[0:05] HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL MINUTE  FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 9-TH, I AM   [0:10] COUNCILMEMBER LOWMAN FILLING IN FOR MAYOR BUSSE. LET’S BEGIN WITH THE PROPOSED 2025 BLOOMINGTON   [0:16] CITY LEVY AND BUDGET. BLOOMINGTON’S ANNUAL TRUTH  IN TAXATION HEARING IS NEXT WEEK DECEMBER 16,   [0:22] AND I WANT TO BE SURE YOU HAVE  THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION   [0:25] GOING INTO OUR EVENING MEETING NEXT WEEK. IN BLOOMINGTON THE BUDGET PROCESS STARTS   [0:30] IN MAY OF EACH YEAR WITH STAFF LEVEL DISCUSSIONS.  STAFF EVALUATES CITY SERVICES, REVIEWS PRIORITIES,   [0:36] AND ASSESSES NEEDS AT BOTH A MICRO AND  MACRO LEVEL. THE CITY MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT   [0:41] REPRESENTATIVES MEET THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER  AND DEPARTMENTS SUBMIT THEIR BUDGET REQUESTS,   [0:46] AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER REVIEWS THOSE REQUESTS  TO ENSURE THEY ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY’S   [0:51] FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND STRATEGIC PLAN. IN MID-AUGUST, THE CITY COUNCIL BEGAN   [0:57] PRELIMINARY LEVY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE  BUDGET, AND IN MID-SEPTEMBER, THE COUNCIL   [1:01] SET THE PRELIMINARY LEVY AT 11.5 PERCENT. DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, CITY DEPARTMENTS   [1:06] MADE PRESENTATIONS AT COUNCIL MEETINGS TO FURTHER  EXPLAIN THEIR BUDGET REQUESTS AND TO GIVE COUNCIL   [1:12] A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND HASH THROUGH ISSUES.  THE COUNCIL ALSO DISCUSSED UTILITY BUDGETS,   [1:18] THINGS LIKE WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES, AND  TALKED IN DEPTH ABOUT THE BUDGET AS A WHOLE.   [1:24] BASED ON THOSE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS, STAFF  CAME BACK IN LATE NOVEMBER WITH A RECOMMENDATION   [1:30] FOR A FINAL LEVY INCREASE OF 9.97 PERCENT, DOWN  ONE AND HALF PERCENT FROM THE PRELIMINARY LEVY.   [1:37] THE DISCUSSION CONTINUED, AND ON MONDAY  NIGHT STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD A PROPOSED   [1:41] LEVY INCREASE OF 9.25 PERCENT FOR COUNCIL  CONSIDERATION. THAT LEVY INCREASE WOULD   [1:46] TRANSLATE INTO AN ACTUAL INCREASE IN CITY  PROPERTY TAXES OF 6.92 PERCENT FOR A MEDIAN   [1:51] VALUE HOME. THAT’S ABOUT $98 DOLLARS A YEAR. IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE LEVY IS   [1:57] THE TAXATION MECHANISM THAT ALLOWS THE CITY  TO CREATE A BUDGET. AND THAT BUDGET FUNDS   [2:03] THE SERVICES THE CITY PROVIDES FOR RESIDENTS.  SERVICES LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY – POLICE AND FIRE;   [2:09] PUBLIC WORKS – KEEP ROADS PLOWED AND IN GOOD  CONDITION ALONG WITH PROVIDING THE BEST WATER   [2:15] IN MINNESOTA; OUR PARKS AND THE RECREATION  OPPORTUNITIES, THAT COME WITH THEM; AND OUR   [2:20] WORK WITH THE BLOOMINGTON BUSINESS COMMUNITY  TO KEEP THE ECONOMY IN BLOOMINGTON STRONG!  [2:26] IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, ALL OF THOSE SERVICES ARE  ANALYZED AND THE COST TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES   [2:31] IS DETERMINED. AND THOSE FIVE SERVICES THAT I  JUST MENTIONED – POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS,   [2:36] PARKS AND RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT –  MAKE UP 85 PERCENT OF BLOOMINGTON’S CITY BUDGET.  [2:41] THE BUDGET IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SERVICES  THAT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES, VALUES,   [2:45] AND EXPECTATIONS OF BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS  AND THE COUNCIL’S WORK ON THE ANNUAL   [2:49] BUDGET IS AMOUNG THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK WE DO. OUR TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING IS SET FOR MONDAY,   [2:55] DECEMBER 16. ALL ARE WELCOME TO LISTEN  OR PARTICIPATE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT   [3:00] THE BUDGET PROCESS, VISIT BLM.MN/BUDGET.  TAKING A STEP BACK TO THE MEETING ON DECEMBER   [3:06] 2-ND, COUNCIL WAS PRESENTED WITH TWO UPDATES  RELATED TO THE BLOOMINGTON FORWARD INITIATIVE.   [3:11] THE FIRST WAS AN UPDATE ON THE NINE MILE CREEK  CORRIDOR RENEWAL PROJECT. FROM JUNE TO DECEMBER OF   [3:17] THIS YEAR, THE PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE PREDESIGN  PHASE, WHICH INCLUDED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS,   [3:23] AND GATHERING OF PRE-EXISTING INFORMATION AND  DATA BY STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS. THIS PHASE   [3:29] AIMED TO ADDRESS THREE MAIN AREAS; TRAILS AND  ACCESSIBILITY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND MOIR PARK.  [3:35] THE CONSULTANT, S-E-H, DID AN ENVIROMENTAL  ANALYSIS OF THE CORRIDOR, INCLUDING WETLAND   [3:41] DELINEATIONS, AN ASSESMENT OF THE CREEK, UPLAND  HABITAT MAPPING AND EROSIONAL FEATURES. S-E-H ALSO   [3:48] DEVELOPED A TRAILS AND MOBILITY CONCEPT  THAT LOOKED AT VARIOUS TRAIL OPTIONS,   [3:53] BOARDWALK CROSSINGS AND ACCESS  AND CONNECTIVITY TO THE CORRIDOR.  [3:57] THE PRESENTATION WRAPPED UP WITH STAFF SHARING  THE TARGET INVESTMENT RANGES OF EACH OF THE THREE   [4:02] AREAS OF THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS WHICH  INCLUDE REFINING CONCEPTS, PRELIMINARY AND FINAL   [4:08] DESIGNS, AND CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING IN 2026. ADDITIONALLY, STAFF PRESENTED AN UPDATE ON   [4:13] THE BLOOMINGTON ICE GARDEN MODERNIZATION  PROJECT. CONSTRUCTION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY   [4:18] ON RENOVATING THE RINK 2 ZAMBONI ROOM INTO AN  ICE PLANT MECHANICAL ROOM, WHICH IS IMPORTANT   [4:23] TO COMPLETE AHEAD OF RENOVATING THE REST OF  THE FACILITY BECAUSE IT ENSURES THAT THE NEW   [4:28] ICE MAKING EQUIPMENT CAN BE INSTALLED AND READY  TO MAKE NEW ICE WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE.  [4:34] THE SECOND PART OF THE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS  THE RENOVATIONS THAT WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR.   [4:39] A LOT OF EXCITING UPDATES ARE COMING TO BIG, THEY  INCLUDE: NEW ADA SEATNG SECTIONS, NEW CONCESSIONS,   [4:45] NEW LOCKER ROOMS AND SHRINKING RINK THREE  FROM AN OLYMPIC SIZE RINK TO AN NHL SIZE RINK,   [4:51] JUST TO MENTION A FEW OF THE CHANGES WE WILL SEE. THESE UPDATES ARE LONG OVERDUE ON A BUILDING THAT   [4:57] IS OVER 50 YEARS OLD. DURING THOSE SEVERAL YEARS  BIG HAS BEEN ADDED ONTO. WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES,   [5:03] TEAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS COME FROM AROUND THE  REGION TO SKATE AT BLOOMINGTON ICE GARDEN,   [5:08] AND THE RENOVATION PLANS PRESENTED BY  STAFF WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY COUNCIL.  [5:13] WELL THAT ALL FOR THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.  THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME, HAVE A GREAT WEEK!