COTTAGE GROVE COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 18 COVERS MANY TOPICS

by Joseph Back

The Cottage Grove Council met prior to adjournment Wednesday August 18, covering many agenda topics. First though, a public service announcement!

It took a week, but as of 3:33 p.m. this past Monday there were officially 1,017 signers and counting for the petition ‘Protect the Mississippi River. Save the Mississippi Dunes.’ With the present petition seeking to influence the City Council’s mind on the Mississippi Dunes development project, there will be a rally held September 1 from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Cottage Grove City Hall, located as such at 12800 Ravine Parkway South in Cottage Grove. Rally participants are asked to be there by 6 p.m., with the council meeting at 7 p.m.

Now back to the council meeting recap for August 18.

The Cottage Grove Council met prior to adjournment Wednesday August 18, covering many agenda topics. With all council members present upon roll call, a motion was made by Council Vice President Steve Dennis, seconded by Council Member Dave Thiede to adopt the agenda as presented. This motion passing unanimously, it was into the approval of the night’s consent agenda, which passed 5 – 0 with a motion by Council member LaRae Mills seconded by Council Member Thiede.

Chief in the consent agenda items (or else at least notable) was a 2021 onsite influenza immunization clinic, for those seeking their yearly flu shots. The contract entered into with Hennepin Healthcare System Inc. will offer flu shots to city employees, with costs to be paid for by employees “through their medical provider or personal payment,” the agreement makes known.

With four main flu strains circulating around the world, having a flu shot can help provide a buffer for public health services and protect individuals from the shakes and chills—or worse.

That being said, from the consent agenda it was on into approval of disbursements in the amount of $2,596,834.70 on the part of the city. So what goes into the approximately $2.5 million in current city expenses just approved?

It turns out there’s a ledger for that.

The first ‘big’ expense (meaning over $2,000) is a payment of $24,904.15 to Bound Tree Medical, LLC for EMS supplies, followed with an Escrow refund to Capstone Homes Inc. in the amount of $18,885.

From there the expenses enter the mundane for a stretch, with $1,982 for CenturyLink, $627.01 to Cintas Corporation No. 2,” a total of $958.65 in payments for clubhouse beer to College City Beverage Inc., and $934.29 in Comcast charges for the Ice Arena and HERO Center accounts.

From there the charges fluctuate, with $28,990 to See COUNCIL Page 6 COUNCIL

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From there the charges fluctuate, with $28,990 to Crown Gym Mats Inc., followed in quick succession with a $7,000 escrow refund payment to D. R. Horton.

Distinctive Design Build LLC, moreover, is registered in the approved disbursements with a $10,990 payment in escrow refund money, while Emergency Apparatus Maintenance Inc. gets $2,905.62 and Emergency Automotive Technologies Inc was paid $20,440 for a charge listed as ‘Set up of Squad.’ Lest the list of expenditures go on forever, however, we can report that $571,622.65 went to Northwest Asphalt LLC for a pavement management project through July 14, along with $322,644.04 to OMG Midwest Inc for a mill and overlay project through August 4. Larson Excavating Inc was approved to receive $815,716.55 for Summers Landing Fifth Addition “SVCS” in addition to the two road expenses expenses by the city. Roads and construction development companies, it would seem, are the big numbers in the $2.5 million expense report for August 18.

From regular disbursements then it was on to the regular agenda, with a motion made by Council Member Thiede, seconded by Council Member Mills to adopt Resolution 2021 – 08 approving the site plan for an 18,600 square-foot addition to the existing Innovative Chemical Corp (ICC) facility at 7769 95th Street. The vote was five in favor, zero against—although it should be noted that such ‘unanimous votes’ in local government are relatively common, once the issue has been discussed during open session and the details worked out to satisfaction. ICC for its part is a chemical manufacturer of commercial and household cleaning compounds in business for 28 years and offering contract packaging to such entities as 3M, Ecolab, Spic & Span, and Land O’Lakes, the council packet details make known.

Following approval for Resolution 2021 – 08 came a motion to adjourn the meeting, made by Council member Thiede and seconded by Council member Mills, carrying 5-0. Earlier at the August 18 meeting during open forum, meanwhile, city resident Jennifer Nedry had some public comments to share.

“I always give shout outs to the local parks and businesses in Cottage Grove when I can, but wouldn’t it be great if people could say that they could visit a park right here on the Mississippi, that would give all these other cities a run for their money?” Nedry read from her phone of online comment from those seeking travel tips for Highway 61 at the August 18 Council meeting.

Nedry, a resident of Jasmine Avenue South, also mentioned Mayor Bailey’s Mayor’s Moment from May of this year in which he talked up the proposed Community Center as a focal point for the city—but praise of the Community Center vision by the Council wasn’t the only reason Nedry was at the August 18 meeting.

“I’m talking about the Mississippi Dunes project,” she said of a park to rival other cities along Highway 61. “I think it would put us on the map in a way that other things would not, so that we are top of mind in the way that Red Wing, and Hastings, and other communities are.”

Jennifer Nedry.