[1:38] We're gonna, why don't we start with, the, the two folks who are here, see if those other folks show up, otherwise we'll go to our bullpend waiting list. We got Brian Wolf, Gary Turnus, is Gary here? There's Gary ok and Jerry Hillarran is Jerry alright? [1:53] I don't see Jerry yet. And then Alan Redding. And there's Alan. Okay, so I don't know if we're gonna get all the way down the list, but why don't we get started, and why don't we give everybody, why don't why don't we limit it to like five or 6 min and try and get as many folks done as possible this evening if we could do that if that's ok. Mark? [2:12] Sure. Hello. Thanks everyone for allowing me this opportunity. I will say before I get into my remarks that being involved in this thing I've been involved in all summer has shown me some very crazy stuff that goes on out in the community. [2:32] That you people probably deal with every day and I had NO idea happened so my hat is off to you for what you have to go through for this giant $3000 a day salary that you make. So thank you for all you do. I really appreciate it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. On a good year, right? Yeah, so anyway, I'm here I moved to blue. [2:52] In 1990 grew up in Richfield. I'm re I'm a retired union electrician and I lived. [3:00] Real close to here up until this year and then I moved to a senior cooperative on Lindalle Avenue South and that's where I currently reside. I'm here to just talk about bike safety, or about things I've noticed. This is just observations from an old guy that gets to ride his bike every day if he wants and things I've seen and just things I'll pass. [3:20] Long, not necessarily advocating for things right now. I may do that in the future, but just things and maybe you can enlighten me on some things I missing. But the 1st thing I want to talk about is just trying to be safe. Now we're talking now about riding a bicycle in on the streets of the city of Bloomington, so this isn't a recreational thing. [3:40] Although it is for me cause again, I'm retired, but more of this would be an actual activity that people would use to like replace of starting up a car for a day or a week or, you know, if they're lucky their whole career. So, I I think it's important and I see the city doing it so again there's nothing negative I don't think other than the time. [4:00] That's I was scared, so I'll and I'll share those with you. But 1st thing is about bike lanes, and you guys are doing an amazing job so far with bike lanes to be a city that really grew up in love with and embracing the automobile to, to, to have to change that direction and make that fit what we're all trying to do now, I think. [4:20] Is wonderful. I would say this, the problems I've had in bike lanes, I ride a lot on 86th Street, which is a nice one. I mean for bike lanes, it's nice. But there's a couple things that I noticed. 1st of all, it would be helpful, I think, if that little emblem of a person on a bicycle that gets stance. [4:40] Hold on if you put those in more places because and I'll get into it, but I think a lot of car drivers, it still seems like a lot of people don't know what that little lane is for. I don't know if any of you ride any, if you notice that. I always have a little, I have lights on the front and back of my bike and I have a little rear view mirror that sits off my helmet and so I can watch what, you know. [5:00] I always say I do it so I can see my impending deaths coming. But mainly I can see what people are up to behind me. And you know if you're on a small trail and somebody's faster than you, which is pretty much everyone for me, I can let them ride by me, that kind of thing. So, and I, I'm just gonna say and make the white lanes as wide as possible, but I know there are limits to that. I think also it seems to. [5:20] Sometimes be helpful to have signs, actual signs although I see those a lot, so I'm not saying you don't have them. But it's nice sometimes on that lane. I I've noticed if there's two lines, that seems to help people. And one of the things that I mentioned to actually at the, the, the public. [5:40] Engagement events for the the creek the last week. I was talking to a couple of engineers and I was mentioning that where you've gone to three lanes from four, which is a really nice thing and thank you for doing that wherever you've done it. One of the things that that I noticed is that people's I can see it in my mirror. People are reluctant to get into that. [6:00] Center lane because there's yellow lanes there. You let yellow lines there. Excuse me, I gotta relax. And I think that scares some people especially people who were taught how to drive back in the fifties, you know, just like, No, you can't cross that you're not passing anyone. And so I I don't know if permission needs to be given, but I I see. [6:20] That and so people go right next to me and of course my thing is like dude, you have that whole other thing, so I I don't know what can be done about that, but that's one of the things that I, that I noticed with that. The other issue and it's kind of interesting is even where there are bike sort of like bike and walking pathways, I'm thinking now like. [6:40] On Cedar going north from old chocoate towards towards, you know, Richfield. It's on the sidewalk, but the weird thing is people in their cars coming out of apartment buildings, businesses, whatever, they sort of go right through that lane. You know, they're, they're stopping to see if there's cars on Cedar, but they kind. [7:00] Kinda ignore that and that can get a little dangerous at times. I mean me, I don't care what your car is doing. I'm looking at your eyes. If I don't see your eyes, I'm nervous about what you're gonna do, you know, and that's, you have to do that as a, as a biker. And the other thing I'm gonna, I brought a prop, I'm gonna demonstrate and this should be off anyway, so it's a good thing. [7:20] We we pass the law where you can't drive like this anymore, right? So what people do now is you see him doing this, like, and that's actually harder for a biker because where before, I mean I'm not advocating we repeal that law by any means. I don't wanna repeal anything by the way, just so we're all clear on that. But anyway, I I'm it's fast. [7:40] To me like it's gone from a peripheral vision thing to now like you gotta physically put your head. So I it looks like I'm running out of time here. Indeed, Mark I'm apologizing for that, but we want to make sure that we don't talk. One last thing, it came up a couple times at the engagement events. [7:56] That people were complaining to me, I guess because they know I ride bikes that there's NO way to get, and this is not safety related, but there's NO way to get to the river if you're on a bicycle hardly. And I just want you to know there are twelve ways and I've documented all these. I've got them right here. I'll leave this here. And so if you know anyone who is thinks we don't have. [8:16] Have enough ways to get to the Minnesota River. Feel, feel free to share that and you have my name a bunch of you doing my email address, I can get you a copy, so NO problem. I would even give you the electronic version. All right. Thank you for your time. Yep. [8:28] Well done. Andrew was that Andrew, did you just walk in? I'm sorry, are you Andrew? No, I am not. Are you on our list? Are you Tom? Oh, good enough then. Okay. Andrew is Andrew here? Alright, well moving on to Sally. Sally Ness. [8:45] Hello. So I remember there was a speaker at one time that was commenting about the neighbor having a camera directed at the house and if I recall correctly, the response was there wasn't anything the city could do because it's not against the law. [9:04] And so there wasn't anything the city was offering to help. I don't recall that. Was that here at a listening session? Yeah I was at a listening session. Okay, so another example, if it's seven oh five and you're mowing your lawn and you call the city and say, this is not neighborly. [9:21] Does the police come out? Seven set our noise ordinances. I can't. They call the police and say at seven oh five, the I think the response they would get from the dispatch is that the noise ordinance is is in effect until 07:00 a.m.. And if somebody's cutting the grass, No it is not neighborly, but it is not against the law. And same. [9:41] Thing like if they're doing their leaf blower on the next or is it the pain in my existence. Oh, the police wouldn't do anything. I mean basically the police don't do anything unless there's been a crime Unless there's something against a. [9:59] City calls necessarily. That's not They they respond to, e.g., lurking calls or suspicious activity. That would be crime. Lurking calls. Suspicious activity is not a crime. That's suspicious. You have to say suspicion of a crime. You can't just say, oh, the person's suspicious, you would have to say. [10:19] Not necessarily, not necessarily also reply to injuries. Yeah. Right. Not a crime. Right. An injury or something, something or if a child is lost, that's not a crime, they'll spond to that. So NO, they they respond to a number of different things that are not necessarily crimes. Okay, so my point being that. [10:39] For my name to be in a report, they had a concern. The concern is you're saying they were concerned I was hurt. No, obviously that's not the case. They were concerned, you know, I mean that I'm not getting any council member Instead you're justifying my name in seven reports. I. [10:59] I'm hearing people commenting and justifying that my name is in seven reports. My understanding like again, I recall the person commenting that there is a camera pointed at my house and it's like, we don't have a law against that. There's nothing we can do about that. So for my name to be in a report. [11:18] So lurking seven times lurking, that's ok. When you put someone's name, you know, I mean, lurking like, really? Oh, she's lurking and then the police are gonna come out because I'm lurking, but I wasn't there and that's the other kicker again. I filed against the city on 2 December. I wasn't in the area because I. [11:38] I thought if you guys charged me something which I was afraid you were going to, even though I wasn't committing any crime, then my case would have to hold until the criminal proceeding went through. So I know I wasn't. [11:51] Anywhere that someone could say, I have a concern about her because I had to remove myself from the whole situation so that I wouldn't be falsely charged with something. And so again, NO, there's NO reason my name to be in there and it should be a concern to council members that my name would. [12:11] End up in a report when I'm not in the area at all. There's NO crime that I'm accused of committing, so. [12:20] Yes, there should be an investigation. Yes, you don't want to, but I want you guys to hear. This is wrong. It's wrong. You've heard, we've heard that, now you've seen this a number of times, and you've heard us say that, I mean the police chief asked the department and nobody could recall. [12:35] And he considers it a closed case within the city. Right. Bloomington police department. Right, and I'm saying it doesn't make sense. You don't agree with, and that's and I'm here commenting it again. That's where we stand. Try to make it, it doesn't make sense. I thought you were gonna do a data request on this. [12:55] I am, i'm waiting for the just get the data and file, do whatever you're gonna do. I mean none of us have the, we don't have the data. [13:02] Most of us weren't on council. We have NO idea what was happening then. And why don't you just do your thing and come back to us when you have the information and tell us exactly what you want. And as a council member who represents somebody, why aren't you calling up and saying, I wanna know what she's doing a data request, but I really wanna know. Why is her name in seven reports? What were she doing? [13:22] From our understanding, she's telling us she filed against the city on 2 December and then you guys only because you're gonna do what you want to do anyway, so just do it. So. [13:33] I mean if if you come here every single meeting on a different issue, once this issue's done, you'll have another one. Right, so just do your thing and the previous and the previous issue about the handicapped parking, you still had it miss, you misunderstood it, you incorrectly commented that city gave an inaccurate information to the council. [13:53] And you are accepting the inactive. Okay Sally and you know that's not the case. We're 5 min now, we're 5 min now. Thank you. [14:01] So Tom, did, has Tom made it yet? Tom Anderson? All right, we're gonna go ahead to the bullpen quickly here. Brian Wolf. Thank you. Sorry, so we did get an email from Renee relatively recently about with an update from the. [14:21] Engineers who were assessing 9 mi and I don't think that's public yet. Well I think we can say something preliminary because so many of you are here, I just think it might be. [14:32] It might influence some comments. Worth letting me in and then if you have questions or want to add something because I'm thinking we all know the same thing. Oh, ok. All right, good. I was Gonna ok I'm gonna stand just because my back. [14:48] Gives me some trouble and it's actually easier to stand, so I'm gonna stand if that's alright. And I'll. What's that? I was on a bike today. But I've only got 5 min and none of that as minutes. So I'll introduce myself for the record. Brian Wolf. [15:08] 3321 overlooked drive, and I'm gonna start by expressing appreciation for the reveal event. [15:15] That was held on Monday and Tuesday. It was well done, Appreciated the the the boards. They were clear and well done, and I really appreciate it, and when I say I, I should really be saying we, I think in all cases, we would all agree. [15:31] But that was really well done and we really appreciated the staff that was there, their willingness to answer questions, it was a good event, and I'm not saying that just because of the results. But obviously that's the next thing I'll mention here is, obviously we're very happy. [15:51] To have seen what we saw, it's it's clear that there will not be a dual use trail. The boards did not make it clear that, that there would not be natural surface trails. [16:07] But staff did assure us that there wasn't room for natural surface trails and so from Moyer Park to the river bottoms, there will be NO bike trails as I understand it and we're obviously. [16:24] Pleased about that. There are a couple of items we would like to talk at some point about the surfacing of the trail south of a hundred and six street. And we have some concerns about a possible bike access off of Queen. [16:40] And, I think we may also want to have something to say about the educational component and the restoration, but that's not why I'm here either. We'll come back to do that. I am here because I want to thank the city council. [16:57] Staff, for the way that we've been treated with respect to the opportunity we've had to address you that's been greatly appreciated by all of us. We also very much enjoyed and. [17:13] Have a great deal of thanks for the walks that we took. Many of you went walking with me personally, I was involved in a lot of those. Others here were involved as well and universally after every one of those walks. [17:29] We had the same things to say. You were great. You listened, we could tell by your questions that you listened, you were responsive, Didn't always give us everything we wanted. I heard sometimes there may have to be compromised I didn't wanna hear that. But but you know you you you pay. [17:49] Put attention, you listen. And we, we respect that greatly. I have to say that you didn't go for a walk with me, felt some enrollment, but you did have me over to your house and I think our conversation went on about two and a half, 3 h. My wife was wondering why I got home so late. Maybe you can just confirm that at this point. [18:11] That would help me out just so that when I come home with you on my breathe that's why I'm talking very straight when he got. It's important that I have a councilman in my pocket when when that happens. The. [18:26] The corrum here is one person speaks at a time. I'm gonna ask you to make one exception for just a moment. I think everybody in unison would like to say thank you from miss Gardeny. We appreciate it. [18:42] That's all I've got. Very good at least for now. Thank you, question? Quickly just a comment, so thanks I don't want to speak for anybody else just me, but I enjoyed my interactions with all of you as well. I do want to be sure that you all, one of the things I hope you take away from this is that faith in local government is not dead. [19:02] The feasibility studies that they did were gonna always happen. They were always gonna happen and they were done in a way that was objective and intentionally meant to give us information as a council to make decisions on without bias, without leaning one direction or the other or anything like that. That's true of all of the staff here in all of the departments. We are very lucky to be supported by some of the. [19:27] Best staff members in a city government. And I just, I want you all to know that. [19:33] Every single time we do work within the city, we're using the same processes that you got to witness. So I hope that it does restore a little faith in our government to you as well. And the next time we have an issue, we can start with asking questions and reaching reaching consensus as opposed to potentially starting off the way that we did with, which was, you know. [19:53] Hello NO, has our 1st idea so but I love the interaction and I I appreciate you all so very much for stepping with me. The narrative that we are selling is that. [20:03] We brought you to this. The reason that has to be the narrative is you can't imagine the number of hours we put in. And if this was going to be the result anyway. No, I don't need to clarify, I don't mean that your input wasn't important. I just meant that the feasibility study is a, is. [20:23] Which is part of that in his news a little bit to cut you I'm gonna time to get there, I think. I'm gonna interrupt you both mr. Ruby in quick here? Yeah, I just mr. Mayor council members, just in case folks in the room aren't familiar with what mr. Wolf was talking about is the And and just to share, the boards from the reveal last week have been posted. [20:43] Listed to the let's talk Bloomington site with project updates related to the 9 mi Creek Corridor project and the discussion around shared use trail for peds and bikes or separated trails for peds and brikes. [20:56] Both said not feasible due to costs and environmental impacts. The one comment that I would like to make on behalf of staff is the feedback that I received from staff was their appreciation that you told them. [21:14] How much you appreciated the integrity and the honesty that they demonstrated throughout the process and that meant a lot to them. I'm glad that was communicated. Good. Thank you Brian. Thanks for being here tonight. Yes, we are. Perry? [21:32] Please. Gary Turnes. Oh Gary. Gary. You Gary too? No I'm Gary. That's fine I'm sorry. [21:49] I have reason. I have hobbies. I don't know if I have enough for everybody. This is a letter from our board of directors. I am my name is Gary Turnus. I'm the on the board, of directors for real life cooperative on Lindale. [22:08] And this letter comes from the entire board to the council. I'd just like to read it. As a matter of routine, the Bloomington police responding to calls to our building use a device like the one pictured below and the one I have here in my hand. [22:28] To opened the to prop open the door when they enter. The door has then left a jar while they proceed to the location of their call. No one has ever left to monitor the open door during the entire time the officers are busy with their duties, which may. [22:47] The last quite a while. All emergency services have easy and ready access to our building. Thus, we fail to understand the persistent use of this device which routinely leaves our building wide open. [23:05] Our manager has tried unsuccessfully to bring this issue to the attention of the police department. A few of our members have addressed this, this issue with officers responding to calls and each one has reported being met with a mind your own business. [23:24] Response, often expressed in less than pleasant manner. On 12 October, a couple weeks ago, the device pictured below was used in our front door by the plooming, by the Bloomington police. [23:40] After a long call inside, all of the personnel from the three responding vehicles walked out the front door and pulled away leaving the door unlocked with this device in place. We can verify. [23:56] That at least one non resident gained access to the building through this prop door during the officer's visit. We realized that forgetting to remove the propping device is not the norm. However. [24:11] If this call had been late at night, our building would have been left vulnerable not only just during the officer's visit, but throughout the night before anyone would have discovered it. The senior population of Bloomington is among the most supportive of our police, public officials and services. [24:30] And thus it is most discouraging to find that those we rely upon for our most important needs of security routinely dismiss this concern in favor of this unsafe and unnecessary practice. We the board passed unanimously to send this letter to the. [24:50] Also, and I appreciate your sharing this with us Gary, and we will certainly share it with with chief Hodges and, and bring this up. I I honestly haven't even seen a device like that, so I'm not sure how it's used or why it's used or or, what the, what the response, why they're there in the 1st place. I don't know any of the details around all of this. [25:09] We will share this with chief, the chief and we'll have somebody from the police department get back to you and your board members with with an explanation and continue this conversation and make sure we get a resolution. It's always used, but it's always placed at the top of the door where even if it found later. [25:24] Good half, maybe two thirds of our residents could never reach it. Okay, so appreciate it. So alright, that's all I need. Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you. Jerry Hillaron? It is Jerry. Though you are here Jerry. Welcome. [25:40] Well I too, my name's Sherry Hillorn 9349 Queen Road, and I too am here to speak about the seniors, but I would also follow the lead. [25:55] That I've been very impressed too, not having ever been involved in any city government, but went to a few council meetings and it struck me in going to the council meetings that we had the council would agree with whatever was put before. [26:13] And, which was not impressive. And then I got involved with the health and wellness center, issues here and, had the opportunity to communicate with three of the members and have 1st of all was very impressed that they responded to me and spent time with me. [26:33] And to the depth that are knowledge that made it obvious that there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that public watching TV. [26:42] And a council meeting wouldn't have any awareness. So, thank you all for that and shame on me for thinking otherwise from the council meetings. So I I have, as I say, been a member of. [26:58] The community for a better part of 55 years and graduated, 2nd graduating class from Jefferson raised three kids through graduation, coach BAA, managed club teams, was on elementary school steering committees, owned and operated business in Bloomington for three. [27:18] 35 years. I've used the Jefferson activity centers and the tennis and also used to swim at the. [27:28] Olsen indoor swimming pool. So I've enjoyed a lot of change in Bloomington from having Jefferson built two blocks down from where my parents and I lived as a teenager to building my home where I used to ride my. [27:46] My dirt bike and occasionally be chased by Bloomington police on their harleys that figured we weren't supposed to be back there and they didn't know the trails like we did and they had big harleys that weren't as agile. So we we relished when they came to chase us. That's a long time ago. [28:06] So, so change change is good. And change is not always good. Climate change for instance. So although I didn't vote for the referendum when it came around the half sent taxes, I I not because I didn't see merit and civic projects, many of which I've enjoyed in my tenure. [28:29] Here. But I never see it wise to write a blank check with and at the time of this referendum there were NO defined plans on what this would be other than that the name was gonna change to the Bloomington Health. [28:49] And what was it? I just blanked down a little nervous I guess. Health and wellness center. So, I I should also add that I've been around long enough to have seen when the referen referendum for the Jefferson and Kennedy activity centers. [29:09] Was put forward I think it was around 2002. And as I mentioned, it used to swim in the, in the pool there at Olsen and now all these public resources are down to, we've got four months in the wintertime where we can run. [29:29] At the Jefferson and Kennedy tracks for a nominal fee of five to $10 a month. But there's a lot of resource. I think there's still a pool, correct me if I'm wrong at the former penn junior high too. Yes. As well as Valueview, so we've got three indoor. [29:47] Tools that are NO longer available to the public. We've got two activity centers. I, I don't know how this best work. I did talk to the director of the program at Jefferson. [30:03] And this is what he's told me, I guess he's the director for the, for Jefferson and Kennedy's program. And so you can rent the pools out for events, but it is not open for general public use. [30:22] So, you know, when we've had a program, a standalone senior center, although it's been called a community center, it has been a de facto of senior center that's worked for better than 30 years. [30:39] And now it's being eliminated to put up a facility where we're gonna be duplicating resources that are not being fully used, drawn through my eye and had me begin investigating all this. [30:58] So I wish to see the senior center retained. I think that we all benefit from having a home of our own. I Jenna and I have communicated a little bit. I did send back a message to you today. [31:14] And I think all this stuff is good. I'd like to see a community center. I don't wanna see a senior center be eliminated. And I don't feel that it was probably presented in the referrendum. [31:31] To change the name to health and wellness, it had NO indication the general public that this was gonna be changed. We would have figured assume that a senior center would have persisted. And I know many of the resources will. [31:46] And many of them, the ones that I've used have not are not being replaced. Great benefit in having an inner generational activities, and I have. [32:02] Prior to the release of the plans, I had realized that this senior center is not being adequately used. I can imagine so many exciting things going on that used to serve meals to seniors, which would still be nice. And. [32:20] Why couldn't we have a program after school hours where Homemac baking and cooking were taught? I'm gonna have to interrupt you now. But while we're past time, we gotta get downstairs actually for the council meeting, and so past your 5 min, but appreciate your your your comments and appreciate what what you brought forward here and it's. [32:39] I mean, I can give you 20 s to kind of wrap up and and put a bowl on it if you'd like. So are things still not written in stone? That was the comment I've heard you make several times. Well, we, we continue during the, through the process here and as, as time goes on in each different iterative process. [32:58] This one becomes a bit more and more solid. Sure and it and that's just the practical way that you've got to do a building plan, especially in today's climate, where if we delay by six months, it's gonna cost us an extra X million dollars, right? I mean, we've gotta, we have to keep moving forward on this. We have done a number of different focus groups. We have. [33:18] I mean I. I've heard from a couple of folks how they were, they're surprised that these these this proposal coming forward because I think if you go back and look at the information that was presented, there weren't specifics, you know, it's gonna be this much square footage, but this is what the health and wellness center was going to be and was going to look like and is going to include and community rooms and are you saying. [33:40] Both areas in Gymnasian I I think that was any of that. I, I think that was all part of it without anything, again, without anything carbon stone at that time, but then as we've gone on through this process and have heard back and looked at feasibility and and use of square footage and so on, it's kind of evolving into what it's evolving in. So I just closed, our surrounding communities do have free. [34:01] Standing senior centers, even for Edina, and the entrances is at NO charge. I doubt that you're gonna get too many seniors to pay six bucks to go play cards. I also doubt you'll get too many to go swim or go to the gyms. [34:19] For that same fee, when we can go to lifetime on silver sneakers at NO charge. Appreciate I appreciate your comments Terry. I do, and and we'll we'll incorporate it as we keep working forward on all this will I mean it's part of the conversation and we've been we've been hearing from folks. So yeah. Things have been spent hundred millions a lot of money, a million dollars a year or so long. [34:39] A lot of money if we go the wrong path as well. Very good. Yep, thank you. Alan, Alan, don't go anywhere. Well, we've got to adjourn here, but don't go anywhere, ok? I'll talk to you. Folks, we're over time, we gotta get downstairs although it's in favor of adjournment, please signify by saying hi. Motion carries. We are adjourned. Well, let's get downstairs.