City Council
Regular City Council meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on several Mondays each month in Bloomington Civic Plaza's Council Chambers unless otherwise noted. This schedule is adjusted to accommodate holidays.
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.- Study Sessions of the City Council will be held approximately monthly on Monday nights beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Haeg Conference Room.
- Listening Sessions are held prior to each regular City Council meeting and will be from 5:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. in the Haeg Conference Room. Pre-registration is requested for listening sessions.
- The Council also holds joint meetings and concurrent meetings with other organizational groups, special meetings, and meetings on property taxes.
- Live – Most meetings are broadcast on Comcast 14-SD/859-HD and livestreamed on YouTube and BTV.
- Archive – Archived video is made available soon after each meeting's conclusion.
- Agendas – listing of items to be discussed at each meeting.
- Agenda packets and documents – Available on the City's online agenda management system.
- Voting results (without any narrative) – Available after the meeting minutes are approved by City Council.
- Minutes – The official record of each meeting. Posted after Council approval.
- City Council Rules of Procedure
(revised April 5, 2022)
There are three ways to comment or testify during a public hearing or on a specific agenda item:
- Attend in person; or
- Participate remotely during the public hearing. Unique log-ins will be posted to calendar entries for City Council meetings ; or
- Offer comment in advance of the meeting by leaving a voicemail at 952-563-8782 or emailing councilsecretary@bloomingtonmn.gov no later than 2 p.m. on the meeting date. Include the item number and item name listed on the agenda. Include your name, phone number, and address when leaving a voicemail or email. Please indicate if you also plan to attend in person or call in during the meeting to provide live comment or testimony.
Meeting agenda and documents are available at blm.mn/meetings.
What
Listening sessions are meetings held before the beginning of each regular City Council meeting for community members to present their ideas, questions or concerns to the City Council.
When
- Listening sessions occur on Monday from 5:45 - 6:15 p.m. whenever there is a regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
- Each Listening Session meeting will be posted on the City's website calendar.
Where
- Bloomington Civic Plaza conference room, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road.
Guidelines
- 5:45-6: 15 p.m. (Council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.)
- Occurs when there is a regularly scheduled council meeting that same Monday (see Council’s approved calendar)
- "Regular Meeting" under the Minnesota Open Meeting Law
- Each Listening Session meeting will be posted on the city's calendar/website.
- Audio recorded only (no video recording or live broadcast)
- Call in option available.
- Information will be published on the agenda packet.
- Subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
- A quorum is needed to open the meeting and take action, except less than a quorum can vote to adjourn.
- Preregistration (with topic) is requested by contacting the Council Secretary. The Council Secretary will request the speaker's topics). Those that have preregistered will be called on to speak before those that have not preregistered.
- Listening Session testimony is permitted on any topic except those that have a scheduled public hearing the City Council agenda that same day.
- Five minutes per speaker/topic.
- Process must be content-neutral.
- If everyone that has preregistered or otherwise desires to speak has spoken but it’s not yet 6:15 p.m., then the City Council can adjourn early.
- Minutes will be taken ('with actions and attendance recorded).
- The Mayor, or its designee, is the Presiding Officer.
- City Manager and City Attorney, or their designees, shall also attend.
- A sergeant at arms will be present.
- City Manager may request additional staff attend based on topics indicated at preregistration.
- ADA accommodation available upon request; at least two business days' notice is requested.
- Section 21 of the City Council's Rules of Procedure (Enforcement of Decorum) are applicable to these Listening Sessions as if they occurred in the Council Chambers.
- The City Council's Rules of Procedure and Robert's Rules of Order (most current edition) shall be consulted for parliamentary procedures, when needed.
Personnel
- The mayor or their designee is the presiding officer.
- The city manager and city attorney or their designees shall also attend.
- The city manager may request additional staff attend based on topics indicated at preregistration.
- A sergeant at arms will be present.
Participation
- A call-in option is available - instructions are posted on the City's website calendar event for that date.
- Preregistration (with topic or question) is encouraged. Those who preregister will be called on to speak before those that have not preregistered.
- Up to ten minutes will be allowed per speaker/topic. The mayor may request information from those present at 5:45 p.m. to organize the discussion and adjust time allocated per speaker, so long as an equal amount of time is allocated for each preregistered speaker and any such remaining time is set aside for those speakers that did not preregister.
- If everyone who preregistered or otherwise desires to speak has spoken before 6:15 p.m., the City Council can adjourn early.
- If additional speakers are present and desire to address the City Council at 6:15 p.m., the presiding officer will give priority to those additional speakers at the next listening session.
- ADA accommodation available upon request; at least two business days’ notice requested.
Audio
The March 4, 2024 and July 15, 2024 audio is unavailable due to technical issues.
Adopted in 1960, the City Charter provides for a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council, which includes an elected mayor and six other elected Councilmembers, exercises the legislative power of the City of Bloomington and determines all City policies.
The City Council appoints a professional City manager, who is responsible to the Council for the administration of all City business. The Council also appoints people to various advisory boards and commissions.
Bloomington.Tomorrow.Together. strategic plan: From 2021 - 2022, hundreds of voices from the community and City joined together to create a five-year strategic plan that will help guide the City as it works to cultivate an enduring and remarkable Bloomington.
Email all Councilmembers: council@BloomingtonMN.gov
Visit the City Councilmembers page for individual email addresses and phone numbers.
Media inquiries
Janine Hill
Communications administrator
jhill@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-8819