I will call our Bloomington City Council listening session to order tonight. It's Monday, August 25th. Thanks to everybody who is here. We've got one person who signed up. John, you signed up. Is there anybody else who would like to to speak tonight? You are a solo. >> A little scary when you say stuff. >> Careful now. >> Uh even though you're the solo, just like we we typically do, we we do limit everybody just to five minutes, whether you're solo or one of six people. So, um, you know the drill. You've been here before. >> Let's turn this on. >> It looks to me like it might be on. Give it a tap. >> It's not. Okay. >> There you go. Well done. Good evening. If you could just state your name for the record and off you go. >> Uh, John Hooper, resident since 1992. And I've been in front of you guys a few different times over the last six, eight months. So, tonight is uh I don't have any real specifics. I just wanted to follow up on some of my emails and express probably not just my frustration, but a lot of other people's frustrations in the city in particular. You know, I do my best to try to formulate email after I come to a listening session and limited response back, limited understanding of what's going on. Um, asking questions. Don't get response back from you, Sean. You're council member. I don't get one from you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Mu, I got a response back from you. Um, I ask some questions and um, I get kind of told that you can't answer the question because you're not in public. You know, I'd really still like to understand the sick and safely that I talked about. How did you I want to know who I as a citizen want to know who bought the key to get rid of it. I want to know and I think it's fair that I ask that question. I think it's fair that I get that answer to me. I don't I care how you do it, but I think it's fair for me to understand if after the big long debate, you said yes, you said no, you said, you know, >> no, I'd like to get that answer. >> And you don't have to do it here. Obviously, this is a listening session or all of you would like to respond to that, but I'd like to get that back. >> Question. Do you mean like the original passage or the most recent? Oh, like a couple weeks ago. I >> I think the question that you're asking, and tell me if I'm wrong about this, the question that you're asking, when we were in our budget discussions last year, and we realized that it's now at a state level as well, we had the conversation, do we want to continue it here within the city of And I think the answer to that I think I I thought I saw somebody answer that or maybe we did when we talked, but I don't think there was a a formal vote. It was a conversation. Do we want to get rid of this position? Do we want to continue doing this at a city level? I don't think there was a vote. I think there was just a a consensus and acknowledgement. Yeah. That we're going to continue doing it for a variety of reasons. I don't think there was a formal vote. There wasn't hands up, hands down. >> So, was who said let's not do anybody say I don't think we should do it. >> Says hello. Hello. >> Hello. Um I do think there were a few of us, myself and council member Nelson. I can't remember if there were others who wanted to keep the policy but didn't really necessarily believe that the city should be enforcing anymore because the state has the resources to enforce. >> So then >> but there wasn't a majority voice. >> So again question goes back. So again I'm just continuing to say and one of what I put in my email was I just feel like we're overregulated in the city and council member again I appreciate you getting back talking about how that was like five years ago. I think it still is. I don't think it's changed much. I still think we're way overregulated in the city. And again, I brought up not being able to smoke at the on the golf course. So, we don't want the kids to see you smoke, but they can have 12 beers and go drive home drunk. So, I mean, we got to be careful what it is. And I'd like to get an update, too, on what's going on with potentially Quick Trip coming in because that was the woman that talked after me and didn't even know I don't know her. And you know, I don't see how Quick Trip would ever open up a store in here if they can't have tobacco in their stores. That's a big piece of convenience store revenue. And as everyone knows, but you know, when Governor Dayton was governor for his two terms, they raised, you know, taxes on tobacco, you know, allegedly to try to get people to stop smoking. And those of us that are hopefully smarter than the average bear, they've got raised because he knew the revenue was coming. people are not gonna quit smoking because you put tax. Okay. >> So, I don't think so. But >> but I also again feel we've wrecked a lot of we've taken a lot of value away from businesses in this in this city. Steve's any convenience store Steve's liquor stores that used to carry tobacco. The tobacco guy that's next to the the that's in the strip is worthless. So I think you really have to look back at that and make a change big time to get people to come into the city and make it a city for businesses. And again, like I have said, you know, a couple of months ago, we don't need more liquor stores. We just need a better business environment. And I'm not the only one saying that. See it with I've talked to restaurant owners and they talk about how hard it is to do business in the city. And we really need to I think you need to focus on that a lot more. I'll just make my quick statement about I know what's on the agenda tonight. You know, um the health wellness center was I think has been we've gotten sold something that is not. And I think I've seen a lot of videos and I saw some tapes of people that came three weeks ago, neighborhood people and all the other stuff. And I think we're I think we're trying to put five pounds of sand in a one pound bag and it's a little disappointing if we've already started the demolition. We don't want to find a plan and it's really disappointing if we hire people. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, John. We're at five minutes. We're past five minutes. Sorry. No, thank you. Thank you much. I appreciate coming in. >> As I mentioned, John was the only one who signed up ahead of time, but we still do have time. Is there anyone who would like to speak to the council during our listening session tonight? >> Last call. >> All right. If you no one coming forward to speak, council, I look for a motion to adjourn our listening session. So moved. >> Second. >> Motion and a second to adjurnn our listening session. No further discussion. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. We are adjourned. We will see you downstairs for the six o'clock start time.