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

THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24TH.

[0:10] AT OUR MEETING ON MONDAY THE COUNCIL HEARD FROM

THE CHAIRS OF THE PARKS, ARTS, AND RECREATION

[0:15] COMMISSION AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. THE

CHAIRS WERE IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL TO PROVIDE

[0:20] A RECAP OF THE WORK DONE LAST YEAR, AND TO

PRESENT THEIR COMMISSION’S WORK PLANS FOR

[0:25] 2025. LIKE ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS,

BOTH PARC AND THE HRC PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN

[0:32] SHAPING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES.

PARC’S WORKPLAN FOCUSES ON ENHANCING PARK

[0:38] AMENITIES, EXPANDING RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND

ADVANCING PUBLIC ART. A KEY DISCUSSION POINT WAS

[0:44] THE FUTURE OF BLOOMINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS,

INCLUDING LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE AND FUNDING

[0:48] STRATEGIES. PARC ALSO PLANS TO CONTINUE ENGAGING

RESIDENTS IN SHAPING PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND

[0:54] EXPLORING NEW OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION’S 2025 WORKPLAN

[1:00] HIGHLIGHTS EFFORTS TO CREATE GREATER VISIBILITY

IN THE COMMUNITY, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHO’S IN

[1:06] BLOOMINGTON AND THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND TO DEEPEN

COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS. THE

[1:12] WORKPLAN BUILDS ON SUCCESSES FROM 2024, NOTING

COLLABORATIONS WITH HOUSING, EDUCATION IN CIVIC

[1:19] RIGHTS, AND THEIR HELP IN ACHIEVING A HIGH

SCORE FOR THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON – A 96 OUT

[1:25] OF 100 – FROM A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION RANKING

CITIES’ SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.

[1:32] AT THE START OF EACH YEAR, ALL CITY BOARDS AND

COMMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER TO

[1:38] APPEAR IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL TO PRESENT THEIR

PLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR. IT’S ALL PART OF THE

[1:42] CITY’S COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING TRANSPARENCY AND

ENCOURAGING RESIDENT PARTICIPATION. SO BE ON THE

[1:49] LOOKOUT FOR MORE WORKPLAN PRESENTATIONS

IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS FOR PARC AND HRC,

[1:55] THE COUNCIL EXPRESSED STRONG SUPPORT FOR

THEIR PLANS AND LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING

[1:59] THESE PRIORITIES TAKE SHAPE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AS I’M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, THE CURRENT NATIONAL

[2:05] CONVERSATION AROUND IMMIGRATION HAS RAISED A LOT

OF QUESTIONS, BOTH NATIONALLY AND RIGHT HERE IN

[2:10] OUR COMMUNITY. QUESTIONS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT,

LOCAL INVOLVEMENT, AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

[2:17] WITH THAT IN MIND, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON

HAS LAUNCHED A NEW IMMIGRATION Q&A WEBSITE

[2:23] DESIGNED TO HELP RESIDENTS NAVIGATE COMMON

QUESTIONS ABOUT IMMIGRATION POLICIES, RESOURCES,

[2:28] AND SERVICES AVAILABLE IN BLOOMINGTON.

THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE CLEAR, FACTUAL,

[2:33] ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION TO RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES,

AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THE WEBSITE INCLUDES

[2:39] FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, CONTACT INFORMATION

FOR LOCAL SUPPORT GROUPS, AND LINKS TO STATE AND

[2:44] FEDERAL RESOURCES. IT ALSO INCLUDES AN UPDATE FROM

POLICE CHIEF BOOKER HODGES. AS HE ALWAYS DOES,

[2:51] CHIEF HODGES PROVIDES CLEAR, STRAIGHTFORWARD

INFORMATION. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK.

[2:57] THE NEW WEBSITE REFLECTS THIS COMMUNITY'S

COMMITMENT TO MAKING BLOOMINGTON A WELCOMING

[3:01] CITY FOR EVERYONE. VISIT THE LINK ON

YOUR SCREEN TO ACCESS THAT INFORMATION.

[3:06] FINALLY TODAY, A MAYOR'S SHOUTOUT. I WANT TO

RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR

[3:11] UTILITIES DIVISION WHO HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB

RESPONDING TO A HIGHER-THAN-USUAL NUMBER OF

[3:17] WATERMAIN BREAKS THIS YEAR. SO FAR IN

2025, WE’VE SEEN 17 WATERMAIN BREAKS,

[3:24] WHICH IS A MUCH FASTER PACE THAN PREVIOUS YEARS.

FOR PERSPECTIVE, SINCE 2020, BLOOMINGTON HAS

[3:30] AVERAGED 22 BREAKS PER YEAR, WITH A HIGH OF 35.

SO WHY THE BIG JUMP IN BREAKS? IT’S HARD TO

[3:37] SAY EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING ON. THERE ARE A

LOT OF FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO BREAKS,

[3:42] THE MOST OBVIOUS ARE OF COURSE THE AGE OF THE

INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE WEATHER. AND THE WEATHER

[3:48] HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY TRICKY THIS YEAR. BONE

CHILLING, SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES ARE TOUGH,

[3:53] BUT WHAT’S EVEN HARDER IS THE FREEZE THAW PATTERN

THAT WE’VE SEEN THIS YEAR. SUB ZERO TEMPS FOLLOWED

[4:00] BY TEMPS IN THE 40S, AND THEN BACK BELOW ZERO

A WEEK LATER. THAT TYPE OF FREEZE THAW FREEZE

[4:06] EXTREME IS VERY HARD ON INFRASTRUCTURE.

THAT BEING SAID, BLOOMINGTON CONTINUES

[4:11] TO OUTPERFORM NATIONAL AVERAGES IN SYSTEM

RELIABILITY. OUR AVERAGE BREAK RATE IS FIVE BREAKS

[4:17] PER 100 MILES OF PIPE PER YEAR. THAT’S COMPARED

TO THE REGIONAL AVERAGE OF 14.6 BREAKS. THIS IS

[4:25] A TESTAMENT TO THE DEDICATION OF OUR UTILITIES

STAFF, INCLUDING OFFICE SUPPORT, OPERATORS,

[4:31] SUPERVISORS, AND ENGINEERS. THOSE FOLKS WORK

TIRELESSLY TO KEEP OUR WATER SYSTEM FUNCTIONING

[4:37] AND SOMETIMES THEY’RE REQURIED TO DO IT IN SOME

PRETTY BRUTAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. THANK YOU TO OUR

[4:42] ENTIRE UTILITIES GROUP FOR YOUR HARD WORK!

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.

[4:48] THANKS FOR TUNING IN, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!