The mayor read a proclamation designating November 2026 as Native American Heritage Month. It recognizes the Dakota, Ojibwe and Iowa peoples' history in Bloomington and the 11 tribal nations in Minnesota. City equity and inclusion staff member Nat Kirk accepted it and spoke about family history and the erasure of Native identity. Kirk invited residents to a Nov. 13 screening at 6:30 p.m. of 'The People's Protectors,' a film about four Native veterans, hosted by the city's parks and recreation department.
Decided: The mayor proclaimed November 2026 as Native American Heritage Month in Bloomington; there was no council vote.
Following this: Native American Heritage Month: Council's proclamation
Council Member Lowman pulled the resolution amending the City of Bloomington employment rules (consent item 3.11) from the consent agenda in order to vote against it. Lowman said the objections had been stated many times before and did not restate them. The council approved the resolution 6-1, on a motion by Council Member Dallessandro seconded by Council Member Carter. The other consent items, 3.1 through 3.10, passed 7-0 without discussion.
Decided: The council approved changes to the city's employment rules for city workers; Councilmember Lowman pulled the item from the routine package so he could vote against it.
Result: Approved, 6 to 1, by voice vote
In an annual update to the council, Hennepin County District 5 Commissioner Debbie Goettel said the county board is likely to stay with an 8.15% property tax levy increase for 2027, on a total operating and capital budget of about $2.72 billion that is slightly lower than this year's. The commissioner called it one of the highest levy increases seen during their time on the board. The county absorbed $10.8 million in federal cuts in mid-2026 and expects about $59 million in combined hits for 2027 from HUD, SNAP and Medicaid changes. The commissioner said trimming the levy below 8% would only push the problem into the following year. The county is not laying off staff but is limiting hiring, and the tax burden continues to shift from commercial property, including distressed office buildings, onto residential property.
In response to Council Member Nelson, Commissioner Goettel said Medicaid recipients will need to re-enroll every six months under new work requirements. The county expects to drop roughly 6,000 people from its rolls, and residents who have not been contacted should call the county to check whether they are affected. On Hennepin Healthcare (HCMC), which the county board took over as hospital board last year, the commissioner said state bridge funding kept the Level I trauma center open but there is still no long-term funding source. Options that will go back to the Legislature include extending the ballpark sales tax and a broader health care tax that could also help rural hospitals.
In a study session with no vote, planning staff proposed merging the 'health club' and 'sports training facility' zoning uses into a single new 'fitness and sports facility' use. The new use would be permitted in all commercial districts except B-1. It would also be permitted in industrial districts, with a performance standard: facilities under 10,000 square feet would be allowed, and larger ones only if they sit next to an arterial or collector road. Staff said the change responds to frequent inquiries about putting climbing gyms, volleyball and similar uses in vacant industrial buildings. They weighed that against the city's 2018 industrial-preservation policy and concerns about lower-wage jobs replacing industrial ones. The Planning Commission held a study session Oct. 1, and public hearings are expected in December or January.
Following this: Bloomington Weighs One 'Fitness and Sports Facility' Category, With Smaller Gyms Allowed in Industrial Zones
