It is Monday, July 14, 2025. Thanks everybody for being here. Uh we had one person pre uh arranged to speak. Craig Pet is Greg here. I do not see him because there's exactly one person in the room there. And uh it's Mike, right?
Mike. Uh you're on. And uh uh the way we've got it set up now, it's uh we we do limit people to five minutes. Uh we think you can sign it after you're done speaking and we will go from there. Sure. >> All right.
>> Um just follow um to a couple from other meetings. Apologize I wasn't here earlier to to address them. Just could you just take your name for the record? >> Mic is 0313
Avenue South Bloomington 55420. uh phone number 952-465 [clears throat] 5358. So please reach out, you can call me at any time. um if there's any questions that you may have
um in reference to and in reference to um licensing processes and [clears throat] I think there's maybe some confusion and comments that I had made and I just want to be more clear so people are understanding the situation been [clears throat] working through the
group group home licensing process um been working on that for about two years um and emails with no replies, not to you but to the state. Um met with my
representative uh who um let him know I have all of my research, all my information. Um I was given this contact information that this would be the person that he would recommend I contact. He's been copied on all of the
emails and no response. I believe someone is just so you understand kind of the roadblocks that residents are running into about these types of conversations. I started to copy more people that
represent me so they understood. So I do believe I don't know who had contacted Bloomington staff for me to meet with uh I apologize I don't remember the
sergeant's name but very constructive conversation went very well um but in the end it's this when we originally started we hosted at the location everything was there we've already talked this through is more getting him
up to speed and and really my concerns in that area is not only is it to the neighborhood, it's really to the detriment to the people that are being served with many of the issues that we're fighting. Um, as in staff not being properly trained, drug use, you
name it. I mean, staff members literally passing out. This is this isn't me. This is in the 911 police logs. So this is all that if you you know need that information I've got
all of and those are my concerns is that really the most vulnerable among us are not being served and so I I just want to reemphasize the position that I'm coming from is not only for the neighborhood but for the
res residents that are supposed to be receiving care and I I don't understand how I can see what I see being documented and nothing is being done. Um to to the point where
you know my neighbor has not moved, he has left. Um which then gets me to the second point in that, you know, in licensing and zoning. Many times in the zoning ordinances we
simply say there'll be some licensing process. We as we are loosening our R1 characteristics and what we are you know missing middle and many of the other conversations that are taking
place. There also has to be some care given and some constructive feedback or some constructive controls in place to make sure that it's appropriate for everybody. So you know I am in a
situation where if you think about you know the grid nine houses in the middle four of the eight houses are in some rental licensing situation. Um one of them being the group home the
other one be the home that was so mismanaged the other person leaving and now renting it out. So now I have another renter behind me. Other is a So that would be a
nonowner occupied rental. So what is that? What is that licensing process? What is what is the feedback for me in being able to approach people if if there are issues? It's not clearly defined. There are no definitions of of
what is allowed and what is not the uh the house next to me which is you know I have to be very careful there um you know you have had is in this city hall has had restraining
orders against the individual um and he's a renter he's a landlord. So now how is someone with this type of history then allowed
to license you know to be a land do do these people know what they're getting into? What type of what kind of you know situation are they walking into? So that's the house next door to me. uh final fourth and final example is the house of prospery
um nonowner occupied home that uh was basically a commercial business where they brought in rented everything out to their crew and they're running an HVAC operation out of the residency.
So my point being when we're rethinking and reimagining and redreaming what we want Bloomington 2.0 to be that we as residents have to
be there there has to be more to it than there's licensing and that's all I see and I I get nowhere. And so my point being that we really need to think through these things. There's far more involved
than what we're giving credit to and it's happening in our homes right now. And I know you're your overtime let's run because we don't have many else out there but I and I wanted to hear what you had to say but and I appreciate it and I do appreciate the the sentiment
that you bring forward also. I mean, we there there's what we're trying to accomplish from a housing standpoint, but then there's also our residents throughout the city who can be impacted in some ways. And so, I think we we understand and appreciate that. Uh I don't know if him in your your questions
there if I know you've spoken to our our licensing folks and probably the city manager's office and so on and I don't know if uh we've provided any answers to the other than the more the more esoteric questions that you have which are good questions but if there's anything specific about who gets what or
how it gets done or anything like that I understand I mean the interaction has always been right I mean um you know just reached out via email and you know you know he saw me in the hallway and you know verbal conversations just
saying hey we're doing what we can you know and you know the you know what makes me nervous is that I'm seeing money right that we're we're starting to see at the higher levels of our
government you know I don't want to say that but you know You have lobbyists now at the state which are taking away, you know, our ability to do anything at the local level and it's, you know, and
there's so people are making enough money, they're going to protect that. I can't compete with that and that's going to get worse. That's not going to get better. And [clears throat] I apologize I'm running over, but I mean
those are the things that make me extremely concerned. And um you know, yeah, just weighing the options of is Bloomington long-term for me? >> You know, those those are legitimate
conversations taking place. And so, you know, I hear you guys talk about your your mods and I, you know, I Yeah, I'll just >> Thanks, Mike. Appreciate you coming in
tonight. Question, Council Member Del. Yeah, >> I just if I if I could just sum summarizing I heard four different examples and I think they probably each get a little bit of a different treatment depending upon whether it's a city license like I mean I know we've
talked about the group home thing before. I struggle with that too. But you know the state the state took away our licensing capabilities there, right? And so that's a frustrating thing. I think we all share it. I don't want to speak for everybody, but I I do. Um, [clears throat] as it relates to operating a business
[snorts] within the with from a residence, I think we have rules in place for that, right? We just need to figure out how to enforce them. And then >> also make it aware for us. I mean, how how do how do we reach out? How do you report that?
>> I mean, there there's no visibility to a resident to be able to come forward and work with the city. You know, it's like a lot of people don't like I mean, listening sessions, I feel comfortable coming to them, but you don't you you've
never met the people that actually left, right? They're extremely frustrated and they never came to a listing session. And I just kind of told them, I said, you know, I got your back. I'll you know, I'll take the heat on that. And I'm still, you know, got their back. I'm still, you know, haven't given up, you
know, you know. So there's many people that just take it, you know. I mean, you know, I'll take it, but you know, I want to have conversations. I want to see constructive moving forward. So
>> No, that's okay. The third the third question I have for you all which may be a city question is when you have a situation where you have a landlord and you they are licensed to rent here but they have a challenging background or they have criminal
whatever like do we have any rights there and and I know I don't expect you to be able to answer that but that's a different third that's like a third scenario I hadn't even considered. Yeah. I don't know if that's I don't know if bad behavior is disqualifying from >> right >> owning a rental house. >> I mean,
>> right. >> Yeah. >> Right. I mean, property rights uh are very very hard hard to overcome. >> I trust me, I I'm landlord myself. So, I completely understand. But >> I think there's some unique situations,
right? I use the situation of you know you are protecting your own employees from this individual. I mean you know I've been >> that's why I'm curious >> I've been warned this you know as the last person walked out the warning that
I got was >> he hates you and he just recently bought a gun. So >> and they felt compelled to come over and tell me about it. >> Why don't we do this? You would ask the city manager to to check into that whether or not anything is disqualified.
>> And then also, I mean, do you have the address where where you think there's a business operating out of the home? Do you have a if you can find the the house number, the address? Send it on to me. I'll forward it on to the manager's office. We'll take a look if there's something there. >> Yeah. Well,
I did some deep dives there. um and bus is the um the better business bureau and had flag and that's all good but um we we do have asandra said we do have requirements and running
businesses out of homes how that all works so be happy to look into that >> may have some [clears throat] well thank you senior business >> anyone else looking to speak to the council tonight? Nobody else in the council. Chance
council. >> Uh I would entertain a motion to adjourn our listening session. So move second. >> Motion by council member Lo and second by council member Rivas to adjourn our council listening session. No further discussion. All in favor please signify by saying I. Motion carry 70. We are
adjourned. We'll see you downstairs.