The City of Bloomington's employment rules set the terms for people who work for the city itself. The council changed them on Oct. 26, and this time the vote wasn't unanimous. The resolution was consent item 3.11. Consent items are routine business that usually pass together in a single vote with no discussion. Council Member Lowman asked to take this one out of that bundle for a separate vote, and Lowman voted against it.
Lowman didn't explain the no vote at the dais. Lowman said the objections had been stated many times before and left it at that. The resolution passed 6-1. The city's event page for the meeting doesn't list the specific rule changes.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNLowman pulls consent item 3.11, says the objections are already on the record, and the council approves the amendment 6-1.10/26
The meeting ran from 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road. The city posts agendas and supporting documents at blm.mn/meetings, so residents who want the full text of the amended rules can look there. You can also rewatch the meeting on the city's YouTube channel.
With the resolution adopted, this round of changes is settled. A 6-1 split doesn't change the outcome. Still, it puts on record that at least 1 council member has kept objecting to how the city writes its rules for its own workforce, and that's worth tracking if the rules come back for more changes. To weigh in, residents can call the City Council Office at 952-563-8782 or email [email protected].
