[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE AND THIS IS  THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 16-TH.  [0:10] IT FEELS LIKE A LONG WHILE SINCE I’VE BEEN WITH  YOU FOR A COUNCIL MINUTE AND IT HAS BEEN. MY   [0:16] SCHEDULE AND WORK RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN A  MESS OVER THE PAST MONTH OR SO, AND I’M GRATEFUL   [0:21] THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LOWMAN STEPPED IN AND HELPED  OUT. BUT NOW I’M HOPING THAT I'VE WORKED OUT MY   [0:26] SCHEDULING ISSUES AND I’M VERY HAPPY TO BE BACK. ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE COUNCIL HELD THE ANNUAL TRUTH   [0:32] IN TAXATION HEARING, AND ULTIMATELY  APPROVED BLOOMINGTON’S 2025 PROPERTY   [0:37] TAX LEVY AND GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR 2025. THE COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX LEVY INCREASE OF   [0:42] 9.18 PERCENT AND A PROPOSED 2025 BUDGET THAT  CORRESPONDS TO THE LEVY. THAT LEVY INCREASE   [0:48] WOULD TRANSLATE INTO AN ACTUAL INCREASE IN CITY  PROPERTY TAXES OF 6.85 PERCENT FOR A MEDIAN VALUE   [0:54] HOME AND WOULD EQUATE TO AN ANNUAL  INCREASE OF $97, OR $1.87 PER WEEK.  [1:01] I SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING THE HEARING,  I BELIEVE THIS BUDGET REFLECTS THE VALUES,   [1:06] PRIORITIES, AND EXPECTATIONS OF  THE RESIDENTS OF BLOOMINGTON.  [1:10] LIKE ANY BUDGET DISCUSSION, THE CONVERSATION  WAS CENTERED ON REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.  [1:15] ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THE CITY CONTINUES TO SEE  INCREASES IN OUR COLLECTIONS FROM LODGING AND   [1:20] ADMISSION TAXES. IN BOTH CASES, WE’RE AT OR ABOVE  2019 LEVELS WHICH TELLS ME THAT OUR HOSPITALITY   [1:27] INDUSTRY IS BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS.  THAT’S GOOD NEWS. THE CITY COLLECTS ABOUT $10   [1:32] MILLION EACH YEAR FROM THOSE TWO SOURCES SO IT’S  A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF REVENUE. ON THE FLIP SIDE,   [1:38] WE’LL SEE A DECREASE AGAIN THIS YEAR IN REVENUES  FROM PERMITS. THAT’S THE RESULT OF FEWER BIG   [1:43] CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN THE CITY. FROM AN EXPENDITURE PERSPECTIVE, ONCE AGAIN   [1:48] THIS YEAR, THE TWO BIGGEST EXPENSE DRIVERS  ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO CITY SERVICES THAT   [1:53] RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM BLOOMINGTON. CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY. THE   [1:58] CITY OF BLOOMINGTON DOES NOT MAKE WIDGETS BUT  INSTEAD PROVIDES SERVICES LIKE POLICE AND FIRE   [2:04] PROTECTION, SNOW PLOWING, PARK MAINTENANCE,  WATER DELIVERY, AND MANY OTHERS. FOR DECADES,   [2:10] BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT  HIGH QUALITY CITY SERVICES ARE A PRIORITY AND   [2:15] I AGREE THAT’S HOW IT SHOULD BE. SO  THE CITY PAYS A COMPETITIVE WAGE TO   [2:19] THE OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE THOSE  HIGH QUALITY SERVICES AND THAT COSTS MONEY.  [2:25] ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF BLOOMINGTON’S  GENERAL FUND BUDGET GOES TO PERSONNEL   [2:29] COSTS. AND YOU WON’T BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT  THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS A VERY TIGHT JOB MARKET   [2:35] RIGHT NOW. COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE  NEEDED TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE GREAT EMPLOYEES   [2:41] WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT. AND ON THE TOPIC OF SERVICES WE’VE ALL COME TO   [2:46] EXPECT, BLOOMINGTON’S INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY  ARE A MAJOR EXPENSE DRIVER. FOR YEARS, THE COUNCIL   [2:52] HAS HEARD THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE TOP PRIORITY  IN THIS COMMUNITY. THIS BUDGET AND FRANKLY BUDGETS   [2:59] FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS REFLECT THAT. YOU  ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST – IF NOT   [3:04] THE BEST – POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MINNESOTA.  THAT REQUIRES INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE, TRAINING,   [3:10] AND EQUIPMENT. YOU ALSO KNOW THAT WE’RE BUILDING A  LONG-OVERDUE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS A COMBINATION   [3:15] OF FULL-TIME AND PAID ON-CALL FIREFIGHTERS. EVEN  WITH FEDERAL GRANTS TO HELP DEFER THOSE COSTS,   [3:20] A FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.  OF THE PROPOSED 9.18 PERCENT LEVY INCREASE,   [3:26] ALMOST 65 PERCENT WOULD GO TOWARD POLICE  AND FIRE. IF YOU PREFER RAW DOLLAR FIGURES,   [3:32] THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY  TAX LEVY FOR 2025 IS $7.4 MILLION. MORE   [3:38] THAN $4.7 MILLION WOULD GO TO POLICE AND FIRE. ON A LARGER SCALE, MORE THAN 82 PERCENT OF THIS   [3:45] BUDGET WILL GO TOWARD THE FIVE AREAS THAT MAKE  UP THE NUTS AND BOLTS WORK OF CITY GOVERNMENT;   [3:51] POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION,  AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THAT LEVEL OF SPENDING   [3:57] IN THESE VITAL AREAS REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES,  VALUES, AND EXPECTATIONS OF BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS.  [4:04] A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS SPOKE AT THE HEARING AND  BROUGHT FORWARD LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS   [4:09] ABOUT THE COST OF SERVICES AND THE RATE OF  INCREASE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THANKS TO EACH   [4:14] OF THEM FOR PARTICIPATING. TO A PERSON THE COUNCIL  ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR CONCERNS AND AGREED THAT WHILE   [4:19] THE CITY IS DOING GOOD WORK GATHERING FEEDBACK  AND INPUT REGARDING THE BUDGET AND EXPLAINING   [4:24] THE PROCESS, WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE ROBUST  COMMUNITY-WIDE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS   [4:30] TO DESIGN A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES,  VALUES, AND EXPECTATIONS OF BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS.  [4:37] WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? I THINK EACH OF THE  DOZEN OR SO SPEAKERS THAT WE HEARD FROM ON   [4:41] MONDAY BROUGHT UP SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHERE CUTS  COULD BE MADE. ONE SPEAKER SAID SHE DIDN’T USE   [4:48] CITY PARKS SO WE SHOULDN’T BE INVESTING IN PARK  IMPROVEMENTS. ANOTHER SAID THAT COMPANIES LIKE   [4:53] WALMART ARE ABANDONING DIVERSITY AND EQUITY WORK,  SO BLOOMINGTON SHOULD ALSO. MANY COUNCILMEMBERS   [5:00] TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING  A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES,   [5:04] VALUES, AND EXPECTATIONS OF ALL BLOOMINGTON  RESIDENTS. BECAUSE, FOR EVERY RESIDENT DEMANDING   [5:10] THAT WE CUT A PROGRAM OR SPENDING, THERE ARE OTHER  RESIDENTS WHO VALUE AND PRIORITIZE THOSE PROGRAMS.  [5:17] YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, THE COUNCIL’S  WORK ON THE ANNUAL BUDGET IS THE MOST   [5:21] IMPORTANT WORK WE DO. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT  THE 2025 LEVY INCREASE BUDGET, REFLECTS THE   [5:28] CITY’S MISSION TO CULTIVATE AN ENDURING AND  REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE.  [5:34] THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO  PROVIDED FEEDBACK IN THIS PROCESS.  [5:38] AND FINALLY TODAY, AS YOU MAY HAVE  ALREADY HEARD, BLOOMINGTON CITY MANAGER   [5:42] JAMIE VERBRUGGE ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 6  THAT HE WILL BE RESIGNING HIS POSITION.  [5:47] AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING  SERVICE, JAMIE WILL LEAVE THE CITY   [5:51] TO BECOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT AND CHIEF  EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES   [5:55] TWIN CITIES. HIS LAST DAY WILL BE JANUARY 7. UNDER JAMIE’S LEADERSHIP, BLOOMINGTON’S REPUTATION   [6:01] AS A FORWARD THINKING, INNOVATIVE CITY INCREASED  SIGNIFICANTLY. THE CITY REIMAGINED THE SOUTH LOOP,   [6:08] MADE CRITICAL INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING  AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND CONTINUED TO EARN TRIPLE-A   [6:13] BOND RATINGS FROM THE THREE MAJOR CREDIT AGENCIES.  DURING JAMIE’S TENURE, THE CITY’S LEADERSHIP AND   [6:19] WORKFORCE BECAME MORE DIVERSE, THE CITY DEVELOPED  AND IMPLEMENTED A COMMUNITY DRIVEN STRATEGIC PLAN,   [6:24] AND RESIDENT SATISFACTION WITH CITY SERVICES  AND QUALITY OF LIFE REMAINED IMPRESSIVELY HIGH.  [6:30] AS SAD AS I AM TO SEE HIM GO, I’M VERY HAPPY  FOR JAMIE. CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS AN OUTSTANDING   [6:35] ORGANIZATION AND I THINK JAMIE WILL BE A FANTASTIC  FIT. NOT ONLY ARE THEY GETTING A STRONG, STRATEGIC   [6:41] LEADER, THEY ARE ALSO GETTING A GOOD MAN. THE CITY WILL CHOOSE A SEARCH FIRM IN THE COMING   [6:47] WEEKS TO HELP WITH THE RECRUITMENT AND SEARCH  FOR OUR NEXT CITY MANAGER. THE BLOOMINGTON CITY   [6:51] MANAGER POSITION IS ONE OF THE BEST MUNICIPAL JOBS  IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND I’M CONFIDENT WE’LL   [6:56] HAVE A NUMBER OF GREAT CANDIDATES TO CHOOSE FROM. AS BLOOMINGTON SEARCHES FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER,   [7:01] OUR TWO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, ELIZABETH  TOLZMANN AND KATHY HEDIN WILL STEP INTO A   [7:07] DUAL INTERIM LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR THE CITY.  A DUAL INTERIM ARRANGEMENT IS UNIQUE BUT   [7:12] I THINK WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY HERE.  ELIZABETH AND KATHY ARE STRONG, SMART, LEADERS;   [7:18] THEY HAVE THE RESPECT AND TRUST OF CITY STAFF;  AND SPLITTING THE CITY MANAGER RESPONSIBILTIES   [7:23] BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE MAKE IT A MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE  TASK TO KEEP BLOOMINGTON HUMMING RIGHT ALONG. I   [7:29] HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN ELIZABETH AND  KATHY AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING   [7:34] CLOSELY WITH THEM OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. THAT WILL DO IT FOR THIS WEEKS COUNCIL   [7:38] MINUTE. THANKS MUCH FOR JOINING ME TODAY.  UNTIL NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE BLOOMINGTON.