Hello Bloomington. I'm Mayor Tim Busy and this is the council minute for the week of March 23rd. On Monday night, the council approved a temporary moratorum on certain government facilities. This comes in response to operation metro surge. The surge forced cities to examine nearly everything they do and how they do it with a new lens. For example, we know that other cities in the metro were being considered as sites for large detention centers. Upon review, staff realized that a detention center would be allowed in all zoning districts in the city of Bloomington, and they wouldn't be subject to any specific standards. We also don't have a good handle on how a detention center would impact city services like public safety or transportation, or how it might impact our local economy. With that in mind, a pause makes very good sense. Under state law, the city can adopt a one-year moratorum to study the situation and analyze potential changes. The moratorium passed on Monday night pauses new applications for secured detention facilities housing 25 or more individuals. Now, this is certainly a highly charged topic in the Twin Cities and across the nation right now, and I think it's important to clearly understand what a moratorum is and what it is not. The goal is not to weigh in on federal immigration policy. Cities don't control that. Instead, the focus is on something local governments are responsible for, land use. A moratorum is simply a temporary pause that allows a city to stop new development of a particular type while taking the time to study the issue. It gives a city a chance to review zoning regulations, consider communitywide impacts, and gather input from the public. Bloomington has enacted development moratoriums on a couple of occasions recently, such as on remote airport parking and self- storage facilities. A moratorium is not a permanent ban, but it can lead to clearer, more defined standards. What the moratorium does is straightforward. It holds the status quo, and it gives the community time to decide what the long-term policies should be. It's also important to understand what it does not do. It does not change federal immigration law and it does not prevent the federal government from enforcing its immigration policies. As I mentioned, state law limits a moratorium to one year. This one-year pause will give Bloomington time to answer a very specific question. Should this type of facility be allowed on land within Bloomington? And if yes, under what conditions? After the moratorum expires, Bloomington can move in one of several directions. We could adopt permanent zoning regulations. We could allow these facilities only with case-bycase approval. Or we could allow the moratorum to expire and not make any changes. In each case, the goal is the same. To make a deliberate, informed decision about land use and community impact. This is not a simple issue, and I get it. People across this community are going to disagree. I'm hoping any disagreements can be handled reasonably and constructively. But the bottom line is that the purpose of a moratorum is not to rush to a conclusion. It's to create the time and structure needed to make a thoughtful one. Over the past two years, the Bloomington City Council has been reviewing how remote airport parking fits into Bloomington's long-term plans, particularly in the areas near the airport and in the South Loop. Remote airport parking is pretty much what the name implies. It's when a traveler parks in a facility that's not at the airport and then takes a shuttle or other transit options to the airport to catch a flight. The two big operators in Bloomington, the parking spot by Park and Fly and Park and Go are established businesses. Both have been part of the Bloomington hospitality industry for many years. They serve travelers, support jobs, and generate tax revenue. At the same time, their business model involves large surface parking lots, which is something the city has been evaluating in the context of Bloomington's broader development goals, especially in the South Loop District. Last year, the council adopted a one-year moratorum on new and expanded remote airport parking so we could study the issue in more detail. During the moratorum, the city sorted through the issues related to remote parking, looked at how other cities regulate this issue, and heard from both business owners and community members. When the moratorum ended, the council approved two things, hotel airport parking and new remote airport parking facilities in existing structured parking ramps. But the council couldn't come to agreement on how to move forward with park and fly and park and go. We asked staff to continue to work with the businesses to try and find a path forward. After many months of conversation, the direction that's emerged is fairly practical. On Monday night, the council approved an updated ordinance that removes airport parking as an interim use and instead requires a conditional use permit for long-term approval under a different zoning classification that'll provide the operators with more development options while also ensuring intense development. The ordinance also allows existing parking to continue and allows limited expansion on current sites by adding structured parking, but it also includes a requirement for future more intense development on a certain amount of the site no later than 2036. The goals are to balance the current economic value of airport parking with a clear path forward toward future redevelopment while also ensuring that these properties evolve over time in alignment with the city's long-term vision for the South Loop. Much like the renovation of Bloomington Ice Garden or the development of a full-time fire department, this was a thorny issue that went unressed for decades. While I know the solution isn't perfect for either the city or for the operators of remote airport parking, I appreciate that we were able to come together on this and resolve this long-standing issue. And finally today, it's been a while since we've been together, and I haven't had the opportunity to thank our sponsors and everyone who attended the recent State of the City event. State of the City was a couple of weeks ago now on March 12th. If you weren't able to join us, the recording is available on the city's YouTube channel, and I'd encourage you to take a few minutes to watch. It was a great event celebrating all that's been accomplished over the past year here in Bloomington. And most importantly, celebrating the residents, the businesses, the nonprofits, city staff, everyone who makes this community special. Big events like State of the City would not be possible without sponsors. These are the sponsors for State of the City and I once again want to offer my heartfelt thanks to all. We literally could not do it without you. Businesses and organizations and individuals step up with financial support and sponsor events not because they want to be mentioned as part of the presentation or have the crowd clap for them. Instead, sponsors understand the importance of supporting the community they are part of. We see it at State of the City, but we also see it at Somerfett, on the boards at Bloomington Ice Garden, at the Diamond Service Awards, at the new high school football stadiums, in the programs for production at Artistry, and many, many other instances. The support of sponsors is absolutely vital to the success of these events and these venues. The names of these businesses and organizations and individuals, they are right there. We know who they are. When you have the opportunity, thank them. Tell them how much their support, their commitment, and their enthusiasm for this community is so greatly appreciated. That will do it for this week's council minute. Thank you so much for tuning in. Until next time, stay safe, Bloomington.