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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 30.

[0:10] AT MONDAY’S MEETING, THE COUNCIL HAD WHAT I

THINK WILL BE OUR LAST DISCUSSION – AT LEAST

[0:16] FOR A WHILE – ABOUT SIGNS IN BLOOMINGTON. AND

WHILE OUR SIGN DISCUSSION HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS,

[0:22] I THINK IT SHOWS THIS COUNCIL’S WILLINGNESS TO

SPEND TIME ON AN ISSUE, AND MAKE SURE COUNCIL,

[0:27] STAFF, BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS, AND THE

COMMUNITY ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE HEARD.

[0:33] THE COUNCIL STARTED THIS DISCUSSION ON SIGNS A

COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE

[0:38] THE CITY SIGN ORDINANCE HAD BEEN UPDATED AND A

LOT HAD CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME COUNCIL TOOK

[0:43] A CLOSE LOOK AT SIGNS. OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS,

OUR PLANNING STAFF DUG IN ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT

[0:49] SIGN-RELATED ISSUES LIKE SIZE AND BRIGHTNESS AND

PLACEMENT OF SIGNS. THE COUNCIL HAD STUDY SESSIONS

[0:55] ON THE TOPIC, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WEIGHED

IN, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WE HAD

[1:00] THE REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING, AND ULTIMATELY, IN

FEBRUARY OF 2024, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE UPDATED

[1:06] SIGN CODE. BUT WHEN IT WAS APPROVED, COUNCIL

ASKED STAFF TO REPORT BACK IN A YEAR AND LET US

[1:13] KNOW HOW THINGS WERE GOING AND IF THERE WERE ANY

ITEMS THAT MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION.

[1:18] STAFF WAS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL IN APRIL OF THIS

YEAR, AND YES, SOME THINGS DID NEED TWEAKING.

[1:24] THE COUNCIL APPROVED ADJUSTMENTS ON THINGS

LIKE FREE-STANDING SIGN LOCATIONS, ROOF SIGNS,

[1:29] TEMPORARY SIGNS ON NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS,

AND PERMANENT SIGN CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.

[1:34] ON MONDAY NIGHT, WE HAD ONE FINAL LOOKBACK TO

CLEAR UP TWO ADDITIONAL ASPECTS THAT HADN’T

[1:39] BEEN RESOLVED YET. AFTER A GOOD DISCUSSION, THE

COUNCIL APPROVED A CHANGE THAT WILL EXPAND SIGNAGE

[1:45] ALLOWED ON BUILDINGS SEVEN STORIES OR TALLER.

THE OLD ORDINANCE ALLOWED ONLY ONE BUILDING

[1:50] SIGN ON TALLER BUILDINGS, THE CHANGE WILL ALLOW

UP TO THREE SIGNS. THE COUNCIL WAS IN AGREEMENT

[1:55] THAT ADDITIONAL SIGNS WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO

BLOOMINGTON BUSINESSES AND MIGHT OFFER BUILDING

[2:00] OWNERS AN INCENTIVE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TENANTS.

IT’S ALSO A GREAT WAY TO SHOW OFF BLOOMINGTON’S

[2:06] VIBRANT AND WIDE-REACHING BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

THE COUNCIL ALSO LOWERED THE DWELL TIME ON

[2:12] ELECTRONIC SIGNS. IT USED TO BE THAT ELECTRONIC

SIGNS COULD CHANGE EVERY 20 SECONDS, AND NOW THAT

[2:18] TIME HAS BEEN REDUCED TO EIGHT SECONDS, WHICH IS

A MORE STANDARD DWELL TIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

[2:24] THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MORE FREQUENT

CHANGES POSSIBLY DISTRACTING DRIVERS,

[2:28] BUT THE COUNCIL WASN’T CONVINCED THERE’S

CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF THAT HAPPENING.

[2:33] NOW, I GET IT. UNLESS YOU’RE THE FIVE MAN

ELECTRICAL BAND, SIGNS MIGHT NOT BE THAT

[2:38] BIG OF DEAL IN YOUR LIFE. BUT MAKING SURE

THEY LOOK GOOD, THAT THEY FIT THE COMMUNITY,

[2:43] AND THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

IS IMPORTANT. AND THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THE

[2:48] SIGN ORDINANCE UNDERSCORES THE CHALLENGE

OF SUCCESSFULLY MEETING ALL THOSE GOALS

[2:53] AND THE CITY’S COMMITMENT TO EVALUATING AND

IMPROVING OUR POLICIES ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

[2:59] ALSO ON MONDAY, COUNCIL REVIEWED A VARIETY OF

CONCEPT DESIGNS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE

[3:05] SAFETY AT THE INTERSECTION OF 84TH STREET

AND NORMANDALE BOULEVARD. DID YOU KNOW THAT

[3:11] INTERSECTION IS THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN THE

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, AND THAT’S BASED ON COUNTS

[3:16] BEFORE THE WORK ON 494 STARTED AND DRIVERS STARTED

LOOKING FOR CREATIVE DETOURS THROUGH THE CITY.

[3:22] IT’S A BUSY TRAFFIC INTERSECTION, AND IT’S

ALSO A BUSY BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTION

[3:28] WITH RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE EAST

OF NORMANDALE BOULEVARD, THE OFFICE TOWERS AT

[3:32] NORMANDALE LAKE, AND NORMANDALE LAKE PARK RIGHT

THERE. LOT OF FOLKS ON BOTH FOOT AND ON BICYCLE

[3:39] ARE MOVING THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION. NOW, CRASH

DATA SHOWS THIS ISN’T A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS

[3:45] INTERSECTION, BUT GIVEN THE PEDESTRIAN AND

TRAFFIC VOLUMES, SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS SEEM PRUDENT.

[3:51] STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD A NUMER OF POSSIBLE DESIGN

CHANGES FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION INCLUDING

[3:56] REDUCING OR REDESIGNING TURN LANES AND ADDING

PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS. STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDED

[4:03] ENDING CONSIDERATION OF A LONG-DISCUSSED

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE INTERSECTION,

[4:08] CITING THE $5 MILLION PRICE TAG, COMPLEXITY OF

CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE LAKE AND WETLANDS NEARBY,

[4:14] AND CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY

USE IT DUE TO THE LONGER TRAVEL DISTANCES.

[4:20] TO A PERSON, THE COUNCIL WAS OBVIOUSLY IN

FAVOR OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. BUT IT’S A

[4:25] NUANCED ISSUE. REDESIGNING THE INTERSECTION

FOR IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY

[4:31] COULD MEAN LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR VEHICLES TO

GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT PEAK TIMES. WE

[4:36] DEFINITELY WANT BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS TO GET OUT

AND BE ACTIVE AND WALK AND BIKE SAFELY, AND WE

[4:43] DEFINITELY WANT OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO WORK

AND TO ENSURE THAT THE BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN THE

[4:48] CITY IS NOT JAMMED UP, AND THAT WE DON’T ADD TO

ALREADY FRUSTRATING LEVELS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION.

[4:55] NEXT STEPS INCLUDE STAFF TAKING COUNCIL FEEDBACK

AND CONTINUING TO REFINE DESIGN POSSIBILITIES AND

[5:01] WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT HENNEPIN COUNTY

ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY FUNDING TO

[5:05] HELP SUPPORT THE PROJECT. MY GUESS IS,

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BALANCING

[5:10] SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW, ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT

WILL BECOME MUCH MORE COMMON IN THE VERY NEAR

[5:15] FUTURE. THOUGHTFUL INPUT FROM BLOOMINGTON

RESIDENTS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, DRIVERS,

[5:21] BIKERS, AND WALKERS, WILL ALL BE PART OF IT. I'M

LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.

[5:28] AND FINALLY, A QUICK REMINDER THAT NATIONAL

NIGHT OUT IS COMING UP ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 5!

[5:33] IT’S ALWAYS A FANTASTIC NIGHT AND IT’S

A GREAT WAY TO MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS,

[5:38] VISIT WITH BLOOMINGTON POLICE OFFICERS AND

FIREFIGHTERS, AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES.

[5:42] THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTIES COULDN’T HAPPEN

WITHOUT THE BLOCK PARTY HOSTS. HATS OFF TO

[5:47] ALL OF YOU. YOU ARE ROCK STARS. LIKE EVERY

YEAR, WE NEED YOU TO REGISTER. GO TO THE

[5:53] CITY OF BLOOMINGTON WEBSITE AND REGISTER YOUR

NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT BY JULY 24. REGISTRATION

[5:59] MAKES FOR A SAFER AND WELL-COORDINATED NIGHT, AND

HELPS FACILITATE VISITS FROM CITY STAFF, POLICE,

[6:06] FIRE, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS. PLUS, REGISTERED

BLOCKS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

[6:12] TO MAKE THE EVENT EVEN MORE FUN AND MEMORABLE.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS

[6:17] FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL NEXT

TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!