[0:06] HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL  MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 28TH,   [0:10] I’M COUNCILMEMBER DWAYNE LOWMAN  FILLING IN FOR MAYOR BUSSE. WE   [0:14] BEGIN TODAY WITH AN UPDATE ON THE  CITY’S LATEST BUDGET DISCUSSIONS. [0:19] WE'RE NOW WELL INTO THE 2025 BUDGET PLANNING  PROCESS, FOCUSED ON BUILDING A BUDGET THAT   [0:25] ALIGNS WITH OUR CITY’S PRIORITIES  AND GOALS. OVER THE SUMMER AND FALL,   [0:30] CITY STAFF ENGAGED DIRECTLY WITH  RESIDENTS AT SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS,   [0:35] GATHERING FEEDBACK ON SPENDING PRIORITIES  THROUGH BUDGET TABLES. THESE INTERACTIONS   [0:40] REINFORCED JUST HOW MUCH OUR RESIDENTS  VALUE BLOOMINGTON’S PARKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY. [0:47] OUR BUDGET REMAINS GUIDED BY THE BLOOMINGTON  TOMORROW TOGETHER STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH   [0:51] EMPHASIZES EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH, COMMUNITY  HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. A KEY   [0:57] PRIORITY IS ADVANCING THE TRANSFORMATION  INITIATED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2022,   [1:03] EVOLVING FROM A PAID-ON-CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT  TO A COMBINED MODEL WITH BOTH FULL-TIME   [1:09] AND PART-TIME FIREFIGHTERS TO IMPROVE  RESPONSE TIMES AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY. [1:14] ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2024, THE CITY COUNCIL SET THE  PRELIMINARY 2025 TAX LEVY AT $89.7 MILLION,   [1:23] WHICH WAS AN 11.5% INCREASE FROM THE 2024  LEVY. THIS AMOUNT CAN BE REDUCED BEFORE   [1:30] THE FINAL ADOPTION ON DECEMBER 16 BUT  CANNOT BE INCREASED. IN RECENT MONTHS,   [1:36] DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN PRESENTING  DETAILED BUDGET PROPOSALS TO THE COUNCIL,   [1:42] HIGHLIGHTING POTENTIAL AREAS FOR ADJUSTMENT  TO HELP MANAGE THE LEVY. THIS PAST MONDAY,   [1:47] PARKS AND RECREATION, POLICE, AND LEGAL  PRESENTED THEIR DETAILED 2025 BUDGET REQUESTS. [1:54] NEXT STEPS INCLUDE FURTHER REFINING THE TAX  LEVY AND BUDGET PROPOSAL THROUGH LATE NOVEMBER,   [2:00] CULMINATING IN THE COUNCIL'S FINAL DECISION ON THE   [2:04] 2025 LEVY AND BUDGET AT THE DECEMBER  16 TRUTH IN TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING. [2:10] FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITY’S  BUDGET AND INSIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR’S   [2:14] PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, VISIT BLM.MN/BUDGET. [2:20] AS ALWAYS, EACH OF OUR COUNCIL  MEETINGS ARE RECORDED IN FULL,   [2:23] JUST VISIT THE CITY’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT THE LINK  ON YOUR SCREEN IF YOU’D LIKE TO WATCH ANY OF THEM.   [2:28] THEY'RE EVEN TIME STAMPED SO YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT  TO THE AGENDA ITEM THAT’S OF INTEREST TO YOU. [2:33] I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT FOR TWO  EVENTS THAT HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND. [2:37] A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE SUSTAINABILITY  CHAMPIONS WHO SHOWED UP ON SATURDAY,   [2:41] OCTOBER 26-TH TO HELP PRESERVE  BLOOMINGTON’S BIODIVERSITY BY   [2:45] TAKING OUT INVASIVE BUCKTHORN. VOLUNTEERS  MET OUT AT HARRISON PARK TO HELP CUT,   [2:50] PILE AND HAUL BUCKTHORN. YOUR TIME  AND HARD WORK ARE MUCH APPRECIATED. [2:56] AND, THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED BLOOMINGTON'S  FOURTH ANNUAL TRICK OR TREAT TRAIL HOSTED BY   [3:01] BLOOMINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION WITH  PARTICIPATION BY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS   [3:06] AND A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.  THE FREE OUTDOOR EVENT HAPPENED SUNDAY,   [3:11] THE 27-TH AT NORMANDALE LAKE PARK.  HUNDREDS OF FOLKS SHOWED UP FOR THE   [3:16] FESTIVITIES IN THEIR AMAZING COSTUMES!  COLLECTIONS FOR VEAP WERE ALSO TAKEN   [3:21] AT THE EVENT. A TOTAL OF 80 POUNDS  OF NONPERISHABLE FOOD WAS DONATED. [3:26] THAT'S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL  MINUTE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME,   [3:30] HAVE AN EXCELLENT WEEK!