By Joseph Back

The bond referendum may be the biggest issue on the August 9 ballot—results being out at press time—but come November Cottage Grove residents will also have some council member openings to consider.

Recently, current city council member Steve Dennis, sat down with Journal staff for an interview.

A local business owner and 34-year city resident with kids educated at Park High School, Dennis first ran for the Council in 2014, and things weren’t so great on the economic front in those days.

“Back in 2014 when I first ran for the position, we had lost our Rainbow Foods grocery store, we had over 20 percent vacancy rate in our storefronts and were having a lot of challenges trying to attract others,” Dennis said of business interest at the time.

Coming on board and working with the other council members, some $2 billion in economic development had been achieved since then.

“So I’m very proud of that work,” Dennis said as he noted a number of individuals and city workers brought on board who also want to move the city “in a positive direction.”

Going on to note law enforcement experience as giving him an understanding of the public safety realm, Dennis also noted back in sales and service-based businesses.

“These are things that I’m able to bring forward and tap as a resource to help run a good business here on behalf of the people,” he said. Saying that the city had received accolades for its good fiscal management, Dennis then shifted to an organization he was especially proud of working with: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. A small organization that seeks to make improvements in every day people’s lives, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon doesn’t seek a lot of publicity, but makes a difference nonetheless.

“It’s just a small group of us that work together to help support veterans, current military members and families in times of need,” Dennis said. “If you need help because no one’s there to mow the lawn, we can help with that,” he gave as one example.

Shifting into the question of development, Dennis acknowledged the inevitability of criticism.

“No matter what, you’re always going to have somebody that is some kind of a detractor of what you’re trying to do,” he said. Following social media and seeing comments from different people on things like the industrial park, Dennis said he brings several things to the table.

“First off, I respect the viewpoint,” he said. “I mean, we all have differences but I feel we have more in common than not.”

Following this up with an observation that life is “all about change,” Dennis reflected more on controversies the city has faced.

“So the thing is, that you will always find in any circumstance, when you’re dealing with issues, that there will be a vocal group that comes forward,” he observed. “But there will also be a group that doesn’t say anything, which actually is referred to in many occasions as the silent majority.”

The second group, Dennis said, would often voice their praise privately and more quietly than critics.

“When I’m out at the grocery store, if I’m at my place of business, people say ‘hey, you know what, this is great. I have been looking for a place that I could work here in Cottage Grove and have a good job and a livable wage and not travel 26 miles to Minneapolis. So there’s always two sides of the coin.”

Among the ways that the Council tried to help residents, he said, was by creating special roadways systems designed to alleviate congestion.

“Or we cut in extra berms, wetland berms, screening with trees, sound mitigation, various things like that, and working wit the new investor to make sure they’re being a good neighbor in the community as well,” he said.

Touching next on the process of critical review and commissions that are meant to screen things before they reach council, Dennis said there were limits to what the city could and couldn’t do on certain things.

“And this is something that, you know, we really appreciated people understanding is that there is a courser base of law that allowed us to do or not do certain things,” he said, noting the benefits in jobs and taxes that new investment brought in at the logistics park. As to jobs, Dennis noted the logistics park would produce almost 2,000 additional jobs.

“Or in speaking of taxes, when you have a $370.5 million deal out there. You known, what kind of taxes does that bring into the city? I mean, it’s going to bring in a ton of money into the city, right?” He said.

Shifting next to discuss improvements including the ball fields at Hamlet Park, Dennis noted the benefit of broadening the tax pool to paying for expenses, which stay the same amount in aggregate, but with a lesser portion paid out by individual taxpayers, thank to industry and commerce.

“It’s about spreading the burden out,” he said of taxes and a broader base to pay in from.

An alternative example is that of a standard bell curve, in which by broadening the base of the structure the same area can be contained even as the peak cost per individual lowers to accommodate the new reality.

Mayor Pro-Tempore for six of the eight years he’s been on the council, Dennis says he’s taken “a more forward role” in the post when Mayor Bailey isn’t there. Pro-Tempore means “for the time being” and is refers to one designated to a role when the usual official is not present.

“I’d like to keep doing that,” Dennis said of his role on the council.

Expressing interests in restaurant opportunities as well, Dennis said the city needed to figure out how to become more affordable as to housing, including senior housing opportunities, something the city has struggled with.

“And we need to figure out how we can become more affordable,” he said. “And we’re going to have to get creative for that.” The smaller the footprint, the higher the density could be, making it attractive to build up rather than “Just like we talked about the tax situation, the lower the cost factor can be,” Dennis said of housing. Among the issues developers face are those related to land acquisition.

“Land is expensive,” he said, also noting the need for green space. “Land improvements, we try to do as much as we can to be reasonable with that you know. We want to make sure we keep the trees to some green space and things that are important to people.” Also on the list of challenges from a business standpoint, meanwhile, were labor and materials cost.

“So if we can be creative and I’m open, I open to having discussions, that if at some place in the city, maybe some small housing opportunities could be done in a separate, unique neighborhood that wouldn’t affect anybody else, that type of thing.” Chairman of the board for Discover Cottage Grove as well as being a council member, Dennis said he was committed to making Cottage Grove better known. “So I’m looking forward to moving that process forward,” the council member up for reelection this November said recently. “And really establishing Cottage Grove as a first-class place for people to come and have a great time.

In the meantime, kayaks can still be rented, down at the riverside. Just check out Hazen P. Mooers park on Grey Cloud Drive. Kayak reservations can be made through the Paddle Share system.

Steve Dennis.