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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 17TH.

[0:10] ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD A

GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO USE A NEW

[0:15] STATE REVENUE SOURCE CREATED SPECIFICALLY

TO PROVIDE HOUSING THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD.

[0:20] BACK IN 2023, THE MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE

APPROVED A SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE SEVEN-COUNTY

[0:26] METRO AREA. REVENUES COLLECTED FROM THE TAX

ARE DISTRIBUTED TO CITIES AND COUNTIES AS

[0:32] LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING AID, OR LAHA FOR SHORT.

LAHA FUNDS CAN SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF PROJECTS,

[0:39] AND HOW THE FUNDS GET USED IS UP TO THE CITY.

BLOOMINGTON RECEIVED $567,000 OF LAHA IN 2024 AND

[0:47] THE BEST ESTIMATE IS THAT THE CITY WILL RECEIVE

AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS EACH YEAR GOING FORWARD.

[0:52] BLOOMINGTON HAS NO SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

ACTIVITIES THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS FINANCIAL

[0:56] ASSISTANCE. BACK IN DECEMBER THE COUNCIL,

HRA, AND PORT AUTHORITY MET FOR A FACILITATED

[1:03] DISCUSSION ON HOW LAHA FUNDS COULD BE BEST USED.

STAFF CREATED A PROPOSAL FOR HOW TO USE LAHA

[1:10] BASED ON TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT DISCUSSION, AND THE

PROPOSAL WAS BROUGHT TO THE HRA AND PORT AUTHORITY

[1:15] IN FEBRUARY, AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY.

THE PROPOSAL, APPROVED BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY

[1:21] COUNCIL, SPLITS OUR ANNUAL LAHA FUNDS –

50 PERCENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP

[1:27] PROGRAMS AND 50 PERCENT FOR AFFORDABLE

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION.

[1:32] SO, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP, THIS COULD MEAN HELPING

[1:37] FAMILIES MAKE THEIR DOWN PAYMENT ON A

NEW HOME, OR SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT

[1:41] OF NEW AFFORDABLE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES.

FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION,

[1:46] THIS COULD BE REHABILITATION OF EXISTING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO KEEP IT IN GOOD CONDITION,

[1:50] OR FUNDING NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

THAT ALIGN WITH THE CITY’S GOALS.

[1:54] THE BLOOMINGTON HRA WILL ADMINISTER

THESE FUNDS AND REPORT TO THE COUNCIL

[1:58] EACH YEAR. I’M EXCITED THAT THESE FUNDS

WILL BE PUT TO WORK IN BLOOMINGTON TO

[2:03] SUPPORT HOUSING THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD.

ALSO ON MONDAY NIGHT, OUR CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY

[2:08] COMMISSION PRESENTED ITS WORK PLAN FOR 2025.

AS YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS,

[2:13] EACH CITY BOARD AND COMMISSION COMES IN FRONT

OF THE COUNCIL ANNUALLY TO PRESENT THEIR WORK

[2:17] PLAN FOR THE COMING YEAR. WE’VE BEEN WORKING OUR

WAY THROUGH OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OVER THE

[2:22] PAST FEW WEEKS, AND IT WAS NICE TO HEAR FROM

THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION ON MONDAY NIGHT.

[2:26] IN 2025, THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION WILL FOCUS

ON FIVE KEY PRIORITIES TO MAKE BLOOMINGTON A

[2:32] GREENER, MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITY. THE COMMISSION

AIMS TO ENHANCE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION,

[2:38] INCENTIVIZE SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR, EDUCATE AND

ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, REVIEW AND UPDATE POLICIES,

[2:44] AND SUPPORT ONGOING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.

THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION IS ONE OF THE

[2:49] MORE HANDS-ON COMMISSIONS HERE IN BLOOMINGTON

AND THE IMPORTANT WORK THEY DO HELPS ENHANCE

[2:54] RESIDENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE, PROTECT OUR CITY'S

NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENSURE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC

[3:00] AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE. THE CITY COUNCIL

FULLY SUPPORTS THE COMMISSION’S AMBITIOUS PLAN

[3:05] AND LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING THESE INITIATIVES

DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.

[3:10] FRANCHISE FEES HAVE BEEN A CRITICAL PART

OF FUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN

[3:14] BLOOMINGTON SINCE 2016. ORIGINALLY IMPLEMENTED

TO SUPPORT STREET OVERLAYS, SEAL COATING,

[3:20] AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE, THESE FEES HAVE HELPED

KEEP OUR ROADWAYS AND PATHWAYS IN GOOD CONDITION.

[3:26] AND BECAUSE A VISUAL IS ALWAYS NICE, HERE

IS A MAP SHOWING THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN

[3:31] SEALCOATED SINCE 2016, AND THIS MAP SHOWS THE

STREETS THAT HAVE HAD OVERLAYS DONE SINCE 2016.

[3:38] DOING THIS KIND OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

WORK AND UPKEEP KEEPS BLOOMINGTON STREETS

[3:43] IN GOOD CONDITION AND HELPS EXTEND THE LIFE OF

THE PAVEMENT. FRANCHISE FEES PAY FOR THIS WORK

[3:49] AND THERE’S NO DOUBT IT’S MONEY WELL SPENT.

AT MONDAY'S MEETING, WE REVIEWED POTENTIAL

[3:54] ADJUSTMENTS TO FRANCHISE FEES FOR 2026 AND BEYOND.

A KEY PART OF THIS DISCUSSION WAS THE INTRODUCTION

[4:01] OF TWO NEW FUNDING CATEGORIES – RETAINING WALLS

AND SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. IN A

[4:07] NUTSHELL, BLOOMINGTON HAS A LOT OF RETAINING

WALLS IN THE CITY THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPAIR,

[4:12] AND THIS WOULD BE A FUNDING SOURCE TO HELP DO

THAT WORK. FROM THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SIDE,

[4:16] STAFF PROPOSED A CITY-WIDE LOAN PROGRAM

THAT WOULD HELP HOMEOWNERS ADD INSULATION

[4:21] TO ATTICS AND IN THEIR WALLS. THE GOAL IS TO

REDUCE HOME HEATING COSTS, CARBON EMISSIONS,

[4:27] AND STRESS ON THE ELECTRICAL GRID.

WITH THESE PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS,

[4:31] MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL FRANCHISE FEES WOULD RISE

FROM $5.95 TO $6.88 PER UTILITY STARTING IN 2026,

[4:40] WITH SIMILAR INCREASES FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

WE’VE NOTIFIED AREA MANAGERS AT CENTERPOINT AND

[4:45] XCEL ABOUT THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, AND NOW WE

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

[4:50] WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH APRIL, INCLUDING A

DEDICATED PAGE ON LET’S TALK BLOOMINGTON THAT

[4:55] WILL BE LIVE SOON AND A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE. THE

COUNCIL WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 19,

[5:01] BEFORE FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE. ANY CHANGES

WOULD TAKE EFFECT STARTING IN JANUARY 2026.

[5:07] WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ENSURE A

BALANCED AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING MODEL

[5:11] FOR BLOOMINGTON’S FUTURE. PLEASE STAY ENGAGED

IN THIS DISCUSSION, ASK QUESTIONS, AND SHARE

[5:17] YOUR INPUT AS WE WORK THROUGH BOTH THIS

FRANCHISE FEE DISCUSSION, AND THE LARGER

[5:22] DISCUSSION OF BLOOMINGTON’S FINANCIAL FUTURE.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE.

[5:27] THANKS FOR TUNING IN, AND UNTIL

NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON!