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City Charter and Code of Ordinances

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The City of Bloomington's Code of Ordinances contains local laws which, along with state and federal laws and regulations, shape our city and its services to keep residents safe, maintain property values, and govern private activities within the city's boundaries in a manner that balances the protection of individual rights with the promotion of the public health, safety and welfare.

The process of reviewing and incorporated changes to the City Code is called "codification." Because this process must be undertaken for each change, recent changes to the code are not immediately incorporated. Codification may take several weeks.

After Council-approved changes are incorporated into the official code document at the City Clerk's office, the online representation of the Code is updated. Because of this time lag, the City Clerk's Office provides a list of recently approved, but not yet codified, changes below.

City staff will make every effort to post such changes below within three business days of Council action. You may contact the City Clerk's Office with any questions.

New versions of the City Code will be posted as the code is updated. Use the City's E-Subscribe service to receive notifications when updates are made.

Recent changes

Ordinance 2025-55
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

An ordinance creating a license requirement for parking ramp operation, thereby amending chapter 14 and appendix A of the city code.   The ordinance establishes a Parking Ramp License requirement for all parking ramps within city limits that meet the requirements as outlined in the attached ordinance. 
 

Staff contact
Bernadette Gillespie
Building Official
Bgillespie@BloomingtonMN.gov
952-563-4709

Ordinance 2025-54
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

At the discretion of the City Engineer, reduce the sidewalk requirement from 8 feet to 6 feet along minor collector roads when not abutting a curb.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-53
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Remove the requirement that commercial buildings must look architecturally similar when located on the same site.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-52
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Allow accessory structures and garages to be up to 15 feet in height when exceeding the height of the principal dwelling.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-51
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Create an appeal process for Variances through a public hearing at the City Council. Create a fee for the appeal of Certificates of Appropriateness by mirroring existing appeal fees of $220.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-50
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Allow multi-family residential in the B-1, B-2, CR-1, and CS-1 zoning districts as directed by Council from the Office Conversion Study completed in 2025.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-49
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Create an exemption by the Planning Manager for lighting plan requirements to clarify regulatory discretion. Add a section requiring maintenance of lighting and lighting structures.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-48
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Update the application processes table to reflect two different types of platting variances with the first requiring a public hearing at Planning Commission and the second requiring a public hearing at City Council.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-47
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Remove provisions about buffers for residential care facilities because the State is solely responsible for decision-making around buffers.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-46
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Create a definition for flag lot including a graphic to visually show what is meant by the definition.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-45
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Delete the definition for “thatch” and any reference to it. Simplify language related to clear zone requirements for fire hydrants and utilities.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-44
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Add a general provision at the beginning of the permitted encroachments section about structure placement provisions related to easements and remove the reference from each subsection.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-43
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Replace all references to “church” with the term “place of assembly”.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-42
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Replace all Chapter 19 references with the corrected Chapter 21 reference.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-41
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Delete all references to air pollution control device permits.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-40
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Remove references to the Hearing Examiner and associated fee payments.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-39
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Reconcile inconsistencies in the representations of the “clear view triangle” seen throughout the Code by updating the graphic and relocating it to a more appropriate section.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-38
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Create a subsection to clarify how the disturbance area of a project is related to landscaping and how it can be used when calculating tree and shrub requirements.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-37
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Allow hot tubs to encroach into setbacks in residential zoning districts and allow play structures related to institutional uses in nonresidential zones to encroach into setbacks.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-36
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Add an exemption to the commercial animal establishment license requirements for temporary therapy animal events, such as therapy visits.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-35
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Add exemption language specifying that lighting plans are not required for internally illuminated signage.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-34
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Add the Community Health and Wellness Center to the list of community facilities eligible for larger freestanding signage allowances.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-33
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Remove references to the administrative Variance process and the former section of the Code where it was located.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-32
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Add a definition for a Distilled Spirits Manufacturer in the Zoning Code to match that of the definition that already exists   in Chapter 13.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-31
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Clean-up a reference to requiring a Conditional Use Permit where it is no longer required for pet services facilities, as they are now a permitted use.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-30
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Add a $170 fee for Conditional Use Permit extensions to mirror the extension fees of other application types.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-29
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Add a co-living license fee that mirrors the structure of the multi-family housing license fee.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-28
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

There are two City Code sections that list the triggers for obtaining a parking lot permit. This ordinance makes these two sections consistent. 
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-27
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

Specify that the standards relating to day care facilities in industrial zoning districts are only applicable to daycares as an accessory use.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-26
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Correct an inaccurate reference directing readers to the wrong section when looking for approved surface materials for off-street parking spaces on residential lots.

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-25
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

References to the South Loop District’s previous name, Airport South, need to be removed from the Code.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-24
Publication Date: November 27, 2025

There is a grammatical error in the list of sign types classified as abandoned. Add “or” to after the second type of sign that is considered abandoned.
 

Staff contact
Emily Hestbech
Planning
ehestbech@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-4507

Ordinance 2025-23
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Ordinance amending definitions related to the timing of garbage collection and curbside clean up, and changes in solid waste and refuse collection fees.  

Staff contact
Lori Economy-Scholler
Finance
leconomy@bloomingtonmn.gov 
952-563-8791

Ordinance 2025-22
Publication Date: November 27, 2025
 

Ordinance to increase wastewater service rates to $6.01 per 1,000 gallons. There was no change to 2026 water service rates.

Staff contact
Lori Economy-Scholler
Finance
leconomy@bloomingtonmn.gov
952-563-8791

Contact Information

Contact Information

City Clerk's Office