUSE IN BLOOMINGTON BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO BE IN THAT PROGRAM. SO AND THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL WORK TO PARTNER WITH DEVELOPERS THIS COMING YEAR TO ACTUALLY BUILD HOUSES THAT PEOPLE WILL OWN AND NOT OWNED BY THE HRA. AND SO IT'S IF YOU LIKE MORE AND THEN WE HAVE OUR STAFF HERE THEY'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU OUT AND UNDERSTAND MORE OF THAT. THANKS COUNCILMEMBER. I JUST WANTED A CLARIFICATION FOR THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER LOHMANN MAYOR I WROTE A TON OF QUESTIONS AND TYPICALLY I WOULD TRY TO GO THROUGH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE. MY FEAR IS ATTEMPTING TO TRY TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS TONIGHT WOULD REALLY TAKE US DEEPLY INTO THE EVENING AND I AND I WANT TO LET FOLKS KNOW, MAYOR, HOW MUCH I REALLY APPRECIATE IS FOLKS COMING WITH THEIR PASSION HERE AND BRINGING THIS BEFORE IT YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO AS WE'VE DONE IN PAST MEETINGS KIND OF KIND OF CORRELATE SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AND DO SOME RESPONSES TO SOME OF THESE MAYBE STAFF COULD MAYBE LOOK THROUGH SOME OF THESE THESE THROUGHOUT THIS PARTICULAR HEARING AND PULL SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE MISSED AND MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THOSE QUESTIONS THAT ARE THERE . I JUST I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS THIS HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FOLKS COME HERE AND BE A PART OF THIS THIS CONVERSATION AND BE A PART OF THIS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORDS OF JIM FOSTER. YOU KNOW, WHEN HE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS IS REALLY A DIFFICULT TASK THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KIND OF BALANCE BETWEEN THESE THESE TWO THIS THIS MANY INTERESTS HERE. I I'M JUST GOING TO LIFT UP ONE QUESTION, MAYOR, AND I'M NOT REALLY LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TODAY ON THIS ONE BUT ONE WAS RAISED ABOUT A 2% CUT AND I YOU KNOW OF EVERY DEPARTMENT AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST. YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT SHARPENING THE PENCIL AND TRYING TO BRING THINGS DOWN AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST . THAT'S ONE ONE QUESTION. THE OTHER QUESTION THAT THAT I HAD CAME FORWARD IS SOMEONE HAD MADE THE STATEMENT ABOUT HAVING A AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND AND MAYBE FOLKS DON'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. IN FACT, COUNCILMEMBER CITY TO MY RIGHT WAS ON THAT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND NOW HE'S HERE WITH US ON THE ON THE ON THE COUNCIL. SO YEAH, SO THANK YOU. SO IT WOULD BE I'M TRYING NOT TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE BUT YOU KNOW I'M TEMPTED BUT I WON'T DO IT SO WELL WELL COUNCIL I THINK WHAT WE'RE WE'RE AT THE POINT HERE WE CAN WE CAN DO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. WE CAN CONTINUE TO HASH THROUGH THIS WE KNOW THIS IS COMING BACK NEXT WEEK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THIS. THIS IS TONIGHT THIS IS SIMPLY THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS COMING BACK NEXT WEEK AND MAYBE GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, MAYBE SEE IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE PERHAPS TO ONCE AGAIN DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS THAT IF THEY ARE THERE LET'S LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND THEM. THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUES THAT COULD HELP BALANCE THINGS OUT WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO. BUT TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION ON AND ON NEXT MONDAY NIGHT WHEN WE WILL WHEN THIS WILL COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND WE'LL HAVE OUR FULL DISCUSSION AS TO ALL THE UPS AND DOWNS OF IT AND WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO VOTE FOR IT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE ESPECIALLY GIVEN WE'VE GOT IT'S IT'S PUSHING 9:00 AND WE STILL HAVE FIVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT MAKE SENSE. ALL RIGHT. AND WE WILL DO THAT AND I WILL I WILL ECHO COUNCILMEMBER LOEHMANN'S. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO WHO CAME TONIGHT AND WHO SPOKE AND WHO SPOKE CLEARLY FROM THE HEART AND FROM A BELIEF THAT BLOOMINGTON NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK INWARD AND A THOUGHT THAT BLOOMINGTON IS STILL A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. BUT WE WE ALL HAVE WORK TO DO, ALL OF US TOGETHER. WE HAVE WORK TO DO ON THIS AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD AND APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER ON A COLD, SNOWY MONDAY NIGHT, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND WILL CONTINUE TO SCRATCH AT THIS. WE'LL SEE WHERE WE END UP. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE SATISFIED AT EVERYTHING BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS CONSIDER THIS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WITH YOU AS A COUNCIL WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT BUBBLE LIVING. IT'S IT'S WE ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL SO WE FEEL THE IMPACT AS WELL AND WE FEEL THE IMPACT OF OF COST INCREASES AND WE WOULD I ALSO FEEL THE IMPACT OF SERVICE CUTS JUST LIKE ALL OF US WOULD. SO IT'S THE DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE AT THE CITY LEVEL, AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AS TO WHICH WHICH PATH WE CHOOSE AS WE HEAD FORWARD. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT WITH THAT COUNCIL. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 4.2 ON OUR AGENDA. SO OUR SECOND PUBLIC HEARING OF THE EVENING THIS IS FOR OUR 2026 THROUGH 20 2035 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS ECONOMY SHOULDER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL OH WAIT A MOMENT LONG PRIYANKA IS BRINGING UP THE WHILE WE ARE WAITING ON COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO WHILE WE ARE WAITING LOOKING AT THE TIME ON THE CLOCK I'VE NO NO NO NO I WAS JUST GOING TO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE LOOK TO ADJOURN NO LATER THAN 1030 NO LATER THAN 10:00. I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND OUR DEADLINE BUT ADJOURN NO LATER THAN 10:00. I GOT A MOTION IN THE SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS. ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR YOUR PATIENCE. COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO MISS ECONOMY SHULER GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCILHE ITEM BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU IS THE FINAL DRAFT IN BRINGING THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER WE'VE LOOKED AT THE CITY'S MISSION STATEMENT AND TO TO CULTIVATE AN ENDURING AND REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE WE'VE CONNECTED THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT. YOU'RE WELCOMING COMMUNITY A HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND A COMMUNITY WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH WITHIN IT WITHIN THE CFP DOCUMENT WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PURPOSE AND TIMELINES THAT OCCURRED DURING THIS PAST YEAR SOME UPDATES AND SUMMARIES SINCE THE LAST THE STUDY SESSION THE COUNCIL HAD AND THEN HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN THE PURPOSE AREA THIS THE AREA THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY EMPHASIZE WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL THIS DOCUMENT IS A PLANNING TOOL IT IS PLACED OFF ALONG YEAR PROJECTIONS. THESE ARE A TEN YEAR PLAN IT HAS ITEMS THAT ARE 50,000 AND GREATER. THERE'S 192 PROJECTS WITHIN THIS IN THE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IN THE BEGINNING OF THE DOCUMENT IS PROJECTS IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES THAT ARE $1 MILLION ABOVE AND JUST BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROJECT WILL MOVE FORWARD AND THAT AND AS WE DO MOVE FORWARD SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AS WE LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT, RECALL THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THE YEAR THAT THE PROJECT CAME IN THE DOCUMENT IS WITHIN THERE SO THERE MIGHT BE A PROJECT FOR CITY FACILITIES 20 2023 THAT CAME IN AND 23 FOR SOME OF THE FIRE STATIONS. THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE SINCE LIKE 2015. SO JUST LOOKING AT WHERE THESE ARE IN THE DOCUMENT, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE A LONG TIME, SOME NEW, SOME ARE OLD AND THEN WE JUST FOLLOW NORMAL PROCUREMENT. WE BUILT THIS DOCUMENT DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER DURING THE BUDGET CYCLES WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER THE DRAFT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MET IN NOVEMBER. THEY GIVE US A REVIEW AND AFFIRM THAT THE DOCUMENT IN THE PROJECTS WITHIN IT ARE WITHIN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THIS EVENING IS THE PUBLIC HEARING TO UPDATE SINCE NO OCTOBER'S MEETING IN THE MIDDLE DISTRICT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE REMOVAL OF THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND ALSO APPROVED THE ADDITION OF THE NEW INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT. AGAIN THIS IS AN A PLAN AND IT'S OUT THERE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS FROM NOW OR BETTER THAT WE MIGHT IMPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE NEW PROJECTS THE NORTH AND NORTH CENTRAL SANITARY SEWER LINE THAT IS PART OF THE CITY'S BONDING BILL AND I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE AND THEN THIS IS JUST SOME TEN YEAR INFORMATION ON WHAT'S WITHIN THE DOCUMENT. ONE OF THE LARGEST PROJECTS HERE YOU KNOW WE HAVE THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, WE HAVE THE CITY FACILITIES, THE PORT AND ITRI ARE ALSO WITHIN THIS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS JUST POINTING OUT THE LARGE DARK NAVY PIECE AND THAT FIRST BAR IS IN THE SOUTH OF PORT AUTHORITY IN THAT DARK BAR THAT REPRESENTS 75 MILLION FOR THE MALL OF AMERICA A WATER PARK PARKING LOT. SO AS THE PARKING LOT OR THE WATER PARK KEEPS MOVING IN TIME, THAT PARK PIECE OF THE 75 MILLION WILL ALSO MOVE. AND THEN THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE SLATED IN THESE AREAS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND ONE OF THE PROCESSES THAT WE STARTED PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT NINE YEARS AGO IS THAT THERE WAS QUESTIONS ON WHEN WE WHEN WE SHOULD START THE PROJECT AND WHAT WAS DEVELOPED IS AS THE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT THE 26 AND 27 YEAR PROJECTS AND STARTING TO SCOPE THEM OUT, POSSIBLY ENGAGE COUNCIL CONSULTANTS, PREPARE STUDIES AND THEN AS WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL BEEN THE TALK ABOUT THE BID PACKAGE PACKAGE AND THE DESIGNS FOR THOSE PROJECTS AND THEN THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. AGAIN, YOU'VE SEEN JORDY THIS DOCUMENT AS A HANDFUL OF PROJECTS CHANGE EACH YEAR BUT WE BRING THEM FORWARD TO YOU EVERY YEAR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL ANY QUESTIONS OF MISS ECONOMY SCHOLER COUNCIL MEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. >> YEAH. SO YOU KNOW IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS THAT WE JUST HAD I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KIND OF ARTICULATE THE THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS YOU'VE DEFINED THAT TO SPECIFICALLY HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WHAT THE 2026 BUDGET IMPACT IS. ASSOCIATE IT WITH THE CIP. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. I, I UNDERSTAND FOR EXAMPLE I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE CITY FACILITY FOR THE GARAGE RIGHT? SO THAT AND I KNOW IT'S COMING UP LATER BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR SOME PORTION OF SOME PORTION OF THIS CIP IS GETTING GETTING ALLOCATED TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THE $2,026 THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH. AND SO CAN CAN YOU ARTICULATE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARLY FOR FOLKS? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE EXACT NUMBERS I GET. I'M NOT PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT BUT CURRENTLY THE DEBT PORTION OF THE TAX LEVY IS FOR PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ISSUE BONDS FOR THROUGH LAST MONTH SO THAT IMPACTS THE LEVY FOR 2026 THE DEBT THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO ISSUE IN 2026 THAT WILL IMPACT OUR 27 LEVY. THE THE LARGEST PIECE IS THE GARAGE WHICH WOULD COME AND I BELIEVE ALSO SPENDS PACKAGE THIS WILL BE ON YOUR AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH OR NEXT MONDAY THAT IS LOOKING TO BE APPROXIMATELY $25.9 MILLION PROJECT IS HOW WE HAVE IT LISTED IN OUR C I P AND THAT WILL IMPACT OUR TAX LEVY FOR 27 ALONG WITH OUR PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. OKAY. SO THE DEBT SERVICE THAT WE ARE FUNDING IN THE LEVY WERE PROPOSED ING THIS FOR FOR 2026 IS THE DEBT SERVICE THAT WE'VE WE'VE AGREED TO FOR THE PMP PROJECTS AS WELL AS SOME PORTION OF THE THE GARAGE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY THE TEAR DOWN AND THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND MY CORRECT ON THAT MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER TO SELL THE SANDRA THE DEBT PIECES THAT IMPACT THAT WE ISSUE DEBT IN 25 FOR 26 YOU'RE RIGHT PAYMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THE SALT SHED AND THE LAND FOR THE GARAGE YEP OKAY GREAT. SO JUST AS WE ARE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYBODY ABOUT SPECIFICS IN THE IN THE TAXES, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARTICULATED THAT AND THEN THE SECOND PORTION OF THE GARAGE WHICH IS LARGELY AROUND LIKE YOU SAID THE THE BIG BID PACKAGES THAT'LL COME TO US THAT WILL BE FUNDED IN THE NEXT YEAR LEVY IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. YES. RIGHT. OKAY. VERY GOOD. ARE THERE ARE THERE OTHER EXPECTATIONS OUT OF THIS SUMMARY THAT NOT INCLUDING THAT GARAGE THAT WE WILL WE WILL HAVE TO ISSUE DEBT FOR PMP NOT PMP NOT INCLUDED? YEAH, EVERY YEAR THAT'S FOR 2027 WE ARE LOOKING AT FIRED STATION FIVE POWER STATION FIVE. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MISS ECONOMY. SURE. COUNCILMEMBER READ US MORE LIKE A COMMENT AND A QUESTION I GUESS COUNCILMEMBER JUST TO TEMPER OKAY I WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING IF IT'S JUST A QUESTION. WELL BECAUSE WE'RE GOING GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN AND THEN YOU CAN OFFER YOUR COMMENT. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NO OTHER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 4.2. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE 2026 THROUGH 2035 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN APPROVAL ANYONE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WISHING TO SPEAK TO I AM 4.2 THE C THEN MR. COLEMAN HELLO MR. MARIN CITY COUNCIL I'M MAINLY HERE TALKING ABOUT THE ABOUT THE WATER PARK PARKING RAMP. I AM INCREDIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE THIS PARKING RAMP IS ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CONSIDER THAT THIS AREA AROUND THE MALL OF AMERICA HAS SOME OF THE BEST TRANSIT ACCESS IN THE CITY AND SO MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN INVESTED IN THAT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEN WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $75 MILLION ON A PARKING RAMP. 45 MILLION OF THAT IS IN TIF RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S REVENUE THAT WE DON'T GET TO PUT TOWARDS THE THE LEVY RIGHT. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OF LIKE WHEN THESE OH MAYBE NOT WHEN THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT THE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SPENDING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS COMING IN THAT THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TOWARDS THE LEVY MAYBE NOT BUT WHEN I'M ALSO INCREDIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE 10 MILLION ADVANCE IN TIFF REVENUE AGAIN LIKE I'VE I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF MY OTHER ACTIVIST FRIENDS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IT'S LIKE NONE OF THEM HAVE EVER HEARD OF A AN ADVANCE ON TIFF REVENUE FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS. I DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT THAT SECTION OF THE MALL OF AMERICAN NEEDS MORE PARKING RIGHT LIKE I GET THAT IT IS THE NUMBER ONE VISITED ATTRACTION IN THE UNITED STATES BUT THERE IS A LOT OF PARKING THERE THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING IN NEARBY LOTS. HOW MANY PARKING SPACES IS IT RIGHT LIKE I'VE NOT SEEN THIS REALLY TALKED ABOUT. IT'S PRETTY QUIET. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THAT STUFF COMES THROUGH THE PORT AUTHORITY AND IT IS LIKE HARD FOR ME TO WATCH A PORT AUTHORITY MEETING BECAUSE LIKE I MEAN VICTOR RIVAS KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OF IT IS PAINFUL TO WATCH BUT I REALLY WISH THAT THERE WAS A LOT MORE TRANSPARENT TO SEE ABOUT THAT KIND OF STUFF ABOUT ESPECIALLY ALL OF THESE PARKING RAMPS THE PORT AUTHORITY IS WORKING WITH FOR THE SOUTH LOOP WHEN IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE SPACES IN THE CITY. THERE IS STILL SO MUCH PARKING THAT IS BEING BUILT IN THAT AREA AND I DON'T KNOW IF $75 MILLION FOR A PARKING RAMP THAT EVENTUALLY WILL BE HANDED OVER TO THE MALL OF AMERICA FOR BASICALLY FREE IS A GOOD SPEND OF OUR DOLLARS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. COLEMAN. SO I HAVE 4.2 THAT IS 4.2. ANYONE ELSE IN THE CHAMBER IS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 4.2 JULIAN BURGERS FERGUSON AGAIN ,JUST A FEW COMMENTS AS I LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION AND I WANT TO REITERATE AGAIN WE SAW CONSULTING FEES BUT WE HEAR THAT WE HIRE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST AND WE HAVE TO PAY THEM THESE HIGH SALARIES BECAUSE WE'RE ATTRACTING THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST. SO WHY CANNOT OUR BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST HANDLE THESE PROJECTS FROM START TO FINISH? THAT'S MY QUESTION AND ABOUT THE FIRE STATION. YEAH IT'S IS PROBABLY NECESSARY AND AT YOU KNOW AT SOME POINT BUT HOW MANY HAVE WE RECENTLY BUILT FOR MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I MEAN THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT PRIORITIES ON IF IT YOU KNOW IF IT'S WORKING NOW FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS, LET'S LET'S PUT IT OFF AND THEN I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SAY OF COURSE OUR SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR US. THAT IS A PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF CITY GOVERNMENT. NO ONE WILL ARGUE WITH THAT. BUT TO ACCEPT GRANTS THAT YOU KNOW ARE EXPIRING AND HAVE NO PLAN EXCEPT TO PUT THAT BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BUILD OUT FIRE STATIONS IT'S JUST IT YEAH. SO MY PROPOSAL IS TO DECREASE THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES TO BALANCE OUT THE INCREASE YOU'RE ASKING US TO FUND FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE FIRE STATION RENEWALS. AND I WANT TO CONCLUDE BY SAYING THANK YOU TO CHIEF HARGIS, YOUR UNIFORMED OFFICERS, YOUR INVESTIGATORS AND AND THE FIREFIGHTERS AND ANYONE ELSE PROTECTING OUR SAFETY. THEY ALL DO A FABULOUS JOB AND THERE ARE MANY RESIDENTS WHO PRAY FOR YOU EVERY DAY FOR YOUR SAFETY. WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. OKAY . ANYONE ELSE IN THE CHAMBERS PRIORITY DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON LINE OR ON PHONE? MAYOR WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON LINE. LAST CALL FOR ANYONE IN THE CHAMBERS COUNCIL. NO ONE IN THE CHAMBER IS COMING FORWARD. NO ONE ON THE PHONE WISHING TO SPEAK TO ITEM 4.2 IT LOOK FOR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN ORDER FOR SOME MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MALONE AND SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING O ITEM 4.2 NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO COUNCILMEMBER RIOS. JUST A QUICK COMMENT MIGHT BE A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL THOUGH ON THE ONES AND THE NEEDS DO WE NEED TO BUY THAT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET AND GARAGE TO THE TUNE OF FIVE $6 MILLION INSTEAD OF JUST REMODELING THE EXISTING ONE? YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THINGS AS OKAY, WE WONDER WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO THIS I KNOW ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY AN ANSWER TO SO I KNOW THE REST IS DOOR IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WHAT THEY NEED THEY GET IT AS YOU JUST MENTIONED FIRST FOR THE MAIN PRIORITY FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE SAFETY AND SECURITY TO THE RESIDENTS THAT'S THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ME WE SHOULDN'T COMPROMISE ON HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY OR HOW MUCH IT TAKES TO GET WHAT THEY NEED TO GET IF YOUR FIRE CATCHES YOUR HOUSE CATCHES ON FIRE AND IT TAKES HIM SEVEN MINUTES INSTEAD OF 9 OR 10 MINUTES, THAT COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAVING A LIFE OR SAVING YOUR HOUSE WITH MINOR DAMAGE. SO TO ME IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO SPEND THE MONEY IN THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS. AS FOR THE REST I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANY CONTROVERSIAL MENTIONS IN HERE BUT THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD BE EITHER REDUCED OR ELIMINATED COMPLETELY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO FUND THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN THE CITY. AND AS AGAIN IT'S JUST MY COMMENT DOESN'T REPRESENT EVERYBODY ELSE IS JUST WHAT I THINK BECAUSE WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY BUYING THAT BUILDING THAT WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE WE SHOULD HAD JUST REMODELED THE ONE AS WE ORIGINALLY PLANNED ON THE CHP THERE WAS ORIGINALLY SENT FOR THAT THOSE PLANS TO REMODEL THE THE GARAGE AND THE ASSAULT CHAIR SHADE RIGHT ORIGINALLY THAT WAS NOT IN THE PLANS TO BUY THAT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET OR AND WE BOUGHT THAT TO A THE TUNE A WHAT $6 MILLION OR WHATEVER IT COST SO YOU KNOW THAT WAS AN EXTRA EXPENSE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE TO ADDRESS IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DALLESSANDRO THEN COUNCILMEMBER NELSON THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I ACTUALLY I ACTUALLY WANT TO RESPOND SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDING OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. LIKE I CAN SEE WHY PEOPLE ARE LIKE HEY, YOU TOOK GRANT MONEY AND THEN NOW YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THE REASON WE TOOK THAT GRANT MONEY WAS NOT INSTEAD OF PLANNING FOR IT IT WAS TO ACCELERATE THE ONBOARDING OF THOSE FIREFIGHTERS FASTER THAN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IF WE HADN'T EXPENDED FOR IT. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION RIGHT BY BY BY TAKING THOSE GRANTS WE GOT THOSE FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND THREE YEARS EARLIER THAN WE WOULD HAVE IF WE HAD HAD TO BUDGET FOR IT. WE'RE CATCHING UP TO THAT NOW. WE'RE GOING TO FUND THOSE PEOPLE. BUT THE CHOICES WE HAD IN FRONT OF US WERE GET IT PLANNED FOR AND FUNDED GOING INTO 2026 OR PLANNED FOR GET IT FUNDED GOING INTO 2026 AND TAKE THE GRANTS AND GET THEM ON THE GROUND IN 2023 AND THAT'S WHAT WE CHOSE TO DO. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND. IT WAS ALWAYS IN THE PLAN FOR US TO GET THEM GET PAID, START PAYING FOR THEM IN OUR LEVY WITH OUR DOLLARS IN 2026. BUT BY TAKING THOSE GRANTS WE GOT THEM HERE, WE GOT 36 FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND THREE YEARS EARLY AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT. I'M GLAD THAT THAT EXISTED. I'M GRATEFUL TO THE CHIEF FOR FOR GOING AFTER THAT MONEY AND GETTING IT THAT WAY BECAUSE BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO SAID THIS BEFORE WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL IN 2021, I WAS LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT WE ARE A CITY OF 90,000 PEOPLE AND HAVE A PAID ON CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. SO I AM SO GRATEFUL MY HOUSE IS GRATEFUL THE PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE GRATEFUL THAT WE HAD THOSE 36 FIREFIGHTERS ON FULL TIME ON THE GROUND THREE YEARS EARLIER THAN WE OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE. SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR TO EVERYBODY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT DISTINCTION. NOW THE REASON WE'RE FUNDING FIRE STATIONS IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE FULL TIME PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO HOUSE THEM IN STATIONS AND THE STATIONS WE HAVE NOW CANNOT SUPPORT FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS ON 24 HOUR AND 48 HOUR SHIFTS. THIS IS THE PLAN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE 2022. I, I STILL HAVE SAID AND I'M GOING TO ADMONISH THE COUNCIL OR THE STAFF ONE MORE TIME PLEASE BRING THESE THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TO THE COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH THIS LAID OUT IN A TIMELINE BECAUSE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT AND I KNOW IT BUT CITIZENS KEEP GETTING IT WRONG AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING. THIS IS A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE OF THE CITY THAT WILL TAKE ALMOST A DECADE TO COMPLETE. SO LET'S PUT IT IN A TIMELINE, SHOW THEM HOW IT'S ROLLING OUT AND THEN PEOPLE WILL NOT BE CONFUSED. I ASKED FOR THAT EVERY YEAR I'M GOING TO ASK FOR IT AGAIN. >> THANK YOU. THEY ALSO REMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER NELSON AND COUNCILMEMBER YEAH, THANK YOU. I THINK THE FIRE STATIONS HAVE BEEN EXPLAINED. I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON MR. COLEMAN'S COMMENTS. TYPICALLY YOU'D BE CORRECT IN TERMS WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT TIFF BUT THAT TIFF DISTRICT WAS DECERTIFIED IN 2013. THAT MONEY WAS ALREADY THERE. IT WAS AN ADVANCE FOR PLANNING FROM EXISTING TIFF FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED. THE ONGOING TIFF IS FROM FISCAL DISPARITIES. IT IS NOT CUTTING INTO ANY OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES. IT IS ANY LONGER THAT THAT STOPPED IN 2013. NO CLARIFY FOR ME THEN YOU'RE IN COUNCIL THE MAIN MALL PROPERTY FINISHED IN 2016 THE IKEA SITE ON THAT NORTH SIDE WAS 2018. OKAY SO I WAS A FEW YEARS OFF BUT BUT IT IS NOT WHAT YOU WOULD TRADITIONALLY THINK. WE DIDN'T ESTABLISH A NEW TIFF DISTRICT AND THEY AREN'T PAYING PROPERTY TAXES THEY'RE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES ON THAT. THE MONEY THAT'S CONTINUING TO GO IN THERE INTO THE FUTURE IS THE FISCAL DISPARITIES AMOUNT PAID BY THE MALL OF AMERICA ITSELF. GOT THAT CORRECT. NOW OKAY. I GOT AT LEAST HALF OF IT RIGHT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY, VERY CONFUSING COMPLEX THING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE PORT AUTHORITY PARTICULARLY SINCE I SIT ON IT. SO I FEEL SO OTHER COMMENTS COUNCIL ON THE CAPITAL, THE C IP, THE C IP BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE KIND OF GONE AFIELD HERE JUST TO TOUCH. MM HMM. I SAID JUST A TOUCH COUNCILMEMBER DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING OR NOT? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CURRENTLY OKAY . COUNCILMEMBER CUTLER LET'S REMEMBER MORE. THANK MAYOR I MOVED TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CITY OF BURLINGTON'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2026 TO 2035 AND PROVIDING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL TO THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS THERE UNDER SECOND MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARTER TO APPROVE THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2026 THROUGH 2035. NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO AND ITEM 4.3 THIS IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION SALES TAX REVENUE BONDS SERIES 2026A MAYOR AND COUNCIL AGAIN THIS IS OUR THIRD PROJECT UNDER SALES TAX SO WE'VE ISSUED FOR THE BLOOMINGTON NICE GARDEN 35 MILLION WE'VE ISSUED FOR THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER OF THE HUNDRED MILLION. THIS IS OUR FINAL PROJECT FOR NINE MILE CREEK CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR 20 MILLION. SO WE ARE LOOKING TO GET AUTHORIZATION TO ISSUE THESE BONDS AND SO WE WERE AGAIN WELL KEEP FLIPPING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE SLIDES. A CITY THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN COME BEFORE COUNCIL ON THE NINE MILE CREEK CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS. HERE'S JUST A QUICK LIST OF WHAT SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE. HERE'S THE INFORMATION ON OUR SALES TAX INFORMATION TO DATE . AGAIN, THE PROCEEDS ARE COMING IN NICELY. WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE ONCE ALL THREE PIECES OF DEBT ARE OUT THERE APPROXIMATELY A $13 MILLION A YEAR DEBT SERVICE FOR THE THREE PIECES. AGAIN, THE SALES TAXES ARE COMING IN NICELY. WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN END THIS 20 YEAR PERIOD OF YOUR 17 YEAR 18 DEPENDING ON HOW REVENUES COME IN AND FLEET STEADY AND WE DON'T GET ANOTHER COVID. SO WE'LL KEEP WORKING THROUGH THOSE SO CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE? YES. IS IT OUT OF THE ORDINARY THE JULY BOTH JULY OR EVEN TO DECEMBER? I WOULD EXPECT DECEMBER TO BE MUCH STRONGER THAN JULY. IS IS THAT EXPECTED? IS WE'RE ONLY 18 MONTHS INTO THIS SO OKAY, WE'LL KEEP MONITORING AS WE GO. JULY COULD BE ANY TYPE OF SUMMER ACTIVITIES SUMMER HOLIDAYS OR ACTIVITIES DURING THE SUMMER. JUST CURIOUS. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT. WE'LL GET THERE $20 MILLION IT WILL BE OVER A 20 YEAR TERM AND THE SALES TAX WILL PAY THE DEBT SERVICE ON THESE BONDS . SO TONIGHT IS THE AUTHORIZATION TO SELL WE WOULD BRING CREDIT RATING CALL MID-JANUARY. WE WOULD SELL THE BONDS ON THE 2ND OF FEBRUARY AND WILL RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS IN MARCH . AND BEFORE YOU IS THE MOTION THERE ANY QUESTIONS LET ME KNOW. COUNCIL QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE. THIS IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT'S THE THE BOND REVENUE AND IT'S GOING TO ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO COUNCILMEMBER DELGADO JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION IF I MAY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. GOG BACK TO THE THE TREND ON THE SALES TAXES WITH THIS BOND WE HAVE WE HAVE COMMITTED THE WE HAVE NOW PLEDGED THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS FOR ALL THREE PROJECTS, CORRECT. AND THAT ALL THREE PROJECTS IS TOTALS WHAT 155,000,150 MILLION SOMETHING LIKE THAT. CORRECT OF PRINCIPAL 155 MILLION OF PRINCIPAL OF PRINCIPAL. RIGHT. OKAY. AND AND SO ON TREND HERE IT LOOKS TO ME WITH MY EYES THAT WE ARE AT ABOUT A 10 TO 12 YEAR CYCLE OF PAYING THAT 155 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL OFF. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S AN INTEREST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BUT DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT INITIAL ASSESSMENT THAT IF THE TREND CONTINUES BARRING ANOTHER COVID BARRING ANOTHER YOU KNOW, HOUSING CRISIS BARRING WHAT I DON'T KNOW WHATEVER THAT WE WOULD WE ARE ON TREND IN THAT 10 TO 12 YEAR CAPACITY OR DO YOU THINK WE'RE STILL AT THE 15 TO 20 YEAR MARK BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE 20 YEARS TO TO TO PAY IT. WE HAVE 20 YEARS TO ISSUE THE TAXES FOR IT. CORRECT. SO ALL OF THE BONDS WILL HAVE A 20 YEAR TERM I'LL CALL IT THE ONES THAT WILL ISSUE IN THE SPRING WILL HAVE A SHORTER DURATION BECAUSE WE ONLY COLLECT THROUGH 2044 AND IF WE SHOULD GET MORE REVENUE FIRST WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL OUR FIRST CALL DATE WHICH IS PROBABLY 15 YEARS IN OKAY BECAUSE OTHERWISE AS YOU'RE STRUCTURING THE DEBT EACH INDIVIDUAL YEAR IF WE WERE TO MATURE THEM FASTER WE WOULD PAY HIGHER INTEREST RATE AND HIGHER SO THERE IS A PENALTY FOR EARLY PAYMENT IN THAT REGARD. YES. OKAY. SO COME YEAR 15 WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING AT THERE'S CHUNKS OF DOLLARS AND WE'RE GOING TO START TO PAY EASY. YEP. OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU. AND THEN AM I CORRECT, MR. MAYOR, WE WE WANT THESE TAXES HAVE BEEN COLLECTED AND ARE EXPENDED THE TAX ITSELF GOES AWAY BECAUSE THE PROJECTS ARE COMPLETE. THAT IS CORRECT. YEAH, VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS COMMENTS ON THIS IF NOT COUNCIL THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING. >> THIS IS SIMPLY A RESOLUTION . SO I WOULD LOOK FOR A I WOULD LOOK FOR ACTION ON THIS COUNCILMEMBER HAPPY TO DO THIS. MAYOR I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION SALES TAX REVENUE BONDS THREE 2026 A AND THE PROPOSED AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF $19,765,000 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER AND SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF SALE AND ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GOAT SALES TAX REVENUE BONDS IN THE PROPOSED AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF $19.765 MILLION FOR THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO THANK YOU MISS ECONOMY SHULER. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR NEXT PUBLIC HEARING. THIS IS ITEM 4.4. THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2019 CDBG ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. IT'S A MAJOR AWARD. SO MR. PALERMO, OUR ASSISTANT HRA ADMINISTRATOR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL I'LL BE QUICK. I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME OTHER ITEMS BUT THE SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT PROCESS SO WE HAVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDING FOR THESE ARE COVID $19 SO PULL UP THE SLIDE HERE. BUT WE ARE HERE TO DO A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT A SUBSTANTIAL MAY IS TRIGGERED TO OUR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING A NEW ACTIVITY. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL. THERE'S OTHER MINOR AMENDMENTS WE CAN MAKE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH AS THOROUGH PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCESS FOR EXISTING ACTIVITIES. SO TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND WE RECEIVE COVID 19 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT COVID $19 FOR CDBG C V DOLLARS THIS CAME TO US INTO KIND OF TRANCHES THE FIRST YOU CAN SEE WE FULLY EXPENDED THAT BUT WE HAD US SEE THESE THREE YEARS TO A THIRD ROUND THAT HUD HAD PROVIDED IN FUNDING AND WE STILL HAVE $230,000 TO THAT HAVE GONE ON SPENDING ON ALLOCATED SO AS YOU RECALL IN APRIL WHEN WE APPROVED OUR 2025 THROUGH 2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND OUR 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN WE ALSO INCLUDED A BUDGET THAT IDENTIFIED A USE FOR THESE FUNDS BUT WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY AMEND OUR 2019 PLAN BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW THIS FUNDING IS TIED TO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR CARRYOVER INCOME THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE HAD. SO THAT TRIGGERED A 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD WHERE WE ADVERTISED NOVEMBER 6TH, RAN THROUGH DECEMBER 7TH AND NOW WE HAVE TO DO OUR PUBLIC HEARING FOR THESE FUNDS. SO AS I MENTIONED WE WOULD BE AMENDING OUR 2019 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS ACTIVITY BECAUSE THESE ARE COVID $19 WE NEED TO TIE THEM TO THE PANDEMIC IN A WAY AND THEN AS IT HAS TO ADDRESS SOMETHING FOR FUTURE PANDEMIC . SO WE ARE PROPOSING TO DEVELOP OR ACTUALLY MOSTLY FOCUS ON REHAB AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. WE'RE FOCUSING THIS ON OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING STOCK THAT THE HRA OWNS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE FULL ACCESS DURING COVID THERE THINGS AND THE INTERIOR THAT DETERIORATED THERE'S SOME DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT HAPPENED. WE ALSO WEREN'T COLLECTING AS MUCH RENT AS WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE JUST OCCUPANCY WAS LOWER THAN USUAL SO WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AFFORDABLE RENT RESTRICTED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN BLOOMINGTON. WE HAVE ABOUT 1300 SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL HOMES BUT THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE RENT RESTRICTED AND AS WE KNOW IN THE PANDEMIC SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCOMMODATING. YOU HAVE MORE ROOMS IF YOU HAVE TO STAY AT HOME, YOU KNOW, WORKING FROM HOME KIDS DURING SCHOOL IT'S NICE TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF SPACES THAT YOU CAN SEPARATE AND THEN YOU HAD YOUR OWN KIND OF PRIVATE OUTDOOR SPACE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER IN AN APARTMENT CENTRIC SETTING SO THAT IS JUST ADDING TO OUR DIVERSITY OF HOUSING STOCK FOR OUR AFFORDABLE UNITS. SO OTHERWISE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND THERE'S A SUGGESTION MOTION ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. PALERMO AND COUNCILMEMBER THEN COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. PALMER THANKS FOR BEING HERE. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS MONEY IF IT GOES UNSPENT AND NOT ALLOCATED IT? GREAT QUESTION MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN REMOVE ACTUALLY THERE IS A TIMELINE WHICH IS WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS TODAY AND IT HAS TO BE SPENT BY NEXT BELIEVE IT'S APRIL 2026 AND IF WE DON'T SPEND IT IF WE DON'T ALLOCATE IT THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE IF THIS WAS IN THE EARLIER SLIDES AND I MISSED IT. HOW MANY HOMES ARE WE PLANNING TO USE THIS MONEY ON HERE IN THE CITY? >> MR. MAYOR CONSTANTLY JEALOUS AND SO THIS IS THE 41 THREE. OKAY. SO SOME HOMES WE'RE KEEPING A BROADER THAN THAT IS BETTER TO KEEP IT BROADER JUST IN CASE IF WE NEED TO SPEND IT ELSEWHERE. WE'RE JUST CALLING IT REHAB OF AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS BUT THAT IS WHERE WE'RE ANTICIPATING TARGETING THE NEED FOR OKAY, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MR. PALERMO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 4.4 REGARDING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2019 CDBG ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WISHING TO SPEAK TO ITEM 4.4 TONIGHT? ANYONE REALLY? IS THERE ANYONE ON THE PHONE WISHING TO SPEAK TEN AND 4.4 MAYOR WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON LINE LAST CALL FOR ANYBODY IN THE CHAMBERS COUNCIL. NO ONE ON THE PHONE. NO ONE COMING FORWARD IN THE CHAMBERS. I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT ITEM 4.4 SO MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 4.4 NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THIS COUNCIL ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NEEDED COUNCILMEMBER MAYOR JUST A COMMENT AND THEN IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I'D BE HPY TO MOVE THIS ONE BUT I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS IF WE DON'T USE THESE DOLLARS THEN GO BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THESE ARE JUST FREE DOLLARS AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY CORRECT THEY'RE OUR DOLLARS INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM BACK TO THE BLACK HOLE THAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT I'D RATHER SEE THOSE DOLLARS STAY HERE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY PAID THOSE DOLLARS. SO INSTEAD OF SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AGAIN, I WANT TO KEEP THOSE DOLLARS HERE SO I'LL BE FULLY SUPPORTING THIS. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT. I PROBABLY DIDN'T HEAR YOU BUT WHY WASN'T THE MONEY SPENT BEFORE SINCE YOU HAD IT FOUR YEARS ALREADY AND THEN WE INCREASED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR ? THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT BOGGLES MY MIND BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE EXISTING FUNDS AND THEY DON'T GET PUT TO USE AND THEN WE RISK IN LOSING THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN UTILIZED UP UNTIL THIS MOMENT AND NOW YOU'RE RUSHING TO GET HIM USED I AND FORGIVE ME FOR BEING THIS BLUNT BUT I MEAN THAT'S WHAT BOTHERS ME. THAT'S WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE HAPPENING. IF YOU HAVE THE FUNDS YOU HAVE PURPOSE FOR IT, YOU REALIZE IT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE CONTINUALLY RAISING TAXES HAD THE RESERVES TAKE THE BURDEN ON IT. IT REALLY BOTHERS ME TO TO LEARN THAT WE HAVE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR YEARS. MR. PALERMO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS THERE'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS JUST A LOT OF THE EXTREME TRANSITION IN THE HRA STAFF SO WE WERE IN HEIGHT OF A PANDEMIC WHERE PREVIOUS FUNDS THOSE WERE SPENT ON MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, LOW MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR THINGS THAT WERE DIRECTLY TIED TO THE PANDEMIC. BUT AS WE WERE STARTING TO HEAD OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, STAFF W TRANSITIONING. THERE WASN'T A CLEAR ACTIVITY THAT WAS DIRECTLY TOWARD THE PANDEMIC YOU KNOW, 23, 24 WE'RE NO LONGER IN THESE KIND OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHERE WE CAN IMMEDIATELY TIE THE FUNDS SO NOW WE'RE GETTING CREATIVE. WE'RE A FEW YEARS OUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHAT THOSE ISSUES WERE THAT HAVE BEEN LINGERING FROM THE PANDEMIC RATHER THAN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. BUT BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN STAFF TRANSITION AND IT JUST KIND OF LANGUISHED FOR A LITTLE WHILE AS NEW STAFF GOT SOME MORE. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE ALMOST A YEAR NOW AND IT'S THIS HAS BEEN ON MY MIND SINCE I STARTED A YEAR AGO. HOW DO WE SPEND THESE FUNDS? HOW DO WE ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS AND HOW DO WE GET THROUGH THE PROCESS KNOWING THAT HARD RIGHT NOW IS IS WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, SO IT IT'S BEEN ON OUR MIND BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST TAKING A LITTLE TIME TO ACTUALLY GET THE PUSH TO GET THAT DONE BECAUSE WE HAD STAFF TURNOVER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS COUNCIL I'VE LOST TRACK OF WHERE WE ARE. OH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2019 COMMUNIT DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACTION PLAN APPROVING THE ALLOCATION OF CBGCV3 FUNDS TO DEVELOP A REHAB AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING SECOND MOTION MY COUNCILMEMBER SECOND MY COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2019 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACTION PLAN NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. PALERMO IN OUR LAST PUBLIC HEARING OF THE EVENING ITEM 4.5 THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING SMALL BUSINESS CODES AND PROCESSES PHASE TWO ORDINANCE TO CALL A CASTING DAY FROM OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS HERE. GOOD EVENING WELCOME. THANKS FOR STICKING IT OUT WITH US TONIGHT. YEAH THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL THANKS FOR STICKING WITH IT WITH ME TOO. SO WE'RE GOING TO I'LL TRY TO KEEP THIS REALLY SHORT BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG MEETING SO WE'RE TALKING TRASH ENCLOSURES. THIS IS THE THE FINAL PIECE OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS CODE PROJECT AND AGAIN THE GOAL OF THAT PROJECT WAS TO HELP LOWER BARRIERS FOR BUSINESS FORMATION AND OPERATION IN THE CITY. AS YOU'RE PROBABLY WELL AWARE ,OUR EXISTING STANDARDS FOR REFUSE OR TRASH AND RECYCLING FACILITIES IS THAT IT MUST BE ATTACHED TO A PRINCIPAL BUILDING, IT MUST BE INTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE BUILDING AND THEN THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL FINISHES REQUIRED INSIDE THAT TRASH ROOM FOR FOOD AND GROCERY STORE USES. AND SO WHAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD DO IS TO ALLOW ALL NONRESIDENTIAL USES AND ALL ZONING DISTRICTS TO INSTEAD PROVIDE AN EXTERIOR REFUSE ENCLOSURE AND IT ALSO ESTABLISHES PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR SAID ENCLOSURES. SO THIS AND THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AGAIN KIND OF A TYPICAL EXAMPLE THAT YOU SEE HERE IN BLOOMINGTON OF THE CURRENT KIND OF ATTACHED TRASH ROOM. WHAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD DO IS PROVIDE A SECOND OPTION FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE USES USES TO PROVIDE AN ENCLOSURE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO YOU SEE ON THIS THIS IMAGE HERE. SO AGAIN WE'RE TALKING ALL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTIONAL OFFICE USES TO PROVIDE THAT SECOND OPTION. THEY COULD STILL PROVIDE AN INTERIOR TRASH ROOM IF THEY WOULD LIKE. THIS JUST GIVES THEM THAT SECOND OPTION FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY AND AGAIN THAT ENCLOSURE WILL HAVE TO MEET ALL OF THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE. SO I WON'T WALK THROUGH ALL OF THESE. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON THEM. BUT THESE ARE THE ONE, TWO, 3459 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THOSE ENCLOSURES. SO THERE'S THINGS RELATED TO SETBACKS ACCESS AND CIRCULATION LIGHTING SCREENING, EXTERIOR MATERIALS AND THE FLOOR SURFACE FOR THOSE ONE ITEM I DO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING IS THEY DID RECOMMEND AN AMENDMENT TO STAFF ORIGINAL ORDINANCE AND SO THAT LANGUAGE IS HERE IN THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU WITH THE MOTION LANGUAGE. SO IT FOCUSED ON THE THE GENERAL SETBACK WE HAD 20FT FROM A PROPERTY LINE ALONG A STREET AND THEN FIVE FEET FROM A PROPERTY LINE NOT ALONG A STREET WHICH KIND OF MATCH TYPICAL LANDSCAPE BUFFERS AND SETBACKS IN MORE OF THOSE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND STAFF KIND OF LEFT THAT INTENTIONALLY OPEN BECAUSE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES ARE ON CORNER LOTS OR THROUGH LOTS WHERE YOU HAVE A STREET ON THE FRONT AND REAR PROPERTY LINE AND SO IT COULD REALLY LIMIT WHERE YOU PLACE AN ENCLOSURE IN. SO IN SOME CASES THAT ENCLOSURE COULD HAVE BEEN CLOSER TO THE BUILDING THAN THE STREET AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS THAT HAD SOME CONCERN WITH THAT AND SO WHAT THIS LANGUAGE HERE IS TO CLARIFY THAT THE TRASH ENCLOSURE CANNOT BE CLOSER TO THE PROPERTY LINE ALONG A STREET FROM THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING WITH AN EXCEPTION ON THAT THROUGH LOT AS LONG AS THE ENCLOSURE IS BEHIND THE BUILDING AND SO I HAVE AN IMAGE HERE JUST TO KIND OF SHOW THAT EXAMPLE WHAT THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE WAS FROM STAFF WITH THE RECOMMEND DID SOME LANGUAGE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND IF WE WOULDN'T CREATE THAT EXEMPTION FOR THROUGH LOTS YOU COULD SEE IN THIS EXAMPLE OF A PROPERTY ON LYNDALE AVE IT REALLY RESTRICTS WHERE THEY COULD PROVIDE A DETACHED TRASH ENCLOSURE AND SO IN THIS KIND OF MIDDLE THE MIDDLE IMAGE HERE AGAIN JUST TO SHOW TECHNICALLY IF THEY WOULD PUT IT BEHIND THE BUILDING IT WOULD BE CLOSER TO THE TO THE STREET THAN THE BUILDING. BUT IN THIS CASE IT'S THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING THAT'S ALL THE LOADING AND THINGS ANYWAY AND WANTED TO CREATE THAT THAT EXCEPTION. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE THE CLARITY THERE AND SO REALLY WITH THAT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THERE'S KIND OF TWO MOTIONS HERE. THE FIRST IS FOR THE ORDINANCE ITSELF AND THEN OF COURSE WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR AUTHORIZING SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF THE ORDINANCE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU MR. CARSON FOR COUNCIL QUESTIONS ON THIS SPECIFICALLY WITH THE THE AMENDMENT FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION. ANY QUESTIONS AROUND THAT? COUNCILMEMBER REVISE SO I DO HAVE ONE SORRY I'M MAKING THIS READING LONGER TODAY WITH REGARDS TO THE BUILDING THAT HAS TWO ROADS AND THE FRONT ONE AND THE FRONT ONE IN THE BACK AND THEN WE'RE ALLOWING THE OR MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO HAVE THE TRASH ON THIS SIDE. YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT WILL BE THE SITE WHERE THEY GET DELIVERIES AND WOULDN'T THAT HINDER THE DELIVERY PROCESS TO THEM IF AN 18 WHEELER COMES ON THAT SIDE AND THERE IS A BUILDING IN THERE THAT WILL BE SOME KIND OF AN IMPEDIMENT FOR THE PROPERTY FOR THE OWNERS TO HAVE THAT TRASH IN THERE? YEAH SURE. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS AND COUNCIL IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THERE IS LANGUAGE ON ONE OF THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AROUND ACCESS AND CIRCULATION SO THAT THE ENCLOSURE ITSELF AND THE DUMPSTERS THAT WOULD BE INSIDE THE ENCLOSURE CAN'T BLOCK VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION ON THE SITE. SO YEAH, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE EXACTLY THEY WOULD PUT IT BUT IF THEY PUT IT ON THIS BACK SIDE IT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH THE TRUCK CIRCULATION OR VEHICLE CIRCULATION ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING MORE JUST KIND OF WANTING TO TRY TO OFFER THAT EXEMPTION ON THE THROUGH LOT TO HOPEFULLY REDUCE LIKE VARIANCE REQUESTS AND THINGS IN THE FUTURE. I'M KIND OF GIVEN THAT BACK SIDE AS MORE OF THAT THE LOADING AND KIND OF SOME OF THOSE OPERATIONAL USES OF OF THE BUSINESS VERSUS THE KIND OF FRONT FACADE SO SO IN OTHER WORDS THEY WILL HAVE TO ASK FOR A VARIANCE TO BE ALLOWED TO BUILD THIS PARTICULAR OUTSIDE TRASH BUILDING. SO THAT WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET THEIR FACILITIES UP AND RUNNING IN APPROPRIATE TIME. RIGHT. THEY WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE CITY AND ASK FOR A VARIANCE. WHY NOT ALLOW THEM RIGHT OFF THE BAT TO BE ABLE TO BUILD IT ON ONE OF THE SIDE STREETS IF THEY NEED TO ONLY IF THEY NEED TO. YEAH. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS THAT WAS KIND OF WHY STAFF HAD ENCOURAGED THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO MAKE THAT EXCEPTION FOR THE THROUGH LOT. SO WHAT IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT'S IN THE STAFF REPORT WOULD ALLOW THIS KIND OF MIDDLE IMAGE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY ON WHERE THAT COULD BE LOCATED TO TRY TO AVOID THE NEED FOR A VARIANCE WITH THE CORNER LOT BETWEEN THE BUILDING. THE WAY THAT THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN THAT MIGHT MEAN SOMEONE WOULD NEED A VARIANCE ON THE CORNER LOT. EXAMPLE IF IT WAS JUST A REALLY UNIQUE SITUATION THAT THEY REALLY COULDN'T PUT IT ANYWHERE ELSE THERE WOULD BE THAT OPTION FOR THEM. BUT I THINK THE IDEA HERE WAS TO AT LEAST CREATE SOME EXEMPTION TO JUST HELP REDUCE THE NEED FOR VARIANCE WHICH IS YEAH, JUST ANOTHER ANOTHER APPLICATION AND ANOTHER PROCESS THAT A BUSINESS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH BEFORE OPENING. SO STAFF FELT REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH KIND OF THIS THIS DIRECTION THAT CREATES MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR FOR BUSINESSES TO JUST HAVE AN OUTRIGHT BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT IT WITHOUT A VARIANCE I THANK YOU. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS COUNSEL IF NOT THANK YOU MUCH. DON'T GO FAR WITH ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. I WILL OPEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 4.5. IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING SMALL BUSINESS CODES AND PROCESSES PHASE TWO ORDINANCE ANYONE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER IS WISHING TO SPEAK TO ITEM 4.5 TONIGHT. FRANK DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON THE PHONE? >> MAYOR WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON LINE. LAST CHANCE FOR ANYBODY IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS COUNCIL NO ONE COMING FORWARD. NO ONE ON THE PHONE WISHING TO SPEAK TO HIM. 4.5 I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN ITEM 4.5 TONIGHT SECOND MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 4.5 NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. COUNCIL ANYTHING ON THIS ONE? COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU KNOW IN THE PAST HAD MENTIONED MY OPPOSITION TO THIS. I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THE RESPONSES THAT THEY GAVE ME. I'M JUST NOT THERE TONIGHT AND LOOKING AT THE TIME I CAN COUNT NOSES. I KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT ON THIS . I CERTAINLY AM IN FAVOR OF THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THAT WE'RE GOING WITH TRYING TO TO MAKE IT SO THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OTHER BUSINESSES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY. AND SO THE SPIRIT OF THAT I AGREE WITH BUT THE DETAILS OF IT I JUST FEEL THAT AS WE MOVE TOWARDS OUR CHANGING OUR ZONING AND INCREASE OUR LAND USE DENSITY, IT'S GOING TO CREATE UNFORESEEN CONFLICTS WHEN IT COMES TO ORDER AND JUST A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS I'M NOT TRYING TO ARGUE WITH ANYBODY HERE UP HERE I THINK YOU KNOW, I MAYBE I'M WRONG BUT LET'S KIND OF MOVE THIS ALONG TONIGHT AND KIND OF GET THIS THING PASSED. BUT I WILL NOT BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. >> I AM FOR ONE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE. I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT FOR A WHILE AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL WORKING SO HARD TO GET DONE. I HOPE THAT WE DO GET IT PASSED TONIGHT MOST SPECIFICALLY I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE A VALUABLE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN'T TURN INTO NEW TYPES OF BUILDING AND FUNCTION BECAUSE OF THIS ONEROUS FUNCTION, THIS ONEROUS REQUIREMENT THIS WAY YOU KNOW A BUILDING THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOUSE A RESTAURANT CAN HOUSE A RESTAURANT OR SOME OTHER FACILITY AND MOVE VERY QUICKLY INTO BUILDING OUT THE DENSITY THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN. I I'M NOT A I'M NOT A HUGE FAN PERSONALLY OF OF OF CONCERNS AROUND PEST AN ODOR AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I MEAN YOU'RE IN A CITY THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THEM AND WE DO HAVE TO PUT SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE BUT BUT I THINK OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB OF THAT ALREADY AND WE HAVE A TON OF PLACES THAT SERVE FOOD TODAY THAT HAVE OUTDOOR PLACES WE JUST CALL THEM HOTELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THEN WE DON'T HOLD THEM TO THE SAME STANDARDS. SO MY GARBAGE GOES OUTSIDE BY THE WAY EVERY DAY AND SAYS EVERYBODY ELSE'S AND YOU KNOW THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. SO ANYHOW, IF ANYBODY NOT I'M THRILLED TO MAKE THE MOTION IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER DOES. CONSTABLE CARTER THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL BE VERY, VERY QUICK AND THEN I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO HIS COMMENTS THIS YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE FOCUSED THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ON BEING MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY AND SOCIALLY MORE FRIENDLY TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN BLOOMINGTON IN MY CONVERSATIONS THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT HAS COME UP AS A BARRIER. IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. SO THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALLOWING THIS FLEXIBILITY BUT CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN STRONG STANDARDS FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. SO I'M GOING TO BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT. ANYBODY ELSE? COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO RIGHT. GOOD. I MOVED TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING ALLOWANCES AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR EXTERIOR REFUSE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLE MATERIAL ENCLOSURES FOR NONRESIDENTIAL USES IN ALL ZONING DISTRICTS THEREBY AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE CITY CODE TO MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING ALLOWANCES FOR AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR EXTERIOR REFUSE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIAL ENCLOSURES FOR RESIDENT NONRESIDENTIAL USES IN ALL ZONING DISTRICTS. NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THIS. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I. I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO EXCUSE ME 61I APOLOGIZE MOTION CARRIES SIX ONE COUNCILMEMBER WOMAN IN OPPOSITION COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO I'M GOING TO START CALLING THIS BOB COUNTRYMAN'S BILL I MOVED TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF THE ADOPTED ORDINANCE THEREBY AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE CITY CODE. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER FOR SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF ITEM 4.5 NO FURTHER COUNCIL DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK AGAIN THANKS FOR STICKING WITH US. I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF HERE DO WE HAVE TIME TO GET THE ITEM 5.12. OKAY. I WILL CALL ON AND 5.1 THEN THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO REVISE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR FULL TIME PART TIME SEASONAL AND TEMPORARY NONUNION EMPLOYEES FOR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. MR. STEVE BERGER H.R. MANAGER IS GOING TO LEAD US THROUGH THIS ONE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR OF THE COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO GO FAST WHICH IS OUT OF CHARACTER FOR ME ON A PRESENTATION LIKE THIS I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT A NEW COMPENSATION PLAN FOR NON REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES. IT'S A RESULT OF A THOROUGH COMPENSATION STUDY CONDUCTED BY BAKER TILLY AND THIS RELATES TO IMPLEMENTING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS SO OOPS HERE WE GO. WHY WE'RE HERE TO CREATE A NEW COMPENSATION PLAN. NUMBER ONE IS TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES IN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW ARE NON REPRESENTED EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION PLAN ESSENTIALLY HAS SIX SALARY STEPS AND THEN A WHAT'S CALLED A PERFORMANCE RANGE AFTER THAT TO A MAXIMUM SALARY AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER TIME IS WHEN EMPLOYEES GET TO THAT PERFORMANCE RANGE IT'S BEEN ALL OVER THE MAP ON WHAT KIND OF SALARY INCREASES EMPLOYEES WOULD GET WITHIN THEIR PERFORMANCE RANGE. IT WAS A LOT OF DISCRETION BY DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SUCH AND SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THOSE INEQUITIES. WE ALWAYS WANT TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE JOB MARKET. BUT I WILL SAY THE COMPENSATION SCHEDULE IS IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW EARNING MONEY IS IMPORTANT TO EVERY EMPLOYEE. IT'S ONE PIECE TO THE PUZZLE OF THE TOTAL COMPENSATION STRUCTURE. IT'S A BIG PIECE BUT THERE'S ALSO A GROUP BENEFITS PAID TIME OFF FLEXIBILITIES WE CAN OFFER THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THIS IS ONE BIG PIECE TO THE PUZZLE. WE ALSO WANT TO CREATE A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT SYSTEM FOR EMPLOYEES WAGES TO INCREASE OVER TIME. WE WANT STABLE BUDGET PROJECTIONS AS ALWAYS. WE WANT IT TO BE SUSTAINABLE. WE DON'T WANT TO DO A COMPENSATION STUDY EVERY FOUR YEARS AND COME UP WITH A NEW COMPENSATION PLAN EVERY FOUR YEARS. WE WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING NOW THAT'S SUSTAINABLE FAR INTO THE FUTURE AND THAT WILL IN TURN IMPROVE OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. SO WE PARTNERED WITH BAKER TILLY SIGNED A CONTRACT BACK IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR 2024. WE HAD A KICKOFF SESSION WITH EMPLOYEES IN NOVEMBER OF 2024 EXPLAINING THE PROCESS. A LOT OF IT WAS PREDICATED ON A JOB QUESTIONNAIRE THAT WE INVITED EVERY EMPLOYEE TO FILL OUT SO THAT THEY COULD EXPLAIN IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHAT THEY DO WHAT THEIR DAY TO DAY WORK IS LIKE, WHAT SORTS OF THINGS THEY'RE WORKING ON AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THESE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE REVIEWED BY SUPERVISORS AND THE REVIEW WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGERS IN ADDITION TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES, BAKER TILLY REVIEWED EVERY JOB DESCRIPTION IN THE CITY AND FROM THAT INFORMATION THEY EVALUATED EVERY JOB BASED ON NINE FACTORS FACTORS SUCH AS WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JOB? DOES A POSITION SUPERVISORY PEOPLE HOW MANY PEOPLE DOE IT SUPERVISE? WHAT'S THE LEVEL OF DECISION MAKING? DOES THE POSITION HAVE DOES DO DECISIONS IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY OR DOES IT IMPACT A DIVISION WITHIN THE CITY? THINGS LIKE THAT. AND FROM THERE THEY ASSIGN POINTS TO EVERY POSITION AND THEN WE GROUP POSITIONS BASED ON THESE POINTS INTO THE PROPOSED PAY GRADES THAT YOU'LL SEE WITH THE NEW COMPENSATION PLAN. THEY ALSO DID A MARKET STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PAY PLAN WE COME UP WITH IS COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET AND WILL STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET. AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF IMPLEMENTATION SCENARIOS. I WILL SAY THE IMPLEMENTATIONS SCENARIO THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TONIGHT IS FACTORED IN TO THE 2026 BUDGET AND SO IT'S ALREADY IT'S ALREADY BAKED INTO THE 2026 BUDGET. SO THE NEW COMPENSATION PLAN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT MEETS MEETS OUR NEEDS. WE'RE LOOKING AT A SINGLE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR REGULAR STATUS EMPLOYEES AND WE HAVE A SEPARATE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR SEASONAL PART TIME EMPLOYEES. WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT TOGETHER, HAVE ONE COMPENSATION PLAN THAT APPLIES TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES. SO GRADES ONE THROUGH THREE ARE DEVOTED TO THOSE SEASONAL TEMPORARY POSITIONS IN GRADES FOUR THROUGH 23 ARE FOR THE REGULAR STATUS POSITIONS. SO EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE WILL HAVE THE SAME WILL BE IN THE SAME COMPENSATION SYSTEM AS OUR HIGHEST EARNING DEPARTMENT HEADS. WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE IN IT TOGETHER. THE PLAN IS PREDICATED ON NINE STEPS A NINE STEP STRUCTURE. SO STEP FIVE IS THE MIDPOINT OF THE PAY RANGE AND EVERY STEP HAS A 4% STEP INCREMENT. NOW THAT 4% INCREMENT IS HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT STEP INCREMENT WE HAVE WHICH IS AROUND 3% SO THAT THAT WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS AS I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A SECOND. NUMBER ONE, AS FAR AS BENEFITS HAVING A MORE SIMPLIFIED PREDICTABLE STRUCTURE, EMPLOYEES WILL KNOW THEY KNOW WHAT PAY GRADES THEY'LL GO IN, WHAT STEP THEY'LL GO IN AND THEY'LL GET THEIR STEP NEXT STEP INCREASE ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE. SO THAT WILL SPREAD THE STEP INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR ANNIVERSARY DATE IS. BUT IT'S PREDICTABLE EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND IT ELIMINATES THESE IN CONSISTENT WAGE PROGRESSION PATTERNS THAT WE HAD WITH THESE PERFORMANCE RANGES THAT THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS. ALSO WE WANT TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE. I MENTIONED PAY IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF IT. IT'S NOT THE ONLY PIECE BUT THE 4% STEP INCREASES WILL KEEP US COMPETITIVE. COLAS COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE OUR STEPS ARE 4% WE MAY NOT NEED HIGH COLAS FROM YEAR TO YEAR RIGHT NOW FOR 2026 OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES ARE LOOKING AT 3% 3.5% COLAS BUT THEY DON'T HAVE 4% STEPS LIKE WE'RE LOOKING TO DO SO WE CAN DO A MORE MODEST 2% COLA MOVE PEOPLE INTO THIS, PAY PLAN AND THEY'LL BE GETTING 4% STEP INCREASES ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATES. WE WANT FAIR AND TRANSPARENT WAGE PROGRESSION. WE WANT INPUT EXCUSE ME WE WANT EMPLOYEES TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME HOW MUCH MY PAY INCREASE WILL BE. WHAT STEP AM I GOING TO MOVE TO? IT'S ALL GOING TO BE THERE TRANSPARENT, OPEN FOR EVERYBODY. IT'LL CREATE MORE PREDICTABLE BUDGETING DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE WE HAVE LESS THINGS TO FACTOR IN. IT'S WHAT KIND OF COLA ARE WE THINKING ABOUT AND HOW MUCH WILL STEPS COST FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES AND THAT'S A FAIRLY SIMPLE CALCULATION. IMPROVING FINANCIAL STABILITY AND EQUITY IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO THIS THE COST SAVINGS BY PARTNERING WITH BAKER TILLY IT CAME IN THANK YOU. IT CAME IN LESS THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR AND SO WE'RE USING THOSE SAVINGS A CHUNK OF THOSE SAVINGS TO HELP IMPLEMENT MOVING PEOPLE INTO THIS NEW SALARY SCHEDULE. IT'S A ONE TIME COST TO MOVE PEOPLE INTO IT AND LASTLY SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM BUDGETING. I KNOW COREY LIKES TO PROJECT OUT, YOU KNOW, 1520 YEARS AND THIS WILL WILL GIVE US A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE ACCURATE FORECASTING FOR OUR SALARY AND WAGE INCREASES OVER TIME. WITH THAT I WENT THROUGH IT VERY QUICKLY BUT MY VOICE IS GOING TO FAIL VERY FAIRLY QUICKLY AND THE REQUESTED ACTION IS HERE. I WANT TO LEAVE AS MUCH TIME FOR DISCUSSION FROM ALL OF YOU . THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU IF YOU DON'T MIND. THE ONE THING I HELP ME UNDERSTAND IS THIS IS A 4% AUTOMATIC RAISE AT THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. YOU DON'T CONSIDER ANY VALUATION WHETHER IT PERFORMANCE IS GRADE MEDIOCRITY OR TOTALLY A FAILURE. THEY ARE COMMITTED TO GET A 4% RAISE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS BASED ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY, RIGHT? YES. THEY WILL NOT BE YOUR EVALUATION FROM BEHIND RACE. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC RACE. YES. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THE STEP INCREASES ARE AUTOMATIC ON THE ANNIVERSARY DATE. HOWEVER, WE ARE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO MANAGE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS BECAUSE WHEN WE LEAVE IT UP TO SUPERVISORS ON WHETHER YOU GET A STEP INCREASE OR NOT WE ENDED UP WITH ARGUABLY SOME INEQUITABLE RESULTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SO IN OTHER WORDS THE CITY DOES HAVE A SYSTEM TO EVALUATE ITS ON STAFF MEMBERS. I MEAN IT HAS BEEN LEFT UP TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT MANAGER TO DECIDE ON THE CRITERIA HOW YOU GIVE A RACE TO A TO AN EMPLOYEE BASED ON PERFORMANCE . IT WAS JUST LEFT TO THE MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS TO DO SO. RIGHT. EXCUSE ME, MR. BARRETT. MR.. MR. WALKER YEAH. JUST TO CLARIFY ON ON YOUR BEHALF MR. BARRETT, THE CITY ALREADY CURRENTLY HAS A STEP SYSTEM. RIGHT NOW IT'S SIX STEPS. THIS IS PROLONGING THAT OUT NOW TO NINE STEP SO IT'LL SPREAD SOME OF THAT FISCAL IMPACT OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN INSTEAD OF 3% BETWEEN THOSE STEPS THIS IS PROPOSING TO GO TO 4% AND THEN OUR EMPLOYEES AND AGAIN I WANT TO STRESS THIS IS APPLICABLE TO OUR NON REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES AND WE DO HAVE A ROBUST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCESS FOR EACH OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING YOU BECAUSE ANYWHERE YOU WORK YOU GET A RAISE BASED ON YOUR PERFORMANCE ANYWHERE FROM 0 TO 5% I GUESS DEPENDING ON THE COMPANY. I MEAN IF WE'RE GOING TO BE AUTOMATICALLY GIVING A RACE TO THE STAFF, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. IT'S NOT A WAY TO RUN ANY BUSINESS. I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME. BUT YOU KNOW AND BASED ON THAT ,HOW DOES IT IMPROVE THE LONG TERM FINANCIAL FINANCIALS SUSTAINABILITY OF A CITY IF YOU KNOW THIS IS SORT OF MY REVIEW BEING GIVEN TO THEM? I MEAN THE ONLY THING THAT I SEE THAT HE HELPS IS COMING UP WITH THE BUDGET BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN IDEA HOW MUCH YOU CAN PUT ASIDE FOR PAYROLL PURPOSES ONLY. HOWEVER WHEN IT COMES TO THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY MAKE ME GIVES ME THE UNDERSTANDING OR THE TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS. OTHER THAN GIVING THEM A 4% ON ON A YEAR ANNIVERSARY. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. SO PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND OR WHOEVER CAN EXPLAIN IT BETTER TO ME. YOU SEE JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. A COUNCIL MEMBER REALIZES MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL YOU TOUCHED ON AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT IT DOES PROVIDE GREATER ACCURACY IN PREDICTING WHAT FUTURE WAGE COSTS WILL BE OVER TIME. NOW WHETHER WHETHER ANYONE THINKS 4% AUTOMATIC STEP INCREASES IS GOOD OR NOT, THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO DEBATE RIGHT NOW BUT IT DOES PROVIDE GREATER ACCURACY IN PREDICTING WHAT THESE PAYROLL COSTS WILL BE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE BETTER ACCURACY FOR THE COST OF EVERYTHING ELSE. AGAIN, IT JUST HELPS PRODUCE A YOU KNOW, BUDGET WITH A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THESE EXPENSES COULD BE. BUT HE DOESN'T REALLY SAVE HELP THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FUTURE. HE REALLY DOESN'T BECAUSE HE JUST IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF IT. HE JUST TO BE ABLE TO TO COME UP WITH A BUDGET IN A MORE ACCURATE WAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHERE YOU COULD BE SPENDING. BUT TO ME IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS IT WILL HAVE TO BE BASED ON EVALUATION, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND YOU CAN'T JUST BE GIVING PEOPLE A 4% RAISE JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE COMPETING WITH OTHER CITIES. I THINK IT SHOULD BE BASED ON PERFORMANCE. SO ANYTIME ANYWHERE YOU WORK, IF YOU DON'T PERFORM WELL YOU DON'T GET A RAISE AT THE END OF A YEAR OR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. HOWEVER IT MAY BE. THAT'S ALL I GOT. MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN. THANK YOU. IF I HAVE A LITTLE TIME I WANT TO SWING BACK ON THAT. BUT I GOT OTHER THINGS HERE I WANT TO ASK ABOUT. SO THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS I IMAGINE I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE STUDY HERE BUT THERE'LL BE MORE CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TO REEVALUATE THIS AFTER THIS HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN, MBERS OF THE COUNCIL. YES. WE WE HAVE A CADENCE OF DOING A COMPENSATION STUDY EVERY FOUR YEARS LATELY THAT'S MORE OR LESS INDUSTRY STANDARD. THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING US FROM DOING A STUDY EVERY THREE YEARS IF WE WANTED TO ADDRESS IT SOONER. SO YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S CARVED IN STONE. WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE ASSESSING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY. YOU MAY HAVE READ MY MIND BUT THAT'S SORT OF WHY I WONDER IF WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE SOONER BECAUSE OF THIS THIS NEW PROCESS. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAS BEEN RAISED WITH ME AND I DON'T THINK STAFF ARE ANSWERING MY OTHER QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT GOING TO RAISE THOSE HERE. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO READ THOSE, PLEASE READ THE AGENDA AT THE END. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT YOU TALKED ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT BUCKETS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ATTRACT WORKERS HERE AND I'M ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE ARE BEING COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER CITIES AND DRAWING THE BEST EMPLOYEES THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET HERE YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK FROM HOME AND OTHERS WHO HAVE TO COME INTO THEIR OFFICE. ARE THERE ANY YOU KNOW AND I DIDN'T I DIDN'T SEE AND HEAR MAYBE IT WAS IN THERE. BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO KIND OF AND I WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TODAY, WE CAN GET IT LATER. BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO KIND OF BALANCE SOME OF THAT STUFF OUT? SO FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO MAYBE DRIVE IN YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU SEEN OTHER CITIES DO ANYTHING AROUND, YOU KNOW, CREDITS FOR THAT YOU KNOW SINCE YOU TO MAKE IT MAKE THAT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO COME INTO INTO WORK AS OPPOSED TO YOU KNOW WORKING FROM HOME AND THOSE FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT I GUESS THE IDEA IS THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THEIR CAR AND THAT TYPE OF THING. COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE ASPECTS. THE NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY IN SURVEYS STILL THE NUMBER ONE INTEREST OF EMPLOYEES WHERE THEY ARE AND WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A JOB IS IS WHAT THE PAY IS GOING TO BE. THAT'S STILL NUMBER ONE. FLEXIBILITIES ARE SECOND AND ANECDOTALLY WHEN I'M ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM JOB APPLICANTS FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS BY FAR THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION I GET IS WHAT KINDS OF FLEXIBILITIES CAN I HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING REMOTELY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHERE THOSE FLEXIBILITIES ARE IN THE MIX AS WELL AS YOU KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO HOW WE ACCOUNT FOR PAID TIME OFF AND ARE ARE THE ACCRUALS OF VACATION TIME AND PERSONAL LEAVE IS IS IT HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OUR COMPARISON GROUP OF CITIES? CAN WE DO THAT ADDRESS THAT IN DIFFERENT WAYS? SO THOSE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT AND THEN A LOT OF NATIONAL CONFERENCES THEY TALK ABOUT THAT JUST BRIEFLY MAYOR AND WORKING REAL CLOSE ON TIME HERE. YOU KNOW THIS STEP PROCESS THAT'S HERE HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE HERE AND I KNOW THAT PAST LEADERSHIP HAS HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND ABOUT THAT AND I KNOW THIS IS A REALLY COMPLEX TOPIC BUT I WANT TO YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD GOOD CONVERSATION FOR STEP WITH THOSE INEQUITIES THAT HAVE BEEN ACROSS OUR ENTIRE AND I AND I THINK IF WE LOOK AT OUR OUR OUR MISSION AND OUR CORE VALUES, THIS BEGINS TO START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THINGS. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE WE ADDRESS THIS AND THIS IS A KIND OF A VERY FIRST STEP IN TERMS OF DOING THAT. I THINK WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF MOVE THIS FROM WHERE WE WERE AT TO WHERE WE CAN BE WITH THIS. THAT'S ALL THINGS FOR COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO. BEFORE I DO, MR. MAYOR, I KNOW WE WERE HAD A 10:00 THING AND DID YOU WANT TO DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE THAT WE SUSPEND THE RULES BECAUSE THIS OFFICIALLY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BY TEN I MEAN TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND SAY WE'LL BE DONE NO LATER THAN 1015. HOW ABOUT THAT? CAN WE DO THAT COUNCIL YES, WE WE HAD A MOTION IN THE SECOND ALL IN FAVOR AND I OPPOSED THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. SO I'M GOING TO ASK I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ASKED A LITTLE BIT MORE GENTLY IF I IF I COULD BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS COMPLEX. FIRST OFF, I JUST HAVE TO SAY I UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE A WE HAVE A CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY AND WE HAVE CORPORATE CULTURE AND I AND WE'RE ALL PART OF THAT. I WORK AS A PRODUCT LEADER MYSELF. I GET IT. CITIES ARE NOT BUSINESSES. YOU CANNOT HOLD THEM TO THE SAME STANDARDS AND I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE LIVE WE LIVE IN A CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY AND WE WANT TO DO THAT BUT WE REALLY CAN'T DO THAT. IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO YOU AS RESIDENTS TO TO CONSTANTLY BE TOLD THAT WE CAN OPERATE THE CITY THAT WAY AND THEN NOT DO IT AND GET YOU FRUSTRATED LIKE THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR. SO WE REALLY NEED TO STOP TRYING TO COMPARE WHAT WE DO HERE AS THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON TO A BUSINESS. WE DO NOT MAKE PROFIT. WE THAT'S NOT OUR GOAL. WE DO NOT HAVE STAKEHOLDERS AND SHAREHOLDERS WHO CAN VOTE US OUT. WE'RE YOU THE PEOPLE AND THAT'S EVERYBODY IN THIS IN THIS PLACE REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE. SO WE ARE NOT A BUSINESS. IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME TO HEAR IT NOW I'M GOING TO DO MATH BECAUSE I LIKE MATH TOO. IF I HAVE THREE EMPLOYEES THAT I PAY $100,000 EACH AND I WANT TO GIVE THEM A 5% RAISE BECAUSE OF PERFORMANCE I'M SPENDING $15,000 TO DO THAT IF I HAVE FOUR EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE $100,000 AND I'M GIVING THEM 4% GUARANTEED I'M SPENDING $16,000 AND I'M'M ACHIEVING THAT OBJECTIVE FOR FOUR PEOPLE, NOT THREE PEOPLE. SO FOR WANT OF $1,000 I'M GOING TO MAINTAIN FOR HIGH PERFORMING INDIVIDUALS. I ALSO AM GUESSING THAT IF THIS IS IN PLACE AND I'M ASSUMING THIS IS TRUE YOU TELL ME IF IT'S NOT TRUE THAT IF I IF FOUR PEOPLE GET $100,000 AND BY THE END OF THAT YEAR THEY ARE NOT PERFORMING TO THE STANDARD WE EXPECT I DON'T EXPECT THEM TO BE HERE. I EXPECT THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER EMPLOYEES AND THAT WE'VE REPLACED THEM WITH HIGHER PERFORMING PEOPLE FOR WHICH WE WILL GET 4% RAISES TO THEM. AND SO I MIGHT BE WRONG AND I'M OKAY I'M SOMEBODY CAN BRING THE MATH TO ME AND TELL ME IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE BUT WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE THIS MULTI-SYSTEM 3% HERE, 2% TO THIS GUY AND YOU KNOW I'VE DONE IT BEFORE. I'VE DONE IT A MILLION TIMES 20 EMPLOYEES GOT TO TAKE I GET ONE BUCKET AND I HAVE TO SPREAD IT ACROSS TOE AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU. YOU TRY TO GET TO AN AVERAGE OF THREE BUT SOMEBODY'S GETTING SCREWED AND SOMEBODY IS GETTING PAID EXTRA RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. AND SO AND SO I UNDERSTAND IT. I UNDERSTAND THE PREDICTABILITY OF IT AND WE KNOW THAT 4000 YOU KNOW, FOUR PEOPLE GETTING 16 GAY EVERY YEAR WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MONEY IS. BUT I ALSO EXPECT THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE IF THEY'RE NOT PERFORMING TO OUR STANDARD. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. AND I IF WE DON'T HAVE A HIGH QUALITY PERFORMANCE PROGRAM IN PLACE, THEN I DO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THAT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S TRUE. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S MY EXPECTATION. ALL THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IF YOU TAKE THAT SAME $16,000 AND YOU TRY TO SPREAD IT ACROSS FIVE, SIX, EIGHT PEOPLE IN VARIABLY REALLY REALLY GOOD PEOPLE WHO JUST HAPPEN TO END ON THE LOWER END OF THAT BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAD SO MUCH MONEY. THEY LEAVE, THEY LEAVE AND NOW WE HAVE TURNOVER AND TURNOVER COSTS MONEY. SO I REALLY, REALLY WANT US TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW THIS WORKS AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT GO THROUGH A YEAR AND I WANT YOU ALL TO COME BACK AND SHOW US HOW IT IS STABILIZING THE EMPLOYEE FINANCIAL COST TO THE CITY 76% OF THE BURDEN OF THE OF THE OF THE BUDGET IS PEOPLE SO HAVING A VERY PREDICTABLE MODEL WILL HELP US GET BETTER AT THIS IN MY OPINION. BUT TELL ME NUMBER ONE TELL ME IF I GOT THE MATH WRONG AND NUMBER TWO, PLEASE BRING THIS BACK IN A YEAR AND SHOW US HOW IT'S CHANGING THE WAY THAT YOU CAN BE PREDICTIVE AND ALSO HOW YOU CAN BE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT KEEPING PEOPLE AROUND WHO AREN'T EARNING THAT 4%. COUNCILMEMBER DALE, SANDRO AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL I'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK IN A YEAR. ANY METRICS THAT YOU WANT US TO MEASURE WE WILL MEASURE THEM AND I'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK NOT ONLY TO SHOW YOU THE PREDICTABILITY BUT ALSO TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT DIFFERENT APPROACHES. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TO EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND UTILIZING THE SKILLS WITHIN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO HELP EMPLOYEES BE SUCCESSFUL AND SUPERVISORS BE SUCCESSFUL. BE HAPPY TO COME BACK IN A YEAR AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT AND SHOW YOU THE RESULTS. >> ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION, MR. MAYOR. WHAT I DON'T THINK I SAW IN THIS PACKET THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE THE LIABILITY THAT WE CARRY, THE RETENTION LIABILITY WE CARRY FOR ACCRUED BENEFITS IS THAT COMING BACK TO US ANYTIME SOON? BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR REFORMATION. MR. WALKER MR. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO YOU'RE RIGHT. THIS IS JUST ABOUT WAGES FOR EMPLOYEES. COUNCILS EXPECTATIONS AROUND BENEFITS IS CERTAINLY UNDERSTOOD ON OUR RADAR AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON AS WE START 2026 AND HAVE MORE DIALOG WITH YOU ABOUT THAT. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER THANK YOU MAYOR. SO I WILL BE REALLY HONEST THAT I ALSO AM STRUGGLING WITH THIS IDEA THAT EVERYBODY JUST ONCE A YEAR GETS A 4% RAISE AND IT'S NOT BASED ON PERFORMANCE. AND SO I WOULD LOVE MAYBE WE COULD MAYBE DELAY THIS VOTE UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION BUT I WOULD LOVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE SYSTEM. I AM IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT PERFORMING LIKE TO MOVE THEM OUT THE DOOR. RIGHT? IT CAN BE REALLY HARD SOMETIMES THERE'S LOTS OF CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SO I HAVE SOME CONCERNS THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. I ALSO I'M JUST WONDERING YOU KNOW, YOU TALK YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IT'S PREDICTABLE BUDGETING AND I WOULD LOVE TO JUST BETTER UNDERSTAND LIKE MAYBE SEE THE MODELING MAYBE WE COULD SEE THE STUDY THAT BAKER TILLY DID THAT SHOWS THAT THIS WILL BE MORE BENEFICIAL SO LONG TERM FOR THE CITY I BELIEVE YOU BUT JUST IN TERMS OF PROCESSING IT I JUST FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO SEE IT AND BE ABLE TO REVIEW IT INCLUDING THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INEQUITIES. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND LIKE HOW DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN MORE OF AN EQUITABLE POSITION AND THEN HOW DO WE IN THEN I CAN SEE HOW THIS SUSTAINS THAT OVER TIME BUT YEAH I'M REALLY I AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I WORK I LEAD A NONPROFIT AND SO LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO GIVE ALL MY EMPLOYEES A 4% INCREASE EVERY YEAR PLUS COLA IS LIKE WHEW THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHERS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IN THE SAME POSITION. SO AGAIN I DON'T I'M NOT SAYING I'M I'M NOT TO SAY I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE BUT I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ALSO I'M JUST INTERESTED IN LIKE AND WHY YOU WENT WITH 3 OR 4% INSTEAD OF 3%. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT . COUNCILMEMBER NELSON AND COUNCILMEMBER AND WE'VE GOT TO MOVE THIS ALONG IF WE AND I DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH COUNCILMEMBER CARTER THAT THIS FEELS LIKE A RUSHED VOTE AND AN INCOMPLETE DISCUSSION IF WE RAN IT TO A VOTE NOW. SO WE MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOLDING THIS OFF UNTIL A FUTURE MEETING. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AS WELL. SO JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED IN TERMS OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY, DID COMPENSATION FOR PARTICULAR POSITIONS CHANGE? DID SOME OF THEM GO DOWN, DID SOME OF THEM GO UP? CAN WE GET SOME TYPE OF SENSE OF OF WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT BOTH THE COMPENSATION STUDY THE THE MARKET STUDY, HOW THAT IMPACTED THINGS? SO MY SECOND QUESTION IS YOU INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A USED FOR THE 26 BUDGET. DID THAT PROVIDE AN INCREASE IN COSTS OVER WHAT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN IF WE DIDN'T MAKE THIS CHANGE OR A DECREASE IN COSTS AND HOW MUCH IF WE DIDN'T IMPLEMENT IT AND THEN YOU KNOW TO SOME OF THE POINTS HERE, THE THING THAT I SEE THAT'S PREDICTABLE IS IF 75% OF OUR COSTS ARE LABOR AND EVERYONE GETS A 4% INCREASE, WHAT'S PREDICTABLE IS WE HAVE A BASELINE 3% LEVY INCREASE AND THEN ADD IN THE BONDING OF A COUPLE PERCENT. SO OUR BASELINE IS 5%. THAT'S WHERE WE START IF WE HAVE THIS PLAN AT 75% LABOR AT 4% INCREASE AND THAT'S NOT VERY COMFORTABLE FOR ME TO START AT 5%. SO YOU KNOW I'D LIKE TO GET OUR CURRENT 1 TO 5% BUT I DON'T WANT TO START AT 5%. SO THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS AND THE ONLY REASON I DID THAT QUICKLY HERE IS I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND MAYBE THAT COULD JUST BE AS FOLLOW UP BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT GO AND HAVE MORE CONVERSATION LATER. YES, COUNCILMEMBER AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS QUICKLY GOES YEP, NO, EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID. THE THING I JUST WANT TO SAY IS WE KNOW THE CURRENT SET UP ISN'T GREAT. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I DON'T FOR ME I'M HAVING A HARD TIME AROUND TO BE SAYING HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT. SO I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW THE CONVERSATION BEFORE WE MAKE THIS VOTE BECAUSE I'M NOT SEEING IT AS WELL. >> COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, JUST FOR THE RECORD. YES. IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OUT THERE, ASSUMING THAT 650 EMPLOYEES MAKE $100,000 A YEAR I THINK IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THAT IS $2.6 MILLION EXTRA TO THE BUDGET GIVEN THE 4%. SO THAT'S TWO POINTS OF A PERCENT INCREASE ON THE LEVY. YES. WHAT'S THANK YOU SO COUNCIL I WOULD SUGGEST AND TELL ME IF YOU AGREE ON THIS I MEAN IF WE WANT TO PUT THIS TO A VOTE WE COULD DO THAT NOW I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE WE HOLD THIS OVER UNTIL AT LEAST THE NEXT MEETING. I UNDERSTAND THERE MIGHT BE SOME TIME IMPLICATIONS BASED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION HERE BUT I DO THINK THIS IS AN INCOMPLETE DISCUSSION ON ALL THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE HOLD THIS OVER UNTIL THE MEETING ON THE 15TH OR PERHAPS EVEN THE MEETING ON THE 22ND. SECOND MOTION IN A SECOND TO HOLD THIS OVER TO DATE TO BE DETERMINED AND WE'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO STAFF WHERE IT MIGHT FIT IN BEST. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS IF NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW TO OUR CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND ISSUE UPDATE COUNCIL I'LL GO QUICKLY BECAUSE I KNOW OTHERS WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ALSO AT OUR LISTENING SESSION EARLIER THIS EVENING WE HAD FOUR SPEAKERS MATTHEW HALLETT FOLLOWED UP ON HIS COMMENTS FROM LAST WEEK AND HE WAS TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE THE SEPARATED BIKE LANES FOR NICOLLET AVENUE THAT TRANSIT PLAN SUSTAINABILITY JUST IN GENERAL. MATTHEW CERTAINLY HAS INTEREST IN THAT. PAM PALMER WAS WITH US THIS EVENING. SHE TALKS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND ALSO TALKED A BIT ABOUT TRASH COLLECTION WITHIN WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO. AND FINALLY DR. OR EXCUSE ME THIRD DR. KAREN WILLIS SPOKE ABOUT THE RECENT AS SHE PUT IT SYSTEMATIC SYSTEMIC TERRORIZING OF BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS BY FEDERAL AGENTS AND WHAT NEIGHBORS CAN DO TO HELP KEEP US ALL SAFER. SHE DOES REPRESENT THE GROUP INDIVISIBLE SOUTH METRO MINNESOTA WHICH IS BASED HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. AND THEN FINALLY ANDY THRALL SPOKE TO US ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY WORK THAT WAS DONE AND THE UNCONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS AND EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR THAT. THAT IS ALL I'VE GOT FOR THE THE LISTENING SESSION. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO SPEAK. YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. EXCUSE ME. I'M GOING TO THROW TO MR. WALKER FIRST AND I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T MEAN TO. YOU'RE QUITE ALL RIGHT. AND NOTHING TONIGHT, SIR. GOOD ENOUGH, COUNCIL MEMBER THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT RELATED COMMENTS TO WHAT KAREN WILLS WAS SAYING IN THE LISTENING SESSION TODAY. SO I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT BLOOMINGTON IS HOME TO MANY IMMIGRANTS MANY WHO LIVE HERE VERY MUCH LEGALLY, MANY WHO ARE CITIZENS, THEY OWN BUSINESSES, THEY ARE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THEIR CHILDREN GO TO OUR SCHOOL. THEY PROVIDE VERY VALUABLE SERVICES AND THEY ARE UPSTANDING NEIGHBORS. AND I, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT EVERYBODY UP HERE AGREES WITH THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF ICE NOT ONLY IN BLOOMINGTON BUT IN SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS AND THE REALLY HORRIBLE AND RACIST COMMENTS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. OUR NEIGHBORS ARE LIVING IN FEAR AND THERE ARE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY LIVING IN FEAR. THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT HAS THEIR BACK. THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THEM, THAT WE VALUE THEM, THAT WHEN WE CELEBRATE THINGS LIKE WE DID EARLIER TONIGHT AROUND HUMAN RIGHTS AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION WE DON'T DO IT JUST WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT FOR US. SO I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, AT A MINIMUM I APPRECIATE THE STATEMENT THAT THE CITY PUT OUT. I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT WE REALLY MADE IT. WE REALLY MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY IN THAT STATEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY'RE VALUED, THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THEY BELONG HERE AND THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT MEANS TO PROTECT THEM AND TO KEEP THEM SAFE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I WISH THAT OUR STATEMENT HAD BEEN STRONGER. I UNDERSTAND WE'RE PROBABLY NOT TRYING TO MAKE TOO MUCH OF A FUSS AND PUT A TARGET ON THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON'S BACK BY, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF POLITICIANS. BUT I ALSO JUST THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE REALLY HURTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. I HAVE HEARD EXPLICIT STORIES FROM PEOPLE AND AND THEY'RE REAL. THESE ARE REAL HUMAN LIVES AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS AND COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS I JUST HAD A LADY IN CHARGE OF A CORNERSTONE ASSOCIATION. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? OH YES. AND THEY APPROACHED ME ASKING IF IT COULD BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP THAT THE CITY HAD WITH THEM IN THE PAST THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES, ASSISTING ABUSED WOMEN AND PROVIDING HOUSING AND FACILITIES FOR THEM WHEN THEY WOULD WHEN THEY NEED IT. AND SO THEY ASKED ME TO INQUIRE WHETHER THE CITY WAS WILLING TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP IF THEYAD IN THE PAST GRANTING THEM SOME FUNDS. SO BELIEVE YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT DEMAND LATER I GUESS BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY I SAID THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO OH THANKS MR. MAYOR. I JUST APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER CARTER'S COMMENTS AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLICIT IF I CAN ON THAT FRONT. YOU KNOW, MY MY EXPECTATION I THINK THIS IS REASONABLE. I HOPE THIS IS REASONABLE TO EVERYONE ELSE IS THAT IF IF I WAS IN A PUBLIC PLACE LIKE OUR WALMART FOR EXAMPLE AND AND SOMEBODY IN A MASK CAME UP TO ME AND PHYSICALLY, YOU KNOW, TRIED TO PULL ME OUT OF THAT STORE THAT IF THERE WERE POLICE PEOPLE FROM BLOOMINGTON THERE THAT THEY WOULD BE LIKE WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON ? SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO HOLD IT TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE DO WHAT WE DO AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AS PULL AS FIRE AS ANY PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL INCLUDING OUR AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE CITIZENS AROUND HERE AND OUR RESIDENTS IN GENERAL, THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CERTAIN SET OF EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU KNOW, IF IF THERE IS AN ACTION WHICH IS NONE OF OUR MAYBE NOT OUR PURVIEW BECAUSE WE DON'T DO LIGHTLY YOU KNOW, FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD IDENTIFY THEMSELVES, THAT THEY WOULD SHOW THE WARRANT, THAT THEY WOULD SHOW THE BADGES, THAT THEY WOULD DO ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR OWN POLICE OFFICERS ARE HELD TO AS A STANDARD. AND I JUST WONDER I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS BUT I WONDER HOW WE COULD BE MORE SUPPORTIVE. BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY MY EXPECTATION. AND THEN IF THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AND I WAS IF I WAS BEING PULLED OUT OF A PLACE BY SOMEBODY WHO DID NOT LOOK LIKE A LEGAL ENTITY THAT IF A POLICE OFFICER WAS NEARBY THAT THEY WOULD INTERVENE AND I'M HOPING THAT THAT'S WHAT OUR PEOPLE WILL DO. I WOULD I THINK SO. I MEAN I KNOW THESE FOLKS. I RIDE ALONG WITH THEM EVERY EVERY MONTH. YOU KNOW THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING IF THAT'S NOT HAPPENING OR IF WE HAVEN'T TOLD THEM THAT IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO DO THAT. I THINK WE SHOULD I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING. THANKS COUNCILMEMBER. WE'RE WRAPPING UP HERE. COUNCILMEMBER NOISE LATE BUT I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID THOUGH AND I WILL SAY I DON'T I DON'T THINK WE CAN PUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THAT POSITION IF A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES OVER TO PICK SOMEBODY UP, THEY DON'T NEED A A WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS A SEARCH WARRANT TO TAKE ANYBODY IF THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT THEY CAN BE PICKED UP ANYWHERE IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PUT THEIR CELL DAN SELVES IN A POSITION THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING THEIR FEDERAL LAW, IT'S NOT A GOOD POSITION TO PUT THE CITY ON. SO I, I NEED TO SAY THIS I AND WE CAN I'M I'M I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE NECESSITY OR WHATEVER IS GOING ON OUT THERE. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE I HAVEN'T EXPRESSED AND NOBODY HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED IT AND I TALKED TO A LOT OF HISPANICS IN THE CITY. SO BASED ON WHAT I KNOW, WHATEVER I HEAR ON THE NEWS I DON'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND NOBODY HAS TOLD ME THAT IT HAS HAPPENED. BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A POSITION THAT THEY WILL BE BREAKING THE FEDERAL LAW AS A CITY WE CANNOT ENCOURAGE THAT. >> THANK YOU. I THINK YOU'RE SLIGHTLY MISCHARACTERIZING WHAT COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO SAID BUT COUNCILMEMBER LOHMANN LET'S WRAP THIS UP. LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. YEAH, I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO. I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST MAYBE IT MAKES SOME SENSE, MAYOR I TURN BOTH TO THE MAYOR OR OUR CITY MANAGER. MAYBE IT MAKES SOME SENSE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AND I THINK THIS MIGHT QUALIFY FOR OFFLINE DISCUSSION MAYBE FROM A SECURITY STANDPOINT BASED ON WHAT MY TWO FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD. SO I'LL LET YOU GUYS KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT. WE'RE OUT OF TIME SO WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE. COUNCIL WE ARE ACTUALLY OVER TIME HERE AND I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN SO MOVED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADJOURN TONIGHT. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT. THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED. THANKS TO EVERYBODY WATCHING ONLINE EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT TUESDAY