[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS  IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 30.  [0:10] AT MONDAY’S MEETING, THE COUNCIL HAD WHAT I  THINK WILL BE OUR LAST DISCUSSION – AT LEAST   [0:16] FOR A WHILE – ABOUT SIGNS IN BLOOMINGTON. AND  WHILE OUR SIGN DISCUSSION HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS,   [0:22] I THINK IT SHOWS THIS COUNCIL’S WILLINGNESS TO  SPEND TIME ON AN ISSUE, AND MAKE SURE COUNCIL,   [0:27] STAFF, BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS, AND THE  COMMUNITY ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE HEARD.  [0:33] THE COUNCIL STARTED THIS DISCUSSION ON SIGNS A  COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE   [0:38] THE CITY SIGN ORDINANCE HAD BEEN UPDATED AND A  LOT HAD CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME COUNCIL TOOK   [0:43] A CLOSE LOOK AT SIGNS. OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS,  OUR PLANNING STAFF DUG IN ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT   [0:49] SIGN-RELATED ISSUES LIKE SIZE AND BRIGHTNESS AND  PLACEMENT OF SIGNS. THE COUNCIL HAD STUDY SESSIONS   [0:55] ON THE TOPIC, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WEIGHED  IN, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WE HAD   [1:00] THE REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING, AND ULTIMATELY, IN  FEBRUARY OF 2024, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE UPDATED   [1:06] SIGN CODE. BUT WHEN IT WAS APPROVED, COUNCIL  ASKED STAFF TO REPORT BACK IN A YEAR AND LET US   [1:13] KNOW HOW THINGS WERE GOING AND IF THERE WERE ANY  ITEMS THAT MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION.  [1:18] STAFF WAS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL IN APRIL OF THIS  YEAR, AND YES, SOME THINGS DID NEED TWEAKING.   [1:24] THE COUNCIL APPROVED ADJUSTMENTS ON THINGS  LIKE FREE-STANDING SIGN LOCATIONS, ROOF SIGNS,   [1:29] TEMPORARY SIGNS ON NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS,  AND PERMANENT SIGN CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.  [1:34] ON MONDAY NIGHT, WE HAD ONE FINAL LOOKBACK TO  CLEAR UP TWO ADDITIONAL ASPECTS THAT HADN’T   [1:39] BEEN RESOLVED YET. AFTER A GOOD DISCUSSION, THE  COUNCIL APPROVED A CHANGE THAT WILL EXPAND SIGNAGE   [1:45] ALLOWED ON BUILDINGS SEVEN STORIES OR TALLER.  THE OLD ORDINANCE ALLOWED ONLY ONE BUILDING   [1:50] SIGN ON TALLER BUILDINGS, THE CHANGE WILL ALLOW  UP TO THREE SIGNS. THE COUNCIL WAS IN AGREEMENT   [1:55] THAT ADDITIONAL SIGNS WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO  BLOOMINGTON BUSINESSES AND MIGHT OFFER BUILDING   [2:00] OWNERS AN INCENTIVE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TENANTS.  IT’S ALSO A GREAT WAY TO SHOW OFF BLOOMINGTON’S   [2:06] VIBRANT AND WIDE-REACHING BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THE COUNCIL ALSO LOWERED THE DWELL TIME ON   [2:12] ELECTRONIC SIGNS. IT USED TO BE THAT ELECTRONIC  SIGNS COULD CHANGE EVERY 20 SECONDS, AND NOW THAT   [2:18] TIME HAS BEEN REDUCED TO EIGHT SECONDS, WHICH IS  A MORE STANDARD DWELL TIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY.   [2:24] THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MORE FREQUENT  CHANGES POSSIBLY DISTRACTING DRIVERS,   [2:28] BUT THE COUNCIL WASN’T CONVINCED THERE’S  CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF THAT HAPPENING.  [2:33] NOW, I GET IT. UNLESS YOU’RE THE FIVE MAN  ELECTRICAL BAND, SIGNS MIGHT NOT BE THAT   [2:38] BIG OF DEAL IN YOUR LIFE. BUT MAKING SURE  THEY LOOK GOOD, THAT THEY FIT THE COMMUNITY,   [2:43] AND THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY  IS IMPORTANT. AND THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THE   [2:48] SIGN ORDINANCE UNDERSCORES THE CHALLENGE  OF SUCCESSFULLY MEETING ALL THOSE GOALS   [2:53] AND THE CITY’S COMMITMENT TO EVALUATING AND  IMPROVING OUR POLICIES ON AN ONGOING BASIS.  [2:59] ALSO ON MONDAY, COUNCIL REVIEWED A VARIETY OF  CONCEPT DESIGNS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE   [3:05] SAFETY AT THE INTERSECTION OF 84TH STREET  AND NORMANDALE BOULEVARD. DID YOU KNOW THAT   [3:11] INTERSECTION IS THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN THE  CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, AND THAT’S BASED ON COUNTS   [3:16] BEFORE THE WORK ON 494 STARTED AND DRIVERS STARTED  LOOKING FOR CREATIVE DETOURS THROUGH THE CITY.   [3:22] IT’S A BUSY TRAFFIC INTERSECTION, AND IT’S  ALSO A BUSY BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTION   [3:28] WITH RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE EAST  OF NORMANDALE BOULEVARD, THE OFFICE TOWERS AT   [3:32] NORMANDALE LAKE, AND NORMANDALE LAKE PARK RIGHT  THERE. LOT OF FOLKS ON BOTH FOOT AND ON BICYCLE   [3:39] ARE MOVING THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION. NOW, CRASH  DATA SHOWS THIS ISN’T A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS   [3:45] INTERSECTION, BUT GIVEN THE PEDESTRIAN AND  TRAFFIC VOLUMES, SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS SEEM PRUDENT.  [3:51] STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD A NUMER OF POSSIBLE DESIGN  CHANGES FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION INCLUDING   [3:56] REDUCING OR REDESIGNING TURN LANES AND ADDING  PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS. STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDED   [4:03] ENDING CONSIDERATION OF A LONG-DISCUSSED  PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE INTERSECTION,   [4:08] CITING THE $5 MILLION PRICE TAG, COMPLEXITY OF  CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE LAKE AND WETLANDS NEARBY,   [4:14] AND CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY  USE IT DUE TO THE LONGER TRAVEL DISTANCES.  [4:20] TO A PERSON, THE COUNCIL WAS OBVIOUSLY IN  FAVOR OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. BUT IT’S A   [4:25] NUANCED ISSUE. REDESIGNING THE INTERSECTION  FOR IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY   [4:31] COULD MEAN LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR VEHICLES TO  GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT PEAK TIMES. WE   [4:36] DEFINITELY WANT BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS TO GET OUT  AND BE ACTIVE AND WALK AND BIKE SAFELY, AND WE   [4:43] DEFINITELY WANT OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO WORK  AND TO ENSURE THAT THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN THE   [4:48] CITY IS NOT JAMMED UP, AND THAT WE DON’T ADD TO  ALREADY FRUSTRATING LEVELS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION.  [4:55] NEXT STEPS INCLUDE STAFF TAKING COUNCIL FEEDBACK  AND CONTINUING TO REFINE DESIGN POSSIBILITIES AND   [5:01] WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT HENNEPIN COUNTY  ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY FUNDING TO   [5:05] HELP SUPPORT THE PROJECT. MY GUESS IS,  COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BALANCING   [5:10] SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW, ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT  WILL BECOME MUCH MORE COMMON IN THE VERY NEAR   [5:15] FUTURE. THOUGHTFUL INPUT FROM BLOOMINGTON  RESIDENTS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, DRIVERS,   [5:21] BIKERS, AND WALKERS, WILL ALL BE PART OF IT. I'M  LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.  [5:28] AND FINALLY, A QUICK REMINDER THAT NATIONAL  NIGHT OUT IS COMING UP ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 5!   [5:33] IT’S ALWAYS A FANTASTIC NIGHT AND IT’S  A GREAT WAY TO MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS,   [5:38] VISIT WITH BLOOMINGTON POLICE OFFICERS AND  FIREFIGHTERS, AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES.  [5:42] THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTIES COULDN’T HAPPEN  WITHOUT THE BLOCK PARTY HOSTS. HATS OFF TO   [5:47] ALL OF YOU. YOU ARE ROCK STARS. LIKE EVERY  YEAR, WE NEED YOU TO REGISTER. GO TO THE   [5:53] CITY OF BLOOMINGTON WEBSITE AND REGISTER YOUR  NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT BY JULY 24. REGISTRATION   [5:59] MAKES FOR A SAFER AND WELL-COORDINATED NIGHT, AND  HELPS FACILITATE VISITS FROM CITY STAFF, POLICE,   [6:06] FIRE, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS. PLUS, REGISTERED  BLOCKS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES   [6:12] TO MAKE THE EVENT EVEN MORE FUN AND MEMORABLE. THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS   [6:17] FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL NEXT  TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!