[0:08] Sorry, we have a quorum and it is 05:45, so I'm gonna call our city council listening session to order. It's Monday 5 May 05:45. Thanks very much for everybody who's here.

[0:27] So here are the folks that I have pre scheduled and raise your hand. Linda Lang, there's Linda. Elizabeth Carbonie, there she is Yep. Pam, and then Parker, I don't see her yet tonight. So, why don't we get started? Linda, you're up 1st and what I'm gonna ask you.

[0:47] So as you come up, you can sign in after you finish up just so we make this move along, 5 min and we'll maybe ask some questions, we'll try and engage a little bit and.

[0:58] What else was I gonna say? Oh, and just make sure you state your name as you start to state channing for the record so we have that as well. So, ok? Hello, my name is Linda. 9125 shell in Bloomington, and I grew up in Bloomington. I think Bloomington is great and it's wonderful to see the city council.

[1:18] People in the staff here. I did mail in my comments. We don't want to read them too. I'll go over the highlights briefly and I have a couple other points and I don't think I'll take the entire 5 min.

[1:30] I did attend activities with my mother and my parents bought bought their house in 1963 that I'm now only and before that we lived in East Bloomington and they bought that in 19 built that also in 1955, and I was born in.

[1:50] 1956 so you can see where that's all going. I did go to the creek side activities with my mother and intend to go more now than I myself older. I did work as an orthopedic nurse. I have a registered nurse license.

[2:07] I volunteered at local nursing homes for years and pushed a lot of wheelchairs, helped a lot of disabled people both as a nurse and a volunteer, and I've recently had both my hims replaced, so I'm now bionic parking at the main entrance just to make.

[2:25] My ideas, if the world was perfect you would do all of these things. So parking at the main entrance, I would request that the handicapped parking be across the front of the long, longest entryway.

[2:41] That, so if this is the door and this is curved in the sidewalk that all of the parking starts there, ok? So that you get out of your car, you get into the sidewalk in the winter with the snow of the sleep eyes, you can make your weight door.

[2:58] And then in my perfect world, we'd replicate that backwards for handicapped people and we'd have a lot of them because people body people in America need to walk, but it's harder for handicapped people with.

[3:13] Wheelchairs and walkers, I I think you can't have enough handicaps. Entrance doors, it's hard to always find where the little button is push the door.

[3:29] Pushing the wheelchairs to stop, park the wheelchair, walk over. If you're in the wheelchair, the walker, you make your way over. The doors are heavy. If we have auto, auto open motion detectors, at least for the main entrance where all of the parking is, you just walk up.

[3:49] With whatever disabled body people and disabled body people you know click it open and walk right through. Women's bathrooms, in my perfect world, all of the women's bathrooms would be handicated accessible.

[4:08] They're bigger. They give you the ability to hold on, and in, in that stall, I would make sure that it's well litted and not, not light that's coming from over there to over here and.

[4:28] Most women in the wintertime wear coats and have purses and it's very inconvenient to do what you need to do with your coat, wearing your coat. So we need some kind of heavy cook for both. My person a lot of times what's more than my.

[4:46] The lunchrome at creekside, I noticed that it was very, very popular to come for lunch when there was entertainment and then when it was very difficult to actually get if you weren't on the internet. If you didn't read, and after a while, did away with.

[5:06] With a flyer has a cost savings thing and then you have to pick them up. So it became more and more difficult for my mother to keep track of, well I'd like to go see these people, these people these people. She didn't go every day or every Friday. So.

[5:24] There were people who were turned away, so I'm hoping that in the new building that if there's that sort of entertainment for retired people, that wouldn't be big enough to allow as many people as possible. And I did notice a lot of people who thought it was fun and you know they bumped up.

[5:44] And she knows because.

[5:47] She sawful. The elevator, I'm hoping that if, if it's two stories, which I assume that it is, that there'll be one here because wheelchairs and handicap equipment, they take up more room, fewer people can go in.

[6:07] You have to wait. Even if you're in a walk or you're not happy energy being really a normal body person with that. And then the coat racks, I think my memory is correct that creek side has little hooks outside in the hall for everybody. It's the coolest thing since slice spread and I would do that.

[6:27] In the new building. And then if you have rooms that can hold a lot more than you really have to explore, if you can have any closet.

[6:36] So that's the end of my picture pretty much 5 min I'm sorry. Yep, you are. 30 s 30 s go. We have Archry twelve courses Bloomington hand.

[6:52] And Bloomington fuels by serena's tret of three football fields I understand those are with the schools. I think that 800 pounda in the room is that seniors in Bloomington are going to get a build that is going to be shared with other populations and they are going to feel.

[7:12] That they're pushed aside. We think that the city council needs to deal directly with that and make make the seniors feel like they didn't give anything up, but they really gained a better building and a better program. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[7:31] Hello. Evening. Okay, so, my name is Elizabeth campbrown.

[7:51] And I'm back here today representing my family and many of my neighbors.

[7:56] I'm here to address the lack of neighborhood engagements surrounding the new community health and wellness center. In a city council meeting on 26 August 2024 Councilmena asked, this is a quote. Have we had the communication with the neighborhood? I asked that because I drove around the neighborhood the other day.

[8:16] And it is rather quiet and with a facility like this, it will become just busier, right? So when does that conversation happen with the neighbors? To make sure they're on board online and knowing what's going to happen in their backyard and quote. In direct response to this question, miss Ann.

[8:35] Sorry. Confidently said quote. We also tend to have meetings intend to have meetings with the neighbors specifically. We plan to bring HDA and our construction manager into that conversation so that they're sure to understand what to expect through the entire process from the time that Creek.

[8:55] Side comes down to the time construction starts throughout the entire process, so I can assure you we will be engaging significantly with the neighbors and quote. This has not happened. And even if it does happen, it sounds like it will be an information session, not a survey or engagement. She also spoke of a planned kickoff.

[9:15] For a community engagement event that was planned for September of 2024 that the neighbors could come to.

[9:22] I want to point out that this in the city newspaper, this was advertised as simply an event to celebrate and see what's being done. There was NO invitation to ask questions or give feedback. Some of us in the neighborhood did not attend this event because of that reason. Some of us did attend this event, but didn't see an option for giving feedback. And one of my neighbors attended this event.

[9:42] And voiced their concerns to one of you here and was completely brushed off. So I'm here to say that it's already nine months later and we have absolutely not been considered. We have not been informed.

[9:57] There has been NO engagement, there have been NO surveys in our mailbox or knocks on our doors. The only way we've stayed informed is by reading the sun current or watching the city council meetings on YouTube. For a project that is quite literally happening in our backyards, we know nothing more than anyone else without.

[10:17] Access to the internet. And we had to go searching and digging for that information.

[10:22] Whose job was it to follow through on councilmen councilmen Moaa's concern for us? Sorry excuse me. And why hasn't it been done? I was here last week bringing you alarming concerns about traffic studies and the health and safety issues coming from our neighborhood.

[10:39] All of those issues are still outstanding. The mayor assured me that I would be connected with the right people. I have not been connected. The only email I have received was not even addressed to me. I was carbon copied on an email that was in response to someone else's.

[10:55] Question. The email and that email only explained the process of what a traffic study is, the site plans and the public hearing. I know this process and I did not ask about it. So why am I back already just one week later? Why the urgency?

[11:14] There is urgency because from August of 2024 through March of 2025, our neighborhood believed the city intended on buying eight of our homes to make a parking lot. It has been barely six beefs since we've learned that you plan to cram over 400 parking spaces and a large facility on the modest creek sidewalk.

[11:34] It's barely been six weeks.

[11:37] Since we learned that you plan on sending 600 or more cars a day down our safe and quiet streets, traffic from early morning through late evening, seven days a week. There is urgency because the schematic design phase is now done.

[11:55] And the design and development phase has started according to the city newspaper. Demolition starts in three months and construction shortly thereafter. Before more planning is done and more money is spent, I'm asking you to follow through on your civic responsibility of representing the interests and wellbeing of your community. The number of homes in our neighborhood is relatively small.

[12:15] But our demographics are very diverse in race.

[12:18] Income gender, marital status, age and beliefs. We are your community. And we need you to take action to help us protect our wellbeing and the integrity of our neighborhood. Thank you again for your time and consideration. Thank you. Counseling comments questions here? We have about a minute or so.

[12:38] I will say I appreciate your comments. I will say as I look at this list here, we had pull together the in person engagement opportunities from May of 2024 until now, and I'm seeing 15 or 20 opportunities I mean including the farmer's market, including the.

[12:58] The the Creekside community celebration that you referenced in September that there was a lot of folks there that was there as well, the indoor farmers markets and so on. So, I, I agree there hasn't perhaps been a door to door survey and, and back and forth with the neighbors.

[13:14] But there's been a lot of opportunities to ask questions to provide feedback and to be part of this conversation. Yeah, so as I said last week and I addressed it again today, a lot of us engaged is starting spring, maybe even before that, but the 1st time you guys had like online surveys, a lot of us in our neighborhood were taking those and.

[13:34] They're involved in farmers markets, those type of things. But when we were approached in August.

[13:41] Saying the city's interested in purchasing your homes for a parking lot, it was kind of a mute topic, right? So a lot of us were kept saying, Well, we still want the green space. We were reiterating what we had said in the spring, but we had NO chance to really bring up.

[13:58] The 600 cars, the 400 car parking lot, the entrance and exit off of Newton Avenue that's it's just kind of, our hands were tied. So as I said, we have only, our neighborhood has only known about that for about six weeks now. So that's why I came last week representing our neighborhood and.

[14:18] That's why I'm back here today. And it, I just want to clarify that last week I was bringing the safety and wellness concerns and this week I'm specifically addressing the.

[14:28] You know, you guys said you were going to reach out and communicate with us specifically in the neighborhood, and that has not happened. And and I and I would argue it has maybe not specifically, but there's been those opportunities and for the four houses, if those eight houses, four were facing the communities, the proposed site, four are facing the other director.

[14:48] And so, to, to say that we impacted the entire neighborhood by not reaching out to uaid, doesn't it or having Uaid believe that you were gonna have your problem? No, you have to understand the whole neighborhood believed that that was going to be a parking lot, so that would significantly.

[15:06] Change the way traffic flows in and out of the area and what would happen in that area? I think there there's a so the the misunderstanding and I'm sorry that this happened, 1st off, I I do believe that Anne and team are planning on talking to you guys. I think in your own comments, you mentioned that she's gonna be working with you from the.

[15:26] The time the creamside comes down through the entire process, she was specifically answering that question around the construction, the demolition and construction process. So we didn't have anything specific for the neighborhood related to design or or anything like that. So and maybe we should have I'm not saying we shouldn't have, but I I hearing her comments directly from you, she was very much both speaking.

[15:46] Well, how is the construction of this gonna disrupt your neighborhood and how can we make sure you're clear on that? The more important thing though is when we 1st took the schematics for the community center out to everybody, the parking lot was not a consideration. Your eight homes were not on the list to be bought or anything like that. All that we've done is because we couldn't make that.

[16:06] That happened. We've gone back to our original diagram. Now.

[16:11] What I'm getting at is that should not have been a surprise. I mean maybe we didn't do a good job of communicating, but the original diagram has been the original diagram since we 1st put this on the ballot, and it includes the parking lot as part of where the soccer field is now and NO parking lot where you are. And I'm on the record saying I didn't want to buy your homes from the get go and.

[16:31] That's a different problem, but that was so, so I know that it precededed our engagement with you all. I guess the question I would ask is.

[16:39] What was it about the original design that you that we didn't hear about your concerns at that time? Now, not that we shouldn't have gotten them, I get it, right? I understand we should have been more proactive maybe, but that wasn't it before we made the decision to potentially come out and ask you for your homes.

[16:57] That was the design, so, and we didn't hear from anybody, so I'm kind of curious about it. Well I will say I know myself and a lot of neighbors did engage in the online service and the farmers market whether we did it anonymously or not. I don't know. And we valued things like green space and the quietness of the neighborhood, the safety.

[17:17] Of the area, I know we're big concerns for a lot of people.

[17:20] When they've engaged so we probably have that information because you've entered that information into the record. I don't mean to cut this off, but we are well over five, so I want to make sure everybody gets a chance, so thank you.

[17:40] I'm Palmer and as you know from the beginning I've been very concerned about the seniors, true seniors that are retired and that's their social old way. They don't have some other of the great neighbors over there. I originally was delighted with you his child.

[18:00] Which has not been public planned out for any reason why. Is there any reason? I think it's it's public. I don't know how public, I don't think we haven't made an announcement, but I think it's public, it's not secret. Thing after the city do with the council.

[18:20] Constructed and it was like whatever so you know if I didn't hear through other means and know them I wouldn't know where it's So I was happy yes, we're not gonna waste money and lose the tax revenue.

[18:33] And I realized what hell they're going through. And, why? You said last week that there was a traffic study, but now we have since wered through Denise that you're in the process of.

[18:51] Traffic study now. Now, why not months ago? How could you get this far in the design and all of that stuff and choosing all of the money and time without having a traffic study and why are the entrance and exits on Newton Avenue?

[19:11] On that quiet little street, something should be on 98th. Why not something on pin? You have taken and as far as when she said.

[19:21] At your last last week of the meeting, you said, we will have someone so get I think it was Kirk Roberts get in touch with you. Same with when she was talking about getting feedback or intake, that isn't just going to the farmer's market. It sounded like they're.

[19:41] To be greatly affected more than I who lives safely away, they should have had their own special meeting, not necessarily knocking on every door, but saying we're gonna have a meeting at Creek site or whatever, come over and talk to us. So I don't understand why you.

[19:58] Didn't know or lied about that it was already done when the traffic study is yet to be made and and then the other thing, I was really insulted last week when Lona called me out for.

[20:15] Your, your public message. My public message can't it was public. I didn't call you out like identify you that you weren't actually the author of that article. I object now we had a bunch of repeated emails which you guys were all included in.

[20:32] My point is couple of things. One, senior programming doesn't begin at age 55 min or you're still working in the active. We're talking about senior programming experience. Remember this is a dialogue. Finished this? It's a dialogue that required to let me talk. Do we have facts.

[20:52] Yes, then maybe you can give that. What she said before. Let me interrupt for a minute. If you found the table again, I'm gonna ask you to leave. Okay, so one thing is my fact, she has not pointed out a fact that I got wrong. I said seniors were feeling left out.

[21:12] If seniors are feeling left out, it's like if a husband and wife are arguing. No, NO, you're not hurt. I can do this.

[21:20] One feeling hurt. You know what I mean? It's how somebody is feeling. So, people at creek side, many of them 70 and 80, not 55 because they have jobs and other things to do are feeling left out. I have heard from many. I spent this whole morning on the.

[21:40] The phone with people, all the people that showed up last week were because of my column. So one I don't like being called a wire.

[21:49] The former mayor used to say, we disagree on some things, but you always work to get the facts. And the fact is many seniors retired people without jobs are feeling left out. So, and again, another way that they're feeling left.

[22:09] Out is some of the programs will not continue and also seniors are all in.

[22:15] Multiple rooms. Now I did hear, I hope the room is correct that the little room? The will have space. I'm not sure if it's a little room or which has been published. Somebody told me that they were being claimed. I've talked to so many people.

[22:35] So, anyway, the kiosk is ridiculous for a whole, that whole thing of theirs to be on a little kiosk, certainly one of those multi purpose rooms could be for the Yeah I'll have to try to find my notes at home. So.

[22:53] It is a fact, it is a fact that many seniors are feeling left out. I'm not saying there weren't engagements, same with what you said to her, but seniors themselves are feeling left out. And I, when all this stuff came up, which has been.

[23:13] For years, as you know. I've traveled to a lot of other community centers. You walk into like Mabelle Grove. I mean it is a hustling bustling thing. And like Linda pointed out when I at my head problems, you become very conscious of, oh my goodness, how am I gonna get to that door?

[23:33] We're, we're almost 6 min now, so. Yeah, so, and I'll just throw out last thing, maybe I'll bring it up next meeting, the veterans memorial.

[23:45] So let's say that let's say that for the next meeting since we're already at 6 min, how would you talk about talk about the veterans memorial next time, ok? Thank you.

[24:02] This is not what you want? I actually NO one loves the bright line. I would know can answer them to why you talk to she's teething like ok. I appreciate it. I mind calling you.

[24:22] We already did this. Don't remember saying that go ahead Parker. All right, so it seems like what I'm saying is that going to a lot of folks here today.

[24:36] The community is not the disabled community, the other community, the intergenerational community is not at the table. There was that video that went out that looked like propaganda, where I had people telling me about what was gonna happen and that's how it's been since the beginning. Unfortunately, we live in a dominant society that doesn't welcome folks to do.

[24:56] I have multiple disabled disabled and so is my daughter and you know there's engagement sessions online is not where people are. You gotta go to that. You gotta go to the wood shop. You gotta go to the artist's room. When we're talking about sensory friendly, it's not a room. It's a way of life.

[25:14] My neighbor Linda Bartosh runs the SEL room at Oak Grove Middle School. I mean you don't know what that is. I'm learning because my daughter's starting at the inclusive preschool at the Bloomington public Schools this fall. What it means is a room that's got dim lights, it's a room that's got.

[25:30] Pumpy places to be. It is filled with students and staff every single day. People are wanting to have a place in which home, you know, is for them and this new creek side, I don't even know what's going on in your neighborhood, but I just know that a fee based place to go and have lunch and a place that to play pool that doesn't exist.

[25:50] Not gonna exist somewhere else. Folks are not gonna be able to pay a fee. We're already living in emergency, like I brought up last time, you know, 55000 of us are asking for, for stuff that the public health does give us probably gonna weigh. And that's food. We need, we, we, we here in the east side always seems to be the agenda.

[26:10] Of the community, right? There's space, there's so many baseball fields. How about we use some of what we're hearing in, in this room here tonight and pay attention to us because we're not going away. And the truth is, is like, I work in public health. I presented at that public health conference that met Maser Advance and Bogio on public health ten.

[26:30] Thing that is.

[26:31] The hardest for us is social isolation. You know, public health in this community started as in home care and that's amazing. But the public health has been going on inside in every room for so long. And I just echo these folks that like, we just need to be brought to the table. We need to be in that video that speaks to what.

[26:51] What's going on? Cause otherwise you're hurting your community. I'm like, Hey mr. Mayor, I heard that we have someone in common, and that's Rachel Crook. She's been an Antian friend an artist friend of my, I'm an artist for many many years, and I know her programs that she does for kids and for adults are about a relationship to the natural world. There is NO.

[27:11] Evolutionary work going on at the indigenous agreed up, and I know that there's leadership in our school systems around that and education, and I think we need to start listening to that because taking down old growth trees cause that's what's on creek's side, our old growth trees, like.

[27:26] Why don't we, instead of taking everything down right now where when we're in extreme emergency, when we wonder if the waivers that hate for me to take care of her, that pay for her healthcare are gonna go away or not. And you're telling us that our community center is about to go away, you know? So I'm gonna stop talking and the rest of the time by thought we.

[27:46] Sing a song because my daughter's 1st language is dance in music and we have a lot of song we like to think, right? You are my son shine my only sunshine. You'll make me happy once guys are green, you'll never know here how much I love.

[28:06] Please don't take my son shine away. My daughter's hungry. She's super tired. It's an honor to meet each and every one of you, I believe you're in my district. I don't know you, but you're seeing and feeling us and I'm so grateful for your wisdom today.

[28:26] You are my sunshine. My only unshine. You make me happy. One sons are great. You'll never know dear. How much I love you. Oh, please don't take my son shine away. This is our beautiful.

[28:46] And the creek size serves both Bloomington E Dino Richaryo and this whole beautiful space. All we're asking is to be part.

[28:57] Of the decisions at the table. So thanks for listening today. Came in. Yeah. You came in late. Were, were you hoping to speak?

[29:17] Elizabeth's neighbors. So taking it in and going from there. All right? Well, thank you all for coming this evening. We are a minute short of our time, so I think I would look for another motion to adjourn and we'll head downstairs for our regular meeting. It's almost.

[29:37] To adjourn on our listing session this evening all in favor signified by saying i. Motion carries six zero. Thanks much for being here. Thank you all. Thanks for your comments tonight.