Making the February Council update on You-Tube just recently, Cottage Grove council member Justin Olsen took time with Community Engagement Officer Dan Schoen to look into what Schoen’s role will be in the community.

Saying that he invited Schoen to appear because the position of Community Engagement Officer is new to the City, Olsen went directly into questions for Schoen.

“So one thing I want to ask Dan, is if I’m a resident at home and I think about this new position, what’s one of the goals you have in mind as you fill this new role?” Olsen asks. Schoen responds.

“Well it’s multifaceted,” he says. “One of the goals is going to be getting out to our diverse communities in our last census. Diversity in Cottage Grove is growing every year. We’re at about 20 percent diversity and that’s an increase of about six percent over the last Census.” Included with this , Schoen says, is business diversity.

“In our business communities we recognize even our business communities are growing, from industrial to the service industry,” he says, stating the aim to make sure that businesses “know that Cottage Grove is a great place to live and work.” Olsen picks up where Schoen leaves off.

“So what it does is it actually gives the business community and the community that’s moving into town an opportunity to engage in a singular fashion with a member of our public safety on any issues or questions they might have,” Olsen says.

“That’s correct,” Schoen states.

Shifting back to Olsen, the council member then states that it sounds like the community engagement officer is the next development in the city’s efforts to develop its community policing initiative, to which Schoen agrees.

“That’s accurate,” he says. “The City Council has been very clear that your goals are to make sure that we are connected and that we are doing proactive policing, and being involved in the community in a much more responsive way that involves our citizens.” Prompted again by Olsen, Schoen then shares the efforts to work with community non-profits like the Friends in Need food shelf.

“We’ve really worked with our basic needs and things like our Friends in Need Food Shelf,” Schoen says, adding that he’s learned a lot himself in the new position he fills.

“There are food pantries in this community that are available 24 hours a day. They can give more help than I even knew existed,” Schoen says, saying this is a great resource for officers and helps to ensure that efforts aren’t being duplicated by different organizations, but that everyone is working together.

“So you’re really creating an inventory of what’s available for people in the community who may be in need or find themselves in a challenging position And go through you,” Olsen says to clarify the matter.

“Absolutely,” Schoen says in agreement.

The email for contacting Community Engagement Officer Dan Schoen should residents need to do so is [email protected] gov.