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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2022-06-01 CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE Equal Opportunity Employer 2897 -458-Fax 651 2800 -458-651  gov.mnttagegrovewww.co Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 12800 Ravine Parkway  MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL June 1, 2022 COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M COUNCIL CHAMBER 1. CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular meeting on June 1, 2022, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The audience, staff, and City Council Members stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Tammy Anderson called the roll: Mayor Bailey - Here; Council Member Dennis - Here; Council Member Khambata - Here; Council Member Olsen - Here; Council Member Thiede - Here. Also present: Jennifer Levitt, City Administrator; Korine Land, City Attorney-LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; Tammy Anderson, City Clerk; Ryan Burfeind, City Engineer/Public Works Director; Gretchen Carlson, Director of Economic Development; Christine Costello, Director of Community Development; Pete Koerner, Public Safety Director; Brenda Malinowski, Finance Director; Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner; Emily Schmitz, Senior Planner. 4. OPEN FORUM Mayor Bailey opened the Open Forum. As no one wished to address the Council, Mayor Bailey closed the Open Forum. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Council Member Dennis made a motion to adopt the agenda; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 2 6. PRESENTATIONS A. 2022 Historic Preservationist of the Year Staff Recommendation: Present the 2022 Historic Preservationist of the Year Award to Accacia Masonic Lodge No. 51 in recognition of the 2020 Lodge Restoration Project and ongoing stewardship of this locally designated historic landmark. Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner, stated the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (ACHP) annually nominates a person or an organization that goes above and beyond to promote an aspect of Cottage Grove’s history. At its May 10, 2022, the ACHP nominated and voted to recommend that the City Council award the 2022 Historic Preservationist of the Year Award to the Accacia Masonic Lodge No. 51 based on the Lodge’s 2020 site restoration project and ongoing stewardship. This lodge is located at 11094 70th Street South; it was built in 1866 and was occupied by the First Congregational Church, who occupied the site until 1963. Since 1963, Accacia Masonic Lodge has occupied the building. In 1987, this structure was officially added to Cottage Grove’s Historic Register of Sites and Landmarks. Planner Mrosla displayed a photo of the building from 2017 and today; modifications and painting were done to the site. In recognition of the ongoing stewardship and the 2020 restoration project, the ACHP recommends that the Mayor and Council present the 2022 Historic Preservationist of the Year Award to Accacia Masonic Lodge No. 51. Mayor Bailey asked the Council Members and members of the lodge to join him in front of the dais for the presentation; he stated that Council Member Dennis wished to say a few words. Council Member Dennis stated as a member of the lodge, it was a great privilege to present this award tonight for all of the hard work and dedication that they put into what is no doubt the crown jewel of Old Cottage Grove. The before and after photographs show the work that was done on the building, which is amazing. He wanted to recognize our late brother, Gordon Eddy, who passed away a couple years ago, as he had made a $50,000 donation. His brothers really made a difference in helping to bring this project into fruition and are joining us here tonight; he noted Mark Simmons made an additional donation of $3,000 to the cause. This was a very hands-on and dedicated small group of brothers who performed incredible work to make this happen; there were 4,000 hours of labor, a labor of love, and also 200 hours of professional painting services. This lodge will serve not only the local Masons in the community well into the future, but it will also act as an example of how people can come together to make a difference and make something beautiful happen. As a member of the lodge, Council Member Dennis thanked them and stated the community also thanks them. Our ACHP also thought very highly of the work that everyone had done, so it is very much appreciated. Mayor Bailey stated at the fast rate of speed with which Cottage Grove is growing, there’s sometimes a feeling that the older buildings with historic features in our community are getting neglected. He stated that couldn’t be further from the truth as the City Council is very supportive of the ACHP, and we try to preserve as many of the City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 3 older architectural features in our community as we can. The Accacia Masonic Lodge is one of those, and the brothers actually provided some funding to make sure it looks the way it does today. Mayor Bailey thanked them for all of the work they do for our community, and can’t wait for their spaghetti dinner this fall, as the meat sauce is amazing. Mayor Bailey read aloud the plaque, presented it, thanked them for preserving our history, and congratulated them. B. Meritorious Service Award Presentation Pete Koerner, Director of Public Safety stated he’s very proud to be presenting this Meritorious Service Award, which was an internal nomination. He explained this award is granted to any member of the Department for an outstanding accomplishment that substantially improved operation and has gone far above the requirements of the member’s normal assignment. It may also be given for an outstanding performance that has brought credit to the Department. Tonight’s award is a couple years overdue, due to COVID. The Meritorious Service Award is given to Greg Rinzel, Deputy Director of Public Safety/Police Captain, for his work on the HERO Training Center, owned and operated by the Cities of Cottage Grove and Woodbury. Construction began in 2018, it was substantially complete by late fall of 2019, and became fully operational in early 2020. The HERO Training Center is a regional state-of-the-art immersive training center for police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS); it’s staffed with two full-time employees and approximately 12 part-time employees, who provide shooting range safety. Director Koerner stated this has been a decade of work, as the idea for a regional training center in the East Metro was first presented by local legislators to former Public Safety Director Craig Woolery in 2012. Director Woolery had mentioned this to Captain Rinzel and me, noting he needed someone to take the lead on this; Captain Rinzel took the lead. It’s an outstanding facility. During budget talks, we talk about recruitment and retention, and the HERO Training Center is a key to our success in that. Director Koerner stated that Captain Rinzel is very humble, but it was Captain Rinzel and Woodbury Captain Kris Meinert who took the lead on this project and made it happen; it’s something that Captain Rinzel should be most proud of in his career. He was the main person who testified before the State Legislature at the capitol to secure funding; he was assigned to every work group on this project, but he always said it was a group effort. Deputy Director Rinzel hired the HERO Center Manager, who has done a wonderful job there. Because of his dedication, leadership, and hard work on this project, the HERO Training Center is finally a reality. He had foresight into future training needs with deescalation, the need for a simulator, and an area necessary to facilitate that. When other agencies use the HERO Training Center, it’s nice to hear them talk about what a great facility we have. Director Koerner asked Deputy Director Rinzel, Mayor Bailey, and the Council Members to step in front of the dais for the award presentation. Mayor Bailey read aloud information on the Meritorious Service Award presented to Captain Rinzel, signed by Director Koerner. City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 4 Council Member Olsen stated that we can’t thank Captain Rinzel enough for all of his work on this project, he certainly deserves this award, and thanked him very much for his service. Mayor Bailey agreed with Council Member Olsen, and everyone applauded Captain Rinzel. Captain Rinzel stated that training has been his passion, and he knows that if you put yourself out there as an officer to learn more, you not only improve yourself, but you improve the entire operation of the organization. When he was promoted to Sergeant, he spoke to the Captain at that time who asked him what his goals and aspirations were. He’d replied that he wanted the Cottage Grove Police Department to be the best trained in the state, if not the nation or the world; we needed to do things in order to prepare our officers to give them the tools, the training, and the equipment that they needed to be successful for our residents, for themselves, and for the community at large. He stated it’s taken years to get there, but the plan for the HERO Training Center was initially drawn on a napkin at a dining establishment; it was nice to see the plans on the napkin come to fruition and become a reality for us. To keep their licenses with the Minnesota POST Board, officers are required to complete 48 hours of training every three years; he’s very proud that we have this facility, which allows us to train well above the required 48 hours every three years. Our yearly training for basic officers is over 96 hours; on average, our officers receive about 150 hours of training every year, and that’s by design. We want to ensure that our citizens get the protection that they deserve from law enforcement, which is what they’re really asking for; he thought they did a very good job with that. Council allowing us to go forward with the grant, knowing that this was a huge undertaking and a large amount of money, we went for it, put our foot into the water, and said we’re going to the deep end. He thanked the Council for their support moving forward with this vision and this dream and making it a reality; it really makes Cottage Grove an ideal place to work and our community a safer place. Mayor Bailey stated that Dan Schoen, our Community Affairs Officer, was one of the instrumental people in helping us get the funding for the HERO Training Center; he thanked him and Katie Sieben for their work on that. He stated that we’re now years ahead with our police training, so he likes to hold our City up as the example of what great looks like as we were already ahead of the game on this. He thanked Director Koerner for recognizing Captain Rinzel tonight. C. Cottage Grove Community Night - Saints Game Julie Prior-Miller, Communications and Marketing Specialist, stated she works on a variety of projects for the Cottage Grove Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as Discover Cottage Grove. Part of Discover Cottage Grove’s strategic objectives is to help with the development and implementation of promotional programs to ensure positive economic impact for the City of Cottage Grove. This winter Discover Cottage Grove partnered with the St. Paul Saints organization to promote the City and tourism to our City by hosting a Cottage Grove Community Night at the St. Paul Saints game on June 11, 2022. Discover Cottage Grove will have a booth presence on the concourse of CHS Field the night of the game, promoting tourism to Cottage Grove and to all who City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 5 attend the Saints game that night. It’s also no surprise that we chose June 11, as while there, Discover Cottage Grove will be promoting the Strawberry Fest, the City’s largest event of the year, enticing those attending the game to come and see our beautiful City, wonderful amenities, and have fun while they’re there. Specialist Prior-Miller invited everyone here tonight and those watching from home to come join us at the Cottage Grove Community Night on June 11 at the St. Paul Saints game. To get tickets, if you use the portal link on the website, $2 for every ticket sold will be given to the Cottage Grove Lions Club. Council Member Dennis stated as Chair of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, he’s been very impressed and appreciative of all the hard work put in by the staff. He thought this was a really cool idea and fits well within the scope of what we’re doing, to try to put Cottage Grove on the map in a really great way. He thanked the staff for their hard work, and we look forward to seeing lots of folks come out to the game that night. We’ll have a booth to provide information and promote our community, which is really what this is all about. Council Member Thiede stated regarding Strawberry Fest, everybody could actually get their shirts; just go onto the Strawberry Fest website, buy a shirt, everyone could wear the shirt to the game, and we’d look so good. And get excited about Strawberry Fest, too! Mayor Bailey thanked Specialist Prior-Miller for her presentation. He thanked the Discover Cottage Grove group for sponsoring this event with the St. Paul Saints. He stated he’s looking forward to a great event that evening. 7. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve the May 4, 2022, City Council Regular Meeting and Workshop Minutes. B. Approve the May 18, 2022, City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. C. Accept and place on file the minutes from the April 25, 2022, Planning Commission meeting. D. Approve the 2022-2023 hunting maps with designated boundaries for discharge of firearms and archery equipment for hunting. E. Authorize issuance of a single-occasion gambling permit to Phoenix Residence, Inc. to conduct a raffle at Royal Oaks Golf Course and Event Center, 11099 US 61, on June 13, 2022. F. Approve the easement agreements with 3M and NP BGO Cottage Grove, and the Memorandum of Understanding with Gene and Louise Smallidge, Myron Tank, 3M, and NP BGO Cottage Grove, subject to minor modifications by the City Attorney. G. Adopt Resolution 2022-092 approving a one-year extension of the Conditional Use Permit to import up to 150,000 cubic yards of environmentally clean gravel and black dirt fill onto the Wolterstorff property north of Lake Robert and west of Jamaica Avenue. City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 6 H. 1) Approve the 2022-2024 Grant Agreement for water efficiency with MCES in the amount of $43,000. 2) Authorize the expenditure of $10,750 from the Stormwater Utility Fund to match the MCES contribution towards water efficiency rebates. I. Adopt Resolution 2022-098 approving the Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Hastings and the City of Cottage Grove for inspection coverage on public buildings and state licensed facilities. J. Adopt Resolution 2022-099 authorizing the Statewide Public Works Mutual Aid Pact. K. Approve the issuance of rental licenses to the properties listed in the attached table. L. Approve the temporary and permanent easement agreements with Joseph Zywiec and Nora Scribner, subject to minor modifications by the City Attorney. M. Authorize issuance of a massage therapist license to Colton Westley Maddy and Samantha Legato, who will be working at The Healing Place of Cottage Grove, 8637 West Point Douglas Road South, Suite 340, pending background check approval. N. Receive information pertaining to Las Margaritas’ alcohol compliance check. None of the Council Members wished to pull any items on the Consent Agenda for further comment and/or discussion. Motion by Council Member Thiede to approve the Consent Agenda; second by Council Member Khambata. Motion carried: 5-0. 8. APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS A. Approve payments for the period of 5/11/2022-6/02/2022 in the amount of $2,333,769.75. Motion by Council Member Dennis to approve disbursements; second by Council Member Olsen. Motion carried: 5-0. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None. 10. BID AWARDS A. Goodview Ravine Stabilization Staff Recommendation: 1) Adopt Resolution 2022-100 awarding the Goodview Ravine Stabilization Project to Pember Companies, Inc. for the bid amount of $282,685.50. 2) Approve the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Cottage Grove and Washington County for Maintenance of Stormwater Outlet in the Southwest Quadrant of County City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 7 State Aid Highway (CSAH) 22 and Goodview Avenue South. 3) Approve the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Cottage Grove and Washington County for CSAH 22 Drainage Improvements. Ryan Burfeind, Public Works Director, stated last Thursday we took bids on this project. This ravine is just west of Goodview Avenue and goes south of 70th Street, down towards Highway 61. A resident reached out some time ago and brought to our attention many erosion issues and problems with that ravine, which was bringing sediment down the hill and towards Highway 61. This ravine actually takes water from the City and the County; most of Cottage Grove is about an 80-20 split on the water that comes off of 70th Street versus some of our City streets. We also received approval for a Watershed District grant to pay for half of this project, which was exciting. The low bid was by Pember Companies was just a little bit above our engineer’s estimate but really close; there were a total of five bids received, which was good to see. Considering the grant that we have and the cost share with Washington County, the additional $4,500 was of no concern to staff as we had the funding to make up the difference. It’s a challenging project to get in that ravine and do this work, so we’re comfortable with moving ahead with Pember Companies; they’re the contractor that did the Oakwood Park project last year. Council will also need to approve the Cooperative Agreement for maintenance as well as a Cooperative Agreement for construction, which details the cost split and how it will be paid by Washington County and by the City. Motion by Council Member Khambata to Adopt Resolution 2022-100 awarding the Goodview Ravine Stabilization Project to Pember Companies, Inc. for the base bid amount of $282,685.50; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. Motion by Council Member Dennis to approve the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Cottage Grove and Washington County for Maintenance of Stormwater Outlet in the Southwest Quadrant of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 22 and Goodview Avenue South; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. Motion by Council Member Thiede to approve the Cooperative Agreement between the City of Cottage Grove and Washington County for Construction Cost of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 22 Drainage Improvements: second by Council Member Olsen. Motion carried: 5-0. B. South District Street & Utility Improvements Project - Bid Award Staff Recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2022-101 awarding the bid for the South District Street & Utility Improvements Project to Northern Lines Contracting in the total amount of $6,774,652.86. Director Burfeind stated they took bids for this project last Thursday; this is the extension of Hadley Avenue down to 105th Street, which is being built by NorthPoint right now, and then the realignment of 100th Street down to 103rd Street. This project City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 8 is necessary for two recent developments whose preliminary plats were approved, Preserve at Prairie Dunes and Graymont Village, along with several other undeveloped parcels in that area that need a second access point per Fire Code; that will be provided by this Hadley Avenue extension. It’s a City project because it has many benefitting parcels; those parcels signed Deferred Assessment Waiver Agreements, so as they are developed, they will pay the assessment, which will pay back a large portion of the project costs. The realignment of 100th Street and 103rd Street is part of Washington County’s Southwest Arterial Study; it’s a two-year project and will start by the Preserve at Prairie Dunes this year. The realignment of 100th and 103rd is a 2023 project, as there are a number of private utility relocations that need to be done, which will take place toward the end of 2022; the street work will start and be completed next year. There were four bidders on the project; this bid by Northern Lines Contracting was under our engineer’s estimate, at just under $6.8 million, and we had favorable bids. We’re recommending award of the project to Northern Line Contracting; they’ve also done a handful of the Summers Landing projects in the City. Motion by Council Member Khambata to Adopt Resolution 2022-101 awarding the bid for the South District Street & Utility Improvements Project to Northern Lines Contracting for the base bid amount of $6,774,652.86; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. 11. REGULAR AGENDA - None. 12. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Council Member Khambata wanted to highlight the City’s wonderful park system, as he’s recently been out on the trails. He got to use the disk golf course at Oakwood Park for the first time, which is fantastic. There are two parks that are currently getting new playground equipment and a few more parks coming online. Anyone interested in giving some input on those upcoming parks can fill out a survey on our City’s website, to make sure Council and staff see some of their needs and wants for the new parks. Council Member Dennis recognized and shared his appreciation for some of the staff members who assisted behind the scenes to help us have a really great Memorial Day ceremony here: Jen Longaecker, Communications Manager, worked with our friends from SWCTC to make sure that everything was spot on; she did a great job. Dennis Neitz and staff from the Royal Oaks Golf Course brought up chairs and assisted with some tents there to take care of people. This event doesn’t happen without the support of our Public Safety team; he thanked Director Koerner and his staff for their assistance. There were a number of fire, police, and EMS personnel who were present, and we appreciated seeing them. He gave a special thank you to two officers who took care of the colors for us, Sergeant Pat Nickle and Officer Ed Weber, who both have served in the military and did a great job. Council Member Dennis stated he thought the ceremony was exceptional, and service can never be properly performed unless humbly City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 9 given. This is the level of service that our folks perform every day. From all of us who were part of that event to them, he thanked them very much. Council Member Thiede said he can’t stop talking about how neat Strawberry Fest is going to be; it’s been a few years and everybody’s excited. We’ve got so many participants this year and new things, including wrestling. Strawberry Fields Marketplace will have over 80 booths, some information booths, and a variety of things for sale. There are also the bands. A reporter from New York called to ask about this, so it’s going to be very interesting. There will be a parade and fireworks and all of the food vendors. It’s going to be fantastic and we’re at a point now where we’re counting the days, so it’s 14 days. Things start on Thursday, June 16, with a tractor pull for the kids, and it runs through Sunday, June 19. He wanted everyone to mark their calendars and make time available to come check out the Strawberry Fest. Council Member Olsen stated in the spirit of recognition this evening, he spoke about some pretty special events that have occurred in the City over the last few weeks:  He thanked Council Member Dennis for once again organizing a tremendous and very respectful Memorial Day ceremony, which took place at City Hall on Monday. We had fantastic guest speakers, including Representative Angie Craig and Trista MatasCastillo, the Chair of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, and also a veteran. The entire ceremony went off without a hitch. Council Member Dennis mentioned that there are a number of unsung heroes behind the scenes, and that’s absolutely true. He stated as a member of the Mississippi River Valley Beyond the Yellow Ribbon team, one of the things that we take a lot of pride in is making sure that we pay our due respects to those who deserve it; certainly, Council Member Dennis deserves it for organizing and emceeing a wonderful ceremony. He thanked Council Member Dennis for that.  He acknowledged all of the seniors at Park High School and East Ridge High School and Woodbury High School and high schools around the state who will be graduating this year, including his daughter, Rose. It’s awesome to see these young people grow from ECFE or preschool through high school graduation. The hours are long, but the days are short, and that’s a fact. He’s had the opportunity to meet so many of the wonderful young people who will be receiving their diplomas, and our future here in the City of Cottage Grove is very bright. He congratulated all of the seniors and their families.  He recognized an email that we received regarding one of our newest police officers, Officer Evan Davick, who is still in field training. He is also a Park High School graduate. There was an email sent to Director Koerner from a former police officer, Rey Caban, which he read aloud, verbatim: Dear Chief of Police Koerner, You often hear complaints and likely not many praises. Today, 5-19-22, Officer Evan Davick, Badge #122, and his F.T.O., responded to a person in crisis call. As a former police sergeant with the Rochester Police Department, I had seen and worked with horrible cops, amazing cops, and everything in between. I’ve responded to many person-in-crisis calls and know firsthand how they can go from good to bad in a split second. As a former detective, I’ve also seen the aftermath of City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 10 responding to a crisis call where it’s too late and you must now deal with the trauma of a deceased person. Enough about me and who I am and let us get to the reason for this letter. I know that Officer Davick will forget this mostly routine person-in-crisis call because of how many you deal with during a police career; however, I will never forget this call. This call will stick with me for the rest of my life. I write this letter while tears run down my face, as I am forever grateful to Officer Davick, his F.T.O., and the Cottage Grove Police Department for hiring him. Officer Davick was courteous, responsive, and most importantly calm. Officer Davick kept me informed before, during, and after the call. I was not at the scene, but know from personal experience that many people responded, and that includes Pat Young from our CMU Unit, Jude Torning, who is also in field training, Ed Weber, his F.T.O., and then of course Evan’s F.T.O., who I will mention here momentarily. So, again, Officer Davick relayed information to me, which gave me such a sense of relief and made me feel like everything would be okay. It turns out that everything worked out, the person in crisis, my aunt, was helped, and of significant importance, her life was saved. I want to be very clear about my last sentence; Officer Davick, his F.T.O., and other first responders saved my aunt’s life today. I credit everyone who responded for saving my aunt’s life. However, I must tell you Officer Davick and his F.T.O. fulfilled their oath as police officers. Forever grateful, Rey Caban Council Member Olsen stated Scott Shaver is Officer Davick’s field-training officer. What’s interesting is he personally remembers when Scott was a new police officer and was going through training. It’s just amazing to him when Captain Rinzel spoke earlier about all of the training that our people go through and making sure that we have facilities and equipment available, etc. that those things all come to light when we have situations such as these where a life is saved because we provide that training and we’re so selective with our hiring. Officer Davick is a young man who came up through our police reserve program, he worked in the City of Woodbury as a Community Service Officer and has done some amazing things. He couldn’t be prouder of the work that our entire Public Safety team does, but it’s always nice to be able to share those nice letters.  On the heels of that, today he received an email from Dan Schoen, Community Engagement Officer, who indicated that in June 2015, the Public Safety Board and the Cottage Grove Lions donated funds to purchase an AED for the Cottage Grove VFW. Last night, that defibrillator was used, and a bystander provided CPR to save a victim of cardiac arrest. With all of the various things that we discuss about serving the public, including facilities, equipment, and personnel, the primary reason we believe so strongly in that is we want our residents to feel safe and to have the benefit of well-trained personnel. When it comes to the AED, we want people to have the benefit of the necessary equipment when a crisis strikes to avoid tragedies. Mayor Bailey stated as we look forward to this summer, many Cottage Grove parks are parks that somebody helped us get started, like the Bike Park or the dog park. He bumped into someone at Hy-Vee a couple months ago who said she thought we needed to have movies in a park. With her fundraising and getting groups together and working with our staff, we will have our first Movies in the Park on Wednesday, June 22, City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 11 at Highlands Park, at dusk. There will also be food trucks there, so it will be an opportunity to have fun with your family. There will be a movie once a month for the next three months; he acknowledged the citizen who spoke up to get that idea rolling. Mayor Bailey acknowledged all of the volunteers and local businesses who make Strawberry Fest a reality. He noted the Fourth of July fireworks also would not be taking place if it weren’t for our local businesses stepping up to provide the funds to help make that happen: 3M, Renewal by Andersen, Hy-Vee, Tennis Sanitation, and NorthPoint Development, all of whom donated $5,000 each to create the $25,000 fireworks show. There are other individuals who’ve also made donations, and the Lions are putting this all together and setting it up. Mayor Bailey stated last week we had the official groundbreaking for NorthPoint Development, so they’re currently moving dirt; it’s a major project within the State of Minnesota. The C.E.O. of NorthPoint stated they’d scouted Cottage Grove out for this development, as other developers wanted to go to the northern suburbs, not the southern suburbs. They will be making an investment of over $300 million in our community, creating over 1,800 new jobs, which will create an additional tax base; this is not just for the City of Cottage Grove but also for the School District. As this is built out, the School District will receive over $1 million a year in taxable revenue that will be flowing into the School District. NorthPoint will continue to manage this development, and they’re interested in doing other things in our community with parks and open space for the general public. NorthPoint wants to be very vested in our community. Mayor Bailey stated NorthPoint is also bringing other interested people into our community, especially the Business Park and/or our commercial areas. Mayor Bailey stated that he, City Administrator Jennifer Levitt, Economic Development Director Gretchen Carlson, and Council Member Dennis had the opportunity last week to attend the ICSC Convention in Las Vegas. Due to COVID, it hadn’t taken place for a couple years. He stated that there were some amazing contacts, and we were really able to market the City; many developers and retailers had already searched for Cottage Grove and told us they wanted to talk to us about their ideas. We provided a map of parcels for sale in Cottage Grove, and one person had told us to not show a particular parcel as being for sale because they were going to purchase it. He stated we can’t share everything with the public because it’s very early in the process, and sometimes things take time. We’re doing the necessary follow up, and in the not-too- distant future we’ll probably do another Facebook Live event where we’ll have the opportunity to share with the public what is going on with contacts made and hopefully will have some great announcements to make. Council Member Dennis stated we had some very long, hardworking days at ICSC. We met with over 25 different entities; based on feedback from our community and our local business investors, we knew there were several key areas that we were looking for, one of which was lodging. We made many great presentations and contacts with those people and planted seeds, which is what you do in the sales process. He agreed with Mayor Bailey that there were multiple entities there who said they were actually City Council Meeting Minutes June 1, 2022 Page 12 aware of Cottage Grove; that was a great thing to hear. He felt really good about the very productive time that was spent in Las Vegas. We’ll see what happens, and when we have more details on how things are going, we’ll do another Facebook Live event. He stated that he grabbed a number of site-selection sheets from different investors, which detail what key strategies those investors have for deciding where they want to go. He stated a nice surprise they received was from a group called Colliers: They’d done a first quarter financial report and had Cottage Grove listed as one of the up-and- coming communities to keep your eye on. Council Member Dennis stated that Cottage Grove has been mentioned by a number of organizations and publications for the work that we’re doing; we’ve really come a long way, and it’s been at the behest of the community, and >90% are happy with the direction the City is going. We’re aiming to sell that happiness. Mayor Bailey stated we received the preliminary population estimate for Cottage Grove for 2021, which was 39,605; once a city hits a population of 40,000, that’s when many developers/retailers become very interested, which probably explains the interest our City received at ICSC. 13. WORKSHOPS - OPEN TO PUBLIC - None. 14. WORKSHOPS – CLOSED TO PUBLIC Staff Recommendation: Close the meeting pursuant to Minnesota Statute 13D.05, Subd. (3)a to conduct a performance evaluation of City Administrator Jennifer Levitt. 15. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Olson, second by Council Member Dennis, to adjourn the meeting at 9:35 p.m. Motion carried: 5-0. Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Tamara Anderson, City Clerk.