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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 14.

[0:10] PRIOR TO OUR MEETING ON MONDAY, THE CITY COUNCIL

INTERVIEWED THE FOUR FINALISTS SELECTED FOR THE

[0:15] BLOOMINGTON CITY MANAGER POSITION. OUT OF THOSE

FOUR FINALISTS, TWO WERE SELECTED TO MOVE FORWARD

[0:20] WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF INTERVIEWS ON TUESDAY. AFTER

SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION AND REVIEW, I’M PROUD TO

[0:27] ANNOUNCE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SELECTED

AND MADE A CONDITIONAL OFFER TO ZACH WALKER

[0:31] TO SERVE AS BLOOMINGTON’S NEXT CITY MANAGER.

ZACH HAS NEARLY TWO DECADES OF EXECUTIVE

[0:37] LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE AND CURRENTLY

SERVES AS THE CITY MANAGER OF INDEPENDENCE,

[0:41] MISSOURI. INDEPENDENCE IS A CITY OF 120,000 PEOPLE

AND SHARES A LOT IN COMMON WITH BLOOMINGTON.

[0:49] HE BRINGS AN IMPRESSIVE RESUME AND A LONG

LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I LOOK FORWARD

[0:53] TO THE COMMUNITY GETTING TO KNOW ZACH.

AS I SAID, THE OFFER IS CONDITIONAL ON

[0:58] A PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND CHECK AND

THE SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION OF TERMS,

[1:01] BUT I’M CONFIDENT WE’LL HAVE ZACH ON BOARD SOON.

THROUGHOUT THIS SEARCH, WE PARTNERED WITH MOSAIC

[1:08] PUBLIC PARTNERS, A FIRM SPECIALIZING IN

EXECUTIVE-LEVEL PUBLIC SECTOR RECRUITMENT.

[1:13] THEY ENGAGED WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMUNITY

STAKEHOLDERS, AND CITY STAFF TO ENSURE A BROAD AND

[1:19] INCLUSIVE SEARCH PROCESS. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO

ATTRACT A HIGHLY TALENTED AND DIVERSE POOL OF

[1:24] CANDIDATES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY – INCLUDING

OUR OWN INTERIM CITY MANAGER, KATHY HEDIN,

[1:30] WHOSE LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO BE DEEPLY VALUED.

CHOOSING AMONG SUCH OUTSTANDING FINALISTS

[1:35] MADE THIS A CHALLENGING DECISION, BUT ONE THAT

REFLECT THE STRONG FUTURE AHEAD FOR BLOOMINGTON.

[1:41] I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK EVERYONE WHO APPLIED

AND WENT THROUGH THE SEARCH. I WANT TO THANK

[1:46] OUR STAFF FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND GREAT

COORDINATION OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS. I WANT

[1:51] TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT. AND FINALLY,

I WANT TO THANK OUR CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS

[1:56] A BIG DECISION FOR BLOOMINGTON, AND YOUR CITY

COUNCIL PUT A LOT OF HOURS, A LOT OF THOUGHT,

[2:03] AND A LOT OF HEART INTO THIS. THANK YOU ALL.

STAY TUNED FOR A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT,

[2:08] AND FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON

ZACH’S ARRIVAL IN BLOOMINGTON.

[2:12] DURING OUR MEETING ON MONDAY, THE COUNCIL HAD A

LONG DISCUSSION ON A PROPOSAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY

[2:17] CHANGE THE CITY’S APPROACH TO SIDEWALK SNOW

REMOVAL IN BLOOMINGTON. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT

[2:22] OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

ON THIS TOPIC. STAFF DEVELOPED A DETAILED AND

[2:27] THOUGHTFUL PLAN AND THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION WAS

QUITE COMPREHENSIVE. ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL CHOSE

[2:32] TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY CHANGES TO SNOW

REMOVAL AT THIS TIME, BUT I THINK IT’S SAFE TO

[2:37] SAY THE CONVERSATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

A QUICK RECAP:

[2:42] DURING OUR MINNESOTA WINTERS, CITY OF BLOOMINGTON

CREWS CLEAR SNOW FROM ALL SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS IN

[2:47] THE CITY. AND FOLKS, THAT’S A BIG JOB AND

IT’S ONE THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING FOR

[2:51] MANY YEARS. THAT’S MORE THAN 260 MILES OF

SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS AND IT’S CONSIDERABLY

[2:57] MORE THAN ANY OF OUR PEER CITIES CLEAR

AFTER A SNOWFALL. IT TAKES FROM ONE TO

[3:01] THREE DAYS TO CLEAR THE SNOW. BLOOMINGTON

CREWS USE SPECIALLY MODIFIED EQUIPMENT,

[3:06] THEY WORK LONG DAYS, AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY

COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY SERVICE.

[3:13] DESPITE ALL OF THAT, WE KNOW THE LEVEL

OF SERVICE ISN’T WHERE IT SHOULD BE.

[3:17] THE HIGH NUMBER OF MILES THAT NEED TO BE CLEARED

MEANS THAT WE REGULARLY HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT

[3:22] HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE WORK DONE. BECAUSE

UNEVEN SIDEWALKS CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE EQUIPMENT,

[3:27] CREWS DON’T CLEAR ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE

PAVEMENT. AND SOMETIMES GRASS OR OTHER LANDSCAPING

[3:32] GETS DAMAGED. AND IT’S PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING

WORK. UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES OUR DEDICATED

[3:38] STAFF GETS INJURED PROVIDING THIS SERVICE.

SO EARLIER THIS YEAR, STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD

[3:43] A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD REDUCE THE CITY’S SNOW

REMOVAL ROUTES TO APPROXIMATELY 135 MILES,

[3:48] FOCUSING ON MAJOR ROADS, PARKS, AND SCHOOL

ROUTES. CLEARING SIDEWALKS THAT DON’T FIT

[3:54] INTO THOSE CATEGORIES WOULD HAVE SHIFTED

TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WHICH IS THE

[3:58] NORM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ELSE IT SNOWS.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY

[4:03] SHORTENED THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET THOSE

SIDEWALKS CLEAR. IT WOULD HAVE FREED UP

[4:07] STAFF TO SUPPORT OTHER WORK, AND THE PLAN WAS

EXPECTED TO SAVE $60,000 IN STAFF OVERTIME ALONE.

[4:13] BUT, AS WE HEARD MONDAY NIGHT, THE COUNCIL

WASN’T COMFORTABLE MAKING SUCH A MAJOR CHANGE.

[4:18] SNOW REMOVAL IS A SERVICE THAT THE CITY HAS

BEEN DOING FOR MANY YEARS AND IT’S A SERVICE

[4:23] THAT RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO EXPECT AND RELY ON.

COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER INCREASED

[4:28] SALT USAGE BY RESIDENTS IF THEY CLEARED SNOW

ON THEIR OWN, CONFUSION ABOUT WHICH SIDEWALKS

[4:33] WOULD BE CLEARED BY THE CITY AND WHY THEY WOULD BE

PRIORITIZED OVER OTHER SIDEWALKS, AND WHETHER THE

[4:38] OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS OUTWEIGHED

THE COSTS OF PROVIDING SNOWPLOW SERVICE.

[4:44] THE COUNCIL VOTED 7-0 TO NOT ACCEPT THE

STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ISSUE. BUT,

[4:49] THERE WAS STRONG CONSENSUS ON THE COUNCIL THAT

THE CURRENT SYSTEM FOR PLOWING SIDEWALKS IS NOT

[4:54] MEETING THE CITY’S STANDARDS FOR EFFICIENT,

EFFECTIVE, AND HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY.

[4:59] WHICH GETS BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION CONTINUING.

[5:04] WHETHER IT’S THROUGH DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR

OPERATIONAL CHANGES, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE

[5:08] INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENT AND STAFF, OR SOME OTHER

WAY THAT WE HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT YET, WE NEED

[5:14] TO FIGURE OUT AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR PROCESS FOR

CLEARING SNOW FROM SIDEWALKS IN THE WINTER. STAY

[5:19] TUNED AND CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION.

AND ON THE POINT OF BEING PART OF THE DISCUSSION,

[5:26] WE RECEIVED A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THIS.

THAT WAS THE PLAN ALL ALONG AND I APPRECIATE

[5:30] EVERYONE WHO WEIGHED IN. WHAT REALLY STRUCK ME WAS

HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO WEREN’T DIRECTLY IMPACTED.

[5:37] PEOPLE THAT DON’T HAVE A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF

THEIR HOUSE, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT

[5:41] THEIR NEIGHBORS. THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE

ELDERLY COUPLE DOWN THE STREET, OR THE PERSON

[5:47] THEY KNEW WHO PHYSICALLY COULDN’T CLEAR THE SNOW,

OR THE FAMILY WHO WOULD BE FINANCIALLY IMPACTED

[5:52] BY HAVING TO HIRE SOMEONE TO CLEAR THEIR SIDEWALK.

THAT EMPATHY, THE ABILITY TO SHARE AND UNDERSTAND

[5:58] THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS, MAKES COMMUNITIES STRONG.

EMPATHY IS THE CAPACITY TO EXPERIENCE,

[6:04] TO SOME DEGREE, WHAT ANOTHER PERSON

IS FEELING. IT’S STEPPING INTO SOMEONE

[6:08] ELSE’S SHOES AND SEEING THE WORLD FROM THEIR

PERSPECTIVE. WE SAW THAT IN THIS DISCUSSION.

[6:14] EMPATHY FOSTERS CONNECTION, IT CREATES

UNDERSTANDING, AND BUILDS COMPASSION

[6:19] BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND ACROSS COMMUNITIES.

AS WE ALL CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE SOME VERY

[6:25] TRICKY TIMES, BOTH ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND ON

THE LOCAL LEVEL, I HOPE WE CAN ALL CONTINUE TO

[6:31] APPROACH THESE CHALLENGES WITH EMPATHY.

AND FINALLY TODAY, LAST AUGUST THE CITY

[6:36] REDUCED SPEED LIMITS ON LOCAL STREETS TO

25 MILES PER HOUR, UNLESS POSTED OTHERWISE.

[6:41] DRIVING SLOWER IS GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR

NEIGHBORS. THIS CHANGE MAKES NEIGHBORHOOD

[6:46] ROADS SAFER BY REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD

OF CRASHES AND INJURIES FROM CRASHES.

[6:51] IT ALSO INCREASES SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND

CYCLISTS. AND SLOWING DRIVERS DOWN IS OFTEN

[6:57] THE MOST COMMON CONCERN I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS.

THE CITY WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE TO LOCAL

[7:02] STREETS AFTER THE STATE LEGISLATURE GRANTED

CITIES THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE SPEED LIMITS

[7:07] ON ROADWAYS WITHIN THEIR SYSTEMS BACK

IN 2019. PRIOR TO THAT, THE MINNESOTA

[7:13] DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAD THE FINAL SAY.

SPEED LIMITS WERE ALSO UPDATED ON LARGER ROADS

[7:18] IN BLOOMINGTON EXCEPT FOR THOSE OPERATED BY

HENNEPIN COUNTY. COUNTIES WERE NOT GRANTED THE

[7:23] SAME PERMISSIONS TO SET SPEED LIMITS BY THE STATE.

IT’S NOT AS CLEAR AS IT COULD BE, SO I ENCOURAGE

[7:29] YOU TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT

THE SHIFT TO SLOWER SPEED ON RESIDENTIAL ROADS.

[7:35] AND, THE CITY HAS YARD SIGNS AVAILABLE TO

HELP PROMOTE AWARENESS OF BLOOMINGTON’S 25

[7:40] MPH SPEED LIMIT ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS.

STOP BY THE INFORMATION DESK AT CIVIC

[7:45] PLAZA TO PICK UP YOUR FREE YARD SIGN. SIGNS

WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS

[7:49] OR OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK'S COUNCIL

[7:53] MINUTE. THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!