[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS  IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 20.  [0:10] ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON’S  NEW CITY MANAGER ZACH WALKER WAS SWORN IN.   [0:15] IT WAS ALSO ZACH’S FIRST OFFICAL DAY ON THE  JOB, AND WE’RE THRILLED TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD.  [0:20] CERTAINLY VERY EXCITING, VERY HUMBLING  TO STEP INTO THIS ROLE AND TO BE PART   [0:25] OF SUCH A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND BUILD  UPON THE SUCCESS THAT YOU’VE ALL HAD.  [0:28] ZACH BRINGS NEARLY TWO DECADES OF EXECUTIVE‑LEVEL  LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, MOST RECENTLY   [0:34] SERVING AS CITY MANAGER OF INDEPENDENCE,  MISSOURI — A FULL‑SERVICE CITY OF MORE THAN   [0:38] 1,200 EMPLOYEES AND A $454 MILLION BUDGET. DURING HIS TENURE HE LED MAJOR INITIATIVES   [0:45] INCLUDING A $1 BILLION INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT  AND A $36 MILLION COMMERCIAL REDEVELOPMENT,   [0:51] AS WELL AS LAUNCHING A CITY‑WIDE HOUSING STUDY AND  EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH.  [0:57] BLOOMINGTON HAS A WELL-DESERVED REPUTATION  IN MUNCIPAL CIRCLES FOR HAVING LONG-TENURED   [1:03] AND HIGHLY RESPECTED CITY MANAGERS. THE AVERAGE  TENURE FOR CITY MANAGERS IN MEDIUM SIZED CITIES   [1:09] LIKE BLOOMINGTON IS BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT YEARS.  ZACH IS BLOOMINGTON’S FOURTH CITY MANAGER SINCE   [1:16] 1960. FOUR CITY MANAGERS IN 65 YEARS IS PRETTY  IMPRESSIVE. THAT LONGEVITY COMES FROM THE SUPPORT   [1:24] OF THE BEST CITY STAFF IN MINNESOTA, CONSISTENTLY  STRONG ELECTED LEADERSHIP, AND RESIDENTS WHO ARE   [1:31] INFORMED AND APPRECIATIVE OF GOOD GOVERNMENT. WE’RE SO EXCITED TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME ZACH   [1:37] AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT HIS LEADERSHIP WILL HELP  BLOOMINGTON CONTINUE TO GROW, EVOLVE AND SERVE OUR   [1:43] COMMUNITY WELL. I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET HIM. ALSO ON MONDAY, WE CONTINUED THE DISCUSSION OF   [1:48] THE 2026 BUDGET, FOCUSING ESPECIALLY  ON THE WORK OF OUR EXTERNAL SERVICES   [1:52] TEAM AND UPCOMING UTILITY‑RATE CHANGES. THE STUDY SESSION COVERED HOW THE BUDGET SUPPORTS   [1:58] ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE COMMUNITY  DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION,   [2:03] PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC WORKS — BUT ALSO  HOW INFLATION, RISING SERVICE COSTS, AGING   [2:09] INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITY OPERATIONS ARE PLACING  INCREASING PRESSURE ON RATES AND SERVICE LEVELS.  [2:16] OUR EXTERNAL SERVICES TEAM IS WORKING TO  IDENTIFY WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE EFFICIENCY,   [2:20] ENSURE RELIABILITY, AND KEEP COST INCREASES  AS MODEST AS POSSIBLE. AT THE SAME TIME,   [2:26] WE’RE EVALUATING PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS TO UTILITY  RATES THAT ARE TIED DIRECTLY TO THE OPERATIONS,   [2:32] UPKEEP AND REPLACEMENT OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? AS WE FINALIZE THE   [2:38] BUDGET THIS FALL, WE’LL SHARE CLEAR  INFORMATION ABOUT ANY RATE CHANGES,   [2:42] THEIR TIMING, AND THE REASONS BEHIND THEM — SO  YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR AND WHY.  [2:48] STAY TUNED: THERE ARE MORE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS  AHEAD IN THE COMING WEEKS, CULMINATING WITH THE   [2:53] TRUTH IN TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 22. OUR CITY OF BLOOMINGTON BUDGET WEBPAGE HAS A   [2:57] BOATLOAD OF INFORMATION FOR YOU TO EXPLORE. TAKE A  LOOK AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.  [3:03] AND FINALLY TODAY, THE LAST MONTH HAS BEEN  BUSY. AND I WANTED TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE TO   [3:09] HIGHLIGHT THE EXCITING EVENTS THAT ARE GREAT  EXAMPLES OF HOW BLOOMINGTON IS MOVING FORWARD.  [3:15] FIRST, EARLIER THIS MONTH WE HOSTED THE  INAUGURAL BLOOMINGTON BUSINESS FORUM.   [3:20] IT WAS THE CITY’S FIRST EVENT OF ITS KIND  FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS   [3:24] AND BUSINESS OWNERS. THE THEME OF BUSINESS  FRIENDLY, GROWTH READY REALLY SET THE TONE   [3:30] FOR THE DAY AND IT DID A GOOD JOB OF FRAMING UP  BLOOMINGTON’S GROWING BUSINESS SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM.  [3:36] AND SPEAKING OF BUSINESS GROWTH, LAST  WEEK WE CUT THE RIBBON AND CELEBRATED   [3:40] THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW COLONIAL MARKET.  COLONIAL MARKET IS THE NEW GROCERY STORE IN   [3:44] THE SOUTH LOOP AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AND  RESIDENTS ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THEM OPEN.  [3:50] AND SPEAKING OF RIBBON CUTTINGS, WE CUT  THE RIBBON AT THE BLOOMINGTON ICE GARDEN,   [3:54] AND AT BRYANT AND TRETBAUGH PARKS. ALL THREE  FACILITIES RECEIVED EXTENSIVE OVERHAULS THAT   [3:59] WERE YEARS IN THE MAKING AND THE IMPROVEMENTS  WILL SERVE RESIDENTS FOR YEARS TO COME.  [4:04] OUR FRIENDS AT BLOOMINGTON SCHOOLS ALSO DID  SOME RIBBON CUTTING RECENTLY, THEY CELEBRATED   [4:08] THE OPENING OF NEW STADIUMS AT BOTH JEFFERSON  AND KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOLS. THIS IS AN EXCITING   [4:13] CHANGE FOR THE TWO SCHOOLS AS THEY BOTH NOW HAVE  THEIR OWN DEDICATED HOME FIELDS, AFTER MANY YEARS   [4:18] OF SHARING BLOOMINGTON STADIUM AT 90TH AND PENN. SPEAKING OF JEFFERSON AND KENNEDY, THEIR FOOTBALL   [4:24] TEAMS MET ON THE PLAYING FIELD THIS YEAR FOR THE  FIRST TIME IN ALMOST A DECADE. THE NIGHT BEFORE   [4:29] THE GAME THEY CAME TOGETHER TO SHARE A DINNER AND  HANG OUT A BIT, AND TO PROVE THAT THIS COMMUNITY   [4:36] IS INDEED ONE BLOOMINGTON. I HAD THE PLEASURE  OF ATTENDING THE DINNER, AND I WANT TO GIVE   [4:40] A SHOUTOUT TO THE BLOOMINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT  FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A FUN AND ENCOURAGING EVENT.  [4:45] EARLIER THAT SAME DAY, WE BROKE GROUND ON THE  COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER. THIS   [4:50] PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A DECADE, AND  IT’S THRILLING TO FINALLY BE AT THIS POINT. AND,   [4:56] A RELATED NOTE, ON THE LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER  BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC HEALTH HOSTED AN INNOVATIVE   [5:01] AND INSPIRING MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT AT BLOOMINGTON  CIVIC PLAZA. MENTAL HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT   [5:06] HEALTH TOPIC THAT WE ARE ALL DEALING WITH RIGHT  NOW. I’M VERY PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP BLOOMINGTON   [5:11] PUBLIC HEALTH IS SHOWING ON THIS TOPIC. ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT,   [5:15] I’VE COVERED MOST OF THEM IN PREVIOUS COUNCIL  MINUTES. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THEM AGAIN IN A   [5:21] BUNDLE TO SHOWCASE ALL OF THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS  AND OUTSTANDING EVENTS HAPPENING IN THIS CITY.   [5:28] FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, TO OUR PARKS, TO  OUR SCHOOLS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH, BLOOMINGTON IS   [5:34] MOVING FORWARD AND NOT INCREMENTALLY. THIS  COMMUNITY IS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE YOU,   [5:41] BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS INSIST ON IT.  BECAUSE YOU, BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS,   [5:46] UNDERSTAND THAT MOVING FORWARD IS THE KEY TO  FUTURE SUCCESS. BECAUSE YOU KNOW FULL WELL   [5:52] THAT IF BLOOMINGTON IS NOT MOVING FORWARD, THEN  BLOOMINGTON IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL OR WORSE, FALLING   [5:59] BEHIND. OF THOSE THREE OPTIONS, FORWARD IS BEST. THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS   [6:07] FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL NEXT  TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON.