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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 31.

[0:10] AT MONDAY NIGHT'S COUNCIL MEETING, BLOOMINGTON

POLICE CHIEF BOOKER HODGES PROVIDED THE COUNCIL

[0:15] WITH A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON PUBLIC

SAFETY HERE IN BLOOMINGTON. CHIEF HODGES

[0:19] HAD LOT OF POSITIVE NEWS TO SHARE, AND THE MOST

SIGNIFICANT IS THAT OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS,

[0:25] CRIME IN BLOOMINGTON HAS DECREASED BY EIGHT

PERCENT, A TREND ATTRIBUTED TO STRONG LEADERSHIP,

[0:30] COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS.

CHIEF HODGES HIGHLIGHTED THE SUCCESS OF THE

[0:35] BLOOMINGTON COMMUNITY BRAIN

HEALTH SERVICES INITIATIVE,

[0:38] WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVIDED NEARLY 500 THERAPY

SESSIONS TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS. THIS PROGRAM

[0:44] HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH MULTIPLE STATEWIDE AWARDS

AND IS SERVING AS A MODEL FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

[0:49] THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN COMMUNITY

OUTREACH, WITH EVENTS PLANNED THIS YEAR FOR YOUTH,

[0:55] SENIORS, INDIVIDUALS WITH UNIQUE NEEDS, AND

FAITH COMMUNITIES. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES INCLUDE

[1:00] SAFETY CAMPS, THE SENIOR SAFETY ACADEMY, AND

ON SATURDAY, MAY 17-TH, THE BPD OPEN HOUSE..

[1:08] BLOOMINGTON POLICE ARE ALSO RECEIVING NATIONAL

RECOGNITION FOR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND

[1:13] CHARACTER-BASED POLICING. THE CHIEF REAFFIRMED

THE DEPARTMENT’S CORE VALUES OF RESPECT,

[1:18] TRANSPARENCY, AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU TO CHIEF HODGES, HIS COMMAND STAFF,

[1:24] AND TO THE OFFICERS AND CIVILLAIN STAFF WHO

WORK EVERY DAY TO KEEP BLOOMINGTON SAFE.

[1:31] ALSO ON MONDAY, THE CITY COUNCIL HELD A

PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVED A COMPREHENSIVE

[1:36] PLAN AMENDMENT AND REZONING REQUEST FOR

RAINBOW MIDWEST PLAY SYSTEMS AT 900 WEST 80TH

[1:41] STREET. THIS CHANGE REGUIDES THE PROPERTY FROM

INDUSTRIAL TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AND REZONES

[1:47] IT FROM I-3 GENERAL INDUSTRY TO B-2 GENERAL

COMMERCIAL TO ALLOW FOR INDOOR RECREATION USES.

[1:54] RAINBOW PLAY SYSTEMS HAS OPERATED IN BLOOMINGTON

SINCE 1991 AND HAS BEEN AT THIS LOCATION SINCE

[2:00] 1998. AS I’M SURE YOU KNOW, RAINBOW BUILDS

AND SELLS OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT – YOU CAN

[2:05] SEE THEIR PRODUCTS IN BACKYARDS ACROSS

BLOOMINGTON. AND OVER THE WINTER,

[2:11] AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR BUSINESS MODEL IS

TO OFFER INDOOR PLAY SPACE AND TO HOST PRIVATE

[2:17] EVENTS LIKE PLAY DATES AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

HOWEVER, THOSE ACTIVITIES WEREN’T OFFICIALLY

[2:23] PERMITTED UNDER THE SITE’S PREVIOUS ZONING.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE CITY HAS

[2:28] FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH OUR BLOOMINGTON BUSINESS

COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY WHERE NEEDED AND

[2:33] TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO ISSUES THAT MIGHT GET IN

THE WAY OF THE SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS. THIS IS

[2:38] A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. THE REZONING FORMALIZES

RAINBOW’S LONGSTANDING OPERATIONS, MAKING ALL

[2:44] USES ON THE PROPERTY LEGALLY CONFORMING. IT ALSO

SUPPORTS A BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES FAMILY-FRIENDLY

[2:51] RECREATION, LOCAL JOBS, AND HEALTHY OUTLETS

FOR KIDS—ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

[2:57] RAINBOW’S MOTTO IS "GET KIDS MOVING," WHICH TIES

IN NICELY WITH THE CITY’S VALUES OF WELLNESS,

[3:03] COMMUNITY VITALITY, AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE.

WE’RE GLAD TO SUPPORT THEIR ONGOING WORK AND

[3:09] LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING RAINBOW

CONTINUE TO GROW IN BLOOMINGTON.

[3:13] AND FINALLY TODAY, ON MONDAY NIGHT WE PROCESSED

A GRANT PROPOSAL AND TWO GRANTS FOR WORK FROM THE

[3:19] STATE OF MINNESOTA TO INVEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH.

I ALSO READ A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING PUBLIC

[3:25] HEALTH WEEK WHICH IS COMING UP THE WEEK OF APRIL

7. AND AS WE DID THESE THINGS TO PROMOTE THE

[3:30] IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO CELEBRATE

THE OUTSTANDING WORK DONE BY PUBLIC HEALTH

[3:34] PROFESSSIONALS IN BLOOMINGTON AND ACROSS THE

COURTY, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE SEEING

[3:39] SOME BIG CHANGES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORLD.

CHANGES TO FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING AND FEDERAL

[3:45] WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.

AS I SAID, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM DOES PHENOMENAL

[3:53] WORK AND ON BEHALF OF BLOOMINGTON I WANT TO

OFFER OUR SINCERE THANKS FOR ALL THEY DO. WE

[3:59] WERE REMINDED OFTEN DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS

HOW IMPORTANT A STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IS,

[4:04] AND THAT PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIRES A TEAM. THE

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS ONE OF THE

[4:09] BEST STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY AND

A FANTASTIC TEAMMATE OF BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC HEALTH.

[4:16] THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS STILL WORKING TO

UNDERSTAND HOW THE STATE WILL BE AFFECTED BY

[4:20] THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CANCELLING $226 MILLION

IN PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING IN MINNESOTA. BUT MAKE

[4:27] NO MISTAKE, THE REDUCTION OF WORKFORCE AT THE

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL HAVE AN

[4:31] SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MINNESOTANS’ HEALTH

AND WELL-BEING. OUR TEAM IN BLOOMINGTON IS

[4:37] WORKING TO LIMIT THAT IMPACT HERE.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL

[4:41] MINUTE. THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!