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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 16.

[0:10] EVEN A FEW DAYS REMOVED, THE SHOCK AND HORROR

AND REVULSION OF WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND

[0:16] REMAINS. THE BRUTAL ASSASINATION OF REPRESENTATIVE

MELISSA HORTMAN AND HER HUSBAND MARK, AND THE

[0:22] SHOOTING OF STATE SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS

WIFE YVETTE IS ONE OF THE DARKEST EVENTS IN

[0:27] MINNESOTA HISTORY. I’M PRAYING FOR THEM AND

THEIR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES THEM.

[0:33] AND I’M SO VERY THANKFUL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

OFFICIALS, INCLUDING OUR OWN BLOOMINGTON POLICE,

[0:38] WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TRACK

DOWN AND ARREST THE SHOOTER.

[0:43] I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVE

HORTMAN ON A HANDFUL OF ISSUES OVER THE YEARS AND

[0:48] EVERYTHING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT HER BEING

A STRAIGHT TALKER, A SKILLED POLITICIAN,

[0:52] AND A DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT ARE SPOT ON.

I ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEND

[0:57] LESS FORMAL TIME WITH HER IN MY BACKYARD,

EATING PULLED PORK AT CANDIDATE EVENTS.

[1:02] MELISSA HORTMAN WAS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER

AND A WONDERFUL PERSON. SHE’LL BE MISSED.

[1:08] IN ADDITION TO MY SADNESS FOR THE LOSS OF

LIFE, I’M FEELING A DEEP SADNESS FOR ALL OF

[1:13] US AS MINNESOTANS. IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE AT A

TIPPING POINT, OR IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO,

[1:19] THAT WE’VE TIPPED OVER. WE’VE ALWAYS HAD OUR

DISAGREEMENTS. WE’VE ALWAYS ARGUED. THERE HAS

[1:25] ALWAYS BEEN A RIGHT AND LEFT AND ARGUMENTS

ABOUT POLICY AND POLITICS AND WHAT EACH SIDE

[1:31] THOUGHT WAS THE BEST PATH FORWARD. IT HAPPENED

IN ST. PAUL AND AT COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ON THE

[1:37] CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND AT THANKSGIVING WITH

THAT ONE UNCLE EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE.

[1:42] BUT NOBODY PULLED A GUN. NOBODY BRUTALLY

ASSASINATED A PUBLIC OFFICIAL AND HER HUSBAND,

[1:48] AND TRIED TO DO THE SAME AT LEAST THREE OTHER

TIMES. THIS IS SO VERY CLEARLY DIFFERENT BUT

[1:55] SADLY IT REFLECTS A LANDSCAPE WHERE THREATENING

AND VIOLENT ACTIONS AGAINST ELECTED OFFICIALS

[1:59] AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IS BECOMING COMMON PLACE.

AND THIS ISN’T JUST MY ANECDOTAL OBSERVATIONS.

[2:07] RESEARCH BY THE BRENNEN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND

BY THE BRIDGING DIVIDES INSTITUE AT PRINCETON

[2:11] UNIVERSITY SHOWS THAT AT LEAST HALF OF STATE AND

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED THREATS,

[2:19] HARASSMENT, AND INTIMIDATION. AND IT WON’T

SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR THAT WOMEN AND PEOPLE

[2:25] OF COLOR SERVING IN ELECTED OFFICE REPORT

THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF HOSTILE EXPERIENCES,

[2:31] IN PARTICULAR, ABUSE RELATED TO THEIR

FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THEIR CHILDREN.

[2:37] THIS LEADS PEOPLE TO NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION,

TO NOT TAKE ON POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS,

[2:43] OR TO NOT COMMUNICATE ON SOCIAL

MEDIA OR ATTEND PUBLIC EVENTS.

[2:47] WE’RE LOSING GOOD PEOPLE. CHALLENGING TOPICS GO

UNADDRESSED. AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUFFERS.

[2:54] AND THAT WAS BEFORE THE HORRIFYING

EVENTS OF LAST WEEKEND. IF WE AREN’T AT

[2:59] SOME SORT OF TIPPING POINT, WE’RE DARN CLOSE.

I AM HEARTENED TO HEAR PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES

[3:07] SAYING THAT WE NEED TO TURN DOWN THE RHETORIC. I

COULDN’T AGREE MORE. I’VE SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER

[3:12] IN COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AND KNOW

FULL WELL THE POWER OF WORDS, BOTH POSITIVE AND

[3:17] NEGATIVE. WHAT IS SAID AND HOW IT’S SAID SETS THE

TONE, IT EMBOLDENS PEOPLE, AND IT MOVES PEOPLE TO

[3:26] ACTION. WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT’S DONE

RESPONSIBILY, RESPECTFULLY, AND WITH CIVILITY.

[3:33] I’M ALWAYS UP FOR A GOOD DEBATE,

BUT LET’S TALK POLICIES, NOT PEOPLE.

[3:39] THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR SOMEONE OR READ SOMETHING

THAT IS DISPARAGING, OR HOSTILE, OR RACIST,

[3:46] OR MYOGNIST, OR DEMEANING, OR THREATENING, TELL

THAT PERSON TO STOP. CALL OUT THE BEHAVIOR WE

[3:54] ALL KNOW IS WRONG. INSIST THAT, THAT’S NOT WHO WE

ARE AS MINNESOTANS. IF WE ALL START TO DO THAT,

[4:03] AT LEAST ONE GOOD THING WILL HAVE

COME OUT OF THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION.

[4:07] ON A MUCH HAPPIER NOTE, I’M PROUD TO SHARE THAT

THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF THE

[4:12] STAR TRIBUNE’S TOP 200 WORKPLACES IN THE STATE

OF MINNESOTA FOR 2025! THIS HONOR REFLECTS THE

[4:18] DEDICATION OF OUR STAFF AND OUR SHARED COMMITMENT

TO PUBLIC SERVICE, TEAMWORK, AND INNOVATION.

[4:24] THIS DISTINCTION IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL

BECAUSE IT’S BASED ON EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK.

[4:28] THE STAR TRIBUNE PARTNERED WITH AN OUTSIDE

COMPANY TO SURVEY EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE

[4:33] STATE—INCLUDING HERE IN BLOOMINGTON—ABOUT

WORK CULTURE, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION,

[4:38] APPRECIATION, AND OVERALL SATISFACTION.

I WANT TO THANK OUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR MAKING

[4:44] BLOOMINGTON A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL

VALUED, SUPPORTED, AND PROUD TO WORK.

[4:49] WE’RE HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD AND

WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO FOSTER A POSITIVE,

[4:54] INCLUSIVE, AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN

WORKPLACE FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES.

[4:59] FINALLY TODAY, ONE MORE REMINDER ABOUT

TWO GREAT COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE COMING

[5:02] UP QUICKLY. ON SATURDAY, JUNE 21 IS THE

BLOOMINGTON JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. THE

[5:08] CELEBRATION WILL TAKE PLACE AT VALLEY VIEW

PLAYFIELDS ON GOES FROM NOON UNTIL 5:30.

[5:13] THEN ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22 IS

BLOOMINGTON’S PRIDE CELEBRATION.

[5:17] PRIDE RUNS FROM 1:00 TO 6:00 P.M.

RIGHT HERE AT BLOOMINGTON CIVIC PLAZA.

[5:21] IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO EITHER OF THESE WONDERFUL

EVENTS BEFORE, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO

[5:25] STOP BY. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ATTENDED BOTH

OF THESE CELEBRATIONS IN THE PAST, I CAN

[5:30] CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT BLOOMINGTON CELEBRATIONS

ARE FOR ALL OF BLOOMINGTON. ALL ARE WELCOME. OH,

[5:38] AND ONE MORE; THE JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA MEMORIAL BAND

CONCERT IS ALSO HAPPENING ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22 FROM

[5:44] 5:00 TO 6:00 AT POND DAKOTA MISSION PARK.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.

[5:49] THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!