. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND WELCOME. I WILL CALL OUR BLOOMINGTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER. TONIGHT IS MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH 2025. THIS IS A STUDY MEETING OF OUR CITY COUNCIL AND WE HAVE EXACTLY ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING INSTEAD OF 5.1 IT'S A DISCUSSION OF OUR 2026 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY AND GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM COREY CARLSON REGARDING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WHERE WE ARE FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT. WE'RE THEN GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR A ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON IT. IT'S NOT OFFICIALLY A PUBLIC HEARING. IT'S A PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY AND WE'LL INVITE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE SAME AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OUR SAME 9:00 DEADLINE WITH OUR COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT. SO WE'VE GOT THAT TO CONSIDER AS WELL. SO THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS ITEM THAT WE DO HAVE THIS EVENING. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT COUNCIL? VERY GOOD. LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN. MS. CARLSON GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE AGENDA. SORRY. I'M JUST TRYING TO ADVANCE THE SLIDE . ONE MOMENT . THERE YOU GO. OKAY. FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION I'LL START WITH SOME BACKGROUND AND OUR INITIAL FORECAST FOR 2026 AND THEN FROM THERE I'LL WALK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT LEVERS WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO LOWER THE PROJECTED TAX LEVY. WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT THE PRELIMINARY GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR 2026 AND SHARE AN UPDATE ON OUR PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS. I'LL CLOSE THAT SECTION WITH THE 2026 BUDGET CALENDAR AND KEY MILESTONES AHEAD. AND AFTER THE PRESENTATION AS YOU SAID, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE EACH PERSON WILL HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES. THEN WE'LL LOOK TO THE COUNCIL FOR A DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE ON THE PRELIMINARY LEVY . >> SO AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AS WE LOOKED AHEAD TO 2026, OUR INITIAL TAX LEVY FORECAST WAS SHOWING AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 15.7 MILLION WHICH WOULD BE JUST UNDER 18% AND A BIG FACTOR DRIVING THIS FORECAST WAS EXPIRING FUNDING . SO THERE'S FUNDING THAT IS ENDING IN 2026 AND THAT INCLUDES SOME ONE TIME PUBLIC SAFETY STATE AID THAT IS FUNDING SIX POSITIONS SOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE ALSO COMING TO AN END THIS YEAR THAT HAS BEEN FUNDING THREE FIRE BATTALION CHIEFS AS WELL AS THE FIRST OF ARE TO SAVE FOR GRANTS THROUGH FEMA THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDING ENABLED US TO BRING ON 18 FIREFIGHTERS FOR EACH OF THOSE GRANTS. AND AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT GRANT WILL BE ENDING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026. AND WE DO HAVE A CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, I'M SORRY A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE. SORRY. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO THE EXPIRING FUNDING SOURCES ARE AS I SAID, THE PUBLIC SAFETY STATE AID, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT FUNDS AS WELL AS OUR FIRST OF OUR TWO SAFER GRANT FUNDS AND THEN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE OUTLOOK FOR 2026 AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THE LODGING AND ADMISSION TAX HAS COME BACK FROM THE PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS WHICH IS WONDERFUL BUT WE'RE NOT PROJECTING HUGE GROWTH FOR 2026 AND SO THAT WON'T BE MAKING UP THAT THE EXPIRING FUNDS THE GRANT FUNDS AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE FORECAST FOR PERMIT REVENUE AND LICENSING REVENUE THOSE ALSO LOOK FLAT LOOK FLAT. SO KNOWING THAT THESE CHALLENGES ARE COMING RIGHT AWAY BEGINNING IN JANUARY THE CORE BUDGET TEAM BECAME PLANNING TO JUST START LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE THIS LARGE PROJECTED TAX LEVY AND SO THAT WORK HAS CONTINUED. WE'VE DONE REGULAR ANALYSIS COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND IT WILL REMAIN ONGOING AS WE REFINE THIS 2026 BUDGET. SO THE FIRST LOVER WE'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DEBT PLANNING. SO IN OUR ORIGINAL FORECAST AT THE END OF LAST YEAR A COUPLE OF CAPITAL PROJECTS WOULD HAVE DRIVEN A BIG INCREASE IN DEBT SERVICE FOR 2026. SO SINCE THEN WE'VE SCALED BACK OR PUSHED OUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WHICH DROPPED THE IMPACT FROM $4.2 MILLION IN THE TAX LEVY DOWN TO 1.5 MILLION. AND SO THAT MEANS THE TAX LEVY INCREASE FOR DEBT IS NOW DOWN AT 1.7% AS OPPOSED TO ALMOST 5%. AND THEN ALSO ON THIS SLIDE I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE PROJECTS AT THE BOTTOM WHICH ARE THE NEW COMMUNITIES CENTER, THE ICE GARDEN RENOVATIONS AND THE NINE MILE CREEK AND MORE PARK UPGRADES, THOSE ARE FUNDED SEPARATELY WITH THE HALF PERCENT LOCAL SALES TAX THAT WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS. THOSE DO NOT AFFECT THIS PROPERTY TAX LEVY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT. THE SECOND LUMBER HAS TO DO WITH THE NORMANDY LINK DISTRICT TAX LEVY. THE ORIGINAL FORECAST SHOWED ABOUT A $450,000 TAX LEVY FOR 2026 SO THAT WAS INCREASING WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GROW TO $900,000 IN FUTURE YEARS AND THAT HAS NOW BEEN REVISED DOWN TO 250,000 FOR 2026 AND BEYOND. AND THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IS WE MOVED A MAJOR $5 MILLION PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PROJECT FROM THAT PLAN. SO THAT LOWERED THE TAX LEVY DOWN ABOUT $200,000. THE NEXT THING WE'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS USING A PORTION OF THE END OF YEAR IN 2020 FOR POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE. SO AT THE END OF 2024 WE DID AND THE YEAR VERY WELL WITH A 4.4 MILLION SURPLUS DUE TO REVENUES BEING ABOVE BUDGET AND EXPENSES BEING BELOW BUDGET AND SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO TRANSFER THAT BUDGET POSITIVE BUDGET VARIANCE INTO STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AT THE END OF THIS MONTH WHICH GIVES THE COUNCIL FLEXIBILITY ON HOW TO USE THAT OF THAT TOTAL WE ARE PROPOSING THAT 2.55 MILLION COULD BE DEDICATED INTO STABILIZING THE 2026 TAX LEVY AND THEN THE REMAINING MONEY CAN BE USED TO ADDRESS ONE TIME CAPITAL NEEDS OR OTHER STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND THEN WITH THAT 4.4 MILLION TRANSFER THAT WOULD ADD TO THE CURRENT BALANCE THAT'S IN THERE OF $6 MILLION SO THAT THERE WOULD BE OVER AND 10 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR PERSONNEL COSTS. WE ARE SHOWING A REDUCTION OF 1.1 MILLION OF WHAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY FORECASTING. SO THE ORIGINAL FORECASTED COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OR COLA HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM WHAT WE WERE PREVIOUSLY PROJECTING. AT THE SAME TIME DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN DIRECTION TO LIMIT STAFFING GROWTH AND INSTEAD MEET GROWING NEEDS BY EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR INTERNAL REALLOCATION AND OUR WORKFORCE IS ESSENTIAL AS YOU KNOW TO DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY SERVICES AND THE GOAL IS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT WHILE ALSO MANAGING THE GROWTH OF PERSONNEL COSTS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. WE HAVE SAVINGS ABOUT 850,000 AGAIN THIS IS FROM OUR INITIAL FORECAST AND THE CITY AS YOU KNOW AS PART OF THE MINNESOTA HEALTH CARE CONSORTIUM WHICH HELPS SPREAD RISKS ACROSS MULTIPLE MEMBERS AND STABILIZE PREMIUMS. AND OUR MOST RECENT CLAIMS TO PREMIUM RATIO CAME IN AT 96%, WHICH IS VERY FAVORABLE. IT'S UNDER 100% AND THE RESULT IS WE'RE NOT GETTING AN INCREASE IN OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR 2026. SO WE'RE HOLDING FLAT AT 0% WHICH IS NOT WHAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY EXPECTING OR WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS YEAR IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET. SO THIS SLIDE BRINGS EVERYTHING TOGETHER SO ACROSS THE DIFFERENT AREAS WE JUST WALKED THROUGH THE CAPITAL AND DEBT PLANNING THE NORMANDY LINK DISTRICT LET ME THE POSITIVE 2024 BUDGET VARIANCE THE REDUCED PERSONNEL COSTS, REDUCED HEALTH INSURANCE ALL OF THAT TOGETHER IS A TOTAL OF ABOUT $7.4 MILLION. AND SO BEFORE THESE CHANGES THE PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HIGHER WITH THE $7.4 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS AND SPREAD DOWN TO 9.44%. SO WHICH IS ABOUT 8.3 MILLION. SO THESE ARE THE LEVERS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO REDUCE THE LEVY WHILE STILL MEETING CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL NEEDS . AND SO THIS IS A PRELIMINARY GENERAL FUND BUDGET SO SHOWING TOTAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES YOU'LL SEE PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP ABOUT 68% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOLLOWED BY THE LODGING ADMISSION TAX REVENUES. THAT'S AT 9%. AND THEN ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY HALF OF THE GENERAL FUND WITH POLICE AT ALMOST $41 MILLION AND FIRE AT $17 MILLION. AND THEN I'M GOING TO SHOW A COUPLE PIE CHARTS HERE JUST TO SHOW THIS MORE VISUALLY AND BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBERS I JUST SHOWED. SO STARTING WITH REVENUES, YOU CAN SEE AS I SAID, PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP THE MAJORITY BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER IMPORTANT SOURCES OF REVENUE IN HERE WITH THE LODGING AND ADMISSION TAX PERMIT AND LICENSING FEES AND GRANT REVENUES AND SOME OF THOSE. AND THEN ON THE EXPENSE SIDE YOU CAN SEE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS BY FAR THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND. POLICE AND FIRE, AS I SAID, MAKE UP NEARLY HALF OF ALL EXPENSES. THE REST IS SPREAD ACROSS SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE TOO THAT NOT ALL THESE EXPENSES ARE FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAXES. JUST HAVE A NOTE THERE IN THE CORNER THAT AS WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE GRANTS AND OTHER REVENUES ALSO HELP TO SUPPORT THESE SERVICES ALONG WITH THE PROPERTY TAXES. AND THEN THIS CHART COMPARES THE 2025 TAX LEVY TO THE PROPOSED 2026 TAX LEVY. SO THE GENERAL FUND SHOWS THE LARGEST INCREASE OF ABOUT 6.7 MILLION AND THEN FORESTRY ALSO HAS AN INCREASE OF 165,000 JUST WE ARE HAVING A PEAK OF DISEASE TO TREE REMOVALS HAPPENING AND THEN DEBT IS INCREASING BY ABOUT 1.5 MILLION AND MOST OF THE OTHER AREAS REMAIN FLAT AND AS YOU CAN SEE INCLUDING WHAT WE SEND FOR OUR FIRE PENSION OBLIGATION, THE POOL THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND THE ICE GARDEN AND THEN THE NORMANDY LINK DISTRICT WE WERE SHOWING WE WEREN'T PLANNING TO HAVE THAT GO UP TO $450,000 FOR 26 AND THE ORIGINAL FORECAST BUT NOW THAT'S COME DOWN TO 250,000. SO OVERALL A 9.44% INCREASE AND SO OUR NEW THIS YEAR AND WE'VE USED A NEW FEATURE IN OUR SOFTWARE OUR FINANCIAL SOFTWARE FROM BUDGET INCOME PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING OR PBB. IT'S A NEW PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS YEAR TO HELP US MAKE SURE THAT RESOURCES ARE ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S GOALS AND PRIORITIES. AND SO NOW WE'RE PROPOSING A 9.44% PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY KNOWING THAT'S THE MAXIMUM THAT IT CAN BE SO THAT IT CAN BE LOWER BEFORE THE FINAL TAX LEVY IS SET IN DECEMBER. THE COUNCIL WILL BE SETTING THE PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AND THAT COUNCIL MEETING THEN BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER WE WILL KEEP WORKING THROUGH THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS TO REFINE THE BUDGET AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO BRING THAT LEVY DOWN BEFORE THE FINAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED . SO WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THESE FIRST THREE PHASES OF THIS PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS. SO IN PHASE ONE WE CREATED AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. IN THE SECOND PHASE WE SCORED THOSE BASED ON THEIR PURPOSE AND THEIR IMPACT AND THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH CITY PRIORITIES AND THE THIRD PHASE WE DETERMINE THE FULL COSTS OF EACH PROGRAM AND SO NOW WE'RE IN PHASE FOUR RIGHT NOW AND SO WE'RE USING THE PROGRAM DATA. WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPLORING THE INSIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE OR MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OR BETTER ALIGN RESOURCE IS WITH OUR GOALS AND THIS PHASE WILL HELP GUIDE BUDGET REFINEMENTS BEFORE THE FINAL LEVY IS SET IN DECEMBER AND JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE DONE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THIS SPRING AND SUMMER SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THE INTERACTIVE BUDGET GAME THAT WE DID THE LAST THREE YEARS. INSTEAD WE WERE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PARITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS, TALKING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND WE HOSTED FIVE TABLES SO WE HAD TO WE HAD ONE DAY WE'RE IN THE MORNING THERE WAS THE PUBLIC WORKS OPEN HOUSE AND THEN WE IN THE AFTERNOON WAS THE POLICE OPEN HOUSE AND THEN THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION ON JUNE 21ST FOR A VERY HOT CELEBRATION AND BUDGET TABLE AS WELL AS THE BLOOMINGTON PRIDE FESTIVAL AND THEN A FARMER'S MARKET . AND SO NEXT I JUST WANT TO AGAIN SHOW THIS IS OUR OUR BUDGET CALENDAR FOR THIS YEAR SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WE'RE ON AUGUST 18TH FOR THE STUDY SESSION WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NEXT WILL BE SETTING THE COUNCIL WILL BE SETTING THE PRELIMINARY LEVY ON SEPTEMBER 8TH THAT WILL BE THE MAXIMUM THAT THE 2026 LEVY CAN BE AND THEN OCTOBER 20TH WE HAVE SET ASIDE A STUDY SESSION TO DISCUSS THE 2026 UTILITY RATES OCTOBER THROUGH NOVEMBER WILL BE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNCIL AND GETTING DEEPER INTO THE WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET AND THE INSIGHTS THAT ARE COMING FROM PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AND THEN NOVEMBER 17TH WILL BE THE DATE THAT THE 2026 UTILITY RATES ARE SET. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER STUDY SESSION NOVEMBER 24TH TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET. DECEMBER 8TH IS THE TRUTH AND TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN ANOTHER STUDY SESSION TO TALK ABOUT BUDGETING COMING TO THE FINAL NUMBERS AND THEN THE COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THE FINAL BUDGET ON DECEMBER 22ND AND TAX LEVY SO BEFORE WE WRAP UP, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT OUR CITY BUDGET WEB PAGE IS OUT THERE AND IT'S BLM DOT AND THEN SLASH BUDGET AND INCLUDES A LOT OF HELPFUL INFORMATION AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO POST UPDATES AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS. ALSO ON THAT PAGE ON THE LEFT THERE IS A LINK TO A LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON SURVEY WHICH IS LIVE NOW AND PUBLIC CAN ENTER COMMENTS AND THEY'RE ABOUT THE BUDGET SEND US FEEDBACK AND THAT IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND SO WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF TONIGHT'S MEETING. >> THANK YOU, MS. CARLSON. APPRECIATE IT. COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF CLARIFICATION? WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTO OUR DISCUSSION QUITE UNTIL AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY. BUT DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF CLARIFICATION FROM MS.. CARLSON AT THIS MOMENT, NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND IF YOU RECALL COUNCIL WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE PAST AND WE'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS ALSO RESIDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSION EARLIER AND IT MAKES SENSE BY THE TIME WE GET INTO NOVEMBER IT'S IT'S WELL ALONG IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES AND THE CHANCE TO REALLY SPEAK UP AND INFLUENCE AND HELP THE COUNCIL THINK AND STAFF THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE BUDGET AND WHAT POSSIBLE OPTIONS THERE MIGHT BE. IT BECOMES A LITTLE MORE LIMITED AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE END OF THE YEAR. THAT'S WHY HERE IN AUGUST WE'RE TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS THREE MINUTES FOR FOLKS TO STEP UP AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE AND PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEIR IDEAS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING FOLKS HERE TONIGHT WHO ARE WITH US, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AS I SAID, WE'VE GOT THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER. WE'VE GOT THE SHOT CLOCK ON THE WALL AND WHEN YOU GET TO THREE MINUTES I WILL I WILL STOP YOU BECAUSE NOT BECAUSE I'M A BAD GUY JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME CHANCE TO SPEAK AS YOU COME UP IF YOU CAN YOU CAN SIGN IN AFTER YOU'RE WRAPPING UP. BUT WE DO APPRECIATE IT IF EVERYBODY WOULD SIGN IN. BUT AS YOU START IF YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME WHO YOU ARE AND ON AND THEN JUMP RIGHT IN AND OFF YOU GO SO THAT THAT IS THAT IS WHAT WE'LL BE DOING AND WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP RIGHT NOW. SO WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK AS PART OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD? PLEASE DO PLEASE DO. THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE EFFECT IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME PLEASE. SURE. MY NAME IS ILLUMINATOR VOLLMER. I LIVE IN BLOOMINGTON. I LIVED IN BLOOMINGTON FOR 42 YEARS. OUR KIDS WERE BORN HERE. THEY'RE GONE AND WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME HOUSE. I KNOW SOME OF YOU I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE PROPERTY TAXES SO WE ARE MY HUSBAND AND I ARE BOTH RETIRED AND CURRENTLY OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE TWO AND A HALF MY INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY AND SINCE 2017 THEY HAVE GONE SO MUCH UP YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS. I COULD HAVE BROUGHT SOME PAPERS BUT I DIDN'T THAT IF I IF WE KEEP GOING AT THAT RATE TO GO UP IN ABOUT TEN YEARS I WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH SOCIAL SECURITY COMING IN TO PAY THE PROPERTY TAXES LET ALONE THE INSURANCE THAT I HAVE TO HAVE ON THE HOUSE AND THEN ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE PAY FOR THE HOUSE LIKE UTILITIES AND FOOD MAYBE FOR US AND OF COURSE ALL THAT. SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY GOOD IDEAS AS TO HOW TO LOWER THE PROPERTY TAXES BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS TOWN THAT YOU ARE DRIVING ABOUT LIKE RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO OPTION FOR US IF IT KEEPS GOING UP LIKE THIS. SO THREE AND A HALF OR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS PLUS ANOTHER MONTH FOR INSURANCE IS WHAT WE HAVE TO PAY TO STAY IN BLOOMINGTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OTHERS . GOOD EVENING. WELCOME. GILLIAN FERGUSON RESIDENT TO BLOOMINGTON FOR THE PAST 30 PLUS YEARS I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION AND THIS WILL BE FOR CARRIE IS THE 9.44% LEVY DOES THAT EQUAL EXACTLY WHAT OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING TO INCREASE? AND I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR YOU I'M OKAY BECAUSE THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT THE CITY IMPOSES ON RESIDENTS IS ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF WHAT YOU ACTUALLY PAY IN PROPERTY TAXES. THE OTHER THIRD GOES TO THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER THIRD OF THAT THEN GOES TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THERE'S A THERE'S A SMALL AMOUNT THAT GOES TO THE WATERSHED DISTRICT I BELIEVE AND PERHAPS THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT. BUT OKAY THEN I'LL CLARIFY SO THAT IN THE CLOCK YES. SO I'LL CLARIFY WHAT IS THE INCREASE IN PERCENT GOING TO BE FOR OUR PROPERTY TAXES THIS YEAR? I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE WELL WE'RE NOT FIGURED ON THAT. WE HAVEN'T SETTLED ON IT YET. THIS IS THE PROPOSAL. WELL, I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT NUMBER FOR YOUR PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE IS THEIR INCREASE. WE DON'T HAVE THE PRELIMINARY YET. WE DON'T HAVE THE PRELIMINARY YET. THIS IS WE'RE IN AUGUST. THAT WILL BE IN SEPTEMBER THAT WILL BE SET IN SEPTEMBER. AND THEN AT THAT TIME YES. WELL, SHE JUST GAVE YOU A NUMBER. SHE DID. SHE GAVE US A NUMBER THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. IT'S IT'S OKAY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT. YOU START WITH THAT NUMBER AND GIVE US WHAT THE PRELIMINARY IS ON THAT NUMBER PLEASE. WELL, WE'LL SEE IF WE AND I HAVE AN IDEA WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN DO THAT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATES AND COUNTIES AND CITIES THAT DO NOT CHARGE PROPERTY TAX FOR FOLKS THAT ARE 65 OR OLDER. YOU'RE PLACING A HUGE BURDEN ON PEOPLE LIKE THE WOMAN, THE RESIDENT THAT SPOKE BEFORE US . THEY'RE ON A FIXED INCOME. THEY WANT TO STAY IN THEIR HOUSE. THEY'VE RAISED THEIR KIDS HERE AGAIN, YOU'RE DRIVING THEM OUT. I KNOW OF AT LEAST SIX FAMILIES INCLUDING US WHO ARE LOOKING TO MOVE AND THOSE ARE STABLE PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO MOVE IN TO TO THIS TO THIS CITY IF YOU DON'T HAVE STABLE FAMILIES THINGS THANK YOU. OTHERS WHO WISH TO SPEAK. ANYONE ELSE QUESTIONS YES YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS I WE GENERALLY DON'T LIKE TO ANSWER THEM REAL TIME KIND OF LIKE I DID RIGHT THERE. WE LIKE TO WE'D RATHER PICK THEM UP AND THEN ANSWERING THEM AT THE END. BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU KNOW PLEASE COME ON WE HAVE QUESTIONS WILL NOW NOT BE HAVE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM SO WE CAN HEAR YOU. OH ILLUMINATORS MY WIFE SHE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TELL YOU YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS BOB VARNER. WHAT? I'M GOING TO ASK ABOUT IS WHEN DID ANYBODY AT THE CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT WHEN WE DECIDED ON THAT EXTRA HALF PERCENT TAX FOR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DROPPING A HOCKEY PROGRAM. SO NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'VE GOT THREE SHEETS OF ICE GOING IN AT WHAT 50 SOME PLUS MILLION DOLLARS AND WE'RE DROPPING A WHOLE HOCKEY PROGRAM. DID ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THAT PRIOR TO THIS SEEMS LIKE KIND OF RELEVANT INFORMATION AND THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE BUDGET EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT'S NOT FOR THAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT IT IN JUST LIKE YOU HAVE THE 20 MILLION FOR THE NINE MILE DISTRICT THAT I STILL CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO TELL ME WHAT 20 MILLION WILL BIAS SO MAYBE SOME COST SAVINGS THERE BUT IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE TOO LATE. AND I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION BECAUSE CARRIE WAS SAYING SHE'S YOU'VE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK. COULD YOU ELUCIDATE TO US WHAT SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK HAS BEEN WHEN YOU GO TO THESE EVENTS? WE WERE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET WHERE MY WIFE DID HER USUAL THING HERE AND WE SAW ANOTHER MAN WHO SAID HE HAD TO DROP HIS HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE BECAUSE HE COULDN'T AFFORD HIS PROPERTY TAXES. SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, COREY, WHAT OTHER INFORMATION OR WHATEVER FEEDBACK HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM THE CITIZENS OF BLOOMINGTON AND IF SHE COULD TELL US I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT I USUALLY COME TO THESE EVENTS MORE TO HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY. I KNOW WHAT I THINK. I WANT TO HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. LAST CALL FOR ANYBODY PRIYANKA IS THERE ANYONE ON THE PHONE WISHING TO SPEAK TONIGHT? >> MAYOR WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON LINE. LAST CALL FOR ANYBODY IN THE CHAMBERS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL CLOSE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE EVENING BUT THANK YOU MUCH. SO MR. VOLLMER, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAD AND I DON'T KNOW IF COREY IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO SHARE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM FEEDBACK THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTIONS OF THE THE THE ICE GARDEN AND THE EXPANSION AND THE RENOVATION OF THE ICE GARDEN AND KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL DROPPING HOCKEY I IN FOR EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW THEY WEREN'T INTERTWINED IN ANY WAY THAT'S IT WAS THAT WAS A SCHOOL DISTRICT DECISION I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WERE BROUGHT INTO IT WE WERE EVEN CONSIDERED WITH IT. I WILL SAY THAT WITH OR WITHOUT KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL WE RENT WE RENT UP THE ICE GARDEN PRETTY MUCH COMPLETELY THAT ICE IS USED AS MUCH AS WE OFFER IT TO BE RENTED IT IS USED AND SO WITH OR WITHOUT THE KENNEDY HOCKEY IT'S GOING TO BE USED AND I'M CONFIDENT OF THAT. AND THE FINAL POINT THAT I'D MAKE MR. VOLLMER AND COREY MENTIONED IN HER COMMENTS THAT IS IT'S BASICALLY APPLES TO ORANGES. SO THE THE FIVE THE HALF PERCENT LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE PROPERTY TAX AND I MEAN IT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE. IT'S A DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCE DIFFERENT WAY THAT MONEY COMES IN THE PROPERTY TAXES OF COURSE PAID BY PROPERTY OWNERS HERE IN THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON. THE SALES TAX IS PAID BY MORE THAN HALF BY VISITORS TO BLOOMINGTON WHO COME TO OUR CITY AND WHO SPEND MONEY. SO IT'S IT'S KIND OF AN APPLES TO ORANGES COMPARISON AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING BUT IT'S NOT EXACTLY RELEVANT TO IT. COREY, DID YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFICS THAT YOU COULD SHARE ABOUT THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU RECEIVED IN YOUR WHEN YOU WERE OUT TABLING AT DIFFERENT EVENTS? >> SURE. SO AND THE EVENTS THAT WE WERE AT WE WE HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THAT UNDERSTAND THAT THE COSTS OF EVERYTHING ARE GOING UP FOR THE SUPPLIES THAT WE BUY AND IN THE LABOR MARKET AND THE EQUIPMENT, THE VEHICLES, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ALL OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THAT THEY WERE GLAD THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT A WAY TO NOT JUST LOOK AT PROPERTY TAXES TO TO FUND THOSE INCREASES. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THAT I WOULD SAY AT THE FARMER'S MARKET IN SPECIFICALLY WE DID HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES GOING UP AND DEFINITELY THERE'S ALSO SOME TALK ABOUT THE HOME INSURANCE COSTS GOING UP AND HOW THAT IS JUST HURTING BUDGETS. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAME BY AND WERE WONDERING WHAT WE HAD AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE HAD INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY'S BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAXES AND THEY SAID OH THAT'S OKAY. I, I LOVE LIVING HERE. I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I THINK THAT THE CITY IS VERY WELL MANAGED. SO WE KNOW WE HEARD BOTH POSITIVE AND YOU KNOW, SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FEEDBACK. SO I MEAN OVERALL AND I HAVE NOTES WE HAVE PEOPLE SOME PEOPLE CAME ONE GENTLEMAN CAME SPECIFICALLY WITH IDEAS WITH SOME LIKE COST SAVING MEASURES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, RECORDED AND SPECIFICALLY SAW THAT WE WOULD HAVE A BUDGET TABLE AT THE FARMER'S MARKET AND CAME SPECIFICALLY TO TALK TO US. SO THAT WAS GREAT. SO WE WILL BE COMPILING THAT COMMENTS THAT WE GOT AT TABLES ALSO ON THAT SIDE BLOOMINGTON ALSO WHAT WAS SHARED TONIGHT AND WE GET EMAILS, WE GET PHONE CALLS SO WE WILL HAVE A WAY OF COMPILING ALL OF THAT AND SHARING IT BACK OUT ARE THE LET'S TALK BLOOMINGTON COMMENTS ARE THOSE ARE THOSE AVAILABLE IN REAL TIME TO FOLKS WHO ARE WHO ARE ALSO PARTICIPATING? YES, THEY COULD IF SOMEONE IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT AND PEOPLE ARE WATCHING TONIGHT AT HOME AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO THEY DON'T WANT TO COME IN. THEY CAN GO TO THE THE WEB PAGE AND AND THEY CAN PUT THEIR COMMENTS THERE AS WELL. AND THEN JUST TO GO BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPACT, I THINK LIKE ON THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME IS USUALLY WHAT WE'LL SHARE LIKE AT THE SEPTEMBER 8TH PRESENTATION AND AND JUST I'LL HAVE MORE EXACT NUMBERS BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT A ONE FOR ONE. SO IF THE TAX LEVY IS INCREASED BY A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY EQUATE TO THAT EXACT TAX LEVY INCREASE FOR A PROPERTY BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW THE COUNCIL WILL APPROVE OUR OVERALL TAX LEVY DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THEN THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT GETS SPLIT OUT OVER PROPERTIES BASED ON THEIR THEIR VALUE AND WHAT TYPE OF PROPERTY THEY ARE AND TYPICALLY THE VALUE THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE A HIGHER VALUATION PAY MORE IN THE PROPERTY TAX. SO DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR PROPERTY CHANGES COMPARED TO OTHER PROPERTIES, IT'S NOT A ONE FOR ONE CHANGE BUT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE MEDIAN VALUE HOME IT IS PRETTY FLAT SO THAT A 9.45% PROPERTY TAX LEVY INCREASE WOULD PROBABLY TRANSLATE PRETTY CLOSELY TO THAT FOR A MEDIAN VALUE HOME. BUT I'LL HAVE THE EXACT INFORMATION TO SHARE FROM THE CITY ASSESSOR AT THE SEPTEMBER EIGHTH MEETING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCILMEMBER CARTER? THANK YOU MAYOR. I WAS JUST GOING TO NOTE THE OTHER KIND OF POINT OR QUESTION THAT WAS MADE AROUND PROPERTY TAXES FOR THOSE OVER 65 AND I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO EXEMPT PEOPLE OVER 65 FROM PAYING PROPERTY TAX THAT'S STATE LEGISLATED AND THEN THERE BUT THERE IS SOME FINANCIAL INCENTIVE OR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR THOSE OVER 65. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. COREY, THE THE NORMALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT IT THAT 60% OF PROPERTY TAXES THAT IS THAT IS THE OVERALL GENERAL FUND BUDGET. DO WE HAVE A SENSE FOR THE SPLIT BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AT THIS POINT? IS IT STILL SITTING IN ROUGHLY 5,050% THAT WE'RE EXPECTING OR DO WE THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY SKEWED JUST BASED ON THE MARKET? MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILWOMAN ALESSANDRA I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT INFORMATION. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S CHANGED VERY MUCH FROM PREVIOUS YEARS BUT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU, NO PROBLEM. I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. IT'S ALWAYS ANOTHER PIECE FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC BUDGETING IS JUST THAT THAT NUMBER IS SPLIT ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT PROPERTY TYPES THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY AND SO IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE SPECIFICALLY OF WHAT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES ARE AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT CANDIDLY ACTUALLY I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT SPLIT IN THE SENSE THAT LIKE LOTS OF LOTS OF CITIES THE BURDEN IS PLACED UNDULY ON RESIDENTIAL POPULATIONS. WE HAVE A NICE MIX OF COMMERCIAL BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR OUR PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS SOON AS WE CAN. >> THANKS AND THANKS COUNCILMEMBER AND I WILL SAY THAT MR. BOULDER WOULD BE THE ONE WHO TO PROVIDE THAT FOR US AND I WILL SAY IN THE 15 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN SITTING UP HERE, IT'S NEVER GONE MORE THAN LIKE 50 TO 48 IT HAS HOVERED RIGHT ON AROUND 50% PRETTY CONSISTENTLY AND IT'S GOING BACK AND FORTH IN THAT 5248 FROM PRIVATE FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL. SO I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF IT WASN'T IN THAT RANGE AGAIN THIS YEAR. YEAH AND IT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING THE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES AT NORMANDALE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND HOW THAT MIGHT HAVE A SHORT TERM EFFECT ON THAT. >> YEAH. THANKS COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. SEVERAL PUBLIC SAFETY POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED BY GRANTS EXPIRING AND 20 DAYS 6 TO 8 IT'S A WORRY IF IT WHAT PLANS HAVE YOU COME UP WITH OR IF YOU HAVE COME WITH ANY TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF THOSE FUNDS IN 26. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS. SO WE'VE BEEN AWARE THAT IT'S THE ONE THAT'S HAVING THE BIGGEST IMPACT IS THE SAFER GRANT THAT'S EXPIRING IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026. AND WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE SECOND SAVE FOR A GRANT WILL BE EXPIRING IN 28. AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND THAT WE HAVE SET UP OR THE COUNCIL SET UP TO FUND THE FIRE AND PENSION OBLIGATION IN YEARS WHERE THE MARKETS AREN'T DOING VERY WELL AND WE HAVE A LARGE FIRE PENSION OBLIGATION TO MAKE WE'VE IN PAST YEARS HAD TO DO A $4 MILLION OBLIGATION OR $3 MILLION OR MORE. SO WE DO PUT INTO PART OF THE TAX LEVY GOES TOWARDS THAT FUND SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THOSE BIG PAYMENTS WHEN MARKETS ARE GOING DOWN AND WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD YEARS SO THE MONEY THAT'S IN THAT IN THAT IT'S NOT THE FIRE PENSION FUND BUT IT'S A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND TO FUND THE FIRE PENSION AND WE NEED TO MAKE THAT OBLIGATION PAYMENT AND SO SINCE WE'VE HAD SOME SOME GOOD YEARS WE WE HAVE MODELED OUT BEING ABLE TO BRING IN SOME OF THE FIRE PENSION OBLIGATION FUND INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO SOFTEN THE THE FIREFIGHTERS COMING IN AND IT'S NOT COMPLETELY GOING TO COVER THAT BUT WE HAVE THAT MODELED OUT FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS TO MAKE IT SO IT'S ONLY ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO 2% OF THE TAX LEVY INCREASE INSTEAD OF ALL OF IT COMING IN AT ONCE SO THAT WE HAVE A MORE GRADUAL PLAN. SO IT'S NOT A HUGE SPIKE. IT COULD BE EVEN MORE BUT IT IS STILL AFFECTING IT. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND WE'LL GET INTO DISCUSSION. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. ARE YOU READY TO DIVE INTO DISCUSSION COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN THE QUESTION YEAH, THAT'S QUESTIONS. LET'S HEAR AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THIS SO I WANT JUST LET YOU KNOW I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT MAY NOT BE ANSWERED TODAY SO I AM CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN WE BREAK THINGS INTO, YOU KNOW, ENTERPRISE FUNDS IN TERMS OF WE'VE MADE A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF MOVING AWAY FROM GOLF AT HIGHLAND. AND SO I'M CURIOUS, YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF OUR HEALTH WITH THOSE PARTICULAR FUNDS AND ALL THOSE DOLLARS ARE COMING IN, HOW DO WE COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES? I'M JUST YOU KNOW AND I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT AN APPLES AND ORANGES AND I KNOW LAWYER WOULD SAY TO ME AND MY WIFE WOULD ALSO SAY HEY, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL ABOUT THOSE COMPARISONS TO OTHER CITIES. BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THAT WORK AND HOW THAT HOW THAT'S KIND OF INTERNALLY LOOKING OR THOSE IN BETTER SHAPE NOW AND THEN. YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES KIND OF FACING, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OBSTACLES IN THE IN THE IN THE PACKAGE THAT WE HAD TODAY? YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I'VE SEEN IT'S BEEN GREAT NEWS AROUND THE THE HEALTH INSURANCE YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD MANY YEARS WHERE IT'S BEEN ON THE ON THE DOWN SPIRAL THAT HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD AND SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT. BUT THE QUESTION I KIND OF HAVE IS YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IT WAS KIND OF GOES UP AND DOWN. DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE TO USE SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC DOLLARS TO KIND OF BACKSTOP ANY OF THAT THAT HEALTH TO KIND OF STABILIZE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT WE SEE AND HAS STAFF CONSIDERED SUCH A SUCH A MOVE AND WHAT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COST AND WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT TO THE OVERALL BUDGET BECAUSE WE JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF VOLATILITY THERE WITH RESPECT TO THAT THAT PARTICULAR ITEM. COUNCILMEMBER LOW AND I THINK YOU'RE TIPPING OVER A LITTLE BIT IN THE DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW IN POSSIBILITY SORRY ALTERNATIVES. YEAH. SO YEAH I GUESS WHAT MY MY MY QUESTION IS IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? I GUESS THAT'S REALLY WHAT MY QUESTION IS IS THAT POSSIBLE NOT NOT DISCUSSION PART OF IT SO SO MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN SO FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION REGARDING THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES IN THE GOLF AND OR THE ICE GARDEN AND SO THEY'RE BOTH DOING VERY WELL. I THINK THEIR SALES HAVE BEEN IMPRESSIVE OVER RECENT YEARS AND SO WITH THE CHANGES IN GOLF THERE IS NO PROPERTY TAX SUPPORT FOR GOLF CURRENTLY ANY LONGER AND THAT ENTERPRISE FUND AND WE DON'T HAVE IT MODELED OUT FOR OPERATIONS ANYWAY AND JUST YOU KNOW ROUTINE KIND OF MAINTENANCE TYPE EXPENSES AND THEN FOR THE ICE GARDEN I MEAN THEY'RE COMING UP SOON AFTER THEIR RENOVATION AND WE'RE BEING PRETTY CONSERVATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING OUT. BUT THINGS LOOK VERY POSITIVE FOR THE ICE GARDEN AS WELL AND SO WE CAN LOOK TO SEE HOW OTHER CITIES WHOLE BOTTOM IS THAT STILL CONSIDER TO BE A PART OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND OR DO WE MOVE THAT OUT NOW THE THE POOL IS IN THE AQUATICS FUND AND IS STILL THERE. WE'VE HAD KIND OF A ROUGH YEAR WITH THE POOL AS YOU KNOW. YEAH, I DO. I REALLY SO I'M HOPING THE REFUND SEASON PASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT BUT BUT THAT THE GOLF AND ICE GARDEN ARE DOING VERY WELL AND WE CAN GIVE SOME COMPARISON INFORMATION TO THAT AND THEN SOME ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE SO WE DO ACTUALLY SO CURRENTLY THERE'S THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND AND THE LARGEST EXPENSE IN THAT IS HEALTH INSURANCE AND SO WE DO HAVE THE REASON IT'S IN AND INTERNAL SERVICE FUND IS SO THAT IF THERE ARE HUGE SPIKES WE HAVE SOME TIME THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY USE SOME OF THAT FUND BALANCE THAT'S IN THERE TO HELP KIND OF NOT HAVE A HUGE SPIKE IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. AND FINALLY YOU KNOW AND WE TELL A LOT OF TIMES THAT OUR TRIPLE-A RATING AND AND HOW MUCH OF IT YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS BUT YOU KNOW FOR THE FOR THE PERSON WHO'S LISTENING, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT CAN THAT HAVE? I KNOW THAT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ASK BUT YOU KNOW, JUST MAYBE HELP I'M TRYING TO HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS TO HAVE THAT TRIPLE-A RATING THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT IMPACT MEANS, YOU KNOW, FOR RESIDENTS AS WE LOOK AT AT THIS BUDGET AND THAT IMPACT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THAT 9.44 POTENTIAL YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOWN THE LINE. SURE. OH, HERE COMES MISS ECONOMY SHOULDER. GO AHEAD, MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN, SO LONG AS WE'RE PASSING A BUDGET BALANCED BUDGET AND WE'RE WATCHING HOW WE'RE DOING THAT AS ONE OF THE CATEGORIES THAT CREDIT RATING AGENCIES LOOK AT IS GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT AND THEY PAY ATTENTION TO COUNCIL MINUTES AND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. SO IF COUNCIL MAKES THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PRELIMINARY AT THIS RATE AND A SMALLER ONE AT THE FINAL TWO CREDIT RATING AGENCIES LOOK AT THAT AS JUST ONE OF THE CATEGORIES. THEY'LL LOOK AT OUR TOTAL FINANCIAL PICTURE OF ALL FUNDS AND THEY'LL LOOK AT THE WHOLE DYNAMICS OF THE METRO. SO THERE'S MANY FACTORS. THIS IS JUST ONE OF THEM AND THAT'S MEMBER COUNTRY. QUESTION YEAH, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE THANK YOU. MY QUESTION IN THE NORMANDALE LAKE DISTRICT, THE 250,000 THAT IS STILL IN THERE, WHAT IS THAT FOR? SO MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER KARNER THERE ARE STILL IMPROVING. IT'S IN THAT AREA FOR SAFETY AND OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING PLANNED THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE AS EXPENSIVE AS THAT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT THEY HAD BEEN PLANNING. OKAY. I GUESS I WOULD JUST BE INTERESTED MAYBE IN LEARNING MORE NOT TONIGHT BUT MAYBE IN A FOLLOW UP EMAIL JUST TO KIND OF BETTER UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, I JUST I JUST WENT TO OUR CITY ENGINEER JULIE LONG TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. MS. LONG GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER A COUPLE OF THE PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE NORMAN DEL DISTRICT STILL INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT THAT IS LOOKING TO DO WHAT WE CAN AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORMAN DALE AND 84TH STREET. WE ALSO HAVE TWO SANITARY SEWER PROJECTS PROGRAMED IN THAT AREA AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME PARCELS IN ORDER TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BEEN TALKING RECENTLY ABOUT ACCELERATING ONE OF THE SANITARY SEWER PROJECTS TO BETTER FALL IN LINE WITH THE PUMP PROJECTS SO THAT WE'RE NOT DIGGING UP A ROAD TWICE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. OKAY. AND THEN I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE POOL AS WELL. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY ALLOCATION AT 335. BUT WITH THE CHALLENGES THIS YEAR, I MEAN HAVE YOU GUYS HAD DISCUSSIONS AROUND IF THAT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH FOR WHATEVER ISSUES ARE HAPPENING AT THE POOL? YES. MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILMAN MCCARTER WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT LONG TERM MODEL AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAX FOR NEXT YEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE DO WE SO I SAW ON THE REVENUE SIDE WE'VE GOT GOVERNMENT GRANTS OR FEDERAL GRANTS THAT RIGHT AROUND 6.3 MILLION ARE WE DO WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT IN THAT NUMBER OR DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT COULD BE LOWER THAN EXPECTED JUST DUE TO FEDERAL CUTS AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBER CARTER SO I MEAN WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THAT WILL BE ALL RIGHT. THAT'S MAINLY AND THAT NUMBER IS THE SAME FOR A GRANT FOR FIRE AND WE JUST SENT OUR LATEST REQUESTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND GOT IT BACK VERY QUICKLY. WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY ISSUES WITH THAT RIGHT NOW AND THEN MAJORITY OF THE REST OF THAT IS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO JUST MONITOR THAT AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE FEELING THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT FOR THE 2026 BUDGET. BUT IF ANYTHING CHANGES WE WILL LET YOU KNOW. OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION OF THE 9.44% LEVY ON HERE, WHAT DO YOU KNOW OFF TOP YOUR HEAD HOW MUCH OF THAT PERCENTAGE IS DEBT SERVICE? I MAY SEE THE NUMBER UP THERE BUT IS IT LIKE IT? YES, MAYOR COUNCILMEMBERS COUNCILWOMAN CARTER SO THAT EVERYONE LIKE 1.75% OF THAT 9.44% IS RELATED TO THE INCREASE FOR DEBT. OKAY. WHICH GOES TOWARDS CAPITAL PROJECTS. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KELSO, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? AND I THINK WE'RE READY TO DIVE INTO DISCUSSION. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, I SAW YOUR HAND UP EARLIER. I'LL LET YOU KICK US OFF. YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THIS EARLY IN AUGUST IS I KNOW SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE THE FOLKS THAT CAME HERE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND THAT YOUR THAT IN THIS EARLY AND HELPING US THROUGH THIS PROCESS SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO DO THAT I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF BETTER THINGS YOU COULD DO ON A MONDAY EVENING THAN BEING HERE. SO I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TAX LEVY STABILIZATION JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THAT IS WE BUY OUR CITY CHARTER HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CUSHION IN OUR BUDGET AND THEN GENERALLY IN MY TIME ON THE COUNCIL WE TEND TO OUTPERFORM OUR BUDGETS BOTH ON THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENSE SIDE SO WE BRING THINGS IN LOWER COSTS AND THAT SO WE HAVE THIS AND THIS TAX LEVY STABILIZATION IS ESSENTIALLY A RETURN OF THAT TAX MONEY TO PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE YEAR ONCE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING ACCOUNTED FOR. SO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF IN MY MIND HOW I THINK ABOUT THAT . I ALSO TO THE QUESTION I THINK COUNCILMAN RICARDO BROUGHT THIS UP ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX REFUNDS. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK INTO THOSE ESPECIALLY THOSE OVER 65 ON FIXED INCOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE ARE THOSE I'D ALSO NOTE THAT THE LEGISLATURE TAKE CHANGE THE HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT LAST YEAR TO BE MORE GENEROUS AND I BELIEVE IT ESCALATES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS NOW WHICH SHOULD HELP PEOPLE PARTICULARLY IN HOUSES THAT ARE MORE MODEST AND HELP THEM WITH THEIR PROPERTY TAX TO HELP REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY AS THE MAYOR TRIED TO EXPLAIN AND IT'S SUPER COMPLICATED ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL'S PROPERTY TAXES BUT THAT IS PART OF THE FACTOR OF HOW YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ON YOUR SPECIFIC HOUSE WILL BE DETERMINED. IT IMPACTS THAT GREATLY AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE OF COMMENTS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE GOING FORWARD SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BUT AS WE GO FORWARD WHAT I'D LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IS WE HAVE A NEW SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING PROGRAM AND WHAT WE EXPECT FROM THAT IF WE'RE EXPECTING ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET FOR 2026 FROM THAT I'D LIKE TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE GRANTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MAJORITY ARE FOR THE SAFER AND PUBLIC HEALTH BUT WE HAVE A GRANTS INDIVIDUAL ON STAFF TO HELP AND YOU KNOW HOW FAR ARE WE ABLE TO GET WITH THOSE IN TERMS OF OTHER AREAS IN TERMS OF FRANKLY NON-GOVERNMENTAL GRANTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO HELP DRIVE OUR STAFF? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS THINK OF IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD ALSO BRING A PLAN FOR FUNDING THAT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PUT PROPERTY TAXES FRONT AND CENTER IN THAT PLAN. AND I THINK OUR STAFF HAS HAS REALLY STRIVE TO DO THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO ALWAYS EMPHASIZE THAT. AND THEN ON THE COST SIDE, I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING. YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD YOU KNOW, LET'S LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY. LET'S LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING IT WHERE WE SHOULD BE ON OUR NEEDS, NOT NECESSARILY OUR DREAMS AND IN EVERY CATEGORY WE FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING TO THAT REALLY MAKES THE BEST IMPACT IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I APPRECIATE OUR ENTIRE BUDGET TEAM LOOKING AT THAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE A SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMING UNDERTAKING AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING AT THAT. SIMILARLY IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR WAS THE WORKING CAPITAL ACCOUNTS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LOOKING AT THOSE AND WHERE THEY MIGHT BE. SO YOU KNOW TO THE QUESTION OF YOU KNOW WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE AT TO BE HONEST WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS. WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO BOTH THE REVENUE SIDE OF THINGS AND THE COST SIDE OF THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HAVING A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION IN SEPTEMBER WE'LL SET THE PRELIMINARY LEVY AND BUT IT WON'T BE FOR A COUPLE MORE MONTHS BEFORE WE GET THROUGH ALL THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AND JUST CIRCLING BACK TO MY FIRST POINT, PLEASE STAY INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IN MY OPINION THE MORE DETAILED AND PARTICULAR YOU CAN BE THE MORE HELPFUL IT IS FOR US. WE KNOW THIS IS A LARGE NUMBER . WE KNOW IT'S IMPACTFUL FOR PEOPLE WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THAT. WE KNOW THAT ALREADY. IF YOU SEE AREAS WHERE WE COULD RAISE ADDITIONAL REVENUE WHERE WE COULD SAVE COSTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, PLEASE BRING THOSE IDEAS FORWARD. WE SEE A LOT WE'RE VERY INVOLVED. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS BUT WE DON'T SEE EVERYTHING AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMEMBER AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN. COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOU MAYOR COREY AND STAFF. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR. UM, HAVING THAT PRELIMINARY NUMBER LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS MADE EVERYONE VERY NERVOUS AND SO I MEAN SO NERVOUS THAT I SPENT TWO WEEKS WATCHING THE MEETINGS OF EIGHT OTHER CITY COUNCILS THROUGHOUT THE METRO AREA JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY DO AND I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PEOPLE COME IN THIS EARLY BECAUSE AS I WATCH THOSE OTHER EIGHT CITIES GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS, MAYBE ONE PERSON CAME THROUGH THE WHOLE THING, MAYBE TWO PEOPLE CAME THROUGH THE WHOLE TAPE, THE WHOLE THING. AND I THINK THAT REFLECTS JUST WHAT BLOOMINGTON CARES ABOUT AND THE RESIDENTS IN BLOOMINGTON CARES ABOUT AND I HOPE WITH THIS PROCESS WE'RE ABLE TO GET OUT EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO GET OUT ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS UP HERE THAT WERE ABLE TO TALK THROUGH THESE THINGS SO THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE, WE'VE TALKED THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY. SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROCESS WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR AND FOR ME THE BUDGET IS ALWAYS A A BALANCE. YUP I FULLY UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND I WANT TO SEE THOSE RESIDENTS DO THAT. MY WIFE'S GRANDMOTHER LIVED HERE UNTIL SHE WAS 96 AND I HOPE EVERYONE CAN DO THAT BUT I ALSO SEE ON MY SIDE YOUNG FAMILIES WHO ARE COMING HERE AND THEY LOOK AT US AND SAY YOU DON'T HAVE THIS. I HAVE TO GO HERE FOR SWIMMING IN THE WINTER. I HAVE TO GO HERE FOR PROGRAMING IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE IT. AND I HAVE SEEN WE'VE HAD SIX GOOD FRIENDS MOVE OUT OF BLOOMINGTON AND EVERY YEAR AND THE GROUPS THAT WE'RE PART OF PROBABLY 5 OR 6 FAMILIES THAT WE KNOW THROUGH SPORTS OR PLAYGROUPS WHEREVER IT IS MOVE OUT OF BLOOMINGTON SPECIFICALLY STATING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE SERVICES HERE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR COMPARED TO CITIES LIKE LAKEVILLE IN PRAIRIE WHERE THEY THEY THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE YOUNGER AND THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENS. SO IT'S ALWAYS THAT BALANCE OF HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME CONTINUE TO STAY HERE BUT AS RESIDENTS MOVE OUT LIKE MY WIFE'S GRANDMOTHER DID, HOW CAN I MAKE SURE THAT A FAMILY MOVES IN THERE AND IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY THERE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS? AND SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO GET TO 9.44. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE WORK TO GET THIS DOWN EVEN LOWER. BUT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS THAT BY REDUCING THIS A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REDUCING BY ARE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. SOMETHING'S GOING TO COME ALONG IN THE FUTURE THAT WE NEED TO AND I THINK THE POOL IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT. WE'VE KNOWN THAT WE'VE HAD TO FIX THE POOL SINCE I WAS ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE BACK IN 2020 AND WE'VE MADE STRATEGIC PLANS TO MOVE THAT TO REDUCE BURDEN AND THEN WE RUN INTO SOME ISSUES LIKE WE DO THIS YEAR WHERE WE CAN'T EVEN USE THE POOL BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN. IT'S STILL IN THE CAPITAL PLAN TO GET THAT FIXED BUT IT STILL HAS AN IMPACT AND WE STILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT OF DO WE PAY FOR IT NOW OR DO WE PAY FOR IT LATER? AND THOSE ARE THE HARD DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE NOW AS A COUNCIL TO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN GET THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR, THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO ULTIMATELY WHAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN IS UNDERSTANDING WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITH THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN KEEP THE CITY FUNCTIONING IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE WE'RE AT BUT NOT FORGETTING THAT WE STILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF BLOOMINGTON SO THAT BLOOMINGTON CONTINUES TO BE SOMEWHERE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE AND THE NEXT 2030 YEARS THINGS LIKE JOHN'S MEMORY LET'S REMEMBER A WOMAN AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO COUNCILMEMBER THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU KNOW EACH YEAR I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE ELDERS CONFERENCE WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE THAT ARE HERE AND EVERY OTHER YEAR THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES. AND IT WAS INTERESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR TWO HOUR SESSION TRYING TO SEE YOU MAYOR TRY TO DESCRIBE THAT. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH WITH THAT IS IT'S COMPLICATED STUFF AND YOU KNOW AND THAT'S WHY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT RESIDENTS ARE HERE WILLING TO HAVE THIS DIALOG, THIS CONVERSATION AND THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE SERVED ON OTHER COMMISSIONS OR COMMITTEES HAVING TO DO WITH THAT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF BE A PART AND BE A PART OF THAT TABLE THAT DOESN'T YOU KNOW, IMPACT THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SEE AND DO ALL THE TIME. SO BEFORE I GET STARTED HERE I WANTED TO JUST SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE STAFF'S HARD WORK TO GET THIS FROM 1799 WE WERE LOOKING AT A HIGHER NUMBER EARLIER THE PROJECTED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 944. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT THAT STAFF HAS DONE AND WORKED THROUGH AND REALLY JUST AND JUST I JUST REALLY IMPRESSED WITH HOW STAFF WAS ABLE TO LAY THIS OUT SO THAT THE PUBLIC COULD BE ABLE TO HAVE JUST A WINDOW INTO A VERY COMPLEX TOPIC AND TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO TO ACCESS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO JUST SAY MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT EACH YEAR THIS PROCESS HAS BECOME INCREDIBLY MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT. WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE I, I WAS LIKE WOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL EVER UNDERSTAND THIS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE WORKS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO DOING THAT OVER TIME. YEAH MY KID WAS IMPACTED BY THE POOL BEING CLOSED. I REMEMBER HER TELLING ME YOU KNOW EARLIER THIS LAST WEEK SHE SAID HEY YOU KNOW DAD, WE HAVE TO DO OUR WATER DAYS BASICALLY RIGHT THERE AT THE CENTER. WE CAN'T EVEN GO TO A POOL SOMETIMES WE'VE GOT TO GO TO A LAKE AND THAT TYPE OF THING. AND SO YOU KNOW, I SHARE WITH YOU AS A COUNCILMEMBER ABOUT THIS IDEA OF YOU KNOW, PUSHING THINGS DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NECESSARY. WE'RE KIND OF WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS THAT THAT MAKES SENSE TO DO NOW IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND THE IMPACT ON THE OTHER HAND OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE CHALLENGED AND WE KNOW THAT THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IN FUTURE YEARS WE'LL SEE EVEN MORE IMPACT WITH THAT. AND SO I TRY TO BALANCE THOSE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF WHEN I WAS A KID BEING ABLE TO GO TO A POOL RELIABLY EVERY YEAR TO MAYBE SOMETIMES WILL MISS THAT SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF SAVINGS FOR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST. THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING OUR PRIORITY BASED BUDGET CONVERSATIONS AND TERMS OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE OUGHT TO BE FOCUSED ON. BUT I'LL I'LL TELL YOU THE THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AS A COUNCILMEMBER WHO'S BEEN HERE YOU KNOW, THE STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD A PROPOSAL AROUND SNOW REMOVAL WHICH I THINK WOULD HAVE EASILY FIT, YOU KNOW, INTO THAT THAT TYPE OF CONVERSATION DISCUSSION. AND YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOK TO MAKE THOSE CUTS THERE AND THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REDUCE SOME OF THE BUDGET. SO I JUST AND I KNOW FOR REASONS YOU KNOW, I FOR GOOD REASON THIS COUNCIL DECIDED NOT TO DO IT AND I WAS ONE OF THEM. CERTAINLY ALL OF US WERE UP HERE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. BUT I, I WANT TO YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK AT THIS PRIORITY BASED BUDGET, YOU KNOW AND I'M NOT LOOKING AT ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES AROUND HERE I'M LOOKING AT LOOK AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR RIGHT HERE. I'M SAYING HEY DUANE, COUNCIL MEMBER YOU KNOW WE'RE REALLY GOT TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS THINGS AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO KIND OF MOVE OUR OURSELVES FORWARD. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK OUR RESIDENTS NEED A RELIABLE TAX PROPOSAL AND SO I ALWAYS ASK EACH YEAR IF WE GO BELOW 9.44 WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE OUT YEARS, YOU KNOW, 2027, 2028, YOU KNOW, WHAT IMPACT DO WE HAVE BECAUSE WE CAN PROVIDE SAVINGS THIS YEAR FOR TAXPAYERS BUT THEN HAVE THEM PAY THAT ALL BACK IN A SUBSEQUENT YEAR AND SO OUR BUDGET REFLECTS THE VALUES IN WHICH THAT WE BELIEVE IN. I REMEMBER A COUNCIL MEMBER SAYING THAT THAT SAT HERE IS NOW REPRESENTATIVE AND I THINK HE'S RIGHT ABOUT THAT. AND SO I THINK AS WE TRY TO DO THIS BALANCING ACT, I'M HOPING WE'LL GET THAT NUMBER RIGHT. CERTAINLY FOR ME I WANTED TO SEE SOMETHING UNDER TEN. YOU ALREADY DONE THAT. BUT NOW MY QUESTION IS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE OUT YEARS AND CAN WE CAN WE CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE A TAX THAT IS BELOW THAT 9%? I KNOW FOR MANY YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO 5 OR 6% BUT THAT HAS MEANT, YOU KNOW, IMPACT NOW SO I'D LIKE TO GET THAT DOWN SO WE CAN CONSISTENTLY YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO GET IT TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN ALWAYS PROVIDE A RELATIVELY WITHOUT FUSS A LOWER TAX LEVY THAT IS REALLY A STABLE TIME. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF THE COUNCIL SO FAR AND SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD TO TURN OVER EVERY LEAF IN TERMS OF FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO EITHER GENERATE REVENUE THROUGH DIFFERENT METHODS OR TO OR TO REDUCE COSTS. SO THAT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. I AND I KNOW IT WILL CONTINUE . I THINK THAT ONE OF THE ONE OF THE OTHER SENTIMENTS THAT WAS SHARED BY COUNCILMEMBER NELSON THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ADDRESSING IS AS WE THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET DISCUSSION I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME FORECASTING ON THE SPONSORSHIP AND ADD STUFF SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE THINK THAT MIGHT DO ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHICH IS SUCH A CRITICAL PIECE OF OUR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. I'M ALWAYS I'M ALWAYS SO SURPRISED TO HAVE TO BE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF THIS COUNCIL IS TO BALANCE TWO SENTIMENTS EVERY SINGLE TIME ON EVERY SINGLE TOPIC. I CAN TALK TO SOMEBODY TODAY WHO WILL TELL ME THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE INVESTING ANYTHING AND TOMORROW I'LL TALK TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO SAY DON'T YOU DON'T TOUCH THAT THING. DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH THAT THING. YOU KNOW THE SNOW REMOVAL THING WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO GET MONEY OUT OF THE BUSINESS BUT NOT THAT THING RIGHT? WE CAN'T DO THAT THING. WE I WOULD LIKE TO SHUT DOWN THE AQUATIC CENTER. I GUARANTEE I'LL GET TEN HATE MAILS FOR SAYING THAT JUST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THE AQUATIC CENTER. YOU KNOW, I MEAN THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS. RIGHT. AND WE THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO TRY TO MAKE SERIOUS DECISIONS BASED ON LEADERSHIP AROUND A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. RIGHT. AND SO WE CAN'T LISTEN TO ANY ONE PERSON WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO OUR EVERYONE PULL ALL THAT TOGETHER AND THEN DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY OVERALL AND IN YOU KNOW I LOOK FOR EXAMPLE IN THIS FORESTRY AND DISEASE TREES AREA AND I'M LIKE IT IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY I KNOW IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY. EVERY SINGLE DAY I GET A CALL I GET A CALL FROM SOMEBODY ASKING ME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE TREES. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE TO TAX PEOPLE EITHER, RIGHT? AND SO I'M HOPING I WANT TO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY WHO'S LISTENING TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AT THE HENNEPIN COUNTY MEETINGS AND YOU'RE AT THE PARK DISTRICT MEETINGS AND YOU'RE AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND YOU'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE'RE THE LAST ONES THAT GET TO SET OUR LEVY. WE'RE THE VERY LAST ONES TO GET A SET OF OUR LEVY BY THAT TIME A LOT OF DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE BUDGETS OF PEOPLE AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GET I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HEAR THE SAME THINGS THAT WE HEAR RIGHT? THE BUCK STOPS HERE. I GET THAT AS PART OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. BUT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY I THINK IF EVERY SINGLE ENTITY WAS DOING THE SAME WORK THAT WE WERE DOING I THINK WE WOULD SEE AN IMPROVEMENT. AND SO I'D I'D ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING TONIGHT TO ASK THEIR THEIR OTHER ENTITIES INCLUDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO GO AND DO SOME PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING . I EXPECT TO SEE THAT VERY, VERY MUCH IMPACT US IN A POSITIVE WAY GOING FORWARD BECAUSE IF WE DON'T IF WE IF WE HAVE A LINE THAT WE CAN DRAW BETWEEN THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY OUR CONSTITUENCY AND THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING, IT GETS REALLY CLEAR AND THEN WE DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THINGS THAT DON'T FALL ABOVE THAT LINE AND THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS, RIGHT? SO OR BELOW THAT LINE. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT. BUT I DO THINK THAT I WANT TO JUST GIVE FLOWERS TO THE TO THE COUNCIL, TO THE STAFFERS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND THESE REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL LIKE SPONSORSHIPS AND ADS SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THIS JUST ON THE BACKS OF OF TAXPAYERS. I ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THE RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC IS PRETTY INTERESTING HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. I MEAN WE STILL WE STILL HAVE A REALLY GOOD YOU KNOW, PER SQUARE FOOT. THE THE PRICE OF A HOME IN BLOOMINGTON IS BETTER THAN IN OTHER AREAS IN THE METRO AND THE HOUSING SALES ARE UP THIS YEAR YEAR OVER YEAR. I'M SURE TIM WILL TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET THERE. BUT SO WE'RE STILL A DESIRABLE PLACE FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO COME. THE AVERAGE TIME A HOUSE IS ON THE MARKET IS 16 DAYS SO WE ARE IN A CHANGING MARKET. I LOVE THAT. I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS WHO ARE 80 YEARS OLD WHO HAVE BEEN IN THEIR HOMES SINCE THEY YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE 25. I LOVE THEM AND I WANT THEM TO STAY THERE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND I'M ALSO REALLY GRATEFUL THAT MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS JUST HAD A LITTLE KID. RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THAT MODE RIGHT NOW IN BLOOMINGTON WHERE WE HAVE TO ADJUST FOR THAT. SO IF I COULD SEE MORE WORK DONE JUST JUST TO REALLY FLUSH OUT THOSE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC DECISION THE TRANSFORMATIONS WE ARE MAKING LIKE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND STUFF AS WELL AS HOW WE ARE DOING TO WHAT WE THINK THE FORECAST MIGHT LOOK LIKE AS WE LOOK TO A WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY OFFSET THE EXPENSES WITH SOME OF THESE YOU KNOW OTHER OTHER IDEAS LIKE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND THINGS LIKE SPONSORSHIP SORRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I. COUNCILMEMBER CARTER THANK YOU MAYOR. SO I WILL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT AND SWEET BECAUSE I AGREE WITH MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT WERE ALREADY SHARED SO I'M NOT GOING TO JUST REPEAT THOSE AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD. SO I DID WANT TO ECHO THANKS TO STAFF I KNOW IT'S BEEN A TON OF WORK AND YOU HAVE FELT THE PRESSURE TO FIND THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COST SAVINGS AND SO ECHOING THE THANKS AND THE GRATITUDE AND GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO DO AND THE TRANSPARENCY I DID WANT TO MAKE TWO POINTS QUICKLY I GUESS I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD I'M STILL NOT COMFORTABLE WHERE WE LANDED ON THE SNOW PLOWING THE SIDEWALK SNOWPLOWING. I THINK THE PATH WE WENT DOWN OR WE WE KIND OF AGREED TO AS A COUNCIL WAS KEEPING IT STATUS QUO WHICH WE KNOW ISN'T WORKING AND SO AND I WILL ECHO WHAT I SAID AT THE LAST CONVERSATION I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT'S THE SAVINGS IF WE JUST STOP DOING IT AND THEN WHAT'S THE COST TO RUN IT AS IT SHOULD BE RUN BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRUE COST RIGHT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW IS NOT WORKING AND IT'S COSTING US MONEY AND IT'S IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A GOOD OPERATION. SO I STILL THINK OF A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL I WOULD LOVE TO SEE. AND THEN I WONDERED I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE A DEDICATED CONVERSATION AROUND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND. COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO MENTIONED THE TREES AND HOW IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY. I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY ALL AGREE TO THAT AND I THINK ONE OF THE STAFF SUGGESTIONS IN THE POWERPOINT WAS ONE TIME FUNDING AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO USE SOME OF THAT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND AND SO JUST HAVING A MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION I'M NOT SURE WE'VE CONSISTENTLY DONE THAT OVER THE YEARS RELATED TO THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FUND SO THAT WOULD BE A REQUEST THAT I WOULD HAVE BUT THAT THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER WELL I WILL SAY COUNCIL COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS YEAH, I FIRST OF ALL I'M LEARNING SO I'M GOING TO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO. SECONDLY, I ACTUALLY DON'T AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE COMMENTS I WENT OUT THAT'S THE ONLY REASON AMBER HAS SAID A FEW WORDS WHEN IT COMES TO THE SNOW REMOVAL. I GO BACK TO A PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN I RECALL THE MAINTENANCE PEOPLE THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF CLEANING THE STREET TOLD THAT CAME IN WITH A PROPOSAL TO BUY THREE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ALSO ELIMINATE FOUR POSITIONS AND MAKE IT MORE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE SNOW WITH A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. AND WE FLEW I THINK ABOUT $800,000 TO BUY THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY THE DETAILS. HOWEVER A YEAR LATER THEY COME OVER AND ASK TO ELIMINATE THE SERVICE BECAUSE THEY NEED MORE EQUIPMENT AND BECAUSE THEY NEED MORE PEOPLE AND THEY WERE THEMSELVES PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE FOUR POSITIONS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT AND ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET, THE P B'S WHO WAS TO HELP ELIMINATE THE UNNECESSARY EXPENSES OR THE THINGS THAT WE CONSIDER IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY IMPORTANTNOUGH FOR THE CITY TO MANAGE. THE WAY I SEE IT IS THE CITY IS SUPPOSED TO VOTE TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SERVICES THAT ARE EXPECTED FROM THE COMMUNITY NOT JUST THE ONES AND FROM MY POINT OF VIEW AND AGAIN IT'S JUST MY POINT OF VIEW THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE CITY IS DOING RIGHT NOW THAT I JUST CONSIDER ONCE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO HAPPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SURVIVE. SO THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S OKAY TO WANT A LOT OF THINGS BUT IF WE REALLY LOOK AT OURSELVES WE DON'T NECESSARILY BUY EVERYTHING THAT WE WISH TO HAVE AT HOME. WE SOMETIMES MAKE PLANS AND THREE YEARS LATER WE PROBABLY BUY THE TOYS THAT WE WANT TO BUY. BUT IF WE LOOK AT IT FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW TO THE CITY WE CAN ALSO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE EXPENSES IN THE LONG RUN AND IT'S NOT REALLY KICKING THE CAN FORWARD. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE AND I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST MY OPINION A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS I MEAN I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE HUNDREDS OF EMAILS SO I KNOW WITH PEOPLE OPPOSING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, THE REALITY IS THAT WE AS THE COUNCIL HAVE APPROVED A LOT OF EXPERIENCES THAT THEY'RE NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND THEN AGAIN THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. OKAY, I'M IF WE USE THESE PRIORITY BASE BUDGET TOOL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME UP. SO I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BYPASS IN ORDER TO HAVE A BUDGET THAT MAKES SENSE AND THAT'S THAT'S A QUESTION FOR ANOTHER DAY. I WROTE A LOT OF NOTES BUT AS I REALIZE THAT A LOT OF US ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS SO I'M NOT GOING TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS OR MAKE ANY MORE COMMENTS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT AS A CITY WE SPENT WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE IT ALTOGETHER AND CONTINUE THE BUDGET DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE COMING BACK DOWN TO A POINT THAT WE'RE GOING TO REGRET IN THE FUTURE. WE CAN MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT A BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. I MEAN I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER RIVAS. I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME THIS EVENING AND PROVIDED THEIR COMMENTS AND YOUR INPUT AS WELL. I JUST WANT TO JUST A HANDFUL OF POINTS HERE THAT I I THINK I GENERALLY MAKE EVERY TIME THIS YEAR OR EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB THAT WE DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS SIMPLE AS THAT. AND COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS IN THE YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS JUST IN TERMS OF COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE TRANSPARENCY OF IT ALL IT HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY AND CERTAINLY FOR THE BETTER AND I THINK THIS IMPORTANT JOB NEEDS TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AND AS ENGAGING AS POSSIBLE. SO HATS OFF TO STAFF FOR DOING IT IN THIS WAY. HATS OFF TO THE COUNCIL FOR DEMANDING THAT WE GET IT DONE IN THIS WAY AND HATS OFF TO THE THE COMMUNITY FOR BEING PART OF THIS AS WELL. WHAT I LIKE TO ALSO POINT OUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT BETWEEN POLICE FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS PARKS AND RECREATION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT'S 82% OF OUR BUDGET. THOSE FIVE THINGS ARE LITERALLY THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF CITY GOVERNMENT. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKING REC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AND SO IF IF WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO IMPACT THIS BUDGET OR AFFECT THIS BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE EIGHT THOSE FIVE THINGS THAT ARE JUST WHAT EVERY CITY SHOULD BE DOING AND CITIES ARE JUDGED ON HOW WELL THEY DO THOSE BASICALLY IN PEOPLE MOVE IN AND MOVE OUT BASED ON HOW WELL CITIES DO THOSE THINGS AND RELATED TO THAT ALSO THEN IN SO MANY WAYS A BUDGET REFLECTS YOUR VALUES. YOU SET ACCOUNTS REMEMBER LOWMAN THE BUDGET REFLECTS THE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE HEARD FOR YEARS HOW IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY IS IN THIS COMMUNITY WHICH IS WHY WE MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN THE POLICE. WE'VE HEARD THAT HAVING ONE FIREFIGHTER ROLL ON A TRUCK WHEN THERE IS AN ISSUE IS NOT A GOOD THING. SO WE HEARD THAT WE SHOULD EXPAND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS. THE BUDGETS REFLECT THE VALUES OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY IS OF VALUE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUR PARKING RECORD THIRD OF THIS COMMUNITY IS OPEN SPACE. WE'VE GOT A VALUE IN PARKS AND RECREATION AS WELL. SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER. AND THE LAST THING THAT I'LL JUST SAY CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE BUT THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE WORK ARE OUR PEOPLE. WE DON'T MAKE WIDGETS. WE CAN'T CUT BACK ON INPUTS. WE CAN'T ADJUST THE PRODUCTION LINE, THE WORK THAT GETS DONE WHERE THEY ARE FIREFIGHTERS ARE PARKS AND REC STAFF, THE SNOWPLOW DRIVERS THOSE ARE PEOPLE AND IN SO MANY WAYS THAT'S THAT IS A HUGE COST DRIVER FOR ANY CITY, ANY PUBLIC SECTOR. OUR BUSINESS IS IS THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND IT'S ALL SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB WE DO COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO YOU SAID IT IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT JOB TO DO BECAUSE YOU CAN TALK TO FIVE PEOPLE TODAY WHO SAY ONE THING AND FIVE PEOPLE TOMORROW WHO SAY THE EXACT OPPOSITE THING AND I DON'T CARE IF IT'S SNOW PLOWING, POLICE COVERAGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, A STREET THAT SHOULD BE THIS WIDE OR THAT WIDE WE HEAR BOTH SIDES AND IT'S UP TO US. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY AND FIGURE THAT OUT FOR THE BEST OF THIS COMMUNITY, WHAT'S BEST FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO KEEP MOVING THIS COMMUNITY FORWARD AND HOW WE REACT TO THAT. SO YOU KNOW, I CAN SHRUG AND MAKE IT SOUND SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT WHAT'S BEST FOR THIS COMMUNITY. BUT I KNOW THAT'S AN ENORMOUS DISCUSSION AND I'M GLAD WE'RE STARTING THIS DISCUSSION AND AS WE GET THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION IT'S APRIL. WE'VE GOT SOME TIME HERE AS WE GET THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION OR EXCUSE ME AUGUST THANK YOU APRIL, AS WE GET INTO THIS DISCUSSION, LET'S HEAR SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS. IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMING OR PROJECTS THAT RESIDENTS ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF, LET'S LET'S HEAR IT AND LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS A AS A COUNCIL, AS THE COUNTY, AS THE COMMUNITY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WHAT THOSE ARE AND SEE IF THEY FIT IN WITH IF THEY REFLECT THE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY, SEE IF THEY FIT WITHIN THE PRIDE THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE'VE GOT THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PROCESS THAT WE HAVE. SO LET'S LET'S KEEP THIS PROCESS MOVING AND LET'S GET THIS THIS DISCUSSION GOING. LET'S KEEP INVOLVING PEOPLE, LET'S KEEP THE STAFF BRINGING US GOOD WORK AND THOUGHTFUL PIECES OF WORK. SO FOR US TO REACT TO AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON SO THAT'S THAT'S MY LITTLE SOAPBOX AND YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR IT AGAIN THIS TIME NEXT YEAR AS WELL. COUNSELOR, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD THIS EVENING? NOTHING ELSE TO ADD COUNCIL THAT WAS OUR ONE AND ONLY ITEM ON OUR STUDY SESSION TONIGHT. HAVING COMPLETED OUR AGENDA I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN TONIGHT SECOND MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER DALLESSANDRO ,SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOUA TO ADJOURN TONIGHT'S MEETING. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING I OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANKS SO MUCH COUNCIL THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. THANKS TO THE STAFF FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. WELL DONE AND WE WILL CONTINUE THIS. >> EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEK