Bloomington City Council to Host Public Hearing on Proposed Utility Franchise Fee Ordinance Changes

Bloomington residents, mark your calendars. The Bloomington City Council is set to hold a public hearing on Monday, May 19, to discuss potentially significant changes to city ordinances that relate to utility franchise fees. According to an announcement from the City Bloomington website, there's a proposal on the table to amend Chapter 20 of the City Code and shuffle around fee schedules related to gas and electricity into Appendix A.

The meeting promises to be accessible for all interested parties and is scheduled to take place at the Bloomington Civic Plaza at 1800 West Old Shakopee Road. For those unable to physically attend, the Council has arranged for constituents to be able to watch the proceedings via several platforms, such as BTV on Comcast or online. In an effort to ensure that all voices can be heard, the Council is making it possible to directly participate in the hearing via phone, inviting people to "raise their hand" electronically and to speak their mind.

Adding an even more convenient layer of accessibility, the city is taking in public testimonies in advance of the meeting. Residents have the option to submit their input by voicemail or email, ensuring that the Council gets a comprehensive understanding of the community's stance on the forthcoming adjustments. As outlined in the notice, those opting for these methods are reminded to provide relevant details such as their item number and title from the agenda to make sure their comments are appropriately addressed during the meeting.

For those interested in understanding the full breadth of the proposed changes beforehand, the complete draft of the ordinance is available for review. The city encourages anyone with further questions or comments prior to the public hearing to reach out to Lori Economy-Scholler, Bloomington's Chief Financial Officer. This forthcoming ordinance, if passed, could indeed shift the landscape of how Bloomington handles its franchise fees and financial undertakings with gas and electric utilities. It's an occasion to not just observe, but actively tap into the channels that govern our communities.