The City of Bloomington was honored during the Minneapolis Regional Chamber's Leaders and Innovators Awards ceremony on Thursday, October 31. The Chamber recognized the Police Department’s Bloomington Community Brain Health Services in its public safety category, and the Nine Mile Creek Corridor project in the sustainability category. 🏆🎉

City Manager Jamie Verbrugge, Chief Booker T. Hodges, therapists Luke Campbell and Janet Yeats and Deputy Chief Damon Bitney, receiving an award for the Police Department’s Bloomington Community Brain Health Services program.

City Manager Jamie Verbrugge, Council Member Victor Rivas, Assistant Director of Parks and Park Projects Renae Clark, Parks and Recreation Director Ann Kattreh, Senior Civil Engineer Bob Simons, Council Member Dwayne Lowman and Assistant City Manager Kathy Hedin, receiving an award for the City's Nine Mile Creek Corridor project.

The City of Bloomington has cancelled the ban on recreational fires enacted on October 17. Please review the information below to ensure you are following all safety precautions. This information is also available as a handout.

Recreational, ceremonial and camp fire information

A recreational fire is an outdoor fire used for cooking, warming or ceremonial purposes. When having a recreational fire in your yard, remember you are responsible for keeping you, your friends, neighbors and children safe. The intent of the code is to prevent fire hazards for your safety, property and adjacent properties.

Recreational fires and portable fire pits are permitted in accordance with the following conditions:

• Stacked size of firewood may not exceed three (3) feet in diameter by two (2) feet in height;
• Fires shall be located at least 25 feet away from any combustible structures or combustible materials, such as fences, long grass, bins, trash cans, etc.;
• Only firewood may be used (see definition below);
• Fire extinguishing equipment such as buckets, shovels, garden hoses or a fire extinguisher with a minimum 4-A rating must be readily available nearby;
• Fires must be constantly attended by a person within sight of the flames until the fire burns out completely or is extinguished;
• Fires may only be conducted between the hours of 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. (midnight);
• Sustained winds must be less than 10 miles per hour as measured by Police Dispatch; and
• A recreational fire must be immediately extinguished if the Fire Marshal, Fire Chief, responding Police Officer or City Official determines the fire is creating a fire safety hazard.

As a courtesy to your neighbors, please let them know when you intend to have a fire and locate the fire so smoke does not affect their house.

Common mistakes 

• Burning leaves, twigs, and branches. Only clean dry firewood can be burned.
• Fire is not contained in a fire pit, or the fire pit is too large. Fire shall be contained in a fire pit no larger than 3 feet in diameter by 2 feet in height.
• Burning during sustained wind. Recreational fires are not allowed when sustained winds exceed 10 miles per hour. 

Definitions

• Firewood: Dry, clean wood such as Presto Logs, charcoal or cordwood used or intended for use as heating fuel inside a residence or for an outdoor recreational fire. Firewood does not include wood that is green, has leaves or needles, is rotten, wet, oil soaked, or treated with paint, glue, or other preservatives. Construction debris or refuse is not Firewood. City code requires that Firewood be stored in neat stacks, 10 feet from the property lines, screened from view and not in the front yard. 
• Starter fuels: Dry untreated firewood, or charcoal fire starter.

On Friday, October 18, 2024, at Edina City Hall, a vehicle was photographed with the hatch open, revealing sealed transfer cases of ballots inside.  Please see the statement from Hennepin County as posted on Edina's website.

The transfer cases contained City of Bloomington ballots that were voted between the dates of October 11 through October 17. Hennepin County has confirmed that all ballots that were picked up from the City of Bloomington on October 18 were accounted for and were not tampered with. 

The City of Bloomington followed all proper procedures for transferring ballots to Hennepin County. The seal numbers on the City of Bloomington transfer cases were recorded prior to leaving Bloomington Civic Plaza and were still intact upon arrival at Hennepin County. Bloomington received confirmation that all ballots Hennepin County received since voting began on September 20 have been accounted for. 

The City of Bloomington has a robust plan in place for the security of election materials.

FAQ

How can I track my ballot?

You can track your ballot at mnvotes.org.

Can I vote again?

No. The claw back period ended on October 17, 2024. Accepted ballots are in the process of being tabulated.

When does direct balloting start?

Direct balloting (ballot is inserted directly into the machine) started on Friday, October 18. All ballots now stay at Civic Plaza and are not couriered to Hennepin County.

Bloomington, MN — The City of Bloomington is proud to announce that the Bloomington Fire Department has been awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This grant will provide funding to hire 18 additional full-time firefighters, strengthening the BFD’s ability to meet the growing safety needs of the Bloomington community.

The SAFER grant provides funding to fully cover the wages and benefits of new firefighters over the next three years, significantly boosting the BFD’s staffing capacity. The hiring process is expected to begin within the next few months, with an anticipated start date for the new recruits around April 1, 2025. More information about the hiring process will be shared as details are finalized.

“The additional staffing will improve our response times and ensure that we can meet the growing needs of Bloomington residents,” said Deputy Chief Jay Forster. “We’re grateful for the support of the Mayor, City Council and Bloomington residents who have all played an important part in securing this funding.”

The SAFER grant marks a significant step forward in the BFD's ongoing mission to enhance service performance. Insufficient staffing in recent years has impacted the department’s ability to meet its response-time and staffing goals. The new hires will help address this by allowing the department to better meet safety goals and improve the quality of service for the Bloomington community.

This is the second time Bloomington has been awarded a SAFER grant. The City received its first grant in 2022, which also allowed the department to hire 18 full-time firefighters.

Visit FEMA's website for more information on the SAFER grant.