[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS  IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 16.  [0:10] EVEN A FEW DAYS REMOVED, THE SHOCK AND HORROR  AND REVULSION OF WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND   [0:16] REMAINS. THE BRUTAL ASSASINATION OF REPRESENTATIVE  MELISSA HORTMAN AND HER HUSBAND MARK, AND THE   [0:22] SHOOTING OF STATE SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS  WIFE YVETTE IS ONE OF THE DARKEST EVENTS IN   [0:27] MINNESOTA HISTORY. I’M PRAYING FOR THEM AND  THEIR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES THEM.  [0:33] AND I’M SO VERY THANKFUL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT  OFFICIALS, INCLUDING OUR OWN BLOOMINGTON POLICE,   [0:38] WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TRACK  DOWN AND ARREST THE SHOOTER.  [0:43] I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVE  HORTMAN ON A HANDFUL OF ISSUES OVER THE YEARS AND   [0:48] EVERYTHING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT HER BEING  A STRAIGHT TALKER, A SKILLED POLITICIAN,   [0:52] AND A DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT ARE SPOT ON.  I ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEND   [0:57] LESS FORMAL TIME WITH HER IN MY BACKYARD,  EATING PULLED PORK AT CANDIDATE EVENTS.   [1:02] MELISSA HORTMAN WAS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER  AND A WONDERFUL PERSON. SHE’LL BE MISSED.  [1:08] IN ADDITION TO MY SADNESS FOR THE LOSS OF  LIFE, I’M FEELING A DEEP SADNESS FOR ALL OF   [1:13] US AS MINNESOTANS. IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE AT A  TIPPING POINT, OR IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO,   [1:19] THAT WE’VE TIPPED OVER. WE’VE ALWAYS HAD OUR  DISAGREEMENTS. WE’VE ALWAYS ARGUED. THERE HAS   [1:25] ALWAYS BEEN A RIGHT AND LEFT AND ARGUMENTS  ABOUT POLICY AND POLITICS AND WHAT EACH SIDE   [1:31] THOUGHT WAS THE BEST PATH FORWARD. IT HAPPENED  IN ST. PAUL AND AT COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ON THE   [1:37] CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND AT THANKSGIVING WITH  THAT ONE UNCLE EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE.  [1:42] BUT NOBODY PULLED A GUN. NOBODY BRUTALLY  ASSASINATED A PUBLIC OFFICIAL AND HER HUSBAND,   [1:48] AND TRIED TO DO THE SAME AT LEAST THREE OTHER  TIMES. THIS IS SO VERY CLEARLY DIFFERENT BUT   [1:55] SADLY IT REFLECTS A LANDSCAPE WHERE THREATENING  AND VIOLENT ACTIONS AGAINST ELECTED OFFICIALS   [1:59] AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IS BECOMING COMMON PLACE. AND THIS ISN’T JUST MY ANECDOTAL OBSERVATIONS.   [2:07] RESEARCH BY THE BRENNEN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND  BY THE BRIDGING DIVIDES INSTITUE AT PRINCETON   [2:11] UNIVERSITY SHOWS THAT AT LEAST HALF OF STATE AND  LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED THREATS,   [2:19] HARASSMENT, AND INTIMIDATION. AND IT WON’T  SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR THAT WOMEN AND PEOPLE   [2:25] OF COLOR SERVING IN ELECTED OFFICE REPORT  THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF HOSTILE EXPERIENCES,   [2:31] IN PARTICULAR, ABUSE RELATED TO THEIR  FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THEIR CHILDREN.  [2:37] THIS LEADS PEOPLE TO NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION,  TO NOT TAKE ON POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS,   [2:43] OR TO NOT COMMUNICATE ON SOCIAL  MEDIA OR ATTEND PUBLIC EVENTS.  [2:47] WE’RE LOSING GOOD PEOPLE. CHALLENGING TOPICS GO  UNADDRESSED. AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUFFERS.  [2:54] AND THAT WAS BEFORE THE HORRIFYING  EVENTS OF LAST WEEKEND. IF WE AREN’T AT   [2:59] SOME SORT OF TIPPING POINT, WE’RE DARN CLOSE. I AM HEARTENED TO HEAR PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES   [3:07] SAYING THAT WE NEED TO TURN DOWN THE RHETORIC. I  COULDN’T AGREE MORE. I’VE SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER   [3:12] IN COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AND KNOW  FULL WELL THE POWER OF WORDS, BOTH POSITIVE AND   [3:17] NEGATIVE. WHAT IS SAID AND HOW IT’S SAID SETS THE  TONE, IT EMBOLDENS PEOPLE, AND IT MOVES PEOPLE TO   [3:26] ACTION. WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT’S DONE  RESPONSIBILY, RESPECTFULLY, AND WITH CIVILITY.   [3:33] I’M ALWAYS UP FOR A GOOD DEBATE,  BUT LET’S TALK POLICIES, NOT PEOPLE.  [3:39] THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR SOMEONE OR READ SOMETHING  THAT IS DISPARAGING, OR HOSTILE, OR RACIST,   [3:46] OR MYOGNIST, OR DEMEANING, OR THREATENING, TELL  THAT PERSON TO STOP. CALL OUT THE BEHAVIOR WE   [3:54] ALL KNOW IS WRONG. INSIST THAT, THAT’S NOT WHO WE  ARE AS MINNESOTANS. IF WE ALL START TO DO THAT,   [4:03] AT LEAST ONE GOOD THING WILL HAVE  COME OUT OF THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION.  [4:07] ON A MUCH HAPPIER NOTE, I’M PROUD TO SHARE THAT  THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF THE   [4:12] STAR TRIBUNE’S TOP 200 WORKPLACES IN THE STATE  OF MINNESOTA FOR 2025! THIS HONOR REFLECTS THE   [4:18] DEDICATION OF OUR STAFF AND OUR SHARED COMMITMENT  TO PUBLIC SERVICE, TEAMWORK, AND INNOVATION.  [4:24] THIS DISTINCTION IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL  BECAUSE IT’S BASED ON EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK.   [4:28] THE STAR TRIBUNE PARTNERED WITH AN OUTSIDE  COMPANY TO SURVEY EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE   [4:33] STATE—INCLUDING HERE IN BLOOMINGTON—ABOUT  WORK CULTURE, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION,   [4:38] APPRECIATION, AND OVERALL SATISFACTION. I WANT TO THANK OUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR MAKING   [4:44] BLOOMINGTON A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL  VALUED, SUPPORTED, AND PROUD TO WORK.  [4:49] WE’RE HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD AND  WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO FOSTER A POSITIVE,   [4:54] INCLUSIVE, AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN  WORKPLACE FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES.  [4:59] FINALLY TODAY, ONE MORE REMINDER ABOUT  TWO GREAT COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE COMING   [5:02] UP QUICKLY. ON SATURDAY, JUNE 21 IS THE  BLOOMINGTON JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. THE   [5:08] CELEBRATION WILL TAKE PLACE AT VALLEY VIEW  PLAYFIELDS ON GOES FROM NOON UNTIL 5:30.  [5:13] THEN ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22 IS  BLOOMINGTON’S PRIDE CELEBRATION.   [5:17] PRIDE RUNS FROM 1:00 TO 6:00 P.M.  RIGHT HERE AT BLOOMINGTON CIVIC PLAZA.  [5:21] IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO EITHER OF THESE WONDERFUL  EVENTS BEFORE, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO   [5:25] STOP BY. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ATTENDED BOTH  OF THESE CELEBRATIONS IN THE PAST, I CAN   [5:30] CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT BLOOMINGTON CELEBRATIONS  ARE FOR ALL OF BLOOMINGTON. ALL ARE WELCOME. OH,   [5:38] AND ONE MORE; THE JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA MEMORIAL BAND  CONCERT IS ALSO HAPPENING ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22 FROM   [5:44] 5:00 TO 6:00 AT POND DAKOTA MISSION PARK. THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.   [5:49] THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL  NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!