All right. Good evening everyone. It's 5:45 and I'm going to call our Bloomington City Council listening session to order. We have a bunch of folks who wish to speak tonight. So, we're going to move this as quickly as we can and make sure we get everybody in because uh I want to make sure everybody has a chance to speak. So, I see Matthew Howlet here. Uh Sally, there's Sally. Chris Scandlin, there's Chris. Uh, John Minkx, Deb Harper, Deb Harper. All right. Brian Emerson is Brian. And then Pam Palmer. So, why don't we go with that and then if Deb shows up, we'll we'll put her in to get everybody in. It's going to be like three and a half, four minutes or so. And because we've just got to get make sure everybody's got a chance so we we have an opportunity. So, Matthew, why don't you come on up and let's get started. Good evening. >> Good evening. Uh I was going to do five minutes, so I'm gonna do my best. All right. So, I'm talking about Matthew Howlet, resident in Bloomington, talking about Humbult Avenue repaving. So, in 1973, Amsterdam was about to embark on a transformational journey into the modern age by hiring an American transportation designer to demolish its sensor sensories old landmarks for freeways. instead it was hit by an oil embargo by OPEC. Today it's the world's bicyclist destination uh with 40% of all trips made by bike and less than 20% made by car. Every city that adopts protected bike lanes has as much as quintupled its ridership. For example, Richfield students have gone from 4% in 2020 to 28% last year. Oakrove elementary and middle schools are on Humboldt, which is being repaved next year, but residents were not asked by the city whether or not they wanted a physically protected bike lane as a safe route to school. When interviewed as a sample between 104 and 106, 60% responded in favor of a half height or shorter temporary barrier. Now, I have to cut some time here. So, there's a bunch of connections and stuff like that. Basically, it connects uh to a bunch of existing infrastructure such as 106, the community center, civic plaza, markets. The cost is a moving target. We can do it for less than $250,000 if the barrier is for a two-lane cycle track on one side of the street, which the residents that I interviewed were in favor of. And there's a lot of grants available. Well, the best thing about this is that it's a temporary forgiving and re reusable tool that we currently do not deploy. Um, it also can tie in a bunch of commissions boards in the community transparently to cooperate with each other. For example, Oak Grove Elementary is now considering a traffic garden where students would learn how to ride a bicycle. Um, there's a bunch of different opportunities such as the creative placemaking as well as the planning commission could be more than welcome in helping create that traffic garden. They could end up painting the barriers which makes them much more appealing. Uh, 106 is also the safest way to ride a bicycle across the 35W divide. And um skip that. Sorry. Uh and it may be the only way. Oh, that obviously that uh runs into the human rights in the H. Uh they can they can there's a bunch of opportunities for them to uh take advantage as well. It may be the only way an increasing amount of residents can get to the farmers market when El Nino threatens the collapse of our global food supply. And that is not hyperbole. JP Morgan themselves issued that report, which is why the port authority could find new partners beyond triple 5 in Canada to rebuild the trash diplomacy our federal government is causing while devaluing the dollar's purchasing power. A whole bunch of cities in in Canada, all over the United States, uh, and I'm going to settle on Montreal here, has even decommissioned entire roads to be pedestrian only, and they have these barriers that we could end up getting. Uh, of course, all of this is in line with the sustainability commission, which is why they should examine ordinance 17.71, patching and restoration of rightaway to switch the paradigm of restoring to native plants by default instead of saw. Uh, currently, if a rightaway construction event occurred on a native patch, I don't think the city would be able to do it. I don't think the city would be able to restore it. Um, we're also going to need this level of cooperation in the face of what will exceed the worst environmental disaster to ever befall humanity. And that's literally a quote. Your decision to restore 9 mile is going to pay off almost immediately. Please keep building off of it and quickly. >> Thank you, Mr. Helen. Quick question, very quick. Luna. >> Well, I assume there we go. Um, you're talking about Humble Avenue between 98th and 106th or is that what you were specifically referring to when you talked about Humboldt? >> Yes. >> Oakrove Middle and Oakrove Elementary. Okay, great. Thank you. >> I think the the bike lane itself would go between um 106 and 100 is what the engineers that I was talking about would >> Yep. >> All right. Thank you much, Sally. Thanks. >> Good evening. Welcome. >> First, a reminder to council that staff said that Darl Farukq was compliant with the handicap parking state statute and they were not. Why would a city choose to be inaccurate? I do not know, but I know that is how fraud happens when someone provides inaccurate information. For instance, fraud happened when Bloomington Public Schools employee Wade Ardley provided MDE with inaccurate food service information. Caleb Omar, executive director of Darl Farooq, a signing of the shared agreement with the city in July 2021 from Sanha Journal, quote, drafted language for Wade Arley to sign. When she was asked why she did it, she said, quote, I trusted Omar and Sheree, unquote. She also quote testified that she inadvertently lied in an email on behalf of one of the defendants to make the alleged fraud appear legitimate," unquote. Council member Rivas asked the council to revisit the vote concerning the shared agreement with Daryl Fug, which is asking the council to make sure all eyes are dotted and te's are crossed. There were two concerns presented to council member Rivas to revisit the vote that the city could not opt out of the agreement and the city needed to use the Smith Park football soccer field on Darl property. Rivas said he changed his mind after considering all the facts. As pointed out in previous listening sessions, the information the city provided was inaccurate. So, he could not have been able to consider all the facts. First fact, the city can't opt out of the agreement. Council was inaccurately informed. The city can terminate the agreement as if it equated to opting out. When the term expires, the city cannot choose to renew or to opt out. If the city wanted to discontinue the agreement, it cannot. It must continue to plow and light the parking lot according to the agreement. If the city were to terminate the agreement, it would have to remove the parking requirement in the conditionous permit needed to protect the neighborhood from injury. Second fact, the city needs the Smithbach football soccer field on Darl for property. City staff inaccurately stated, quote, they have seen enough decline in the use of the fields for the youth sports on that site, unquote. The mayor inaccurately stated, quote, the field need will need significant capital improvements in the very near future. Unquote. The city needs a field as noted in the 2019 data concerning the foreclosure of the property which asked quote was it necessary for you to work out a separate agreement with the bank to protect the city interest in the property unquote. The city needs a field as noted in the 2019 park system master plan that states quote lighting gets challenging when there is less daylight. Service area 4 is underserved with 6.49 acres for,000 people significantly less than the other areas of 19.22 22 29.59 and 66.86 acres. I was informed that someone from Bloomington Sports Association wrote a letter to the city stating in a few words that they were okay with the changes and have no desire to engage otherwise unquote. I did a data request and was informed that quote no responsive correspondent exists unquote. If there is no correspondence, it does not make sense that the city would remove a field without corresponding with BAA. I spoke with BAA coaches who stated it was needed. If it is true that someone from BA wrote a letter that they were okay, that does not make sense either, knowing that BA vision is that it aspires to provide every child with the opportunity to be active and build life skills through sports participation. Additionally, if it is true, if it is true, it does not make sense that BAA would not state what is known and documented. Quote, "Lighting gets challenging when there is less daylight." Rivas was not able to consider all the facts because the city provided inaccurate information and that is how fraud happens. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Nes. >> Chris Scanland. >> Good evening. Welcome. >> I don't have prepared remarks, I'm afraid. I'm calling. If >> if I could ask you just get right up into that microphone. It's really a tough microphone. Sorry. Is that better? Better. >> Um, I'm here sort of on behalf of my neighbor, but she doesn't know I'm here, and I wouldn't want to embarrass her. But she was given an order to have her driveway replaced. It is in somewhat tough u repair, but I don't think it's all that bad. The problem is she can't afford it. She recently had to have her sewer line replaced from her house to the street to the tune of $6,000, which I gave her a no interest loan for and she's paying me back. She then had her basement a sump pump put in because she's been battling with wet basement for years and years. She is retired on limited income and literally cannot afford it. Now, I know there are some city programs. I don't know. They they came out and talked to her. Evidently, nothing was available for her. She has gone ahead. Her daughter found a contractor and she's going ahead with the project. I don't know how she's going to pay for it. My my issue is when people cannot afford something, isn't there some way that these projects can be delayed um until they can find a means to afford them? I think it's really unfair for someone who can't afford to have a project like that done. I mean, it's cosmetic to the house. She has a lovely home, lovely yard, and like I said, yeah, maybe they could have said just pull the few weeds out of there and sweep it regularly. But literally, what is she to do? Sell her house so she can put a driveway in, stop taking her medications, stop eating? Literally, this woman is in dire straits. Well, thank you for coming forward and thanks for speaking on behalf of your your neighbor. I do appreciate it. I I would ask you you don't need to do it on on record and on the microphone, but make sure that we get the address and know which neighbor we're talking about here. So, we we we can do that. And and I will say also, yes, it is it is difficult sometimes. That's why we have the a city lowinterest loan program to help residents uh make repairs like that to their home and then the the loan wouldn't be necessarily need to be paid back until after the home is sold. So, okay. Okay. So, please uh make sure we get we get the name and the address and and we can have staff talk. How about that? Okay. All right. Great. Jonathan. >> Good evening. Welcome. >> Hello, council and staff. My name is Jonathan Minkx. One thing I've heard from council is the importance of clarity, being clear about what decisions are being made and where Bloomington is headed. If we go back to 2019, I think that was an important turning point. That is when me many of these larger plans and directions became taking shape. The gateway district questions about community facilities, long-term master planning, and an increased reliance on partnerships with nonprofit organizations. So, if we're talking about clarity, I have a few simple questions for you all. First, what exactly is the Gateway District? What does it mean for the average resident? What does it mean for homeowners and businesses? What is the long-term plan regarding redevelopment, reszoning, density, and mixeduse development? Lana, you mentioned that you weren't happy recently with one of the town home projects, but I think we need to be honest about the bigger picture. If the city's long-term direction through the Gateway District is redevelopment and reszoning of the east side of Bloomington, then residents deserve to understand that. Saying you are unhappy with a project doesn't mean much if the overall plan will continue producing similar projects within the city. The real question is does the public understand where the city is taking Bloomington? Second, let's talk about clarity when it comes to nonprofits and public money. We often hear about grants and nonprofit partnerships as though it means the work is somehow being done for free. It isn't. Grant money doesn't grow on a tree. In many cases, the money ultimately comes from taxpayers and the federal, state, and county or local level. So, when thousands or potentially millions of dollars are flowing through grants and nonprofit partnerships, residents deserve to know where that money is coming from, where it is going, and what taxpayers are getting in return. There may be good reasons to work with nonprofits, but let's be clear, outsourcing work to a nonprofit or receiving a grant does not make the work free. Finally, on public safety, if council members want to limit certain technologies or less lethal tools available to the police department, then residents deserve to hear what alternatives they do support. It's not enough to simply say you support public safety. What does that actually mean to each and every one of you? What equipment, training, and staffing and technology or less lethal options do you support that allow officers to safely do their job? My overall point is simple. Clarity shouldn't mean explaining a decision after it all has already been made. Clarity means residents understand the direction of Bloomington before those decisions become permanent. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, council. Any questions, comments? >> Thank you very much. >> I think I think real quick you like made the motion back in I think 2019 with no Nathan about the gateway district. So, I think that would be great for you to share with the rest of your colleagues and the public here eventually about what those plans mean mean for Bloomington. >> And I'm I'm pretty confident that the Gateway District there there are documents online that you can find and you can read probably the the entire document about what we what we reviewed as a council over a course of a couple meetings at least. Uh what we eventually voted on and and what is being implemented right now. It it's not some grand secret. not a secret, but we're talking about clarity and how does the public that you have to go look for information. So that's the thing like >> that was six years ago, Jonathan, and and we had that conversation publicly six years ago, very very publicly in in council meetings, >> but there's still but there's people today that may not know about what those plans are and how those plans move forward. And you all talked about being more clear and providing more clarity. uh if if we need to double back every six years and and recclarify the decisions that have been made and the plans that are in place, I I guess we can think about ways we can do that from a communication standpoint. So, thank you. Deb Harper, have you arrived yet? Deb, Brian Emerson. I am Brian Emerson. I live at 9911 Newton Avenue, across from the destruction. A few weeks ago, our Save Newton Avenue attorney, Mr. Marshall Tanic spoke with the city attorney, Miss Mandershide of Bloomington. Both agreed that mediation was the best place to start the process of negotiation. When the city attorney presented this option to you and the council, I am told you immediately rejected that option. At the last listening session, you, Mr. Mayor, told us you would have staff look into the damage being done to our homes. Not a peep has been heard from the city staff or council members. As far as I know, not one single Bloomington employee has visited our properties. Dwayne Lman and Lana Delisandro, you and Mr. Mayor, you all three of you at one time or another said you would help us. This is nothing but lip service. It is obviously It is obvious that what you are doing is intentionally trying to ruin our lives financially, physically, and emotionally. Nothing good has happened since you approved this monstrosity. You have continually ignored us. At the last listening session, I invited the council to come and see the major structural damage to my home and my neighbor's home. You, Mr. Mayor, passed it off to city staff. Not a single word has been heard from them. At the budget meeting, when my wife asked about money for the Newton neighborhood, this was what the mayor and city manager responded with. The city manager, Mr. Walker, said the said, "Fill out the uh the the city of Bloomington claim form." The form that the city manager said to fill out is intended for a one-time accident claim. It is not an appropriate form for ongoing home and structural damage, neighborhood deterioration, and the city's non-compliance. We have truly perused every avenue available us available to us to try to prevent this home and neighborhood damage and then asked for help when it did happen. The city employees in all departments, including this council, have failed in every circumstance. Apparently, the council does not intend to talk to us or negotiate with us about the damage you are causing with this monstrosity. We Newton Avenue residents are now forced to initiate expensive legal action that is only going to result in a jur in a jury awarding us just compensation and damages for what you are doing to my family and my fellow neighbors. We have compiled overwhelming evidence of wrongdoings by this council. This evidence and documentation will prove to a judge and jury that you have violated our right to be fairly compensated. Mr. Mayor, shame on you and this council for the way you are treating us. Where is your sense of honor? I see only two honorable persons in this panel and that is the city manager, Miss Mandershide, and yet you disregarded her recommendation to mediate the matter. The other honorable person is Councilman Rivas. Do you think you can beat us down? Do you really want to see this matter resolved in a courtroom? I will tell you this. You cannot beat me down. You cannot beat down my neighbors. We're not going away. We will not quit. And ultimately, we will prevail. Thank you. >> Thank you, man. I I I'm I'm going to have to ask somebody. Were we offered a mediation offer at some point? Mayor, members, mayor, members, um I would request that you not engage in communication at this time um given the communications that have been direct to the city attorney's office. >> Um thank you. Thank you. Uh and and I will point out to both John and and and I it is Lona Delisandro, not Lana. So it's but I I council member that works as well. Yes. Thanks. That's exactly right. So, thank you uh Pam. >> Okay, is this close enough? >> That'll work. >> Thanks for reminding people because my years aren't the best. Okay. Community safety and involvement has always been really important to me. When I bought my house in 1998, I was excited to join the neighborhood watch group, which helped me get to know my neighbors. In 2016, I took part of the Bloomington Police Citizens Academy, which was awesome, and also on the Bloomington Crime Prevention Association. During those engagements, I learned that the city's neighborhood watch coordinator, Katie Zarell, sends out crimerevention updates and other information to the watch captains, but I had never seen them. So, I walked down the street to our captain and asked if she would start mailing those to us that she gets. She took out a cigarette, blew it in my face, and basically told me, "You know what I could do?" Um, I guess she she really doesn't like emails, and she didn't want to be captain anymore. So, when I became captain 2018, I forwarded those emails. They're good information for the people to have, but you know what? Everybody isn't in a watch group, and even those, they aren't getting information from their captain. So the purpose of this talk is to strongly suggest that the city starts putting those what they would send out on the email list, you know, that you can sign up for with the city. As you can imagine, I'm signed up for everything. My email is full. Uh but that would be great so people can get that because you don't have to get it if you don't want or whatever. In January 2025, I asked Katie if she was going to have the annual neighborhood watch workshop at city hall. Those were fantastic. I love those and other people could come too. Uh she said last year that it was going to be a lot smaller and it was some little event at the Eagles Club. Basically, the program is diminishing. I don't know how much is the city's lack of interest or Katie's, but Katie did send me an email and said she has a new role and is still trying to do watch activities for the time being, but until the high city hires somebody to help, uh she can't do that much. So, in February of this year, I was disappointed with that, of course. Uh there was a coffee with cops at IHOP. Of course, I go to all the police activities. I'm a little obsessed with everything as you know. Um I told Katie I was thinking of ending the role as captain for a number of reasons. You do it for a while and you get tired. Plus, I don't have kids, so I'm not good at planning things that are going to make be fun for kids. Some parties go overboard with that. And if you're an adult without kids, you're like, "Do I have to get on there and do the chalk drawing?" Um, so she said, "Yeah, no, great for letting her know." And she said, "And you can remain on the list, uh, the watch list." Well, that was a lie. The next day, I find out from another captain that she had sent out an email to all the captains about an event, and I wasn't on that. I don't think that Katie should be keeping her buddy Terry on the list and then deciding who she keeps on the list. you either keep anybody on the list, but also that's part of why um so anyway, I'd really like to s Oh, then I asked her last week. Sorry, I'll finish up. Um if anybody has been hired or if she's getting any help because I we used to be actually pretty good friends and I volunteered for her a lot. Um, of course it got forwarded to Denise, who as usual, Pam, if you want to know, do a um data request. Seriously, I just want to know if she's getting help and you guys don't need more data requests. So, anyway, if this she doesn't have time for it and the city doesn't have time, I hope they're not pulling away from watch um or if it's just Katie. Other res uh captains have expressed that concern, too. But please make it available so anybody can get the emails. >> Thank you very much. Also, any questions, comments? >> Very good. Thank you. >> Uh Deb Harper, last call for you if you are here. I'm sorry we rushed everybody along. So, I'm sorry, Matthew, you had to do the quick self-edit very quickly. Uh we do have some time left over. Is there is there anybody else who would like to speak? We've got about 3 minutes here. Three or four minutes. No. Would you like to please come on up? Andy Thu. Um, you guys hear me? Okay. Uh, I sent you guys a I'm a good speaker. Um, anyway, I sent the council an email, the police police chief uh um and uh the fire chief uh about the parking over on 82nd in park. I believe you guys all saw it. There was a car parked the wrong way kind of facing another car. There's a car parked in a no parking zone. There's another car parked right in a fire right in front of a fire um fire hydrant. So, it did go out to BPD dispatch. Um I just want to say your BPD dispatch does a really good job. If you if they if you email BPD BPD dispatch at bloomingtonmn.gov, they take care of business pretty quickly, right? But this is kind of an ongoing concern in the neighborhood. Um, and I did talk to some patrons, you know, in the in the area that actually run a group home and they go to the go to the center and they said that it's interesting. They said there's a lot of youth that drive fast at Miss Park and these are some elders that actually go to the center and they said that the city should actually talk to the the imam, you know, over at the over at the center, you know. So, I'd like to see some additional enforcement. And I'm kind of going around this on the safety aspect, right? Because what I observe over there, I walk with my kids over there regularly around the pond. It's become a safety concern, right? So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to put that on you guys' plate. Somebody gets hurt over there because of the fast traffic, because of the people walking in between the cars, which are densely populated in the area, it does become a safety concern. So, additional patrols, you know, traffic. So, so I can't say that I didn't notify you guys right about the safety concerns around this area uh specifically. Also, there's another one over on 18th and between 89th and 90th. There's a lot of parking behind that area as well. Right. So, and this has become a concern um from a plow perspective too and people have to plow the streets. Cars are getting parked everywhere in the city. So, it's just a problem I want to address with the council here. So, thank you. >> Thank you. We we did get I got your email and uh forwarded that on to the police, but I know those they already have it. So, uh and again, if you see illegal if you see somebody parked illegally, Bloomington Dispatch is the place to call or to email. So, all right. Thank you, council. We're at 6:13. I don't want to try and rush anybody else through trying to come up and talk. Uh unless there's anything else, council, I would look for a motion to adjourn tonight. Motion by council member Robertson. Second by council member Rivas to adjourn this evening. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. Opposed. Motion carries 70. We are adjourned. We will see you downstairs in about 15 minutes. Thanks.