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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 10.

[0:10] I WANT TO START TODAY BY ADDRESSING SOME CONCERNS

THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED ONLINE REGARDING THE

[0:15] COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER PLANNED

FOR THE CREEKSIDE SITE, AND HOW IT RELATES TO

[0:20] SOME PROPERTIES ON NEWTON AND MORGAN AVENUES.

AS YOU KNOW, AFTER VOTER APPROVAL IN NOVEMBER

[0:26] 2023, THE CITY IS IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING

A NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

[0:31] THAT WILL SUPPORT RECREATIONAL AND WELLNESS

ACTIVITIES, ALONG WITH COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

[0:36] FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES THROUGHOUT OUR

COMMUNITY. THIS NEW CENTER WILL REPLACE BOTH

[0:41] CREEKSIDE AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH BUILDING.

NOW, THERE’S BEEN SOME CONFUSION ONLINE,

[0:46] WITH SOME PEOPLE EXPRESSING CONCERN THAT THE

CITY IS TRYING TO TAKE HOMES TO ACCOMMODATE

[0:51] MORE SPACE FOR THE NEW CENTER. THAT’S NOT AN

ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT’S HAPPENING.

[0:58] WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW ARE INITIAL

CONVERSATIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS ON

[1:02] NEWTON AND MORGAN AVENUES REGARDING

THE POSSIBILITY OF VOLUNTARY SALES

[1:07] OF PROPERTIES TO THE CITY. THE GOAL HERE IS

TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PARKING AND GREEN SPACE

[1:12] AROUND THE NEW FACILITY. THE PROPERTIES WE’RE

TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE CLOSEST TO 98TH STREET.

[1:18] LAST FALL, THE CITY’S CONSULTANT REACHED

OUT TO THESE PROPERTY OWNERS TO GAUGE

[1:22] THEIR INTEREST IN SELLING THEIR PROPERTIES

VOLUNTARILY. BASED ON THOSE CONVERSATIONS,

[1:28] CITY STAFF ARE PREPARING TO MAKE OFFERS TO

OWNERS WHO EXPRESSED INTEREST TO PURCHASE THESE

[1:33] PROPERTIES. THESE OFFERS WILL BE CONDITIONAL ON

CITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL ACTION AT A PUBLIC MEETING.

[1:39] THE CATALYST FOR THESE CONVERSATIONS HAS

COME FROM COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. WE’VE HEARD

[1:43] THAT PEOPLE WANT MORE ACCESS TO NATURE AND

GREEN SPACE TO COMPLEMENT THE NEW FACILITY,

[1:48] INCLUDING OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING AREAS. WITH THE

CURRENT DESIGN, WE’RE A BIT TIGHT ON SPACE

[1:52] FOR THAT KIND OF OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING,

SO WE’RE EXPLORING WAYS TO EXPAND IT.

[1:57] AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE’VE DONE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF

ENGAGEMENT TO GATHER FEEDBACK, INCLUDING A SURVEY,

[2:02] A PROJECT KICK-OFF EVENT, FOCUS GROUPS, AND

A RECENT EVENT WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD

[2:07] REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN.

WE’VE BEEN LISTENING TO WHAT YOU’VE TOLD US,

[2:12] AND THAT’S GUIDING THESE CONVERSATIONS.

I’M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD THE OLD

[2:16] QUOTE ABOUT A LIE TRAVELING HALFWAY AROUND THE

WORLD WHILE THE TRUTH IS GETTING IT’S BOOTS ON.

[2:21] THAT’S NOT EXACTLY THE CASE HERE. I DON’T BELIEVE

THIS IS A LIE BUT RATHER A MISUNDERSTANDING. THE

[2:28] SAME CONCEPT APPLIES FOR A MISUNDERSTANDING

OR CONFUSION, ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN SO MANY

[2:33] PEOPLE RELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THEIR “NEWS”.

TO CLARIFY ONCE MORE—WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS

[2:40] WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO SEE IF THEY’RE

INTERESTED IN SELLING THEIR PROPERTIES.

[2:45] THERE IS NO TAKING OF PROPERTIES. IF

THE PROPERTY OWNERS DECIDE TO SELL,

[2:50] THEY WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR PROPERTY,

AND THEY’LL ALSO RECEIVE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.

[2:55] ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE COUNCIL HAD AN

IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLE

[2:59] UPDATES TO OUR CITY CODE AS IT RELATES TO USE

OF THE CITY’S RIGHT-OF-WAY. MORE SPECIFICALLY,

[3:05] HOW UTILITIES, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHER ENTITIES

USE PUBLIC SPACES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

[3:12] I KNOW THIS IS A TIMELY TOPIC FOR A LOT

OF PEOPLE. LAST SUMMER, THREE DIFFERENT

[3:17] COMPANIES WERE SEEMINGLY EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY

INSTALLING FIBER OPTIC CABLE. THESE COMPANIES HAD

[3:23] MANY SUBCONTRACTORS WORKING ACROSS THE CITY

AND BASED ON THE EMAILS THAT I AND THE REST

[3:28] OF THE COUNCIL RECEIVED, THESE COMPANIES AND

THEIR SUBCONTRACTORS COULD HAVE DONE A MUCH

[3:33] BETTER JOB WITH COMMUNICATION, TIMELINESS OF THEIR

WORK, AND RESTORATION OF THE YARDS THEY WERE IN.

[3:39] THE PROPOSED UPDATES THAT WE DISCUSSED ON MONDAY

AIM TO STREAMLINE THE PERMITTING PROCESS, ENSURE

[3:45] CONSISTENCY OF THE WORK DONE, AND BETTER ALIGN

WITH MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. WE ALSO WANT

[3:50] TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH THE

IMPACT THESE PROJECTS HAVE ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

[3:57] SPECIFICALLY, THE DISCUSSION COVERED WAYS

TO REDUCE REDUNDANCY IN PERMIT APPLICATIONS,

[4:02] IMPROVE OVERSIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION

IMPACTS ON THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY,

[4:05] AND ENFORCE TIMELY RESTORATION OF IMPACTED

AREAS AFTER THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE. STAFF

[4:13] ALSO HIGHLIGHTED A SPECIFIC CITY WEBSITE DEDICATED

TO THE FIBER INSTALLATION PROJECT. THERE’S A LOT

[4:18] OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE, AND A FEEDBACK FORM

IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

[4:23] THE DISCUSSION INCLUDED A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED

FROM LAST SUMMER WHEN RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT

[4:28] APPLICATIONS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. THAT’S

IMPORTANT BECAUSE ACCORDING TO STAFF IT WILL

[4:34] LIKELY TAKE ANOTHER THREE TO FIVE YEARS TO FULLY

INSTALL FIBER THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE GOAL IS TO

[4:40] STAY AHEAD OF ISSUES. IT’S SOMETHING THE CITY

WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO

[4:45] ENSURE THAT OUR POLICIES REMAIN FAIR, EFFECTIVE,

AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

[4:51] FINALLY TODAY, I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL MAYOR'S

SHOUTOUT TO THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN

[4:56] THE ANNUAL BLOOMINGTON CITY-WIDE CIVICS BEE!

ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH I HAD THE PLEASURE

[5:02] OF MODERATING THE CIVICS BEE. IT’S ALWAYS A

VERY FUN NIGHT WHERE 7TH GRADERS FROM OLSON,

[5:08] VALLEY VIEW, AND OAK GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOLS SHOW

THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT AT THE

[5:13] LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS. ALL OF

THE STUDENTS DID A FANTASTIC JOB AND I’M

[5:19] ALWAYS PROUD TO BE PART OF SUCH A GREAT EVENT.

THANKS TO THE BLOOMINGTON LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS,

[5:24] BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE CITY'S

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT DIVISION FOR

[5:28] ORGANIZING. AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE TEACHERS

IN OUR BLOOMINGTON SCHOOLS WHO DO AN OUTSTANDING

[5:35] JOB OF PREPARING THE STUDENTS FOR THE COMPETITION.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS

[5:41] FOR TUNING IN, AND UNTIL NEXT

TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!