[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS  IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 31.  [0:10] AT MONDAY NIGHT'S COUNCIL MEETING, BLOOMINGTON  POLICE CHIEF BOOKER HODGES PROVIDED THE COUNCIL   [0:15] WITH A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON PUBLIC  SAFETY HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. CHIEF HODGES   [0:19] HAD LOT OF POSITIVE NEWS TO SHARE, AND THE MOST  SIGNIFICANT IS THAT OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS,   [0:25] CRIME IN BLOOMINGTON HAS DECREASED BY EIGHT  PERCENT, A TREND ATTRIBUTED TO STRONG LEADERSHIP,   [0:30] COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. CHIEF HODGES HIGHLIGHTED THE SUCCESS OF THE   [0:35] BLOOMINGTON COMMUNITY BRAIN  HEALTH SERVICES INITIATIVE,   [0:38] WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVIDED NEARLY 500 THERAPY  SESSIONS TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS. THIS PROGRAM   [0:44] HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH MULTIPLE STATEWIDE AWARDS  AND IS SERVING AS A MODEL FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.  [0:49] THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN COMMUNITY  OUTREACH, WITH EVENTS PLANNED THIS YEAR FOR YOUTH,   [0:55] SENIORS, INDIVIDUALS WITH UNIQUE NEEDS, AND  FAITH COMMUNITIES. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES INCLUDE   [1:00] SAFETY CAMPS, THE SENIOR SAFETY ACADEMY, AND  ON SATURDAY, MAY 17-TH, THE BPD OPEN HOUSE..  [1:08] BLOOMINGTON POLICE ARE ALSO RECEIVING NATIONAL  RECOGNITION FOR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND   [1:13] CHARACTER-BASED POLICING. THE CHIEF REAFFIRMED  THE DEPARTMENT’S CORE VALUES OF RESPECT,   [1:18] TRANSPARENCY, AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU TO CHIEF HODGES, HIS COMMAND STAFF,   [1:24] AND TO THE OFFICERS AND CIVILLAIN STAFF WHO  WORK EVERY DAY TO KEEP BLOOMINGTON SAFE.  [1:31] ALSO ON MONDAY, THE CITY COUNCIL HELD A  PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVED A COMPREHENSIVE   [1:36] PLAN AMENDMENT AND REZONING REQUEST FOR  RAINBOW MIDWEST PLAY SYSTEMS AT 900 WEST 80TH   [1:41] STREET. THIS CHANGE REGUIDES THE PROPERTY FROM  INDUSTRIAL TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AND REZONES   [1:47] IT FROM I-3 GENERAL INDUSTRY TO B-2 GENERAL  COMMERCIAL TO ALLOW FOR INDOOR RECREATION USES.  [1:54] RAINBOW PLAY SYSTEMS HAS OPERATED IN BLOOMINGTON  SINCE 1991 AND HAS BEEN AT THIS LOCATION SINCE   [2:00] 1998. AS I’M SURE YOU KNOW, RAINBOW BUILDS  AND SELLS OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT – YOU CAN   [2:05] SEE THEIR PRODUCTS IN BACKYARDS ACROSS  BLOOMINGTON. AND OVER THE WINTER,   [2:11] AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR BUSINESS MODEL IS  TO OFFER INDOOR PLAY SPACE AND TO HOST PRIVATE   [2:17] EVENTS LIKE PLAY DATES AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES.  HOWEVER, THOSE ACTIVITIES WEREN’T OFFICIALLY   [2:23] PERMITTED UNDER THE SITE’S PREVIOUS ZONING. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE CITY HAS   [2:28] FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH OUR BLOOMINGTON BUSINESS  COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY WHERE NEEDED AND   [2:33] TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES THAT MIGHT GET IN  THE WAY OF THE SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS. THIS IS   [2:38] A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. THE REZONING FORMALIZES  RAINBOW’S LONGSTANDING OPERATIONS, MAKING ALL   [2:44] USES ON THE PROPERTY LEGALLY CONFORMING. IT ALSO  SUPPORTS A BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES FAMILY-FRIENDLY   [2:51] RECREATION, LOCAL JOBS, AND HEALTHY OUTLETS  FOR KIDS—ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.  [2:57] RAINBOW’S MOTTO IS "GET KIDS MOVING," WHICH TIES  IN NICELY WITH THE CITY’S VALUES OF WELLNESS,   [3:03] COMMUNITY VITALITY, AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE. WE’RE GLAD TO SUPPORT THEIR ONGOING WORK AND   [3:09] LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING RAINBOW  CONTINUE TO GROW IN BLOOMINGTON.  [3:13] AND FINALLY TODAY, ON MONDAY NIGHT WE PROCESSED  A GRANT PROPOSAL AND TWO GRANTS FOR WORK FROM THE   [3:19] STATE OF MINNESOTA TO INVEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH.  I ALSO READ A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING PUBLIC   [3:25] HEALTH WEEK WHICH IS COMING UP THE WEEK OF APRIL  7. AND AS WE DID THESE THINGS TO PROMOTE THE   [3:30] IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO CELEBRATE  THE OUTSTANDING WORK DONE BY PUBLIC HEALTH   [3:34] PROFESSSIONALS IN BLOOMINGTON AND ACROSS THE  COURTY, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE SEEING   [3:39] SOME BIG CHANGES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORLD.  CHANGES TO FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING AND FEDERAL   [3:45] WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT. AS I SAID, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM DOES PHENOMENAL   [3:53] WORK AND ON BEHALF OF BLOOMINGTON I WANT TO  OFFER OUR SINCERE THANKS FOR ALL THEY DO. WE   [3:59] WERE REMINDED OFTEN DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS  HOW IMPORTANT A STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IS,   [4:04] AND THAT PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIRES A TEAM. THE  MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS ONE OF THE   [4:09] BEST STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY AND  A FANTASTIC TEAMMATE OF BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC HEALTH.  [4:16] THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS STILL WORKING TO  UNDERSTAND HOW THE STATE WILL BE AFFECTED BY   [4:20] THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CANCELLING $226 MILLION  IN PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING IN MINNESOTA. BUT MAKE   [4:27] NO MISTAKE, THE REDUCTION OF WORKFORCE AT THE  MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL HAVE AN   [4:31] SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MINNESOTANS’ HEALTH  AND WELL-BEING. OUR TEAM IN BLOOMINGTON IS   [4:37] WORKING TO LIMIT THAT IMPACT HERE. THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL   [4:41] MINUTE. THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL  NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!