[0:05] HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL  MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 18TH,   [0:10] I’M COUNCILMEMBER DWAYNE LOWMAN  FILLING IN FOR MAYOR BUSSE.  [0:13] AT THIS WEEK’S MEETING, COUNCIL ACCEPTED  A TERM SHEET TO EXTEND THE RESIDENTIAL   [0:18] SOLID WASTE CONTRACT WITH BLOOMINGTON HAULERS’  CONSORTIUM FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BEGINNING   [0:23] IN JULY 2026. THE TERM SHEET BASICALLY LOCKS  IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF TRASH, RECYCLING,   [0:30] ORGANICS, AND YARD WASTE COLLECTION WITH ANNUAL  INCREASES OF COST AT 4%, WITH AN ADDED SERVICE   [0:37] ENHANCEMENT TO BEGIN OFFERING EVERY OTHER WEEK  SMALL GARBAGE COLLECTION IN 2026. WE HAVE HEARD   [0:43] FROM MANY RESIDENTS THAT THEY JUST DON’T GENERATE  A LOT OF TRASH OR DO A GREAT JOB DIVERTING MOST   [0:49] OF THEIR WASTE TO ORGANICS RECYCLING AND  REGULAR RECYCLING. THIS ADDITIONAL GARBAGE   [0:54] SERVICE LEVEL WILL ALLOW THEM TO SAVE MONEY  BY SETTING OUT THEIR GARBAGE EVERY OTHER WEEK. [1:00] THE OTHER MINOR SERVICE CHANGE IS THAT YARD WASTE  PICKUP WILL NO LONGER BE OFFERED DURING CURBSIDE   [1:06] CLEANUP – THIS DECISION WAS MADE DUE TO RELATIVELY  LIMITED USE OF THIS SERVICE AND TO HELP KEEP THE   [1:13] COSTS FOR CURBSIDE CLEANUP DOWN. YARD WASTE PICKUP  WILL STILL BE OFFERED AS IS DURING YARD WASTE   [1:19] SEASON, BUT YOU JUST WON’T BE ABLE TO SET OUT  BRUSH DURING EVERY OTHER YEAR CURBSIDE CLEANUP. [1:25] THIS DECISION TO RENEW OUR CONTRACT WITH  THE HAULERS WASN’T MADE LIGHTLY. COUNCIL   [1:30] ACCEPTED THE TERM SHEET FOR A CONTRACT  RENEWAL BASED ON A COUPLE THINGS. [1:34] ONE, IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE HAVE  HEARD THAT THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ARE   [1:39] HAPPY WITH THEIR SOLID WASTE SERVICES. WE KNOW  THAT SERVICE ISSUES CAN HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME,   [1:46] BUT CITY STAFF WORK CLOSELY WITH THE HAULERS  TO RESOLVE ISSUES IN A TIMELY MANNER. [1:50] TWO, CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HAULERS,   [1:54] RATHER THAN SELECTING A NEW SERVICE PROVIDER,  WILL HELP MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT CUSTOMER SERVICE,   [1:59] AND WILL LIMIT THE DISRUPTION TO RESIDENTS  THAT CAN COME WITH CHANGING GARBAGE HAULERS   [2:04] INCLUDING SWAPPING OUT CARTS AND CHANGES  TO THE TIME OF DAY YOUR CARTS ARE SERVICED. [2:10] LASTLY, THE TERM SHEET INCLUDES COMPETITIVE  PRICES IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COMMUNITIES IN   [2:15] THE METRO WITH SIMILAR SERVICES. THIS WILL HELP  TO KEEP RATES MORE AFFORDABLE FOR RESIDENTS. [2:21] MAINTAINING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE  AND KEEPING RATES AFFORDABLE ARE HIGH   [2:25] PRIORITIES TO THE CITY, AND RENEWING  OUR CONTRACT WITH THE CONSORTIUM IS IN   [2:30] LINE WITH THESE PRIORITIES. THE NEW  SERVICE CHANGES WILL BEGIN IN 2026,   [2:34] SO WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS COMING  FROM THE CITY IN THE COMING YEAR. [2:38] AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH PLANNING THE 2025  BUDGET, OUR FOCUS IS ON PROVIDING SERVICES   [2:44] THAT ALIGN WITH THE BLOOMINGTON TOMORROW TOGETHER  STRATEGIC PLAN WHICH CONTAINS KEY PRIORITIES LIKE   [2:49] EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENVIRONMENTAL  SUSTAINABILITY, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH. [2:54] ON MONDAY EVENING, WE HAD THE 2025 UTILITY  RATE PUBLIC HEARING, WHERE THE 2025 UTILITY   [3:01] RATES AND BUDGET REQUESTS FOR OUR WATER,  WASTEWATER, STORMWATER, AND SOLID WASTE   [3:06] UTILITIES WERE PRESENTED. THE RATE INCREASES  WERE 3% FOR BOTH WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES,   [3:13] 5% FOR STORMWATER, AND AN AVERAGE OF 2.6% FOR  SOLID WASTE. THESE UPDATES AIM TO KEEP THESE   [3:20] ESSENTIAL SERVICES RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE  WHILE BALANCING INFLATIONARY CHALLENGES AND   [3:26] PREPARING FOR FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS,  ALL WITH AFFORDABILITY FOR RESIDENTS IN MIND. [3:32] LATER IN THE COUNCIL MEETING THE OTHER DIVISIONS  OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SHARED THEIR 2025   [3:37] BUDGET PROPOSALS, HIGHLIGHTING THEIR ESSENTIAL  ROLE IN MAINTAINING BLOOMINGTON’S INFRASTRUCTURE,   [3:43] ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, AND  KEEPING CITY OPERATIONS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. [3:47] WE’RE ON TRACK TO FINALIZE THE 2025 BUDGET  AT THE TRUTH IN TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING ON   [3:51] DECEMBER 16. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE  BUDGET PROCESS, VISIT BLM.MN/BUDGET. [3:59] AS ALWAYS, EACH OF OUR COUNCIL  MEETINGS ARE RECORDED IN FULL,   [4:03] JUST VISIT THE CITY’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT THE LINK  ON YOUR SCREEN IF YOU’D LIKE TO WATCH ANY OF THEM.   [4:09] THEY'RE EVEN TIME STAMPED SO YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT  TO THE AGENDA ITEM THAT’S OF INTEREST TO YOU. [4:13] THAT'S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL  MINUTE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME,   [4:18] HAVE AN EXCELLENT WEEK!