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Home My WebLink About1996 Septemberul r 111 1Y • r- � W 011 � 1� uui Costume Judging ...........12:30 p.m., District Service Center, 7362 E. Pt. Doucfas Rd. Parade .............................1 p.m., Traveling south from the District Service Center Party Follows at Rodeo on West Pt. Douglas Road Sponsored by the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce RIDE INTO HISTORY II, a guided bicycle tour of some of our community's historic sites and landmarks, will be open to all residents on Sunday, Sept. 29, from 1 -3 p.m. The first "Ride into History" was a great :ess as part of Cottage Grove's Sesquicenten- nial observance in 1993. Enjoy the splendor of fall colors while you journey back in time with your guide, City Historic Preservation Officer Robert Vogel. This leisurely -paced two -hour tour through beautiful rural Cottage Grove starts in the City Hall parking lot. We'll visit several points of historical and archaeological interest, including Old Cottage Grove village, the Cottage Grove Cemetery, Historic Cedarhurst and the Cottage Grove Ravine. We care about your health and safety. Please wear a helmet and obey traffic signs. All participants must register prior to the tour. For further information, please contact the Recreation Department at 458 -2801. Register using the code and information below. r ► � ��i717I' Code: 4009.462 Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 1 -3 p.m. (Leaving promptly at 1:15.) Location: City Hall parking lot Fee: $2.00 30% postamsumer wasfs. POSTAL PATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO'. 1 COTTAGE GROVE, MN 55016 City of Cottage Grove • 7516 80th Street South • Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 • (612) 458 -2800 by Kevin Frazell, City Administrator For the past two years, our Department of Public Safety has been holding Community- Oriented Policing meetings in neighbor- hoods throughout the City. Community surveys show that many of you have been involved, and that you appreciate and support this new approach to policing. Beginning this fall, we are broadening our focus to all of City government. In addition to Police and Fire, neighborhood meet- ings will now include representatives from the City Council as well as the Public Works, Community Development and Administration Departments. We will be better prepared to address any and all issues that neighbors may wish to raise! Here is the schedule for this fall's meetings: DISTRICT 1: THURSDAY, OCT. 10 DISTRICT 2: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23 DISTRICT 3: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30 DISTRICT 4: THURSDAY, NOV. 7 All meetings will be held at 7 p.m. Locations will be advertised in the Washington County Bulletin and by neighborhood flyer, or you can call City Hall at 458 -2800 closer to the date of the meeting for your neighborhood. A major topic for this fall's meetings will be our City -wide visioning effort — CITYVISION 21 (see box at right, and page 4). The neighborhood meetings will be one of many forums used to get citizen input as to your vision for what you want Cottage Grove to be like in the future. Please come and raise any issues, con- cerns or ideas that you and your neighbors have. No issue is too big or too small! We hope that you will take time to set aside this one evening of your busy fall schedule to come out and visit with City officials about the issues of the community and of your neighborhood. Mayor's Column ............. 2 City Explorers ................... 3 Safety Camp ................... 3 CITYVISION 21 ..................4 National Night Out ......... 5 McGruff House ................ 5 Neighborhood Watch.... 5 Ready for Winter ............. 6 Complaint Line ................ 6 Water Main Flush ............. 7 Fire Explorers .................... 7 'Share the Joy' ................ 7 Halloween Parade ......... 8 'Bike into History ' ............. 8 A new process called "CITYVISION 21" will involve residents, City Commis- sions, elected officials and City staff in discussions of what Cottage Grove should be like in the 21 st century. A kick -off meeting to describe the programs, hear citizens' ideas and begin recruitment for a CITYVISION 21 Steer- ing Committee will be held: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1996 7:30 p.m. at City Hail Please attend — all citizens are welcome, and we want to hear your voice! (See article, page 4.) 2 Mayor congratulates community on summer events By Mayor Jack Denzer STREETS The City is continu- ing the infrastructure replacement program. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused, but I'm sure when it's done you'll be happy with the results. Thanks for your patience! COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT The Council and I had the pleasure of cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of Rainbow Foods' beauti- ful new facility. This store has created approximately 200 new jobs for the area. I would like to thank the management on behalf of the community for having the confidence in the market area for such an aggressive expansion. Also new in the area is the Menards super store, more than 160,000 square feet, also very beautifully done. Our thanks go to them for providing us with a much - needed shopping opportunity. They have also contrib- uted to our job base by creating more than 150 new jobs. I would ask you to notice the new look in the parking lots at both locations, the result of our City's new land- scape ordinance. GOLF, ANYONE? Cottage Grove is now home to three golf courses. First was River Oaks Munici- pal Golf Course (18- hole public), followed by the construction of All Seasons Golf (private dome facility, a 9 -hole par -3 course, and a very tough miniature golf course) to keep the golfer in practice in the winter. Mississippi Dunes, on Grey Cloud Island, is the newest course to open. This 18 -hole up- scale course is designed for the experienced golfer. It also features a beautiful dining facility that seats 300 people. I would recommend it to everyone, golfer or not. The food is excellent! VISIONING The City is seeking applicants to serve on a long -range visioning Steering Committee (see page 4). We are trying to get a good cross - section of citizens. For a Committee appli- cation, call the Commu- nity Development Dept. at 458 -2827. COMMUNITY ACTION A copy of the new "citizen concern" brochure is included in this newsletter. It gives you information on improving your commu- nity and neighborhood. Please try to be specific and give as much information as possible, including a number where you can be reached for follow- up information. Your call will remain anonymous. For more information on this program, please call City Hall at 458 -2800 or 458 -2827. GREAT GROVE GET TOGETHER This was a great event to bring the community together. I! was held in June and there were many fun activities. Thanks to Terry Flipp, Jeff Silver and committee mem- bers. GREAT JOB! SAFETY CAMP I would like to commend the Public Safety, Public Works and Parks and Recre- ation Departments and the many volunteers who made our 3rd Annual Safety Camp a very successful event. The enthusiasm of all participants and leaders was great. A total of 132 young people took part. NAT'L NIGHT OUT About 1,000 resi- dents turned out for this event hosted by the Cottage Grove Public Safety Department and coordinated by Officer Greg Rebel. I can't pass up this opportunity to compliment the Director of Public Safety, Dennis Cusick, Commu- nity Affairs Officer Greg Reibel, Fire Chief Dave Dally and Chief Building Official Jim Beane for their assistance. They had some good help from Brian Hagen, a Reserve Police Officer who is also a great cook! Again, a very successful event. THANKS and BEST WISHES... ...to Tim Johnson, our Ice Arena manager for the past 19 years, who is leaving this month to manage a larger arena in Littleton, Colo. Good luck, Tim! To protect the quality of the City's water supply, water mains will be flushed again this fall. Please check the map to determine which zone you are in and when flushing will begin in your area. To flush water mains, city employees open fire hydrants. This sudden rush of water loosens mineral deposits that have accumulated and suspends the deposits within the water. The process often causes discoloration. While the water is safe to drink, it could stain clothing. Please check for signs of discolora- tion before using the water to wash clothes. City residents should also flush out the taps in their homes, as iron deposits tend to build up in the lines. When weather permits and your area has been flushed, open the outside faucets on your home and run all the cold water taps inside at full capacity. The water will start out clear, then become discolored. Leave the water on until it looks clear again, usually ten minutes to half an hour. If you have any questions about the flushing procedure, please contact the Public Works Depart- ment at 458 -2808. Fire Dept, Explorers to host Open House Sept. 29 at Fire Station 2 The Cottage Grove Fire Department will host an open house for anyone interested in becoming a Fire Explorer at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Fire Station II, 8641 80th St. S., Cottage Grove. Exploring provides young men and women ages 14 -21 with experience, skills and opportuni- ties to explore careers and lifetime interests. When you join Exploring, you will work with a group of other young adults who share your interest in exploring a career in firefighting. The group is called a "post" and is chartered by the Cottage Grove Fire Department which provides adult leaders and resources to help you learn and experience firefighting and emergency medical response. As a Fire Department Explorer, you will receive nationally recognized firefighter and emergency medical training. You will be involved in fire department projects and drills and compete with other area posts in the annual Fire Explorers Challenge. Upon successful completion of training, many Explorers who are at least 18 years of age are given the opportunity to become part-time firefighters for the City of Cottage Grove. If you would like more information on becom- ing an Explorer or attending the open house, please contact Fire Chief Dave Dally at 458 -2809. `Share the Joy' planning begins • If you are a local resident in need of Thanks- giving or Christmas baskets this year, please call 458 -0730 after Oct. 1, for an appointment to register for the "Share the Joy" holiday giv- ing and receiving program. • If you would like to volunteer for "Share the Joy, "please call Sue Kainz at the Food Shelf, 458 -0730. • If you'd like to make a cash donation, checks payable to Friends in Need may be sent to P.O. Box 6, Cottage Grove, MN 55016. $40 will cover the cost of a holiday food basket, but any amount is appreciated! • Please be generous during the Thanksgiving Food Drive, set for Saturday, Nov. 16. 7 Flushing starts Sept. 16 't"s time to get es ready for WNYER The Cottage Grove Building Inspections Division offers the following tips to prepare your home for the onset of winter: • Check your heating system early in the Fall to assure proper heating when it's needed. ® For quality air circulation, change your furnace filters monthly. • Make certain the combustion air intake is clear of any buildup that could occur over the seasons. • Now is a great time to have your furnace, fireplace and /or wood - burning stove cleaned and serviced. • Drain exterior water spigots and bleed lines completely before sub -zero weather sets in. You will avoid water line freezing /bursting inside your home. • Check all smoke detectors to assure proper operation and change any questionable batteries. • Install carbon monoxide monitors if you want to ease your mind about exposure in ex- tremely air -tight homes. Continued from Page 4 of community- oriented government neighbor- hood meetings, which are covered on Page 1 of this newsletter. All information will be forwarded to the Visioning Task Force for their consideration. The final report of the Task Force will define goals for the future of the City, and will include an implementa- tion strategy for achieving those goals. It is expected that the Visioning Process will take about one year, with the Task Force meeting at least once or twice per month. For further informa- tion on this important community undertak- ing, please call Director of Community Devel- opment Kim Lindquist at 458 -2824, or City Administrator Kevin Frazell at 458 -2822. 458 for complaints citizen A streamlined process to handle citizens' com- plaints is now in place through a special program of the Community Development Department. 458 -2827 will be the "One Stop" number resi- dents can call if they have complaints about nuisance or zoning problems. Previously, a resident may have been transferred to different City employees to have their questions answered. The new system will put the resident in touch with the Community Development Secretary who will take down all pertinent information. The secretary will forward the information to the appropri- ate staff person to follow up on the complaint. Actions taken will include notifying the property owner if there has been a property violation, and also keeping the complainant informed of what action is being taken to remedy the situation. A centralized filing system will allow easy tracking of the com- plaints to assure they are addressed in a timely manner. Enclosed (on pages 7 -8 of the Parks section) is a brochure which reviews typical nuisance and zoning violations which may occur in your neighborhood. Generally, the City encourages residents to discuss any issues with their neighbors before contacting the City. If you have a specific question or concern, you may fill out the enclosure and return it to the Commu- nity Development Department, or call 458 -2827. The newly formed Explorer group spon- sored by the City of Cottage Grove is looking for an inter- ested adult to be its leader. This group is just getting started, but its previous adult leader has moved from Minnesota. The leader of this group will be advisor to the Explorers, young adults from 14 -21 who are interested in Did you know .. ? • ' s •. •so • .; o f v learning about local and state government, government as a career and getting involved in govern- ment. The focus of the group will be decided upon by the young adults. If you are inter- ested in leading an interesting, fun, gov- ernment- focused Explorer group, please call 458 -2821, leave a voice -mail message and we will get back to you. Or write Diane Archer at the City of Cottage Grove Explor- ers, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016. K3 This summer, 132 third -, fourth- and fifth - graders participated in the third annual Cot- tage Grove Summer Safety Camp, held at Hamlet Park. The children received safety training in fire, electricity, 911 calls, bicycle tips and many other safety - related topics. Mem- bers of the City's Police, Fire and Parks and Recreation Depart- ments were assigned as counselors to each team, and worked directly with the children during the three -day event. Watch Cable TV Channel 12 for infor- mation on National Fire Prevention Week, the third week of October. Open Houses are planned at each of the City's 4 Fire Stations, and other events are in the works. Please join us! With a one -time registration fee of $30, children received a T- shirt, bike helmet, hat, lunches and snacks. The event con- cluded with a gradua- tion ceremony at- tended by children and their parents. Director of Public Safety Dennis Cusick was the fea- tured speaker, SuperMom's Bakery donated the cakes, and a Safety Camp video produced by South Washington County Cable delighted the participants. Next year's Cot- tage Grove Summer Safety Camp will also be held in July. Watch for details in the spring. 4 0 O CITYVISION 21 PLANNING EFFORT Have you ever wondered what the City of Cottage Grove will look like in the future? Will it become a tradi- tional suburb like many others in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area? Should rural agricultural uses be preserved next to single - family neigh- borhoods? What facilities and services might make Cottage Grove a better place to live? How can we strengthen our sense of community? These and other questions will be addressed through the City's upcoming Vision- ing Process, entitled CITYVISION 21. The project will be a resi- dent -based strategic planning process which will help steer Cottage Grove into the 21 st Century. • r t The concept of visioning is increasingly being used by progres- sive communities across the United States, and Cottage Grove intends to get on board! To start off the project, a community kick -off meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall. We will introduce the visioning process and ask for residents' comments about the City. Any issues, concerns or problems you may see facing Cottage Grove now or in the future can be raised. Those things you think are working well and should be preserved will also be noted. • Following the Sept. 25 Kick -Off Meeting, the City Council will appoint a Steering Committee to guide and direct the rest of the Visioning project. Volunteers will be solicited at that initial meeting, but residents may also receive an application form by calling City Hall at 458- 2827. Because a valid visioning process must represent the diversity found within the community, the City Council will be looking for a variety of people with regard to age, longevity in the com- munity, family status, neighborhood, educa- tion, occupation and other factors. It is expected that more citizens will volunteer than will be able to serve, and also that many people who do not have the time to serve would still like to have input into the community's future. An abundance of opportu- nities for citizens to discuss the issues and interact with the Task Force will be made available. An all -day Saturday Focus Session will be held later in 1996, and will provide for more in- depth discussion of a variety of issues affecting the future of Cottage Grove. These topics might include recreational amenities, environmental issues, transportation facilities, land use, crime and safety. Smaller round- table or focus group discussions will occur on these issues, with feedback from the meeting being used by the Task Force in compiling its final report. Other opportunities for resident input are also being made available as a part of the CITYVISION 21 effort. A voice -mail Hotline (458 -6057) has been set up to allow residents to call in comments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. E -mail can be sent to cg3 @isd.net. Written comments may be submitted to: Kim Lindquist, Community Develop- ment Director, City of Cottage Grove, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016. • City staff is also looking into the possi- bility of outreach through specific groups, including the business community and high school students. All public meetings will be well advertised on Cable Channel 12, the Washington County Bulletin and the Cottage Grove Re- ports. Finally, the Vision- ing effort, with plenty of opportunities for input, will be an agenda item at the upcoming series Continued on Page 6 ®D NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH � NE�� National Night Out draws more than 1,000 More than 1,000 residents participated in the Cottage Grove celebration of "National Night Out" on Aug. 6. Volunteers from the Cottage Grove Police Reserve, Fire Department and Target store helped make the event a big success. The local celebration, held in Woodridge Park, was part of a nation -wide push to "say goodbye to crime and drugs" with block parties and community picnics. Cottage Grove's celebration featured many displays of public safety equipment and a chance to talk with public safety professionals, plus carnival games, a petting zoo, an aerobics class, a band concert by the South Washington County Band and lots of food! Thanks to the sponsors, including the Cottage Grove Department of Public Safety, CG Crime Prevention Board, SuperMom's Bakery, Target Cottage Grove, Cub Foods, DeMorl'S Restaurant and Jamaica Food Mart.Next year's celebration has already been set for Tuesday, Aug. 5 Block Captains are still needed for the Neighborhood Watch program which has been so successful in some parts of Cottage Grove. Block Captains are the communication link between the 10 -18 homes in their designated Watch Block, and the Police Department. The police help Watch Block members learn how to better recog- nize suspicious activity going on in their neighborhoods — and more importantly, report that activity to the police. If you are interested in becoming a Block Captain or joining Neighborhood Watch, please contact Officer Greg Reibel at 458- 6025 or Community Watch Coordinator Cell Peterson at 458 -1081. Now that school is starting again, we urge residents who are home during the day to volunteer their home as a safe "McGruff House" for children in emergency situations. By becoming a McGruff House, a homeowner simply agrees to provide the home as a temporary safe haven for children who find themselves in emer- gency or otherwise frightening situa- tions which require immediate help. As a McGruff House participant, you would be required to display the McGruff House placard at the front of your home, and contact the Police Department if your home is ever used as a McGruff House by a child. Children are taught about the McGruff House Program in elementary school. If you are interested in more information, please contact Community Affairs Officer Greg Reibel at 458 -6025. PUBLIC SAFETY activities this summer included, above, Safety Camp in July for third through fifth graders, and, below, National Night Out on Aug. 6. CITY OF COTTAGE