The council issued its first-ever Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation (observed March 31) with remarks from two transgender residents, Evelyn Jacobson and a mother speaking on behalf of her son, about living authentically. It also proclaimed March as Women's History Month, with a Bloomington building official noting women make up 51% of the population but only 34% of the city's full-time workforce.
VEP (Minnesota's largest food pantry) CEO Carrie Thompson told council that food demand has risen 140% over three years, nearly half of clients are Latino, and fear of ICE activity has driven the group to shift to home deliveries and weekend distribution with about 600 volunteers. VEP has so far spent roughly $30,000 of a $50,000 city rental-assistance allocation for February and received an additional $75,000 for rent assistance, with federal food/housing funding cuts and donor fatigue cited as ongoing concerns.
Council approved (7-0) releasing arts organization grant funding to Artistry earlier than the standard schedule to help it weather reduced attendance tied to immigration enforcement impacts, amended to require detailed reporting on how prior emergency funds were spent and to extend the same expedited, lower-hurdle process to other local arts organizations. Council members Carter and Loman also questioned whether Bloomington's competitive grant process for established arts groups is necessary going forward.
Following a public hearing with no objections, council voted 7-0 to approve host approval allowing the Iowa Finance Authority to issue about $15 million in revenue bonds for Lifespace Communities (Bloomington Friendship Village); staff confirmed the city bears no financial obligation or liability.
After a public hearing, the council voted 7-0 to modify the TIF district for the American Square development, adding the Riverview office tower and parking ramp parcels to potentially allow conversion of office space into 75 units of affordable senior housing (60% AMI), replacing an earlier stalled 86-unit 'Quinn' phase-two plan. Staff emphasized no funding commitment has been made yet — that would require a future negotiated agreement and possible additional council/Port Authority action.
A resident (Matthew Howlet) questioned whether unused TIF money reverts and criticized the prior state extension letting Mall of America avoid a water park tax payment, calling it a roughly $160 million loss to fiscal disparities funds; staff clarified TIF funds not spent return to the city, county, and school district rather than being lost, and that the Mall of America situation involved a separate reallocation, not a loss.
The council unanimously (7-0) adopted a resolution affirming residents' constitutional rights, clarifying that Bloomington police do not enforce federal immigration law, and urging state/federal action including opposition to a federal detention center. The city has already committed nearly $1 million in food, rental, and small-business assistance and joined a coalition of two dozen-plus metro cities; staff will research a possible one-year moratorium on siting detention facilities, with more details expected by month's end.
