WEBVTT

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- Welcome I will call this meeting to order. It is Wednesday August 19th 5 31 p.m. And with the chief

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- deputy clerk, please take the role Here daily here Rallo Ruff Rosenberger here and flaring here

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- Welcome everybody. This is the Bloomington City Council's departmental hearings for the 2027 budget

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- This is night two of four sequenced over two weeks And the rest of the meetings are Monday and Wednesday

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- next week same time 5 30 p.m If you go to bloomington.in.gov budget, you can find all the relevant materials

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- including the Budget book that the mayor's administration puts together links to the meetings and the schedule

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- Tonight we have departmental budget presentations from the planning and transportation department that

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- is allotted 20 minutes the engineering department at 20 minutes the streets and traffic division of

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- the public works department 10 minutes the parking services division of the public works department

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- 10 minutes and Finally City of Bloomington utilities at 20 minutes as well Termine folks. We did have

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- a motion on Monday to structure a

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- this meeting and council deliberations for the week or for the two weeks rather. And so the details

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- of that are after the department's presentation we will have a period of questions from council members.

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- The max time allotted for each council member is three minutes and then we will move to any public comment

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- on the department's budget proposal that is two minutes per speaker available here in the chambers or

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- by raising your hand in the zoom

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- screen online, and then finally back to council members with up to three minutes each for comments on

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- the department's budget. So that will be the sequence for all of the department and division presentations

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- we're hearing tonight. And with that, I think we can go ahead and get started with the planning and

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- transportation department first. Welcome Interim Director Coyne. Thank you. I am Interim Director Lynn Coyne.

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- Transportation Department. Also with me here this evening are Jackie Scanlon, Assistant Director, and

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- Ryan Rubling, Director of Planning Services. I mentioned them because I came late to this process, which

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- is a large process, and their help was invaluable, and I'm grateful for that. So if we could go ahead

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- and start. It's up to me, right? All right. The department, as you know, is 18 staff, one permanent

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- part-time.

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- Our budget change in total is increased by $88,126 which represents cost of living increase for salaries

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- and insurance and those other factors as well as $46,000 for a new vehicle. That's the only thing we're

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- adding to it. I'll discuss that in a minute. Our key budget areas for the year are the downtown corridor

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- and sub-area planning study which we'll talk about.

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- Also development of our safe routes to school plan for one MCCS school and our quick build safety projects.

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- Highlights of last year, go through those briefly. We were awarded a $1.44 million grant from USDOT,

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- thank you very much, for corridor studies and transportation improvements. Our match is 20%, that's

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- what you see in our budget this evening in the package.

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- We also awarded eight thousand dollars in local motion grants. So on to the priorities and goals for

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- 2027 Top priority is downtown Bloomington corridor and sub area planning study That is the Kirkwood

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- corridor study from Rogers over to Indiana. That's a high priority for us that is 265,000 which is our

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- match from the local

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- local match for the DOT grant That also our safe routes to school and our quick build safety projects.

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- We have allotted seventy five thousand for those quick build projects. So the downtown study project

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- Is designed to call together all the work we've done in the past. It's been 20 years since there was

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- a Sorry to interrupt you just for a moment. I think our slides are not progressing and that's up to

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- me. Sorry about perfect. Oh good. I

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- Thank you, and if you could speak out just a little bit or a little closer to the microphone that might

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- be helpful as well I was relying on councilmember Piedmont Smith to tell me when to change Thank you

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- Thank you very much I'm looking here I need to be looking up there and also our quick build safety projects

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- Which I just mentioned where we have allotted seventy five thousand dollars for that Those are projects

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- where we are able to respond quickly to safety concerns and needs

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- in our transportation area. We can use temporary services, we can test things, whereas the longer term

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- solutions, as you know, take quite a while to fund and study and design. So our initiatives for 27 implement

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- the recommendations from the development review audit that's rolled into the second one. So what that

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- is, as you know, we had an audit of the

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- Development processes the permitting and application process and that indicated that it was fragmented

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- We have three major areas involved of that. We have planning transportation We have utilities and we

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- have engineering and a permit comes in it needs to circulate among those three departments and what

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- we're Already begun with a staff led initiative is to create concurrent processing and what that means

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- is is when a

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- permit comes in or an application comes in, it will automatically populate to everyone that's involved

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- in that type of application. That will be done through the EPL software. Our department, we're cooperating

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- with Katziger and Utilities and Andrew Sibber and Engineering to coordinate input into EPL so the software

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- will drive a lot of that process.

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- It will have timelines. It will have a portal so the applicant can look in and see the status of their

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- permit. And we will know, most importantly, is if someone in one department comments on it that it impacts

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- another, we will see that in real time and be able to respond and not recycle that application. So that'll

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- save a lot of time. So to be more efficient, staff time will be reduced and we'll be able to process

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- things quicker.

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- That's our goal in that. A second major emphasis of the report is the transparency and communication.

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- We have a lot of emphasis on that. We will continually cite the UDO so that people understand the source

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- of where we're coming from when we make comments on their applications or their permit applications.

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- Also in terms of communication,

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- be as helpful and communicative as we can, assist them through the process. It is a long, complicated

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- process. The UDO is 384 pages and it's our job to help people through that, help them navigate that

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- and understand it and do our best to make it as clear as we can. So couple that with a revised application

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- process, we should be able to improve

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- shall we say customer satisfaction, as well as processing time. There were a lot of recommendations,

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- but those two are the main ones we've already begun to implement, and they're in process. So long-range

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- planning and community visiting, that's the long-range plan for downtown Bloomington, the downtown corridor.

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- We're looking at a South Walnut Street plan, the North Walnut

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- Area of study is underway. It's moving along very well. We're in community outreach and communication

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- on that. The hope with the downtown plan is it says create a conceptual design shared street and try

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- to address the issues that have been coming up along one at a time or occasionally arise, coordinate,

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- organize those and try to deal with as many of those as possible in one process. So we have a coordinated analysis.

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- Public engagement, that's a major part of what we do. Last year there were over 60 outreach events,

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- public meetings, stakeholder conversations. Our goal is to make sure that when we roll out a project

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- or whether it's transportation or whatever it is, that everyone who has a voice in it has had an opportunity

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- to speak to it.

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- that elevates community acceptance. So that's our real goal is to help people understand some of the

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- newer concepts that are coming around. To that end, I'll shamelessly plug Safety Week, which is coming

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- up August 22nd. Three events, one with the IU Office of Sustainability is a guided bike tour from campus

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- that will help show them where they can get their groceries, other areas around campus that are important.

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- The 26th will be traffic cones. This is planning traffic staff will be down there, and you can get an

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- ice cream cone and talk to our staff and learn about what's going on. And Kittickle Mass, that'll be

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- at Bryan Park, and that's on the 27th, five to six, and that's to help kids going back to school learn

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- safe biking practices and encourage them to use their bike to move around, so get them started young.

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- So that's our, and we'll continue those obviously throughout the year. Our challenges, as always, improving

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- transportation safety, but we're doing our best to address that through the projects we mentioned. The

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- large amount of money it takes to initiate some of these significant traffic safety plans. We continue

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- to develop strategies in cooperation with engineering.

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- And we'll do our best to move funding along as we can develop that. The quick build strategy that I

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- mentioned earlier is a step in that direction. We can prototype and test things before they get into

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- permanent design. And our process improvement we've talked to. One thing I wanna make clear, we're gonna

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- try to get these permits through quickly, the applications. Some of them we'll get to know. I mean,

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- it has got to follow the UDO.

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- going to alter from what the requirements of the development ordinance is. So I'm blazing through that,

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- but I'm here to answer your questions. Our overall goal, safer, more efficient transportation, and a

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- department has transform processes. Now, some of you did ask questions about measurements of how many

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- this, how many that, performance, and so forth. I can't tell you that now, honestly.

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- But next year when you hear this, you will be able to get those major. That's part of the process. By

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- putting this information into EPL, we will be able to do real time status of how many permits are there,

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- where are they in the process, how many went through, how many had to come back, why. Explain those

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- reasons and develop that kind of data reporting mechanism. That is a big part of the goal of concurrent

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- processing that we're working on. So, sorry I don't have better data for you,

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- I'll get you better data next year. It won't be me, but someone will have better data when they come

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- to the next meeting So with that I thank you for your time Appreciate your patience and tolerance and

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- I'll answer whatever questions you may have Thank you very much for your presentation may have set a

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- speed record That's the way I am As a good reminder at the end of your marks there as well that Council

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- members are also submitting written questions online which are available to you all in real time and and

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- Will be Answered to the extent possible and posted for the public as well With that we can open it to

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- have some words for questions. That's more of Piedmont Smith Yes, I wanted to ask whatever happened

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- to the Walnut College corridor study Was it completed where their conclusions drawn? It is Thank you

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- for that. It's very close We have just a little more community outreach to do which I expect to take

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- place in the next two

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- Couple of months and then it will be ready to go. So it's in process. It's near completion. Is there

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- any money in the budget for next year to implement any of that. No.

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- Ryan Roebling planning services manager. There's no budget in the plan for the budget in next year.

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- We're looking for federal grant dollars to fund that. So that's the target for the next couple of years

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- for College of Walnut. I'm sorry. What was the amount. Oh you don't have. We don't. Yeah we don't have

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- it but we are looking for federal grant dollars to help fund the project. That's why they're here.

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- And then my other question is what projects from the straight safe streets for all action plan will

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- be pursued in 2027 and what's the funding situation for implementing that plan? Well, then I'm going

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- to go back to Ryan on that one because that's a detailed answer that is not in my thing. So have that.

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- I'm so sorry. Can you repeat that question? What projects from the safe?

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- Streets for all action plan will be pursued in 2027. And what is the funding situation for implementing

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- the plan for planning purposes? We have the downtown corridor study coming up and South Walnut Street

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- corridor study coming next year or starting this year, excuse me, and then Transfer engineering has

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- the remainder of the project based budget. I believe 10th Street is the priority project for next year, but

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- Director Seaborg could answer that better than I can So The downtown corridor study in the South Walnut

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- Street corridor study are in the safe streets for all action plan. Yes, they are both I did has Studies

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- in it. Yes, the plan is one of the items in the safety action plan calls for future corridor studying

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- so that we can both target future grant dollars, but also have a plan and community outreach prior to

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- Actual implementation so that we are ahead of the game rather than playing catch-up So with the 30 seconds,

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- I have left. Is there any actual build out of transportation improvements planned for next year?

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- Yes Again, that is a question for engineering, but we do have funding in the budget for next year Thank

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- you. I will ask again when we get to engineering. Thank you. Yes Thank you additional questions. I see

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- councilmember Stossberg and then comes my morale. Oh

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- Thank you so much. I have a couple questions. I'm hoping that they'll maybe either be short answers

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- or things I need to follow up with on paper. The first one, I guess, is you didn't mention any UDO changes

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- with respect to goals next year. So are there any specific pieces of the UDO that are being looked at

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- for updates next year in terms of developing things that we need?

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- Every year there's a process. The department goes throughout the year collecting situations where there

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- were conflicts or things came up with the UDO that caused problems that were unforeseen. So we are going

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- through that process right now with staff. They're being assembled. We're evaluating them for which

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- one we bring forward. One of the things, and there's a long list of various conflicts or something,

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- I'll just give you an example of what we might be thinking of Well, I guess I'm gonna interrupt you

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- because I only have two minutes. All right Is there anything that's gonna require use table changes

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- in terms of like budget for? Mailings for use table changes. No, so none of that. No, these are procedural

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- structural changes to avoid remedy gaps in the UDO and things like that. Okay, um

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- The second follow-up you mentioned the 60 public engagement events throughout the year Do you have any

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- idea how many unique residents gave input at those events? Oh my goodness We do keep that data, but

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- I didn't compile at all. Okay Quite a few yeah, we can we can provide you that information. I'll follow up with

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- That in one of the written comments then and that will give you guys take a look at that data since

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- you have it And then the last question I have actually has to do with your actual line item budget stuff

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- under Other services and charges then you have other services and charges down at the bottom that in

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- 2027 was almost $600,000 and then in

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- 26 was almost $600,000 and in 2027 it's about that too. So I guess I'm wondering what all is included

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- in that other because it feels like an other category for the other and that just Those are the The

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- funds that we we mentioned 265,000 for the Kirkwood study 75,000 for the quick build safety projects

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- We have fifty thousand for community safety projects. That's the bulk of that number. OK. So that's

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- the line item for like some of these actual projects that you're doing and it's just like categorized

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- under other. Yeah that's where they come out of. Yes sir. OK great. Thank you. Because my brother makes

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- Thank You director coin I I had a question about so the wanna college study is pending and Given the

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- findings of the of that report. What role will the council play in its potential implementation? There's

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- been some you know, I Guess differences of opinion about the role of council in title 15. I wonder if

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- somebody from planning could elaborate

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- Various street modifications and things like that will will to what role will the council play in any?

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- Implementation or will the plan simply be reported to the council? Anyone could you repeat the first

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- part of that question? Yes So the one a college study is pending. Yes when it arrives There'll be presumably

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- a presentation to council and then there will be a decision about implementation given funding constraints and

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- Maybe federal funds what role will the council play in its implementation? I Honestly don't know except

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- as it may be necessary to approve funding If there are funding programs that require your approval,

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- I don't there may be Actual you do map changes that come out of that Particularly with the downtown area

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- You know what should be in what should be out. So you'll definitely play a role if that comes out of

00:20:45.698 --> 00:20:53.002
- that process. OK. So changes in relation to the UDL appropriation of funding Mr. Rowling did you have

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- something.

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- Yes, council will have final authority to the final study will be adopted by council as an amendment

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- to the transportation plan So you'll see this study and then for implementation. Mr Okay, so we'll have

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- an up or down vote on that. What can we amend it? You can definitely amend it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, it's

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- a it's an addendum to the Comprehensive plan technically so you can it's your document to amend. Okay

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- terrific. Thank you for that

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- The two yeah, the two plans will be effective be the transportation plan in the comprehensive plan and

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- those are for your to approve Additional questions from council members. I Am seeing none With that

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- we could go to public comment on the planning and transportation departments budget proposal a reminder

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- you will have two minutes if you are in chambers and you would like to comment please go ahead and step

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- to the podium and

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- And if you are joining us online this evening and would like to comment on this department's budget

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- please use the raise hand feature in zoom or if you're having trouble with that you can always message

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- the meeting host and we'll get you on mic to share your comment. Any takers online. We do have one.

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- OK. Please state your name for the record if you will and proceed. Good evening council for budget

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- Workshop part two on just a quick quick word. I just want to commend interim director coin and department

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- for taking Structure points audit seriously. They didn't have to do that But the audit gave us a pretty

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- clear roadmap and I appreciate the response which isn't simply hey, let's add staff It's about improving

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- the process and making permitting more predictable and efficient. It's exactly the direction the business

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- community wants to see Thank you for your time tonight Thank you. I believe that was mr. MG from the

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- chamber joining us online

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- Any other comments online or in chambers? I am seeing none So we can return to counsel for any comments

00:22:57.268 --> 00:23:04.567
- on the planning and transportation department. Oh one more Yep, no worries, please. Go ahead. You can

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- set your name for the record and you will have two minutes It's Paul Russo quickly I hear a lot of words

00:23:12.080 --> 00:23:18.878
- that I really appreciate such as safety and sustainability and transparency and I want to know

00:23:19.970 --> 00:23:28.584
- how the public will be able to measure the effectiveness of improvements in transportation dollars that

00:23:28.584 --> 00:23:37.116
- are, I mean, as taxpayers, we're all wondering how to measure the effectiveness of our government. And

00:23:37.116 --> 00:23:45.398
- my experience so far with getting data from the city has not been positive. And so I'm wondering if

00:23:45.398 --> 00:23:46.558
- there are any

00:23:46.786 --> 00:23:53.993
- Anybody could comment about how we're gonna know that safety isn't increased. How will know

00:23:53.993 --> 00:24:01.826
- that sustainability is increased? Thank you Thank you Any other commenters online Still seeing none

00:24:01.826 --> 00:24:10.051
- in chambers. Okay, we will return to counsel then up to three minutes for our comments Councilor Marala,

00:24:10.051 --> 00:24:16.318
- please ask an additional question Yes, you could use your time in that way. Yes

00:24:17.442 --> 00:24:24.771
- Whomever would like to feel this is a good question. I assume say the downtown the whole plan the college

00:24:24.771 --> 00:24:31.754
- Walnut College quarter study if it's implemented We're gonna benchmark this we're gonna have we have

00:24:31.754 --> 00:24:38.806
- data Before and after that sort of thing and that will be accessible to the public. Absolutely. Okay.

00:24:38.806 --> 00:24:43.646
- All right. Thank you Additional comments councilmember Piedmont Smith

00:24:46.882 --> 00:24:55.009
- I just wanted to to say for the record that I understand the downtown corridor and sub area plan study

00:24:55.009 --> 00:25:03.056
- will include Kirkwood Avenue and Considerations towards making that a pedestrianized Street or shared

00:25:03.056 --> 00:25:11.262
- Street So I just want to make sure to get that on the record that is going to be part of the study that

00:25:11.262 --> 00:25:15.838
- we're funding for next year Thank you additional comments

00:25:18.594 --> 00:25:25.003
- I will follow up briefly on mr. Rousseau's comments. This came up in a recent Transportation Commission

00:25:25.003 --> 00:25:31.412
- meeting on which I serve Mr. Hank Duncan was with us Proposing some metrics that they're going to begin

00:25:31.412 --> 00:25:37.697
- measuring with respect to safe streets for all and that process isn't quite yet finalized but staying

00:25:37.697 --> 00:25:43.983
- plugged in through the Transportation Commission is one way to See that process unfold and I think we

00:25:43.983 --> 00:25:47.742
- are looking for metrics to measure improvements in safety or

00:25:47.906 --> 00:25:53.688
- Worsening safety conditions year over year. We'd also welcome input on what those metrics should be

00:25:53.688 --> 00:25:59.528
- through that Commission Additionally, I think it does go to We do measure other things like you know

00:25:59.528 --> 00:26:05.484
- mode share so percent of people walking biking that kind of thing on the sustainability front And some

00:26:05.484 --> 00:26:11.324
- of those other metrics I think it does go to a broader implication that we talked about in night one

00:26:11.324 --> 00:26:16.702
- of budget hearings of outcome-based budgeting and the need for a clear discrete and you know

00:26:16.866 --> 00:26:22.694
- meaningful set of measurements across all the department's work that are shared that are you know, kind

00:26:22.694 --> 00:26:28.466
- of formally adopted that we can actually Budget to plan to operationalize city government to we're not

00:26:28.466 --> 00:26:34.127
- there yet. But that is I think a theme will be talking about some this year Okay, any other comments

00:26:34.127 --> 00:26:39.338
- on? planning department budget planning and transportation Seeing none we can move on to our

00:26:39.338 --> 00:26:44.382
- next presentation for the evening That is the engineering department which has 20 minutes

00:26:44.610 --> 00:26:50.891
- We have director Andrew Seabor with us if you would like to come to the podium, I guess share your name

00:26:50.891 --> 00:26:57.233
- for the record and welcome We look forward to your presentation Good evening council members. I'm Andrew

00:26:57.233 --> 00:27:03.272
- Seabor the city engineer and the director of the engineering department I look forward to providing

00:27:03.272 --> 00:27:09.614
- you with an overview of the engineering department our 2027 budget proposal and some of the department's

00:27:09.614 --> 00:27:11.486
- initiatives and challenges for

00:27:12.194 --> 00:27:18.294
- Please know that I'll be happy to answer any questions after my presentation or in follow-up dialogue

00:27:18.294 --> 00:27:24.275
- in the coming weeks. To quickly introduce the department, we oversee use of the city's right of way

00:27:24.275 --> 00:27:30.316
- through permitting work done by other entities, managing capital infrastructure projects, and making

00:27:30.316 --> 00:27:36.775
- data-driven decisions regarding transportation operations. The department comprises 17 full-time positions,

00:27:36.775 --> 00:27:39.646
- one part-time position, and two summer interns.

00:27:40.386 --> 00:27:47.088
- I'll describe more details here shortly, but as a quick preview, the proposed 2027 budget reflects a

00:27:47.088 --> 00:27:53.922
- $3.7 million decrease compared to 2026 with the largest need revolving around capital project funding.

00:27:53.922 --> 00:28:00.557
- To set the stage for what lies ahead in 2027, I'd like to quickly reflect on some 2026 departmental

00:28:00.557 --> 00:28:07.326
- highlights. This year, the department expanded to 17 full-time positions and we were able to fill all

00:28:07.326 --> 00:28:10.046
- positions for the first time since 2022.

00:28:10.754 --> 00:28:17.413
- Our turnover is also down as we went a full year without a single staff departure. Thank you to HR and

00:28:17.413 --> 00:28:24.201
- Evers for supporting all that. Given the needs of being a growing department, sharing a suite with other

00:28:24.201 --> 00:28:31.054
- growing departments, engineering also relocated to Showers West, so no more workspaces squeezed in former

00:28:31.054 --> 00:28:37.583
- hallways. The team I'm here representing is a full of all-stars. They care deeply about the city and

00:28:37.583 --> 00:28:39.070
- the people they serve,

00:28:39.490 --> 00:28:45.224
- They support and push each other and frankly I think you'd struggle to find a more knowledgeable and

00:28:45.224 --> 00:28:51.015
- professional engineering team in the state. This year the department continues to play a pivotal role

00:28:51.015 --> 00:28:56.976
- in the development of Hopewell. Construction supporting the core project in Hopewell West is essentially

00:28:56.976 --> 00:29:02.142
- wrapping up and design and subdivision work for Hopewell South is actively moving forward.

00:29:03.042 --> 00:29:08.563
- We've also made great strides in the city's efforts to coordinate meaningful safety and accessibility

00:29:08.563 --> 00:29:14.138
- improvements into what would have formerly been routine maintenance maintenance projects features that

00:29:14.138 --> 00:29:19.605
- encourage improved speed limit compliance and providing pest improved pedestrian crossings have been

00:29:19.605 --> 00:29:25.234
- added to multiple city streets. In addition to physical improvements operational improvements to things

00:29:25.234 --> 00:29:30.864
- like signal timing are being deployed to better reflect community adopted goals and in response to city

00:29:30.864 --> 00:29:31.838
- council requests.

00:29:36.034 --> 00:29:41.748
- While I could keep talking about the great team I'm representing and what they are accomplishing, I

00:29:41.748 --> 00:29:47.461
- need to transition to what lies ahead in 2027. The engineering department's work and priorities are

00:29:47.461 --> 00:29:53.346
- guided by the community's adopted plans, like the comp plan, transportation plan, and safe streets for

00:29:53.346 --> 00:29:59.174
- all plan. Additionally, I believe our initiatives are in alignment with the council budget priorities

00:29:59.174 --> 00:30:04.887
- such as maintaining and enhancing city assets, transportation, economic development, and more. At a

00:30:04.887 --> 00:30:05.630
- macro level,

00:30:05.794 --> 00:30:13.576
- the department's major initiatives really don't change much year to year. However, specific projects

00:30:13.576 --> 00:30:21.435
- and programs within each initiative can change. One of our priorities is stewarding the city's public

00:30:21.435 --> 00:30:29.679
- infrastructure. This includes things like capital planning, asset preservation and rehabilitation combined

00:30:29.679 --> 00:30:34.302
- with safety and multimodal improvements and seeking grants.

00:30:35.010 --> 00:30:41.065
- Another priority focuses on community investment and collaboration. This includes things like Hopewell

00:30:41.065 --> 00:30:47.121
- and Summit PUD development support, stakeholder coordination, development review, and right-of-way use

00:30:47.121 --> 00:30:53.294
- management. The last priority focuses on building an effective and resilient organization. This includes

00:30:53.294 --> 00:30:59.584
- things like staff development, project management that includes quality control and fiscal responsibility,

00:30:59.584 --> 00:31:03.582
- and improvements to things like processes, policies, and standards.

00:31:07.778 --> 00:31:14.115
- This slide summarizes the engineering department budget by category and compares the 20 27 proposal

00:31:14.115 --> 00:31:20.832
- with 20 26. The engineering department's 20 27 budget proposal is approximately three point eight million

00:31:20.832 --> 00:31:27.422
- dollars. This budget proposal is significantly down compared to 20 26. However the 20 27 budget is more

00:31:27.422 --> 00:31:33.822
- comparable to 20 24 and 20 25 which are summarized in the budget memo but not captured on the slide.

00:31:34.882 --> 00:31:40.848
- It is also important to keep in mind when reviewing these numbers that the engineering department manages

00:31:40.848 --> 00:31:46.532
- projects and receives funding from sources that are not captured in the slide. Some of those sources

00:31:46.532 --> 00:31:52.273
- include TIF other departments like City Council federal funds and state funds dialing a bit into some

00:31:52.273 --> 00:31:57.901
- of the proposed changes. Our personnel line is up eight point four percent which is a reflection of

00:31:57.901 --> 00:32:01.278
- cost of living adjustments and step advancements in tenure.

00:32:02.210 --> 00:32:08.524
- The department supplies account is up slightly to support increased fuel and oil and additional allocation

00:32:08.524 --> 00:32:14.425
- for other supplies and uniforms and tools to reflect workspace and staff needs. Our services budget

00:32:14.425 --> 00:32:20.798
- is down slightly to offset increased supply needs. This decrease was achieved by refining expense estimates

00:32:20.798 --> 00:32:23.454
- to more precisely reflect anticipated costs.

00:32:24.194 --> 00:32:31.128
- And finally, capital outlays reflects a significant decrease attributable to the elimination of ED lit

00:32:31.128 --> 00:32:38.465
- funds and a decrease in allocated CCD funds compared to 2026. While this decreased value appears significant

00:32:38.465 --> 00:32:45.399
- in isolation, bond allocation pursuits are planned to support capital investment in projects that will

00:32:45.399 --> 00:32:51.390
- maintain and enhance transportation infrastructure assets. Speaking of capital projects,

00:32:51.650 --> 00:32:57.479
- I'd like to take this opportunity to remind folks of the life cycle of a typical transportation project.

00:32:57.479 --> 00:33:02.974
- I tend to think of this project as having five phases, planning, design, right of way acquisition,

00:33:02.974 --> 00:33:08.747
- construction, and operation and maintenance. Some projects like a maintenance effort or traffic calming

00:33:08.747 --> 00:33:14.354
- project may be able to take place within 12 month period. While other projects can easily consume at

00:33:14.354 --> 00:33:20.072
- least three years of time or may be planned out years down the road, depending on funding availability

00:33:20.072 --> 00:33:21.182
- and prioritization.

00:33:22.274 --> 00:33:27.816
- The planning phase is generally led and facilitated by the city's planning and transportation department

00:33:27.816 --> 00:33:33.517
- who you just heard from. In this phase project concepts and general direction are identified. Key questions

00:33:33.517 --> 00:33:39.217
- about prioritization and funding tend to also be included. The engineering department is typically involved

00:33:39.217 --> 00:33:44.496
- in this phase of a project but generally in a support role. The following three phases design right

00:33:44.496 --> 00:33:49.246
- of way and construction are phases in which engineering is typically the lead department.

00:33:49.922 --> 00:33:56.161
- In the design phase we look to engineer solutions that reflect city goals and priorities including balancing

00:33:56.161 --> 00:34:02.057
- issues like constructability future maintenance needs stakeholder input and property impacts. Speaking

00:34:02.057 --> 00:34:08.010
- of property impacts some but not all projects require acquisition of right away in the right away phase

00:34:08.010 --> 00:34:13.792
- we look to mitigate property impacts and make fair offers based on industry best practices and legal

00:34:13.792 --> 00:34:18.142
- requirements. And finally in construction we advertise and award contracts.

00:34:18.498 --> 00:34:24.280
- oversee the construction work, coordinate pay applications, review change orders, and ultimately transfer

00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:29.899
- the asset to the departments responsible for their management upon successful closeout. The final life

00:34:29.899 --> 00:34:35.572
- cycle phase of a project is generally led by the public works department, but depending on the facility

00:34:35.572 --> 00:34:41.464
- type or other other departments like CBU or parks may also be responsible. That being said, the engineering

00:34:41.464 --> 00:34:46.046
- department supports this work much like we support the planning phase of a project.

00:34:47.042 --> 00:34:52.177
- A focus continues to revolve around exploring and implementing enhancements to what might have been

00:34:52.177 --> 00:34:57.671
- traditional maintenance projects. In essence when an asset requires a major maintenance focused investment

00:34:57.671 --> 00:35:02.806
- we are asking the question should it be put back just as it was or should modifications be explored

00:35:02.806 --> 00:35:07.993
- as the city continues to have new and different types of infrastructure. We're becoming more mindful

00:35:07.993 --> 00:35:11.998
- of the different and increased maintenance needs the city is responsible for.

00:35:16.706 --> 00:35:22.499
- The engineering department is involved in coordinating many more initiatives than the examples provided

00:35:22.499 --> 00:35:28.181
- on the prior slides. We recognize that there are many areas we can and should improve. However, there

00:35:28.181 --> 00:35:33.807
- is also only so much time in a week and so many resources available. This requires the understanding

00:35:33.807 --> 00:35:39.377
- that in order to say yes to doing something, it also requires the need to say no to something else.

00:35:39.377 --> 00:35:45.003
- Looking ahead and reflecting on this annual budget proposal naturally raises questions about capital

00:35:45.003 --> 00:35:45.950
- project funding.

00:35:46.562 --> 00:35:52.012
- Future funding uncertainty is a result of statewide legislation makes it difficult to project a long

00:35:52.012 --> 00:35:57.840
- term capital investment plan. This highlights the importance and value of prioritization while not directly

00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:03.669
- a part of the annual budget proposal. Further legislation regarding bonding opportunities will be presented

00:36:03.669 --> 00:36:09.065
- for your review that will allow the city to continue investing in and maintaining and enhancing the

00:36:09.065 --> 00:36:14.947
- city's infrastructure assets beyond the city's expected revenues. Staff continues to seek new and additional

00:36:14.947 --> 00:36:16.350
- external funding sources.

00:36:16.962 --> 00:36:22.424
- As a couple examples we just heard about the successful safe streets and for all grant where we're getting

00:36:22.424 --> 00:36:27.681
- money from the US Department of Transportation and two point four million dollars in requested earmark

00:36:27.681 --> 00:36:32.887
- funds have been approved by the House Appropriations Committee and we are hopeful will be approved by

00:36:32.887 --> 00:36:38.349
- Congress later this year. These outside funding sources are great opportunities to invest in the community

00:36:38.349 --> 00:36:43.198
- but also pose challenges to administer as they include new programs and processes to navigate.

00:36:44.642 --> 00:36:49.818
- Engineering plays an important role in the review and oversight of development projects, especially

00:36:49.818 --> 00:36:55.150
- as they impact the public right away. These projects provide great opportunities for investment in the

00:36:55.150 --> 00:37:00.378
- city. However, they can also produce natural conflicts and can consume significant staff time, which

00:37:00.378 --> 00:37:05.606
- is especially challenging given the city does not have control over the timing and quantity of these

00:37:05.606 --> 00:37:08.350
- projects. Not specifically within the annual budget.

00:37:08.642 --> 00:37:14.918
- We anticipate presenting a new program focused on improved lighting for intersection and roadway visibility

00:37:14.918 --> 00:37:20.728
- within the forthcoming GEO bond proposal. The SS4A plan identified this as an immediate action item

00:37:20.728 --> 00:37:26.365
- to develop in 2027. Using the street lighting program as an example, in referencing the numerous

00:37:26.365 --> 00:37:32.350
- opportunities that continue to present themselves, there are always opportunities to refine and define

00:37:32.350 --> 00:37:36.766
- roles and responsibilities. It is not always entirely clear what department

00:37:36.866 --> 00:37:42.486
- body or sometimes even agency is responsible to manage certain things. While these tension points can

00:37:42.486 --> 00:37:48.161
- be a challenge to navigate, they also produce opportunities to engage and collaborate with others with

00:37:48.161 --> 00:37:53.671
- the spirit of learning and serving the community. Thank you for your time and your consideration of

00:37:53.671 --> 00:37:59.456
- the engineering department's budget proposal and updates on some of our initiatives. I'm happy to answer

00:37:59.456 --> 00:38:01.054
- any questions that you have.

00:38:02.274 --> 00:38:12.611
- Thank you very much for your presentation. You did not beat interim director coin, but you did come

00:38:12.611 --> 00:38:22.948
- in well under time Okay councilmember questions for director seabor I see councilmember Rallo Thank

00:38:22.948 --> 00:38:29.150
- You director seabor On page 12 of the budget it describes a

00:38:29.762 --> 00:38:35.617
- Several safety related projects from engineering that don't appear in budget requests But will be included

00:38:35.617 --> 00:38:41.090
- in a new 2026 general obligation bond request. Could you elaborate on that? Yeah, I don't have that

00:38:41.090 --> 00:38:46.671
- page in front of me, but I'm guessing it's the list of projects There's probably four or five that we

00:38:46.671 --> 00:38:52.253
- anticipate presenting to you in a forthcoming budget proposal Are you wanting me to walk through what

00:38:52.253 --> 00:38:57.342
- each of those projects are? Could you just mention them in brief? Yes, what they consist of?

00:38:59.810 --> 00:39:12.733
- Yes, there is, let me just get my sheet. What page did you say that was on? Just want to make sure I'm

00:39:12.733 --> 00:39:25.406
- using the right words. I have the projects. Is that what you're looking for? Sure. Sorry about that.

00:39:28.642 --> 00:39:35.051
- So we have an allocation set aside for safe streets for all priority network sidewalk or bikeway improvements

00:39:35.051 --> 00:39:40.411
- that would be bicycle pedestrian focus improvements on the high priority network identified

00:39:40.411 --> 00:39:46.238
- in the transportation or the SS for a plan. There is a series of crosswalk projects that we receive

00:39:46.238 --> 00:39:52.414
- MPO federal funding for. And so there is the local match needed to continue to support those investments.

00:39:53.122 --> 00:40:00.069
- There will be an allocation proposed for improvements to 3rd Street specifically Close to Rogers the

00:40:00.069 --> 00:40:06.947
- Rogers and Madison traffic signals are some of our older signals needing replacement And we're also

00:40:06.947 --> 00:40:14.101
- looking at some roadway infrastructure changes tied to the ongoing Kinzer Rogers Madison corridor study

00:40:14.101 --> 00:40:15.614
- plannings leading and

00:40:15.778 --> 00:40:22.186
- There's a funding request in there for 10th Street. You've mentioned that's gonna be one of our bigger

00:40:22.186 --> 00:40:28.532
- projects. We're moving forward So they'd be construction funding to help support that project and the

00:40:28.532 --> 00:40:35.126
- last one is the lighting improvement program I mentioned in my report Okay, wonderful. Do you have happen

00:40:35.126 --> 00:40:41.348
- to have a ballpark of what this? request will entail and Also, could you is there any consideration

00:40:41.348 --> 00:40:44.894
- of the Hawthorne in that water? any signal ization there

00:40:45.666 --> 00:40:54.298
- That has been discussed at all In the new bond were roughly four point two ish million dollars of engineering

00:40:54.298 --> 00:41:02.459
- projects based on the spreadsheet I'm looking at right here And then I'm sorry. I missed the other part

00:41:02.459 --> 00:41:11.326
- of your question There was a there's a traffic light that was placed in operation at 3rd Street in Hawthorne and

00:41:11.778 --> 00:41:19.027
- To help pedestrians there's not a companion one at Hawthorne and at water since Hawthorne is a greenway

00:41:19.027 --> 00:41:26.136
- Has that been discussed as a signalization it? Certainly has been discussed. It's not actively moving

00:41:26.136 --> 00:41:33.106
- forward at this time a project I know that's one of the roads probably a future corridor study that

00:41:33.106 --> 00:41:40.425
- planning will be leading but not Anticipated in 2027. Okay. Thank you Additional questions councilmember

00:41:40.425 --> 00:41:41.470
- Piedmont Smith

00:41:44.162 --> 00:41:50.689
- Yes, so I wanted to bring back the question that I asked Mr. Coyne What projects from the safe streets

00:41:50.689 --> 00:41:57.217
- for all action plan will be pursued in 2027? I think you may have touched on that a little bit already

00:41:57.217 --> 00:42:03.807
- and what's the funding situation for plan implementation? Yeah, and I guess my first reaction is that's

00:42:03.807 --> 00:42:10.145
- a maybe a tricky question actually to answer Part of me wants to say everything that we're doing is

00:42:10.145 --> 00:42:13.630
- a part of or related to the SS for a plan what they're

00:42:13.986 --> 00:42:21.016
- or at least a project or investment on what would be identified as a high priority corridor or intersection.

00:42:21.016 --> 00:42:27.917
- That being said, there might be opportunities where we're doing maintenance projects where some investment

00:42:27.917 --> 00:42:34.496
- is happening on other facilities. But those investments are likely some of the suggested enhancements

00:42:34.496 --> 00:42:41.074
- that are also in the SS4A plan. So that's my first reaction. What are the high priority ones that are

00:42:41.074 --> 00:42:42.622
- in the plan that you're

00:42:42.818 --> 00:42:49.432
- planning to implement next year I guess the SS for a plan identifies like just high priority corridors

00:42:49.432 --> 00:42:56.239
- to focus it doesn't really say projects but they also there's programs and things that's where the street

00:42:56.239 --> 00:43:03.175
- lighting comes in but some of the projects I think like planning mentioned that is a significant investment

00:43:03.175 --> 00:43:10.046
- will be the 10th Street corridor I'm happy to follow up with a more a better answer if you want to do that

00:43:10.914 --> 00:43:18.401
- Let me switch gears for another question then. So for the lighting project you were describing, I know

00:43:18.401 --> 00:43:25.962
- the Commission on Sustainability and Resilience has been talking about a dark skies initiative. So when

00:43:25.962 --> 00:43:33.304
- you consider new lighting or new guidelines for lighting, do you consider the impacts on the natural

00:43:33.304 --> 00:43:38.174
- environment and on the homes near where the lighting is installed?

00:43:39.394 --> 00:43:45.351
- I guess this will honestly the street lighting program would be a new thing for us to be really implementing

00:43:45.351 --> 00:43:51.034
- in a meaningful way when we've done some projects like first street street lighting has been added when

00:43:51.034 --> 00:43:56.718
- we're doing intersection improvements were evaluating intersection lighting. But in this kind of robust

00:43:56.718 --> 00:43:59.614
- way it'll be a relatively new thing for engineering.

00:43:59.874 --> 00:44:05.774
- I know just from speaking a little bit with some of the staff involved in supporting those commissions,

00:44:05.774 --> 00:44:11.561
- I'm not particularly involved in the process, but there certainly are standards that when it comes to

00:44:11.561 --> 00:44:17.347
- street lighting, like how much lighting should be provided, what type of lighting, how uniform is it,

00:44:17.347 --> 00:44:23.191
- where is it directed? Those are all measurable things that we either should have in code or in adopted

00:44:23.191 --> 00:44:25.630
- policies and standards. That's my opinion.

00:44:30.082 --> 00:44:37.031
- I might ask you to follow up on that in the written questions. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

00:44:37.031 --> 00:44:44.775
- Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us on my two of our glorious budget hearings. I had a question

00:44:44.775 --> 00:44:52.086
- about traffic this week. So please let me know if this is a better suited question for public works.

00:44:52.086 --> 00:44:55.198
- OK. Then I will ask. I will ask right now.

00:44:55.810 --> 00:45:02.018
- I've gotten a lot of feedback from constituents, especially in district six that traffic was tough yesterday

00:45:02.018 --> 00:45:07.714
- to navigate I'm curious if You could speak to where that breakdown might have happened at least let

00:45:07.714 --> 00:45:13.523
- me back up a little bit tougher than in years previous So I'm curious if you could speak to maybe why

00:45:13.523 --> 00:45:19.276
- and how we could prevent that next year Yeah, that's a really good question and maybe another really

00:45:19.276 --> 00:45:25.598
- complicated question too because there's so many different things happening in different parts of the city and

00:45:25.794 --> 00:45:32.285
- There's a combination of city projects of various natures I just became aware of a closure that happened

00:45:32.285 --> 00:45:38.466
- that was not permitted So there's also that's where our right-of-way use management and enforcement

00:45:38.466 --> 00:45:44.771
- tools come in one that happened on 17th area so so some of that may be related to so If there's maybe

00:45:44.771 --> 00:45:51.138
- more specific locations or issues, but moving week is always just a busy hectic week recognizing there

00:45:51.138 --> 00:45:53.982
- are a lot of ongoing activities right now and

00:45:54.114 --> 00:46:01.214
- As we're trying to wrap up a busy construction season. Thank you.

00:46:04.674 --> 00:46:10.660
- So I have a question that maybe is kind of similar to what councilmember Piedmont Smith was asking that

00:46:10.660 --> 00:46:16.645
- you couldn't quite answer but I figured that I would ask it anyway because in your memo under the first

00:46:16.645 --> 00:46:22.574
- priority and goal you have is to plan and deliver infrastructure investments that preserve and enhance

00:46:22.574 --> 00:46:28.444
- the city's transportation systems and so I guess like that's My first question was well, what are the

00:46:28.444 --> 00:46:34.430
- project priorities for 2027 that are going to deliver infrastructure investments? So are there specific

00:46:34.530 --> 00:46:41.105
- Projects that you were thinking of when you wrote that paragraph Yeah, and I think I just provided a

00:46:41.105 --> 00:46:47.679
- written response to Piedmont Smith's written. There's maybe more to it too, but listed some projects

00:46:47.679 --> 00:46:54.514
- Like a high street project a Dunn Street multi-use path project 10th Street Those are some of the bigger

00:46:54.514 --> 00:46:57.118
- projects that we'll start seeing moving

00:46:57.250 --> 00:47:05.536
- But I'm also honestly really particularly proud of the coordination that's happening when we're leveraging

00:47:05.536 --> 00:47:13.822
- what public work staff are doing and we're taking most of those opportunities to make sure we're improving

00:47:13.822 --> 00:47:21.565
- safety and accessibility more than we might typically have in the past. Great. Thank you. And I had

00:47:21.565 --> 00:47:23.966
- a couple more to you about the

00:47:24.130 --> 00:47:30.777
- Lighting program. Are there specific areas that you're already knowing to target for? Enhanced lighting

00:47:30.777 --> 00:47:37.296
- or is that all kind of like to be developed next year? Good question. The answer right now is it's to

00:47:37.296 --> 00:47:44.326
- be developed once we make sure we get the funding is Approved and it'll be a new thing that we're developing.

00:47:44.326 --> 00:47:49.822
- Okay, great And then I still have another minute look at us be really speedy here and

00:47:50.754 --> 00:47:59.519
- So now I actually have time to get into your actual line item budgets. So under your supplies line and

00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:08.539
- services and charges, you have significantly less budgeted for 2027 in motor repairs. And I was wondering

00:48:08.539 --> 00:48:17.048
- if you were specifically expecting fewer repairs. Because in those sorts of lines, it's always kind

00:48:17.048 --> 00:48:18.750
- of like, why are we

00:48:18.882 --> 00:48:25.028
- Budgeting half what we budgeted last year for it I can try my best to answer that in that generally

00:48:25.028 --> 00:48:31.174
- those numbers are provided to departments from the department that manages those vehicles But I can

00:48:31.174 --> 00:48:37.873
- also say that we've recently Been replacing and making an effort to replace some of our really old vehicles.

00:48:37.873 --> 00:48:41.438
- So we're expecting less maintenance needs Okay, great and

00:48:42.274 --> 00:48:47.424
- The last one which maybe you'll have time to answer has to do with your dues and subscriptions line.

00:48:47.424 --> 00:48:52.624
- So in twenty twenty five the actual expenditure was less than two thousand dollars and then in twenty

00:48:52.624 --> 00:48:57.927
- twenty six the budget went up to almost thirty nine thousand dollars and then is it thirty six thousand

00:48:57.927 --> 00:49:03.077
- dollars ask for twenty twenty seven. And when I looked now I don't have time for it. All right. That

00:49:03.077 --> 00:49:06.238
- one anyway when I looked in the quarter to like year to date.

00:49:06.370 --> 00:49:12.736
- Not very much of that was spent and so I guess I'm kind of wondering why you need the full amount for

00:49:12.736 --> 00:49:19.290
- 2027 if it hasn't been spent 2026 so I will follow up with that though and the written questions because

00:49:19.290 --> 00:49:25.718
- I Can yield some of my time for the answer I guess just to quickly answer you asked a similar question

00:49:25.718 --> 00:49:31.710
- last year. I'm remembering we changed a lot of our last year our software annual fees into that

00:49:31.842 --> 00:49:38.593
- From another line. So that's why it bumped up significantly in this year's budget And my guess is we

00:49:38.593 --> 00:49:45.411
- just haven't because we're starting to get the invoices for that the renewal of those those Programs,

00:49:45.411 --> 00:49:52.162
- okay So you do probably expect to have to spend that whole line before the end of the year that it's

00:49:52.162 --> 00:49:58.846
- just more of a second Half of the year expenditure. I do. Okay. Thanks Council more rough Thank you

00:50:00.482 --> 00:50:09.115
- Director Seaborg is there a document that lists that breaks out all transportation capital projects.

00:50:09.115 --> 00:50:17.662
- I mean I know there are projects listed in the NPO document. I know there's the transportation plan

00:50:17.662 --> 00:50:24.158
- but is there is there a single place where one can go and see every project

00:50:24.482 --> 00:50:31.391
- and where it is in terms of the five stages that you talked about when you started your your comments

00:50:31.391 --> 00:50:38.300
- in these five phases of project where they are and what's been roughly spent so far what the what the

00:50:38.300 --> 00:50:45.141
- cost what the total projected costs are and funding sources. I mean is that does that exist. Is that

00:50:45.141 --> 00:50:52.388
- something that if it doesn't exist would it be hard to put together. That's a thank you for that question.

00:50:52.388 --> 00:50:54.014
- That's a good question.

00:50:54.498 --> 00:51:00.889
- My first thought is I would encourage folks to look at our department web page. There is a page dedicated

00:51:00.889 --> 00:51:06.918
- to our active projects. So that should have a list of the vast majority, if not all, of our ongoing

00:51:06.918 --> 00:51:13.007
- projects. And when you click on each one, it would say roughly where it is and what its schedule is.

00:51:13.007 --> 00:51:19.036
- It might even talk somewhat about funding sources. But I don't know if it will provide you the cost

00:51:19.036 --> 00:51:23.678
- information you were asking. But that would be a really good starting point.

00:51:24.258 --> 00:51:31.119
- And that might be one I'm happy to follow up on and think through it might be harder than we think to

00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:37.979
- get it exactly what you're asking for. OK. I may follow up with you at some point about the idea. But

00:51:37.979 --> 00:51:44.772
- thank you. Any remaining questions. Seeing none we can go to comments from members of the public. If

00:51:44.772 --> 00:51:51.902
- you would like to comment you can raise your hand and zoom online or step to the podium here in chambers.

00:51:55.490 --> 00:52:03.814
- Seeing none in chambers. Okay. You can unmute them and please state your name for the record and you'll

00:52:03.814 --> 00:52:12.137
- have two minutes. Good evening. Paul Russo again. I appreciate the work and the expertise of Mr. Seward

00:52:12.137 --> 00:52:20.141
- and his fully staffed department. And so my comments are not necessarily any should not be taken as

00:52:20.141 --> 00:52:23.582
- any sort of an attack against any of them.

00:52:24.706 --> 00:52:33.601
- But I have a really strong objection to money being spent for multi-use paths as a transit bicyclist.

00:52:33.601 --> 00:52:42.322
- Multi-use paths are things that are traveled by pedestrians of all kinds, including toddlers of age

00:52:42.322 --> 00:52:51.043
- two, three, and four, because I see them on the beeline. And to expect a transit bicyclist to use a

00:52:51.043 --> 00:52:54.270
- multi-use path instead of the street

00:52:55.554 --> 00:53:03.804
- is I don't know how to say this. It's insulting. It's unproductive. It's not practical. And it feels

00:53:03.804 --> 00:53:12.218
- like a way to get the bicycle out of the way off the street. So I'm not a big fan. To whatever extent,

00:53:12.218 --> 00:53:20.958
- the city's budget is paying for multi-use pads. I object. Thank you very much. Thank you for your comment.

00:53:21.858 --> 00:53:27.709
- We have any other comments out see one here in chambers go ahead and state your name and you'll have

00:53:27.709 --> 00:53:33.501
- two minutes Hello, my name is Colin Nielsen. I Just wanted to say that as a recently hired concrete

00:53:33.501 --> 00:53:39.352
- tester for patriot engineering I it's been really cool to see all the projects the improvements that

00:53:39.352 --> 00:53:45.319
- the city's been carrying out on his streets Such as like the Kirkwood project and Grimes and Patterson

00:53:45.319 --> 00:53:50.590
- and other improvements that brought changes like pedestrian islands and curb bump outs and

00:53:51.330 --> 00:53:58.802
- and humps as well and also like truck aprons too. It's been really cool to see all those carried out

00:53:58.802 --> 00:54:06.497
- because I'm already seeing them working as I'm there on the job sites and it's with slowing car traffic

00:54:06.497 --> 00:54:14.117
- down through infrastructure rather than through speed limit signs and through also reducing pedestrian

00:54:14.117 --> 00:54:18.334
- crossing lengths and improving their visibility as well.

00:54:18.434 --> 00:54:24.686
- So I appreciate all those improvements coming by and I also think that like the improvements coming

00:54:24.686 --> 00:54:31.125
- to Kirkwood I think that They these kind of project demonstrate that you don't always necessarily need

00:54:31.125 --> 00:54:37.377
- to have bike lanes on a street in order to make it safer a bike to crop to go through it as long as

00:54:37.377 --> 00:54:44.254
- car traffic is brought to a reduced speed to where to where a bicyclist feel safe traveling there though if I

00:54:44.354 --> 00:54:51.301
- You would want to prioritize more high speed or heavy traffic through like collectors like College and

00:54:51.301 --> 00:54:58.316
- walnut. I think it makes sense to introduce bike lanes to corridors like that That would feel less safe

00:54:58.316 --> 00:55:05.398
- and currently do feel less safe And yeah, I just want to say I appreciate all the work that the planning

00:55:05.398 --> 00:55:06.814
- department puts into

00:55:06.946 --> 00:55:13.766
- Planning out these projects the engineering department puts into getting the specifications done for

00:55:13.766 --> 00:55:20.720
- these projects and the construction crews that are involved in carrying them out Thank you so much any

00:55:20.720 --> 00:55:27.540
- other commenters online Don't see any here in chambers either so we could go back to council members

00:55:27.540 --> 00:55:34.427
- for any comments on the engineering department budget this councilmember Rallo Thank you anticipating

00:55:34.427 --> 00:55:36.318
- increasing debt service for

00:55:36.514 --> 00:55:44.882
- further bonds At times where we're anticipating I Don't know what we're anticipating actually in terms

00:55:44.882 --> 00:55:53.006
- of economically but it is safety related projects and I think that we ought to consider as a safety

00:55:53.006 --> 00:56:01.780
- related project the continuation of the Weatherstone Hawthorne Greenway spent almost I think three-quarters

00:56:01.780 --> 00:56:05.598
- to a million dollars on those improvements and

00:56:05.794 --> 00:56:13.589
- A lot of people thought those improvements didn't improve things much But one thing I think that wouldn't

00:56:13.589 --> 00:56:21.089
- prove that greenway and make it very effective would be signalization at Weatherstone proper crossing

00:56:21.089 --> 00:56:29.104
- so that people could cross there and and also and at water and and Hawthorne so I mean we all can experience

00:56:29.104 --> 00:56:35.134
- it hillside and at water are very busy arterials very very difficult to cross and

00:56:36.130 --> 00:56:45.133
- Especially at water has a lot of pedestrian traffic to the university and and bike travel So I would

00:56:45.133 --> 00:56:54.047
- just like to put that and people's radar that and if I'm anticipating Approval of a bond for safety

00:56:54.047 --> 00:57:01.534
- related projects. I sure hope that appears We'll see. Thank you Comes over Stasburg

00:57:04.482 --> 00:57:11.024
- I just wanted to speak for a minute about the Roger Street improvements. And one of our public commenters

00:57:11.024 --> 00:57:17.258
- mentioned that, too, in terms of the pedestrian islands through a little anecdote that I was driving

00:57:17.258 --> 00:57:23.739
- with my kid recently. And I expressed how great they looked. And my kid said, why did they even do that?

00:57:23.739 --> 00:57:30.096
- It slows down traffic. To which, of course, I was like, well, that is literally why they did that. And

00:57:30.096 --> 00:57:33.182
- kid was like, oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense.

00:57:33.314 --> 00:57:40.695
- Anecdotally does seem to be working but not only that I think that when those things happen it suddenly

00:57:40.695 --> 00:57:48.005
- gave said child who I'm trying to anonymize to some degree that Realization that on a street that they

00:57:48.005 --> 00:57:55.102
- usually only Travel down in a vehicle that there are people that travel down that street by walking

00:57:55.746 --> 00:58:01.515
- right, or by bicycling. And so slowing that traffic really matters because we don't live anywhere near

00:58:01.515 --> 00:58:07.116
- there. And if we're going to bicycle, we bicycle on a different street. And if we're going to walk,

00:58:07.116 --> 00:58:12.716
- you know, yeah. So it kind of gave them a better appreciation and understanding of how streets that

00:58:12.716 --> 00:58:18.653
- we might individually associate with a certain type of travel, other people associate it with a different

00:58:18.653 --> 00:58:24.310
- type of travel and how important it is for all of these streets to be able to safely accommodate all

00:58:24.310 --> 00:58:25.374
- types of users and

00:58:25.602 --> 00:58:33.901
- transit, you know transportation experience, so I guess I'm saying thank you for for Prioritizing these

00:58:33.901 --> 00:58:42.041
- sorts of projects through the engineering department things That's my peanuts Well, I wasn't going to

00:58:42.041 --> 00:58:50.500
- comment but since I live on South Roger Street and I do take my bike I also appreciate the slower traffic

00:58:50.500 --> 00:58:52.734
- and There's work being done

00:58:53.250 --> 00:59:00.245
- Near my house right now to put in new curb ramps. So I'll thank the street department for that Additional

00:59:00.245 --> 00:59:07.042
- comments Just briefly I wanted to recognize and thank the engineering department for one of the things

00:59:07.042 --> 00:59:13.707
- and the 2026 highlights which was the signal retiming study which included implementation of leading

00:59:13.707 --> 00:59:18.590
- pedestrian intervals in many of our high pedestrian areas around the city

00:59:18.818 --> 00:59:24.197
- Because of staffing reasons that was kind of a long time coming I think three or so years since the

00:59:24.197 --> 00:59:29.952
- council had directed that change via resolution And along with another council directed change of limiting

00:59:29.952 --> 00:59:35.600
- right turn on red in those high pedestrian areas Both of those safety interventions have pretty dramatic

00:59:35.600 --> 00:59:40.979
- implications like 40 50 percent reduction in crashes by people driving into pedestrians things like

00:59:40.979 --> 00:59:46.412
- that. So that's going to save lives and prevent injuries And so the capital improvement projects the

00:59:46.412 --> 00:59:47.326
- safety by design

00:59:47.490 --> 00:59:53.977
- Are the main slice I suppose but these smaller interventions too that are data-informed to go a long

00:59:53.977 --> 01:00:00.592
- way And so that's a great thing that happened in 2026 Thank you to the engineering department for your

01:00:00.592 --> 01:00:07.142
- work and for your presentation and we could move on to our next one for the evening which is with the

01:00:07.142 --> 01:00:13.950
- streets division, I believe of public works I see director Adam Wason coming to the podium and some other

01:00:14.274 --> 01:00:19.625
- Folks from our public works team entering from the hallway So, please go ahead if you can introduce

01:00:19.625 --> 01:00:25.350
- to yourself for the record and you'll have I believe ten minutes for this divisions presentation. Alrighty

01:00:25.350 --> 01:00:29.630
- Good evening folks Adam Wason public works director for the city of Bloomington

01:00:29.762 --> 01:00:35.878
- Always an honor to be in front of you for our budget requests on an annual basis. I won't lie this is

01:00:35.878 --> 01:00:41.874
- a little weird in the new format where we're doing more of the topical based I usually get to start

01:00:41.874 --> 01:00:48.110
- with our administrative division budget and give you an overview of the whole department. But with this

01:00:48.110 --> 01:00:54.526
- format it's just a little different. So just a few first general comments. I do want to send a big dose of

01:00:54.658 --> 01:01:00.336
- Public works mojo up to our colleagues in the communities north of us as we've all seen over the last

01:01:00.336 --> 01:01:06.126
- several weeks There's major flooding going out throughout central and eastern, Indiana and public works

01:01:06.126 --> 01:01:11.804
- employees in those areas are the ones responding to help and We just send all the best wishes to them

01:01:11.804 --> 01:01:14.142
- and their recoveries in that in that same

01:01:14.850 --> 01:01:20.737
- Line of thought public workers and especially employees and divisions like Street Department or Street

01:01:20.737 --> 01:01:26.109
- Division of Public Works are also first responders in my book. They're the folks that respond

01:01:26.109 --> 01:01:32.110
- when Emergencies happen like we're seeing up around Indianapolis. And that's the same thing that happens

01:01:32.110 --> 01:01:35.710
- here in Bloomington I also just want to make a quick note that

01:01:36.002 --> 01:01:41.059
- We're just a few weeks out from having our American Public Works Association national accreditation

01:01:41.059 --> 01:01:46.267
- something we are very very proud of something that for those of you that have been on council for many

01:01:46.267 --> 01:01:51.678
- years have heard me talk about for many years. And so as of the end of July we are a nationally accredited

01:01:51.678 --> 01:01:54.206
- public works agency and we're very proud of that.

01:01:54.754 --> 01:02:01.451
- I'd also just want to start with a big thank you to the team at the street division. So whether it's

01:02:01.451 --> 01:02:08.082
- our laborers our operators Our supervisors our administrative team There are big reason for success

01:02:08.082 --> 01:02:11.198
- like we've had with the APWA accreditation and

01:02:11.458 --> 01:02:17.776
- Big thanks to Joe and divinder. He's our deputy director of public works This is his first year in that

01:02:17.776 --> 01:02:24.034
- role and he's helping oversee the street division sanitation and fleet divisions But big thanks to Joe

01:02:24.034 --> 01:02:30.109
- and then Dan Bittner our director of operations down at Street Jeff Morris our deputy director down

01:02:30.109 --> 01:02:36.670
- there Ron Arthur Freddie love Tony Carroll and Dana workmen our numbers genius down at public Street vision

01:02:37.250 --> 01:02:44.984
- The hard-working crews that are doing all the duties of the street division are represented by 47 full-time

01:02:44.984 --> 01:02:52.360
- staff members And we have an overall budget Request this year. That's about 82,000 more than last year

01:02:52.360 --> 01:02:59.664
- some are key needs and issues for 2027 that we're working on and I'll have some more slides about our

01:02:59.664 --> 01:03:05.822
- efforts on all things infrastructure maintenance and investment whether that's street

01:03:05.954 --> 01:03:14.205
- Pavement and maintenance sidewalk and ADA accessibility and then of course all of our winter weather

01:03:14.205 --> 01:03:16.574
- operations So far to date in

01:03:16.706 --> 01:03:22.983
- 2026 we've got nearly 9,000 potholes filled. We're at about eight miles of roadway that we've paved

01:03:22.983 --> 01:03:29.259
- in-house so far We have a lot more happening with private contracts I think many people saw all the

01:03:29.259 --> 01:03:35.975
- great work that happened on Kirkwood as part of last year's budget request where we were able to eliminate

01:03:35.975 --> 01:03:41.310
- trip hazards in the court the iconic corridor of Kirkwood from Indiana to walnut and

01:03:41.922 --> 01:03:49.329
- We've been making significant upgrades in our ADA ADA ramps throughout the the city and then again achieve

01:03:49.329 --> 01:03:56.391
- that APWA accreditation Overall for 2027 were I mentioned this in a different email the other day But

01:03:56.391 --> 01:04:03.313
- this is one of our more challenging budget years as you all know and so what we're really trying to

01:04:03.313 --> 01:04:08.990
- do is balance all of our all of our efforts with the community's expectations and

01:04:09.570 --> 01:04:16.193
- and then continuing to invest in our infrastructure with either modernization or being responsive to

01:04:16.193 --> 01:04:23.143
- community needs. One thing that you'll see in a coming report to the city council is we've finally gotten

01:04:23.143 --> 01:04:30.028
- all of our pavement and sidewalk data delivered to our team. And so I think we've got a report scheduled

01:04:30.028 --> 01:04:36.716
- in early September where our contractor will come in and give a big overview of all that project. But

01:04:36.716 --> 01:04:39.536
- wanted to note in our presentations today,

01:04:39.536 --> 01:04:47.350
- Good news is is our pavement had our pavement condition index rating has gone up to a fifty eight point

01:04:47.350 --> 01:04:55.089
- eight from our last I think it was fifty four in our 2023 Study and then as part of this year's budget

01:04:55.089 --> 01:05:02.677
- overall, we're investing nearly four million dollars into street maintenance and restoration and one

01:05:02.677 --> 01:05:09.214
- big note that we'll talk about in more detail with our report on overall pavement such

01:05:09.506 --> 01:05:16.898
- What that report is going to show is that it's going to be a 30 million dollar investment to raise our

01:05:16.898 --> 01:05:24.147
- overall pavement condition across the city to mid 80s, which is a very desirable number to be at and

01:05:24.147 --> 01:05:31.682
- This chart has a lot of lines and a lot of a lot of explaining to do but so overall you know, this chart

01:05:31.682 --> 01:05:35.486
- is going to show you the various funding levels that

01:05:35.682 --> 01:05:42.022
- If we do nothing what our the black line would show at the bottom. There's what would happen to our

01:05:42.022 --> 01:05:48.489
- pavement Condition index numbers and then everything with the various levels of Incremental increases

01:05:48.489 --> 01:05:53.054
- to our overall budgets so I could spend a whole hour more talking about

01:05:53.154 --> 01:05:59.575
- PCI and sidewalk information with you, but we'll save that for another day when it comes to sidewalks

01:05:59.575 --> 01:06:06.248
- We do have a sidewalk condition index rating that shows about 75 citywide We have about a million dollars

01:06:06.248 --> 01:06:12.607
- that we're asking for for sidewalk investments next year and then overall When we look at the entire

01:06:12.607 --> 01:06:18.902
- sidewalk network the the study is estimating that we would need about a sixteen point three million

01:06:18.902 --> 01:06:23.120
- dollar investment to Get all sidewalks in the community up to that

01:06:23.120 --> 01:06:30.182
- 375 rating as well So again, it's just different way of showing that and this is a brief overview of

01:06:30.182 --> 01:06:37.244
- our overall ratings for sidewalks community-wide And again, we'll get into more detail as we present

01:06:37.244 --> 01:06:42.558
- that to the council and get all that data Publicized on the be clear portal

01:06:43.394 --> 01:06:50.662
- Some of our big 2027 initiatives, so we are continuing our major investments in street and sidewalk

01:06:50.662 --> 01:06:57.929
- maintenance We're again gonna ask for the full maximum 1 million dollars in the community crossings

01:06:57.929 --> 01:07:05.343
- matching grant program We're increasing our well, we're gonna continue our efforts that we started in

01:07:05.343 --> 01:07:10.430
- 2026 here for our snow response with some of our high pedestrian high

01:07:11.010 --> 01:07:18.186
- High priority pedestrian network areas and then always focused on traffic management and safety So just

01:07:18.186 --> 01:07:25.087
- to the community crossings grant program, so the work that's being done on Kirkwood Patterson South

01:07:25.087 --> 01:07:26.398
- Rogers, that's all

01:07:26.530 --> 01:07:33.283
- part of our big twenty twenty six project. What we're hoping to look for look to apply for in twenty

01:07:33.283 --> 01:07:40.169
- twenty seven for the twenty twenty seven funding is a major payment maintenance project on college and

01:07:40.169 --> 01:07:46.988
- Walnut from 17th to the bypass. Also looking possibly at Dunn Street from 17th to the bypass as well.

01:07:46.988 --> 01:07:54.142
- And that's again going to help us leverage state funds to improve our overall pavement condition citywide.

01:07:55.010 --> 01:08:02.892
- We're continuing major investments with our ADA ramp and accessibility improvements. So Just for counsel's

01:08:02.892 --> 01:08:04.734
- background and knowledge

01:08:04.994 --> 01:08:11.295
- Whenever we go in and do any type of mill and pave we are required to upgrade all the ADA ramps in the

01:08:11.295 --> 01:08:17.474
- corridor that we're milling and paving So we're always going to continue focusing on that As well as

01:08:17.474 --> 01:08:23.714
- just trip hazard reduction in the sidewalk network something that we've been super successful with is

01:08:23.714 --> 01:08:27.262
- our as you'll see in the third column here third row down

01:08:27.426 --> 01:08:33.319
- Over the last several years where you've eliminated that literally thousands of trip hazards across

01:08:33.319 --> 01:08:39.212
- the city. They've just kicked off their Contract again for this year. So that number will only rise

01:08:39.212 --> 01:08:45.164
- But I do want to just point out some things with our with these numbers So when it comes to our lane

01:08:45.164 --> 01:08:51.116
- mile paving you'll see year to date this was a couple weeks old at this point but we still expect to

01:08:51.116 --> 01:08:52.766
- be in the 18 to 20 miles of

01:08:52.898 --> 01:08:59.239
- 20 lane miles of paving for this year both in-house and contracted the ADA ramps will go up

01:08:59.239 --> 01:09:06.337
- pretty significantly as well and then We'll continue our pothole repair efforts into the winter season

01:09:06.337 --> 01:09:13.367
- So that will only go up. I did want to just kind of give a brief overview of our budget requests 2027

01:09:13.367 --> 01:09:20.741
- budget request overall is thirteen point three two three three two million dollars roughly eighty thousand

01:09:20.741 --> 01:09:22.878
- dollar increase from last year

01:09:23.522 --> 01:09:29.472
- This is from a variety of funds So it's going to include our local road and street fund the motor vehicle

01:09:29.472 --> 01:09:35.422
- highway fund the motor vehicle highway restricted fund the cumulative cap Improvement fund the cumulative

01:09:35.422 --> 01:09:41.260
- cap development fund the parking meter fund and all of those will then total out to that thirteen point

01:09:41.260 --> 01:09:46.929
- three million dollar budget the street division is our largest division of all public works, so It's

01:09:46.929 --> 01:09:48.894
- our largest budget request as well

01:09:49.474 --> 01:09:55.758
- And just a couple other things that we're seeing for 2027 that we You know, we've all seen what fuel

01:09:55.758 --> 01:10:02.166
- prices have been doing throughout 2026. So we're continuing to manage and Try to be within our budgets

01:10:02.166 --> 01:10:06.334
- on that but one of the big issues that we're seeing coming down is

01:10:06.978 --> 01:10:13.628
- Salt supplies throughout the Midwest are quite low right now. So Our salt barns are rather full But

01:10:13.628 --> 01:10:20.344
- we do have some concern going into the winter on making sure we can meet all of our demands for salt

01:10:20.344 --> 01:10:27.127
- supplies Hoping we don't have quite as intense of a winter as last year And I am happy to answer your

01:10:27.127 --> 01:10:33.977
- questions with four seconds left Thank you What questions do we have from councilmembers Councilmember

01:10:33.977 --> 01:10:34.974
- Piedmont Smith

01:10:37.410 --> 01:10:43.839
- Yes, thank you. Mr. Wason first of all the slide presentation in the Google Drive does not include The

01:10:43.839 --> 01:10:50.330
- two charts about road conditions and sidewalk conditions. Oh We updated those this afternoon. I thought

01:10:50.330 --> 01:10:56.821
- we got those included so They'll be updated because they came in this afternoon just before the meeting

01:10:56.821 --> 01:11:03.250
- we didn't get those materials Yeah, those were late updates. I apologize for that. We're trying to get

01:11:03.250 --> 01:11:05.310
- those from the contractor. Um, I

01:11:06.626 --> 01:11:13.814
- In your memo you talk about your aim is to ensure safe and smooth transportation routes for both motorized

01:11:13.814 --> 01:11:20.531
- and non motorized transportation users. Does this mean bike lanes as well. Are you also responsible

01:11:20.531 --> 01:11:27.652
- for making sure that those are maintained. We do we do some of that work as far as bike lane maintenance.

01:11:27.652 --> 01:11:34.302
- We also partner with our friends at the city of Bloomington utilities with their sweeping program.

01:11:34.402 --> 01:11:43.073
- I see James in the back James was sending us some fun emails this last week about some new equipment

01:11:43.073 --> 01:11:51.829
- that they're looking to trial or use to do bike lane sweeping. So yes it's a team effort. And then is

01:11:51.829 --> 01:11:56.894
- the street division responsible for side paths or is that.

01:11:57.090 --> 01:12:03.921
- Yes, so based on city code a traditional sidewalk would be the adjacent property owners responsibility

01:12:03.921 --> 01:12:10.885
- and side paths become the city's Responsibility for maintenance snow clearing etc. So is that the Street

01:12:10.885 --> 01:12:17.717
- Division? Yes Okay Thank you. Yes on a winter weather event You will often see Joe or Danny or Ron and

01:12:17.717 --> 01:12:24.482
- one of their smaller pickup trucks working on all the side paths So those are not like you said those

01:12:24.482 --> 01:12:26.206
- are not responsibility of

01:12:26.434 --> 01:12:34.077
- Property owners, so those do get cleared of ice and snow. Yes. Okay. Well, that's something Thank you

01:12:34.077 --> 01:12:41.794
- Councilmember Rallo, I Really appreciate you take you taking the time in effort to To look at the long

01:12:41.794 --> 01:12:49.661
- view projecting out the maintenance for streets and sidewalks. It's really helpful so You said the black

01:12:49.661 --> 01:12:56.030
- line is doing nothing then there was a steady state line. What line do you aim to to

01:12:56.674 --> 01:13:05.554
- hope to fulfill. In a perfect world, we would be looking at that bright pink line at the top. So on

01:13:05.554 --> 01:13:11.326
- the right side of the slides for you all too, that's going to be

01:13:12.258 --> 01:13:18.385
- It's a lot of data points there. But basically that shows the incremental spending increases needed

01:13:18.385 --> 01:13:24.757
- to reach different target levels No community. There's not a community in the state of Indiana anywhere

01:13:24.757 --> 01:13:30.884
- near an 80 citywide Rating, you know, so that that's what you would dream for if we could get above

01:13:30.884 --> 01:13:37.379
- 60 in the next several years I think we'd be doing really well, but it does require increased investments

01:13:37.379 --> 01:13:41.790
- in a time when Funding is not increasing Well, I want to ask controller

01:13:41.954 --> 01:13:51.102
- About that fifty eight million dollars just became available today from the governor Allocated to local

01:13:51.102 --> 01:14:00.162
- governments. Do you do you know anything about that for for road road improvements? I mean essentially

01:14:00.162 --> 01:14:08.958
- that additional funding is just replacing the funding lost from the gas tax holidays and so there's

01:14:09.058 --> 01:14:17.110
- I don't we don't anticipate seeing any great influx of of money We're just hoping that and we believe

01:14:17.110 --> 01:14:25.084
- that that that money from the state will at least keep us whole During this time when no gas tax was

01:14:25.084 --> 01:14:33.610
- collected. I see doesn't mean much for us then it just keeps us where we are Yeah makes for a good headline

01:14:33.610 --> 01:14:38.110
- though. Yeah Additional questions Councilmember Stasberg

01:14:39.842 --> 01:14:46.766
- Did I hear you write director waste then that you said that College and walnut between 17th and the

01:14:46.766 --> 01:14:53.760
- bypass was being prioritized for repaying next year For community crossings, okay. So does that mean

01:14:53.760 --> 01:15:00.684
- there's gonna be other upgrades along We always work with engineering to look at the transportation

01:15:00.684 --> 01:15:07.678
- plan what other safety improvements can be made? absolutely, I guess I'm kind of wondering because I

01:15:07.778 --> 01:15:15.948
- that is part of the college walnut corridor study and there are potentially extensive changes that have

01:15:15.948 --> 01:15:24.197
- been proposed. And so I guess I just want to know how you guys are like collaborating and thinking about

01:15:24.197 --> 01:15:32.446
- that in terms of potentially large changes in that area and not wanting to like needing to make it safer

01:15:32.446 --> 01:15:35.038
- as soon as possible but also not

01:15:35.202 --> 01:15:41.324
- Wanting to invest in something that then is going to have to be removed later on for a different investment

01:15:41.324 --> 01:15:46.992
- This is a challenge we face on a regular basis with our large our large-scale paving needs You know

01:15:46.992 --> 01:15:52.888
- the long-term future possibilities of the corridors versus actual pavement maintenance You know a fresh

01:15:52.888 --> 01:15:58.046
- coat of pavement on a main thoroughfare like that is gonna last hopefully ten years if not

01:15:58.210 --> 01:16:03.732
- Hopefully 10 probably closer to six to seven based on traffic volumes and such so we look at community

01:16:03.732 --> 01:16:09.094
- crossings as you know an opportunity to make safety improvements, but also focus mostly on pavement

01:16:09.094 --> 01:16:14.509
- maintenance Okay, and I guess the and let me I sorry I should have meant and yes We are coordinating

01:16:14.509 --> 01:16:19.870
- with other departments to make sure that we the types of pavement maintenance Improvements we would

01:16:19.870 --> 01:16:25.661
- make would also be compatible into the future knowing that that is a giant proposal for that whole corridor

01:16:25.661 --> 01:16:27.966
- Yeah, and I guess the other thing that I'm

01:16:28.258 --> 01:16:34.550
- particularly concerned about with that segment is that currently the speed limit there is 40 miles an

01:16:34.550 --> 01:16:40.903
- hour and my understanding is people tend to speed through there anyway and that is of course by Miller

01:16:40.903 --> 01:16:47.195
- Showers Park and there have been a lot of pedestrian safety concerns so to put fresh pavement on that

01:16:47.195 --> 01:16:49.662
- as it is even if you enhance crosswalks

01:16:49.762 --> 01:16:56.709
- That don't actually make people stop that that's just of concern to me in terms of the overall picture

01:16:56.709 --> 01:17:03.589
- of that corridor and Yeah, so that was maybe more of a of a quam at but I just want to make sure that

01:17:03.589 --> 01:17:10.401
- that's considered and If I could just comment on that though Understanding speeds in a corridor like

01:17:10.401 --> 01:17:16.606
- that could be higher than we would like I don't know that you could directly correlate with

01:17:16.738 --> 01:17:23.632
- Fresh pavement with higher speeds after that Pavement made the longer you go without improving pavement

01:17:23.632 --> 01:17:30.459
- the more it costs in the long run to improve it. So we identify our paving priorities based on the PCI

01:17:30.459 --> 01:17:37.619
- indexes and overlay that with the type of roadway it is and being a main arterial entrance to the community

01:17:37.619 --> 01:17:39.806
- that's going to require more pay

01:17:40.034 --> 01:17:46.273
- Repaving more often than your typical neighborhood residential street. Yeah, I mean I get that and I

01:17:46.273 --> 01:17:52.697
- appreciate that but it's also much easier to drive faster on nice New pavement, so I just am expressing

01:17:52.697 --> 01:17:58.875
- that safety concern of that area And wanting to make sure that that is addressed as a primary piece

01:17:58.875 --> 01:18:04.990
- of that repaying. Thanks. Thank you additional questions from council members council member rough

01:18:08.514 --> 01:18:17.545
- Talk at all about or inform me at all about materials costs increases relative to other costs increases

01:18:17.545 --> 01:18:26.229
- and Also project into the future a little bit on materials costs money not equipment necessarily or

01:18:26.229 --> 01:18:27.966
- but materials costs

01:18:29.186 --> 01:18:35.695
- In a simple gesture, they're going like this and they're continuing to rise So we see what's happening

01:18:35.695 --> 01:18:42.014
- with fuel costs which directly relates to asphalt cost being a petroleum product What I can do is I

01:18:42.014 --> 01:18:48.650
- don't have any specific Numbers that I could provide right off the top of my head right now but we could

01:18:48.650 --> 01:18:52.062
- provide you some analysis and some projections on and

01:18:52.194 --> 01:18:59.448
- The cost per ton of asphalt over the last several years that we've been paying do some review on that

01:18:59.448 --> 01:19:06.631
- But yes, we're seeing it go up. We are concerned about that the price of salt salt a good example as

01:19:06.631 --> 01:19:14.312
- well. It's a commodity that Even for what we may be able to get it will come at a 25 to 35 percent increase

01:19:14.312 --> 01:19:20.926
- From what we've seen in years past. So these are real numbers that we're trying to trying to

01:19:21.634 --> 01:19:28.829
- Live within so did you would you say paving? materials supply As as dramatic as the salt Probably not

01:19:28.829 --> 01:19:35.883
- quite as dramatic as it's all but let us do a little We can we can run some numbers on that and put

01:19:35.883 --> 01:19:43.149
- it in the written questions and kind of show you some examples of what we're seeing The other one that

01:19:43.149 --> 01:19:50.203
- you'd mention equipment to whether it's dump trucks triaxles Sanitation trucks. Those are all Quite

01:19:50.203 --> 01:19:51.614
- the premium as well

01:19:52.162 --> 01:20:02.450
- So finally just on the same exact topic real quick Suppliers local suppliers Are that how's that front?

01:20:02.450 --> 01:20:12.640
- How does the materials suppliers? Is that being Constrict is it consolidating are we seeing less? Come

01:20:12.640 --> 01:20:20.158
- to competition. Is that contributing in any way do you think the prices and

01:20:20.450 --> 01:20:27.611
- Whether or not the lack there's two main outfits for your materials you've got in EMB and milestone

01:20:27.611 --> 01:20:34.986
- have their own material facility so I think it's the old Rogers quarries out there off of Ord Road are

01:20:34.986 --> 01:20:42.290
- now EMB's facility and then milestones got their facility out by 445 and I 69 there just on the Green

01:20:42.290 --> 01:20:49.450
- County border. But those are your two main suppliers for asphalt and for asphalt. Just two. OK. OK.

01:20:49.450 --> 01:20:50.238
- Thank you.

01:20:52.258 --> 01:20:58.395
- Questions I Have a few One was he thought up with an email to myself and a few other council members

01:20:58.395 --> 01:21:04.654
- following a constituent Concern about maintenance of brick streets in historic districts kind of north

01:21:04.654 --> 01:21:10.184
- of 7th Street near campus there Could you tip share a little bit more about the challenges

01:21:10.184 --> 01:21:15.774
- with me maintaining brick streets over time and any? current plans to try to work on that I

01:21:16.066 --> 01:21:22.397
- Yeah so I can tell you this has been on an agenda for our IU city coordination meetings for probably

01:21:22.397 --> 01:21:28.853
- last six seven years at least as a long range topic of concern of how do we how do we find the limited

01:21:28.853 --> 01:21:32.990
- funding that with the limited funding we have available how do we

01:21:33.186 --> 01:21:39.356
- How do we prioritize improvements to those brick streets. I can tell you we focused on it a bit in 2018

01:21:39.356 --> 01:21:45.466
- 2019 looking for some grant opportunities. We're not successful in that. And then we had a whole coded

01:21:45.466 --> 01:21:48.254
- period where we were just trying to, you know,

01:21:48.354 --> 01:21:54.827
- maintain operations but it has come back up again. I appreciate Miss Cole in the neighborhood reaching

01:21:54.827 --> 01:22:01.173
- out and reminding us that there are some obligations the city committed to back in 2004. So you know

01:22:01.173 --> 01:22:07.583
- the main effort right now is we've inventory there's about nine or ten block frontages that need full

01:22:07.583 --> 01:22:14.056
- restoration at this point. So we're doing some outreach with our friends at utility to understand what

01:22:14.056 --> 01:22:16.318
- the underground utilities are like.

01:22:16.642 --> 01:22:23.395
- They'll need replaced. We're getting cost estimates on what we think each block frontage could cost.

01:22:23.395 --> 01:22:30.148
- We're also doing a property inventory to say to really look at who owns all the property from 7th to

01:22:30.148 --> 01:22:34.494
- 10th Indiana to Woodlawn where all these streets are. There's a.

01:22:35.778 --> 01:22:41.899
- not an elephant in the room, our friends over on campus at IU, they're mostly IU affiliated or on properties

01:22:41.899 --> 01:22:48.021
- outside of a few owner occupied and rentals. So my overall hope would be that we would be able to prioritize

01:22:48.021 --> 01:22:53.637
- all of our relationships with the university, maybe the state house and others to try to prioritize

01:22:53.637 --> 01:22:59.477
- that over the next several years. But I'm guessing it would be several years before much progress would

01:22:59.477 --> 01:23:05.374
- be made just with the amount of planning and utility coordination that would need to go into it as well.

01:23:05.730 --> 01:23:12.588
- But I'm hopeful. Thank you. One brief follow up with it comes to snow removal on multi use paths. We

01:23:12.588 --> 01:23:19.717
- had a deliberation session a few months ago in which we identified some gaps and they didn't get cleared

01:23:19.717 --> 01:23:24.062
- by the city. And then I'm curious how you and your staff manage

01:23:24.546 --> 01:23:29.591
- That at a systems level I think that we've improved gradually over time But probably there's still things

01:23:29.591 --> 01:23:34.398
- that come up where it's like, oh we missed this one How do you all manage that to make sure that you

01:23:34.398 --> 01:23:39.300
- get it the next year that kind of thing? Yeah, so we've got it all mapped, you know So we use our city

01:23:39.300 --> 01:23:44.345
- works asset management program to map all the locations where we do snow control Where we have it whether

01:23:44.345 --> 01:23:49.152
- it's contractors whether it's our city staff You know some instances it's in dot rights of way where

01:23:49.152 --> 01:23:53.150
- we're actually doing that snow control efforts as well as they don't and they don't

01:23:53.250 --> 01:23:59.923
- Snow-control on their pedestrian facilities, but it's all mapped and then you know if we've missed something

01:23:59.923 --> 01:24:06.045
- we get the phone call Yeah, but thank you. Appreciate it any other questions before we go to public

01:24:06.045 --> 01:24:12.472
- comment seeing none Members of the public who would like to comment on the streets division public works

01:24:12.472 --> 01:24:18.594
- budget Raise your hand online come to the podium and chambers Seeing no in-person takers do we have

01:24:18.594 --> 01:24:19.390
- any online I

01:24:21.954 --> 01:24:30.318
- We are back to this council members for any final comments on this divisions budget Councilor Aralo

01:24:30.318 --> 01:24:38.013
- Thanks, just to say I appreciate your work on street maintenance I've seen just anecdotally

01:24:38.013 --> 01:24:46.460
- great improvements and It was a concern. It seems to be a priority from the survey. It was just Data

01:24:46.460 --> 01:24:51.646
- collected so other people are concerned and I know it's tough

01:24:52.002 --> 01:25:03.955
- Incline I suppose but I appreciate you focusing on it. So, thank you Other comments that's my treatment

01:25:03.955 --> 01:25:16.138
- Smith Just to acknowledge that we do as a community still have a problem with The fact that our Sidewalks

01:25:16.138 --> 01:25:21.310
- are often impassable because of snow and ice

01:25:21.506 --> 01:25:27.969
- I think that I may have mentioned this on Monday night in the context of another department But it's

01:25:27.969 --> 01:25:34.560
- something we still need to work on I know it's the property owners responsibility But the fact is that

01:25:34.560 --> 01:25:41.151
- it doesn't get done and it puts pedestrians in jeopardy Walking in the street. So just point that out.

01:25:41.151 --> 01:25:47.550
- Let's work together on finding some solutions. Thank you Thank you additional comments Sure, just a

01:25:47.550 --> 01:25:49.406
- few just to follow up on the

01:25:49.506 --> 01:25:55.449
- Snow removal item. It was the multi-use path on the north side of Patterson between Morton and and Rogers,

01:25:55.449 --> 01:26:01.225
- I think new hope for families had cleared cleared their section, but that the additional section Wasn't

01:26:01.225 --> 01:26:06.779
- this winter. So it's just a FYI if that hadn't been communicated I appreciate that you all document

01:26:06.779 --> 01:26:12.555
- that map that and update your maps to manage through a continuous improvement process. We heard similar

01:26:12.555 --> 01:26:15.998
- things from Tim Street and that's that's much appreciated and

01:26:16.194 --> 01:26:21.867
- Agree that we still have work to do. I'd be curious. I'll follow up in questions written questions about

01:26:21.867 --> 01:26:27.431
- Some of the the ways that we've the public works has tried to spend a small budget allocation. I think

01:26:27.431 --> 01:26:32.888
- I might be like $50,000 on augmenting snow removal and other ways in high pedestrian areas that kind

01:26:32.888 --> 01:26:38.290
- of thing So I'd be curious to hear more about how that's gone and if we're anticipating any changes

01:26:38.290 --> 01:26:43.855
- The other thing that I with the community crossing grants I'm also always kind of thinking about like,

01:26:43.855 --> 01:26:45.854
- okay like are there ways that we can

01:26:46.306 --> 01:26:52.992
- better leverage this to move in the direction of infrastructure safety improvements that we that we're

01:26:52.992 --> 01:26:59.548
- planning for and For instance, we added bike lanes to College Mall Road. I think in the first year I

01:26:59.548 --> 01:27:06.233
- was on council through some Deliberation we had in sessions in this chambers and you know and that was

01:27:06.233 --> 01:27:13.179
- one area of marginal improvement that we were able to accomplish through that that moment and on something

01:27:13.179 --> 01:27:15.710
- like North walnut between 17th and the

01:27:16.514 --> 01:27:22.607
- The bypass I wonder about I mean obviously we're not going to invest in like an overhaul of those three

01:27:22.607 --> 01:27:28.525
- blocks of the walnut corridor that we have this major study in capital, you know project in but I do

01:27:28.525 --> 01:27:34.442
- wonder about The the the quick build project, you know, what does it actually cost us on a lane mile

01:27:34.442 --> 01:27:35.614
- basis or I guess it

01:27:35.874 --> 01:27:42.101
- Yeah, the land mile basis to put in temporary materials like we have on 3rd Street along campus for

01:27:42.101 --> 01:27:48.390
- instance to significant effect in terms of the safety of Bicyclists and other you know scooter users

01:27:48.390 --> 01:27:54.867
- that are in in those lanes. So we do have striped bike lanes they might even be buffered in a few areas

01:27:54.867 --> 01:28:01.156
- on along Miller Showers Park, but Obviously, it's not a comfortable place to bike and we've also had

01:28:01.156 --> 01:28:04.830
- crashes including deadly crashes on North walnut generally

01:28:04.930 --> 01:28:11.948
- With people using bike lanes, so that's that's a thought of maybe we can and I can follow up and getting

01:28:11.948 --> 01:28:18.699
- written questions about how you receive that as a Department but it's another idea about how to make

01:28:18.699 --> 01:28:25.450
- incremental progress even when we can't do the big infrastructure improvements in a synergistic way.

01:28:25.450 --> 01:28:28.190
- So Those are my comments any others Okay

01:28:28.354 --> 01:28:37.392
- When you see when you said temporary materials, I thought you were referring to like gravel or Yes Ballards

01:28:37.392 --> 01:28:46.012
- or you know what I mean? Yes. Okay Moving on we are To the fourth of five presentations for the night.

01:28:46.012 --> 01:28:54.381
- This is going to be the parking services division of Public Works. I believe director Wason Will be

01:28:54.381 --> 01:28:56.222
- presenting again also

01:28:56.674 --> 01:29:02.971
- Michelle wall parking services manager was listed on the presentation Thank you again for your presentation

01:29:02.971 --> 01:29:08.977
- and to streets division staff for joining us for that portion. Perfect Yeah, so I've got Michelle wall

01:29:08.977 --> 01:29:14.982
- Jessica Goodman and Charlene Lawson our leadership team at the parking services division I've got them

01:29:14.982 --> 01:29:20.988
- online tonight. They're in the midst of their busiest busiest busiest of weeks right now and we've had

01:29:20.988 --> 01:29:23.262
- some staffing shortages there, so I've

01:29:23.650 --> 01:29:29.159
- We've given them the permission to be online to help answer questions as needed. But first to start

01:29:29.159 --> 01:29:35.110
- off with again a big thanks for the staff and parking services. So our whether it's our parking enforcement

01:29:35.110 --> 01:29:40.729
- officers our customer service and security specialists at the parking garages our administrative team

01:29:40.729 --> 01:29:46.294
- of customer service reps financial coordinator and then the leadership team of director wall parking

01:29:46.294 --> 01:29:48.222
- garage manager Jessica Goodman and

01:29:48.802 --> 01:29:55.157
- Charlene Lawson our new parking enforcement manager who took over for Ryan Cox who was able to retire

01:29:55.157 --> 01:30:01.511
- this year our longtime city employee ran so Big thanks to the whole team that makes the whole parking

01:30:01.511 --> 01:30:07.928
- system work So not only our parking staff enforcement staff out helping manage our parking assets, but

01:30:07.928 --> 01:30:14.220
- also doing much more Parking staff are our special events setups set up specialists So if you see an

01:30:14.220 --> 01:30:18.768
- orange barricade in the wild whether it's for a park lit a special event

01:30:18.768 --> 01:30:24.923
- or any other use the team and parking enforcement is the one are the folks that are Deploying those,

01:30:24.923 --> 01:30:31.323
- you know getting them from the parking garage delivering them to the events or to the sites and removing

01:30:31.323 --> 01:30:37.478
- those so It's not just parking enforcement that they do. It's so much more beyond that They're going

01:30:37.478 --> 01:30:42.110
- to fill in for the crossing guards when we have crossing guard absences and

01:30:42.658 --> 01:30:48.405
- You know We manage with with the same team at parking services We've got a group that's managing the

01:30:48.405 --> 01:30:54.437
- thousands of residential and garage permits that are issued every year So it's just a real big operation.

01:30:54.437 --> 01:31:00.127
- I mentioned our school crossing guard program I do want to make a special shout out to anybody that

01:31:00.127 --> 01:31:05.874
- might be listening online If you've got a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon,

01:31:05.874 --> 01:31:12.190
- you want to earn a few bucks we're always looking for staff members to help in our elementary school zones for

01:31:12.322 --> 01:31:19.870
- Crossing through our school crossing guard program overall so as a division overview

01:31:20.226 --> 01:31:25.910
- Parking enforcement is going to handle all of our downtown parking meters the park mobile system. That's

01:31:25.910 --> 01:31:31.431
- not only The enforcement side but also all the technology and maintenance that goes with it We've got

01:31:31.431 --> 01:31:37.223
- our four city-owned parking garages our five surface lots in the downtown We do all of our special events.

01:31:37.223 --> 01:31:42.852
- Like I mentioned the neighborhood residential parking permit program, which I'll talk a little bit more

01:31:42.852 --> 01:31:45.342
- about based on some revelations this year and

01:31:45.858 --> 01:31:52.384
- and parking enforcement generally. I do also want to make a note that we've had some a comment come

01:31:52.384 --> 01:31:59.106
- through online through the report system about how we try to manage the parking system. Our number one

01:31:59.106 --> 01:32:05.959
- goal is to actually manage the assets as they exist on the streets. So helping encourage turnover things

01:32:05.959 --> 01:32:13.007
- like that. But in no ways are we ever trying to be out there to be punitive or overly to be overly punitive

01:32:13.007 --> 01:32:13.790
- in any way.

01:32:13.922 --> 01:32:19.824
- really out there just trying to enforce the rules for all the users of the system and applaud the whole

01:32:19.824 --> 01:32:25.726
- team there that is doing that. I think I've said in some previous budget hearings you know nobody likes

01:32:25.726 --> 01:32:31.515
- to get a parking ticket and our parking enforcement staff are probably the most verbally abused staff

01:32:31.515 --> 01:32:37.417
- in the whole city. So I always just hold them in high regard for the way that they're able to deal with

01:32:37.417 --> 01:32:43.262
- that in the field and day to day. Overall it's 26 full time staff members across the whole department.

01:32:43.522 --> 01:32:49.955
- Key budget change for twenty twenty six is a two point eight one four million dollar increase that's

01:32:49.955 --> 01:32:56.516
- currently budgeted. I'll talk a lot more about that as we go through the slides here as you as council

01:32:56.516 --> 01:33:03.076
- was present was a couple of weeks ago now the Walker parking study report was presented to the council

01:33:03.076 --> 01:33:09.446
- and a lot of what we'll talk about today is the result of the recommendations of that parking study

01:33:09.446 --> 01:33:11.102
- and the next steps there.

01:33:11.298 --> 01:33:18.156
- So overall we did that final review with the council or got the final reports in June of 2026 presented

01:33:18.156 --> 01:33:25.081
- that to the council a couple of weeks ago. You know the overall goal here is to just improve the overall

01:33:25.081 --> 01:33:28.510
- parking network to have it work best for all users.

01:33:28.994 --> 01:33:36.265
- at the same time looking to and improve the customer experience whether it's With wayfinding and signage

01:33:36.265 --> 01:33:43.190
- to make it easier for them to use the system but then also to support the overall priorities of the

01:33:43.190 --> 01:33:50.253
- administration Council Transportation Commission and others so When we talk about our 2027 priorities

01:33:50.253 --> 01:33:58.078
- a lot of this has to do with investing in the parking system So parking meters were originally installed in 2010

01:33:58.370 --> 01:34:06.618
- 2013 when we I was part of that discussion and Typical useful life for a parking meter is seven to ten

01:34:06.618 --> 01:34:14.947
- years We're doing a lot of maintenance on this old equipment and so knowing we need to make investments

01:34:14.947 --> 01:34:23.356
- both from the technology the parking technology The parking meter system and more we do have a two point

01:34:23.356 --> 01:34:25.598
- five million dollar capital

01:34:26.242 --> 01:34:32.490
- budget item in this in this budget request to Help implement that as we go through after we go through

01:34:32.490 --> 01:34:38.557
- the full stakeholder vetting process with You know the community the Transportation Commission City

01:34:38.557 --> 01:34:44.744
- Council and everything to find to figure out those final decisions on on where we head with it one of

01:34:44.744 --> 01:34:47.838
- the things I mentioned though is it's that kind of

01:34:48.290 --> 01:34:55.435
- making sure we do the appropriate amount of communication out of why it's necessary why it makes sense

01:34:55.435 --> 01:35:02.857
- at this time and to take the input of the community to help us move that forward. I mentioned neighborhood

01:35:02.857 --> 01:35:10.072
- parking permits that's gotten a lot of attention lately and just wanted to talk about that very briefly

01:35:10.072 --> 01:35:12.222
- here. So we've got we're up to

01:35:12.514 --> 01:35:17.954
- We've got the zones that are listed here are shown here on the map for our residential neighborhood

01:35:17.954 --> 01:35:23.829
- parking program. What we've seen in the last year and what we've been working with our friends and planning

01:35:23.829 --> 01:35:29.377
- and transportation and housing neighborhood development on is really understanding the impacts of the

01:35:29.377 --> 01:35:32.478
- redevelopment of single family properties to multifamily

01:35:32.578 --> 01:35:38.841
- Multi unit properties and as we were getting into parking permit season here We were seeing that we

01:35:38.841 --> 01:35:45.480
- were going to have some pretty significant impacts of that so we've been collecting a lot of data working

01:35:45.480 --> 01:35:48.862
- with hand and planning to understand what the overall

01:35:49.410 --> 01:35:55.354
- percentage increase of bedrooms has been on certain properties and what that impact would be for neighborhood

01:35:55.354 --> 01:36:01.028
- residential parking permits. We've worked through a lot of that. We've made sure we worked with property

01:36:01.028 --> 01:36:06.540
- owners rent units that had gotten them in the past to make sure they're getting them again this year.

01:36:06.540 --> 01:36:11.998
- But this will be a big focus of conversation as we move through any of our ordinance updates related

01:36:11.998 --> 01:36:16.862
- to implementing the Walker study. We would also hope to include that in the conversation.

01:36:17.410 --> 01:36:25.451
- overall for parking services Again, the big increase is the 2.5 million dollar investment that we're

01:36:25.451 --> 01:36:33.492
- earmarking for upgrades of the parking system The overall 2027 budget and is going to be seven point

01:36:33.492 --> 01:36:41.613
- seven million Which is again a big increase but the vast vast majority of that's all with the earmark

01:36:41.613 --> 01:36:44.798
- for parking technology improvements and

01:36:47.362 --> 01:36:55.502
- so beyond the improvements with the The technology and the meters systems and such we also realize we

01:36:55.502 --> 01:37:03.483
- have to do a rate review for both the on-street parking and our garages for Looking at the revenues

01:37:03.483 --> 01:37:08.830
- into the future and how we want to manage the system We're working

01:37:09.090 --> 01:37:15.202
- with a I'm not sure if it's what it's gonna be called from the Transportation Commission whether it's

01:37:15.202 --> 01:37:21.373
- gonna be a subcommittee or I think the word task force has been thrown around I don't always love that

01:37:21.373 --> 01:37:27.365
- term but to really come up with some recommendations that would meet the the goals of the study and

01:37:27.365 --> 01:37:33.477
- the needs of the residents and visitors using the parking system so with that I will be happy to take

01:37:33.477 --> 01:37:38.270
- questions and Appreciate Michelle Jessica and Charlene being here to back me up

01:37:39.010 --> 01:37:45.908
- Thank you for presentation and thank you to the parking services folks for joining us as well. Do we

01:37:45.908 --> 01:37:53.011
- have questions from councilmembers councilmember Stasberg Kind of a quick and easy one first under your

01:37:53.011 --> 01:37:59.910
- Goal number one of replacement of parking technology. It says that two and a half million dollars is

01:37:59.910 --> 01:38:06.398
- Becoming a placeholder from the parking facilities fund but farther down it says that it's the

01:38:06.658 --> 01:38:12.757
- From the parking meter fund and I just want verification over which one of those funds that's coming

01:38:12.757 --> 01:38:18.917
- It would not be the parking garage facility. It's possible that we would We would look at the parking

01:38:18.917 --> 01:38:25.258
- facilities fund for upgrades to the parking garage equipment But anything on street would be the parking

01:38:25.258 --> 01:38:30.814
- meter fund or potential bonding opportunities. Okay, so the typo is in the first goal, okay

01:38:32.354 --> 01:38:38.889
- And then the second thing I wanted to ask about so I went to taste of Bloomington this year and I had

01:38:38.889 --> 01:38:45.361
- a car full and we went to the 4th Street garage and saw that There were folks there were attendance.

01:38:45.361 --> 01:38:51.960
- They're collecting a flat fee for parking that day And I was wondering if that was the first year that

01:38:51.960 --> 01:38:57.342
- you had done that for special event parking and just like how that went in terms of

01:38:57.442 --> 01:39:02.913
- from revenue perspective but also like what you heard if you heard anything from people who might have

01:39:02.913 --> 01:39:08.383
- I mean I know I often go to the garage because it costs less to park in the garage than it does on the

01:39:08.383 --> 01:39:14.013
- street and it's like I didn't really care it was fine it didn't matter but I also hadn't seen that really

01:39:14.013 --> 01:39:18.846
- advertised anywhere and so I'm just kind of interested in what kind of reaction you've got

01:39:19.106 --> 01:39:25.795
- Yeah, so starting with your first question of have we done that in the past our first attempt to do

01:39:25.795 --> 01:39:32.685
- that I have a chuckle and a smile on my face because that was for the eclipse and It didn't really pan

01:39:32.685 --> 01:39:39.441
- out as we expected in terms of the amount of visitors here locally. So this was our our big This was

01:39:39.441 --> 01:39:45.662
- our our first time where it really was effective so the whole thought process behind this is

01:39:46.306 --> 01:39:53.804
- We charge a very low flat rate. I think we charge $3 for the day. And the point, what we're trying to

01:39:53.804 --> 01:40:01.596
- achieve there is when we have these large scale events in the downtown, we have the ability to do special

01:40:01.596 --> 01:40:08.946
- event pricing. The whole purpose of that is to lessen the amount of time it takes to get out of the

01:40:08.946 --> 01:40:14.974
- garage when the events are over. So you've prepaid and instead of each, you know,

01:40:15.458 --> 01:40:20.073
- The whole hope is that if you're parking in the garage, you're going to take your ticket with you. You're

01:40:20.073 --> 01:40:24.426
- going to pay at the kiosk and you're going to be able to zip right out of the garage. You also have

01:40:24.426 --> 01:40:28.954
- the ability to pay at the gate. And when you have, you know, I think we've had events in the past where

01:40:28.954 --> 01:40:33.438
- we've had big things downtown where, you know, 40, 50 cars are queued up and it's taken forever to get

01:40:33.438 --> 01:40:37.922
- out of the garage. So that was our attempt to ease that this year and it worked really well. I can get

01:40:37.922 --> 01:40:40.926
- you some revenue numbers. I don't have those off the top of my head.

01:40:42.018 --> 01:40:49.520
- I might follow up about revenue numbers. Just I'm just kind of curious. I'm not sure it matters That

01:40:49.520 --> 01:40:57.097
- does seem like a general good benefit and I'll talk more about that during comment. Thanks Additional

01:40:57.097 --> 01:41:04.525
- questions from council members, I see councilmember Smith Yes, um director Wason does this division

01:41:04.525 --> 01:41:07.422
- handle scooter parking enforcement and

01:41:07.714 --> 01:41:15.618
- They help assist with it. Yes Actually was just on the phone with our bird rep today noting a couple

01:41:15.618 --> 01:41:23.679
- locations We needed some assistance with so they do they'll make note. They'll reach out. We'll Robert

01:41:23.679 --> 01:41:31.662
- with bird our new rep locally has been real real helpful with that. So, yes So When you say they help

01:41:31.662 --> 01:41:35.966
- out so that is the city staff the only city staff that

01:41:36.098 --> 01:41:44.665
- Works on parking problems with scooters right. Yes I would other than a staff member that may see it

01:41:44.665 --> 01:41:52.638
- in the field report back. But and do they how do they handle it. Like if there's a complaint.

01:41:53.282 --> 01:41:58.870
- Either called in or through your report. Do they go out and move the scooter or they contact Bird? Well,

01:41:58.870 --> 01:42:04.406
- we usually always try to contact Bird to have them deal with their own products You know the the caveat

01:42:04.406 --> 01:42:09.728
- here is they're focused mostly in the downtown area in the parking meter zone If it's a residential

01:42:09.728 --> 01:42:15.050
- issue One of our neighborhood parking enforcement officers might assist Oftentimes in a residential

01:42:15.050 --> 01:42:20.533
- area if they see a parked scooter blocking a sidewalk, they're gonna move it off the sidewalk. They're

01:42:20.533 --> 01:42:21.118
- gonna just

01:42:21.442 --> 01:42:27.947
- take care of the accessibility issue but we know it's still a challenge. We know we don't have 100 percent

01:42:27.947 --> 01:42:34.027
- compliance with people parking where they're supposed to. We're having conversations with ESD right

01:42:34.027 --> 01:42:40.350
- now about possible renewals of that contract and what we need to see improved from the current contract

01:42:40.350 --> 01:42:46.673
- and in future contracts. But it is parking enforcement staff that assist with that. Do you have a sense

01:42:46.673 --> 01:42:47.646
- that there are.

01:42:47.906 --> 01:42:53.543
- It's getting better that there are fewer parking issues with the scooters than yeah the downtown geofencing

01:42:53.543 --> 01:42:58.814
- Of the corrals has been super helpful They will the last communication we had from Bird is that they

01:42:58.814 --> 01:43:04.034
- will there will be a financial Penalty to a user if they leave it outside of the geofenced area the

01:43:04.034 --> 01:43:09.358
- corrals that we have downtown We're still seeing it on occasion. But I think in the downtown it's had

01:43:09.358 --> 01:43:10.558
- a tremendous effect. I

01:43:11.234 --> 01:43:19.852
- Okay, I might follow up with your department at ESD to get some more. Yep details I think D is helping

01:43:19.852 --> 01:43:28.722
- with that right now. So thank you Additional questions a customer rather than customer rough Constituents

01:43:28.722 --> 01:43:37.089
- have noted that trash recycling and or recycling containers sometimes sit on sidewalks for multiple

01:43:37.089 --> 01:43:38.846
- days Is it feasible?

01:43:39.234 --> 01:43:48.172
- the parking enforcement could Hand housing neighbor. There's a cans at the curb part of code that hand

01:43:48.172 --> 01:43:57.197
- is responsible for enforcing so if we get you reports that you know a Specific address is leaving their

01:43:57.197 --> 01:44:06.222
- cans out for several days hand staff do that as part of their compliance efforts. I see Okay, good good

01:44:06.222 --> 01:44:08.478
- to know. Thanks Thank you

01:44:09.570 --> 01:44:19.572
- I just had a quick question about the technology the parking technology parking meter technology upgrades.

01:44:19.572 --> 01:44:28.452
- You've written in the outline slides that building public understanding support is a challenge

01:44:28.452 --> 01:44:38.174
- and opportunity for the coming for the future. I'm wondering I was unaware till just the other day that

01:44:38.594 --> 01:44:49.887
- There are blocks where they you can only use park mobile. I was unaware of that. And the if we move

01:44:49.887 --> 01:45:01.293
- to kiosks are there are we going to be seeing more of that or are is someone going to be able to use

01:45:01.293 --> 01:45:05.246
- cash for a spot paying at a kiosk.

01:45:06.082 --> 01:45:13.398
- I think it's fair to say at the at the at a majority or high percentage of places currently there's

01:45:13.398 --> 01:45:20.787
- there's the opportunity to use cash card or Park mobile on I can get some information on exactly how

01:45:20.787 --> 01:45:27.006
- many blocks are Park mobile only but I know it's North College between like 12th and

01:45:27.170 --> 01:45:33.840
- 2015 There's a block on South Washington That was park mobile only after some changes to the configuration

01:45:33.840 --> 01:45:40.323
- of Washington Street But there are certain number of spaces that are park mobile only It is that a part

01:45:40.323 --> 01:45:46.993
- of any of the contract with park mobile Is there anything in the contract that says we will have a certain

01:45:46.993 --> 01:45:53.289
- percentage of spots that are park mobile only spots? Is that if there is I'm wholly unaware of it. I

01:45:53.289 --> 01:45:54.910
- don't think there is no I

01:45:56.098 --> 01:46:04.092
- Okay, so I will just say that for now I'm I'm a Concern about that. I'm opposed to it You know, you

01:46:04.092 --> 01:46:12.086
- have people so I did not have parked mobile day out until I Told the other day when I tried to park

01:46:12.086 --> 01:46:20.240
- on South Washington across some da Vinci's that's the block you're talking about and I realized I put

01:46:20.240 --> 01:46:23.198
- in your credit card all these things

01:46:23.330 --> 01:46:29.742
- There are people with credit issues. There might be people that are correct there's it just seems to

01:46:29.742 --> 01:46:36.282
- be a problem that An equitable, you know an opportunity problem for certain segments of the population

01:46:36.282 --> 01:46:43.012
- if we have and they're put its publics, right? There's public spaces, right? They're public. Yeah parking

01:46:43.012 --> 01:46:49.360
- and I think it needs to be equally accessible everywhere and that includes having the option of not

01:46:49.360 --> 01:46:51.646
- having to pay 50 cents extra to the

01:46:51.746 --> 01:46:57.829
- Parkmobile or whoever gets that extra money And and have your credit card status good and be able to

01:46:57.829 --> 01:47:03.913
- do the app I just I just wanted to make that statement now. This was a recent experience I had yeah,

01:47:03.913 --> 01:47:10.116
- and again the vast vast majority are gonna be all three options There are just specific locations, but

01:47:10.116 --> 01:47:16.260
- I understand the concern and it'll be the robot It'll be a very robust part of the discussion of what

01:47:16.260 --> 01:47:20.958
- technologies we move to with its kiosks single space meters dual space meters

01:47:21.058 --> 01:47:27.155
- License plate reading technology will be a big part of the conversation So we expect it to be a robust

01:47:27.155 --> 01:47:33.251
- conversation with both the Transportation Commission and the council if we were to come with ordinance

01:47:33.251 --> 01:47:39.230
- updates Well, thank you And I am glad to know that it's not part of a contract with Park mobile that

01:47:39.230 --> 01:47:45.563
- they have a certain amount of guaranteed Park level only spots I appreciate your representing the thoughts

01:47:45.563 --> 01:47:48.286
- of Dan combs here All right other questions I

01:47:48.738 --> 01:47:57.545
- More from custom umbrella. Just was short just to follow up. Yeah just for clarity. So So when the scooter

01:47:57.545 --> 01:48:05.857
- company They collect a fine from the user That's violating by leaving on the on the sidewalk, but we

01:48:05.857 --> 01:48:11.454
- don't we don't We don't find bird we don't get any revenue from the

01:48:11.618 --> 01:48:17.735
- We get revenue from Bird on an annual basis part of their I don't remember what the number is for I

01:48:17.735 --> 01:48:23.914
- guess I'm talking about for for five nations. Yeah. No and I'm and I what I'm trying to think of the

01:48:23.914 --> 01:48:30.092
- exact term he uses email I'll have to follow up in a written response on that one. But yeah we don't

01:48:30.092 --> 01:48:36.270
- collect the fine that would be issued to the user for improperly parking it. I think the thought for

01:48:36.270 --> 01:48:41.470
- Bird is that they're sending staff out to fix the problem and that's why the fine is

01:48:41.602 --> 01:48:48.753
- Issued but yes, we'll follow up there. Okay. Thanks. I have a brief follow-up question which Piggybacks

01:48:48.753 --> 01:48:56.178
- on council member all those first question this came up in our discussions on Monday some of the challenges

01:48:56.178 --> 01:49:03.192
- with trash and recycling containers blocking sidewalks a major accessibility challenge and really the

01:49:03.192 --> 01:49:10.686
- the the inability of hand enforcement staff to be able to like respond to or keep up with that in a way that

01:49:11.266 --> 01:49:17.177
- with a level of service that rivals our parking enforcement services. So that's where it came up. And

01:49:17.177 --> 01:49:23.204
- we wondered if there's, I mean, it seems like a process efficiency opportunity if there are people that

01:49:23.204 --> 01:49:29.000
- are actively monitoring the neighborhood zones, you know, to be able to assist in issuing citations

01:49:29.000 --> 01:49:34.969
- where there are accessibility barriers created by carts left, you know, 24 hours past the time they're

01:49:34.969 --> 01:49:41.054
- supposed to be there. What are your thoughts about that as a cross-department collaboration opportunity?

01:49:43.394 --> 01:49:51.348
- We're always wanting to be good collaborators good partners and be willing to consider innovative ideas

01:49:51.348 --> 01:49:59.148
- on how we do things. That could certainly be a good conversation. You know the key for us is we're we

01:49:59.148 --> 01:50:07.102
- charge staff at sanitation with making sure that they're trying to leave them in the most ideal spot to

01:50:07.234 --> 01:50:12.997
- maintain accessibility throughout the community. And so we have we have followed we have you know kind

01:50:12.997 --> 01:50:18.593
- of spot checks and different things. There are certain areas there the monolithic sidewalks tend to

01:50:18.593 --> 01:50:24.300
- be the most difficult or a monolithic sidewalk with a retaining wall next to it. Those tend to be the

01:50:24.300 --> 01:50:30.120
- hardest ones to get you know full accessibility. But we're open to all conversations about how we could

01:50:30.120 --> 01:50:32.414
- yeah how we can improve that. Thank you.

01:50:35.458 --> 01:50:44.637
- Any other questions we can go to public comment on the parking services division budget proposal any

01:50:44.637 --> 01:50:53.816
- commenters online Raise your hand at the zoom or here in the chambers, please step to the podium Not

01:50:53.816 --> 01:51:03.268
- seeing any takers online and None in chambers we can go back council members for comments Councilmember

01:51:03.268 --> 01:51:05.086
- Rallo Just to say I

01:51:05.186 --> 01:51:12.945
- I'm in agreement it seems to me Although I maybe I could be convinced otherwise that if you know hand

01:51:12.945 --> 01:51:21.009
- is is charged with property maintenance of various kinds and you know, they have their hands full Whereas

01:51:21.009 --> 01:51:28.997
- you have parking, you know enforcement Patrolling and there's a violation blocking of trashkins blocking

01:51:28.997 --> 01:51:34.398
- sidewalks. It seems you know, maybe fairly straightforward to find the

01:51:35.234 --> 01:51:44.130
- To to address the problem as it's as it's noticed as it's seen so I'd like you know some consideration

01:51:44.130 --> 01:51:52.766
- of maybe whether that's and you know The most efficient way in which we deploy resources additional

01:51:52.766 --> 01:52:01.662
- comments councilmember Stossberg I'll just follow up on the taste of Bloomington special event kind of

01:52:01.890 --> 01:52:07.458
- flat rate parking thing and I generally would say that I support that for special event parking and

01:52:07.458 --> 01:52:13.305
- it definitely seems like an efficient way for folks to exit because I have been sometimes stuck in lines

01:52:13.305 --> 01:52:19.040
- like that. I mean the other thing that it did is once I paid the flat rate I was like there right. And

01:52:19.040 --> 01:52:24.608
- I'm like hey I'm here for this while we're downtown. Let's do this and this and this because we had

01:52:24.608 --> 01:52:26.334
- to pay this flat rate parking.

01:52:26.402 --> 01:52:33.110
- And so that could also be another sort of way to encourage more than just say people going to the one

01:52:33.110 --> 01:52:39.950
- special event but also doing other things. And the only thing is I didn't see that advertised anywhere.

01:52:39.950 --> 01:52:46.987
- So maybe we just need to like work on making sure that the public is then aware that we're doing something

01:52:46.987 --> 01:52:50.078
- not usual for certain types of special events.

01:52:50.146 --> 01:52:54.877
- I don't know if you're also planning on doing that for pride for example which is coming up later this

01:52:54.877 --> 01:52:59.654
- month. I'm not sure if that was in both of the parking garages or just 4th Street garage but that would

01:52:59.654 --> 01:53:01.950
- be my plea is to make sure that we're just really

01:53:02.178 --> 01:53:07.242
- Communicating pretty clearly because I do tends to like, you know I mean I get all these city emails

01:53:07.242 --> 01:53:12.657
- right and I tends to read You know press release kind of stuff at least skim them and I just don't remember

01:53:12.657 --> 01:53:17.671
- seeing anything like that So you don't need to respond. It's just comment time But that's just like

01:53:17.671 --> 01:53:23.036
- feedback from a user and wanting to make sure that our community is kind of like prepared for that because

01:53:23.036 --> 01:53:28.150
- it was also at that moment I'm like, oh gotta grab the three dollars in cash and and so and there was

01:53:28.150 --> 01:53:30.206
- like the wait was the line coming in and

01:53:30.306 --> 01:53:37.944
- As opposed to the line going out and that also can be awkward if people aren't prepared for that different

01:53:37.944 --> 01:53:45.083
- sort of action as they go into the garage. So great idea. It just you know refining a little bit in

01:53:45.083 --> 01:53:52.222
- terms of process I think would be great. I don't think I have other comments. I also support maybe.

01:53:52.418 --> 01:53:58.747
- Exploring some ways that we can do something different with the trash cans on sidewalks Which it's not

01:53:58.747 --> 01:54:05.261
- such a problem in most of district three, but as a problem in some other areas And I have other questions

01:54:05.261 --> 01:54:11.651
- that I'll end up submitting online. Thanks Just very briefly do expect that for special events and some

01:54:11.651 --> 01:54:18.165
- of these really big football weekends We'll do the same and we did try to get the word out through social

01:54:18.165 --> 01:54:21.790
- media, but we'll do more as we move forward Their comments

01:54:22.626 --> 01:54:29.093
- I just think this would be the right time to say thank you to director race in and also Cassie Wernie

01:54:29.093 --> 01:54:35.433
- for being so responsive when I had a lot of questions about the parking permitting process and They

01:54:35.433 --> 01:54:41.836
- were very helpful in working out a solution that worked for as many people as possible So just kudos

01:54:41.836 --> 01:54:48.557
- and thank you so much Other comments Briefly on the neighborhood zones front. We do have issues to figure

01:54:48.557 --> 01:54:50.142
- out there. No doubt that

01:54:50.562 --> 01:54:56.655
- We've also requested changes to the UDO that would impact that there's lots of opportunities for improvement

01:54:56.655 --> 01:55:02.580
- in terms of how we price it how we treat visitor permits how we think about The variance across different

01:55:02.580 --> 01:55:08.394
- neighborhood zones. So those are some policy conversations We'll definitely need to move into this year

01:55:08.394 --> 01:55:14.431
- to make improvements for for residents that are equitable and inclusive and also on the Trash and recycling

01:55:14.431 --> 01:55:19.294
- can front director waste it brings up a good point, which is that sanitation staff are

01:55:19.682 --> 01:55:25.843
- Actively, you know emptying those those bins and putting them back And that there's I mean it sounds

01:55:25.843 --> 01:55:32.066
- like they're already playing an active role in trying to avoid accessibility issues wherever possible

01:55:32.066 --> 01:55:38.410
- but that we have a bit of a broader systemic issue and you know with with Some specific areas, you know

01:55:38.410 --> 01:55:44.572
- that that our space constrained one option is to put them in the street and when there is parking on

01:55:44.572 --> 01:55:49.086
- the street that works relatively well as long as there's space for it and

01:55:49.346 --> 01:55:54.963
- But yeah again one of these areas where there's not an easy answer, but it is a problem. That is a real

01:55:54.963 --> 01:56:00.688
- Civil rights and accessibility issue and something we need to keep working on and finding ways to improve

01:56:00.688 --> 01:56:06.144
- Thank you for engaging some of the questions and ideas that we had on that front There aren't either

01:56:06.144 --> 01:56:11.545
- comments that will wrap up The two divisions we had from public works this evening. Thank you again

01:56:11.545 --> 01:56:17.108
- for being here Thank you for your presentations and we'll move into our last departmental presentation

01:56:17.108 --> 01:56:17.918
- of the evening

01:56:18.146 --> 01:56:25.851
- Comes to us from city Bloomington utilities. We have director Catherine Seger Here with us if you could

01:56:25.851 --> 01:56:33.778
- introduce yourself for the record you have 20 minutes for the presentation. Thank you Good evening council

01:56:33.778 --> 01:56:41.854
- Catherine Seger utilities director and tonight I am presenting the 2027 City of Bloomington utilities budget

01:56:43.938 --> 01:56:50.755
- So the mission of the city of Bloomington utilities is to enhance the quality of life in our community

01:56:50.755 --> 01:56:57.374
- by providing safe sustainable and high quality drinking water wastewater and stormwater services in

01:56:57.374 --> 01:57:04.058
- a cost effective manner promoting public health economic vitality and environmental stewardship. CBU

01:57:04.058 --> 01:57:10.942
- currently has one hundred ninety one full time staff and four permanent part time staff. Our key budget

01:57:10.942 --> 01:57:13.854
- change from the twenty twenty six budget is

01:57:13.954 --> 01:57:20.403
- in addition of seven point five million dollars. And one of the key budget topics this year is that

01:57:20.403 --> 01:57:27.110
- we have implemented our water rate case with the new rates showing up on our customers September bills.

01:57:27.110 --> 01:57:33.946
- This has the largest impact on our budget and allows us to have continued investment in the modernization

01:57:33.946 --> 01:57:40.911
- of mineral water treatment plant and the distribution system improvements including water main replacements

01:57:40.911 --> 01:57:42.846
- and booster station upgrades.

01:57:45.506 --> 01:57:52.707
- First I'm going to share with you some of our successes in each utility since our last budget presentation

01:57:52.707 --> 01:57:59.437
- starting in water First we rehabilitated our fluoride system, which has been operating consistently

01:57:59.437 --> 01:58:06.302
- since the beginning of the year and delivering fluoride to our water We also rehabilitated one of our

01:58:06.302 --> 01:58:10.878
- vital pumps at our intake tower or low service pump number four and

01:58:11.810 --> 01:58:19.050
- We installed secondary backwash pump, which was a requirement by item and Our chemical feed line project

01:58:19.050 --> 01:58:26.360
- is closing out by the end of the year providing redundancy and reliability to our water treatment systems

01:58:26.360 --> 01:58:33.531
- In wastewater we have done the rehabilitation of our non potable water pumps at Blucher pool wastewater

01:58:33.531 --> 01:58:34.910
- treatment plant and

01:58:35.490 --> 01:58:41.994
- We've also replaced the VFDs or variable frequency drives at Blucher Pool wastewater treatment plant,

01:58:41.994 --> 01:58:45.246
- which improves the energy efficiency of the plant.

01:58:46.466 --> 01:58:53.680
- We have replaced the suction lines and the pump station at Dillman and the finish the installation of

01:58:53.680 --> 01:59:00.823
- a fifth blower And this is a capacity improvement that will increase the wastewater treatment plants

01:59:00.823 --> 01:59:08.107
- permitted capacity from 15 million gallons per day to 19 million gallons per day and Increase its peak

01:59:08.107 --> 01:59:15.038
- flow capacity from 30 million gallons per day to 40 million gallons per day In stormwater we have

01:59:15.266 --> 01:59:22.177
- Released our Clear Creek renewal feasibility study RFQ and RFP and We now have a firm selected for the

01:59:22.177 --> 01:59:29.557
- feasibility study We have completed the Winslow rain garden as part of our continued commitment to partnering

01:59:29.557 --> 01:59:36.468
- with the city of Bloomington engineering for the installation of green infrastructure and right-of-way

01:59:36.468 --> 01:59:38.078
- projects where possible

01:59:39.394 --> 01:59:46.653
- We also this year had an O'Neill fellow who delivered a report on E. Coli sampling project in Clear

01:59:46.653 --> 01:59:53.985
- Creek and its tributaries. This report included recommendations and where higher concentrations were

01:59:53.985 --> 02:00:01.244
- found to guide our illicit discharge elimination program. We are also hoping to finish by retention

02:00:01.244 --> 02:00:03.422
- facility at 8th and fountain.

02:00:06.338 --> 02:00:13.778
- Also wanted to give an update on our assistance program, which we've made a lot of strides in this year

02:00:13.778 --> 02:00:21.075
- So in 2025 CBU budgeted a hundred thousand dollars each year for the program But participation levels

02:00:21.075 --> 02:00:28.301
- do not fully utilize the available funding This prompted updates to the program that include two big

02:00:28.301 --> 02:00:31.806
- shifts first shift is consecutive assistance and

02:00:32.194 --> 02:00:38.164
- Previously customers receiving direct payment assistance were required to pay two bills after every

02:00:38.164 --> 02:00:44.493
- three months of support Under the updated program customers may receive assistance consecutively provided

02:00:44.493 --> 02:00:50.463
- that they reapply and continue to meet our eligibility requirements The second big shift is program

02:00:50.463 --> 02:00:56.254
- flexibility customers were previously required to apply for assistance before being shut off and

02:00:56.930 --> 02:01:02.893
- That requirement has now been removed allowing eligible customers to apply even after their service

02:01:02.893 --> 02:01:08.916
- has been disconnected as long as they meet program requirements to have this is the service restored

02:01:08.916 --> 02:01:14.938
- We again budgeted a hundred thousand for the program this year and so far we have assisted a hundred

02:01:14.938 --> 02:01:21.438
- and fifty two customers and spent forty nine thousand seven hundred and seventy six dollars through July and

02:01:21.890 --> 02:01:29.201
- which is about halfway through. So this is keeping us on track to spend all of the funds we have allotted

02:01:29.201 --> 02:01:36.098
- for this program for the first time. All right, now I'm going to move on to our 2027 priorities and

02:01:36.098 --> 02:01:43.271
- goals. This budget prioritizes maintaining or enhancing our existing assets with a focus on reliability

02:01:43.271 --> 02:01:44.926
- and climate resiliency.

02:01:45.186 --> 02:01:51.295
- several of our goals center on upgrades and modernization of our water treatment plants and throughout

02:01:51.295 --> 02:01:57.760
- our distribution system. Multiple projects focus on electrical improvements, which strengthen the resiliency

02:01:57.760 --> 02:02:04.106
- of our systems. We are also going to be focused on goals that center on building resiliency to the impacts

02:02:04.106 --> 02:02:10.452
- of climate change, such as increased intensity storms. These include our relief sewer project and multiple

02:02:10.452 --> 02:02:12.350
- stormwater system improvements.

02:02:15.746 --> 02:02:22.469
- And now we'll go through those individually. So first is our distribution system improvements. CBU will

02:02:22.469 --> 02:02:29.062
- be updating and replacing equipment at the South Central and West booster stations, which have met or

02:02:29.062 --> 02:02:35.849
- exceeding their life expectancy. This project will fully modernize both stations with new pumps, valves,

02:02:35.849 --> 02:02:42.831
- controls, electrical system, SCADA and telemetry. Design for this will be in 2026 and 27, with construction

02:02:42.831 --> 02:02:44.382
- beginning in 27 and 28.

02:02:45.250 --> 02:02:52.205
- We also plan on completing several large water main replacement projects with full neighborhood replacements.

02:02:52.205 --> 02:02:58.844
- I also want to take a moment to highlight this photo that was taken during our work on the second street

02:02:58.844 --> 02:03:05.546
- modernization project, which was jokingly called the world's worst hot tub party. But in all seriousness,

02:03:05.546 --> 02:03:11.869
- I think this picture does a really great job of illustrating the hard work and difficult conditions

02:03:11.869 --> 02:03:14.398
- that goes into a lot of these projects.

02:03:15.298 --> 02:03:22.237
- Also the estimated total cost for these projects is eleven point one million for the combined design

02:03:22.237 --> 02:03:29.313
- and construction Okay, next is electrical and control upgrade at Monroe water treatment plant Critical

02:03:29.313 --> 02:03:36.390
- electrical upgrades will be made to the water plants transformer and switch gears emergency generators

02:03:36.390 --> 02:03:42.642
- variable frequency drives and associated conduits and duct banks these electrical upgrades

02:03:42.642 --> 02:03:44.222
- will be accompanied by

02:03:44.386 --> 02:03:50.984
- by improvements to our SCADA system, including replacement of our programmable logic controllers or

02:03:50.984 --> 02:03:57.581
- PLCs, and conversion of our system to a more modern system platform. This will increase reliability

02:03:57.581 --> 02:04:04.245
- and cybersecurity at the water plant. The estimated total cost for this is $10 million. We also have

02:04:04.245 --> 02:04:10.842
- upgrades at Blucher Pool Wastewater Treatment Plant. We will be improving the dewatering and solids

02:04:10.842 --> 02:04:12.030
- handling systems.

02:04:12.258 --> 02:04:19.643
- This will include the replacement of our belt press system with a new screw press system Improving the

02:04:19.643 --> 02:04:26.956
- efficiency of our treatment processes and reducing cost of waste disposal Design will be in 26 and 27

02:04:26.956 --> 02:04:34.413
- with bidding for construction occurring in 27 Estimated total cost is 2.3 million for design At Dillman

02:04:34.413 --> 02:04:41.726
- We are at the Dillman wastewater treatment plant. We are starting our phase 2 electrical upgrades and

02:04:41.826 --> 02:04:49.467
- The second phase of our whole plant electrical upgrades will begin. This project will include the replacement

02:04:49.467 --> 02:04:56.690
- of the medium voltage switch gears, the main substation for the plant, and the addition of a plant-wide

02:04:56.690 --> 02:05:03.914
- emergency generator. The design is slated for 26-27, with bidding for construction in 27. The estimated

02:05:03.914 --> 02:05:09.054
- cost for design is 500,000. Next is the lower cascade stormwater culvert.

02:05:09.186 --> 02:05:17.121
- The goal of this project is to connect to the north walnut box culvert and the old state road 37 or

02:05:17.121 --> 02:05:25.612
- lower cascades box culvert. This will eliminate erosion improve flow and capacity and protect our sanitary

02:05:25.612 --> 02:05:33.785
- sewer that's in this area. The total cost is seven hundred and fifty thousand. Next is our Clear Creek

02:05:33.785 --> 02:05:35.134
- renewal project.

02:05:35.554 --> 02:05:42.872
- Our goal is to convert the hundred-year-old limestone block open channel that confines Clear Creek south

02:05:42.872 --> 02:05:50.189
- of West First Street into a more naturalized urban stream channel with water quality treatment amenities

02:05:50.189 --> 02:05:57.437
- The study phase is underway and will run into 2027 with designed to follow in 27 and 28 the study phase

02:05:57.437 --> 02:05:58.622
- will include the

02:05:58.818 --> 02:06:05.422
- Include the development of no fewer than three technically feasible alternatives that aim to reduce

02:06:05.422 --> 02:06:12.157
- the regulatory floodplain for potential redevelopment within the corridor and will provide innovative

02:06:12.157 --> 02:06:18.893
- stormwater treatment technologies Our total cost for the study phase is five hundred thousand Next is

02:06:18.893 --> 02:06:25.496
- our Winslow sports complex detention We will be partnering with the Parks Department to improve the

02:06:25.496 --> 02:06:28.798
- detention of stormwater runoff from this facility

02:06:29.186 --> 02:06:35.369
- We'll be combining innovative water quality treatment techniques to improve the quality of the runoff

02:06:35.369 --> 02:06:41.431
- specifically from the parking lot We'll be incorporating stormwater detention to lessen the impacts

02:06:41.431 --> 02:06:47.918
- that large storms have on our downstream neighbors Further enhancing our communities resilience to climate

02:06:47.918 --> 02:06:52.222
- change The estimated total cost is seventy five thousand for design. I

02:06:55.714 --> 02:07:02.778
- And then finally we have our utility service center at the Winston Thomas property with implementation

02:07:02.778 --> 02:07:09.980
- of the water rate increase. You will now be in a position to resume the design and make progress towards

02:07:09.980 --> 02:07:16.839
- the plans for the Winston Thomas service center. Plans are currently at 50 percent with the ability

02:07:16.839 --> 02:07:19.102
- to resume design work this fall.

02:07:20.354 --> 02:07:26.323
- Purpose-built service center improves logistics for field crews allowing faster deployment and better

02:07:26.323 --> 02:07:32.176
- emergency response It also allows for stronger protection of our capital assets such as specialized

02:07:32.176 --> 02:07:38.321
- service vehicles and supplies which are currently being stored in the elements Building a service center

02:07:38.321 --> 02:07:44.349
- that meets the needs of the utility moving forward is an investment that will save resources over time

02:07:44.349 --> 02:07:46.046
- and the estimated total cost

02:07:46.306 --> 02:07:54.124
- Design is 2.5 million and then 2.3 million for construction management So in challenges and opportunities,

02:07:54.124 --> 02:08:01.504
- you know, one of the biggest challenges is that the cost of projects are only increasing So I see it

02:08:01.504 --> 02:08:08.446
- as our responsibility to our customers to find ways to mitigate these impacts on our rates and

02:08:09.186 --> 02:08:15.503
- In an effort to do so we've been fairly aggressive this year in pursuing outside funding opportunities.

02:08:15.503 --> 02:08:21.881
- So I'd like to highlight a few of our successes on that front. So first we secured a five million dollar

02:08:21.881 --> 02:08:28.440
- state revolving fund loan which is low interest and partially forgivable from the Indiana Finance Authority

02:08:28.440 --> 02:08:32.510
- to replace lead service lines and aging water main infrastructure.

02:08:34.370 --> 02:08:42.005
- We also secured two point five million dollars in congressional funds for our booster stations and another

02:08:42.005 --> 02:08:49.284
- potential seven hundred thousand for Dilman relief sewer We also have a pretty strong application for

02:08:49.284 --> 02:08:56.990
- FEMA's flood mitigation assistance grant that will help go towards our Clear Creek renewal project and then

02:08:57.090 --> 02:09:05.647
- our Clear Creek renewal project along with some of our other climate mitigation projects were recently

02:09:05.647 --> 02:09:13.954
- added to the county's multi hazard mitigation plan which puts us in a position to access additional

02:09:13.954 --> 02:09:22.428
- funding sources like brick funding. All right. And I'm going to wrap up with plenty of time. And this

02:09:22.428 --> 02:09:25.502
- is our 20 27 revenue budget summary.

02:09:26.658 --> 02:09:33.504
- So in water we have a twenty eight point eight million dollar budget which represents approximately

02:09:33.504 --> 02:09:40.623
- a 25 percent increase due to our newly implemented water rate in sewer. We have a thirty one point five

02:09:40.623 --> 02:09:47.812
- million dollar budget which represents a slight increase anticipating a possible rate increase in twenty

02:09:47.812 --> 02:09:51.166
- seven. But we are currently uncertain on timing.

02:09:51.618 --> 02:09:58.306
- That is a conservative increase and the same is true in stormwater with a four point eight million dollar

02:09:58.306 --> 02:10:04.995
- budget. With that you know the budget request from the city of Bloomington utilities allows us to provide

02:10:04.995 --> 02:10:11.557
- safe sustainable and high quality drinking water wastewater and stormwater services in a cost effective

02:10:11.557 --> 02:10:18.750
- manner promoting public health economic vitality and environmental stewardship. Thank you for your consideration.

02:10:18.978 --> 02:10:26.323
- I'm open to questions. I also have our CBU crew here if you need any detailed Responses, so thank you

02:10:26.323 --> 02:10:34.100
- Thank you very much for your presentation and proposal Councilman Rollin Yeah, thanks for that Presentation

02:10:34.100 --> 02:10:41.301
- I had a question about could you unpack a little bit further the the cost of the of the new service

02:10:41.301 --> 02:10:48.862
- center 44 million dollars I believe is that is it still is that the correct total cost for construction?

02:10:49.794 --> 02:10:56.865
- In total in total forty four million dollars. So we are current since we have had the water rate case

02:10:56.865 --> 02:11:04.005
- We are currently reengaging to have that estimate updated because it has been so long so I do not have

02:11:04.005 --> 02:11:11.076
- a Solid estimate for what the total construction and total cost for the Winston Thomas service center

02:11:11.076 --> 02:11:18.217
- would be right now It is more than that Okay, so the increase in water rates in part will service that

02:11:18.217 --> 02:11:19.742
- debt. Is that likely?

02:11:20.546 --> 02:11:27.420
- The increase in the water rate will service that debt service the debt service. In other words, we're

02:11:27.420 --> 02:11:34.160
- going to bond for that, I assume. Yes. And then we've got to pay debt on that. Would that come from

02:11:34.160 --> 02:11:40.899
- the new water rate? It will come from both water and wastewater. We will service the debt in all of

02:11:40.899 --> 02:11:47.908
- our utilities because it will serve all of our utilities. OK. It'd be great to know to what extent that

02:11:47.908 --> 02:11:50.334
- will that will be required of that.

02:11:51.010 --> 02:11:57.647
- Customers will have to pay in addition for that new service center My with time I have a remaining I

02:11:57.647 --> 02:12:04.480
- was concerned about it's been a lot of attention for cyber cybersecurity concerns and a lot of warnings

02:12:04.480 --> 02:12:11.051
- a lot of potential hacking of systems Could you are we hardening our systems for that purpose or to

02:12:11.051 --> 02:12:16.702
- prevent that from happening? Absolutely. Okay. We've been very active and engaged and

02:12:16.802 --> 02:12:24.357
- and working with ITS as well to make sure that we are Not vulnerable for the types of attacks that we

02:12:24.357 --> 02:12:31.839
- are seeing Okay, so we won't be vulnerable to cyber security any breaches I Cannot guarantee that we

02:12:31.839 --> 02:12:39.468
- are not vulnerable to any cyber security threats But the cyber security threats that we have seen thus

02:12:39.468 --> 02:12:45.246
- far we have made efforts to make sure that we are not vulnerable to that Okay

02:12:45.538 --> 02:12:52.001
- To the type that the types that we got it. Okay. Thank you Additional questions from council members

02:12:52.001 --> 02:12:58.848
- council members Stossberg and then Piedmont Smith Thank you It's great to hear that the assistance program

02:12:58.848 --> 02:13:05.375
- is being more utilized this year and I guess I was wondering and turned like just real quick first in

02:13:05.375 --> 02:13:11.966
- terms of advertising for that and communicating with customers who might need that assistance is there

02:13:11.966 --> 02:13:12.798
- like are you

02:13:13.314 --> 02:13:20.477
- Targeting in any way as customers who may have like missed one payment or two payments with like a hey

02:13:20.477 --> 02:13:27.432
- Here's this option if you qualify for it sort of like inserts and their bills or anything like that

02:13:27.432 --> 02:13:34.665
- Or are you generally waiting for folks to come to you? So we With the rate increase we are putting bill

02:13:34.665 --> 02:13:41.342
- inserts about our financial assistance program and that's going to all customers we do have our

02:13:44.802 --> 02:13:52.549
- collections person who does reach out to customers individually we Yeah, we do some targeted outreach

02:13:52.549 --> 02:14:00.449
- but for the most part we try to do broad outreach to all of our customers Okay, thank you. Um, and then

02:14:00.449 --> 02:14:08.424
- the other thing that I wanted to be sure to ask you about tonight was that earlier this year you brought

02:14:08.424 --> 02:14:12.222
- a rate change with regard to septic drop-offs and

02:14:12.770 --> 02:14:18.713
- You know, we had a lot of questions about that. There were a lot of community concerns about that. It

02:14:18.713 --> 02:14:24.773
- ultimately didn't pass. And I was just wondering if you could give us any kind of an update on how that

02:14:24.773 --> 02:14:30.717
- is going. There were several like pieces of trying to upgrade some of those systems so that you could

02:14:30.717 --> 02:14:37.010
- better differentiate the type of waste that was being dropped off to more accurately charge those providers

02:14:37.010 --> 02:14:39.166
- based on or those customers based on

02:14:39.330 --> 02:14:47.042
- what it took for you guys to process that waste. So where are you in that whole thing. Yeah absolutely.

02:14:47.042 --> 02:14:54.531
- And so we will be providing a written response. This was a question that was asked by council member

02:14:54.531 --> 02:15:02.020
- Piedmont Smith. But just to summarize we have actually Stephen Stanford our pretreatment coordinator

02:15:02.020 --> 02:15:02.910
- has done an

02:15:03.042 --> 02:15:10.326
- excellent job of designing a sampling program to sample the waste that we are receiving to verify that

02:15:10.326 --> 02:15:17.397
- that waste is see where it stacks up against the EPA estimate that we were using because one of the

02:15:17.397 --> 02:15:24.751
- issues that we had brought or that was brought to us was that the EPA estimate was potentially outdated

02:15:24.751 --> 02:15:32.318
- or not reflective of our own community. And so we are currently doing samples of that high strength waste.

02:15:33.250 --> 02:15:42.199
- So that is one aspect of it. We are also looking into way station technology at the plant so that we

02:15:42.199 --> 02:15:51.148
- are able to charge not just per truck but for how much is in that truck. And so both of these things

02:15:51.148 --> 02:16:00.363
- are happening in tandem right now. Very very rough estimate of how much that would cost would be around

02:16:00.363 --> 02:16:02.046
- a million dollars.

02:16:02.210 --> 02:16:13.388
- to in like for the equipment and the installation and design of a way station essentially Yeah, and

02:16:13.388 --> 02:16:24.567
- then we are hoping to bring an updated a septic rate to council with our next sewer rate Adjustment

02:16:24.567 --> 02:16:29.150
- request. Okay. Great. Thank you so much.

02:16:35.458 --> 02:16:44.747
- Director Sager I wanted to ask about the Clear Creek renewal project which is very exciting to me. I've

02:16:44.747 --> 02:16:53.857
- talked a little bit with Jane Cooper Smith and ESD about it and I'm wondering what neighborhood input

02:16:53.857 --> 02:17:02.789
- there there could be with this project. What engagement you might have with people who live or have

02:17:02.789 --> 02:17:05.022
- a business near near the

02:17:05.442 --> 02:17:13.363
- renewal site. Absolutely. So we've already started some essentially preliminary outreach to adjacent

02:17:13.363 --> 02:17:21.912
- property owners. But as part of this study that we are warning the RP for part of the study a huge component

02:17:21.912 --> 02:17:29.912
- of that is outreach. This is a big project. It impacts our community and we know that we need to have

02:17:29.912 --> 02:17:33.598
- input from the community. And so there will be

02:17:34.658 --> 02:17:43.540
- Multiple community input sessions there will be at least I think two or three sessions with community

02:17:43.540 --> 02:17:53.031
- where you gather input and potentially these alternatives are shown to the community because we've requested

02:17:53.031 --> 02:18:00.606
- that there are at least three feasible alternatives. Three feasible alternatives. Yes.

02:18:01.602 --> 02:18:10.136
- It's handy to have the text on the zoom so I can I love captions catch things that I didn't hear. Okay.

02:18:10.136 --> 02:18:18.506
- Well, that's great. Sounds good. Thank you teleprompter in reverse Because I'm a rough I just want to

02:18:18.506 --> 02:18:26.877
- follow up on Councilman Smith's Clear Creek renewal questions and believe me, I'm not being Skeptical

02:18:26.877 --> 02:18:31.390
- or anything. No one once would like to see Clear Creek

02:18:31.682 --> 02:18:39.934
- Cleaned up more than me. I've been waiting in that creek fishing that creek from Dilman Road all the

02:18:39.934 --> 02:18:48.268
- way down to Gore Road for 40 years and so it's very exciting to me, but I mean if we the the estimate

02:18:48.268 --> 02:18:56.521
- for in the presentation for the study phase was five hundred thousand dollars half a million dollars

02:18:56.521 --> 02:19:00.606
- What are we talking about in terms of a potential

02:19:01.538 --> 02:19:09.892
- Ballpark cost of actually implementing what we are gonna maybe be paying half a million dollars for

02:19:09.892 --> 02:19:18.580
- just for a study Yeah, so It's hard to have an estimate when you don't know what's technically feasible

02:19:18.580 --> 02:19:27.352
- yet And these are just the steps you have to take to make such a big project done. Well So I think we're

02:19:27.352 --> 02:19:30.526
- being very deliberate with this study

02:19:30.722 --> 02:19:38.029
- You know at the very least what we need to do is improve that channel. So we know that we have to do

02:19:38.029 --> 02:19:45.481
- something and that would be the most cost effective alternative is to just improve the channel improve

02:19:45.481 --> 02:19:52.861
- the channel walls. You know that is something we have to do. But depending on what we choose to do as

02:19:52.861 --> 02:19:58.142
- a utility and as a community. Yeah those those costs could get up there.

02:19:59.010 --> 02:20:07.140
- And the pay paying paying for what could be a massively expensive project How was the funding going

02:20:07.140 --> 02:20:15.513
- to go for it So the funding for a project like this Again, I wanted to highlight how we are aggressive

02:20:15.513 --> 02:20:23.805
- with seeking outside funding because we recognize that this project could be a very large project but

02:20:23.805 --> 02:20:24.862
- additionally

02:20:25.186 --> 02:20:33.092
- We anticipate that a fair portion of it will be funded through the stormwater fee and we've we don't

02:20:33.092 --> 02:20:41.310
- typically bond for projects in stormwater because they don't come up to the same amount as some of these

02:20:41.310 --> 02:20:49.216
- larger projects at the plants. But this would likely be a project we would bond for and then pay for

02:20:49.216 --> 02:20:51.486
- through that stormwater fee.

02:20:53.026 --> 02:20:59.605
- All right. And then I in my last 20 seconds just it'd be nice to get at some point an update to council

02:20:59.605 --> 02:21:05.994
- on the still speaking of stormwater on the sort of overall sort of stormwater initiative. I remember

02:21:05.994 --> 02:21:12.636
- you and I have talked before about like finding opportunities to do little stormwater improvement things

02:21:12.636 --> 02:21:19.089
- wherever in the community we can just seizing each opportunity as it appears or as we think of it. Be

02:21:19.089 --> 02:21:20.670
- nice to somehow get out.

02:21:20.802 --> 02:21:28.314
- Comprehensive plan on where we're at with that and what what the strategy is from here forward? Absolutely.

02:21:28.314 --> 02:21:35.409
- Yeah Additional questions council members, I'm not seeing any So we could go to members of the public

02:21:35.409 --> 02:21:42.644
- for comment on the city of Bloomington utilities budget proposal for 2027 Anyone in chambers that wants

02:21:42.644 --> 02:21:49.739
- to come out, please come to the podium. I'm not seeing well member the public still with us Thank you

02:21:49.739 --> 02:21:50.782
- for being here

02:21:50.946 --> 02:22:00.530
- Or members online who'd like to comment if you want to raise your hand and zoom virtual hand Seeing

02:22:00.530 --> 02:22:12.030
- none, okay with that we can come back to council members for comments on utilities proposal See councilmember Stossberg

02:22:14.658 --> 02:22:21.747
- Quickly kind of send out some appreciation to the whole utilities team out there It is really really

02:22:21.747 --> 02:22:29.046
- this valuable essential service that they provide to the community of clean water of adequate treatment

02:22:29.046 --> 02:22:36.205
- of our storm water of maintenance of those storm water systems so that You know, we can better manage

02:22:36.205 --> 02:22:43.294
- heavy rains and flooding and things like that and Management of our of our wastewater so that we can

02:22:43.458 --> 02:22:49.501
- You know keep everything clean and there is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes of that and

02:22:49.501 --> 02:22:56.017
- you know, I For those of you don't know I host exchange students on a regular basis and every year inevitably

02:22:56.017 --> 02:23:02.238
- they say is this water safe to drink and there are a lot of places in the world and even in this country

02:23:02.238 --> 02:23:08.162
- where you have to say no that like I would not recommend drinking the tap water and this is not one

02:23:08.162 --> 02:23:09.406
- of those places so I

02:23:09.538 --> 02:23:17.064
- I'm just really appreciative toward that and I mean one of the things this budget shows is how much

02:23:17.064 --> 02:23:25.042
- it really costs to maintain the kind of infrastructure that is necessary to provide that to the community

02:23:25.042 --> 02:23:32.644
- and It it is a lot, but it's also just an incredible Necessity you can say in terms of our community

02:23:32.644 --> 02:23:38.590
- needs. So that's all thank you so much Additional comments councilmember Gallo

02:23:40.258 --> 02:23:47.741
- Yes, I want to echo that it's very important and But I did want to just reflect a moment on anticipating

02:23:47.741 --> 02:23:54.940
- rate increases, which no one likes of course, but necessary nonetheless In part because of inflation

02:23:54.940 --> 02:24:02.138
- in part because of some variability I'm sure prices of certain materials specific materials that are

02:24:02.138 --> 02:24:08.766
- needed. There's deferred maintenance or replacement costs of piping and things like that but

02:24:09.122 --> 02:24:16.821
- We're also going to have a new facility expand an expansion for a new facility and Just to say that

02:24:16.821 --> 02:24:24.521
- this is a reflection of growth of the community And those costs were never essentially internalized

02:24:24.521 --> 02:24:32.528
- to those who benefited from that growth necessarily So the current residents will see the rate increase

02:24:32.528 --> 02:24:37.918
- in order to subsidize a larger facility so this is something that has

02:24:38.306 --> 02:24:45.210
- Bothered me for some time. I'd like to unpack that further. I don't think it's fair necessarily for

02:24:45.210 --> 02:24:52.252
- the current residents to subsidize growth if growth occurs growth may be inevitable and you know some

02:24:52.252 --> 02:24:59.501
- quarters people want it but those that benefit from it should be paying for it and not necessarily those

02:24:59.501 --> 02:25:06.405
- who are just you know current residents that see more traffic have more crowded schools need to pay

02:25:06.405 --> 02:25:08.062
- for new facilities etc.

02:25:08.706 --> 02:25:15.739
- So it's a conundrum that I think deserves attention and to be addressed and packed a bit. Thank you

02:25:15.739 --> 02:25:23.124
- Additional comments I'll echo in a few of those themes first just appreciate the attention that director

02:25:23.124 --> 02:25:30.297
- Ziger has shown to the bill payment assistance program and finding ways to improve that and bring the

02:25:30.297 --> 02:25:38.174
- assistance to more folks who are facing economic insecurity and Have trouble accessing these essential services

02:25:38.594 --> 02:25:44.921
- So yeah, it's just notable, and I appreciate you sharing the highlights from that here. Also, echoing

02:25:44.921 --> 02:25:51.124
- Councilmember Stosberg's comments, I work in the utility regulatory sector, not water, electric, in

02:25:51.124 --> 02:25:57.514
- my day job, but I do have an occasion to interact with a lot of regulatory staff and folks from across

02:25:57.514 --> 02:26:03.779
- the country at conferences and events, and there's a much broader trend of municipal water utilities

02:26:03.779 --> 02:26:05.950
- that are really not in good shape.

02:26:06.050 --> 02:26:12.114
- from an infrastructure perspective, financial perspective, and a lot of privatization as well as a result

02:26:12.114 --> 02:26:18.007
- of that, which almost always leads to less local control, higher rates, et cetera. So just noting some

02:26:18.007 --> 02:26:23.786
- of those things that we shouldn't take for granted here in Bloomington. So thank you again to all of

02:26:23.786 --> 02:26:29.736
- CBU and the staff for being here with us tonight for the proposal. That is the end of our presentations

02:26:29.736 --> 02:26:31.166
- for tonight, and that is

02:26:31.298 --> 02:26:36.248
- at the end of our agenda. However, before we adjourn, if there's no objection, I did want to offer a

02:26:36.248 --> 02:26:38.846
- brief moment for a report from Council Member Zulek.

02:26:39.586 --> 02:26:46.328
- Yes. Thank you. I was asked by a constituent to share an event. There will be a vigil for a peaceful

02:26:46.328 --> 02:26:53.137
- vigil for the detainees of the ice Miami correctional facility held on Friday August 28th at 850 p.m.

02:26:53.137 --> 02:27:00.146
- On the southeast corner of the Bloomington courthouse square. Again this is going to be a peaceful vigil

02:27:00.146 --> 02:27:06.421
- and it is sponsored by the Indiana organizing project for anyone who would like to Google it.

02:27:06.421 --> 02:27:08.958
- Thank you. Thank you for that report.

02:27:09.282 --> 02:27:12.574
- And with that, we are adjourned. We'll see you back here Monday next week.