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

IS THE COUNCIL MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 20.

[0:10] ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON’S

NEW CITY MANAGER ZACH WALKER WAS SWORN IN.

[0:15] IT WAS ALSO ZACH’S FIRST OFFICAL DAY ON THE

JOB, AND WE’RE THRILLED TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD.

[0:20] CERTAINLY VERY EXCITING, VERY HUMBLING

TO STEP INTO THIS ROLE AND TO BE PART

[0:25] OF SUCH A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND BUILD

UPON THE SUCCESS THAT YOU’VE ALL HAD.

[0:28] ZACH BRINGS NEARLY TWO DECADES OF EXECUTIVE‑LEVEL

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, MOST RECENTLY

[0:34] SERVING AS CITY MANAGER OF INDEPENDENCE,

MISSOURI — A FULL‑SERVICE CITY OF MORE THAN

[0:38] 1,200 EMPLOYEES AND A $454 MILLION BUDGET.

DURING HIS TENURE HE LED MAJOR INITIATIVES

[0:45] INCLUDING A $1 BILLION INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

AND A $36 MILLION COMMERCIAL REDEVELOPMENT,

[0:51] AS WELL AS LAUNCHING A CITY‑WIDE HOUSING STUDY AND

EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH.

[0:57] BLOOMINGTON HAS A WELL-DESERVED REPUTATION

IN MUNCIPAL CIRCLES FOR HAVING LONG-TENURED

[1:03] AND HIGHLY RESPECTED CITY MANAGERS. THE AVERAGE

TENURE FOR CITY MANAGERS IN MEDIUM SIZED CITIES

[1:09] LIKE BLOOMINGTON IS BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT YEARS.

ZACH IS BLOOMINGTON’S FOURTH CITY MANAGER SINCE

[1:16] 1960. FOUR CITY MANAGERS IN 65 YEARS IS PRETTY

IMPRESSIVE. THAT LONGEVITY COMES FROM THE SUPPORT

[1:24] OF THE BEST CITY STAFF IN MINNESOTA, CONSISTENTLY

STRONG ELECTED LEADERSHIP, AND RESIDENTS WHO ARE

[1:31] INFORMED AND APPRECIATIVE OF GOOD GOVERNMENT.

WE’RE SO EXCITED TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME ZACH

[1:37] AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT HIS LEADERSHIP WILL HELP

BLOOMINGTON CONTINUE TO GROW, EVOLVE AND SERVE OUR

[1:43] COMMUNITY WELL. I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET HIM.

ALSO ON MONDAY, WE CONTINUED THE DISCUSSION OF

[1:48] THE 2026 BUDGET, FOCUSING ESPECIALLY

ON THE WORK OF OUR EXTERNAL SERVICES

[1:52] TEAM AND UPCOMING UTILITY‑RATE CHANGES.

THE STUDY SESSION COVERED HOW THE BUDGET SUPPORTS

[1:58] ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION,

[2:03] PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC WORKS — BUT ALSO

HOW INFLATION, RISING SERVICE COSTS, AGING

[2:09] INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITY OPERATIONS ARE PLACING

INCREASING PRESSURE ON RATES AND SERVICE LEVELS.

[2:16] OUR EXTERNAL SERVICES TEAM IS WORKING TO

IDENTIFY WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE EFFICIENCY,

[2:20] ENSURE RELIABILITY, AND KEEP COST INCREASES

AS MODEST AS POSSIBLE. AT THE SAME TIME,

[2:26] WE’RE EVALUATING PROPOSED ADJUSTMENTS TO UTILITY

RATES THAT ARE TIED DIRECTLY TO THE OPERATIONS,

[2:32] UPKEEP AND REPLACEMENT OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? AS WE FINALIZE THE

[2:38] BUDGET THIS FALL, WE’LL SHARE CLEAR

INFORMATION ABOUT ANY RATE CHANGES,

[2:42] THEIR TIMING, AND THE REASONS BEHIND THEM — SO

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR AND WHY.

[2:48] STAY TUNED: THERE ARE MORE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS

AHEAD IN THE COMING WEEKS, CULMINATING WITH THE

[2:53] TRUTH IN TAXATION PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 22.

OUR CITY OF BLOOMINGTON BUDGET WEBPAGE HAS A

[2:57] BOATLOAD OF INFORMATION FOR YOU TO EXPLORE. TAKE A

LOOK AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

[3:03] AND FINALLY TODAY, THE LAST MONTH HAS BEEN

BUSY. AND I WANTED TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE TO

[3:09] HIGHLIGHT THE EXCITING EVENTS THAT ARE GREAT

EXAMPLES OF HOW BLOOMINGTON IS MOVING FORWARD.

[3:15] FIRST, EARLIER THIS MONTH WE HOSTED THE

INAUGURAL BLOOMINGTON BUSINESS FORUM.

[3:20] IT WAS THE CITY’S FIRST EVENT OF ITS KIND

FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

[3:24] AND BUSINESS OWNERS. THE THEME OF BUSINESS

FRIENDLY, GROWTH READY REALLY SET THE TONE

[3:30] FOR THE DAY AND IT DID A GOOD JOB OF FRAMING UP

BLOOMINGTON’S GROWING BUSINESS SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM.

[3:36] AND SPEAKING OF BUSINESS GROWTH, LAST

WEEK WE CUT THE RIBBON AND CELEBRATED

[3:40] THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW COLONIAL MARKET.

COLONIAL MARKET IS THE NEW GROCERY STORE IN

[3:44] THE SOUTH LOOP AND LOCAL BUSINESSES AND

RESIDENTS ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THEM OPEN.

[3:50] AND SPEAKING OF RIBBON CUTTINGS, WE CUT

THE RIBBON AT THE BLOOMINGTON ICE GARDEN,

[3:54] AND AT BRYANT AND TRETBAUGH PARKS. ALL THREE

FACILITIES RECEIVED EXTENSIVE OVERHAULS THAT

[3:59] WERE YEARS IN THE MAKING AND THE IMPROVEMENTS

WILL SERVE RESIDENTS FOR YEARS TO COME.

[4:04] OUR FRIENDS AT BLOOMINGTON SCHOOLS ALSO DID

SOME RIBBON CUTTING RECENTLY, THEY CELEBRATED

[4:08] THE OPENING OF NEW STADIUMS AT BOTH JEFFERSON

AND KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOLS. THIS IS AN EXCITING

[4:13] CHANGE FOR THE TWO SCHOOLS AS THEY BOTH NOW HAVE

THEIR OWN DEDICATED HOME FIELDS, AFTER MANY YEARS

[4:18] OF SHARING BLOOMINGTON STADIUM AT 90TH AND PENN.

SPEAKING OF JEFFERSON AND KENNEDY, THEIR FOOTBALL

[4:24] TEAMS MET ON THE PLAYING FIELD THIS YEAR FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN ALMOST A DECADE. THE NIGHT BEFORE

[4:29] THE GAME THEY CAME TOGETHER TO SHARE A DINNER AND

HANG OUT A BIT, AND TO PROVE THAT THIS COMMUNITY

[4:36] IS INDEED ONE BLOOMINGTON. I HAD THE PLEASURE

OF ATTENDING THE DINNER, AND I WANT TO GIVE

[4:40] A SHOUTOUT TO THE BLOOMINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A FUN AND ENCOURAGING EVENT.

[4:45] EARLIER THAT SAME DAY, WE BROKE GROUND ON THE

COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER. THIS

[4:50] PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A DECADE, AND

IT’S THRILLING TO FINALLY BE AT THIS POINT. AND,

[4:56] A RELATED NOTE, ON THE LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER

BLOOMINGTON PUBLIC HEALTH HOSTED AN INNOVATIVE

[5:01] AND INSPIRING MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT AT BLOOMINGTON

CIVIC PLAZA. MENTAL HEALTH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

[5:06] HEALTH TOPIC THAT WE ARE ALL DEALING WITH RIGHT

NOW. I’M VERY PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP BLOOMINGTON

[5:11] PUBLIC HEALTH IS SHOWING ON THIS TOPIC.

ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT,

[5:15] I’VE COVERED MOST OF THEM IN PREVIOUS COUNCIL

MINUTES. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THEM AGAIN IN A

[5:21] BUNDLE TO SHOWCASE ALL OF THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS

AND OUTSTANDING EVENTS HAPPENING IN THIS CITY.

[5:28] FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, TO OUR PARKS, TO

OUR SCHOOLS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH, BLOOMINGTON IS

[5:34] MOVING FORWARD AND NOT INCREMENTALLY. THIS

COMMUNITY IS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE YOU,

[5:41] BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS INSIST ON IT.

BECAUSE YOU, BLOOMINGTON RESIDENTS,

[5:46] UNDERSTAND THAT MOVING FORWARD IS THE KEY TO

FUTURE SUCCESS. BECAUSE YOU KNOW FULL WELL

[5:52] THAT IF BLOOMINGTON IS NOT MOVING FORWARD, THEN

BLOOMINGTON IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL OR WORSE, FALLING

[5:59] BEHIND. OF THOSE THREE OPTIONS, FORWARD IS BEST.

THAT WRAPS UP THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MINUTE. THANKS

[6:07] FOR WATCHING, AND UNTIL NEXT

TIME, STAY SAFE, BLOOMINGTON.