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From YouTube: Council Minute June 29
Description
Councilmember Jenna Carter fills in for Mayor Tim Busse this week. She provides a recap of Monday’s Council Meeting, including a recent assessment of the HRA, check-ins with the City’s Racial Equity Actions Teams and an award the City received for its sustainability efforts.
A
Hi
everyone
and
welcome
to
the
council
minute
for
the
week
of
june
28th,
I
am
councilmember
jenna
carter,
filling
in
for
mayor
tim
busty.
This
week.
This
week
the
city
council
received
a
report
summarizing
an
organizational
assessment
of
the
bloomington
housing
and
redevelopment
authority,
better
known
as
the
hra.
A
The
purpose
of
the
hra
assessment,
completed
by
an
outside
consultant,
is
to
determine
if
the
hra's
mission
and
purpose
have
shifted
over
the
last
51
years
that
it
has
been
in
existence
how
current
resources
are
being
used
to
deliver
its
mission
and
whether
the
hra
is
meeting
all
of
the
development
needs
across
the
city.
The
hra
currently
has
a
broad
range
of
duties.
It
provides
the
full
spectrum
of
housing
services
from
homelessness
to
vouchers,
to
home
ownership,
and
it's
responsible
for
redevelopment
throughout
the
community,
except
in
the
south
loop
area,
where
the
port
authority
operates.
A
The
recommendations
in
the
assessment
suggested
that
the
hra
should
focus
primarily
on
the
continuum
of
housing
which
encompasses
housing,
stability,
housing
assistance,
home
ownership
opportunities
and
affordable
housing
and
less
on
redevelopment,
while
moving
the
majority
of
city-wide
multi-family
and
commercial
redevelopment
assistance
and
business
and
economic
development
into
the
port
authority
in
the
proposed
restructuring,
the
hra
would
continue
to
focus
on
its
strengths,
providing
full-spectrum
housing
services.
The
port
authority
would
then
build
on
its
strengths
to
do
city-wide
redevelopment
business
retention
and
expansion
activities
as
well
as
economic
development.
A
The
bloomington
city
council
has
made
it
a
priority
to
remove
the
barriers
for
people
who
want
to
live
in
our
community
and
through
the
success
of
programs
like
the
opportunity
housing
ordinance.
The
city
is
now
at
more
than
77
of
its
20
30.
Affordable
housing
goals,
as
identified
by
the
metropolitan
council
having
a
strong,
focused
hra,
is
really
important
to
make
sure
we
are
achieving
those
goals.
A
So,
on
monday
night
the
council
passed
a
motion
in
support
of
continued
exploration
of
the
recommendations
and
for
staff
to
move
forward
with
presenting
these
recommendations
to
the
hra
and
port
authority
boards.
So
stay
tuned
for
more
conversation
on
this
subject.
Having
an
environmentally
conscious
and
sustainable
community
is
a
high
priority
for
the
bloomington
city
council
bloomington,
along
with
147
minnesota
cities
and
tribal
nations,
participates
in
a
program
called
green
step
cities,
a
voluntary
challenge,
assistance
and
recognition
program
to
help
communities
achieve
their
sustainability
and
quality
of
life
goals.
A
Last
week
the
city
received
an
award
at
the
league
of
minnesota
cities
conference
for
achieving
the
fourth
and
fifth
steps
in
the
program.
The
highest
levels
of
recognition
possible
step,
four
requires
cities
to
gather
and
submit
sustainability,
metrics
under
five
categories,
buildings
and
lighting
transportation,
land
use,
environmental
management
and
economic
and
community
development
cities
achieve
step
5
when
they
demonstrate
improvement
in
step.
4
metrics.
A
Some
of
the
improvements
that
led
to
bloomington
step
5
achievement
include
an
increase
in
the
number
of
private
renewable
energy
generation
sites,
reducing
electricity
use
in
city
facilities
and
achieving
higher
efficiency
for
gas
city
fleet
vehicles.
This
award
shows
community
members
and
other
cities
across
minnesota
that
the
city
of
bloomington
is
taking
great
steps
in
the
direction
of
energy
and
resource
conservation
and
innovation.
A
The
city
council
also
received
an
update
on
the
ongoing
racial
equity
business
plan
and
how
that
work
is
supported
by
the
city's
racial
equity
action
teams,
otherwise
known
as
reits
city
staff,
members
from
the
community
services,
community
development
and
legal
reits
presented
their
annual
council
update
the
wreaths,
discuss
key
accomplishments
and
future
plans.
Bloomington's
work
to
advance
racial
equity
focuses
internally
and
externally.
A
The
community
development
department
highlighted
equity-centered
amendments
to
several
initiatives:
internal
efforts,
focus
on
workforce
culture,
city
practices
and
programs.
Examples
of
that
work
include
the
city's
rental
housing
code
and
increased
support
for
small
businesses,
including
highlighting
black
indigenous
and
people
of
color
owned
businesses.
A
External
work
is
focused
on
capacity
building
and
disparity
reduction,
as
demonstrated
by
our
recent
efforts
to
launch
a
small
business
resource
center
in
the
upcoming
year.
The
community
development
reit
will
prioritize
workforce
development
and
begin
utilizing.
An
equitable
development
scorecard.
The
community
services
department
highlighted
the
city's
participation
in
the
just
deeds
coalition.
As
a
just
deeds.
Coalition
participant
the
city
of
bloomington
is
working
with
volunteer
experts
to
help
the
500
owners
of
bloomington
properties
with
discriminatory
covenants
discharge.
A
The
covenants
from
the
property's
legal
title,
the
community
services
read,
also
discussed
the
success
of
the
maternal
early
childhood,
sustained
home
visiting
program,
otherwise
known
as
mesh
in
the
public
health
division.
The
mesh
program
allows
nurses
to
collaborate
with
families
to
deliver
services,
to
enhance
maternal
and
child
outcomes,
such
as
promoting
preventative
care
and
safety
to
reduce
emergency
room
visits
and
child
protection
services
involvement.
A
A
Justice
points
diversion
program
assists
participants
in
addressing
issues
that
contributed
to
their
offenses
to
prevent
future
criminal
behavior,
while
also
helping
participants
avoid
the
negative
consequences
of
criminal
records.
This
program
offers
diversion
opportunities
for
misdemeanor
and
gross
misdemeanor
offenses
with
the
bloomington
city
attorney's
criminal
division.
A
In
the
upcoming
year,
the
legal
reit
will
launch
a
series
of
outreach
and
engagement
initiatives
designed
to
increase
community
presence
and
partnership.
The
police
administration,
public
works,
I.t
finance
and
parks
and
recreation
reits
will
present
at
the
july
11th
council
meeting.
I'm
really
excited
about
the
work.
The
city,
council
and
staff
are
doing
to
focus
on
strategic
issues,
and
this
week's
council
meeting
demonstrated
much
of
that
work.
A
It
really
shows
how
we
are
embracing
our
new
mission
statement
to
cultivate
an
enduring
and
remarkable
community
where
people
want
to
be
that's
a
wrap
on
this
week's
council
minute.
Hopefully
I'll
see
you
all
at
summerfet
on
july
3rd
and
please
have
a
safe
and
enjoyable
fourth
of
july
holiday
weekend.