. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND I WILL CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BLOOMINGTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER IT IS MONDAY AUGUST 19TH, 2024 AND IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING WE'VE GOT EXACTLY TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA AND THE MAIN ITEM OF IS ITEM 2.1 IS OUR 2025 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION. WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR WE ALWAYS DO OUR CITY COUNCIL POLICY IN ISSUE UPDATE BUT AS I SAID ITEM 2.1 IS THE MAIN EVENT THIS EVENING AND WITH NOTHING ON THE AGENDA WE WILL GET RIGHT INTO IT AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CARRIE. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL TONIGHT I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PRELIMINARY 25 BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX LEVY AND I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING KEY ISSUES THAT REQUIRE ATTENTION IN THE COMING MONTHS WE'LL BE YOUR GUIDANCE THIS EVENING FOR THE 2025 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY AMOUNT WHICH THE COUNCIL WILL BE STUDYING AT THE SEPTEMBER 9TH CITY COUNCIL . THIS EVENING'S AGENDA WILL FOCUS ON OUR BUDGETARY APPROACH. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WILL HAVE AN OF REVENUES. WE'LL ALSO EXAMINE THE EXPENSE DRIVERS AND THE 2025 PRELIMINARY BUDGET. I'LL REVIEW THE WORKING MODEL FOR THE 2025 TAX LEVY AND DISCUSS TAX LEVY OPTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ADDITIONALLY WILL PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ON A PROPOSAL FROM THE GIVEAWAY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION TO ANALYZE THE CITY'S RESERVES AND I CONCLUDED THE REVIEW OF KEY DATES THAT ARE STILL COMING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS CURRENT CAN I ASK YOU TO MOVE THE MIC JUST A TOUCH CLOSER TO YOUR YES THANK NOT BETTER SORRY THAT'S BETTER GET THOSE YOU KNOW THE DULCET TONES THAT IT'S A KIND OF LOSES SOME SOMETIMES SO THANK YOU APPRECIATE IT SIR SO OUR BUDGETARY APPROACH REMAINS ALIGNED WITH THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN BLOOMINGTON TOMORROW TOGETHER STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR INVESTMENTS REFLECT A COMMITMENT TO KEY AREAS OF CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY PARKS AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION. AND WE ARE ALSO EXPANDING BUSINESS DIVERSITY THROUGH INITIATIVES DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY INCLUSION AND BELONGING AND THE PURCHASING DIVISION IN FINANCE INCLUDING THE LAUNCH OF A NEW TARGET MARKET PROGRAM TO SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES. EACH PRIORITY ENSURES BUDGET ADDRESSES CURRENT NEEDS WHILE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR MORE RESILIENT AND CONNECTED BLOOMINGTON SO FIRST WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE BUDGET. SO THIS MARKS OUR THIRD YEAR OF GOING OUT TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AT TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS BUDGET AND CITY SPENDING. THIS YEAR WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON EVENTS WHERE WE CAN HAVE A LONGER PRESENCE. TYPICALLY THOSE DRAW THOSE EVENTS THAT DRAW LARGER ATTENDANCE SO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. YOU'LL SEE THE EIGHT OR THE SEVEN EVENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS. WE WERE ALREADY AT THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. WE WERE AT OUR JULY WINS THE FARMERS MARKET AND JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND THERE WAS STAFF AT THE BUDGET TABLES AT THE LEARNING LINK UP AT VALLEY VIEW PLAY FIELDS AS WELL AS THAT DAY AT THE ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVAL ON THE SOUTH LOOP. SO INCLUDED IN THIS EVENING'S AGENDA MATERIALS THERE'S FEEDBACK FROM BOTH THE COMMUNITY IN-PERSON EVENTS AS WELL AS RESPONSES FROM THE LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON SURVEY SO OUR BUDGET TABLES AT COMMUNITY EVENTS FEATURE AN ACTIVITY WHICH YOU PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH NOW BUT JUST TO GO OVER THAT IT'S WHERE PARTICIPANTS CAN USE CHIPS THAT REPRESENT PROPERTY TAXES AND THEM ACROSS SIX CATEGORIES BASED ON THEIR PRIORITIES. SO THE CATEGORIES ARE DISPLAYED HERE IT'S A CONNECTED WELCOMING COMMUNITY ,A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARKS, ARTS ,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND SO THE DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED AT JUST THE FIRST TWO EVENTS THE JUNETEENTH EVENT, THE JULY WEDNESDAY FARMERS MARKET THE TOP PRIORITIES FROM THOSE WERE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOLLOWED HEALTH AND COMMUNITY AND THEN PARKS, ARTS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES. WE WILL BE COMPILING THE DATA FROM THIS WEEKEND FROM THE TWO AUGUST 17TH EVENTS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME UPDATED RESULTS TO SHARE WITH YOU AT THE SEPTEMBER 9TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SIMILAR ACTIVITY ONLINE ON OUR LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON BUDGET PAGE WHERE PARTICIPANTS THEY DO SORT OF THE SAME ACTIVITY BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THEY RANK THE SAME THOSE SAME PRIORITIES BUT THEY BRING THEM ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 6 WITH ONE BEING THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ON SIX BEING THE LOWEST. AND SO I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING WITH BOTH HISTORICALLY AND INTO THE FUTURE ALIGN CLOSELY WITH THESE PRIORITIES THAT ARE SHOWN HERE. SO THEY'RE INVESTMENTS IN OUR BLOOMINGTON FORWARD PROJECTS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR PRIORITY OF PARKS, ARTS, RECREATION AND RESOURCES AND BASED ON OUR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK DESIRES PRIORITIES WE ARE BUILDING ON THOSE INVESTMENTS AND ALLOCATING NEEDED TO OPERATIONALIZE THIS WORK ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FROM BLOOMINGTON TO BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN PLAY RECREATE AND STAY HEALTHY FOR ALL AND INVESTMENTS IN FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE SHOWN HERE AS AND ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY ARE REFLECTED IN OUR CAPITAL PLAN TO OUR FACILITIES TO PROVIDE CORE CITY SERVICES AND SERVICE AND INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY IN LINE WITH OUR GOALS TO KEEP BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SAFE THROUGH, CRITICAL TRAINING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR STAFF AND FIRE DISPATCH AND OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENT TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENTS AND EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HELPING COMMUNITY . NEXT I'M GOING TO SHARE SOME REVENUE TRENDS OF MAJOR NON PROPERTY TAX REVENUES THAT COME INTO THE BUDGET SO CLOSE TO 70% OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES DO COME FROM PROPERTY TAXES. THE GENERAL FUND HOWEVER 30% OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES FROM OTHER SOURCES AND THEN GO OVER THOSE MAJOR ONES NOW SO THIS SLIDE THE CITY'S HISTORICAL PERMIT REVENUES FROM 19 TO 2014 SO THE 2025 BUDGET REQUEST INCLUDES A REDUCTION ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $724,000 FROM THE 2024 BUDGET. SO THAT'S REFLECTING SOME CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES ANTICIPATING CHANGES IN ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTION THAT MIGHT CHANGE BY THE FINAL FORECAST THAT WE HAVE FOR THE 2020 BUDGET. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS GRAPH HIGHLIGHTS IN 2022 WE HAD A $6 MILLION SPIKE THAT WAS DUE TO AN INCREASE AND SOME DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC BUT IT IS A A SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT DOES VARY FROM TO YEAR DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMY AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN DEVELOPMENT. OKAY. IF I COULD JUST GO BACK ONE AND IN THIS SLIDE TO THE DOTTED LINES THAT IS THAT THAT'S THE WHAT THE NORMALIZED AVERAGE IS THAT WHAT THAT IS OR YES THE DOTTED LINE IS KIND OF SHOWING A TREND FROM 2019 THE THE 25 BUDGET. YES. THANK YOU. LODGING TAXES AS YOU KNOW EXPERIENCED A SHARP DECLINE IN 2020. YOU CAN SEE THAT DROPPING DOWN THERE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC BUT THEY HAVE REBOUNDED NICELY TO NEAR 2019 LEVELS AS SHOWN IN THE GRAPH THE LAST TWO YEARS THE LODGING TAX REVENUES WERE ABOVE BUDGET RIGHT NOW WHERE FOR 2024 THEY'RE JUST SLIGHTLY UNDER BUDGET FOR THE YEAR BUT STILL INCREASING NICELY FROM WHERE WE WERE IN 2020 BUT WE ARE JUST SHOWING FOR 2025 JUST SOME NOT QUITE TO WHERE WE WERE IN 2019 BUT STILL PRETTY STABLE IN ADMISSION. TAXES HAVE ALSO REBOUNDED FROM THE PANDEMIC NICELY. THEY'VE EVEN SURPASSED 2019 LEVELS IN 2023. THE ADMISSION TAXES REACHED OVER 1.8 MILLION AND EXCEEDED THE 2019 AMOUNT OF 1.7 MILLION . SO THEY'RE TRENDING TO BE EVEN HIGHER FOR 2025. SO THIS SLIDE HAS GRANTS FEDERAL AND STATE AID ALTOGETHER YEAR AND THAT REALLY HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING CITY OPERATIONS AND SERVICES IN 2020 WE RECEIVED PANDEMIC RELIEF CARES FUNDS AS YOU WILL CALL FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOLLOWED BY THE FOLLOWING YEAR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS WHICH HAVE BEEN UTILIZED WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING SINCE 2021 AND WE ARE ON TRACK TO HAVE THOSE FUNDS FULLY ENCUMBERED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WHICH IS REQUIRED AND FULLY SPENT BEFORE IN 2026. THOSE FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS ARE A LOT OF THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO THE GENERAL FUND AND SOME OTHER FUNDS WELL AS WELL AS DIRECTED INTO THE COMMUNITY. ALSO IN 2023 WE RECEIVED A LITTLE UNDER $4 MILLION FROM THE STATE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY STATE AID AND THAT IS BEING SPENT PRIMARILY IN POLICE ALSO FIRE AND LEGAL THIS YEAR AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS . SO THE INCREASE IN THE 2025 BUDGET COMPARED TO 2024 REFLECTS A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN THE FOUNDATIONAL BASE PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING FROM THE STATE. SO THAT IS WHAT THAT INCREASES FROM 24 TO 25 THE MAJORITY OF IT . AND THEN HERE IS A COMBINED ANALYSIS OF THOSE MAJOR REVENUES COMING INTO THE GENERAL FUND. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE PROPERTY TAXES. SO WHEN VIEWED TOGETHER THIS GRAPH SHOWS HOW THE LIGHT BLUE GRANT MONEY 2020 PRIMARILY FROM CARES FUNDS HELPED OFFSET THAT SIGNIFICANT DECLINE DECLINE AND THE OTHER REVENUES ESPECIALLY THE ORANGE LODGING TAXES THAT'S DISPLAYED THERE IN 2022 THE INCREASED DARK BLUE PERMIT REVENUES CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERALL OVERALL REVENUE BUMP IN 2022 OF NON PROPERTY TAX REVENUES AND THEN IN 2023 THAT GRAPH PEAKS DO THAT OVER YOU KNOW CLOSE TO $4 MILLION IN PUBLIC SAFETY STATE AID THAT WAS RECEIVED AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND AGAIN THAT OVERALL INCREASE FOR 20 FROM 25 FROM 24 TO 25 A LOT OF THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO THAT AND FOUNDATIONAL BASE PUBLIC HEALTH SPENDING FROM THE STATE AND WHICH MUST BE ALLOCATED TO NEW PUBLIC INITIATIVES AND SO THAT'S IS A SO SEATED IN THIS BUDGET WITH A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN GENERAL FUNDING EXPENDITURES. SO NEXT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE EXPENSE DRIVERS AND THESE ARE THE 2025 BUDGET REQUESTS. SO A LARGE PART OF THE GENERAL BUDGET IS PERSONNEL COST AND IT'S 75% OF THAT GENERAL FUND BUDGET. SO THERE IS AN INCREASE OF OVER $6 MILLION AND IN 2025 BUDGET FOR SALARIES AND BENEFITS COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND BENEFITS NOT ONLY ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED EMPLOYEES BUT THEY HELP BLOOMINGTON TO BE A TOP CHOICE FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND THRIVE. WE RECEIVED A 7.8% INCREASE IN 2025 HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. OUR PROVIDER MEDICA THROUGH THE MINNESOTA HEALTH CONSORTIUM AND ALTHOUGH 7.8% IS MUCH BETTER THAN SOME CITIES RECEIVED FOR THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE, SOME CITIES WE KNOW HAD A 20% PREMIUM INCREASE IN THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. IT STILL AN IMPACT OF OVER $1,000,000 IN THIS BUDGET REQUEST ANOTHER DRIVER AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO TRANSITION TO A HYBRID OF PART TIME PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTERS AND A FULL TIME FIREFIGHTER MODEL THE 25 BUDGET REQUEST DOES INCLUDE AN INCREASE OF OVER $1,000,000 TO ADD SIX ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS AND TWO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEFS. WE HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO APPLY FOR ANOTHER SAFER GRANT TO BRING ON AN ADDITIONAL 18 ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS TO MEET OUR GOALS FOR WHERE WE WANT TO BE FOR FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS. THAT WOULD BE FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS. WE WON'T BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THAT GRANT UNTIL THIS FALL UNTIL AFTER THE PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY IS SENT. BUT IF WE DO RECEIVE THAT THIS WOULD THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE BUDGET REQUEST. IT WOULD NOT BE NEEDED. ANOTHER IMPACT THE 2025 BUDGET IS THAT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING PART OF THOSE FUNDS WE DID HAVE $400,000 SET ASIDE TO GO TOWARDS HIRING THREE FULL TIME FIRE BATTALION CHIEFS. THAT IS ENDING IN THE 2024 BUDGET. SO THAT'S BEING ABSORBED BY THE THE FUND FOR 25 AND THEN ALSO THE SIX FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE ADDED FOR IN 2024. WE DID DELAY THEM COMING ON BUT NOW WE HAVE A FULL YEAR OF THAT AND 25 I T AND FLEET ARE SEEING SHARP INCREASES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS DIVISIONS FOR THEIR COSTS AND IN THE GENERAL FUND THERE IS $200,000 INCREASE FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT CHARGES GOING TOWARDS THAT A $300,000 INCREASE FOR POLICE A $310,000 INCREASE FOR LICENSES UNIFORMS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR POLICE THERE'S A LITTLE UNDER $640,000 FOR FLEET MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND IN CLOSE TO $800,000 INCREASE CURRENTLY FOR IT COSTS AND INVESTMENTS IN EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY ARE NECESSARY FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORKFORCE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE INNOVATIVE IN ADAPTING TO DYNAMICALLY CHANGING WORKFORCE. ALONG WITH THAT IN THE SIDE WE HAVE A PART INCREASE PARK MAINTENANCE COSTS SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED THERE IT'S A $370,000 INCREASE FOR SOME NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS PLAYGROUNDS, PICNIC TABLES AND NATURAL RESOURCES WORK AS WELL AS A $100,000 FOR EVENING AND WEEKEND PARK MAINTENANCE STAFF FOR THE HERBERT FIELDS SOME INCREASES THAT ARE IN THE 25 BUDGET ARE RELATED TO CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS AS WELL AS RECYCLING THE INCLUSION OF BELONGING INITIATIVES. THOSE TWO TOGETHER ARE ALMOST $300,000 IN THE GENERAL AND DOES SUPPORT OUR BLOOMINGTON TO ROUND TOGETHER BASED STRATEGIC PLAN OUR MISSION STATEMENT OUR VALUES OF EQUITY SUSTAINABLE PLANNING AND HEALTH FOR ALL THOSE INITIATIVES ARE LISTED THERE. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES THIS TO TALK THROUGH THIS SLIDE A WORKING MODEL I WILL STRESS FOR THE 2025 TAX LEVY. SO THIS IS THE CONSOLIDATED VIEW OF OUR WORKING MODEL FOR THE 2025 TAX LEVY. SO FOR THE GENERAL FUND THE COMBINATION OF THE EXPENSE DRIVERS THAT I WENT THROUGH AND REDUCTIONS IN FEDERAL AND STATE REVENUE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER INCREASES SHOWING A GENERAL FUND INCREASE OR A PROPERTY TAX LEVY INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF 11.4 MILLION. THAT'S THE BIG DRIVER ON THIS . THE COMMUNICATIONS FUND HAS AN INCREASE OF $300,000 THAT WAS WE WERE PLANNING THAT BASED ON LAST YEAR ALSO FOR FORESTRY WE HAD PLANNED TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $165,000 FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. THERE WAS A PLANNED INCREASE OF PROPERTY TAX LEVY FOR THE ART CENTER FUND OF $500,000 WHICH WE HAVE SHOWN HERE THERE IS A REDUCTION IN THE GOLF FUND OF HUNDRED A LITTLE OVER $105,000. SO THAT IS REFLECTED THING THE ELIMINATION OF THE DEFICIT THAT WE'VE HAD A FEW YEARS FROM THE HIGHLAND GOLF COURSE . SO THAT IS GOING AWAY IN 2025 AND THEN WE HAVE A PLANNED INCREASE OF PROPERTY TAX LEVY TO GO AND GO TOWARDS THE NORMANDY , THE LAKE DISTRICT TAX ABATEMENT AREA FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND THEN FOR PAYMENTS THERE'S AN INCREASE OF $451,000 FOR OUTSTANDING BOND PAYMENTS AND BOND PAYMENTS WE WILL HAVE NEXT YEAR. SO YOU WILL NOTE ON THIS SLIDE THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY HIGHLIGHTED A PLACEHOLDER OF A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION OF POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS ON THIS WORKING MODEL TO BRING A LEVY INCREASE THAT WOULD WOULD BE CLOSE TO A 16% TAX LEVY INCREASE DOWN TO A LITTLE UNDER 11% AT 10.95. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IS HOW THAT'S LISTED AND COULD COME FROM POTENTIALLY MOVING SOME THINGS LIKE SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS SUSTAINABILITY OR RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OR POSSIBLY DELAYING START DATES OR REDUCING NUMBERS OF FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS IN 25 POSSIBLY LOOKING AT FUNDS IN THE FIRE PENSION THAT COULD HELP WITH EASING THOSE THREE FIRE BATTALION CHIEFS COMING INTO THE 2025 BUDGET NOW THAT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUND IS ENDING AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT TOO BUT THAT'S PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER AND WE DIDN'T WANT PRESENT IT AT THE 16% WITHOUT DOING SOME LOOKING AT OPTIONS OF POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND. SO ONE AND SO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION. SO ONE KEY BENEFIT FOR MANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS AND 2025 WILL BE THE INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION THAT WAS PASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN 2023. SO THIS IS GOING TO GO IN EFFECT FROM 2025 PROPERTY TAXES. SO THIS EXCLUSION REDUCES THE TAXABLE MARKET VALUE OF QUALIFYING HOMESTEAD PROPERTY AND THIS IN TURN REDUCES THE NET PROPERTY TAXES BY THAT HOMEOWNER A HOMESTEAD PROPERTY QUALIFIES FOR THE EXCLUSION IF IT HAS HAD IF IT HAD ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE OF UNDER $517,200 FOR THE 2024 ASSESSMENT THAT IS USED FOR CALCULATING 2025 PROPERTY TAXES. SO THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE 2023 ASSESSMENT WHERE A HOMESTEAD PROPERTY NEEDED AN ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE UNDER $413,800 TO QUALIFY FOR THE EXCLUSION. SO THE HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION IS PROGRESSIVE MEANING THAT AS THE VALUE OF THE HOME INCREASES TOWARDS THAT UPPER LIMIT THE EXCLUSION GETS SMALLER SO FOR TAXES PAYABLE IN 2024 THE MAXIMUM EXCLUSION AMOUNT WAS $30,400 FOR PROPERTIES UP TO $76,000 AND FOR TAXES PAYABLE ON 25 THE MAXIMUM EXCLUSION IS INCREASING TO 38,000 FOR PROPERTY VALUES UP TO $95,000 AND THIS IS A HEATMAP THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE PARCELS AFFECTED BY TO THE HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION SO THIS IS SHOWING THE DEEPER THIS IS BLOOMINGTON AND THE DEEPER THE RED THE GREATER THE EXCLUSION THAT THESE PARCELS ARE RECEIVING COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. SO EAST BLOOMINGTON, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED AREAS IN HENNEPIN COUNTY WOULD SEE THIS REDUCTION. EXCUSE ME JUST A MINUTE. YES, MR. KIRBY THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING WHO DON'T USE ALL THE SAME NOMENCLATURE AND PHRASEOLOGY THAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACT OF CHANGE HERE THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD THE EAST SIDE OF BLOOMINGTON BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF THE EXCLUSION IS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY. SO THE WAY IF SOMEBODY IS LOOKING AT MAP AND WONDERING WHAT DOES THE HEAT MAP MEAN THE PLACES WHERE YOU THE DARKER SHADES ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GETTING ESSENTIALLY THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THROUGH THE MARKET EXCLUSION. THANK YOU . SO THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME VALUE DID NOT CHANGE MUCH FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND ACTUALLY WENT DOWN SLIGHTLY. IT WENT DOWN TO $500 WHICH WAS A POINT 1% REDUCTION. HOWEVER FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME THE MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION INCREASED BY HUNDRED PERCENT. SO THE EXCLUSION IN THIS CASE FOR 2024 WAS $4,678 COMPARED TO THE $49,033 EXCLUSION FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT A HOMEOWNER . SO DUE TO THAT MEDIAN VALUE HOME VALUE REMAINING RELATIVELY FLAT AND ALSO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL VALUES GOING UP SOME AND THEN THAT IMPACT OF THE HOMESTEAD MARKET EXCLUSION AN IMPACT A 10.95% INCREASE TO THE TAX LEVY WOULD BE A 5.06% INCREASE FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME AND THAT TRANSLATES TO DOLLAR 38 INCREASE PER WEEK A $6 INCREASE PER MONTH, A $71.97 INCREASE PER YEAR. THE VALUE HOME . SO ON THIS NEXT SLIDE OF A CHART FOR COUNSEL'S CONSIDERATION OF THIS TAX LEVY OPTIONS SO WE ARE SEEKING YOUR GUIDANCE THIS EVENING FOR THE 2025 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY AMOUNT WHICH THE COUNCIL WILL BE STUDYING AT THE SEPTEMBER 9TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THIS TABLE IS HAS TAX LEVY INCREASE OPTIONS SO STARTING WITH THE INITIAL 15.94% WHICH IS WHEN EVERYTHING CAME IN THAT WOULD BE WITHOUT MAKING ANY REDUCTIONS TO THE INITIAL BUDGET REQUESTS AND THEN GOING DOWN TO THE 7% WHICH WOULD BE A REDUCTION FROM THAT INITIAL BUDGET OF $7.2 MILLION. SO WHAT I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THERE IS THE 10.95% THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AND THE IMPACT IN THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME. BUT THIS CHART SHOWS JUST THE TAX INCREASE AND THEN AFTER THAT THE IMPACT TO THE MEDIAN VALUE AND THEN THE MONTHLY DOLLAR IMPACT AND THEN THE REDUCTION THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN DOLLARS TO THE BUDGET AND I CAN PAUSE IF YOU WANT HAVE SOME DISCUSSION OR I CAN GO ON JUST FOR THE REMAINING PART I HAD WAS TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSAL OF HAVING THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS DO AN ANALYSIS OF OUR RESERVES. I'M GOING TO SUGGEST LET'S PRESS ON WITH THE OKAY. WE CAN DOUBLE BACK TO THIS. WE CAN PASS THINGS OUT IF WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM JEFF. OKAY. IF WE'D LIKE AS WELL. OKAY THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. YEAH, I HAD A COUPLE OF JUST GENERIC QUESTIONS WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO ASK THOSE NOW JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED ALREADY, I THINK THAT'D BE FINE. OKAY. I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE PHILOSOPHICAL POLITICS UNDERSTOOD UNDER CLARIFICATIONS I THINK MAKES SENSE. YEAH, I THINK SO. THE FIRST QUESTION I HAD WAS SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR ADMISSIONS TAXES BESIDES MOA COLLECTING THEM FOR NICKELODEON UNIVERSE AND LIKE THE UNDERSEA STUFF WHERE ELSE DOES THAT COLLECTED IN THE CITY? YES. MERE COUNCIL MEMBERS MEMBER DOES HONDO ANOTHER LOCATION THE MAJORITY ARE LOCATED IN THE MALL OF AMERICA AND THE MALL OF AMERICA HAS BEEN ADDING A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT DO HAVE ADMISSION. BUT ANOTHER LARGE ONE IS THE GREAT WOLF HOTEL HAS ADMISSION TAXES AS WELL. I TALKED MY HEAD HAVING A HARD TIME THINKING OF OTHER ONES BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE LEGAL AT THE MALL. OH BERKELEY MALL IS ANOTHER ONE IN THE SOUTH LOOP. THANK YOU IS THE BOWLING ALLEY I KNOW THE BOWLING ALLEY DOES NOT LOOK. THANK YOU. THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS WHY DO WE USED MEDIAN VALUE AS OPPOSED TO AVERAGE? WHAT WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT FOR FOLKS? DO YOU AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THE MEDIAN VALUE IS THE THE NUMBER THAT IS EXACTLY HALF OF THE HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE MORE THAN THAT EXACTLY HALF OF THE HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE LESS THAN THAT AND IT HAS BEEN IT'S NOT JUST A BLOOMINGTON PRACTICE, A PRETTY STANDARD PRACTICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE'RE MORE TRYING TO A PROTOTYPICAL HOME IN AN IMPACT AS THAT'S THE NUMBER WE USE IS THAT THAT'S THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO IT THE AVERAGE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE MEDIAN IS BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF SAYING IS WHERE WE GET TO LIKE EQUILIBRIUM THAT'S THAT'S WHY WE PICKED NUMBER OKAY I WOULD ASSUME THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY OUTLIERS ON END IT MIGHT SKEW AN AVERAGE AND SO THE MEDIAN JUST MAKES IT A LITTLE YEAH I THINK MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS CONSIDERED ALESSANDRA IF I GO BACK INTO THE ASSESSING REPORT I THINK THEY DO HAVE THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE IDENTIFIED IN ADDITION TO THE MEDIAN HOME VALUE SO I CAN DO A LITTLE DIGGING IF I GET BORED WITH THE CONVERSATION I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE THOSE CLARIFICATION THANKS THAT'S REALLY GOOD AND ANY ADDITIONAL JUST CLARIFYING QUESTIONS NOT NECESSARILY POLICY DISCUSSION KIND THINGS RIGHT. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY COUNCILMEMBER NELSON . YEAH I CAN DO IT NOW OR LATER OR WHATEVER. I WOULD JUST CURIOUS IF WE HAVE THE IMPACT ON APARTMENTS YOU TALKED TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS LIVE IN APARTMENTS TOO. IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, IF WE COULD GET THAT AT SOME POINT, YES. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS NELSON WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW. THANKS, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER NELSON. SIMILARLY WITH COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES ONE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING AGAIN BECAUSE THE THE CITY ONLY ENDS UP GETTING ABOUT I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NUMBERS AT 25% OR 15% OF THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL TAX BECAUSE THERE'S A STATE TAX AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IT GOES AND THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT CLSIFICATIONS BUT WE HAVE IN PAST TRIED TO IDENTIFY A COUPLE OF SAMPLE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE AS WELL. AND SO AS WE GET DEEPER THE BUDGET SEASON, WE CAN DO THAT TO ANYTHING ELSE. GENERAL COUNCIL ALL RIGHT, I'M READY. ALL RIGHT. RECENTLY THE GOP HAS STARTED AN INITIATIVE OF RETHINKING RESERVES AS THE NEW SORT OF THEY HAVE THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF TRAININGS AND OUR CONFERENCE THERE'S A SESSION ABOUT THIS. THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF WEBINARS, THEY'VE HAD WRITE UPS AND THERE MAGAZINE AND SO IT'S GOOD TIMING FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABOUT ABOUT MAYBE RETHINKING OUR RESERVES, ANALYZE, ANALYZING RESERVES. SO I ATTENDED A LOT OF WEBINARS, TRAINING SESSIONS ,TALKED WITH GEOFFROY STAFF AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND THE DEER VALLEY THERE, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION THEY REPRESENT PUBLIC FINANCE OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT UNITED STATES AND CANADA AND THEY HAVE MORE THAN 23,500 MEMBERS AND SO THEIR MISSION IS TO ADVANCE EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC FINANCE. THEY ARE ALSO THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE SUBMIT OUR ANNUAL BUDGET DOCUMENT TO OUR OUR CORPORATE REPORT AND OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT AND THEY ARE THE THE ORGANIZATION THAT DOES GIVE THE AWARDS FOR THOSE THOSE DOCUMENTS SO THEY HAVE AN A MISSION FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING AND THEY DO ALSO WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS. THEY DO CONSULTING THING THEY ADVOCATE FOR BEST PRACTICES. THEY ADVANCE INTERESTS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THEY PROVIDE GUIDANCE. THERE'S SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ACROSS A VERY WIDE VARIETY OF PUBLIC FINANCE DISCIPLINES. SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND GIVE AWAY AND SO RETHINKING RESERVES INITIATIVE SO BASICALLY THERE'S KIND OF TWO TYPES OF RESERVES AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESERVES LIKE BALANCE OR WORKING CAPITAL THE KIND OF THE CASH THAT WE HAVE IN THESE DIFFERENT FUNDS SO THAT SOMETIMES USED AS AN INSURANCE FOR RISK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COVERED CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THEY CAN ALSO BE USED AS KIND OF A SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO SAVE UP FOR FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS OR LARGE PURCHASES OF VEHICLES OR RADIOS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE DO BOTH AT THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON SO JUST SHOWING THIS IS JUST A SLIDE FROM THERE. SOME OF THEIR WEBINARS THEY'VE HAD ABOUT JUST ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ROLE IS OF YOUR RESERVES VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THE PURPOSE OF THEM AND THEY'RE BEING USED AND HOW THEY'RE BEING USED AS INSURANCE AND HOW THEY'RE BEING AS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND HOW MUCH IS BEING USED AND WHAT THE CITY'S RISK TOLERANCE IS FOR THEM. THIS CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE G IF WE DO AN ANALYSIS FOR US THE GOAL WOULD BE TO JUST GIVE THEIR EXPERTIZE THEIR GUIDANCE OF A RANGE OF ASSESSING THE APPROPRIATE FUND RESERVE LEVELS FOR OUR CITY AND THEIR APPROACH WOULD BE TO DO SOME STATISTICAL USING A RISK BASED ANALYSIS CONSIDERING THE PROBABILITY AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL FACTORS AND JUST LOOKING AT THE EXTREME EVENTS THAT WE HAVE WHAT OUR LIQUIDITY IS, OUR STABILITY EXPENDITURE VOLATILITY GROWTH ,LEVERAGING CAPITAL PROJECTS AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE, WHAT OUR BORROWING CAPACITY IS, OUR BUDGET PRACTICES AND JUST THE SIZE OF OUR GOVERNMENT. SO THEY HAVE DONE THIS MANY OTHER CITIES SO IT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE A LOT EXPERIENCE WITH AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE AT IDENTIFYING WHERE WE COULD DO SOME ANALYSIS AND WOULD BE THREE OF THE UTILITY FUNDS THAT HAVE PRETTY LARGE BALANCES AND SOME LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS WE KNOW ARE IN THE FUTURE. SO WATER, WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER ALSO THE OTHER UTILITY OF FUND THE SOLID WASTE WE DO HAVE MONEY AND THAT WORKING CAPITAL FOR LIKE IF WE HAD A MAJOR STORM THAT WENT THROUGH AND WE HAD A LOT OF TREES DOWN SOME STORM CLEANUP COSTS THERE'S ALSO WE DO RESERVE LIKE EVERY MONTH THE RATES THAT ARE GOING IN THERE COVER THAT EVERY OTHER YEAR CURBSIDE CLEANUP THAT WE HAVE AND THAT CAN BE A CONSIDERABLE AND IN PROJECTING THAT TO INCREASE AND FUTURE YEARS ON THE SELF-INSURANCE FUND SO WE DO HAVE RESERVES IN THERE A RISK FROM LARGE YOU KNOW LAWSUITS LARGE CLAIMS ARE ACCRUED BENEFITS FUND THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE RESERVES IN THERE TO OFFSET GROWING LIABILITY WE HAVE FOR PAID TIME OFF FOR EMPLOYEES IN YOU KNOW AND THE RISK THE RISK THERE THIS IS A OF A SLIDE THAT IS SHOWING THE DIFFERENT RISKS IN THESE FUNDS AND SO THE RISK IN THAT ONE WOULD BE THAT WE HAD PAYOUTS THAT WERE EXCEEDING THE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE IN THAT FUND. WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND, THE MAJOR DRIVER OF AND THERE WOULD BE THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE AND. THEN THERE'S OUR FIRE PENSION FUND AND DEPENDING ON HOW INVESTMENTS DO THAT FUND CAN CAN ACCUMULATE MONEY WE DO IT IS PART OF THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY WE SET MONEY ASIDE FOR THAT WHEN INVESTMENTS DON'T GO WELL FOR THOSE FIRE PENSIONS THAT CAN BE A HUGE PAYOUT THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE. SO ANALYZING THAT AND THEN THE GENERAL FUND WHAT WE NEED IN THERE FOR CASH FLOW WE ONLY RECEIVE TAXES TWICE A YEAR SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CASH FLOW TO FUND US UP UNTIL JULY AND THEN ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THE VOLATILITY THAT WE CAN HAVE WITH THE LODGING TAXES. SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT RISKS THAT THEY WOULD ANALYZE FOR US AND SO THE PROCESS WOULD BE GATHER ANALYZE RISK FACTORS TO MAP THEIR TO EACH OTHER IF THEY'RE DEPENDENT OR MAYBE SEPARATE AND LOOK AT LIMITS AND THEN ANALYZING THE FACTORS. DRIVER IS DEVELOPING ESTIMATES AND SUGGESTING RESERVE LEVELS FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE IN A RANGE OF WHAT YOU WERE COMFORTABLE WITH WITH AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO DO KIND OF A FUNDED BY FUND SO EACH FUND IS ANALYZED SEPARATELY SOME CITIES WILL DO KIND OF AN ALL FUND APPROACH WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL THEIR RESERVES TOGETHER, KIND OF THINKING ABOUT IF THEY HAD IF EACH FUND HAS A SEPARATE RESERVE MAYBE THE CHANCES OF THINGS GOING BAD AND ALL OF THOSE ARE LOW AND YOU MIGHT TO LOOK AT PULLING THEM TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT IF THERE'S SOME UNCORRELATED RISKS THAT WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE OF THAT APPROACH. IT COULD BE MORE COMPLEX IF WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND HIGHER COSTS THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS STEPS REQUIRED FOR THAT. THEN WE'D WANT TO DO A SELECTION OF WHAT FUNDS WE'D WANT TO ANALYZE OR IF THERE'S OTHER FUNDS WE WANT TO ANALYZE THE ONES I JUST DISCUSSED AND THEN A COST DRIVER FOR THIS ANALYSIS WOULD BE IF THIS WAS CITY LED BASICALLY ME VERSUS JFK LED AND I THINK WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS MORE OF A CITY LED JUST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTIZE GOING FORWARD IN HOUSE AND ALSO WOULD REDUCE THE COST BUT HAVING THE JV AWAY THERE TO DO TRAINING AND TO GIVE US THIS INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE MODELS THAT THEY HAVE AND SO THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING TO DISCUSS ABOUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU THINK WE SHOULD GO LOOK INTO AND IT COULD GO EITHER WAY I GUESS DEPENDING ON THEIR ANALYSIS THEY MIGHT SAY THAT OUR RESERVES ARE HIGHER THAN THEY NEED TO BE OR THEY MIGHT SAY THAT WE NEED TO RESERVE MORE SO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS IF IT DOES COME BACK AND THEY DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT OUR RESERVES DON'T NEED TO BE AS HIGH THEN THERE WOULD BE DISCUSSION OF WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THOSE BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IF WE DO HAVE THE RIGHT LEVEL AND I THINK HAVING AN EXPERT LENDER COME IN TO LOOK AT THOSE WOULD BE HELPFUL. SO I GUESS I'LL JUST FINISH UP WITH THE SLIDES I HAVE HERE AND JUST TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE IN OUR BUDGET . SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE THERE'S OUR TIMELINE. WE ARE NOW IN AUGUST SO HERE WE ARE AT OUR SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING. I'M JUST GIVING YOU KIND OF A FIRST LOOK OF HOW EVERYTHING IS COMING TOGETHER AND GETTING YOUR GUIDANCE AS WE COME IN TO SETTING AS YOU COME TO SET THE PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY SEPTEMBER 9TH IN OCTOBER WE WILL HAVE THE UTILITY BUDGETS COME AND TALK ABOUT THE 2025 RATES AND THEN WE'RE PLANNING JUST AS WE DID LAST YEAR AND I THINK THE YEAR BEFORE TO TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENTS COME IN AND GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED BUDGET PRESENTATIONS LIKE DIVING INTO THOSE AND SHOWING WHAT IS MAKING UP THEIR REQUESTS AND WHY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE FACING. AND THEN NOVEMBER WE WOULD BE THE UTILITY RATE PUBLIC HEARING WITH THOSE 2025 UTILITY RATES ARE SET FOR WATER WASTEWATER OR STORM AND SOLID WASTE AND THEN WE'D HAVE A SIMILAR MEETING LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW NOVEMBER 25TH TO GET YOUR GUIDANCE ON SETTING THAT FINAL LEVY. AND THEN INITIALLY WE HAD THIS DATE A LITTLE EARLIER AND DECEMBER THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING IN DECEMBER BUT THE WAY THE CALENDAR LOOKS WITH NOVEMBER 25TH AND THEN THANKSGIVING AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING JUST TO GIVE SOME MORE TIME BETWEEN THAT DISCUSSION DOING WHATEVER RESEARCH OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU NEEDED. WE HAVE WE'RE PLANNING DECEMBER 16TH FOR THE FINAL 2025 FOR SET FOR YOU SETTING THAT TIME TAX LEVY AND THAT BEING THE DATE OF THE TRUTH AND TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING SO WITH THAT AND WE'LL TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS AND TO HEAR HOW YOU'D LIKE US TO GO FORWARD. THANK YOU. AND I'LL TURN OVER TO MR. BREWER IN JUST A SECOND HERE. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION HERE AND THE INFORMATION AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO CHIEF CELE AND TO OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN COLLECTING ME THE INFORMATION AND THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK AT PUBLIC EVENTS. I INTO CHIEF CELE AND THE LEARNING LINK UP AND I SAW THE FOLKS DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SAY HELLO TO THEM OR READ THE ON THE ONE FESTIVAL BUT IT WAS GOOD TO SEE FOLKS AT EACH OF THOSE EVENTS AND GETTING FEEDBACK AND TALKING TO PEOPLE SO THANK YOU FOR THAT ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S VERY VALUABLE AND I THINK PEOPLE APPRECIATE IT. THEY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY SO MR. PERRY THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ON TO THANK HER FOR HER WORK. SHE AND HER TEAM AND FINANCE DO A FANTASTIC AND WORKING WITH ALL OF THE BUDGET SPECIALISTS THE CITY TO GET THIS INFORMATION PREPARED IN A WAY THAT IS WELL ANALYZED AND AND PRESENTED TO YOU IN A WAY THAT CAN HAVE GOOD DISCUSSIONS. BUT I WANT YOU TO BE SWIMMING IN NUMBERS HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO BUDGETS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. YOU KNOW MY PRIMARY OBJECTIVE THIS IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COUNCIL'S LEVEL IS FOR THAT PRELIMINARY LEVY AND THEN COREY, IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE 10.95 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE HERE IS THAT WE LOOK AT A COUPLE OF NUMBERS WHEN WE'RE SETTING WHETHER IT'S THE PRELIMINARY LEVY OR THE FINAL LEVY. SO THE FIRST COLUMN ON THE LEVY ON IS THE IS THE LEVY INCREASE. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL TAX LEVY INCREASE. THAT SECOND COLUMN THOUGH IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE AND THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF IMPACT TO THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME AND FOLKS MAY LOOK AT THAT AND SAY WELL HOW IS IT THAT YOU MIGHT LEVY 10.9 OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER NUMBERS ON THE LEFT? BUT THEN THE IMPACT TO ME AS A HOMEOWNER IS ONLY 5% AND THAT GETS BACK TO THE INFORMATION THAT CORY SHARED ABOUT THE MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION, WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS WE GO THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR THE MINNESOTA PROPERTY SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE MORE COMPLICATED ONES IN THE COUNTRY. RIGHT. AND SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME HELPING TO EDUCATE PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEIR ASSESSED AND THOSE NOTICES GO OUT IN MARCH AND APRIL THE VALUATION APPEALS AND THEN GET A FOLLOW UP STATEMENT LATER IN THE YEAR WITH THE PROPOSED NOTICE OF TAXATION AND THEN THE TAXATION IS BASED ON THOSE VALUATIONS THOSE HAPPEN AT TIMES OF THE YEAR SO IT GETS TO BE CONFUSING AND SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND APPRECIATE THE OF CORY AND OUR OTHER STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO GO OUT AT THESE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND HELP THEM HAVE THESE CONVERSATION TO WORK THROUGH IT. SO IF YOU KNOW ANY OF THE NUMBERS ON THE LEFT THAT THE COUNCIL MAY DIRECT US THE IMPACT FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE LESS THAN THAT FOR COMPARISON LAST YEAR'S TAX LEVY INCREASE SO THE ONE YOU ADOPTED LAST DECEMBER FOR THE 2024 BUDGET YEAR WAS 7.97%. WE STARTED THE YEAR WITH A 9.49% PRELIMINARY LEVY THAT 7.97% THAT YOU ULTIMATELY ADOPTED HAD AN IMPACT TO THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME OF I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 6.6% SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE 6.7%. SO IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING ON PAR LAST YEAR THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE DYNAMICS THE THE HOMEOWNER GOING TO FEEL IT LESS THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR. THE THING I'D POINT OUT ONE OF THE OTHER DYNAMICS HAS TO DO WITH THAT HOME. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR SINCE THE THE RECESSION WHEN YOU KNOW, PROPERTY HAD A SIGNIFICANT RESET 15 YEARS AGO. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A DECLINE IN THE MEDIAN VALUE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ASSESSOR'S REPORT YOU SEE A PRETTY STEADY INCREASE AND PEOPLE MAY SAY THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BAD THING OR WHY DID THAT HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW. IT'S GOOD OR BAD IT IS JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A SITUATION IN THE MORE GLOBAL ECONOMY WHERE YOU HAVE INFLATION RATES AND YOU HAVE ESPECIALLY INTEREST RATES THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHER THAN WHAT PEOPLE ARE TO PAYING WHEN THEY GO BUY A HOME AND THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE COUNCIL MEMBER DALLESSANDRO IS $397,000 SO THE MEDIAN VALUE IS 3.61. THE AVERAGE VALUE IS 397 AND THE REASON I THINK THAT YOU SEE THE MEDIAN VALUE COMING DOWN JUST A TICK IS BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY VERY LOW INVENTORY OF HOMES THAT ARE BEING SOLD AND THAT'S A I THINK THAT'S A DIRECT CORRELATION THE FACT THAT WE HAVE REALLY HIGH INTEREST RATES RIGHT NOW AND SO THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE BUYING HOMES AND WHEN THEY DO THEY'RE BUYING HOMES THAT ARE IN A LOWER STRATA BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO GET YOU LOWER INTEREST PAYMENTS. SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING FEWER HOMES, THOSE HIGHER STRATA WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AVERAGE AND THE MEDIAN VALUE. SO THERE'S A LOT MORE THIS WHOLE SOLILOQUY IS JUST TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN THAT THIS THIS PROCESS OF TAXATION VALUATION IS REALLY COMPLICATED FOR PEOPLE. AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS WITH THE COUNCIL IS ON WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE THE IMPACT TO A MEDIAN VALUE HOME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH WHEN WE GET TO DECEMBER WHEN WE'RE ADOPTING FINAL BUDGET AT 10.95% WHICH COREY'S IDENTIFIED HERE AS SORT OF A LANDING SPOT AND THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION FOR A PRELIMINARY LEVY. I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE $4 MILLION REDUCTION THAT'S NEEDED WE HAVE IDENTIFIED MAYBE 75% OF IT. SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THAT REDUCTION YET IDENTIFIED AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS. AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT REDUCING EXPENDITURES, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE REVENUES. COREY WENT THROUGH THE REVENUES. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR US START RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVELY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING PERMIT REVENUE BECAUSE AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR JUNE AND JULY WHEN WE'RE STARTING TO PULL ALL THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER WE DON'T HAVE A REAL GOOD FEEL FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN A MACRO ECONOMY AND ALSO IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. WE ALSO LATER IN THE YEAR GET A BETTER SENSE FROM OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT WHAT SORT OF PROJECTS WE HAVE COMING IN GETTING ENTITLEMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERSTANDING WHEN THOSE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE BUILD PROCESS. SO WE HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THAT EXERCISE YET. I THINK THERE IS OPTIMISM ON THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE FED SEEMS LIKELY TO REDUCE THE THE RATE AT THEIR NEXT MEETING AND MAYBE ANOTHER ONE AFTER THAT. AND SO I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A LOOSENING IN TERMS OF THE CONSTRUCTION MARKETS AND WHAT'S ABLE TO GET FINANCED IN THE COMING YEAR OR TWO. SO THAT'S ONE AREA THAT WE'RE LOOKING CLOSELY AT FOR THE REVENUES IS THE BUILDING PERMIT. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE CONTINUE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON OUR LODGING TAX. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON OF YOU AND I ARE ON THE BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA TRAVEL AND TOURISM BOARD. PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT NAME. THAT'S REBRANDED NAME. IT USED TO BE THE BLOOMINGTON CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU SO NOW IT'S BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA TRAVEL AND TOURISM AND. YOU KNOW, WE GET THE MONTHLY REPORTS FROM THEM IN TERMS OF OCCUPANCY AND REV PAR WHICH IS THE REVENUE PER ROOM CALCULATION THAT INFORMATION ALSO COMES INTO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY ANALYZING. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON HAD ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT BECAUSE THE THE OCCUPANCY THE ESTIMATES FOR 24 ARE TRAILING A LITTLE BIT WHAT WE HAD FORECASTED OR PROJECTED BASED ON THE CVB OR VMT IS INFORMATION LAST FALL NOW WHEN WE PUT OUR NUMBERS TOGETHER FOR LODGING TAX WE BUILD IN OUR OWN OF SKEPTICISM RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT ASSUMING LIKE 100% OF THE FORECAST AND I THINK THAT OVER AT VMT THEY DO THE SAME THING. WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A FUDGE FACTOR RIGHT. AND SO THE BUDGET BASED ON THE ON THE BEST CASE PROJECTION AND WE DO THE SAME THING HERE SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TRACKING THOSE NUMBERS CLOSELY AND SEE IF THERE IS ANY CONFIDENCE TO MAYBE ADJUST THEM MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD GOING IN BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT PULLING THAT NUMBER DOWN RIGHT. AND SO IF WE SEE THINGS START TO STABILIZE AND GET GOOD SUMMER AND FALL NUMBERS THERE'S I THINK REASON TO A LOOK AND MAYBE ADJUST THAT NUMBER UPWARD SO THE IT'S NOT JUST REDUCTIONS IT'S ALSO REVENUE ANALYSIS AS WELL GOES INTO PLAY HERE THE LAST THING I'D SAY IN TERMS OF WHAT'S DRIVING THE BUDGET AND COREY THROUGH SOME OF THE EXPENSE DRIVERS THIS CONTINUES BE HEAVILY A PUBLIC BUDGET FOR 2024 POLICE AND FIRE MAKE UP ABOUT 44 AND A HALF PERCENT OF OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FOR THE THAT WERE ENTERED IN THIS YEAR THEY REPRESENT ABOUT 61% OF THE INCREASE. OKAY AND IT'S PEOPLE IT'S EQUIPMENT IT'S VEHICLES AND IT'S SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS IT'S THE CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN MOVING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO A HYBRID FULL TIME DEPARTMENT AND CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. YOU ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAD CONTRACT SETTLEMENTS THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF OUR BARGAINING UNITS AND WE ANTICIPATED SOME LEVEL OF INCREASE WHEN WE PREPARED THE BUDGET. ALL OF THE SETTLEMENTS CAME IN HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD. SO WE HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR THAT AS WELL AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING. IT'S JUST A REFLECTION OF TO COREY'S POINT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WHICH IS 75% OF OUR COST PEOPLE COST. THE FACT IS WE DO HAVE TO MEET TEAM COMPETITIVENESS. WE HAVE TO BE ATTRACTIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN AND WE ALSO EXIST IN A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ENVIRONMENT AND SO ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF POLICE WHERE YOU'VE SEEN SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SETTLEMENT FIGURES, WE'RE GOING TO BE RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHERE THAT IS ALL ACROSS THE METRO IN THE STATE AND YOU'VE THE NEWS YOU KNOW THE NUMBERS THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ESPECIALLY WAS SEEING PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL SALARY INCREASES. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DRIVERS HERE AND AS COREY SAID, WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS SAID ARE IMPORTANT. THOSE ARE THE THINGS RELATED TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IT'S MAKING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES. IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON BLOOMINGTON A WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE PLACE AND FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC EQUITABLE, ECONOMIC, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. THOSE ARE BUILT INTO THE BUDGET HERE AND THEN IT'S JUST CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THE RESIDENTS EXPECT AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE THREE BIG PROJECTS THAT RESIDENTS SAID THEY WANTED. RIGHT. AND SO WE HAVE SOME STEPS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE IN 2025 AS WE BUILD TOWARDS 26 AND 27 WITH THE WITH THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON AS WELL AS WE GET DEEPER INTO THE YEAR WE'LL GET INTO MORE DETAIL SO YOU KNOW TONIGHT AGAIN BRINGING BACK MORE OF A PHILOSOPHY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE RIGHT NUMBER, THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL NEED TO SEE AND THEN WE'LL GET DEEPER INTO THE NUMBERS AS WE GO THROUGH THE FALL. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY AND I'LL STOP. I KNOW YOU'RE REACHING FOR THE BUTTON HERE. I CERTAINLY WANT YOUR INPUT IN WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THIS FALL AS WE GO THROUGH THESE BUDGET REVIEW MEETINGS. MY STARTING INTENT IS TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE DRIVERS. I MEAN WE HAVE WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS WHERE THERE ISN'T MUCH CHANGE FINANCE LIKE A ONE OR 2% CHANGE PUBLIC HEALTH A 3.3% CHANGE AFTER YOU TAKE OUT ALL OF THE GRANT FUNDS AND SOME OF THE SHIFTING OF SOME OBLIGATIONS HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S LESS THAN THE COST OF LIVING FOR A COUPLE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS. RIGHT. WHAT I THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT IS FOR US TO FOCUS ON PLACES WHERE WE DO SEE MORE INTENSE IMPACT IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS AND WHAT'S DRIVING THAT AND YOU KNOW HOW THAT FACTORS IN FOR 2025 BUT ALSO FACTORS IN FOR BEYOND 25 . THANK YOU MR. VERBRUGGE SO LET'S LET'S LET'S CONTINUE TO PASS OUT ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO MR. FOR BRUGES MONOLOGUE HERE? I THOUGHT THE SOLILOQUY IS GOOD TO HIM BUT I WASN'T SURE IT'S A ONE THE ONE MAN ACT HERE IT'S A ALL RIGHT IF WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS IS BREAK THIS DOWN AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TWO BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TAX LEVY INCREASE OPTIONS THAT WE HEARD AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF TRANSITION INTO THE RESOURCE FUND RESERVE FUND CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD HAVE AS WELL. SO I SEE COUNCILMEMBER LOGAN CHAMPING AT THE BIT HERE SO I SAVE MY QUESTIONS FOR AFTERWARDS. SO MINE DIDN'T REALLY FIT INTO NECESSARILY BUT I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS EXACTLY. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY'S GOT QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO WHAT MR. DRAGHI HAD SAID OR KIND OF IN GENERAL . BUT WE CAN WE CAN WORK BACK INTO IT AS WELL I'M SURE. SO SO WHY DON'T WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION LET'S START WITH THE TAX LEVY INCREASE AND ASK THE QUESTIONS AND WE CAN START THE CONVERSATION SO I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THE DRIVERS I SAW COMMUNICATION WENT FROM YOU KNOW IT WAS UP 300 300,000. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IF THAT HAD TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE CABLE REDUCTION THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THAT I ASSUME THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT DRUNK. YES. LET'S MOVE THROUGH THESE QUICKLY HERE IF WE'LL SEE THAT FOR LATER, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYBE JUST A QUICK SPECIFIC RESPONSE TO THAT, LOMAN IS WE'VE SEEN THE FRANCHISE FEES THE REVENUES FROM FRANCHISE FEES BASICALLY PLATEAU AND WE'RE HOLDING FLAT WHAT IS HAPPENING I THINK YOU KNOW, THIS THAT THE CORD CUTTING CONTINUES TO BE A SIGNIFICANT IT'S IT'S MORE THAN 10% A YEAR LOOKS LIKE THAT ARE CUTTING CORD YOU KNOW THE THE THE LEGACY CABLE PROVIDERS ARE IT'S COMCAST THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THE MARKET THEY ADJUST THEIR FEES UPWARDS SO THEY MAINTAIN THEIR REVENUE STREAM WE CONTINUE TO COLLECT FEES AS THEY ADJUST THOSE FEES UP BUT IT'S PLATEAUED THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS IS GOING DOWN WHILE THEY AS BRES RATES AND OUR COST TO OPERATE CONTINUE TO GO UP SO. WE HAVE AN UNEVEN TREND LINE THERE AND THAT'S WHY AND WE FORECASTED THIS LAST WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT FUND WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO BE HAPPENING. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN WITH THE CHEERFUL OKAY SO IF WE WERE TO DO YOU KNOW HAVE THEM DO THAT STUDY, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE IMPACT ON OUR CREDIT RATING DEPENDING ON KIND OF WHAT IS RECOMMENDED THERE WILL THAT BE A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ASK AS WE'RE AS WE'RE DOING THAT? YES MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN PART OF THEIR ANALYSIS INCLUDE THE EFFECT FOR OUR CREDIT THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PART OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR RESERVES YOU AND THEN AS WE YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD WAIT FOR THIS FOR LATER BUT I'LL JUST PUT IT OUT THERE NOW. MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT THAT MAYBE THIS ALLOWS US TO TO MAKE MY COMMENTS. THE OTHER ITEMS HERE IS THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS PARTICULAR WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE, I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THIS HAS ON FUTURE LEVEES SO IF WE WERE TO YOU KNOW PICK YOU KNOW LET'S SAY 7%, WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE NEXT? WILL WE BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, 20% OR 25%? SO I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF , YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THESE WITH THESE LEVEES AS WE AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND THAT IMPACT ON FOLKS AND TRYING TO CREATE IS WHAT I'M KIND OF LOOKING FOR AS WE KIND OF LOOK HERE. THERE IS AROUND, YOU KNOW, STABILITY FOR OUR OUR OUR OUR RESIDENTS YOU KNOW NOT ONLY YOU KNOW, OUR HOMEOWNERS BUT ALSO OUR BUSINESSES AND THOSE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN APARTMENTS AND THEY DWELL THERE. AND SO YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE ABLE TO TO GET 6.6 I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER YOU KNOW IS ON THIS THIS CATEGORY. THAT'S WHERE WE FINALLY LANDED LAST YEAR. WHAT WOULD THAT NUMBER LOOK LIKE? WE WERE TO, YOU KNOW, SET OUR OUR PRELIMINARY AT THAT NUMBER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, DRIVERS AND THAT TYPE OF THING, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT IS OUR TURNOVER RATIO MANAGER FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND WHAT WHAT IS THE COST THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW WE GET SOME OF THAT DUE TO YOU KNOW THE COMPETITION IN THE MARKETPLACE BUT BUT WHAT IS THERE IF YOU KNOW AROUND TRAINING HOW MUCH OF THAT COST YOU KNOW EVERY TIME WE LOSE AN EMPLOYEE SO JUST WE'RE EQUALS OF THOSE ITEMS DIRECTLY SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT I'M KIND LOOKING AT. YOU KNOW IF I YOU KNOW MAYOR JUST KIND OF AS WE START OFF NOW I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCILMEMBER AND IT'S A GOOD QUESTION IF YOU KNOW WHAT DID THE 6.97 WHATEVER WE WERE AT LAST YEAR HOW DID THAT IN FACT THIS YEAR AND WHERE WE END UP YEAR HOW IT WILL AFFECT THE YEARS THAT COME AND MR. RUBY BROUGHT THE THE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON IMMEDIATE VALUE WHICH WE SEE HERE. BUT I THINK ON THE FAR RIGHT IS THE IS THE OTHER QUESTION IN THE BALANCING QUESTION THE IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY, WE SET AN AGGRESSIVE AGENDA IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AS A COUNCIL AND AS A CITY AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT GO. AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION TO HAVE BALANCING THE TAX LEVY INCREASE VERSUS THE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE TO CONTINUE THAT WORK AND WHAT THAT ALL MEANS AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE COUNCIL AS WE LOOK AT THOSE REDUCTIONS FROM THE INITIAL BUDGET REQUEST FROM THE 15.94 WORKING YOUR WAY ON DOWN WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT WAS IN THAT FIRST $2.7 MILLION AND THEN WHAT WAS IN THE NEXT $1.3 MILLION AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE IN THE NEXT $1.5 MILLION AS WE WORK OUR WAY DOWN? WHAT DOES THAT SPECIFICALLY MEAN REGARDING THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING? DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE SLOWING OUR ROLL ON HIRING OR FULL TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT? DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE AT YOU KNOW? WE PLOW SNOW ONLY AFTER THREE INCH SNOWFALLS AND NOT ONE INCH SNOWFALLS THAT TYPE OF DETAIL I THINK BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST . I THINK TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF OF DISCRETE INFORMATION THAT KIND OF GIVES US A BIT MORE CONTEXT AROUND ALL OF THIS IT'S NOT JUST THESE ARE JUST NUMBERS BUT IT'S THE COST TO HOMEOWNERS WHICH IS AN IMPACT BUT IT'S ALSO THE COST OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR HOMEOWNERS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW DOES IT ALL BALANCE OUT? SO I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND AND NOT A GOAL OF LOOKING YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DO THE OLLA CARD. WELL WHAT IF WE DO THIS AND WHAT IF WE MOVE THIS OVER HERE AND WE HAD SOME PUTTING ON THIS SIDE MAYBE A PIECE OF PIE HERE? I'M NOT THINKING THAT SPECIFICALLY BUT I THINK WE IF WE HAD IT IN THAT SPECIFIC CONTEXT OF WHAT WE ARE OF WHAT WE'RE SACRIFICING BY BRINGING THAT DOWN, WHAT ARE WE SACRIFICING? WHAT ARE WE GIVING UP IN TERMS OF A COMMUNITY? I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS DISCUSSION NOW. COUNCILMEMBER CARD I'M SORRY. MR. FERGUSON AND THAT COUNCILMEMBER CARTER THANK YOU MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY ALSO INVITE COREY TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE HERE TOO. BUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPACT ON FUTURE LEVIES AT DIFFERENT LEVEE RATES LAST YEAR WHEN THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE 7.97 WE SHOWED YOU THE ANTICIPATED 25 PROJECTED LEVY INCREASE WAS IN THE NINE AND A HALF OR HIGH NINE RANGE. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE IS A PRELIMINARY IS ACTUALLY NOT TOO FAR OFF WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED LAST YEAR AND YOU KNOW LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026 DEPENDING ON WHAT ASSUMPTIONS YOU MAKE HERE BUT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEBT SERVICE THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING ON IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND SO PRELIMINARY FOR 26 IS UPWARDS OF 13 DEPENDING ON SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE AND WE HAVE BEEN FORECASTING THIS CONSISTENTLY THE LAST FOUR YEARS OR SO AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSITION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INVESTMENTS IN , PUBLIC SAFETY AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE NOT JUST THE BLOOMINGTON FORWARD PROJECTS THAT THE RESIDENTS APPROVED BUT MANY OF THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT WE KNOW WE'VE HAD TO UPDATE OR REBUILD WHETHER THE FIRE STATIONS OR THE UPCOMING MAINTENANCE GARAGE OTHER FACILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE IN A HEAVY REINVESTMENT PHASE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WE KNOW THAT THESE YEARS ARE GOING TO HAVE HIGHER LEVEES THAN PEOPLE HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN USED TO. AND FOR MANY YEARS WE SHOWED PEOPLE HOW WE WERE AT AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF ALL OUR OVER A OUR PEERS CITIES AND WHAT THAT TAX IMPACT WAS AND AND NOW WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT PHASE OF COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT COMMUNITY GROWTH SO THAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'VE KNOWN WE'RE GOING HAVE HEAVIER NUMBERS. THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU THINK IS TO BE REASONABLE GOING FORWARD? COREY DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE ON THE THE FORWARD LOOKING RATE FOR LEVEE FORECASTS? I WILL JUST ADD DEPENDING ON WHAT DECISIONS ARE WELL IF IT'S MORE OF A DELAY OF SERVICES THAT YOU WANT TO DELAY UNTIL 2026 THAT IS GOING TO INCREASE THE 2026 TAX LEVY. BUT IF IT'S SERVICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO STOP DOING THAT WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME EFFECT . SO IT DEPENDS HOW HOW WE WANT TO MAKE THESE REDUCTIONS IT'S PERMANENT OR A DELAY BUT BUT THAT'S RIGHT WHEN YOU ADD WE WERE ORIGINALLY PROJECTING FOR 2026 WAS A HIGHER THAN 9% FOR 2026 SO THIS THIS YEAR WE WE DID HAVE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS DO A CONCEPTUAL 2026 BUDGET SO WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE DEFINED REQUESTS IN THERE SO WE CAN SHARE THAT AS WELL AS WE FORWARD COUNCILMEMBER CARTER QUESTION AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO KEANSBURG ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO JUST TO CLARIFY, I JUST WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 10.95 AND WE SEE THE 4 MILLION SO THIS THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 4 MILLION THAT NEEDS TO BE CUT AND WE WILL THEN BE AT THE 10.95. MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER YES. SO THE 4 MILLION IS THAT WAS FROM WHAT WAS INITIALLY REQUESTED BY ALL DEPARTMENTS AS I MENTIONED WE'VE MADE A NUMBER OF REDUCTIONS OURSELVES WHICH WAS THE MAYOR'S POINT ABOUT WHAT WERE THOSE REDUCTIONS ARE THOSE GOING TO AFFECT SERVICES OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE DO HAVE A GAP THERE THAT WE HAVEN'T CLOSED YET IS PROBABLY $1,000,000 YET THAT WE HAVEN'T YET IDENTIFIED. MAYBE MAYBE MORE DEPENDING ON SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE. BUT TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY AT LEAST MADE A PRELIMINARY CHANGE TO WE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS AS WE GO LATER. RIGHT. AND SO THOSE ARE THOSE CENTRALIZED OPERATIONS THAT SUPPORT THE THE TOTAL OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION SO AS TO THINGS LIKE FACILITIES OR FLEET OR I.T. OKAY. THE FLEET INITIAL BUDGET REQUEST HAD UPWARDS OF A 20 TO A 25% INCREASE IN THE ASSESSMENT TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS JUST BECAUSE OF THE THE FUTURE FORECASTING OF THAT FUND. AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED IT FOR ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES AND SERVICING THEM WE'VE DRAWN THAT DOWN ALREADY TO A 10% INCREASE THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE STABILITY OF THE FUND. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION FOR US LATER THIS FALL. BUT THAT WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER HERE. I THINK THAT WAS CLOSE TO $1,000,000 OF IMPACT JUST BY REDUCING INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS. WE I ASKED COREY JUST AS A LITTLE THOUGHT EXERCISE TO TAKE DOWN A COUPLE OF THE OTHER FUNDS AND THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE'RE INCREASING THEM TO SOMETHING THAT MATCHES INFLATION. SO GOING FROM LIKE A 10% INCREASE DOWN TO A 3% INCREASE AND FOR A FUND LIKE IT WE ACTUALLY GO CASH NEGATIVE THIS YEAR IF WE DO THAT FOR THE FACILITIES WE END UP RUNNING IN THE SINGLE DIGITS FOR OUR WORKING CAPITAL BALANCE. SO YOU KNOW THERE ARE IMPLICATIONS TO SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS AND THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT HYDRAULICS THAT WE GOT TO WORK THROUGH THIS FALL. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE EXPENSE DRIVERS WERE PRESENTED, THOSE WERE SUPER HELPFUL. AND THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE TAX LEVY WORKING MODEL THERE ARE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT AREN'T OUT AS KEY DRIVERS. SO FOR EXAMPLE I MEAN WE ALREADY MENTIONED THE COMMUNICATIONS ONE BUT THE FORESTRY IS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY. THE ART CENTER IS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY. ICE GARDEN IS ALSO INCREASING PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY. THE DEBT SERVICE WAS MENTIONED AND I THINK THAT WAS JUST OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS BUT OR NINE PAYMENTS BUT AN INCREASE THERE AND SO I GUESS I JUST WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THOSE CHANGES BECAUSE THAT ADDS UP TO QUITE A BIT HERE AND THEN I THINK FOR ME TO SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS I HAD YOU KNOW THERE WERE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE FIRE AND. YOU KNOW WE JUST GOT ALL THAT STATE AID MONEY IN WE PAY. WE MADE LOT OF INVESTMENTS THERE AROUND EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THAT. AND SO I GUESS I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS IF WE JUST MADE ALL THOSE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS WITH THE STATE MONEY LIKE WHY DO WE NOW HAVE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS AGAIN THAT WE NEED TO MAKE? SO THAT WOULD JUST BE SOME INFORMATION THAT I WOULD WANT TO HAVE FOR THE HER BACK PIECE, YOU KNOW EVENING MAINTENANCE STAFF I GUESS I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF I MEAN I SPENT A LOT OF EVENINGS AT HER BACK YOU ALL KNOW THAT AND I WOULD BE KIND OF CURIOUS TO KNOW I QUESTION WHETHER THERE'S A REALLY SIGNIFICANT ME IN THERE AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS IN THE PAST WITH JUST THE MAINTENANCE, THE FIELDS AND THAT YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF GOOD MAINTENANCE PRACTICES IS WHAT LED TO THE QUALITY AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE FIELDS BUT MAYBE THE FULL TIME STAFF THE NEXT DAY COULD DO THE MAINTENANCE ON THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, LIKE DOES IT HAVE TO HAPPEN RIGHT WHEN THE GAME IS DONE AT 10:00 AT NIGHT? SO THINGS LIKE THAT I GUESS I'M KIND OF QUESTIONING THAT. I ALSO HAD WROTE DOWN THE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL APARTMENT KIND OF BREAK DOWN TO AND THEN I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION IS KIND OF MORE OF A CLARIFYING QUESTION TOO. SO WITH THE EXCLUSION GOING BACK TO THEIR HOMESTEAD MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S 517 200 IS LIKE ANYTHING OVER DOES NOT GET TO THAT GETS NO EXCLUSION CORRECT AND SO FOR THOSE HOMES IN BLOOMINGTON WHICH ARE PROBABLY A THIRD OF THE HOMES I HAVE NO IDEA. I MEAN WOULD THEY THEN SEE IT LIKE A 10% OR WOULD IT BE QUITE QUITE A BIT LESS THAN THAT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MR. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL COUNCILMEMBER CARTER IT DOES MAKE SENSE AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO IS PULL SOME SAMPLE PROPERTIES. THE PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO PROJECT WHAT A SPECIFIC LEVY IS GOING TO DO FOR A SPECIFIC PRICE POINT IS EVEN TWO HOMES THAT HAVE THE SAME VALUATION MAY HAVE DIFFERENCES SUCH AS HOW MUCH VALUATION CHANGED THAT WILL AFFECT HOW THE LEVY IMPACTS THEM FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. RIGHT SO. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET TO THE LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY THAT SAYS A HOME AT 425 IS GOING TO HAVE THIS PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE. SO YEAH IT IS IT'S SAFE. I WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE ASSESSOR TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH. SOME OF THE HOMES IN THE HIGHER VALUE RANGE. YEAH BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF THE EXCLUSION BUT IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. YEAH. I GUESS MY NOT BEING AN EXPERT IN TAX POLICY IN MINNESOTA PROPERTY TAX I GUESS I JUST GET CONCERNED THAT I MEAN THE HOMES AND MARKET VALUE EXCLUSION IS GREAT FOR THOSE PROPERTIES THAT QUALIFY BUT IF OUR MEDIAN IF THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME IS IN THAT IT LIKE WOULD QUALIFY BUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HOMES WOULDN'T. I MEAN THAT JUST IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL A LITTLE CONCERNED THERE. I WOULD AGREE COUNCIL MEMBER AND I THINK WE HAVE LESS THAN TWO DOZEN PROPERTIES VALUED UNDER $200,000 ANYMORE IN THE CITY BUT IT'S DEFINITELY UNDER 100. YEAH. YEAH. SO SO TO YOUR POINT THIS ANY PROPERTIES VALUED AT UNDER 95,000 THERE ARE A SMALL HANDFUL SO COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO. OH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MY THOUGHT ON THIS WAS BUT IT DID IT DID THE NUMBER OF THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT QUALIFY FOR SOME EXEMPTION HAS GONE UP THE TOTAL OF HOMES BECAUSE IT'S INCREASED $100,000 AND I THINK BASED ON THE FACT THAT MY HOME VALUE WENT DOWN AND I SIT LITERALLY ON THAT MEDIAN LINE RIGHT WITH MY HOME AND MINE WENT DOWN THIS YEAR SO THAT NUMBER WENT UP BUT MINE WENT DOWN SO I'M SITTING PRETTY RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE FOR I I WOULD THINK 60% OR SO OF THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO GET SOMETHING. SURE, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK SO ANYWAY. OKAY. SO I HAD A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS AND I HAVE SOME COMMENTS HERE. FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ANALYSIS OF OUR OF OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SPECIFICALLY THE PAID TIME OFF POLICY THAT WE HAVE. I THINK WE ACCUMULATE A LOT OF PAID TIME OFF AND PEOPLE DON'T TAKE IT AND THEN THEY JUST RETIRE AND TAKE IT AT THE END. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S BAD BUT THERE ARE THERE'S BEEN A BIG TREND IN THE IN THE COMMERCIAL SPACE IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY TO GO TO USE IT OR LOSE IT POLICIES. AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS EXACTLY WHY AND BY WAY, YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR VACATION LIKE THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO DO FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. AND WE KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE AN ANALYSIS ON THAT ACCRUED PLAN TO SEE IF WE CAN ACTUALLY LIKE REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THAT ON OUR ON OUR RESERVES BY BY IMPLEMENTING A POLICY THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF CARRYOVER YEAR TO YEAR AND AND REALLY ENCOURAGES USE IT OR LOSE IT TYPE SITUATIONS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A IT BUT THIS IS A THIS IS A BIG LIABILITY FOR THE CITY. THIS IS OTHER MONEY AND IT'S JUST SITTING THERE AND FRANKLY I WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF. I WANT THEM TO GO ON VACATION. IT'S A REALLY THING TO DO. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE QUESTION ONE ARE ASK. THE SECOND ONE IS WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE FIRE PENSION FUND AND HOW IT IS IMPACTED BY OUR SWITCH TO A FULL TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT HYBRID COMBO. I'D LOVE UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE PENSION FUND AS IT IS IT'S GOING TO STAY THE WAY IT HAS BEEN THE WHOLE TIME WHEN IT WAS ALL ALL PAID CALL AND IF THAT'S NOT TRUE OR IF IT IS TRUE BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF PAID ON CALL IS STILL GOING TO BE THE SAME NUMBER OR WHAT LIKE I JUST LIKE TO GET AN ANALYSIS OF OF WHAT IMPACT CHANGES THERE ARE FROM GOING TO THE FULL TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE PENSION IS LIKE. FOR EXAMPLE, DO OUR FULL TIME PEOPLE ALSO STILL GET TO PAY IT LIKE THAT BENEFIT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT PENSION FUND WAS IT WAS THE THING WE GAVE AS THE CARROT FOR THE PAID ON CALL BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T GETTING A FULL TIME JOB RIGHT. SO LIKE THOSE PEOPLE QUALIFY SHOULD THEY QUALIFY. THINKING NO BUT I DON'T KNOW LIKE I HAVE NO IDEA. RIGHT. SO ANYTHING WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND. AND THEN LASTLY ON THE GIVEAWAY STUFF I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT SEPARATELY IN DETAIL BUT I DID WANT TO KNOW IF IF WE CHOSE TO DO THAT AFTER THE DISCUSSION WOULD THEY HAVE IT BACK TO US IN TIME FOR US TO USE IT FOR THIS BUDGET BECAUSE THAT WOULD MATTER TO ME. QUESTION MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBER AND COUNCILMEMBER NELSON I AM NOT SURE. OKAY. SO WE HAVEN'T GOT BACK TO TO THEM IF WE'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE WHAT THEIR TIMELINE, WHAT THEIR AVAILABILITY IDEALLY. YES, BUT I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. YOU KNOW MY I'LL KEEP MY OPINION UNTIL WE GET TO THAT POINT ON THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO SO YEAH, I THINK TWO PARTICULAR AREAS ARE HELPFUL. THE OTHER COMMENT I'LL MAKE IN MR. VERBRUGGE I HAD THE CHANCE TO HAVE THIS THIS CONVERSATION A PRIOR ONE ON ONE AND SO ON THAT I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM LIKE A BIG BOMB HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS ROOM FOR ALL OF YOU DID NOT PARTICULAR THAT CONVERSATION I THINK WE TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE WHY WE ARE. IF IT'S TRUE THAT WE'VE INCREASED THE SALARIES AND INCREASE AND WE HAVE SUCH GREAT BENEFITS AND WE HAVE ALL THESE THINGS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WHO UP 75% OF OUR BUDGET WHY OUR TURNOVER RATE IS HIGH ANYWAY IF IT'S NOT THE JOB OF KEEPING THE PEOPLE HERE AND EVEN THEN I'M NOT SURE WE SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT HOW TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY NOW. MY ASSESSMENT OF OF WHAT THE TURNOVER IS IS BASED ON EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? I MEAN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF SENIOR IN THE STAFF AND EVERYTHING HAVE TURNED OVER IN THE LAST YEAR SOME BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES ORGANIZATION BUT SOME FOR OTHER REASONS I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND SAY WELL ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF HERE ARE THE INCREASES THAT WE'RE DOING TO THIS BUDGET TO RETAIN TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN STAFF ACTUALLY DOING THE JOB OR SHOULD WE BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE? AND SO AGAIN, MR. FEINBERG, HE ALREADY KNEW I WAS GOING TO BRING UP SO I'M NOT I'M NOT THIS IS NOT A DISRESPECTFUL THING FOR STAFF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS JUST A VERY OBJECTIVE BUDGET QUESTION WHEN WE HAVE 5% OF YOUR BUDGET AROUND THAT AND YOU'RE SEEING YOU'RE SEEING WHAT LOOKS AT A VERY UNEDUCATED VIEW TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TRUE, RIGHT? MEANING LIKE IT'S NOT DOING THE JOB IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO. I THINK IT'D BE WORTH SOME ANALYSIS. SO THOSE WOULD BE MY THREE AREAS AND I THINK THEY'RE ALL KIND OF RELATED TO THAT BIG PART OF THE BUDGET THAT THAT THE GENERAL FUND GOES TO TO PAY YOU KNOW, THE GREAT THE GREAT FOLKS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND I APPRECIATE COMMENT. THANKS. ALESSANDRA AND WITH COUNCILMEMBER LOGAN'S COMMENT EARLIER ALONG THOSE SAME LINES PERHAPS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE WE COULD HAVE A PERSONNEL DISCUSSION AS IT RELATES IN THE CONTEXT OF A BUDGET BECAUSE. IF THE I WOULD TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHO'S TURNING OVER IS IT THE TOP STAFF ARE THE THE SALARIES AND BENEFIT INCREASES THAT WE SEE ARE MAINTAINING THE MIDDLE OR YOU KNOW, UPPER MIDDLE LEVEL STAFF AT A 95% RATE AND THEN YES, THEY ARE DOING IT DOING WHAT WE HOPED IT TO DO BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER EITHER. AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE ANALYSIS TO DO AND I'M SURE OUR H.R. PEOPLE COULD PULL SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR US SO WE COULD AT LEAST LOOK AT SOME HARD DATA AND SOME HARD NUMBERS AND NOT JUST WORK ANECDOTALLY BECAUSE WITH EXACTLY THAT'S NOT THE BEST PERCEPTION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE REALITY AND YOU KNOW IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROGRESSING LIKE CORRECTLY THROUGH THEIR THEIR YOU KNOW THEIR TENURE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE AND GROWING IN THEIR JOB THAT AT SOME POINT THEY NEED TO LEAVE BECAUSE THEY'VE HIT THE CEILING HERE AND THEY MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE AND THAT COULD BE EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ALL THESE CASES IN CASE I'D LOVE TO KNOW THAT TOO. I AGREE WITH YOU. OKAY GREAT. THANK YOU AND MR. REID, THAT DOABLE? THAT IS VERY GOOD AND TO LOOK AT IT I THINK FROM AN AIR AND A PERSONNEL STANDPOINT BUT FROM A BUDGET CONTEXT. WELL, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SERIOUS COST IMPLICATIONS TO TO STAFF TURNOVER THERE IS IMPLICATIONS TO THAT CERTAINLY. SO THANK COUNCILMEMBER NELSON AND COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER NELSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS BUT LET ME JUST SUMMARIZE PART OF THAT INTO ONE FOR YOU. WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE BUDGETS IN MORE DETAIL. SO IF I HAVE A DETAILED QUESTION ABOUT PUBLIC I DON'T NEED TO ASK THAT RIGHT NOW. I CAN WAIT UNTIL WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AGAIN I WASN'T MY APPROACH THIS YEAR IS NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT JUST AREN'T SEEING THE TYPE OF BUDGET IMPACT PRESSURE THAT OTHER PLACES ARE. AND I THINK THE BEST SPENT BY COUNCIL IS FOCUSING IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE DO HAVE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES. IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT IF YOU IF YOU HAVE AND WE CAN LAY OUT WE GOT TO WE DO THIS EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING WHEN WE MEET TO FIGURE OUT WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE GOING TO BE FOR WORKING THROUGH THESE WITH THE COUNCIL AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING FORWARD. SO WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND THEN YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OF SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY NOT NECESSARILY SEE ON THE PROPOSED DISCUSSION PLAN. WE CAN CERTAINLY CHASE THAT DOWN FOR YOU AND I THINK THAT'S PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE AND A GOOD USE OF TIME. MY ONLY REQUEST IS IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHICH DEPARTMENTS WE AREN'T GOING TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT AND IF WE COULD JUST ALLOCATE HERE WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS TO TALK ABOUT THESE QUICKLY. THERE'S ANY SMALL THINGS TO TALK ABOUT BUT NOT GO THROUGH THEM IN THE SAME LEVEL OF DETAIL JUST SO THAT THEY COME UP THERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENTION TONIGHT IS TO GO THROUGH THE DETAILED QUESTIONS SO I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. SO IN TERMS OF THE LEVY PART OF IT IN TERMS OF PROCESS, THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DISCUSSION ON INTENTIONAL DISCUSSION IS EITHER REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET WHICH WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AND SO WE HIGHLIGHT THOSE WE TALK ABOUT SOME IDEAS THAT STAFF HAVE THAT WE COULD DO THAT FOR SOME IDEAS TONIGHT ON THINGS TO LOOK AT THERE AND THEN I THINK THE CITY MANAGER ALSO MENTIONED REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE IN SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS AND THIS GETS DIRECTLY TO THE TAX LEVY INCREASE IS YOU KNOW WE HAVE THIS VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND IT'S AN EXCELLENT VISION. WE WANT TO BE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE THAT THEY WANT TO COME THEY FEEL WELCOME HERE THEY GET ENGAGED, DO ALL THESE THINGS AND SO WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR PARKS AND OUR FACILITIES AND OUR SERVICES AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR QUALITY STANDARDS AND ALL OF THAT IS FANTASTIC. THE REALITY IS IF SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE HURTING, SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY STRUGGLING TO GET BY BECAUSE OF THE COST OF HOUSING AND, HEALTH CARE, FOOD, EVERYTHING ELSE AND THEY'RE REALLY STRUGGLING AND WE WE HAVE A VERY ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AS THE CITY MANAGER HAS POINTED OUT, NUMEROUS TIMES WE ARE NOT THE MOST AFFLUENT COMMUNITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE STRUGGLE KIND OF BETWEEN THOSE TWO POLARIZING THINGS. ONE THING I'D POINT OUT I MEAN IF WE LOOK AT OUR BLOOMINGTON FORWARD ALL THREE OF THEM WERE APPROVED IN MY DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO DISTRICT AND ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS APPROVED IN COUNCILMEMBER WAS IN COUNCILMAN RELEASES DISTRICT SO NOT YOURS. LOEHMANN'S SORRY I YOU IT'S STILL YOURS. YEAH. SO YOU KNOW I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE ONE THAT WAS APPROVED IN ALL FOUR OF THEM WAS THE ONE THAT ACCOUNTS FOR TWO THIRDS OF THE COST. BUT YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS IT'S HARD TO SAY THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS BECAUSE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY A VERY LOW LEVY INCREASE AND SOME OF OUR PEOPLE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH A HIGHER INCREASE BECAUSE THEY LOVE WHAT THEY'RE GETTING AND THEY'RE SEEING SERVICE LEVEL AND SO TRYING TO FIND THAT RIGHT SPOT IS IS IS A CHALLENGE. I THINK HOPEFULLY PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT WE REALLY TAKE THAT CHALLENGE SERIOUSLY AND TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE THINGS AND YOU KNOW MY MIND AND I'VE SAID THIS PROBABLY EVERY YEAR I REALLY CARE ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY LEVY. WHAT I WANT US TO DO IS TAKE A LOOK AT EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE VALUE IN A GREAT WAY IN AN EXCELLENT WAY AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IT IN THE MOST ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE. AND SO YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S 12% AND WE CAN EXPLAIN THAT WE CAN TELL WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE FIRE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IN PARKS AND WE BELIEVE IN IT . OKAY. IF WE CAN DO THAT FOR 7% EVEN BETTER LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE DO THE HARD WORK TO GET THERE AND WHAT WE DO FOR THE PRELIMINARY LEVY I MEAN WE'VE ALWAYS COME IN UNDER IT. WE'VE ALWAYS COME IN UNDER IT FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY. STAFF WORKED REALLY WELL AND DILIGENTLY TO WORK WITH US ON THAT SO SO THE PRELIMINARY LEVY BUT JUST TO GET BACK TO MY POINT I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN INTENTIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE REDUCTIONS AND REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BE RESPECTFUL RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE AT DIFFERENT PLACES AND WITH THAT I'LL WAIT TO TALK ABOUT THE GFA STUFF. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A FEW QUESTIONS FIRST WHEN DO WE EXPECT TO BE FULLY STAFFED FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT? MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER WERE PROBABLY NOT UNTIL EARLY IN THE TWENTY-THIRDS SO THE OBJECTIVE IS THAT WE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 75 FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS AND I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS 60 PART TIME FIREFIGHTERS AND THAT ESSENTIALLY SORT OF THE CURRENT GROWTH PHASE WE COULD KICK START THAT IF WE GET THE SAFER GROUND ON WE ARE NOT PLANNING ON GETTING THE SAFER GRANT BUT WE'RE BUILDING IN CONTINGENCIES HERE IF WE DO SO PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT THAT IS. THAT'S FEDERAL GRANT THAT PAYS ALL THE COSTS RELATED TO NEW FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS THAT YOU HAVE THEM AND THEN YOU ASSUME ALL OF THE COSTS AFTER THAT WE RECEIVED A SAFER GRANT WHICH ALLOWED US TO KICK START OUR TRANSITION BY HIRING 18 FIREFIGHTERS WITH THE GRANT AND THEN WE HIRE AN ADDITIONAL THREE MORE THAT YEAR BACK IN 2022 AND WE'VE APPLIED TO RECEIVE ANOTHER GRANT WOULD FUND A SIMILAR NUMBER SO THAT WE CAN KEEP MAKING PROGRESS IF WE DON'T GET IT. WHAT WE HAVE ASSUMED IN OUR BUDGET IS ABOUT SIX FIREFIGHTERS PER YEAR. THIS YEAR'S REQUEST WAS DIFFERENT IN THAT IT HAD SIX FIREFIGHTERS AND IT ALSO HAS TWO ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEFS BECAUSE THERE'S AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT SUPERVISION IN HOW THE CREWS ARE STAFFED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IN THE SUPERVISION THAT'S REQUIRED WHEN WE GET INTO THOSE DETAILS. CHIEF SEO CAN EXPLAIN THAT MORE AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE THAT AS WE'RE AS WE'RE ADDING FIREFIGHTERS, WE'RE MAKING THAT THE STRUCTURE IS STAYING SOUND IN TERMS OF HOW THE DEPARTMENT SO I'LL STOP THERE YEAH THANK AND THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE BECAUSE I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO END NEXT YEAR. THIS IS A CONSCIOUS DECISION THAT WE MADE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS IN BLOOMINGTON AND THAT REQUIRES US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SIX YEARS. AND SO I THINK TO ME THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE UNDERSTAND. THIS CAN BE A CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR A LONG TIME. NEXT QUESTION IN TERMS OF HEALTH INSURANCE, IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT ORGANIZATIONS SWITCH HEALTH INSURANCE CARRIERS BUT DO WE HAVE OPTIONS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE HEALTH INSURANCE CARRIERS TO BE COMPETITIVE PRICING. I DON'T KNOW FROM A GOVERNMENT LEVEL MIGHT BE LIMITED BUT JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT OPTION A YES MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER WE DO HAVE A BROKER THAT WE USE AND GO OUT AND WE WE DO DO RFP FOR HEALTH INSURANCE WE'VE PRETTY FORTUNATE IN TIMES WHERE WE HAVE RECEIVED AN THAT WAS A LOT HIGHER THAN WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH WE HAVE GONE OUT AND DONE AN RFP AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY FORTUNATE OF HAVING THAT COME BACK LOWER AND IN RECENT YEARS WE'VE BEEN PART OF CONSORTIUMS WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE A LOWER PREMIUM INCREASE DUE TO THAT NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN THAT CONSORTIUM. SO BASED ON WHAT WE WERE SEEING WE WERE EXPECTING HIGHER INCREASES AND WE OUR CONTRACT HAD ENDED WITH THE MINNESOTA HEALTH CARE CONSORTIUM WITH MEDICA AND WE WERE PRETTY PLEASED THAT WHAT CAME THAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT BUT WE WILL BE GOING OUT FOR RFP FOR 2026 BUT JUST BASED ON WHAT WE SEEING AND ADVICE FROM OUR BROKER THAT THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD DEAL 2025 AWESOME. THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO HEAR THAT WE'RE STILL THAT PROCESS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE MOST COMPETITIVE RATES. THEN LAST QUESTION MORE DETAIL QUESTION IS JUST AROUND OUR FLEET IN MY INDUSTRY I'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS MANAGING THEIR OWN FLEETS DUE TO THE COSTS AND THE COMPLICATIONS AND THE ISSUES THAT ARISE WITH MANAGING YOUR OWN FLEETS SO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS WELL IS HOW HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR OWN FLEETS? IS IT WORTH US CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR OWN FLEETS OR BRING IN A THIRD PARTY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THAT THAT IS A TREND THAT I'M SEEING THAT LOTS OF COMPANIES ARE SAYING WE'RE DONE WITH THE HEADACHE AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE AND MIGHT NOT BE AS FEASIBLE FOR THE CITY WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF SERVICES WE HAVE TO PROVIDE BUT ALWAYS AN OPTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE CONTINUE TO ADJUST OUR BUDGETS AND AND UNDERSTAND THAT BUT OVERALL I THINK WHEN WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT THE THE BUDGET SEASON THE BIGGEST THING THAT I THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE KANKAKEE BECAUSE KANKAKEE VERY COMMON IN OUR OUR FIELD MANAGING A CITY IT'S EASY TO KICK SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE IT UNDER THIS BUDGET BUT AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BALLOONS, OTHER BUDGETS IF YOU DO IT LONG ENOUGH YOU COME TO SITUATIONS LIKE OURS WHERE WE ARE IN AT A TIME OF REINVESTMENT INTO THE CITY BECAUSE OF DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE PREVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF JUST WHAT WAS NEEDED AT THE TIME SO IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT CAN WE TAKE DOWN THE ROAD VERSUS WHAT CAN WE WHAT DO WE TO JUST BITE THE BULLET ON AND AND GET DONE RIGHT NOW. SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION AND LOOKING AT THE NEXT FEW MONTHS HERE, THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M CONSIDERING AND LOOKING AT IS HOW MUCH KANKAKEE HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH THAT WE HAVE TO JUST FIGHT IT AND DO RIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE PROSPEROUS IN THE FUTURE. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY WHAT CAN I CAN'T KICK THE CAN I KICKED DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE IT ISN'T NECESSARY RIGHT NOW OR WHAT CAN I ENSURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO KICK DOWN THE ROAD BUT THERE'S A TIMELINE OF WHEN THIS IS GOING TO COME BACK AND WE ACTUALLY DO THE WORK THAT'S NEEDED AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS I'VE BEEN GEARING UP FOR BUDGET SEASON HERE. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER THAT'S MARIA'S JOINING IN ON THIS CONVERSATION I HAVE ABOUT I HOLD HER HEAD IS VERY GOOD WE WILL WE WILL MAKE A YEAH OKAY SOUNDS GOOD THANK YOU NEVER A DULL NEVER A DULL CONVERSATION AT THIS TIME OF YEAR MR. MAYOR IF I CAN COUNCILMEMBER AS CAN KICKING COMMENTS THIS GOT ME THINKING THERE'S THERE'S IT JUST WE WE HAVE MADE LIKE I SAID SOME DECISIONS PRELIMINARILY HERE IN TERMS OF HOW WE MANAGE WHAT WE BRING FORWARD WE HAVE INCLUDED THE NEW FIREFIGHTER POSITION IN THE IN THE BUDGET REQUESTS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN FORECASTING THOSE FIREFIGHTERS TO THE POINT OF YOUR QUESTION OUT FOR A PERIOD OF ALMOST TEN YEARS AS WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO THAT EACH YEAR FOR THE TRANSITION THERE IS ANOTHER NEW STAFF REQUEST IN THE BUDGET BEYOND THE FIREFIGHTERS AND WE KNOW THAT HAVE NEEDS ELSEWHERE IN THE ORGANIZATION AND THOSE POSITIONS AREN'T ACCOUNTED FOR HERE. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS FALL AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE LOOKING ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS, WE'RE ALSO TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHERE DO WE NEED TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS AND SO A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT WILL BE FAMILIAR FOR THE COUNCIL IS CONTINUING WORK FROM THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT'S ADDING STAFF FOR FACILITIES AND FOR PARKS MAINTENANCE BASED ON THE SERVICES THAT WE HAD DONE THE SERVICE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS THAT COUNCIL SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE US IN IN PRACTICE HAVE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR STAFFING AND HOW RESOURCE THOSE SERVICES WE HAVE SOME WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE SPECIFICALLY THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER AND NEEDING TO BRING A COUPLE STAFF ON PROBABLY NOW AND DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE KEY AND CRITICAL AS WE DEVELOP THE PROGRAMING FOR THE BUILDING EVEN IT'S CONSTRUCTED AS HAVING THEM IN WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT COUNCILMEMBER NELSON IS CORRECT THAT HE HAS REMINDED US ANNUALLY OF HIS TO SEE ALTERNATIVE REVENUE AND TYING BACK AGAIN TO THE BLOOMINGTON FORWARD PROJECTS BUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO WE ARE LIKELY TO COME FORWARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR A PERSON TO BE A DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR AND WE'VE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MODELS OF WHETHER YOU GO A CONSULTANT ROUTE OR WHETHER YOU HIRED ON STAFF. WE DON'T HAVE EITHER THE EXPERTIZE OR THE CAPACITY ON STAFF TO DO THAT WORK RIGHT. SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A NEW BODY IF YOU GO THE CONSULTANT WROTE GENERALLY THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE A 30% CUT OR MORE AND BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT I THINK IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COUNCIL WILL PROBABLY SET AS AN EXPECTATION OR WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IS AN OUR WHY IT YOU'LL GET A BETTER BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IF WE HAVE A PERSON ON STAFF DOING THAT WORK WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET. I HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR HOW WE DO THAT. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE GO FORWARD. BUT THAT'S THAT'S JUST A REAL SMALL SAMPLE OF WHERE WE HAVE IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT AREN'T REFLECTED HERE AND ARE ALL GOING TO BE PART OF THE PUSH AND PULL HERE AS WE GO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THANK YOU AND I'LL NOTE AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH EVERYONE NOW AND THE PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION AND WE HAVEN'T ONCE TALKED ABOUT THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF WHAT ARE WE GOING TO STOP DOING AND? I WILL I WILL AT LEAST BRING IT TO THE ONCE AGAIN KNOWING THAT IT'S A DIFFICULT DISCUSSION AND A DIFFICULT DECISION TO HAVE TO GO INTO THAT. I MEAN WE WE'VE WE MADE A BIG A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON THE STOP DOING THE IN STOP DOING NATURE AND I KNOW WE STILL HEAR ABOUT IT FROM A LOT OF FOLKS AND SO IT'S IT'S NEVER A SMALL TASK BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED CONTINUE TO AT LEAST CONSIDER OR LOOK AT OPTIONS FOR. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S OUR DUTY TO DO THAT AND I THINK IN ANY BUDGET THERE THERE'S THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT. COUNCILMEMBER ELEMENT WELL TO THAT POINT THAT YOU'VE RAISED, YOU KNOW WE LOOKED AT ONE OF OUR GOLF COURSES. DO WE LOOK AT OUR OTHER GOLF COURSE IN TERMS OF DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO BE DOING THAT? AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT LIST IS YOU WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING HAVING A POOL INSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER . WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE? SO WE WANT TO OFFER BOTH OF THOSE OR WE'RE GOING TO CONCLUDE THAT SO I'LL PUT THOSE TWO OUT THERE AND I'VE GOT A NUMBER OF OTHER ONES LIKE THAT IN LET'S JUST PUT THOSE TWO OUT THERE TONIGHT TO START THAT CONVERSATION AND MAYBE THE ANSWER IS NO. WE WANT TO KEEP BOTH ITEMS YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT FOLKS GOING TO THAT. BUT I KNOW THAT'S THE QUESTION I HAVE SO WELL AND I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WILL NOTE THAT IN THE WORKING MODEL GULF WENT FROM 105000 TO 0 IN THE 2025 TAX LEVY. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT MEANS WE'RE DOING BETWEEN THE COMBINATION OF HIGHLAND BEING OFF THE CITY'S HANDS THE WORK THAT ONE IS DOING I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. THEY'RE BUT IT'S A GOOD QUESTION TO HAVE AND AND I THINK THE SECOND QUESTION REGARDING THE THE AQUATIC CENTER AS IT RELATES THE INDOOR AQUATIC PORTION OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY MIGHT BE, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION TO HAVE. I THINK IT'S A DISCUSSION TO HAVE THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE THREE YEARS OUT FROM CUTTING THE RIBBON THAT FACILITY. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANT TO MAKE THAT DECISION QUITE YET BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD BE IN THE MIX AS WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION CONTINUING AND THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE RUN INTO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE THE BASIC PRINCIPLE. WE'VE GOT ALL THESE REASONS WHY WE COULD, YOU KNOW, HANG ON TO IT AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS I'VE I'VE MENTIONED THIS I THINK A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT YOU KNOW WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE LOWEST OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THE WAKE OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE HAD OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THEY MADE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THERE WAS ONLY ONE SERVICE THAT WE ELIMINATED IN TOTAL AND WE'RE STILL HEARING ABOUT IT RIGHT. AND THERE WAS WAS FOUR YEARS AGO WITH THE MOTOR LICENSING THIS IS HARD. IT'S IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT AN I TOLD YOU SO OR ANY IN ANY WAY MEANT TO DISCOURAGE THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION. BUT CHANGE IS HARD RIGHT. PEOPLE COME TO RELY ON THESE SERVICES. THEY APPRECIATE THESE SERVICES AND. SO WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVICES THAT PEOPLE VALUE, IT'S IT'S A HARD CONVERSATION AND I'M ONE OF YOUR CHIEF CRITICS ON THAT. SO COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE MENTIONED UP HERE YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW PROBABLY EVERY TIME I TALK IS IS GOING ON A ROAD AROUND HERE. YOU KNOW, I LOVE THAT CONVERSATION AND I'LL I'LL JUST TALK TO IT UNTIL THEY FIRE ME. BUT IT IS LITERALLY $10 MILLION A YEAR EVERY YEAR AND I KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THAT COMES FROM OUR UTILITY AROUND OUR UTILITY SERVICE RIGHT SO IT'S NOT IN THE IN FRANCHISE FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IT'S NOT IN THE GENERAL BUDGET BUT BECAUSE THAT'S ALL USED FOR MAINTENANCE ON ROADS WE NEVER SEEM TO HAVE THE MONEY THAT WE NEED SIDEWALKS, TRAILS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT AND SO THEN THE PARKS TEAM HAS TO GO FIND THAT IN LIKE THE GENERAL FUND RIGHT? AND SO I'D LIKE TO JUST THROW OUT THERE MORE TIME. I'D LOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WHAT IS IT CALLED OUR CPI RIGHT. OUR CONDITION AND PERCENTAGE INDEX OR SOME DCO THE PAVEMENT PAVEMENT CONDITION IN THAT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IF OUR PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX LIKE NUMBERS WERE ADJUSTED AND IT STRETCHED THE NEED FOR OUR ROADS TO BE MAINTAINED I DON'T KNOW TWO YEARS, FIVE YEARS WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS WHAT DOES THAT DO IN TERMS OF LIKE FREEING UP MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR FOR US TO DO THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE KNOW COST YOU KNOW OUR PEOPLE WANT THAT WOULD THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO FIND THE MONEY FOR THAT IN OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET I JUST I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WON'T DO THAT ANALYSIS YOU I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HERE'SHY LONA BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY COULD DO IT BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. OKAY GREAT. I'LL SHUT UP. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION AND I AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY VERY INTERESTING TO GET THAT INFORMATION IF OUR PCI IS JUST INDEXED A LITTLE HIGH AND WE COULD TOLERATE OUR ROADS DEGRADING JUST A LITTLE MORE, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THAT FREEDOM? I THINK IT'S FASCINATING TO THINK ABOUT COUNCILMEMBER CREDIT QUESTION I JUST HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION. SO THE TERM ROAD DIET IS OFTEN USED WHEN COMMUNITIES ARE ABOUT MAKING ROADS SMALLER LIKE NARROWER THAN NOT. WHAT TALKING ABOUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST NOT MEANS LIKE I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT SPENDING MUCH MONEY ON ROAD MAINTENANCE EVERY YEAR WHEN I SAY DIET I'M TALKING ABOUT FINANCIAL DIET BECAUSE THAT'S THE BUDGET DISCUSSION TONIGHT. IT'S IT'S AN ACTUAL TERM A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE ROAD DIET MEANS A DIFFERENT THING OH WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TOO. BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF BUDGET I'M REFERRING TO THAT SPECIFICALLY THE FACT THAT THE PMP IS $10 MILLION WE DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT WE JUST ASSUME IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW WE HAVE TO SPEND $10 MILLION A YEAR ON ROAD MAINTENANCE AND LIKE TO JUST UNDERSTAND EITHER CONVINCE ME THAT WE DO OR SHOW ME THAT WE DON'T SO THAT WE CAN TAKE 2 MILLION OF THAT 10 MILLION A YEAR AND DO A TRAIL OR SOMETHING ELSE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND GENERAL FUND DOLLARS ON $2 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS AND WE NOW WE'VE SAVED SOME REAL MONEY FROM TAXPAYER SERVICES. SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR. IT FEELS REASONABLE TO ME BUT IF YOU ALL THINK I'M CRAZY THAT'S COOL TOO. I THINK IT'S REASONABLE? FAIR ENOUGH. JUST A PROVERBIAL RESPONSIBLE OR WE CAN HAVE WE CAN HAVE OUR ENGINEERING TEAM TAKE A LOOK AT IT IF COUNCIL WANTS TO. OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO ASK AGAIN IF IT COMES BACK AND IT'S REALLY REASONABLE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHO DETERMINES THE PCI IN THE FIRST PLACE LIKE A YEAH BUT I LIKE WHAT'S THE WHAT'S LET ME LET ME LET ME ASK IT LET ME PUT IT IN BECAUSE REMEMBER YOUR POINT WAS MADE I THINK WE'RE YEAH THE CONTEXT IS SAME AS THE RESERVE FUND QUESTION RIGHT WELL AND I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY SEGWAYS VERY NICELY INTO OUR NEXT DISCUSSION WHICH IS REGARDING OUR RESERVE FUNDS WHERE SIMILARLY I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW OUR RESERVE LEVELS WERE SET OR WHERE THEY ARE SET OR WHY. I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT RESERVE FUNDS ARE IMPORTANT TO HAVE. THE QUESTION IS THE LEVEL OF THE RESERVE FUNDS AND WHETHER WE ARE AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL AND SO THE THE THE RECOMMENDATION OR THE IDEA TO GO WITH GFI I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND AND LOOK AT IT ANALYTICALLY AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR US. AND YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT IT. I MEAN YOU TALKED ABOUT AN FUNDS ANALYSIS. YOU KNOW, IS THAT A BETTER APPROACH WHICH TRIGGERED IN MY MIND IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN ALL FUND RESERVE FUND? WHY DO WE NEED TO PASS THEM OUT BY BY A BY A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, DIFFERENT USE DIFFERENT BUDGET TOTAL I MEAN CAN WE JUST HAVE IT DO IS THERE A SAVINGS AVAILABLE YOU KNOW AND THE IN ECONOMIES OF SCALE JUST HAVING LARGE HERE'S OUR RISK MANAGEMENT RESERVE FUND AND EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO IT I DON'T KNOW I HAVE NO IDEA SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO GO FORWARD AND I THINK IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO GO FORWARD TO DO IT AND I THINK YOU CAN STAFF BUT YOU GUYS HAVE PLENTY TO DO ALREADY AND I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE JEFF AWAY DIG INTO IT AND SEE WHAT THE ANSWER TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS MAY BE. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON QUESTION YEAH, COUNCILMEMBER WOMAN THANK MAYOR. I GENERALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THE ALL FUNDS DISCUSSION AND IS THERE A WAY TO COMBINE ALL AND OR SOME THAT ARE SIMILAR AND THAT CONVERSATION EARLIER WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN TERMS OF DOES IT I THINK IF I HEARD CORRECTLY THEY WERE LOOKING TO STAFF LEADING IT BUT WORKING WITH JEFF OKAY SO ON IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. I WOULD ALSO THROW OUT AN IDEA TIMING MIGHT BE AN ISSUE OF DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE DOING A G.F. OR A C SO BUT YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR YOU KNOW WE TALKED WHEN WE DID THAT BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND I KNOW A COUNCILMEMBER SERVED THAT AND IT WAS VERY HELPFUL WE TALKED ABOUT HEY MAYBE PERIODICALLY ARE BIG ISSUES THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO GET INFORMED PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY TO COME IN AND HELP IF CITY STAFF IS FEELING LIKE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT STRETCHED THIN THAT MIGHT BE A REASONABLE APPROACH. BUT THERE'S ALSO A TIME THING SO I WOULD GIVE YOU GUYS TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHETHER OR NOT MADE SENSE. I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT AS AN IDEA ALSO I'D LIKE AS PART OF THAT PROCESS AND THIS CAME UP EARLIER TO LOOK AT POLICY OPTIONS THAT CAME UP WITH REGARDS TO LIKE ACCRUED PAYROLL AND BENEFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IF THERE'S BUDGET POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THEY COME BACK OUT OF THAT SAY WELL IF WE CHANGED OUR POLICY IT WOULD HELP THERE AND OTHER ONE I WOULD THROW IN THERE WAS LIKE THE SELF-INSURANCE FUND WHAT OUR REINSURANCE LEVEL WHEN DOES THAT KICK IN ? WHAT ARE THE COST BENEFITS OF THAT OF US HAVING A HIGHER AMOUNT ACCRUED THERE VERSUS US HAVING A LOWER AMOUNT AND HAVING A REINSURANCE ON THAT TYPE OF PROCESS? AND THEN THE LAST ITEM I HAD ON THIS WAS WILL THAT ALSO INCLUDE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES? MY FAVORITE OF ALL FUNDS THAT MR. MARIN COUNCILMEMBER NELSON WORKING IN REVERSE ORDER YES WE WILL LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND BECAUSE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I WILL HAVE FOR YOU IS THAT SOME OF THE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING AS REDUCTIONS FROM THE BUDGET ENTRIES ARE ONES THAT WE THINK WOULD POTENTIALLY BE PROJECTS YOU WANT TO CONTINUE FORWARD WITH AND THE BEST PLACE TO DO THEM IS A STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND. SO WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING FOR THAT AND SHOW YOU THE LONG TERM FORECAST FOR WHAT THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND LOOKS LIKE TO THE POINT ABOUT WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO MAYBE HAVE AN ADVISORY GROUP AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT RESERVES. I THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT DO THAT IF WE DO IT IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO IT AS A STAFF EXERCISE. SO RATHER THAN USING THE CONSULTANTS IN THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS CONTAIN THE CONSULTANT COST HERE AND ANY TIME WE HAVE THEM FOR EXTRA HOURS WORKING WITH THAT GROUP IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE. AND ON THE TIMING QUESTION WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE IT DONE BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH BUDGET PROCESS EVEN IF WE DON'T I THINK IT STILL MAKES SENSE FOR US TO GO ANYWAY. WE'VE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION HERE FOR LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER ABOUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT THE THAT WE MAKE AND YOU KNOW HOW WE HOW WE FORECAST INTO THE FUTURE AND SO I THINK I THINK IT IS IT MAKES SENSE TO GO AHEAD WITH THE STUDY IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER IT GETS DONE THIS YEAR OR NOT. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. COUNCILMEMBER LONGVIEW NEXT THING YEAH COME FROM ONE SO IF IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS IF WE COULDN'T GET THIS DONE THIS THIS ASSESSMENT DONE BY BY BUDGET TIME THEN I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF DOING ADVISORY GROUP IF IT'S GOING TO GO PAST THAT THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT I GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF OF IN TERMS OF YOU HAVING THE CONSULTANTS COME IN AND DO IT. BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME KIND OF GOING FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO THIS SO WE CAN OF HAVE AN ONGOING KIND OF ANALYSIS WITH WITH THIS WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE PORTION HERE. SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO US LOOKING INTO THIS AND THEN IF WE DO DO AN ALL FUNDS APPROACH ,I HOPE THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR ANALYSIS WHAT THAT MEANS FROM A SELF-INSURED IT'S A PORTION OF THAT. SO WE'VE GOT PART OF OUR BENEFITS THAT ARE SELF-INSURED AND I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS IF WE'RE DOUBLE OR IF WE DON'T ACCOUNT FOR THAT OR SOMEHOW MISS, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE THAT INCLUDED IN THAT AS PART OF THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE YOU KNOW IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND I JUST GET NERVOUS ABOUT THE THE DETAILS AND WITH THE TENURE OF COUNCIL YOU KNOW, TURNOVER AND THAT KIND OF THING AND JUST KIND OF UNDERSTANDING IS IN THAT THAT BUCKET AND WHY FROM A LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE IF WE FORGET ABOUT WHAT THAT IS AND THEN WE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE THEN REDUCE THAT AND CREATE NEW RISKS THAT WOULD BE THE OTHER THING I'D CONCERNED ABOUT THAT WE'RE JUST SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION THEN I HAVE IS NOT RELATED TO THAT AT ALL BUT IN TERMS OF THE POSITIVE FORECASTED VARIANCE FOR 2024, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE THAT'S GOING TO COME IN THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? MR. MCGEE OR GO AHEAD. JOURNALIST MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER MOMENTS FAR IN 2024 I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THAT TOP OF MY HEAD WHERE WE MIGHT COME IN FROM 24 BUT FOR THE THE YEAR THAT ENDED IN 2023 THERE WAS A 1.1 MILLION POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE OVER WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THE WORKING CAPITAL GOAL. SO THERE IS STILL THAT THAT WE HAVEN'T FORWARD YET TO MOVE AND THAT'S THAT'S COMING UP IN AN UPCOMING COUNCIL IS TO COUNCIL AGENDA IS TO MAKE THAT TRANSFER FOR THE BUDGET POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE THIS INTO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND SO THE END OF 23 WE DEPOSIT 24 WE DON'T HAVE A PROJECTION FOR THE END OF 24. OKAY. THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I'M THINKING ABOUT AS WE LOOK AT THESE OVERALL NUMBERS THAT WE'RE YOU KNOW ALMOST EVERY YEAR WE SEE THAT THAT THAT THAT THAT BUDGET VARIANCE I KNOW IN PREVIOUS YEARS IT WAS HIGHER BUT WE HAD CERTAIN DOLLARS IN THERE THAT WERE DESIGNATED SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE NOT OVER WHAT WE HAVE IN THERE BUT THAT WOULD BE NICE TO KIND OF USE THAT TO REDUCE THE OVERALL LEVY AS WELL. YEAH. AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN ACTUALLY I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE POSITIVE BUT BUDGET VARIANCE IF IF IF FOLKS ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND THEY HEAR US TALK EVERY YEAR WE HAVE THIS POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE AT THE END THE YEAR WHERE WE HAVE MORE MONEY, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY BEING OVERTAXED? WELL, HERE'S ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR CHARTER IS THAT WE HAVE TO LEVY FOR A CONTINGENCY AND THAT CONTINGENCY IS TWO AND A HALF PERCENT OF OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR THE COMING. AND SO EACH YEAR WE AN AMOUNT THAT WE ARE LEVYING THAT DOESN'T RELATE AT ALL TO OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. IT IS A REQUIREMENT AS ESSENTIALLY A SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE UNEXPECTED ID THAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO SAFEGUARD FINANCES. SO THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE UNLESS WE HAVE SOME BLACK SWAN EVENTS LIKE WE DID FOUR YEARS AGO BUT IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE'RE GOING TO FINISH ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LEDGER AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD BUDGETING PRACTICE. NO AND BUT I DIDN'T I DIDN'T REALIZE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS IN THE CHARTER THAT THAT IS INTERESTING TO HEAR. I DID NOT KNOW THAT. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU MAYOR SO I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS THE IDEA OF AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND I HESITATE TO ESTABLISH LIKE THAT FOR THIS BECAUSE IT IS SO STAFF INTENSIVE AND IF WE ARE TRYING TO CONTROL CONSULTANT COSTS THAT WORRIES ME THE OTHER OF THIS IS IT LOOKS LIKE THIS RETHINKING RESERVES INITIATIVE IS RELATIVELY NEW AND. THEY ARE THE EXPERTS ON IT AND I GUESS I WOULD I WOULD I WOULD JUST WANT TO BE SUPER SUPER IF WE HAD AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHAT EXACTLY IS THEIR ROLE? AND IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE THIS SEEMS A VERY SPECIFIC SKILL SET AND EXPERTIZE AND SO BUT WITH THAT SAID, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY YOU KNOW, IF THE CONSULTANTS HAVE IDEAS OR STAFF HAVE IDEAS ON WHAT ARE SOME KEY QUESTIONS CAN ASK THE COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE THEM. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT BUT MAYBE I'M OVERLY SENSITIVE TO THIS NOW THAT I WORK FOR A NONPROFIT AND THERE'S ALWAYS LOTS OF IDEAS TO CREATE COMMITTEES AND WORKGROUPS AND I'M LIKE MY GOSH IT'S JUST IT'S VERY STAFF INTEIVE AND SO I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THOUGHT THAT THAT YEAH. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE COUNCILMEMBER. I APPRECIATE THAT. LET'S REMEMBER I WOULD THINK I WOULD AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMEMBER JUST MENTIONED AS WELL BEING PART OF THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND BEING A RESIDENT IT TOOK A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET CAUGHT AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. AND I THINK WHEN YOU ORIGINALLY PITCHED THE IDEA WAS LIKE THREE MONTHS BUT ENDED UP BEING NINE MONTHS WHERE FOR LONG IT WAS AND SO AND I THINK THAT THE THE TROUBLE WITH THAT IS THAT IF WE NEED PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET THERE'S A SMALL POOL PEOPLE WE CAN ACTUALLY PULL FROM AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS WE WOULD HAVE SCOPE OF PEOPLE COULD PULL FROM AND THEN AS PEOPLE KIND OF LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT COMMITTEE AND SO I WOULD MUCH RATHER LEAN THE CONSULTANTS AND THEN IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE DOES BRING ON A PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP BRING RESIDENTS ALONG WE'RE INTERESTED IN THIS BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SOLUTION WE WOULD NEED FOR THIS YEAR OR IN THE SHORT TERM. THANK YOU FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERSIDE AND COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO PLEASE TURN YOUR MIC ON COUNCILMEMBER JUST GOT THREE TEXT MESSAGES FOR AN INVESTOR THAT LIVE THE CITY THAT WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. MM HMM. SO I'M KIND OF I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD VENUE FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET INVOLVED WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS WITH THE SPECIFIC INTENTIONS NOT JUST TO BE MEAN BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE ON IT AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY GOOD TO KNOW AGAIN WHERE IT'S ALL TBD STILL KIND OF WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THIS . COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING DOWN? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. RELATED TO THAT I OPEN QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW IF IT ISN'T GOING TO BE USEFUL TO US IN THE 2025 BUDGET IF WE MAKE THAT KIND OF A Q1 25 INITIATIVE, IT WOULD BE AN OPEN QUESTION I WOULD ASK BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT GOING INTO NEXT BUDGET BECAUSE. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT COMES OUT OF IT WHICH DOVETAILS INTO THE QUESTION OF COMMUNITY IS LET'S SAY THEY SAY YOU NEED THAT MUCH RESERVES NOW WE HAVE THIS POT OF MONEY NOW WHAT DO WE DO IT ? AND THAT'S WHERE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECOMES IF YOU HAVE INVESTORS MEMBER RIVAS THERE'S NOTHING TO INVEST RIGHT NOW BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING TO INVEST I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE'S IDEAS ARE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW AMONG ALL THE OTHER CRAZY THAT'S GOING ON IN THE FOURTH QUARTER HERE AROUND THE BUDGET PUTTING THAT BURDEN ON AND TEAM BUT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION GOING INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET MIGHT BE REALLY INTERESTING. THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE COMMUNITY BUDGETING THINGS THAT COULD DOVETAIL WITH A HEY WE HAVE THIS FUND THAT'S NOT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT IS THIS THING THAT'S COMING OUT OF THIS DECISION. YOU KNOW WHAT DO YOU THINK? I MEAN THAT'LL BE VERY INTERESTING TO ME SO WELL I DON'T KNOW IF THE TIMING MAKES A DIFFERENCE I THINK THAT MAKES A GOOD POINT. AND WE HEARD FROM MS.. CARLSON SHE WASN'T SURE WHAT THE TIMING MIGHT BE ON IT. SO I THINK WHAT LEARN SOON I THINK IDEALLY IF IF IT COULD BE USEFUL FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE THAT'D BE FABULOUS. MY GUESS IS IT MIGHT BE A BIT OF A PUSH YEAR WE'RE PUSHING THE END OF AUGUST ALREADY BUT IT IS SOMETHING AS MR. FERRUCCI SAID WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW I THINK TO WORK TOWARD RESOLUTION ON THIS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND TO GET SOME ANSWERS JUST FIGURE THIS OUT A LITTLE BIT BETTER I THINK WOULD MAKE SENSE WHETHER. IT IS FOR THIS BUDGET CYCLE OR THE NEXT EXPERIMENT WRAPPING THINGS UP HERE. YEAH, THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN KIND OF WHERE MY WAS IT WAS NOT TO BE WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANTS BECAUSE WHAT I HAD HEARD IS THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE STAFF LED AND IT WAS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP STAFF WAS MY THOUGHT PROCESS I WOULD BE VERY HESITANT TO NOT DO ANYTHING IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE AND IF THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE NEXT YEAR OR THERE'S NEVER ONE I MEAN I'M PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE JUST THROWING THE IDEA OUT THERE TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR TIME FRAME AND THINGS. BUT I DO THINK MIGHT IF YOU CAN AT LEAST LOOK AND I'M PERFECTLY FINE YOU GUYS COME BACK AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE CAN GET DONE THIS YEAR IF WE COULD GET 20% OF THAT DONE OR IF WE COULD LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THE FUNDS OR IF WE COULD DO LIKE A TEST DRIVE OF SOMETHING SO WE GO BY A FUND BY FUND ANALYSIS AND MAYBE WE DO THE ALL FUND YEAR WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR BIG FUNDERS DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR WHATEVER WE CAN DO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION BUT I TRUST GUYS CAN COME UP WITH THAT. BUT I DO THINK THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS WE IDENTIFIED IT LAST YEAR I DO THINK THERE'S SIGNIFICANT MONEY IN THOSE RESERVES. THAT DOESN'T MEAN I THINK THAT THERE'S HUGE SAVINGS NECESSARILY. YOU KNOW THE ANSWER WILL BE BASED ON THE FACTS NOT BASED MY ASSUMPTIONS, YOU KNOW. AND SO I JUST I WOULD TO SEE SOMETHING DONE ON IT THIS YEAR EVEN IF THAT'S A FIRST STEP OF KIND OF GETTING OUR FEET WET AND LEARNING PROCESS AND LEARNING HOW THAT WORKS AND THEN EXPANDING THAT NEXT YEAR AND THEN MAYBE THAT'S WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE WERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND AT WHAT LEVEL WHAT IS THEIR EXACT CHARGE AND AGAIN WE WILL KNOW MORE WHEN WE KNOW MORE HERE SHORTLY AS MS. CARLSON REACHES TO JEFFREY AND TRIES TO GIVE US SOME ANSWERS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COUNSEL IF NOT SO STAFF IS IS RECOMMENDING I THINK FOR OR AT LEAST LOOKING FOR A GUIDANCE FOR THE PRELIMINARY LEVY AND I THINK THE NOTION WAS 10.95% UNDERSTANDING THAT NUMBER COULD GO LOWER IT CANNOT GO HIGHER AND JUST BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION THIS EVENING, COUNSEL IS THAT WHERE WE'RE COMFORTABLE OR DO WE WANT TO BE THE TIC OR TO LOWER WHAT WHAT IS THE GENERAL THUMBS UP OR THUMBS ON THIS COUNCILMEMBER LEMON QUESTIONS. WELL, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, IN THERE YOU'VE YOU LET OFF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE IDEA IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE WE WHAT ARE WE NOT SEEING? AND THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT 10.95 AND IF YOU JUST LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S NUMBER THAT WE FINALLY SETTLED IN , I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THAT NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TODAY OR AM I OR AM I WRONG WITH THAT? IS THAT WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR? YEAH. MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN LAST YEAR'S FINAL WAS A 7.97. WE STARTED A .499.49. BUT IN TERMS OF THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME IMPACT, WHAT WOULD THAT THE IMPACT WAS HIGHER LAST YEAR. OKAY. AND SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF IMPACT WAS IN THE HIGH 6%. SO IF YOU KNOW IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF TRYING TO YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE WANT THAT LOW NUMBER A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT MAYBE WE'RE AT A YOU KNOW I'M LOOKING AT THE LEVY INCREASE MAYBE IT'S 11 1195 BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WHAT'S IN THAT NUMBER. WHAT ARE WE CUTTING OUT? WHAT WE AS COUNCILMEMBER SAY KICKING DOWN THE ROAD AND I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH KICKING THAT STUFF DOWN THE ROAD. I'D LIKE US TO KIND OF JUST TAKE IT ON NOW IF IT MAKES SENSE TO KIND OF DO THAT AND HOW CAN WE REDUCE THAT 13% THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I'M DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT 13% THERE'S NO WAY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT SO I JUST WOULD RATHER GET IT DONE THIS YEAR. TAKE SOME OF THAT SO WE CAN REDUCE IN THE OUT YEARS THE THOUGHTS NOT EVERYBODY AT ONCE. IT'S A LET'S REMEMBER I REMEMBER PREVIOUS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER I GUESS I'M OF A SIMILAR MIND TO COUNCILMEMBER NELSON WHERE YOU KNOW I DON'T GET TOO WORKED UP ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY GUESS I WOULD BE FINE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS FOR NOW AND THEN BUT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PRETTY CONSIDERABLE DECREASE FOR THE FINAL SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, MORE OF A QUESTION THAN A SO IF WE WERE TO GO WITH A 10% OR 11% WE NEED TO REDUCE 4,000,004.8 MILLION. I BUDGET. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT OF ALL OF THE BUDGET INPUTS. YES. SO JUST TAKE EVERYBODY OR AT LEAST SORT OF REMEMBER COUNCILMEMBERS STATED EARLIER THAT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS WHAT WE WHAT WE ARE REDUCING SPECIFICALLY. I MEAN FOR THE MOST PART I HAVE THE TENDENCY TO AGREE EVEN THOUGH IT'S GOING TO BE HIGHER IF WE DON'T REDUCE ANYTHING BUT IF WE PROVIDE THE SAME QUALITY OF SERVICES MOST PEOPLE ONE THE BASIC ROADS SNOW AND PUBLIC WORKS YOU STUFF LIKE THAT AND AS LONG AS THEY GET THAT YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT AND HIGH QUALITY WE ARE USED TO IN BLOOMINGTON THEY'RE FINE WITH IT. BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS WHAT IS IT THAT WE WILL BE REDUCING IF WE GO WITH 11%? I'M JUST JUST TO LEARN YOU KNOW JUST TO KNOW THAT WE'RE MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION ON THAT AND JUST FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT, COUNCILMEMBER WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AND DON'T HAVE TO SET THIS TONIGHT. WE CAN CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION. WE WILL SET OUR PRELIMINARY LIBRARY IN SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 9TH, SEPTEMBER 9TH. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET PUT A SENSE OF DIRECTION TO STAFF RIGHT NOW. AND IF YOU'RE THINKING, YOU KNOW AT THIS 11 COUNCILMEMBER WOMAN I'M THINKING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER I THINK I MEAN ARE WE ARE WE COMFORTABLE 10.95 OR ARE WE COMFORTABLE SAYING 11.5 WHAT DO WE WHAT ARE WE THINKING? AND THAT'S THE STARTING POINT AND THEN IF WE AGREE TO THAT THEN IN SEPTEMBER IT CAN ONLY COME IT CAN'T GO HIGHER. AND SO AS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER SAID GENERALLY, STAFF GOES BACK AND SHARPENS THE PENCILS AND FIGURES OUT EXACTLY HOW FAR THEY CAN BRING IT DOWN. BUT TO YOUR POINT AND TO THE POINT THAT I MADE TO START THIS OFF, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT'S WHAT THE COST I MEAN NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL COST BUT THE COST IN TERMS OF SERVICES OR IN TERMS WHAT YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY COST THAT WE'RE MISSING. WITH THAT SAID, THAT'S MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW. I MEAN EVEN THOUGH IT'S A PRELIMINARY DECISION STILL MAKES IT HARD TO AND TO ME AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS ISN'T THE DECISION WE'LL MAKE THAT DECISION ON SEPTEMBER 9TH. THIS IS JUST KIND OF DIRECTION FOR STAFF RIGHT NOW WHERE WANT ERIC NELSON YEAH THANKS MAYA. AND JUST FOR COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS I MEAN IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT FLEXIBILITY TO LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION I WOULD SUGGEST GO WITH THE HIGHER NUMBER. YEAH, I MEAN WE CAN JUST MAKE THE PENCIL MORE SHARP THEN SO I MEAN IF WANT TO SEE THAT BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE THEN YOU KNOW GO TO 11.95 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT JUST JUST DO THAT. WE CAN ALWAYS BRING IT DOWN LATER. THIS NUMBER IS A A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO PUT SOME NUMBER OUT THERE AND IT'S NOT THE FINAL NUMBER. AND LIKE I'VE SAID AGAIN EVERY YEAR I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS NUMBER. I CARE ABOUT THE LAST NUMBER. THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO PAY. SO THAT'S THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON AND DO ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR SO AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS I'M I'M COMFORTABLE DOING THAT. YOU'RE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE WE'VE GOT A LOT IN PLAY THIS YEAR. RIGHT. AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO LAND IT 12%. I THINK OUR CHALLENGE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GETTING WITH WITH THE INVESTMENT, WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS AND THEN HELP UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT. SO YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME ON THAT SECOND COLUMN BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT THAT THIRD COLUMN, I MEAN THAT'S SO WHAT DOES THAT COMPARE TO IT? YOU KNOW, 10.95% THAT'S A HAPPY MEAL, RIGHT? I MEAN TAKE YOUR KIDS TO MCDONALD'S ONCE A MONTH. IT'S A HAPPY MEAL. THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE MEDIAN HOME GETS RIGHT OR IF DON'T HAVE KIDS. AND YOU KNOW THAT NEXT ONE UP IS PROBABLY A VENTI FRAPPUCCINO AT STARBUCKS, RIGHT? I MEAN LITERALLY THAT'S YOU KNOW, LET'S PUT IT IN CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO YEAH SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS DO YOU WANT HAPPY OR VENTI FRAPPUCCINO? SO THAT'S THE POLICY DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD SO NOW TELL YOU WHAT WE'LL WE'LL TAKE INPUT WE'LL GO BACK TO STAFF AND BRING SOMETHING BACK FOR SEPTEMBER 9TH OR FORECAST TO YOU ADD IN AN UPCOMING PTW WHAT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN AND WHEN WE GET THERE YOU'LL THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION WAS THIS HELPFUL IS HELPFUL IT'S VERY HELPFUL THAT IS THANKS YES THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU THANKS FOR INFORMATION AND THANKS FOR THE CONVERSATION, COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION I THINK THIS IS ONCE AGAIN GOOD AND HEALTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND THIS I HAVE SAID BEFORE AND I CONTINUE TO THAT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE ALL YEAR THAT THIS IN THESE DISCUSSIONS THESE DECISIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO AS A CITY COUNCIL. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT THAT GOES INTO IT I APPRECIATE THE WILLINGNESS OF EVERYBODY TO TO LOOK AT THIS NOT ONLY THOUGHTFULLY AND ANALYTICALLY BUT WITH WITH EMPATHY AND WITH YOU KNOW, WITH HEART ALSO. AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT AND IT'S IT'S EQUAL PARTS I THINK SCIENCE AND ART AND AND BELIEF IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION WITH THAT COUNCIL. I THINK WE'VE GOT ITEM FIVE POINT OR EXCUSE ME FIVE POINTS TO POINT TO OUR CITY COUNCIL POLICY AND ISSUE UPDATE ANYTHING TO TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL I GOODNESS HANDS EVERYWHERE COUNCILMEMBER NELSON AND COUNCILMEMBER AND AND COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO COUNCILMEMBER NELSON YEAH THANKS MAN BE QUICK. I WAS AT THE OFF LEASH PARK OVER THE WEEKEND AND A QUESTION CAME UP THERE ARE SIGNS THAT ARE GOING DO THE MAINTENANCE THERE WHICH IS GREAT BUT THERE WERE SOME SIGNS ABOUT PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND THINGS LIKE SO PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED ON WHAT WOULD BE TAKEN BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT LIKE WATER BOWLS CHAIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THEY'RE WORRIED THAT STAFF WAS GOING TO COME AND CLEAR ALL THAT STUFF OUT OF THERE AND SO AND THEY CHECKED THE WEBSITE I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE WEBSITE EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS BUT IF THERE COULD BE SOME CLARIFICATION OF OF THAT FOR PEOPLE ON THE WEBSITE JUST SO THEY KNOW BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE YOU KNOW, JUST MADE IT A NICE PLACE FOR THEMSELVES TO COME IN AND. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE CHAIRS FOR PEOPLE THAT MAYBE CAN'T WALK THE DOG OR STAND THE TIME. NOW MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER NELSON, THANKS FOR RAISING THAT ISSUE OF ALL IF FOLKS AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE CHANGE AND YOU DO GO TO THE THE DOG PARK WE DO WANT TO JUST PROVIDE REGULAR MAINTENANCE TO MAKE SURE IT'S STAYING UP TO A STANDARD THAT I THINK PEOPLE HELD FOR WHAT THE ENVIRONS LOOK LIKE WHEN ARE HANGING OUT THERE THEIR PUPS ARE HANGING OUT THERE AND. I'LL GET CLARITY ABOUT WHAT THEY MEAN ABOUT PERSONAL PROPERTY BECAUSE. YES, PEOPLE BRING SOME STUFF OUT THERE. WE DON'T WANT IT TO BECOME, YOU KNOW, A COLLECTOR'S ROADSHOW ON THE PROPERTY. RIGHT. SO WE'LL SOME CLARITY AND SEE IF WE CAN ADD SOME ADDITIONAL MESSAGING AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT MAINTENANCE IS GOING TO HAPPEN WEDNESDAY MORNINGS ON A REGULAR LIKE ONCE A MONTH. YEAH, YEAH KNOW SO COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN YOU MAYOR THE QUESTION I'VE HAD FOR NOW FROM A COUPLE DIFFERENT RESIDENTS I'M SURE WE PROBABLY HAVE AN EMAIL OR TWO ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGNING INSIDE OF THE FARMERS MARKET IS THAT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN CAN THAT BE DONE? HOW DOES THAT HOW'S THAT HANDLED? MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCIL MEMBER LOWMAN STATE STATUTE REQUIRES THAT THERE HAS TO AT LEAST A 100 FOOT SEPARATION FROM THE VOTING PLACE WITHIN A BUILDING SO WHEN WE HAVE ABSENTEE AND EARLY VOTING THAT'S GOING ON HERE IN CIVIC PLAZA WE WILL HAVE IDENTIFIED WHERE THAT 100 FOOT SPACING IS SOME YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S IN THE GALLERY SO SOME OF IT'S GOING TO EXTEND OUT ONTO THE SIDEWALK SOME OF IT'S GOING TO EXTEND THIS WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE ATRIUM AND PEOPLE CANNOT BE CONDUCTING ANY SORT OF CAMPAIGNING INFLUENCE ACCOSTING VOTERS RIGHT WITHIN THAT WITHIN THAT SPACE ON ELECTION DAY ITSELF IT'S ACTUALLY WITH OF THE PROPERTIES SO THERE CAN'T BE ANY INSIDE THE BUILDING OR IN THE PARKING LOTS. SO DURING ABSENTEE AND EARLY VOTING IT'S A LITTLE LESS STRINGENT SO IT'S ACTUALLY WITHIN HUNDRED FEET FROM THE PLACE ITSELF ON ELECTION DAY IT'S THE WHOLE THE WHOLE SITE I AND YOU KNOW STATUTE IDENTIFIES THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE PRECLUDED FROM DOING THE ONLY THING REALLY THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT IS MESSAGE IS I VOTED STICKERS SO ANYTHING ELSE IF SOMEBODY IS WEARING A CANDIDATE'S SHIRT THEY CAN'T BE IN THAT RESTRICTED ZONE SO PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO LEAFLET OR TO CANVASS WILL HAVE TO RESPECT BOUNDARY SEPARATIONS DURING THE REST OF THIS FALL ESPECIALLY FOR THIS BUILDING AND OUR STAFF IS AWARE OF THAT. OUR ELECTION STAFF WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY HERE WHO KNOWS THOSE DISTANCE SEPARATIONS. SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION THAT ARISES YOUNOW, THEY THEY WILL EITHER ASK A PERSON OR IF NECESSARY, YOU KNOW WE CAN HAVE A SERGEANT AT ARMS. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A SERGEANT AT ARMS LAW IS NOT ALLOWED TO JUST HANG OUT. ALL RIGHT. POLICE CAN'T JUST HANG IN THE POLLING PLACE BUT IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE WE WILL JUST CALL THE POLICE AND THEY'LL ALSO RESPOND AS WELL. THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION . DIDN'T REALIZE YOU COULD CLEARLY DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S IN PAST YEARS WE'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY HEY, YOU CAN'T BE DOING THAT OVER THERE SO IT'S GOOD TO GET THAT CLARIFICATION ON THAT. SO THE SECOND THING I HAVE IS NO KIND OF A THANK YOU TO BOTH THE CITY MANAGER MAYOR CUSTOMER ALEXANDER FOR SHOWING UP TO OUR MID-YEAR CELEBRATION ON SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU FOLKS. I KNOW WE GET LOTS OF DEMANDS ON OUR TIMES AND THAT KIND OF THING SO I UNDERSTAND FOLKS CAN'T MAKE IT. I ALMOST GOT I WAS LATE THERE TOO. I HAD TO WORK LATE THAT AND COULDN'T GET GET THERE RIGHT ON TIME SO I WAS LATE TO MY OWN THING AND THEN WITH THAT SAID I JUST HAD ANOTHER QUICK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN AND OF ITSELF. HAVE WE DONE A SERVICE ASSESSMENT JUST RELATED TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY OR ANY OF OUR EQUITY AREAS AND MADE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS IT RELATES TO BOTH THOSE TWO AREAS I KNOW WE'VE GOT A BIG BUDGET REQUEST THAT'S KIND OF COMING THROUGH AND IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE KIND OF HAD YOU KNOW, AFTER SITTING AT THAT AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE PROPERLY STAFFED IN BOTH AREAS, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS? COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN WE HAVE NOT PROGRAMED EITHER SUSTAINABILITY OR OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY FOR A SERVICE ASSESSMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT IS NOT UNHEARD OF THAT WE WOULD DO THAT WITH ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS AND AS AN EXAMPLE I WOULD SHARE THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OUR CODE , THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT DIVISION WHICH HAS NOW BEEN FUNCTIONING FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS OF TAKING A LOOK AND MAKING SURE WE STILL HAVE THEM FOCUSED IN THE AREAS THE COUNCIL SET OUT AS EXPECTATIONS AND SORT OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE DESIGNED IN TERMS OF HOW THEY WORK WITH OUR STAFF AND WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN DOING WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU SHARE THAT FEEDBACK WITH ESPECIALLY GO WE GO THROUGH THIS YEAR WHEN BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THAT WOULD LIKELY TAKE IT WOULDN'T BE AN INFLUENCER INTO THE 25 BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO TAKE A LOOK AT DURING 25 WE CAN CERTAINLY PROGRAM THAT IN FOR THE COMING YEAR AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I HAD AN INTEREST IN THAT IS I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT THERE BEING A CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND AND ABOUT THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS WITHIN OUR CITY AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE SERIOUS OF OUR OVERALL MISSION THAT WE TALK ABOUT. I JUST WONDER IF IT MAKES SOME SENSE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AS WE KIND OF GO INTO OUR OUR FUTURE YEARS AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN AS WE AS LOOK BACK AT OUR OR ARE IN OUR OUR MISSION STATEMENT THAT KIND OF SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO SO. COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I HOPE YOU HAD AS MUCH FUN AS I DID ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING BACK FROM THERE AND WHAT I ALWAYS LOVE ABOUT IT IS I GET REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION THAT I DON'T KNOW ANSWER TO AND THEN I PLAY STUMP THE CITY MANAGER WITH THIS AND FOR THESE REQUESTS AND SO IT WAS A SUPER FUN ONE. I HAVE A REALLY INTERESTING AND PROBABLY REALLY EASY TO DO THING THAT I WANT TO PUT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AS A RESULT OF NATIONAL NIGHT OUT INQUIRIES TODAY WE DO NOT ALLOW NOT BECAUSE WE EXPLICITLY DON'T ALLOW IT BUT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE GRAFFITI CURBSIDE NUMBERS HOUSE NUMBERS WE JUST DON'T DO IT MAKES SOME SENSE IN THE SENSE THAT LIKE SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR THEY'RE COVERED BY SNOW. SO I GET THAT BUT IF PEOPLE WANTED TO WE COULD CARVE OUT AND A SMALL ITEM IN OUR POLICY THAT SAYS YOU CAN DO IT. HERE ARE THE PARAMETERS THAT YOU NEED TO USE. YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE STENCIL THAT NEED TO USE THEY ALL NEED TO BE UNIFORM A CERTAIN SIZE AND YOU HAVE TO USE PAINT OR WHATEVER. WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING ANY REASON NOT TO DO THAT IN YOUR MINDS OR I MEAN BECAUSE IT'S LITERALLY PROBABLY LINES EXCEPTION TYPE THING THAT WE PUT INTO THE CODE I JUST THAT WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT AND PEOPLE LIKE YEAH WHY DON'T WE DO THAT IT'S SO GOOD FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BLAH BLAH BLAH I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T DO THIS. WELL I DON'T MY INITIAL RESPONSE IS IT'S GOOD FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR. YEAH EXACTLY. AND AND I THINK OR LESS AS YOU KNOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS EXACTLY EXACTLY YEAH I, I WOULD THAT I'D BE FINE WITH IT BUT I THINK IT COULDN'T BE IN REPLACEMENT FOR THE HOUSE NUMBERS YOU KNOW ON THE HOUSE OR THAT'S BUILT IN JUST TO GIVE THEM THAT IF THEY WANT TO DO IT GIVE THEM THE PARAMETERS THEY COULD DO IT AND LET THEM DO IT AND WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT PER OR ANYTHING BUT IF THE PEOPLE WANTED TO DO IT WE COULD GIVE THEM A LITTLE GUIDANCE AND A STENCIL CONCEPT AND LIKE HERE'S THE FONT YOU NEED TO USE I DON'T KNOW LIKE WHATEVER. HOW ABOUT IT, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS THANK COUNCILMEMBER D'ALESSANDRO BECAUSE LAST WEEK SHE WAS PLAYING STUMP THE CITY MANAGER WHEN SHE SENT ME THAT QUESTION AND SO I SENT IT TO OUR STAFF AND THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY SAID WHILE YOU'RE PLAYING STUMP THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. SO IT TOOK US A LITTLE BIT OF DIGGING BEFORE WE DID DETERMINE YES IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO PAINT THEIR ADDRESS ON THEIR CURB THAT'S GRAFFITI BASED ON WHAT OUR CODE SAYS NO MY CHECKING IN WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH ENGINEERING AND I WENT THROUGH PLANNING AND I WENT THROUGH LEGAL I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE THEIR HAIR ON FIRE IF WE HAVE AN EXEMPTION AND HAVE HOUSE NUMBERS PAINTED ON CURBS. IT'S NOT A STANDARD PRACTICE AROUND HERE DOWN SOUTHWEST IF YOU'VE TRAVELED IN YOU SEE IT IN OTHER PLACES, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT'S A IF COUNCIL SAYS YEAH GO AHEAD, BRING IT FORWARD. I THINK IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE THING BUT JUST KICKSTARTING THAT WILL ALSO JUST GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF WHEN WE WERE GOING AROUND JUST ASKING THE QUESTION OF WHY IS IT NOT ALLOWED? RIGHT. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER ALL OUR BASES BUT CERTAINLY NOT OPPOSED TO TAKING A LOOK AT IT. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I I AM I DON'T HAVE A DIFFERING OPINION BUT I DO THINK WE SHOULD ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I DID GROW UP IN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS WHERE PEOPLE GET THE SPRAY PAINTED NUMBERS ON YOUR CURBS AND LIKE ESTHETICALLY IT'S NOT PLEASING I MEAN LIKE YOU KNOW IT'S AND PEOPLE LIKE I HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT THAT BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED GRAFFITI, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE THERE SHOULD BE LIKE SEVERE PENALTIES OR WHATEVER. BUT I ALSO WOULD BE INTERESTED KNOW WHAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRONG OPINIONS IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT. YEAH, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER, I APPRECIATE THAT CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE DO THINGS IS THAT WE ALWAYS FACTOR IN SOME SORT OF AN STEP WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING CHANGES TO OUR ORDINANCE AND REALISTICALLY BECAUSE OF THE TIME OF YEAR RIGHT NOW, BY THE TIME GOT THROUGH DRAFTING SOMETHING, BRINGING IT THROUGH THE PROCESS, IT'S TO THE POINT OF THE YEAR WHERE NOBODY'S GOING TO BE OUT PAINTING THEIR CURB ANYWAY SO IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TILL NEXT SUMMER IF THE COUNCIL WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT FLEXIBILITY IT GIVES US SOME TIME TO WRITE ANYTHING ELSE. COUNCIL DOES THAT YEP YEP YEP I THINK SO AND THANK YOU FOR THE COUPLE OF FOLKS TALKING ABOUT EVENTS ON SATURDAY THE LEARNING LINKUP THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PUT WAS FANTASTIC OVER VALLEY VIEW PARK OR A VALLEY VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN THE ON THE ONE FESTIVAL AVANT GARDE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB PUTTING THAT ON EVERY YEAR AND IT BOTH WERE FANTASTIC EVENTS AND GOOD COMMUNITY BUILDERS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS SO AND DON'T THINK I DIDN'T WIN THE MASCOT RACE AGAINST THE MASCOTS THE PRINCIPALS ALSO AND PULLED EVERY MUSCLE IN MY BODY DO HMM. MM HMM. YEAH. I HAVEN'T SPRINTED IN 20 YEARS. SO, KELSO, IF THERE IS NOTHING ,I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN SOME OF . WE HAVE A MOTION IN THE SECOND TO ADJOURN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY SAYING I OPPOSE MOTION CARRY SEVEN ZERO WE ARE ADJOURNED THANKS MUCH. THANK YOU AGAIN CARRIE THANK YOU