Remarks by Jenna Carter
22 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Commissioner, for being here tonight. So obviously you guys are dealing with federal cuts and then there's a lot of unknowns for next year, but as you are making budget decisions now, do you anticipate any cuts to programs and services that will significantly impact the community other than what you've already kind of alluded to, like with cuts to Medicaid and the impacts at Hennepin County? But I'm just thinking about all of the other programs and services the county runs. Do you anticipate that there will be any I'm just thinking about are there ways as a city…
If these are not questions of clarity, tell me. So I was just curious why the overall public works revenue budget is going down by 10%
And then for the wastewater increase of 9%, Is that because the capital balance is going in the red, or is that capital balance actually reflects a 9% increase, and it's still in the red?
Okay. Okay. So I assume that it's absolutely necessary then for... kind of the long-term sustainability of that fund and the projects that we have.
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Yes, thank you, mayor. Councilmember Carter. So, I just wanted to hold this because we've had a lot of questions from the community and as councilmembers we've had the opportunity to have small group conversations with staff and learn more about the expansion of this Axon contract or the potential expansion. We've had a contract with Axon. Yeah, the green light's on.
Yeah, so we've had a lot of questions about this item from community, and so I just wanted to see if Chief Hodges could come up and share some more information around what it is and what it isn't. As council members, we've had the opportunity to have small group conversations with staff and get our questions answered and know what it is and what it isn't, so I think it would be just good for the community to hear in full transparency. And we have had this contract for a very long time. It really is just an expansion of some of the services, and so, yeah.
I would move to approve an agreement between the City of Bloomington and Axon Enterprise Inc. to piggyback off Cooperative Procurement State of Minnesota NASPO contract number 247327. Second.
Thank you, mayor. So, I also want to thank staff for the sit down and answering all the questions and having discussion.
Can I get a new microphone? Yeah, I would say I'm struggling with this, too. I agree with a lot of Councilmember d'alisandro's sentiments, and I guess I am wondering, is there anything that we can do to ensure that public benefit, ensure that homes are, in fact, going to be built in a timely manner, if we approve this change?
Yeah, so I guess I'll just end with I am struggling with this and I think we talked about this in the last project that came before us over on the east side that was something kind of similar that we would like to revisit the comp plan map and revisit the middle, the R3 zoning districts. I'm having a hard time just kind of having this like random, this random two lot, not random because it is in our comp plan, but like two parcels in the middle of a street that are going to be rezoned while all the rest of them around them still are one. I mean, obviously I know there's industrial and there's…
But this kind of, it just feels a little piecemeal. It doesn't feel very strategic. And so that's what I'm struggling with.
I do. So I have not heard of any holds. Okay. So I would move to approve items 3. Oh, sorry, I'm holding 3.1, donations. Okay, perfect. And then would move to approve 3.2 through 3.13. Do I have a second?
Yes, so this is our donations, and so I just want to... Say thank you to a lot of our community partners and individuals who have donated to the city in the last couple months very very grateful for the partnership as a city I can I think I can say very confidently that we can't do this on our own and so having so many wonderful partners is really truly we're very fortunate so I wanted to say thank you to the American legion post 550 who donated dollars for five dog tags for the memorial, which is amazing. And then there were several anonymous donations to the bpd for things like office…
I would move to adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the City Code to designate sports training facility as a permitted use in the FD2 zoning district. Second.
I would move to adopt a resolution authorizing summary publication of the ordinance we just approved, adding sports training facilities as a permitted use in the FD2 zoning district, thereby amending Chapter 21 of the City Code. Second.
Thank you, Acting Mayor. I just have a really quick question related to B, ordinance B about the goats. So I'm fully supportive, but I'm just curious. Does this only apply to the city or does it also apply to residents?
Sheep, we're allowing sheep now. In addition, if we pass this.
Well, no, I have actually heard about this issue, though, and I heard about it at National Night Out. Yeah. that there were some people in different neighborhoods who wanted to, I guess there's businesses, right? Where you can hire goats or sheep or whatever. And they have a pretty large plot. They're actually right across from the bike park truck bow. So it's like that hill and there's tons of buckthorn. And so they were like, we can't, they've removed all these, and they've been doing all this work and they wanted to have goats, but then they found out they couldn't because their lot's not…
So I have a question related to the car detailing. And there are some businesses that are, like, traveling car detailers. And how would this apply to them if they're going to, like, resident homes and, like, I don't know. Yeah.
All right, so they wouldn't be restricted by this at all. All right, thank you.
I'll just say one quick thing kind of building on Mr. howlett's comments in the listening session. I do think it would be really I think it would be a good policy or project for maybe our planning group, our planning staff and planning commission to look at what policies we have in place that either help or hurt people who want to grow and produce their own food in Bloomington. So obviously, I think this would be very good for the environment, which I think is the perspective he was bringing. But also, from a public health perspective, as food gets more and more unaffordable and more and more…