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From YouTube: 2023 State of the City Presentation
Description
The City of Bloomington and Bloomington Chamber of Commerce presents this recording of the 2023 State of the City with Mayor Tim Busse and City Manager Jamie Verbrugge from the Radisson Blu Mall of America. Learn about the past year’s accomplishments and the City’s new community-based strategic plan, Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together.
A
We
start
today
with
a
special
presentation
in
honor
of
the
Bloomington
Police
Department's
70th
Anniversary,
our
state
of
the
city
that
does
deserve
a
round
of
applause.
Our
state
of
the
city
event
will
begin
with
a
posting
of
the
Colors
by
the
Bloomington
Police
honor
guard,
leaving
us
in
the
Pledge
of
Allegiance
will
be
Bloomington
Police
Chief
broker
Hodges,
who
is
also
a
member
of
the
Bloomington
Chambers
board
of
directors.
If
you
all,
please
stand.
A
A
E
Debbie's
a
tough
act
to
follow,
but
I'm
going
to
try
I
good
morning
good
afternoon,
I
haven't
seen
we're
still
mourning
all
right.
Jonathan
weinhagen,
president
CEO
of
the
Minneapolis
Regional
Chamber,
couldn't
be
happier
and
more
excited
to
be.
With
all
of
you
today,
I'd
like
to
thank
Jamie
and
mayor
Bussey
for
inviting
us
to
be
a
part
of
the
state
of
the
city
event.
Once
again,
I
get
the
great
privilege
of
starting
off
the
event
by
thanking
the
people
who
helped
make
this
happen.
E
That's
the
sponsors
of
today's
lunch
so
I'd
like
to
acknowledge
the
Mall
of
America,
Radisson
blue,
the
Bloomington
convention
and
visitors,
bureau.
I,
see
Bonnie
right
up
front
here:
Center
Point,
Energy
commuter
services,
Larkin
Hoffman,
Normandale,
Community,
College,
Excel,
Energy
and
Fast
Signs
of
Bloomington
join
me
in
giving
them
a
huge
round
of
applause
for
their
support
for
this
program.
E
E
I
also
want
to
recognize
the
Radisson
blue.
This
is
our
seventh
year
hosting
the
state
of
the
city
here
at
this
venue,
and
it's
incredible
I'd
be
remiss
if
I
didn't
acknowledge
that
this
month
marks
the
10-year
anniversary
of
Radisson
blue
as
an
asset,
not
just
through
the
city
of
Bloomington,
but
across
our
region
and
state.
So
the
Radisson
blue
team.
Could
you
stand
up
and
be
acknowledged.
E
E
I
also
get
the
opportunity
and
Challenge
and
I've
shared
with
the
team
of
recognizing
our
elected
officials.
I
think
I
was
volunteered
as
tribute
because
this
is
the
hardest
part
of
an
event
like
this,
because
we
hope
that
we
get
everybody
who
is
registered
acknowledged
and
if
somebody
doesn't
get
acknowledged,
they're
going
to
be
really
upset
at
me.
So
I
think
the
mayor
has
lined
this
up
perfectly.
So
I'd
like
to
recognize
our
elected
leaders
and
appointed
leaders
who
are
here
today,
Bloomington
city,
council,
members,
chamoa
and
Lana.
E
E
We
know
we
have
an
incredible
school
district
and
a
unique
School
District
that
is
concurrent
with
our
city,
unique
in
the
state.
We've
got
an
incredible
showing
from
the
school
district
today
Tom
Bennett
Matt
dimick,
Kelly,
Corman,
Maya,
Olson,
Heather,
Stark,
Don,
steigoff
and
Beth
Beebe
school
board
members
all
right
doing
it
for
the
kids.
We
love
it.
We
love
it.
E
We
know
that
we've
got
our
police
chief
here
and
others
I
want
to.
You
know,
thank
you
and
appreciate
you
for
the
work
that
you
do
for
being
here
today.
You
really
are
part
of
what
makes
Bloomington
a
great
place
to
live
work
and
do
business.
I'd
also
like
to
acknowledge
our
chamber
leadership.
That's
here
today.
E
We've
got
an
incredible
board
of
directors
that
helps
lead
and
Steward
the
work
I'm
going
to
actually
be
safer
on
this
because
I
work
for
them,
I'm
not
going
to
name
them
by
name
I'm,
going
to
ask
our
Bloomington
chamber
board
members
to
stand
and
be
recognized.
We
appreciate
the
work
that
you
do
as
Business
Leaders
and
Community
leaders
each
and
every
day.
So
please
stand
to
be
recognized.
E
This
is
the
part
where
Jamie
and
the
mayor
get
concerned,
because
I
didn't
send
them
my
remarks
but
they're
going
to
give
me
a
couple
of
minutes
to
talk
and
I'm
going
to
do
just
that,
they're
not
going
to
invite
me
back
next
year.
A
year
ago
we
sat
in
this
room
and
if
you
were
anything
like
me,
it
was
one
of
the
first
big
events
back.
It
was
our
first
state
of
the
city
back
in
person
and
I
think
yeah.
E
E
You
know
the
Partnerships
that
we
had
Distributing
2
million
Mass
coming
together
to
serve
our
businesses
and
our
community
I.
Remember:
a
a
crew
of
nurses
that
were
acknowledged
for
the
incredible
work
that
they
did
during
the
pandemic,
and
it
was
it
was
awesome
and
the
beginning
of
what
I
think
is
the
beginning.
The
beginning
of
what
I
believe
is.
E
You
hear
me
talk
a
lot
about
the
future,
the
future
of
cities,
the
future
of
regions
where
we're
going
the
fact
that
there
are
going
to
be
winners
and
losers,
a
very
un
Minnesotan
concept,
but
they're
like
they're,
like
they're,
going
to
be
cities
that
win
in
this
new
economy
and
this
recovery
and
cities
that
lose
and
the
cities
that
have
a
foundation
that
have
Civic
leadership
that
come
together
to
Envision.
What
the
next
generation
of
their
economy
in
their
City
can
be
are
going
to
be.
The
winners
I've
got
good
news
for
this
room.
E
The
city
of
Bloomington
is
as
well
suited
as
any
city
in
the
country
to
do
just
that,
so
when
I
think
about
you
know
the
work
that
we
do
together
and
the
work
that
the
chamber
does
in
bringing
businesses
together
and
partnering
with
the
city
and
in
driving
advocacy
I.
Think
about
the
fact
that
there's
never
been
a
more
important
time
and
a
more
important
opportunity
to
leverage
public
policy
and
advocacy
into
the
future.
We
talk
a
lot
about
unprecedented,
unprecedented
pandemic,
unprecedented
recovery,
unprecedented
public
sector
Financial
opportunity
into
the
future.
E
All
of
those
things
are
true.
What
are
we
going
to
do
with
it?
I'm
exceedingly
proud
that
the
chamber
has
helped
leading
the
advocacy
space
in
partnership
with
so
many
organizations.
Many
of
you
in
the
room
and
I'm
going
to
talk
about
a
couple
of
them
for
a
brief
moment.
You
know
one
is
the
groundbreak
Coalition
if
you're
not
familiar
with
it.
It's
a
group
that
was
headed
by
the
McKnight
Foundation.
That's
really
focused
on
enhancing
some
of
the
challenges
that
we
face
in
our
disparities
in
this
region
and
in
our
communities.
E
We
know
that
we
have
those
in
Bloomington
we're
going
to
hear
about
those
today
and
focused
on
how
do
we,
you
know,
lift
up
bypoc
entrepreneurs?
How
do
we
create
more
opportunity
for
housing?
How
do
we
create
commercial
opportunity
in
our
region
and
in
this
city
the
chamber
is
the
lead
advocacy
organization
showing
up
at
the
Capitol
helping
to
advance
public
policy?
E
This
is
one
of
the
only
rooms
that
I
get
to
stand
in
front
of
and
talk
about
the
2027
Expo.
Without
having
to
explain
what
it
is.
It's
a
big
freaking
deal.
We
have
the
chance
to
bring
the
world
to
the
United
States
for
the
first
time
in
a
generation
right
here
in
Bloomington
Minnesota
and
the
Minneapolis-St
Paul
region.
The
chamber
has
been
privileged
to
serve
as
a
Fiscal
Agent
to
the
the
host
committee
as
an
advocate
and
as
a
partner
and
selfishly
as
somebody
who's
going
to
go
to
Paris
a
lot.
It's
been
awesome.
E
This
is
a
big
deal
for
our
region.
It's
a
big
deal
for
our
country
and
it's
something
that
this
community,
linking
arms
and
rallying
together
should
be
proud
of
the
effort
that
we
put
into
this
and
we're
going
to
win
in
June
two
last
things
when
we
think
about
the
future
yo
the
chips
act
which
you
may
or
may
not
be
familiar
with,
but
I
know
that
there
are
some
semiconductor
folks
in
the
room
today.
Right,
that's
right,
yo,
you
and
Bloomington
know
we
have
a
semiconductor
industry
because
it's
concentrated
right
here
in
Bloomington.
E
It's
it's
a
great
history.
For
this
state
there
are
52
billion
federal
dollars
available
that
are
going
to
be
matched
dollar
for
dollar
with
local
money
across
the
country.
In
the
next
nine
to
18
months,
we
have
the
opportunity
to
capture
that
and
turn
that
into
10
000
jobs
and
billions
of
dollars
of
investment
right
here
in
our
city
in
our
region.
We're
going
to
do
that.
A
couple
of
days
ago,
the
governor
and
legislative
leadership
you'll
put
a
half
a
billion
dollars
in
their
joint
targets
for
a
federal
match.
E
To
do
that
exact
thing:
it's
not
enough
So
for
anybody.
Listening
we're
going
to
ask
him
for
more,
but
it's
a
really
good
start
and
to
that
unprecedented
message,
it's
an
unprecedented
message:
investment
from
this
state
in
the
future
of
our
economy
and
to
that
point,
Beyond
chips,
there's
1.9
trillion
dollars
of
federal
funding
out
of
the
pandemic,
that's
going
to
be
invested
to
create
the
next
generation
of
our
economy.
E
That's
all
going
to
happen
in
the
next
12
months
before
the
next
legislative
cycle.
Our
opportunity
is
right
now
to
capture
that
to
position
it
and
I'm
going
to
close
where
I
started,
and
that's
in
that
there
is
no
City
in
the
region
in
the
state
in
the
country
that
is
better
positioned
than
the
city
of
Bloomington.
To
capitalize
on
that
opportunity
and
write
the
future,
so
what
you
all
came
for
is
a
state
of
the
city,
so
I'm
going
to
kick
that
off.
I'm
told
right
now.
F
The
avant-garde
is
a
Music
Arts
and
entertainment
production
company
that
gives
exposure
to
local
talent
and
it
is
putting
life
on
the
genre
of
urban
eclectic
entertainment.
The
city
of
Bloomington
contacted
me
and
wanted
to
partner,
with
the
avant-garde
of
my
youth
group,
hip-hop
history
in
the
Arts
to
be
a
part
of
their
diversification
initiative.
So
I
was
like
what
should
I
name
this
and
it
ended
up
being
on
the
one.
So
I
went
from
an
open
mic
to
a
music
festival
and
so
far
so
good.
It's
been
going
amazing,
yeah.
G
C
Know
as
a
small
business,
especially
a
small
black
owned
business,
we
evolved
the
city
and
I
know
the
city
of
Bloomington
has
been
making
some
Headway
into
its
diversity.
Inclusion
efforts.
You
know
this
event
is
one
of
the
things
so
to
be
here
and
to
represent
not
only
my
community
but
to
represent
Community
well
Take
A
Part
in
something
that
represents
my
community,
typically
doing
it
in
an
environment
that
we're
not
always
in
out
here
in
Bloomington
and
then
at
the
same
time
you
know
it's.
C
F
Partnership
with
Bloomington
is
a
very
unique
and
amazing
one,
because
we
both
have
the
same
initiative,
and
that
is
bringing
people
to
a
higher
level
of
Consciousness
through
ART
through
music
and
diversifying.
We
feel
that
music
in
the
Arts
is
a
great
way
to
bring
people
together
a
great
way
to
just
make
our
commonalities
come
together,
and
the
future
of
the
city
of
Bloomington
is
looking
very,
very
bright.
H
H
H
H
H
H
I
I
J
J
It
is
so
good
to
be
around
all
of
you.
I
am
so
happy
to
see
everybody.
My
name
is
Tim
Bussey
I
have
the
honor
and
the
privilege
of
serving
as
the
mayor
of
the
city
of
Bloomington,
welcome
to
bloomington's
2023
state
of
the
City
address
where
all
the
people,
the
lights,
the
cameras
just
the
energy
in
the
room.
J
J
Let
me
tell
you
that
for
free,
this
is
my
second
state
of
the
city
address
in
person
and
last
year
we
it
was
a
great
to
get
back
together,
as
Jonathan
said
great
to
get
back
together
this
year,
I
decided
I
wanted
to
take
a
little
more.
You
know
a
little
more
Hands-On
approach,
so
I
made
a
point:
I
tried,
I,
wrote
the
script
for
this
year
and
I
give
the
communication
staff
credit.
J
As
always
a
lot
of
we
have
first-timers
who
have
never
been
at
this
event
before
you're
going
to
love
this
event.
It's
a
lot
of
fun.
It's
a
lot
of
fun.
I
mean
we've
got
music.
Obviously,
we
have
wonderful
music
there.
We're
gonna,
have
inspirational
stories
laughter
tears,
some
bad
attempts
at
humor
speeches
that
go
on
too
long
and
drag
this
entire
program
out.
So,
in
other
words,
it's
going
to
be
just
like
a
Bloomington
city
council
meeting,
oh,
which
means
Buckle
in
we
got
five
hours
to
go
clear.
J
Seriously
folks,
it
is
fantastic
to
see
everybody
here
also
welcome
to
everybody
who's
joining
us
on
Facebook
today,
I
want
to
thank
once
again
all
of
the
sponsors.
For
today's
event,
the
organizations
listed
on
this
screen.
They
play
an
enormous
role
in
making
this
community
what
it
is,
and
it
goes
beyond
their
sponsorship
today
which,
of
course,
we
appreciate,
but
these
organizations
show
up
these
organizations
they're
part
of
the
foundational
Bedrock.
That
is
what
based
on
what
is
all
is
all
of
good
in
Bloomington
and
I
want
to
thank
every
one
of
them.
J
So
I
was
appointed
to
fill
the
at-large
Council
seat
vacated
when
council
member
Nathan
Coulter
was
elected
to
the
State
House
of
Representatives
last
fall,
I
think
Nathan
said
he
wanted
to
be
here,
but
he
said
he'd
be
watching.
So
thank
you.
Nathan
for
your
service
councilmember
joins
council
member
Duane
Lowman,
who
I
saw
here
earlier,
Dwayne
Lohman
he's
in
District
One,
remember:
Sean
Nelson
is
in
his
council
member
Lona
de
la
Sandra
Lona
D'alessandro.
J
J
J
Our
theme
this
year
is
focused
on
bloomington's
new
community
based
strategic
Plan
called
Bloomington
tomorrow,
together
I'm
sure
most
of
you
have
been
part
of
a
strategic
planning
process,
and
you
know
it's
never
a
small
task,
and
that
was
certainly
the
case
with
Bloomington.
Tomorrow,
together,
hundreds
of
community
members
and
the
city
staff
were
involved
in
bringing
this
plan
to
life.
The
conversation
was
open
to
everyone
through
focus
groups,
discussion
and
online
feedback.
J
A
core
team
of
community
members
and
City
staff
set
the
course
for
the
plan
action
teams
identified
steps
to
take
to
that
would
achieve
the
goals
we
were
looking
for
and
they
truly
took
to
heart
the
notion
that
plotting
a
course
for
a
successful
and
strong
Bloomington
tomorrow
takes
all
of
us
working
together
today.
Thank
you
to
everyone
who
volunteered
their
time
and
brought
an
abundance
of
passion
to
the
creation
of
the
Strategic
plan,
especially
the
core
planning
team.
You
see
these
folks
here.
J
J
J
Working
from
that
mission,
along
with
working
along
with
a
agreed
on
court
values,
strategic
objectives
and
strategies
created
by
the
community-based
planning
groups,
City
staff
is
working
to
put
together
a
work
plan
with
priority
or
priority
areas
and
desired
outcomes.
We'll
be
talking
about
all
of
that
in
the
coming
weeks.
J
We
hope
to
have
an
online
dashboard
up
and
running
by
the
summer,
so
you'll
be
able
to
see
our
progress
stay
tuned,
it's
going
to
be
a
lot
of
work,
but
this
wouldn't
be
a
state
of
the
city
address
if
we
didn't
take
a
minute
to
reflect
on
the
accomplishments
of
the
past
year.
Let's
take
a
look
at
the
highlights
of
2022.
J
Saying
goodbye
to
the
years
past
brings
with
it
a
time
to
celebrate
our
accomplishment
and
reflect
on
what
makes
this
community
truly
remarkable.
In
Bloomington,
we
had
a
busy
year
with
many
Milestones
accomplishments
and
events
that
gifted
us
a
sense
of
connection.
Amidst
the
busyness
of
life,
2022
marked
the
Bloomington
Fire
Department's
75th
year
of
service
and
a
celebration
with
the
community.
The
Bloomington
Police
Department
brought
back
the
tradition
of
Hosting
open
houses
and
celebrates
70
years
of
service
in
2023.
J
The
City
established
the
office
of
racial
Equity
inclusion
and
belonging
to
build
organizational
capacity
to
address
systemic
inequalities
and
support
systems.
Change
throughout
the
organization
and
the
third
cohort
of
bloomington's
pioneers
and
change
makers
was
announced
in
February
of
2023
with
an
event
honoring
current
and
past
recipients.
J
Parks
and
Recreation
aim
to
make
soccer
more
accessible
and
connect
families
by
hosting
its
first
camp
in
partnership
with
Three
Rivers
Park,
District,
Patagonia,
visual
Solutions
and
a
grant
paid
for
by
the
Metropolitan
Council
creative
Place,
making
brought
voices
together
for
its
first
Hometown
poetry,
contest,
highlighting
local
talent
and
the
streets
of
Bloomington
have
been
beautified
with
the
additions
of
blooming,
ribbon
and
Street
seat.
Bloomington
roadways
saw
many
updates,
including
five
safety
Improvement
projects
through
the
city's
pavement
Management
program.
J
There
were
also
safety
improvements
at
98th
and
Normandale
at
the
intersection
of
Old
Shakopee
Road
and
Xerxes
Avenue,
and
the
final
phase
of
the
106th
Street
project
was
completed.
The
orange
and
D
bus
Rapid
Transit
lines
opened
connecting
people
to
job
centers
housing
options
and
Transit
stations
across
the
region.
Winstead
way
was
unveiled
in
honor
of
bloomington's
longest
serving
mayor,
Gene
Winstead
and
at
the
core
of
a
remarkable
Community
is
health
and
safety.
J
Thanks
to
the
safer
Grant
The
City
is
hiring
18
new
full-time
firefighters,
changes
to
curbside
cleanup
means
less
waste,
bringing
the
first
ever
city-wide
recycling,
drop-off
event,
garden
tool,
Swap
and
compost
giveaway
and
the
trial
of
a
bulky
item
collection
with
partner,
better
Futures,
Minnesota
and
curbside
Organics
kicked
off
with
a
bang
since
it
began.
One
year
ago,
5600
Bloomington
households
have
signed
up
for
the
service
and
have
diverted
more
than
a
thousand
tons
of
food
scraps
and
other
organic
materials
from
the
garbage
stream.
J
J
We
had
a
busy
year
and
our
work
has
put
Bloomington
into
a
prime
position
for
an
exciting
future
in
the
coming
years,
and
Beyond
I
want
to
go
back
if
I
could
do
the
mission
statement
for
just
a
minute
and
without
going
full
eighth
grade
English
class
and
identifying
the
different
parts
of
speech
in
this
statement.
I
do
want
to
take
a
minute
to
highlight
some
words
and
ideas
that
stand
out
and
the
first
is
cultivate.
J
J
J
J
We
continue
to
have
one
of
the
strongest
Economic
Development
track
records
in
the
region
throughout
2022
and
into
this
year
the
city
continued
to
redevelop
with
a
number
of
new
developments
and
property
Renovations
in
2022,
the
city
had
more
than
131
million
dollars
of
additional
assessed
value
due
to
new
construction
construction
on
the
new
Bloomington
Fire
Station
4
is
almost
complete
and
is
set
to
open
later
this
spring.
The
city
also
continues
to
advance
the
council's
goal
of
adding
new
housing
in
Bloomington.
J
1634
new
units
have
opened
since
2020.
an
additional
2061
new
units
are
under
construction
or
have
been
approved
for
future
Construction
of
these
3
700
new
units
over
770
are
affordable.
Major
companies
like
Seagate
walls
or
Toyota
and
Verizon
Wireless,
started
expansion
projects
or
received
approval
to
expand
their
facilities.
A
new
Top
Line
Credit
Union
is
currently
under
construction
and,
most
notably,
six
sensors
completed
phase
one
of
its
new
facility
in
the
South
Loop,
with
additional
phases
or
expansions
being
planned
and
with
the
projects
we
have
slated
for
construction
in
2023.
J
J
J
Bloomington
and
our
partners
at
McGuff
have
been
working
for
more
than
a
decade
to
cultivate
the
self-loop
area
into
the
neighbor
into
a
neighborhood.
The
area
is
served
by
Light
Rail
Transit,
Bloomington
Central
Station
includes
a
great
Park
and
a
gathering
space,
and
there
are
now
more
than
2
000
housing
units,
either
under
construction
or
existing
in
close
walking
distance.
J
The
one
thing
that
was
missing
was
a
grocery
store,
so
we
are
so
looking
forward
to
welcoming
a
new
oxendales
grocery
store
to
Bloomington
as
part
of
the
carbon
31
apartment
development
at
8100,
31st,
Avenue
South.
It's
a
couple
of
blocks,
east
of
the
Mall
of
America
in
Bloomington,
Central
Station,
carbon
31
is
a
six-story
project.
That'll
include
404
residential
units
and
15
000
square
feet
of
retail,
including
a
grocery
store
and
a
liquor
store.
Construction
is
underway,
should
wrap
up
later
this
year
or
early
in
2024.
J
I
want
to
congratulate
our
friends
and
our
partners
at
McGuff
for
the
work
that
they
have
done
out
at
Bloomington,
Central
Station,
and
if
we're
talking
about
bloomington's
economy,
we
absolutely
need
to
talk
about
our
exceptional
hospitality
industry
I'm
happy
to
report
that,
after
several
tough
years,
visitors
are
coming
back
to
Bloomington.
The
lodging
occupancy
data
at
the
end
of
2022
tells
this
story,
though,
still
short
of
the
pre-pandemic
numbers
of
2019
bloomington's
Hotel
occupancy
was
just
under
62
percent
last
year.
J
As
you
can
see,
we
are
in
line
with
overall
U.S
occupancy
race
and
we
outperformed
Minneapolis
or
the
Minnesota
rate.
As
well
as
the
occupancy
rates
in
Duluth,
St,
Paul
and
Minneapolis
for
our
friends
here
today
from
the
hospitality
industry,
we
see
you
thank
you
for
enduring
the
tough
times,
congratulations
on
making
it
through,
and
we
look
forward
to
our
continued
collaboration
with
our
hotels,
our
restaurants,
our
bars
and
attractions.
J
Having
a
place
to
call
home
is
such
an
important
factor
when
it
comes
to
a
person's
well-being
and
success
in
life,
no
matter
where
you
are
or
who
you
are
decent,
affordable
housing
provides
a
solid
foundation
for
everything
else
that
goes
on
having
a
stable
home
generates.
It
generally
equates
to
more
economic
success,
better
education
outcomes
and
a
better
quality
of
life.
J
That's
why
we've
been
working
hard
to
make
Bloomington
a
place
where
people
can
afford
to
live
through
our
opportunity,
housing,
ordinance
and
our
affordable
housing
trust
fund
Bloomington
works
very
closely
with
developers
to
provide
housing
that
people
can
afford,
and
that
means
people
in
our
hospitality
industry.
That
means
our
first
year,
teachers.
That
means
people
working
as
technicians
in
our
technology,
businesses
now
Each
decade,
the
Metropolitan
Council
sets
affordable
housing
goals
for
cities
across
the
Twin
Cities.
J
Providing
housing
that
people
can
afford
is
a
regional
issue,
but
there
are
far
too
many
communities
that
have
decided,
for
whatever
reason
that
they're
going
to
sit
this
one
out
that
affordable
housing
isn't
something
that
they
want
to
deal
with.
Former
mayor
Gene
Winstead
was
known
for
saying
we
do
a
really
good
job
of
admiring
a
problem,
it's
time
to
stop
admiring
this
problem
and
it's
time
for
all
communities
to
get
to
work
on
this.
J
For
three
decades,
the
Bloomington
Port
Authority
has
very
successfully
worked
to
expand
the
city's
tax
base,
promote
and
attract
quality,
job
opportunities
and
support
real
estate,
Redevelopment
and
economic
development.
The
restructuring
expands,
the
port
Authority's
role
to
more
actively
include
Business,
Development
expansion
and
retention
and
IT
restructures
staff
to
make
these
positions
to
make
the
positions
a
priority.
J
J
K
I
did
not
want
to
be
the
guy
who
put
a
closed
sign
on
the
door
at
the
last
minute
and
says
thanks
for
your
support
and
leave
it
at
that
I'm
Edward
Fong,
most
people
know
me
as
Ed
Fong
I'm,
a
second
generation
to
the
David
Fong's
restaurant
I
was
two
months
old.
My
parents
started
the
business.
My
parents
started
out
in
1958
at
a
location
that
they
found
on
Old,
Shakopee
and
Lindale.
Eight
years
later,
we
opened
up
this
location
in
9329
Lindale,
just
four
blocks
from
the
original
store.
K
My
father
was
actually
a
draft
and
bike
trade.
As
you
see
the
red
awnings
around
the
building
and
inside
the
building
are
actually
designed
by
him.
I
actually
still
had
the
original
drawings.
With
my
father's,
we
were
warmly
welcomed
into
the
community
and
that's
how
we
started
putting
our
Roots
down.
My
parents
started
out
with
four
items
in
takeout,
and
that
was
the
chicken
chow
mein
egg
foo
young,
fried
rice
and
egg
rolls.
K
My
parents
always
said
you
know
you
have
to
give
back
to
the
Community
for
them
to
support
you
and
so
from
the
very
beginning.
We've
always
been
the
very
Community
oriented
and
we
support
Lions
Clubs,
some
of
the
other
charitable
organizations
that
are
in
the
area
and
the
schools
is
a
big
part
of
it
too.
For
education
I
mean
all
those
things
that
make
a
community.
K
We
want
to
support
those
who
make
the
art
community
stronger
for
us,
the
stronger
the
community
for
where
we
were
at
made
it
that
much
more
viable
for
us,
the
same
business.
Thank
you
Bloomington
and
everybody
else
from
around
the
country
that
come
back
to
say
thanks
and
wishing
me
good
luck
in
my
retirement.
J
David
on
behalf
of
countless
customers
that
you've
served
through
several
Generations.
Thank
you
and
thank
you
to
your
entire
family
for
64
years
of
not
only
providing
great
service
and
exceptional
food
to
our
community,
but
for
your
generosity
and
support
of
Bloomington
over
all
of
these
years.
Congratulations
on
your
retirement
well
done.
J
To
cultivate
new
businesses
and
to
uplift
aspiring
entrepreneurs,
work
is
underway
on
a
new
Bloomington
Small
Business
Development
Center
in
the
old
fire
station
number
three
on
East
86th
Street,
a
small
business
resource
of
this
type,
was
a
top
priority
in
our
city
survey
of
businesses,
and
it's
great
to
see
the
project
is
moving
forward.
We've
hired
an
architect,
there's
an
advisory
committee.
J
That's
been
working
to
develop
recommendations
on
operations
and
programming
and
branding,
and
the
city
has
sought
out
and
received
funding
from
a
variety
of
sources,
including
Hennepin,
County,
the
McKnight
foundation
and
the
American
Rescue
plan.
A
very
important
goal
of
this
project
is
to
support
the
entrepreneurial
efforts
of
underrepresented
groups,
women-owned
businesses,
Youth
and
artists,
but
I
want
to
be
perfectly
clear.
The
resources
and
services
available
at
the
Small
Business
Development
Center
will
be
available
to
any
business
in
Bloomington
who
is
either
starting
looking
to
expand
or
looking
to
improve
their
business.
J
Last
Summer
the
city
council,
unanimously
approved
and
earned
sick
and
safe
leave
ordinance
that
ensures
that
workers
in
Bloomington
have
the
right
and
the
ability
to
take
time
off
for
their
health
and
safety.
It
provides
an
option
for
employees
so
that
they
don't
have
to
make
the
choice
between
losing
wages
or
going
to
work
sick.
J
The
ordinance
goes
into
effect
on
July
1st
of
this
year,
and
the
city
will
be
encouraging
the
business
or
will
be
engaging
the
business
community
on
the
impacts
and
the
Implement
implementation
steps
of
this
ordinance
throughout
the
course
of
the
year.
Another
initiative
that
I'm
very
excited
about
is
the
Bloomington
Workforce
steering
committee.
It's
a
public-private
partnership
between
the
city
of
Bloomington
and
Regional
businesses
and
academic
Leaders,
with
the
goal
of
creating
12
000
high-paying
jobs
in
Bloomington
by
2027..
J
The
committee's
goal
is
to
position
Bloomington
as
a
hub
of
innovation
and
talent
for
future
and
to
support
the
training
and
upskilling
of
tomorrow's
Workforce
through
internships,
apprenticeships
and
proven
training
programs,
thanks
to
the
committee
members,
for
their
commitment
to
advancing
this
important
initiative
and
one
final
Workforce
effort
I
want
to
bring
to
your
attention
is
our
new
bloom
in
Bloomington
program.
There
have
been
discussions
for
a
couple
of
years
about
the
need
for
programming
for
young
people
in
our
community
and
our
community
development.
J
J
Priscilla
moyawa
was
hired
as
project
manager
and
worked
alongside
City
staff
to
create
bloom
in
Bloomington.
It's
a
program
that
strives
to
support
and
grow
a
more
diverse
and
accessible
Workforce
for
our
community
by
matching
young
people
with
Employers
in
local
government
non-profit
in
the
private
sector.
The
new
internship
program
will
kick
off
this
summer.
We're
looking
forward
to
it.
Priscilla
is
here
with
us
today.
I
wanted
to
make
sure
that
we
there
she
is.
We
wanted
to
say
congratulations
and
thank
you.
J
Using
a
sales
tax
to
fund
these
projects,
sixty
percent
of
the
cost
would
be
paid
for
by
visitors
to
Bloomington
and
40
percent
would
be
paid
for
by
Bloomington
residents.
The
typical
cost
for
a
Bloomington
household
would
be
about
70
to
100
each
year
if
these
same
projects
were
paid
for
through
a
property
tax
levy,
the
property
tax
bill
for
the
median
value
home
in
Bloomington
would
increase
by
about
two
hundred
and
thirty
dollars
a
year.
J
We
made
a
lot
of
progress
in
sustainability
in
2022.
Community
engagement
was
high
for
City,
coordinated
events
that
Aid
in
restoration
efforts
such
as
a
garlic
mustard
pole
and
a
Buckthorn
bust.
In
2022,
the
city
launched
two
energy
disclosure
programs
to
address
climate
change,
with
more
than
one
thousand
households
and
85
of
bloomington's
largest
buildings
participating.
J
Also
last
year,
the
city
introduced
the
curbside
Organics
recycling
program.
As
of
February,
more
than
5
600
homes
were
composting
curbside,
and
we
completed
a
large
restoration
project
on
oxboro
lake
and
kicked
off
a
project
to
improve
the
health
of
Penn,
Lake
and
I'd
like
to
recognize
one
of
our
youth
leaders.
Sustainability.
Commissioner
Owen
Loken
is
here
with
us
today.
Where
is
Owen?
J
Owen
is
a
senior
at
Jefferson
High
School.
Thank
you
for
your
service
on
the
commission,
appreciate
it
Owen
in
2021,
the
city
council
adopted
a
park
system
master
plan
that
guides
Park
improvements
and
sets
priorities
for
what's
included
in
parks
and
in
2022
staff
went
back
out
into
the
community
to
get
input
on
individual
Park
plans
for
nine
different
Parks.
We
hosted
ice
cream
socials
in
July
and
September,
and
presented
two
scenarios
for
each
of
the
nine
parks.
J
The
final
drafts
of
the
conceptual
plan
for
Bryant
and
tretboa
park
is
currently
being
presented
to
the
community
and
those
two
parks
are
scheduled
to
be
worked
on
in
2024..
The
plans
do
a
great
job
of
incorporating
natural
resources,
trails
and
new
park
amenities,
which
are
top
priority
themes
from
the
park
system
master
plan.
J
We
also
learned
that
Bloomington
will
receive
2.35
million
dollars
in
federal
funds
to
construct
a
key
section
of
the
Minnesota
Valley
State
trail
that
runs
along
the
Minnesota
River.
The
new
section
will
run
between
Lindale
Avenue
and
Nine
Mile
Creek.
The
Minnesota
State
trail
is
a
13-mile
trail
that
extends
from
the
Bloomington
Ferry
Bridge
to
the
Minnesota.
Valley
National
Wildlife
Refuge
Visitors
Center,
when
it's
complete
and
from
the
time
that
this
the
first
segment
opened
and
it
was
open
to
users.
J
The
use
and
the
demand
for
this
Trail
absolutely
exceeded
expectations
and
I
think
it
shows
the
demand
for
this
type
of
accessible
high
quality.
Recreational
multi-use
trail
that's
available
to
everyone.
It
also
shows
there's
plenty
of
room
for
everyone
in
all
different
uses
in
the
Minnesota
River
Valley.
J
The
project
includes
the
494
35W
interchange,
improvements
within
Northbound
to
westbound
flyover,
ramp,
Easy,
Pass
Lanes
in
both
directions
between
East
Bush,
Lake,
Road
and
35W
bridge
reconstruction
of
Nicollet,
Portland
and
12th
to
prepare
for
the
Easy
Pass
to
the
East
and
a
new
pedestrian
bridge
at
Chicago,
Avenue
and
out
of
necessity.
The
project
is
also
going
to
require
a
lot
of
patience,
a
lot
of
understanding
and
a
lot
of
leaving
yourself
a
little
extra
time
to
get
where
you're
going
over
the
next
three
years.
J
Bloomington
and
our
partners
continue
to
look
for
funding
for
future
phases
of
the
project.
So
we
can
get
this
project
done
and
done
right,
the
first
time
and
speaking
of
a
project
that
was
done
right.
The
106th
Street
project
between
Lindale
Avenue
and
Oak
Grove
Middle
School,
was
completed
in
2022.
the
project,
improved
local
Street
connections
and
to
the
new
bridge,
the
35W
bridge
over
106th
Street.
It
also
included
safety
improvements
with
improved
sight,
Lanes,
reduced
conflict
points
and
improved
bike
and
pedestrian
facilities,
and
because
I
have
you
here
today.
J
I
want
to
remind
you
all
once
again
that
the
Bloomington
remembers
veterans
group
is
working
with
the
city
to
build
a
Veterans
Memorial
on
the
East
Lawn
of
the
Civic
Plaza.
The
memorial
design
captures
the
themes
of
Honor
reflection,
education,
community
and
fee,
and
the
future,
and
the
Bloomington
remembers
veterans
group
is
accepting
donations
for
this.
Don't
forget
them,
please.
J
The
final
part
of
the
mission
statement
that
I
want
to
focus
on
is
the
word
remarkable
now
here
I'm
here
in
Bloomington,
we
get
the
work
done.
That's
what
we
do.
That's
not
remarkable!
That's
what
all
cities
should
be
doing
when
it
snows
we
plow
the
streets.
Our
Police
Department
is
fantastic,
our
Parks
keep
getting
better
and
better,
and
our
drinking
water
is
absolutely
second
to
none.
J
J
The
theme
couldn't
be
more
timely,
healthy,
healthy,
healthy
Planet
Minnesota
is
the
perfect
place
to
showcase
the
future
of
Health
and
Wellness
for
all,
and
a
World's
Fair
in
Bloomington
would
have
a
tremendous
economic
impact
in
Minnesota.
First,
with
projected
13.3
million
attendees
over
93
days
in
the
summer
of
2027,
the
Expo
would
certainly
be
a
huge
Boon
for
our
hospitality
industry
and
with
almost
90
percent
of
Expo
attendees
coming
from
outside
the
Twin
Cities
that
economic
impact
would
be
felt
far
and
wide.
J
J
The
expectation
is
that
the
majority
of
the
infrastructure
built
for
the
Expo
would
be
built
to
be
reused
in
some
way,
shape
or
form
we're
in
the
home
stretch
of
this
bid
to
host
Expo
2027
Minnesota
and
the
United
States
are
competing
against
Spain,
Thailand,
Serbia
and
Argentina,
and,
despite
being
cautioned
about
being
overly
optimistic
last
week,
I'm
going
to
tell
you
I'm,
very
confident,
I
think
we
are
going
to
I
think
we
are
going
to
land
Expo,
2027
and
I.
Think
it's
coming
to
Minnesota.
J
J
When
we
were
together
this
time
last
year,
we
talked
about
a
proposed
water
park
at
the
Mall
of
America
and
we're
here
talking
about
it
again,
but
with
a
different
set
of
circumstances.
The
rising
cost
of
construction
and
materials
and
the
tightening
financial
markets
make
this
an
ongoing
discussion.
J
Support
to
this
project,
Tiff
is
routinely
used
to
get
projects
over
the
hump
and
Decades
of
History
shows
that
Tiff
actually
works
very
well
in
Minnesota
The
Lion's
Share
of
this
financing
would
go
to
infrastructure
public
improvements
that
are
traditionally
funded
by
Tiff,
including
roads,
infrastructure
and
parking.
This
is
another
example
of
a
of
an
aggressive
public-private
partnership
that
maximizes
benefits
to
the
city,
while
minimizing
risks
as
much
as
possible
stay
tuned.
J
If
financing
is
available
to
you
secured
and
the
financing
Gap
is
closed,
the
project
could
schedule
could
be
scheduled
to
begin
this
fall
and
it
goes
without
saying,
but
big
projects
aren't
what
make
this
community
remarkable.
It's
the
big-hearted
people
who
live
here
and
there
are
no
shortage
of
remarkable
people
in
our
community
people
who
are
soaring
to
new
heights
people
who
have
made
impressive
achievements
on
a
grand
scale
and
the
exceptional
neighbors
Among
Us,
who
give
of
themselves
to
make
a
difference
in
other
people's
lives.
L
It
was
crazy,
it
was
wild.
It
was
beyond
what
I
ever
expected
it
to
be.
I
started
training
full-time
two
years
ago
for
this,
and
it's
a
little
hard
to
train
for
mountains
in
Minnesota
did
Laps
on
Highland
Hill.
Every
day
hour
after
hour,
I
was
in
Colorado
all
summer
and
I
was
there
setting
the
self-supported
Colorado
fortina
record.
A
fourteener
is
a
mountain
and
there
are
58
mountains
in
Colorado
that
are
taller
than
14
000
feet
just
another
day
in
14
or
Paradise.
M
That
day,
that
they
called
and
said
you
make
it,
you
know
there
was
a
lot
of
people
here
in
the
house.
This
beer
was
happy,
but
it
was
happy
and
try
at
the
same
time.
You
know
that
was
beautiful.
It's
beautiful
others,
I
think,
especially
when,
when
I
signed
that
someday
I
go
be
in
Cooperstown,
I
will
be
Hollow
friend.
I
contribute
a
lot
to
my
attitude.
N
N
M
P
J
J
J
J
Jean
belfi,
the
curator
of
the
Bloomington
Historical
Society
saw
his
Facebook
post
and
noticed
that
people
were
mostly
mentioning
Bloomington
athletes.
She
thought
she'd
add
some
variety
to
this
mix
and
nominated
her
previous
neighbor
Mary
Grant
Grand
Prix,
who
illustrated
the
U.S
versions
of
the
Harry
Potter
books,
and
so
a
working
partnership
was
born
together,
Don
and
Gene
researched,
wrote
and
designed
Pages
for
three
volumes
of
more
than
100
Bloomington
notables
The
Collection
is
housed
at
the
Bloomington
Historical
Society
I
encourage
you
go
and
take
a
look,
because
it
is
really
cool.
J
J
Thank
you,
I'm
honored,
to
be
part
of
this
community
and
City
organizations
made
up
of
influential
leaders
who
are
achieving
greatness
in
their
careers
and
the
work
that
they
do
for
others.
This
year
at
large
council
member
Jenna,
Carter
and
Normandale
black
men
in
teaching
program
coordinator,
Marvis,
Kilgore
Marvis
is
right.
Over
there
they
were
named
40
under
40
honorees
by
Minneapolis
and
St
Paul,
Business
Journal
city
of
bloomington's,
Chief
equity
and
inclusion
officer,
Faith
Jackson.
She
is
right.
Over
there
she
was
named
finance
and
Chambers
Rising
young
professional.
J
Now
you
messed
me
up
Faith.
Here
we
go
and
Resident
Tara
Owens
was
honored
with
the
Omar
Bond
root
award
for
human
rights,
she's,
a
passion
for
creating
community
and
connection
in
her
work,
leading
the
Todd
pod
and
the
Early
Learning
advisory
Council
early
early
learning,
advisory
Council
here
in
Bloomington
and
city
of
Bloomington,
Deputy,
City,
Attorney,
Peter,
zunigo,
Peter
I,
think
was
right
back
there
there
he
is.
J
J
Since
1963
the
BSO
has
been
providing
orchestral
musical
for
music
for
the
Bloomington
Community
has
offered
opportunities
for
area
instrumentalists
to
develop
their
musical
skills.
It's
made
up
of
talented
amateur
and
freelance
professional
musicians.
Bso
performs
several
classical
programs
each
year,
you
probably
have
seen
them
perform
at
the
lake
Normandale
Bandshell,
including
performances
at
the
city's
July
3rd
Summerfest
celebration.
Congratulations
on
60
years
in
the
community
that
is
music
to
our
ears.
Thank
you.
Congratulations!
J
Thank
you
and
one
more
bit
of
Accolade.
We
know
that
quality
schools
draw
families
to
Bloomington,
contributing
to
a
vibrant
and
thriving
community
in
Bloomington
Public
Schools
provide
remarkable
opportunities
for
all
of
our
learners.
The
district's
re
Renaissance
project
is
funded
by
one
of
13
U.S
Department
of
Education
grants.
It
focuses
on
early
identification
of
giftedness
in
underrepresented
students,
including
students
of
color,
economically
disadvantaged,
multilingual
Learners
and
children
with
disabilities.
J
J
The
Bloomington
career
and
College
Academy
offers
Pathways
to
careers
and
college
level
courses
in
Information,
Technology,
Healthcare,
criminal
justice
and
law
enforcement,
and
more
we're
happy
to
mention
that
two
BPS
graduates
who
went
through
this
program
are
now
two
Bloomington
police
officers
and
Bloomington
Public
Schools
is
proud
to
have
10
teachers
included
in
the
field
of
131
for
Education
Minnesota's
teacher
of
the
year
award
program
this
year
and
three
Advanced
to
the
semi-final
round.
So,
congratulations
to
all
of
our
schools
and
school
districts
and
everybody
the
great
work.
That's
going
on.
J
It
was
former
president
Barack
Obama
who
said
change
is
brought
about
because
Ordinary
People
do
extraordinary
things.
There
are
many
individuals
and
organizations
in
this
community
doing
extraordinary
things,
people
helping
those
in
need
and
giving
their
time
like
volunteers
with
wonderful
organization,
organizations
like
Veep,
Cornerstone,
the
red
and
bridging,
and
sometimes
it's
just
about
providing
remarkable
service
and
taking
time
to
recognize
and
to
thank
our
community
helpers.
Q
Q
We
in
the
spring
we're
talking
about
how
we
can
just
be
more
present
in
our
community
and
what
we
can
do
to
talk
to
our
community
members
and
both
of
the
boys
really
wanted
to
thank
our
community
helpers.
So
we
talked
about
who
our
community
helpers
were,
and
our
garbage
collector
was
the
top
person
on
the
list
they're
both
like
we
need
to
thank
this
guy,
so
we
got
out
the
Crayons
got
out
the
markers
and
they
wrote
a
little.
Thank
you
note.
R
Q
R
Q
J
J
My
friends
I
started
by
saying
that
the
state
of
our
city
is
strong.
Our
future
is
bright
and
we
have
an
amazing
plan
to
create
an
enduring
and
remarkable
Bloomington
together
and,
as
I
said
in
earlier
here
in
Bloomington,
we
get
the
work
done.
That's
because
we
have
an
amazing
City
staff.
I
know
Jamie's
going
to
go
into
a
bit
more
detail
in
just
a
minute
here,
but
I
want
to
thank
every
member
of
our
city
staff,
who
is
here
today
for
the
outstanding
work
that
you
do
every
day
to
make
this
a
remarkable
community.
J
The
city
organization
is
exceptional
and
the
leadership
is
among
the
best
leading
it
all
is
someone
who
I've
had
the
pleasure
of
knowing
for
about
25
years
and
had
the
pleasure
of
working
with
for
the
past
seven
years.
Our
city
manager,
Jamie
vibrugi,
is
recognized
as
one
of
the
most
forward-thinking
and
effective
managers
in
the
state
of
Minnesota,
and
he
makes
it
all
look
effortless.
J
S
S
I
don't
know
if
I
can
bring
that
much
energy.
So
here's
where
the
boring
part
starts
I
want
to
thank
mayor
Bussey
every
every
year.
He
does.
This
is
your
second
one,
because
the
first
couple
undercovered
we
weren't
able
to
do
this
much
fun
so,
but
each
of
the
years
that
you
have
produced
a
state
of
the
city,
we
still
did
it
during
covet.
S
He
does
a
fantastic
job
and
I
really
appreciate
your
leadership,
just
as
I
appreciate
the
leadership
of
our
entire
city
council
they're
in
it
for
the
right
reasons,
they
have
wonderful
vision
and
it
is
absolutely
a
privilege
and
a
pleasure
to
work
for
all
seven
of
them
for
thanks.
Thank
you.
I'm
Jamie,
from
brugi
I'm,
the
Bloomington
city
manager,
I,
agree
with
what
krishana
and
the
mayor
both
said
earlier
in
saying
it
is
so
good
to
be
around
you.
I
mean
this
is
an
incredible
room.
That's
here
with
us
today.
S
As
the
mayor
said,
the
state
of
our
city
is
strong
and
our
future
is
bright
and
we
have
a
new
group
of
bright
and
talented
new
leaders
who
joined
our
city
organization
this
past
year
and
I
want
to
introduce
some
of
them
to
you.
Holly
masic
is
our
new
Port
Authority
administrator
where's
Holly
at
there.
She
is.
S
Christia
Davern
is
our
new
facilities.
Manager
is
Christia
with
us,
I
didn't
see
if
she
was
here
today,
we
have
Irene
babakani
is
our
new
assistant,
Public
Health
administrator
Scott
Roth?
Is
our
new
assistant,
Golf
Course
manager?
Ian
breke
is
our
new
Center
for
the
Arts
manager.
Ian
replaces
Leah
Hughes,
who
is
now
our
deputy
director
of
Parks
and
Recreation
and
Tim
Bulger
is
the
new
City
Assessor
where's
Tim
now
these
are.
These
are
folks
in
leadership
positions
in
the
city.
S
We
have
hired
more
people
in
the
last
couple
years
than
we
have
in
years
before
we've.
A
lot
of
you
are
experiencing
this
experiencing
this
too
right.
Is
that
there's
a
lot
of
churn
in
the
marketplace,
and
so
we
have
been
welcoming
a
lot
of
new
people
into
the
organization
and
here's.
What
I
will
tell
you
is
that
we
are
attracting
incredible
incredible
professionals,
and
each
of
these
people
that
we
have
hired
I
am
I,
am
just
incredibly
excited
to
work
with
in
the
future,
and
it's
not
just
at
the
leadership
level.
S
S
Now,
Toronto
City
operation.
Of
course
we
need
strong
financial
management
to
continue
to
remain
strong
and
help
us
achieve
much
of
what
you've
been
hearing
about
today
and
to
reaffirm
our
excellent
financial
position.
I
get
to
once
again
report
that
Bloomington
has
retained
its
triple
triple
A
rating,
the
highest
Bond
ratings
from
all
three
of
the
bond
rating
agencies.
Out
of
almost
19
500
cities
in
the
United
States,
there
are
only
33
that
have
three
aaa's
and
Bloomington
continues
to
be
the
only
city
in
Minnesota
to
have
that
distinction.
S
This
past
year,
the
city
of
Bloomington
was
awarded
the
certificate
of
achievement
for
excellence
in
financial
reporting
from
the
government
Finance
Officers
Association.
This
award
is
the
highest
form
of
recognition
for
excellence
in
state
and
local
government
financial
reporting,
and
in
order
to
be
awarded
a
certificate
of
achievement,
a
government
must
publish
an
easily
readable
and
efficiently
organized
annual
comprehensive
financial
report.
This
is
the
50th
year
in
a
row
that
the
city
has
received
this
award,
that's
a
milestone
that
is
shared
by
only
one
other
city
and
one
other
County
in
the
entire
country.
S
The
report
is
the
accumulation
of
all
of
the
city's
activities
and
transactions,
and
it's
the
Cornerstone
to
cultivating
and
enduring
and
remarkable
Community,
where
people
want
to
be
I
want
to
thank
the
folks
in
our
finance
Department,
especially
who
work
on
our
annual
financial
report,
who
put
together
fantastic
budgets
and
who
do
a
tremendous
job
of
managing
the
money
that
our
taxpayers
expect
us
to
protect.
So
thank
you
to
all
of
them.
S
The
Bloomington
Fire
Department
has
begun
its
transformation
from
a
predominantly
paid
on-call
Department
to
a
hybrid
model
of
full-time
and
part-time
firefighters,
to
improve
response
times
and
to
better
meet
the
safety
needs
in
our
community
last
fall.
The
fire
department
is
that
was
noted.
Earlier
learned,
it
received
a
staffing
for
adequate
fight
and
emergency
response,
a
safer
Grant
from
FEMA,
so
those
funds
will
make
it
possible
for
us
to
hire
18
full-time
firefighters
to
better
serve
Bloomington
and
provide
much
needed
additional
Staffing
for
the
department.
So
the
hiring
process
is
complete.
S
All
18
firefighters
have
accepted
their
job
offers
they
start
on
April
3rd
and
we're
going
to
introduce
them
to
the
community.
At
a
council
meeting
on
April
17th
we're
very
excited
to
welcome
those
18.
We
have
three
more
coming
in
July,
so
we
are
ready
to
move
forward
with
a
modern
fire
department
to
protect
our
community.
S
S
Visitors
will
have
the
opportunity
to
see
the
SWAT
team,
although
we
don't
call
them
SWAT
anymore.
We
call
them
the
Emergency
Response
Unit
now,
but
you
know
they're
still
really
cool,
even
if
they
have
a
different
name.
The
bomb
squad,
the
K-9
unit,
they'll,
get
to
tour
the
police
department.
You
can
meet
representatives
from
our
Patrol
Division,
our
crime
prevention
staff,
Animal,
Control
reserves,
chaplains
explorers
and
much
more
and
I
really
want
to
say
about
our
police
department
and
I
I.
Believe
this
to
my
core.
S
I
want
to
congratulate
deputy
chief
Kim
Claussen,
who
just
recently
graduated
from
the
284th
session
of
the
national
FBI
Academy
she's,
one
of
only
a
handful
of
officers
in
our
Police
Department's
history
to
complete
this
prestigious
program
and
I
also
want
to
acknowledge
officer.
Matt
Ryan
Matt
received
the
Optimus
Club
respect
for
law
officer
of
the
year,
as
well
as
the
Bloomington
police
officer
of
the
year
in
2022
Matt.
Congratulations.
S
Bloomington
Police
Department
for
their
excellent
work
and
their
rapid
response
in
Daily
work,
but
especially
their
response
to
three
high-profile
incidents
that
occurred
in
Bloomington
over
the
past
year.
Their
efforts
to
keep
our
community
safe
are
truly
remarkable
and
those
kinds
of
events
can
really
have
a
destabilizing
effect
on
communities
right
and
when
you
see
those
happen,
they
can
really
shake
people
to
our
core.
But
what's
really
important
is
when
people
come
to
Bloomington
in
crime
they
get
caught,
because
our
Police
Department
I,
think
is
the
best
police
department
in
the
state
of
Minnesota.
S
I.
Don't
know
many
other
communities
right
now
that
are
experiencing
that
this
is
a
safe
Community.
It's
an
incredibly
Safe,
Community
and
I
know
for
people
who
may
see
crime
happening
or
experience
crime
themselves.
That's
a
hard
story
to
tell,
but
here
I
am
to
tell
you
that
we
are
a
safe
community
and
it
goes
beyond
the
police
officers.
A
lot
of
the
credit
goes
to
our
residents,
because
safety
in
a
community
begins
right
in
the
neighborhood.
S
S
One
of
the
priorities
of
the
Bloomington
tomorrow
together
plan
is
a
healthy
community.
It's
a
lesson
learned
from
covid-19
that
people
need
better
Access
to
Health
Services,
where
they
live
and
learn
and
work
and
play
by
going
into
the
community.
We
can
improve
People's
Health
and
reduce
persistent
disparities.
This
Spring
bloomington's
Public
Health
division
is
rolling
out
a
mobile
Health
Hub
across
the
three
communities
we
serve,
Bloomington,
Edina
and
Richfield,
and
the
unit
was
funded
using
American
Rescue
plan
dollars.
S
Just
a
couple
weeks
ago,
mayor
Bussey
was
at
the
White
House
as
part
of
a
group
of
minnesotans
talking
about
how
the
American
Rescue
plan
has
been
put
to
use
to
benefit
communities.
This
is
a
prime
example
of
it
right
here.
Offerings
will
include
immunizations,
Health
screenings,
nutrition,
education
through
the
women
infants
and
children
or
WIC
program,
and
much
more.
S
The
public
health
division
part
plans
to
partner
with
our
schools
and
in
apartment
complexes
and
other
community
sites
to
make
its
Health
Services
more
available
and,
as
our
community
gets
more
diverse,
the
city
is
responding
to
the
changing
needs.
A
new
way
we
are
working
to
improve
the
community's
health
is
through
community
health
workers.
The
city's
first,
two
bilingual
community
health
workers
were
hired
last
year.
They
are
trusted
and
knowledgeable
members
of
the
communities
they
serve.
S
They'll,
be
embedded
in
our
Public
Health
division,
cultivating
relationships
and
help
breaking
down
cultural
and
linguistic
barriers
between
communities
and
Health
Care
Systems
an
incredibly
busy
first
year.
They
have
provided
Community,
Education
and
Outreach
they've
supported
families
through
home
visits
and
connected
residents
to
vital
resources
such
as
health,
insurance,
medical
and
dental
clinics
and
household
needs.
Most
of
this
work
has
been
done
in
Spanish.
S
S
S
So,
after
a
three-year
Hiatus
Public
Works
staff
is
revved
up
to
open
their
doors
and
bring
back
equipment
rides
demonstrations,
interactive,
displays,
snacks,
prizes
and
other
family
fun.
So
on
the
20th,
if
you
aren't
around
the
city
of
Bloomington
you're
missing
out
on
something
you
know
between
the
police
and
the
Public
Works,
it
really
is
a
cool
show
so
mark
your
calendar
for
this
opportunity
to
get
to
know
the
people
and
the
equipment
that
keep
Bloomington
a
great
place
to
live.
S
The
mayor
referenced
this
so
much
snow.
You've
probably
seen
this
viral
image
circulating
this
week,
Star
Tribune
said
captures
our
long
long
winter
in
Minnesota
or
more
locally.
This
image
captures
our
long
long
winter
in
Bloomington
it's
the
year
that
already
ranks
as
one
of
the
snowiest
on
record,
in
fact
with
81.2
inches
of
snow.
This
is
the
seventh
snowiest
season
on
record
and
I,
along
with
many
other
grateful
community
members
would
like
to
acknowledge
the
extraordinary
efforts
put
forth
by
our
snow
removal
teams.
This
year
we
hear
from
many
yeah.
S
We
hear
from
a
lot
of
people
who
travel
this
city
that
Bloomington
roads
are
some
of
the
best
maintained
anywhere
around
and
especially
so
when
it
comes
to
ensuring
safety
during
inclement
weather.
We
do
hear
occasionally
from
people
who
are
dissatisfied
actually
so
I
love.
This
little
anecdote.
I
I
got
a
call.
Two
years
ago
the
April
snowstorm,
where
we
had
14
inches
and
I
had
a
guy
who
was
really
upset
because
we
didn't
get
as
cul-de-sac
plowed
out
by
8
A.M.
Like
usual,
it
was
like
3,
30.
S
So
every
now
and
then
we
got
somebody
who's,
not
happy,
but
the
fact
is,
we
have
the
data
to
prove
how
happy
the
Bloomington
residents
are
in
our
snow
removal
efforts,
the
2022
National
Community
survey
of
Bloomington
residents,
our
snow
removal
received
scores
of
excellent
or
good
from
84
percent
of
our
residents
that
rank
Bloomington
in
the
top
10
percent
of
jurisdictions.
Nationwide
that
ask
this
question:
removing
snow
is
a
difficult
task
in
this
year
presented
even
bigger
challenges.
Let's
take
a
look.
T
B
We
do
get
a
two
or
three
day
snow
event.
You
know
we
ask
a
lot
of
our
crew
to
come
in
early
work,
late,
sleep
on
minimum
hours
of
sleep
and
then
come
back
and
repeat
two
three
days
in
a
row
and
that's
not
the
end
of
it.
Then
we
have
to
think
about
cleaning
up
and
preparing
for
the
next
event,
it's
pretty
fun,
but
it
does
get
old
when
you
do
it
days
and
days
and
days
in
a
row.
I.
B
B
U
B
T
P
B
Of
the
city
members,
they
go
home
for
the
weekend.
These
folks
they're
working
around
the
clock,
so
that's
been
another
challenge,
for
them
is
working.
Weekends,
holidays
and
they've
been
wonderful
this
year,
so
I
appreciate
all
their
hard
work
and
makes
my
job
easier
and
obviously
it
helps
out
the
traveling
public
in
the
city,
keeping
everybody
safe.
S
You
know
I'm
told
when
we
invited
them
over,
that
we
wanted
to
do
this.
We
thought
we'd
get
15
or
20
of
them
right,
because
who
wants
to
go
to
a
state
of
the
city
address
and
it
turns
out
almost
all
of
them
wanted
to
come
here.
You
know
what
this
group
gets
so
little
recognition,
because
people
usually
don't
see
them.
So,
let's
just
tell
them
again.
S
S
It
really
is
a
good
thing
for
Bloomington
that
they
are
guiding
us
into
the
future
and,
like
I
said
before,
the
staff
that
worked
for
the
city
of
Bloomington
are
top-notch.
You
know,
city
manager
can
be
kind
of
a
tough
job
and
I
yeah
I'll
tell
you
I,
think
I
have
the
easiest
job
in
the
state
of
Minnesota,
because
I
have
so
many
Fantastic
people
working
with
me
who
are
really
good
at
what
they
do
so
on
behalf
of
all
of
them.
On
behalf
of
the
city
council,
thank
you
for
being
here.