The Cottage Grove City Council breezed through its agenda in what could have been record time last Wednesday evening, but one big order of business occurred after the regular meeting when a closed door session was held to discuss security in lieu of the scheduled start this week of the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

Mayor Myron Bailey said that the City Council was reconvening at the close of the meeting to the Training Room at City Hall “to discuss emergency response procedures.”

“That will be what we’re discussing in our closed session,” he said.

Jury selection, which is expected to last three weeks, was scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday. There will also be a motion hearing, as the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the trial, was wrong when he refused to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin.

Chauvin was charged with one count of second-degree felony murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter in the death last May 25 of George Floyd. Floyd, 46, died after Chauvin reportedly kneeled on his neck to restrain him for up to nine minutes. The death set off a rash of protesting and rioting throughout the Twin Cities and the nation.

Three other former Minneapolis officers also charged in connection with Floyd’s death – J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao have trials scheduled to begin starting Aug. 23. Those three stand charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

In Minneapolis, police and National Guard troops will patrol major commercial corridors to prevent a repeat of the looting, arson and property damage that occurred following the death of Floyd.

Some local stores – including Target were closed in Cottage Grove amid unrest last May.

On May 29 last year, as tensions heightened, the City Council held an emergency meeting closed to the public “to receive a security briefing from the Emergency Management Team. On June 3, the council got a “Public Safety Situational Update.”

Minutes of the meeting indicate an appearance from Director of Public Safety Pete Koerner.

See Community Security Page 9