[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS  IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 5.  [0:10] AT OUR MEETING THIS WEEK, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD  A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT OFFICE BUILDINGS IN   [0:15] BLOOMINGTON. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE DISCUSSION  FOCUSED ON WHAT THE CITY COULD OR SHOULD DO TO   [0:21] FACILITATE CONVERTING OFFICES INTO  A DIFFERENT USE, LIKE RESIDENTIAL.  [0:26] SOME QUICK BACKGROUND AND WE’LL START WITH A  QUIZ: ANY IDEA HOW MANY OFFICE BUILDINGS THERE   [0:31] ARE IN BLOOMINGTON? IF YOU GUESSED 107, YOU’RE  A PRETTY GOOD GUESSER. 107 OFFICE BUILDINGS,   [0:38] GENERALLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY BUT  CONCENTRATED ON 494 AND ON LYNDALE AVENUE.   [0:44] YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT OFFICE VACANCY RATES  ARE HIGH IN SOME AREAS WHICH IS DUE TO CHANGING   [0:48] WORK PATTERNS – PEOPLE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC  THAT WORKING FROM HOME IS A GOOD OPTION – AND AS A   [0:54] RESULT A LOT OF COMPANIES ARE ECONOMIZING WHEN  IT COMES TO OFFICE SPACE. HERE IN BLOOMINGTON,   [0:59] OUR OFFICE VACANCY RATE IS ABOUT 15 AND A  HALF PERCENT. LOWER THAN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS,   [1:05] BUT HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE  TWIN CITIES AND OTHER SUBURBS.  [1:08] WITH THE HELP OF STAFF, THE COUNCIL TALKED OUR WAY  THROUGH THE PROS AND CONS OF CONVERTING SOME OF   [1:13] THAT OFFICE SPACE INTO SOME OTHER USE. ON THE  PLUS SIDE, CONVERTING OFFICE INTO RESIDENTAIL   [1:19] COULD PROVIDE MORE HOUSING OPTIONS INCLUDING  OPTIONS RELATED TO THE CO-LIVING DISUCSSION WE   [1:24] HAD LAST WEEK. CONVERSIONS CAN BREATHE NEW LIFE  INTO TIRED OR UNDERUTILIZED BUILDINGS AND TO THE   [1:30] SURROUNDING AREA. REUSE CAN HELP SPUR ADDITIONAL  REDEVELOPMENT IN AN AREA AND IN MANY CASES,   [1:36] REUSE IS A BETTER OPTION THAN A TEAR DOWN. THERE  IS ALSO A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESSFUL OFFICE TO   [1:42] RESIDENTAIL CONVERSTIONS IN MANY CITIES, AND  I’VE HAD AT LEAST ONE CONVERSATION WITH AN   [1:47] OFFICE OWNER WHO WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER  HOW THEY CAN CONVERT HERE IN BLOOMINGTON.  [1:51] ON THE FLIP SIDE, CONVERSIONS COME WITH  CHALLENGES. OLDER BUILDINGS MAY HAVE DEEP FLOOR   [1:56] PLANS, OUTDATED SYSTEMS, AND DESIGN LIMITATIONS  THAT MAKE RESIDENTIAL USE MORE DIFFICULT.   [2:02] ADDITIONALLY, CURRENT CITY POLICIES AND CODES MAY  NOT ALWAYS BE IDEAL FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.   [2:08] AND ALSO, THE SWEET SPOT FOR OFFICE VACANCY RATES  IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN PERCENT SO   [2:16] BLOOMINGTON IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM BEING  IN BETTER POSITION FROM A VACANCY PERSPECTIVE.   [2:21] AND AS A COUPLE OF COUNCILMEMBERS POINTED OUT,  IT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IF WE ENCOURAGED OFFICE   [2:26] CONVERSIONS, AND THEN RAN INTO A SHORTAGE  OF OFFICE SPACE A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.  [2:31] THE BOTTOM LINE; THE COUNCIL ASKED CITY STAFF TO  CONTINUE LOOKING AT THIS, TO DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL   [2:37] MATERIALS, AND CONSIDER STREAMLINING SOME  POLICIES TO MAKE CONVERSIONS MORE DOABLE.  [2:43] WHILE NOT EVERY BUILDING WILL BE A FIT, THE  CITY IS PREPARING TO HELP PROPERTY OWNERS AND   [2:47] DEVELOPERS EXPLORE CONVERSION OPPORTUNITIES  AS THE MARKET EVOLVES. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR   [2:52] A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS LATER THIS YEAR. THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL DRINKING WATER WEEK,   [2:57] CELEBRATED FROM MAY 4 TO MAY 10, 2025. FOR MORE  THAN 40 YEARS THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION   [3:04] HAS USED DRINKING WATER WEEK AS AN OPPORTUNITY  TO RECOGNIZE THE VITAL ROLE WATER PLAYS IN OUR   [3:09] LIVES AND TO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF  CLEAN, RELIABLE WATER IN OUR COMMUNITY.  [3:14] WE ALL KNOW THAT HIGH-QUALITY DRINKING WATER IS  NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH BUT ALSO FOR   [3:19] OVERALL COMMUNITY WELL-BEING AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.  SAFE WATER SUPPORTS BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS,   [3:26] STRENGTHENS OUR SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE  SYSTEMS, AND ENHANCES OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.  [3:30] GREAT TASTING WATER IS ALSO A POINT OF  PRIDE IN BLOOMINGTON. ACCORDING TO OUR   [3:35] ANNUAL RESIDENT SURVEY, DRINKING WATER IS THE  HIGHEST RATED PUBLIC SERVICE THE CITY PROVIDES   [3:41] AND LATE LAST YEAR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON WAS  AWARDED “BEST IN GLASS” IN A TAP WATER TASTE TEST   [3:46] HOSTED BY THE MINNESOTA SECTION OF THE AMERICAN  WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME   [3:52] BLOOMINGTON HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR HAVING THE  BEST TASTING TAP WATER IN THE STATE. NEXT MONTH,   [3:58] BLOOMINGTON WILL REPRESENT MINNESOTA AND WILL  PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL COMPETITION IN DENVER.  [4:03] HATS OFF TO OUR WATER UTILITY  STAFF FOR THIER OUTSTANDING WORK.  [4:07] AND FINALLY, WE LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT ONCE  AGAIN THIS YEAR BLOOMINGTON WAS RECOGNIZED   [4:12] BY LIVABILITY.COM AS ONE OF THE TOP 100 BEST  PLACES TO LIVE IN THE U.S. THIS IS THE THIRD   [4:19] STRAIGHT YEAR BLOOMINGTON HAS MADE THE LIST,  AND THIS YEAR WE CHECKED IN AT NUMBER 20 – UP   [4:24] ONE SPOT FROM LAST YEAR AND AGAIN THE  HIGHEST RATED MINNESOTA CITY ON THE LIST.  [4:30] LIVABILITY.COM HIGHLIGHTED BLOOMINGTON'S ABUNDANT  PARKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES, STRONG EDUCATION SYSTEM,   [4:36] AND THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY AS KEY REASONS  FOR THE RECOGNITION. THE CITY'S DIVERSITY,   [4:41] COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY, AND  PROXIMITY TO THE MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL   [4:45] METRO AREA WERE ALSO NOTED AS FACTORS THAT  MAKE BLOOMINGTON A GREAT PLACE TO CALL HOME.  [4:50] WE’VE ALL SEEN THESE TYPES OF RANKINGS ONLINE  FOR EVERYTHING FROM MOST LIVABLE CITIES TO   [4:55] SCARIEST ROLLER COASTERS IN THE WORLD, AND AS  A RULE, TAKE THEM FOR WHAT THEY’RE WORTH. BUT   [5:00] LIVIABILITY.COM SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON WHAT  MAKES SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CITIES GREAT PLACES   [5:06] TO LIVE. FOR THIS RANKING THEY LOOKED AT CITIES  WITH POPULATIONS BETWEEN 75,000 AND 500,000.   [5:13] LIVABILITY CONSIDERS THAT SIZE TO BE THE SWEET  SPOT IN SIZE FOR RESIDENTS TO GET PLUGGED IN,   [5:19] FIND THEIR PEOPLE AND FEEL AT HOME FAST. THE WEBSITE ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT AFFORDABILITY   [5:24] IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF LIVING IN  A SMALLER CITY. THAT’S WHY THEY ONLY CONSIDER   [5:28] CITIES WITH A MEDIAN HOME VALUE OF $500,000 OR  LESS. THEY ALSO ANALYZE AVERAGE RENT AND HOME   [5:34] PRICES RELATIVE TO INCOME IN EACH CITY, AS WELL AS  OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE COST OF LIVING.   [5:41] THEY REALLY EMPHASIZE AFFORDABILITY WHICH IS  SOMETHING WE ALSO EMPHASIZE HERE IN BLOOMINGTON.   [5:46] THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY HAS WORKED HARD OVER THE  PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO CULTIVATE AN ENDURING AND   [5:51] REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO  BE AND IT’S GRATIFYING TO SEE BLOOMINGTON   [5:56] RECEIVE MUCH DESERVED RECOGNITION. THANK  YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR SUPPORT OF   [6:01] THE WORK UNDERWAY HERE. LET’S KEEP WORKING. THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.   [6:07] THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL  NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!