HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991 FebruaryA
li'
Dig out your shorts and your Hawaiian shirt and head to the
beach!
"Beach Bash" will be the theme of the annual Cottage
Grove Mayor's Charity Fundraiser, which will be held at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23, at the VFW Red Barn, 9260 Pt. Douglas
Rd. Everyone is invited to attend and join in the fun.
The dance will be sponsored by the Miss Cottage Grove
Scholarship Pageant Committee and VFW Post 8752. Pro-
ceeds from this year's event are earmarked for the South
Communities Family Counseling Service (formerly the Youth
Service Bureau), which is beginning a fundraising campaign for
a new building.
According to Ron and Sue Bargsten, coordinators, the
"Beach Bash" will include d.j. music from the 50's and 60's,
dance contests, door prizes, a silent auction, a cash bar,
popcorn, and snacks. Tickets are $10 each, and are available
at Jerry's Restaurant and at City Hall.
The Counseling Service is now located at 8520 80th St. S.,
between Cottage Grove City Hall and the Park Grove Library.
Land near Fire Station 2, 8641 80th St. S., has been offered to
the Family Counseling Service by the city for a new facility.
POSTALPATRON
Carrier Route Presort
Bulk Rate
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 1
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
City of 1
Cottage
Grove
City Hall 751680th St. S.
Open 8 -4:30, M -F ...458.2800
Police & Fire Emergency:911 1
Non - Emergency: 458- 2811
Building Inspectfons458.2804
Fire Station 1
Fire Station 2 ..........458 -2809
Parks ........................ 458-2808
Recreation ...............458.2801
Public Wnrks ..........458 -2808
Mayor
Richard Pederson .... ..459 -6397
City Council
Bill Both ...... ........ ..... 459 -5249
Jack Denzer ..............459 -2553
Lyle Puppe ..... ......... 459 -9996
Jill Seacrist . .............. 459 -8832
City Administrator
_ ... ........ Kevin Frazefl
Arena Manager .Tim Johnson
Building Official ....Jim Beane
Community Dev. _Gary Berg
Finance Dept.....Diane Archer
Fire Chief ....... Denis Erickson
Parks, Rec ... John Fredrickson i
Police Chief .....Dennis Cusick
Public Works ....Les Burshten
Editor ................ Margo Doten
The City of Cottage Grove has grown
20 per cent in the last ten years, accord-
ing to preliminary 1990 census figures
from the United States Bureau of the
Census.
The Census reported city population
to be 22,887, up from 18,994 ten years
ago.
The city showed a total of 7,106
dwelling units as of April 1, 1990, for an
average household size of 3.22 persons.
J.
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• • #
Four additional Community Outreach Meetings have been scheduled by the
Cottage Grove City Council for 1991. The meetings are designed to give the
Council a chance to meet "on location" with neighborhood residents to discuss
community issues and local concerns.
Dates and neighborhoods for the 1991 meetings are as follows:
1 :a ,.
The March 27 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at St. Luke's Lutheran Church,
70th and Hinton, and will address the concerns of residents north of 80th Street
between Highway 61 and Jamaica. This area includes the Oakwood Park, Hinton
Heights, Park/Crestview, and Highlands neighborhoods.
The agenda will include a discussion of street lighting in the neighborhoods
north and east of Park High School.
Further details about the later three meetings will be included in upcoming
issues of the Cottage Grove Reports. The first Community Outreach Meeting was
held in November, 1990, in Old Cottage Grove.
State of City: 'We need to expand tax base
Note: the following is a
condensation of
remarks made by
Mayor Richard Peder-
son at the annual
"State of the City"
meeting of the Cottage
Grove Area Chamber
of Commerce, held
Jan. 24.
by Richard Pederson
Mayor of Cottage
Grove
I would like to
focus on a few of our
departmental activities,
and talk about some
things that happened
this year in the City of
Cottage Grove.
Forthe Depart-
ment of Public
Safety, the initiation of
the D.A. R.E. program
this year was a major,
and very successful,
effort. We also pur-
chased a new, large
pumper truck for the
Fire Department at a
cost of $250,000.
The Department
of Public Works did
an excellent job of
organizing Hazardous
Waste Pickup Day last
spring and of coordi-
nating our curbside
recycling program.
These have proven to
be excellent public
services to our people.
Parks and Rec-
reation has been
working with the
Economic Develop-
ment Authority (EDA)
to get the new River
Oaks Golf Course built
and ready to function in
1991. This will play a
major role in many
areas, including
attracting new busi-
ness to our city. The
golf course is a good
example of a public/
private partnership that
works.
In the Finance
Department, changes
were made in the
accounting system so
we can better track our
whole financial picture.
The Community
Development staff
issued 230 new
housing permits in
1990. We continue to
grow, adding about
1,000 people every
year.
The City Council
held a Community Out-
reach Meeting in Old
Cottage Grove in 1990,
and four more are
planned for 1991. This
is where we talk about
problems specific to
the community, bounce
some ideas off each
other, and listen to
residents' concerns
and complaints. These
meetings help set the
course and direction
for our city.
1993: tax base
For 1991, there are
six words that come to
mind: TAX BASE, TAX
BASE, and TAX BASE.
Expanding the tax
base with more retail/
commercial /industrial
areas is the way we're
going to be able to do
the things we want to
do.
The war in the
Persian Gulf, the
recession, and the
state budget shortfall
have tremendous
impact on our city. The
projected loss of more
than $110,000 from the
state this year, plus
$80,000 last year
means we've lost
almost $200,000
dollars in state funding
in two years. This has
a negative impact on
the city's ability to do
some things we would
like to have done.
The city has added
very few new staff
members, and the
demand is there for
more. We can't con-
tinue to add homes
and streets without
adding new staff.
The city operating
budget is now $6.3
million, and we have
140 full -time and part-
time staff, including
part-time firefighters.
The city is like a corpo-
ration, and we try to
run it that way.
Priority projects
There are some
things we need to do
for Cottage Grove:
+ We need to
expand the Public
Works Garage.
+ We're looking
for another site for the
South Communities
Family Counseling
Service.
+ Many of the
streets on the west
side of Highway 61
need to be rebuilt.
+ We need to
rebuild and widen East
Pt. Douglas Road from
K -Mart to Target.
+ People are
asking for sidewalks,
and we must see about
adding these.
+ Jamaica
Avenue needs serious
attention in terms of
road improvements
and lighting.
+ The city has
done a good job of
acquiring park land.
Now we'd like to focus
on developing the
parks we have.
+ People want
an indoor community
recreational facility for
youth, adults, and with
a wing for senior
citizens. We need to
explore cooperative
efforts with other gov-
ernmental entities such
as the National Guard,
School District, and
county. With a com-
bined effort, a project
like this will be pos-
sible.
Overall, I find room
for optimism. This is a
time of opportunity. If
we can expand the tax
base it will be possible
for this city to do what
it wants to do. Thanks
to all of you for helping
to make it happen.
X=_ iyjr*070�111111
(Continued from P. 3)
have a very low
incidence of fires here
in Cottage Grove.
Anderson himself
has lived in Cottage
Grove for 31 years.
"We've been
blessed so far in
Cottage Grove," he
said. "We've been able
to control and zone our
growth pretty well.
That's all- important, so
you have a perspective
on where you're
going."
He believes the
city's growth hinges on
its ability to take care
of the sewer and water
requirements of new
homes and busi-
nesses. "And we need
to expand the industrial
park with clean indus-
tries so we can take
some of the tax base
off the homeowners,"
he said.
While Anderson
encountered occa-
sional hostile contrac-
tors and homeowners
during his inspections,
(and once was the
victim of a death threat
from an unhappy
builder), he said most
of his inspections were
pleasant.
"I enjoyed my
work — all aspects of
it," he said. "I tried to
make people feel at
ease. To be able to
convince people to
follow the building and
zoning requirements of
the city and state is the
ultimate goal of a build-
ing official. To get them
to like it is a feather in
yourcapl"
• • - • • no
The Cottage Grove
Economic Develop-
ment Commission and
the Cottage Grove
Area Chamber of
Commerce are solicit-
ing area merchants for
financial contributions
to the River Oaks Golf
Course to make this
facility a first class
operation.
Businesses that
wish to purchase
benches, signs, and
equipment needed for
the golf course will
have their names
displayed on the items.
Individuals and
companies may also
make cash contribu-
tions and will be
recognized on a
Charter Donor board in
the River Oaks club
house. Individual /family
donor amounts are
$35, and business
donor amount is $100.
For more
information,piease
contact John Fre-
drickson, Director of
Parks and Recreation,
at 458 -2808.
An advisory
committee on issues
affecting the develop-
ment and operation of
the River Oaks Golf
Course has been
formed by the Cottage
Grove Economic
Development Authority
(EDA).
The advisory
committee is looking
into rate structures,
membership programs,
cart rental rates,
driving range rates,
league play, tourna-
ments, and other
issues.
They will forward
recommendations to
the EDA and city staff
for consideration.
Members serving
on the Advisory
Committee are: Corrie
Bloedel, Ken Boyden,
Ron Giubka, Clinton
Johnson, Marvin Jorde,
Ramon Morgan, Louis
Poganski, and Gary
Spooner.
• •' organizations ur• - • to •'•••' • park or road
commitment of groups
to remove trash from
designated roads or
park sites twice each
year.
The "adopting"
organization will be
recognized by the city
through the installation
of a sign mounted
along the road or at
park entrance points.
All clubs and
organizations inter-
ested in participating in
this program are asked
to contact the Depart-
ment of Public Works
or the Parks and
Recreation Depart-
ment, both at 458-
2808.
Local clubs and
ADW
organizations now
have an opportunity to
"Adopt
a Park" or
Adopt a Road" in our
community.
Modeled on the
state's successful
"Adopt a Highway"
project, the two local
programs will involve a
commitment of groups
to remove trash from
designated roads or
park sites twice each
year.
The "adopting"
organization will be
recognized by the city
through the installation
of a sign mounted
along the road or at
park entrance points.
All clubs and
organizations inter-
ested in participating in
this program are asked
to contact the Depart-
ment of Public Works
or the Parks and
Recreation Depart-
ment, both at 458-
2808.
T
•. • • • • .- ''
The Mission Statement of the 1991 International
Special Olympics Games: •
To produce a world -class athletic event that provides Special
Olympics athletes with the thrill of international competition and
the opportunity for continued personal achievement, develops
public awareness of Special Olympics and the potential and
capabilities of people with mental retardation, and enriches the
lives of everyone involved.
An organizational
meeting will be held
this month to plan for
Cottage Grove's
participation in the
Eighth Annual Interna-
tional Special Olympics
Games, which will be
held in the Twin Cities
area from July 19 -27,
1991.
The Special
Olympics will be the
largest sporting event
in the world to be held
in 1991, and the
largest international
multi -sport event ever
held in Minnesota.
It will involve 6,000
athletes from nearly 90
countries, plus 2,000
coaches, 10,000 family
and friends, and
30,000 volunteers. It is
expected to draw
25,000 to 50,000
spectators and partici-
pants per day.
Hall. It will be coordi-
nated by the Cottage
Grove Area Chamber
of Commerce, with
Therese Rothweiler as
chairperson.
The meeting will
bring together Special
Olympics chairpersons
designated by the city's
religious, civic, and
community groups,
including the Girl
Scouts, Boy Scouts,
Camp Fire, Knights of
Columbus, and most
churches. Any group
that has not yet been
contacted about the
meeting is welcome to
send a representative.
Please call Ms. Roth -
weiler at 459 -6275 to
let her know you're
planning to attend.
purpose is to coordi-
pate community
activities that relate to
the Special Olympics,
and to attend the
athletic events in which
Singapore's athletes
are participating."
Singapore's 34
athletes will participate
in aquatics, athletics,
women's gymnastics,
men's basketball,
football, and men's and
women's table tennis.
More information
on the Special Olym-
pics will be available in
upcoming issues of the
Cottage Grove Re-
ports.
Organizing locally
Cottage Grove's
participation in the
event will be discussed
at the Special Olym-
pics organizational
meeting, set for 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 19, at
Cottage Grove City
Cottage Grove has
been assigned respon-
sibility for Special
Olympics athletes from
the nation of Singapore
in South Asia.
"This is a real
opportunity to learn
more about Sin-
gapore," Ms. Roth -
weiler said. "Our
Persons are
eligible for Special
Olympics if they are
at least eight years
old and:
have been
identified by an
agency or profes-
sional as having
mental retardation
(I.Q. 80 or below);
have a cognitive
delay;
have significant
learning or vocational
problems due to
cognitive delays.
11 • ! t
Special Olympics offers sports training and
competition that mirror those offered to athletes
without handicapping conditions. The selection of
sports reflects the most popular sports for adults
without disabilities, and parallels normal seasonal
sporting activities.
Special Olympics Games are "Olympic" in
format, following the traditions and ideals set forth
by the International Olympic Committee. The
system of awards mirrors the Olympics: both pro-
grams award medals to the top three finishers and
recognize the first through sixth place finishes.
0
i •9 •
When Everett
Anderson started
working with the City of
Cottage Grove in 1974,
there were about
12,000 people in the
city.When he retired
last November, there
were almost 23,000.
And many of those
new residents live in
homes or work in
buildings that Ander-
son inspected during
his 16-1/2 years as the
city's Building Official.
For many of those
years, Anderson was a
one -man department of
Building Inspection. He
was responsible for
checking and approv-
ing foundations,
framing, plumbing,
electricity, brickwork,
heating and ventilatin
systems, and all the
elements of new
building construction
covered by city codes.
In addition, he
advised homeowners
on their plans and
conducted inspections
of decks, room addi-
tions, pools, and other
improvements on.
existing structures.
In a recent inter-
view, Anderson said he
is proud of all the
buildings that have
gone up in the city
during the past 16
years. "I've had a part
in seeing that the
construction was done
properly," he said. `It
gives me a feeling of
accomplishment to
N
MWfI-
New
Dwellings
9855-
Cottage
Grove
100 1% 273 404 271 313
help my fellow man."
But good building
inspections bring
another major benefit.
"I'm really proud of
# • • •
If you were in Cottage Grove in the days of Eisenhower, Elvis, and the Edsel,
then you knew the city (then a township) when it had a population of 883, mostly
clustered in the Old Cottage Grove community. The transformation to a suburban
city began in 1958 when Orrin Thompson Homes, the largest home - building
company in the metro area, began construction on the Thompson Grove Additions
on the west side of Highway 61.
The impact of the Thompson development was evident in 1960, when the U.S.
Census Bureau reported Cottage Grove's population as 4,850, a 482 per cent
increase over 1950.
During the decade of the 1960's, the city established its police and fire
departments, started an ambulance service, built schools and a shopping
center, and installed public sewer and water systems. In July 1965, Cottage
Grove Township was officially incorporated as the Village of
Cottage Grove. As a result of continued construction by Orrin Th-
ompson Homes, the 1970 population of the city stood at 13,419 —
an increase of 381 percent over the previous decade.
The Village of Cottage Grove officially became a statutory city
on Jan. 1, 1974. The urbanization of Cottage Grove has con-
tinued from 1970 to the present, as evidenced by the
steadily increasing population, the increase in the number
of developers, and the growth in residential,
commercial, and industrial development.
1950 1960 1970 1980
883 4,850 13,419 18,994
our low fire rate,"
Anderson said. `Be-
cause the Building
Department carried out
the proper inspections
at the proper times
when the homes were
built, and because the
Fire Department has
such a prompt re-
sponse rate and has
the men and equip-
ment to do the job, we
(Continued on P. 7)
Cottage
Grove
Population
1950 -1980
1990
22,887
9
David W. Daily has
been named Deputy
Fire Chief for the
Cottage Grove Depart-
ment of Public Safety.
In his new position
he will be responsible
for training, daily op-
erations, and program
development.
Daily has been a
part-time volunteer fire-
fighter here since 1981,
and was a resident of
Cottage Grove "since
junior high days" in
1968.
Prior to his new
appointment, he
worked for the State of
Minnesota in the
Pollution Control
Agency, Department of
Agriculture, and De-
partment of Public
Safety.
**0
__ ._ _
The Goodwill
Attended Donation
Center needs contribu-
tions of usable cloth-
ing, small appliances,
games and toys,
books, records, and
other household items.
The donation
center, located in the
Cub Foods parking lot,
also accepts aluminum
cans, clean glass,
bundled newspaper,
plastic bottles, corru-
gate (small bundles),
and office paper for
recycling.
Goodwill no longer
repairs donated items,
so asks donors to "give
us what you would
pass along to a friend."
Proceeds from sales of
donated items support
not - for - profit job
training and placement
programs for disabled
and disadvantaged
people.
Donors benefit
from being able to
clean out their closets,
obtain tax deductions,
and contribute to
recycling efforts.
—COTTAGE GROVE SNOWMOBILE N
REGULATIONS ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED —
IT IS UNLAWFULTO OPERATE A SNOWMOBILE IN COTTAGE GROVE:
1) Without a displayed State registration number;
2) On private property without written permission of the property owner;
3) Upon any public boulevard, sidewalk, school grounds, park grounds, or golf course;
4) Upon any street in excess of 15 mph;
5) Under the age of 12;
6) Between the ages of 12 and 17, without a valid snowmobile safety certificate;
7) Without mandated equipment (lights, muffler, safety throttle).
YOU MUST STOP WHEN DIRECTED TO DO SO BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Violation of snowmobile ordinances are punishable by a fine of up to $700, and /or 90 days in jail.
Copies of snowmobile laws (Cottage Grove Ordinance and State Statute) are available at the Cottage Grove
Police Department.
Owners of cats, dogs, and exotic
pets must apply for the annual Cottage
Grove animal license before March 1,
1991.
All licenses will be issued at Fire
Station #2, 8641 80th St. S. You are
required to provide a current certificate
of rabies vaccination at the time of
application.
License fees for non - spayed or
non - neutered animals are $20; a
certificate of spaying or neutering quali-
fies you for a $5 reduction in the fee. A
late fee of $1 per month will be as-
sessed for licenses purchased after
March 1.
Licenses may be purchased:
+ in person at Fire Station #2,
8641 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, or
+ by mail using the application
form at right. Be sure to send the
required certificates. Your license, tag,
and certificates will be returned
promptly.
— — — — — — — — ° ° — — — — — — — — — —
1 1
1 APPLICATION FOR ANIMAL LICENSE
f THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATES MUST ACCOMPANY YOUR
APPLICATION:
1) Current certificate of rabies vaccination;
j 2) Certificate of neutering /spaying, if applicable
Owner's Name Home Phone
Address Work Phone I
I I
Animal's Name Type of Animal
Animal's Breed Color Age
Fee: $20 (not neutered or spayed)
$15 (spayed/ neutered; certificate enclosed)
I Return this form by mail or in person,
with check payable to CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE to:
FIRE STATION #2 I
I 8641 80th St. S.
— _ Cottage Grove, MN 55016
1• - • -s
are =i-