[0:14] 546I will call this listening session on the Bloomington City council to order. Thank you for everyone for being here tonight and thanks for your patience waiting for us. We will start us off mr. Junkel, and why don't we have you if just identify yourself but then have you sign in after you speak so we can Yeah I signed in already. You're so, so efficient. Well done. Well, you know, we have to keep these. [0:34] Things moving Mark Janco. So, and before I start, this is off the track, but with next Thursday being thanksgiving, I just want to tell everybody in this room that I am glad that I live in Bloomington. All right? So just wanted to know that. All right, now we'll get down to business. Now everything I say is on behalf of resource. [0:54] For the nine. So, not that they're not dark two. Okay, and the this is basically about the Minnesota River access for bikes and why we kind of feel that Queen Avenue access is problematic and unnecessary. Most of the other things with bikes, of course, have been you're, as you're aware have been. [1:14] Ruled unfeasible, but this is kind of dangling out there, so. There are twelve existing access points to the Minnesota River for bicycles in Bloomington presently. Another access point at Queens seems redundant and kind of suboptimal use of the money that needs to be spent on environmental restoration in Central Park. [1:34] Adding access at at Queen would only advite cyclists to use the NMCC pedestrian trail as a bike trail, which happens quite often already. Enforcement is already really really hard as anybody who walks down there regularly can tell you. Allowing bikes anywhere in Central Park was gonna kind of open up. [1:54] And Doras box that I feel it'll be impossible to close. It would be much better to have bike racks at all access points to encourage cyclists to enjoy central Parkon foot. Again, access to the river can already exists in abundance. [2:11] Parking at the Queen Avenue entrance is limited to maybe two or three vehicles, and there is a segment of cyclists that transport their bikes by car, and they go to off road trails, and likely they'd have to park park on neighborhood streets, and these people are used to driving long distances to ride. [2:31] So encouraging them to park on the neighborhoods streets probably won't be real popular with the local people there and again already abundant parking exists at many access points to the river, and which include the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refugee headquarters, the entrance to the basponds, the end of old cadar. [2:51] Partners picnic and trail area, the south end of the loop to the Giddion pond house, the southern end of Lindalle Avenue South, which is finally coming online pretty quick, so that'll be great. Be able to ride down there again and the Bloomington fairy Bridge Access that's seven where there's plenty of places to park cars already. So, and the last thing on my, my. [3:11] My thing here is that cyclists of course who prefer to ride to the river can already ride their bikes to an access point of which again there's twelve. So again that's kind of makes that point. So, I brought a bunch of these, but I didn't see safas. So I was a deer in the headlace I didn't know where to get them to you. And should that be seven? [3:29] Oh, you can give me whatever you got. Oh, I got a whole bunch for sustainability too, so I got, but I'll get some to you. One, i'll try whatever You Okay good. Well I'll try and any I guess questions? Thank you. Thank you for comments. Council any questions at Mark? Great. Thank you for the opportunity. [3:48] It's Chrisan. Oh I am Chrisan laurier. Here in Bloomington. So I'm kind of working on talking on the heels of what Mark has already. [4:04] Introduce you two, but I'm here on behalf of restore the nine, and I'm asking for your support for an important decision regarding the 9 mi clean quarter renewal project. We recommend that the trail south of a hundred and 6th streets remain a natural surface trail. The design consultants have. [4:24] Left open the possibility of paving that entire pedestrian trail from to the Minnesota River. [4:31] We currently have a unique two and a half mile nature path. Roughly one half is paved and one half is natural surface. The paid portion is from lawyer to a hundred and six street, the unport unpaid portion is from a hundred and six to the river. This combination of. [4:51] Trail services accommodates the highest percentage of users in the park and also has other significant advantages versus a fully paid trail. [5:01] We believe preserving the natural surface trail is essential for ensuring equity, financial prudence, and environmental sustainability. As our community strives to improve inclusivity, it is crucial to recognize the diverse needs of individuals with varying disabilities. [5:20] While we support initiatives aimed at improving AD accessibility, the design approach approach must also consider the unique challenges faced by many community members who require a softer trail. Upholding the integrity of the trail in this section of Central Park is not just about. [5:40] Observation it's about fostering an environment where all pedestrians can enjoy the outdoors without barriers. [5:48] In general ADA accessibility ensures that individuals with disabilities have free and full access to the same programs, services, and areas as those without. The act requires that parks and other public facilities provide reasonable accommodations. [6:07] According to the act an accommodation is considered reasonable as long as it does not impose undue financial burden. When some people hear ADA, they often think only of wheelchairs. However, the act protects many other types of disabilities. [6:26] As well, and many of our community members have those other disabilities. Walking on hard surfaces puts additional stress on one's joints and can lead to pain because hard surfaces don't absorb shock as effectively a softer surfaces. Restore the nine has heard from numerous people. [6:46] Who suffer from joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankilosing spondolitis, lupus, and more. This trail is also attractive to many older adults. [6:58] The population in which joint disease is common. And I can say that as a certified nurse practitioner. Furthermore, many dog owners walk the natural path because it is easier on their joints, their dogs joints too, and the surface is substantially cooler on their pause than on black. [7:18] Laptop. All these individuals rely on the natural surface for exercise, and restricting access for these individuals would create new disparities. Additionally, we oppose paving that portion of the trail because it's a wetland forest and it's the 1st area to become inundated with spring floods and heavy precipients. [7:39] Patientation and it's the last area where water receives. Climate change is already increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy rain events and this trend unfortunately is expected to continue. Without a paper base layer, pavement is much more likely to buckle when covered with water for extended periods. However. [8:04] Or if a paper base layer is added, then the city will need to purchase wetland mitigation credits because this is a jurisdictional wetland. [8:13] In short, a decision to pave south of a hundred and 6th street raises significant concerns related related to environmental impacts, construction and maintenance, costs, equity, and practicality. The portion of the park located north of a hundred and 6th street is already paved and we advocate for improving that area. [8:33] Get to accommodate individuals dependent on mobility aids. While recommending the tra the trail south of a hundred and six streets remain unpaid. Additionally, investing in a vulnerable, in a project vulnerable to frequent flooding is costly laborious, and an inefficient use of taxpayer funds. [8:56] It is crucial to prioritize solutions that foster inclusivity and sustainability, ensuring that the needs of community members are met while safeguarding our resources for the future. Your support in this matter would be much appreciated. [9:14] Thank you for your time. Questions? All right. Thank you much. Thanks. Thank you. Sally? [9:35] Okay, when I was, when I previously spoke, I said there were seven reports where the police were driving into the area that mentioned my name, there were eight. I was under police surveillance. I do not know why, I do not know when it began, I do not know for how long, I do not know if it ended. I did a data request. [9:55] For all the data from 1 August 2019 to. 29 February 2020, that includes my name, all police reports, all police CAD incidents, detailed reports, citations, complaints, texts, phone calls, roll calls, emails. There was NO data after 23 September 2019. [10:17] The eight CAD reports for extra patrol with my name in them were from December of 2019 and January 2020. Again, there's nothing in this data to explain why my name is in eight reports. I was being watched and the police should tell me why. There should be a legal basis. There should be data to support. [10:37] Court the police choosing to use city resources to monitor me. Again, I asked the city to do an internal affairs investigation. [10:47] Any questions council? Right. Thank you. Robert, hello? Mr. Verbergie, do you have an update on, oh I'm Robert Coleman. Do you have do you have an update on the present. [11:07] Nope. Okay. They're. Planning to schedule time with us. Okay, so in regards to network now metro trans, system redesign, so much time has passed that the official comment period has ended. If you guys haven't I think the form is still online. [11:31] So, I would love for you guys to, submit a comment about how, I think if, if, if you read the the 1st page, you'll see that they talk a lot about increasing service and. [11:45] You know, a 30 % increase over in the Metro area, but that service is barely coming to Bloomington. In terms of the operators that they plan to hire for regular route service, I think it's 270 that they're looking to hire and. [12:03] Only about four of those operators will be used in Bloomington, just barely over 1 %. There's some, on, on the back page there's some issues about some areas of the metro area that are much less there's ok. [12:23] In the met council's 2050 transportation policy plan, they have a transit market index, which is. [12:32] In general, it is jobs plus a job density plus population density, and then it is, you know, split into five different, groupings throughout the metro area. They have a map online to get the specific numbers, but in terms of the, there are areas in the metro area. [12:52] There that are. Area five transit market area five, which is the least transit supportive, that are getting as good of service as Bloomington is in transit market area two. And in fact, the compared to the last plan in 2014, much more of Bloomington is more transit support. [13:14] While we're not, we're, we're not seeing that. That coming through in transit service improvements where we're in terms of the, like the service cuts that were that happened 2022, the, that service is not coming back. Service is not coming back on the 05:46, there's. [13:37] Weekend service is not coming back on the 05:34. There will still be NO weekend service on the 05:34, the 05:37, and the 05:42. The 05:42 in is the worst in my eyes that service is not coming back on weekends or in the evenings because that is service that was. [13:57] Cut in 2004 and never came back. It is getting midday service, so there will be a bus, in between 08:00 A.M. and 03:00 P.M. when there currently isn't any buses on the 05:42 on American Bullgard. But again, that is service that was cut in 2004. [14:20] I, it's it's a little frustrating that it's been silence in terms of, metro transit, you know, for the past two years not saying anything about when service was going to return, you know, and then in the past couple months saying, hey, wait for network now, everything's gonna be in network now. [14:40] If it's not a network now, it's not happening in the next two years and then it coming and it. Not being anywhere near what Bloomington deserves. I've been talking with my friends who are activists in other cities and their council members are all working on it. They're, you know, getting the news out to their, to their constituents to say, hey, you guys should comment on this plan. They've submitted comments themselves, they talk about it in meetings and stuff like that. [15:05] And I don't see that from you guys. I hope that you guys will in the future, even though the the official comment period is over, couple questions for you Robert. Yeah, I think and we might have asked this in the past. [15:23] Well, what's been your interaction with our method council representative to Bloomington and and is there any progress being made on that front? I haven't spoken to him, I think that would be an important part of this. I mean you can talk to us, but we're not the decision makers on all this. Sure, I mean I've I've spoken to. [15:43] So. To the general manager of Metro Transit and multiple people within the network now, project team, including the the project lead of network now who lied to me. That was frustrating. And also Mark Christianson, who is the the planner for the, for our area for Metro transit. [16:05] I've sent emails to a bunch of other people, but not to what's his name again? I would advocate I appreciate you're coming here and talking with us and and we could advocate until we're blue in the face. [16:25] But it's, I think commissioner Patchencov it's the person you need to really get in the ear of and and your you're the folks who are also in support of this, that's where the calls need to go because he's the decision maker there, he's part of the decision making body on this. Thank you mayor. Just a quick question. He's invited to our breakfast. [16:45] So we'll have an opportunity to talk to him and when is that? We don't have a date set, I'm having trouble getting its calendared right now. Okay. But we meet, we meet with our Henopen county commissioner and our met council representative on a bi monthly basis. [17:05] We we had to cancel our last meeting in. October, so the next one will be in December that would be and it'd be reasonable to just bring this information to the absolutely. Met council makes the like the final approval, but it it's pretty separate from the metro Transit team. It's not a met council initiative, it is Metro transit. I'm at metro t. [17:28] As it is a animal of the met council. It's Yeah. Where the funding is. Right, for sure. But it it sounds to the money. It is, but but it sounds like to your concern and request that we. [17:41] Have definitive action to put forth our input into that that will happen and and we will advocate for Bloomington, as I would expect we always will. Yeah, I'd also say if I may mr. Mayor, that there's there is a metro micro zone in bloomingt. [18:01] On this map, and so there's an open question in my mind for you Robert, about what is it that's really lacking? I've always thought about it as intra Bloomington transit. Meaning we don't have buses that go that can get you east and west and north and south within the confines of Bloomington. This may solve for that, I don't know. [18:21] Don't like I don't know enough about metro micro zones, but my con my understanding of that concept is that it's a it's a ride sharing service that uses the, the metro mobility buses to like do call sharing. Outside of that. [18:34] It sounds like you want certain extra inter inter city routes to be restored. Either their frequency, their length or their operation. So I I'm not sure they have that consideration here, but they, they might be two parallel paths is my. [18:54] Point. Okay, which is included in this we gotta, we're gonna wrap up here, but very quickly if you I have very quickly Robert. I have sent you guys an email about the micro zones. If you My opinions have slightly changed a little bit mellowed on when in that email, I was like, they're a really bad idea. They're not as horrible an idea in my eyes now. [19:14] So. If the local service was returning, I wouldn't care, but seeing is this is replacing the local service, I'm not a fan of it because of how it's very unreliable. I've written MVTA Connect and, Southwest transit prime. And my experience was very different whether I was. [19:35] Going I was taking a 5 mi trip and it took me over an hour on southwest Prime versus MVTI Connect where I took me 15 min to go 3 mi. [19:45] It's not, you, you never know how long it's gonna take until you get you out just because I wanna keep moving on here but to your point council member I would like to learn more about these micro zones and how it relates to I've heard of good successes in other major metropolitan areas about these microtype zones and in other I've I've heard it across the country robert. [20:05] I've heard it from other council members across the country, maybe not in your experience, but I've heard it from across the country. So thanks for being here tonight and thanks for your advocacy on this. Those are the official Ford I saw a couple of people come in. Anybody else? We've got about a couple minutes here if you wanted to speak. Well, you know, what time do we end? 06:15. [20:24] Well, I help you if you if you want to speak, you can have to come up to the table and introduce yourself and do it officially. Yep. So my name's Jerry Hillary and I'm a 50 year resident of Bloomington. We're business here in Bloomington for 40 years. [20:44] Raise three kids and have been active during those periods of time and. [20:50] Leadership in the schools and sports and neighborhood organizations and spoke here about a month ago relative to the senior center and health and wellness centers. And I was the last speaker then and. [21:09] I got the same opportunity here this time. So my purpose in getting thing before you was, you know, looking to see that Bloomington is a better place to live, which aligns as I looked at the website has identified on the website for Bloomington cultivate enduring and remarkable community. [21:29] Where people want to be. Enduring is a word I'd like to come back to in a little bit. To recap on the last time. [21:38] I am looking, I sat here before talking about retaining a standalone senior center. And I also had done put some posts out on next door and had two questions that were most commonly brought back to me. One was why do see. [21:58] Years need their own place and it's seems obvious to me and it also seems hard, hard to explain. But we have an education system where we have preschool elementary, middle, and senior high school. [22:17] All predicated upon age and there are different needs for different ages and certainly seniors have different needs than preschoolers. And, so, and then of course we have a community here. [22:37] That is growing in 1970 also off the city's website. [22:43] Seniors which 55 plus monitors a 3 % of the population. And 2019 it was up to 18 % and now it's 25 %. And, you know, there's also increased loneliness we're hearing about. [23:02] The pace of change is accelerating all things that have a negative impact on seniors. And then you ask what well what's happened for seniors? About ten years ago, the senior center stopped delivering. [23:18] Meals and the kitchen was closed down. Now we're lo losing the standalone nature of the senior Center Creek side. You know, we had a referendum that that we're raising taxes now. [23:38] Now to build a new community center which here to Ford has been a senior center. [23:44] And, which sounds like a nice deal you get a new home. And however, what we're ending up with is an apartment building that we are gonna be sharing with a bunch of other people. [23:59] They will have a, have to pay to walk through the door. There'll be multi use spaces. People can walk through the door for $6 where they used to walk through for nothing to go play a game of cards. [24:19] In a smaller room, now it'll be in the corner of a large room. And of course we're losing the wood shop, the bill yards, rock shop, there's the botique. [24:36] And, all under the hospices that they're not fitting the multi use space. And yet we're getting swing pools, we're getting weight rooms, we're getting running tracks, gymnasiums, and. [24:53] A childcare center, which to me all seem like single use spaces. I don't know what you do in swing pole besides swim. So that, that was why I was here before. And as I've looked into this, I've talked to some present school board members past school. [25:13] Board members, VA presidents. A gentleman that had just been inducted into the Hall of Fame for BAA about services being rendered. I know Wilson swing pool is being made built to rebuilt here now cause it's has failed. [25:35] And I and it's just struck me as what a waste? I talked last time about all the opportunities that are not being realized in the senior center, be it the food service that could be servicing. [25:54] People in need beyond just seniors, we could be teaching Omec kind of classes would work in the same. We could upgrade it to a CNC machine and tie in software and interface with kids. [26:11] So we've got three swimming pools in Bloomington that nobody knows about. The 2nd question that I got off the next door post is, well, I didn't even know we had a senior center. [26:27] And I don't think too many people know that we have three swimming pools, one of which is open, for public use. I don't figure too many people know that the curriculum two years ago dropped swimming eh. [26:45] In fied. So we've got three swimming pools that aren't being used by the school system. In 2002, we had a referendum to build activity centers with rate weight rooms and running tracks. [27:01] And, after COVID, those did not return to open public use. And yet we're again going to add another swing pool and another running track and waiting room. You know, when I, when I was growing up, my parents didn't let me get. [27:21] More food on my plate until I finished what was on my plate. And it seems like we've got a lot still sitting on our plate that's not being utilized that a hundred million dollars could be spent to really make these things something special to make them enduring, not. [27:40] As with the activity center for 20 years later it to disappear for from use. They still sit there underutilized. Our swimming pools the same thing. So, there are so many things that we could be doing other things. You need to get downstairs. I. [28:00] So I don't know what's happened since last time. [28:06] But I, I would like to be able to help make a difference and any guidance here. I intend to be writing articles and such as well along these lines to see that we use this hundred million dollars and as most effective of his own manner. I was thinking enduring your way through the process of the the. [28:26] The entire design of the new health and wellness center, there are plenty of options for community input and community engagement. There have been I I think a lot already and there will continue to be up until the point where decisions are made about go going forward on this and and and I mean. [28:46] To be clear, this was brought forward to the voters of Bloomington and the voters of Loomington said yes, we want to do this. And that's that that's an important piece of this that this was brought forward and yes, you say taxpayer dollars, this is, this is a local option sales tax that voters said yes, we want to do this because we would like to build. [29:06] The community health and wellness center. A community, not a senior center one is a community center, which was the senior center, so it was not clear what it was going to be and I I think they said there was NO more clear what it's going to be. We think I think I think our health and wellness center, I think the work that the city did to explain what it was and. [29:28] And what the vote was being taken on, I don't think it could have been more clear. Well, it certainly wasn't clear to me and that may have been my fault, but I have not so talked to anybody that thought it was. All right. Well, thank you Jerry. I'm there very quickly very quickly. I'd love to do that with staff. I know you contacted me, but it should be fun to meet with you at staff sometimes shooking arrange. [29:52] Okay, how do, how would I do that? Okay I'll have to alright council, we gotta get downstairs. I would look for a motion to adjourn on our listening session. Thank you. Got a motion in a 2nd all in favor? Six zero, we are adjourned. Let's head downstairs for our meeting at 06:30. Thank you all for being here tonight.