[0:05] HELLO BLOOMINGTON. I’M MAYOR TIM BUSSE, AND THIS

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 14.

[0:10] ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE COUNCIL RECEIVED AN UPDATE

FROM THE TEAM WORKING ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND

[0:15] WELLNESS CENTER PROJECT. OUR LAST CHECK-IN WAS

BACK IN FEBRUARY, AND A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE.

[0:20] TO START, THIS FACILITY BEGAN AS A 136,000 SQUARE

FOOT PROJECT. WITH THE BUDGET IN MIND, THE DESIGN

[0:27] TEAM REDUCED THE SIZE TO 106,000, AND AFTER

SHARPENING THEIR PENCILS EVEN MORE, THEY BROUGHT

[0:34] THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE DOWN TO 103,000 SQUARE

FEET. THE SPACE REDUCTIONS WERE MADE STRATEGICALLY

[0:40] – TO STAY WITHIN THE $101.8 MILLION BUDGET WHILE

STILL PRESERVING ALL THE KEY PROGRAM SPACES.

[0:47] SINCE SEPTEMBER, THE TEAM HAS

HOSTED FOCUS GROUPS, SURVEYS,

[0:51] AND OPEN HOUSES TO GATHER FEEDBACK. THEY’VE USED

THAT INPUT TO SHAPE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE DESIGN,

[0:57] FROM INCLUSIVE LOCKER ROOMS AND WELCOMING

SPACES, TO SENIOR-FRIENDLY PROGRAMMING AND

[1:03] AREAS FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND SOCIALIZING.

THE PROJECT IS NOW AT THE 100 PERCENT SCHEMATIC

[1:09] DESIGN MILESTONE. THE DESIGN INCLUDES A CENTRAL

LOBBY WITH INTUITIVE WAYFINDING; FLEXIBLE,

[1:15] MULTI-USE COMMUNITY ROOMS; AN EXTERIOR WALKING

TRAIL AND AN INDOOR RUNNING TRACK THAT CIRCLES

[1:20] TWO GYMS; AND SAFE VISITOR DROP-OFF ZONES

THE LAYOUT PRIORITIZES VISIBILITY, OPENNESS,

[1:28] AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION ACROSS SPACES LIKE THE

GYM, AQUATICS, AND LOBBY. THE UPDATED EXTERIOR

[1:35] AND INTERIOR RENDERINGS SHOW THE WELCOMING FRONT

CANOPY, THE LOBBY AREA FOR CRAFTS AND CHECK-IN,

[1:41] AND BRIGHT, OPEN FITNESS AREAS UPSTAIRS.

A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO NOTE:

[1:46] FIRST, AS I’M SURE YOU KNOW, THE NEW CENTER WILL

BE LOCATED ON THE SITE OF CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY

[1:50] CENTER, AND CREEKSIDE IS SET TO CLOSE ON JUNE

1ST. THERE IS A TRANSITION PLAN IN PLACE AND

[1:57] CREEKSIDE PROGRAMMING WILL CONTINUE AT TWO INTERIM

LOCATIONS: THE BLOOMINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND

[2:02] LOGAN LODGE. IN TOTAL, 95 PERCENT OF CREEKSIDE’S

PROGRAMS WILL CONTINUE IN THESE NEW SPACES.

[2:09] A FEW SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS LIKE THE WOODSHOP,

BOUTIQUE, AND BILLIARDS ARE BEING RELOCATED OR

[2:15] REIMAGINED IN CREATIVE WAYS INCLUDING A MOBILE

DISPLAY UNIT FOR THE BOUTIQUE. WHEN THE NEW

[2:21] FACILITY OPENS IN 2027, THERE WILL BE EXPANDED

PROGRAMMING WITH EVEN MORE OPTIONS FROM AQUATICS

[2:27] AND FITNESS TO CREATIVE ARTS, WELLNESS,

AND MULTIGENERATIONAL SOCIAL EXPERIENCES.

[2:33] THE SECOND PROGRAMMING PIECE I WANT TO MENTION IS

THE EVENT AND BANQUET SPACE. SINCE THE BEGINNING

[2:38] OF THIS PROCESS, WE’VE HEARD A LOT OF COMMUNITY

INTEREST IN AND SUPPORT FOR EVENT SPACE FOR THINGS

[2:44] LIKE WEDDING RECEPTIONS OR RETIREMENT PARTIES.

THE ORIGINAL DESIGN SHOWED A SPACE LARGE ENOUGH

[2:49] TO ACCOMMODATE UP TO 250 GUESTS. DUE TO SPACE

REDUCTIONS, IT’S NOW SCALED BACK TO A CAPACITY OF

[2:56] 144. IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 1,500 ADDITIONAL SQUARE

FEET TO GET BACK TO THAT 200-SEAT CAPACITY AND THE

[3:04] TEAM IS ACTIVELY STUDYING HOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.

AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE CITY IS CLOSELY

[3:10] MONITORING THE FINANCES OF THE PROJECT. AND

YOU WON’T BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THE MOST

[3:15] CONCERNING RISK RIGHT NOW IS THE POTENTIAL

IMPACT OF TARIFFS ON GOODS AND MATERIALS. THE

[3:21] TEAM IS MONITORING THIS CLOSELY, BUT THERE

ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS. ANOTHER UNKNOWN IS

[3:26] THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDING. THE TEAM

HAS BEEN LOOKING AT FUNDING FROM THE INFLATION

[3:30] REDUCTION ACT AS A SOURCE TO REALLY AMPLIFY

SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENTS AT THE COMMUNITY

[3:34] HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER. IF THAT FUNDING

IS ELIMINATED, IT WOULD REDUCE SUSTAINABILITY

[3:39] INVESTMENTS BY FIVE TO EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS.

DESPITE THOSE CONCERNS, THE DESIGN STILL

[3:44] INCLUDES GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS, ROOFTOP

SOLAR PANELS, AND NATIVE LANDSCAPING

[3:49] THAT HELPS MANAGE STORMWATER. WE’RE ALSO

PURSUING LEED CERTIFICATION, SO STAY TUNED.

[3:55] HERE ARE NEXT STEPS IN THIS PROJECT:

THROUGH THE REST OF APRIL AND INTO MAY,

[3:59] THE TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE DESIGN AND

MATERIALS, AND BY THE END OF MAY WE WILL HAVE

[4:04] 50 PERCENT DESIGN DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS IN HAND.

THAT INFORMATION WILL LEAD TO UPDATED COST AND PRO

[4:10] FORMA ESTIMATES IN EARLY JUNE, AND THE TEAM WILL

BE BACK TO PRESENT THOSE UPDATES LATER IN JUNE.

[4:15] THIS PROJECT CONTINUES TO MOVE RIGHT

ALONG. KEEP AN EYE ON THE BLOOMINGTON

[4:18] FORWARD WEBSITE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THIS WEEK THE COUNCIL HEARD THE CITY’S ANNUAL

[4:24] ASSESSMENT REPORT. IT’S A DETAILED LOOK

AT PROPERTY VALUES ACROSS BLOOMINGTON

[4:28] THAT HELPS SHAPE THE CONVERSATION

ABOUT NEXT YEAR’S PROPERTY TAXES.

[4:32] THE REPORT INCLUDES A LOT OF INFORMATION.

HERE ARE SOME HIGH-LEVEL TAKEAWAYS:

[4:37] FIRST OF ALL, THE REPORT SHOWED MODEST BUT

POSITIVE GROWTH CITYWIDE. BLOOMINGTON’S TOTAL

[4:42] TAXABLE MARKET VALUE INCREASED BY $145 MILLION

– THAT’S 0.8 PERCENT GROWTH OVER LAST YEAR. NOT

[4:50] A HUGE NUMBER, BUT BETTER THAN GOING THE OTHER

DIRECTION. A BIG PART OF THAT GROWTH CAME FROM

[4:54] NEW DEVELOPMENT: $128 MILLION IN NEW CONSTRUCTION

VALUE WAS ADDED TO THE 2025 ASSESSMENT ROLL.

[5:02] THE MEDIAN VALUE OF A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME

IN BLOOMINGTON IS NOW $365,400. THAT’S A

[5:08] 1.1 PERCENT INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. THE

REMARKABLE PART IS THAT THE MEDIAN VALUE

[5:14] OF A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IN BLOOMINGTON HAS

INCREASED 62 PERCENT IN JUST TEN YEARS.

[5:20] ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, MOST SEGMENTS

LIKE RETAIL AND INDUSTRIAL SAW TWO TO

[5:24] THREE PERCENT INCREASES IN VALUE. THE ONE

EXCEPTION WAS OFFICE PROPERTIES, WHICH ARE

[5:28] DOWN ABOUT FIVE PERCENT THIS YEAR AS THE MARKET

CONTINUES TO ADJUST TO POST-PANDEMIC WORK TRENDS.

[5:34] THE APARTMENT MARKET ALSO SAW A SMALL

DROP – ABOUT ONE PERCENT – EVEN THOUGH

[5:38] $71 MILLION IN NEW APARTMENT VALUE

WAS ADDED THROUGH RECENT CONSTRUCTION.

[5:42] AS I SAID, THIS REPORT INCLUDES A LOT OF

INFORMATION. IF YOU’RE REALLY INTERESTED

[5:47] I’D ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THE PRESENTATION FROM

MONDAY NIGHT, OR TAKE A LOOK AT THE REPORT ONLINE.

[5:52] AS OUR CITY ASSESSOR WRAPPED UP HIS PRESENTATION

ON MONDAY, I ASKED HIM FOR THE THREE MOST

[5:57] IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS. HERE’S WHAT HE SAID:

FIRST, PROPERTY VALUES ARE FAIRLY

[6:01] STABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

SECOND, WHILE THE OFFICE SECTOR

[6:05] SAW A DECLINE AND IS A BIG PART OF BLOOMINGTON’S

COMMERCIAL MARKET, WE'RE STILL IN MUCH BETTER

[6:11] SHAPE THAN THE DOWNTOWNS OF THE CENTRAL CITIES.

AND FINALLY, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR

[6:17] PROPERTY’S VALUE, OR IF SOMETHING DOESN’T SEEM

RIGHT, OR IF YOU NEED INFORMATION ABOUT RELIEF

[6:22] THROUGH PROPERTY TAX REFUND OR SENIOR DEFERRAL

PROGRAMS, NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK UP. OUR

[6:28] ASSESSOR’S OFFICE IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP

PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THEIR HOMES.

[6:33] AND FINALLY TODAY, ON MONDAY NIGHT I PROVIDED

A STATUS UPDATE ON THE SEARCH FOR BLOOMINGTON’S

[6:37] NEXT CITY MANAGER. AS I HOPE YOU KNOW, ASSISTANT

CITY MANAGERS ELIZABETH TOLZMANN AND KATHY HEDIN

[6:43] HAVE BEEN SERVING AS INTERIM CITY MANAGERS. OVER

THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THE COUNCIL HAS DONE A

[6:48] PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF OUR INTERIM CITY

MANAGERS AND OFFERED VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK

[6:53] INCLUDING NOTES ON STRONG TEAM-BUILDING,

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION, AND COST SAVINGS.

[6:58] COUNCILMEMBERS AGREED TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT

INTERIM STRUCTURE WHILE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH

[7:03] A FORMAL SEARCH FOR THE PERMANENT CITY MANAGER. A

SEARCH FIRM WILL BE ENGAGED TO SUPPORT THAT WORK,

[7:09] AND I WANT TO THANK BOTH KATHY AND ELIZABETH

FOR THEIR EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND STEADY

[7:13] HANDS DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.

[7:17] THANKS FOR TUNING IN, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME—STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!