Meeting in the St. Croix Room Nov. 20, the Cottage Grove Council covered much business.
Starting out with Open Forum, city resident Bonnie Matter spoke on the 2025 -2029 Capital Improvement Plan, or CIP.
“I’m here because I just want to make sure I understood,” she said. “There was a Planning Commission meeting on 10-28, and at that meeting there was public hearing on the 2025 - 2029 CIP. And things have changed a little bit since that public hearing happened, and I want to make sure that the documents are going to updated. I’d like to know where they’re going to be published. And when they’re going to be available. Thank you.”
Matter was answered by Mayor Myron Bailey.
“We can make sure that gets done,” Bailey said.
Next moving to close Open Forum and adopt the night’s meeting agenda. Motion to adopt the agenda was made by Council member David Thiede and seconded by Monique Garza.
The council then moved to agenda item 6, a swearing in and badge pinning ceremony for Deputy Fire Chief Peter Fischer and two others.
Cottage Grove Fire Chief Jon Pritchard made the presentation.
“Thank you mayor and council for having us here tonight. To celebrate a really great tradition of pinning badges for a new firefighter paramedic and a few promotions.
Pritchard then went to summarize each candidate. First up was Deputy Fire Chief Peter Fischer.
“Peter Fischer has been recently promoted to deputy fire chief. Peter was born and grew up in Maplewood Minnesota with his parents and two sisters. Peter attended North St. Paul High School and was a dedicated Boy Scout, where he earned his Eagle badge. Peter went on to Hamline University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration and accounting. After college, Peter started his career working for the Minnesota Department of Commerce as a market conduct analyst.” Going on to begin a fire service career in 2014 with the White Bear Lake Fire Department, Fisher became a part time EMT.
“Peter immediately found a great passion for fire and emergency services, and pursued his paramedic training through Hennepin County EMS,” Pritchard continued. “Peter obtained his paramedic certification in 2016, and was promoted to a part-time firefighter paramedic with the White Bear Lake Fire Department.
Fisher came to Cottage Grove in 2017 and was promoted to Fire Captain in February 2020, leading CPR training and playing a key role in Cottage Grove obtaining designation as a Heart Safe City. A founding member of the department’s live burn team, Fischer has also been involved in improving the quality of EMS training.
Now living in Lake Elmo with partner Stella, Fischer is also active in supporting the Boy Scouts, and credits his mom and dad with setting a good example for values.
“He is passionate about giving the highest level of service to the citizens and community of Cottage Grove,” Pritchard said.
Cottage Grove City Administrator Jennifer Levitt administered the oath for Deputy Fire Chief to Fischer following the introduction from Pritchard. Levitt then shook Fischer’s hand to congratulate him upon completing the oath. Peter was pinned with the fire badge by his mom and dad, his sisters being present as well.
Fisher wasn’t the only one recognized at the Nov. 20 Council meeting. Also among those recognized was now Fire Captain Chelsey Flores.
Once again Pritchard gave the introduction
“Chelsey grew up in Burnsville Minnesota with her parents and one sister. Chelsey attended Academy of Holy Angels High School where she developed her passion to serve others. After high School Chelsey earned her bachelor’s degree at UW-Stout, and shorty after graduating moved back to Minnesota and bought a house in Cottage Grove.” An avid basketball player, Flores was approached by a fire captain who suggested she take the St. Paul Fire Test.
“Are there really female firefighters?” was her initial reaction.
“Of course there are,” the fire captain replied. A lack of seeing female representation in firefighting had influenced Flores’ initial take.
Now on the Cottage Grove Fire Department, Flores started as a part-time EMT and firefighter, also pursuing paramedic certification though HCMC. Instrumental in many fire department improvements, Flores helped improve the department’s FTO program, led the implementation of community paramedics embedded with police management, served as a live burn instructor, and helped coordinate a large amount of the department’s Safe Haven program.
Continuing to live in Cottage Grove with her husband Michael, Flores was pinned at her badge ceremony by daughters Maya and Scarlett, following the oath by City Administrator Levitt.
Last to be recognized for swearing in and badge pinning with the Cottage Grove Fire Department was Fire Firefighter Medic Riley Erickson.
Pritchard gave the background.
“Riley grew up in a small town in Wisconsin called Nekoosa,” Pritchard said. Meeting wife Emily in Nekoosa and now living in Minneapolis with her, their dog June and cat Rosco, Erickson attended Ripon College where he had majored in sociology and criminal justice, also being a four year letter winner in baseball.
Moving to Minnesota, Erickson studied for paramedic certification at Hennepin County and had worked two years as a paramedic and water rescue medic.
With Erickson at Cottage Grove as of this spring, Pritchard said that, “Riley’s excited to start a new career at Cottage Grove and learn the fire service more thoroughly.”
In his short time on the department Erickson has made contributions including to evidence based stroke scoring to determine if someone is having a stroke, among other contributions.
Erickson was administered the oath by City Administrator Levitt following Pritchard’s introduction, with badger pinning performed by wife Emily.
Also recognized at the Nov. 20 Council meeting was Eagle Scout Ryker Pace of Troop 9005. Pace shared more on his special project to obtain Eagle Scout status following a plaque presentation by the Council.
“I did my project for the Youth Service Bureau her win Cottage Grove over by McDonald’s,” Pace said. “They had a table that got crushed when they were out plowing snow. You cant’ really use a picnic table that way, so I decided to build two picnic tables,” he said, also putting mulch around them.
The Cottage Grove Council meets on the first and third Wednesday of the month at City Hall. The public is invited to attend.