Posted to the City website and awaiting Council approval this upcoming March 16, is a proposed ordinance that would formally rezone the former Mississippi Dunes Golf Course from R-1 Rural Residential to R-4 Low Density Residential, with a Planned Use Development (PUD) overlay in the mix. The development follows Council approval of a Master Site Plan at its December 1 meeting, which saw strong community engagement.

Speaking of which, want to dig up some real dirt, or just see what the City’s been up to these past several years?

You can, thanks to an online archive kept as part of local open government efforts. The treasure trove with years of information is kept in an online archive at the City’s website, www.cottagegrovemn.gov. Here’s a quick rundown with pictures for how to navigate and find things. The wealth of information is enormous, potentially calling for restraint in the initial stages of learning to navigate. From weather forecasts to river levels and two-decade old meeting records, the possibilities are seemingly endless. So how to start going about finding your way around the Cottage Grove city website?

In the first place it is necessary to find your way to www.cottagegrovemn.gov, source of the treasure trove of information.

From there, and hovering on ‘Your Government,’ the options are many. First is the City Council, Classed under the heading “Mayor and Council.” Beneath this are the various city commissions, whereat one can find agendas and minutes in an archive similar to that for the council, which we shall use to demonstrate.

In the first place, hover over the “Agendas and Minutes” under “Mayor and Council.” Clicking on this will bring one to a number of folders, dated by year. Clicking in turn on these will bring one to a list of dates and agenda packets, two per month for Council. What was going on in the past?

A lot, if you have the time. Starting off in January 5, 2005, we have some meeting goods. There was a swearing in ceremony at 7p.m.

“State Representative Katie Sieben, House District 57A, will administer the oath of office to Mayor Sandra Shiely, Council Member Myron Bailey, and Council Member Karla Bigham,” the agenda states from 2005.

Designated as the city’s official newspaper back then was the South Washington County Bulletin, recommended for approval as item 4E in the consent agenda. The Bulletin submitted a bid for $9.65 per column inch to publish city legal notices. With motion by Bigham, seconded by Bailey, the consent agenda including public notices, was approved for January 5, 2005.

Maybe you’re looking for real dirt though. We can’t promise its out there, nor can we deny it. Having the ability to navigate the city website and time to review, however, can lead to the unexpected—like proposed ordinance No. 1053, rezoning riverfront property.

That was just dumb luck, if none the less interesting to boot. Ordinance No. 1053 is located on the city website, but as to where— well—the memory fails. That’s why records are kept.