HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSC 09.15.251
COTTAGE GROVE PUBLIC SERVICES
COMMISSION
September 15, 2025
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - 7:00 PM
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of the Agenda
5. Approval of Minutes
A July 21, 2025 Minutes
6. Open Forum
7. Presentations
A Sidewalk and Trail Snow Removal Review
8. Business Items
A 2025 Hunting Maps
9. Commission Comments
10. Staff Reports and Materials
11. Council Comments
A Council Agendas
12. Adjournment
MINUTES
COTTAGE GROVE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION July 21, 2025
City Council Chamber
12800 Ravine Parkway South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, 55016
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Lisa Kons called the Public Service Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chair Kons asked everyone to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. ROLL CALL
Chair Kons was advised that Roll Call had been taken. Absent: Vice Chair Ron Kath, Ryan Burfeind, Jon Pritchard.
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Commissioner Kelsey Moyer made a motion to approve the agenda; Commissioner Jenny Olson seconded.
Motion carried: 6-0.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 19, 2025 MEETING
Motion by Commissioner Olson to approve the May 19, 2025 meeting minutes; Commissioner Tracy Jenson seconded.
Motion carried: 6-0.
6. OPEN FORUM
Chair Kons said open forum is a process for anyone in the audience who wishes to speak to the commission may do so at this
time. No one spoke. Chair Kons closed the open forum.
7. PRESENTATIONS
A. E-BIKES AND SCOOTERS
Captain Brad Petersen said there’s no fancy PowerPoint presentation tonight, I’m hoping this can be more of an open-forum
discussion so I can get your perspective on E-Bikes and Scooters. I’m trusting that you’ve had some conversations with the
community because I know it’s a hot topic. So, really what we’re trying to do by getting this on your agenda and getting your
feedback tonight is just start the dialogue and recognize and acknowledge that this could potentially be problematic, and it’s
certainly an area of concern with our citizens. We want to get out ahead of that, start the dialogue, and just make sure that we’re
approaching this in a common-sense manner with safety in mind for everybody who uses our sidewalks, trails, walkways and
that we’re not having avoidable crashes and injuries and things like that. So, I want to get your input on it, and then also, I can
try to answer some questions if you have questions about what constitutes a scooter vs. an E-Bike vs. a minibike, things like that.
To be completely honest, it’s super confusing, and I spent way too many hours trying to digest this and put this in a very readable
Public Service Commission Meeting
document, both for your benefit as well as our officers and the public. So, this last month we’ve been educating our officers so
they can be as understanding as possible; Phase 2 is starting to educate the public, so we’re starting to make some stops in the
public. Enforcement is not the goal at this point, we’re not trying to write tickets to kids, we’re just trying to educate the riders
and parents so that they can make informed decisions and keep safety forefront in their mind. We’re starting to launch this Ride
Safe campaign, educating through social media and other means, presentations in public, enforcement stops. We’re working on
some incentive programs to help incentivize safe riding habits and wear of safety gear, things like that. So, I guess before I get
too far into this, I’ll pause for a minute and just ask where you’d like to see this conversation go and see if you have any comments
or questions to help guide this discussion.
Public Service Commission Meeting
don’t see any on a bicycle. But if you get hit, it’s who has the Right-of-Way and who doesn’t. And in a situation like that, you both
have to yield to each other.
Public Service Commission Meeting
spend addressing those issues and being proactive before things do happen because they’re far more likely to happen when
you’ve got those speeds. So, I think that’s kind of something we really need to ask ourselves, like what are our resources to invest
in addressing it proactively?
Public Service Commission Meeting
out, and probably nearly impossible for the public to figure it out if you don’t have that law enforcement background or a Statute
book in front of you.
8. BUSINESS ITEMS - None.
9. COMMISSION COMMENTS - None.
10. STAFF REPORTS AND MATERIALS
Public Service Commission Meeting
Captain Petersen said so, there’s a lot more good stuff in there. Feel free to read through that, and reach out to me anytime if
you have questions with that.
11. COUNCIL COMMENTS
A. Council Agendas
Public Service Commission Meeting
Gary replied so, the 80th Street one is where they’re doing the boring, so there will be a pit on either side of that; that’s supposed
to start sometime this week. For 70th Street, because of the rock underneath, they have to do an open cut, so that’s the reason
its going to be shut down for two weeks.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Rediske made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Commissioner Olson seconded. Motion passed unanimously
(6-to 0 vote). The meeting at 7:31 p.m.
To: Public Services Commission
From:
CC:
Gavin Hochstetler, Management Analyst
Ryan Burfeind, Public Works Director
Date: September 15, 2025
Subject: Sidewalk and Trail Snow Removal Review
Background
The City of Cottage Grove Public Works Department removes snow from over 112 miles of sidewalk and
trail every winter after significant snowfall, including over 25 miles in residential neighborhoods adjacent
to homes. Currently, the City has not adopted an ordinance requiring property owners to remove snow
from the sidewalk or trail adjacent to their property. While a few other municipalities in the area also
remove snow from all residential areas, a majority have adopted ordinances stating that residents must
handle snow removal of adjacent sidewalk within a specified timeframe after snowfall ends or potentially
face a fine. During this year’s budget process, the City Council requested that staff evaluate the cost of
removing snow on sidewalks adjacent to homes. As part of this process, information is being presented
to the Public Services Commission to provide feedback on sidewalk and trail plowing.
Cities develop a sidewalk and trail snow removal plan that is one of three general strategies: property
owner-led, municipality-led, or a mixture of the two. Cottage Grove is one of the few cities in the metro
area that have a fully municipal-led program. Costs of these efforts have been analyzed to show potential
cost savings if the city were to adopt an ordinance requiring property owners to remove snow of adjacent
sidewalk.
Current City Policy
Cottage Grove City Code 7-1-3 states that safety sidewalks and trails shall be cleared by the city within
48 hours after snow has ceased to fall and low use sidewalks and trails are the responsibility of the
adjacent homeowner. No further description of the sidewalk classification is provided in the city code.
The City’s Public Works Department has developed plow routes for sidewalk and trail which include all
sidewalk in residential areas.
As more residential development occurs in the city, the proportion of sidewalks in these neighborhoods
compared to transportation trails and sidewalks will grow, leading to more staff time and potential
additional machines required for full maintenance. Transportation Trails and sidewalks are generally
defined as those on collector and arterial roadways, and not adjacent to homes.
Cost Analysis
Averages from 2022-2025 winters indicate staff dedicated approximately 1000 hours yearly, clearing
sidewalks and trails in the community using several machines including three trucks with plow
attachments, and four machines dedicated to clearing snow on sidewalks. This time equates to
approximately $49,492 in city labor costs and $150,859 in average yearly machine and maintenance
cost. Of this cost, approximately $46,500 total combined for labor and machine maintenance can be
attributed solely to sidewalk snow removal in residential areas that may be handled by property owners.
The table on the following page shows the yearly cost of each of this equipment.
Table 1. Snow Removal Equipment Total Average Yearly Cost
Equipment Purchase Cost Yearly Maintenance
Cost
Yearly Average Total
Cost
Trackless Tractor (2) $220,000 $12,160 $79,320*
Holder Tractor $135,000 $12,440 $29,315
John Deere Tractor $74,600 $4,000 $13,325
Truck plow
attachment (3)
$12,000 $2,800 $28,899*
The cost of the pick-up truck plow attachments was separated from the total cost of the truck as the
vehicles are used year-round and not exclusively for snow removal.
The above figure shows the layout of sidewalk and trails currently maintained by city staff. The green line
indicates sidewalk located in residential areas that could be the responsibility of the property owner. The
red line is transportation trail or sidewalk that the city would always maintain due to priority status and
proximity to schools, parks, and high pedestrian areas.
Table 2. Comparison of Transportation and Residential Trail Mileage and Snow Removal Cost
Mileage Labor Cost
Average
Machine &
Maintenance
Total Yearly Snow
Removal Cost
Transportation Trail
and Sidewalk Trail
86.11 mi $38,009 $115,859 $153,868
Residential Trail and
Sidewalk
25.89 mi $11,483 $35,000 $46,483
City Owned Property in Residential Neighborhoods
With many new developments in Cottage Grove dedicating outlots to the City for trails, parks, and
stormwater ponds, many short segments of sidewalk are added to the City’s snow removal responsibility.
The below aerial view shows a parcel of highlighted land that is owned by the city. Because of areas such
as this one, the city would always have a responsibility to remove snow from sidewalk adjacent to these
parcels even if an ordinance were passed to require property owner snow removal.
This is an important consideration, as staff would still need to take equipment to each development to
clear small sections like this. Also, portions of privately maintained sidewalk would need to be crossed
to get to these sections adjacent to City property. If the City were to move in the direction of property
owners clearing their adjacent residential sidewalks, further analysis would need to be completed on
these situations
City-Owned Parcel
in Residential
Neighborhood
Staff Recommendation
Receive information and provide feedback on sidewalk and trail plowing.
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Peter J Koerner, Director of Public Safety
Date: September 2, 2025
Subject: APPROVAL OF DESIGNATED HUNTING AREAS
Introduction
unable to locate) of gunshots heard that were not specifically associated with hunting. In
addition, Public Safety had 4 hunting/trapping questions.
Recommendation
Cottage Grove Firearm Hunting Area
Cottage Grove, MN
Date: 8/20/2025
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Firearm Use Permitted
School Property
Park and Open Space
Firearm Hunting Rules 2025-2026 Season
1. Forty acres contiguous or more. (AG1 & AG2 zoning)
2. Discharge of shotgun slugs only allowed during big game
season.
3. Recreational target shooting is not permitted within the
city.
4. Discharge of firearms for hunting is only permitted in
designated areas.
5. Discharge of firearms is prohibited within 500' of any
residence.
6. Hunting is prohibited in all public park or open-space.
7. All hunters must have written permission from landowner,
proper ID and licenses in possession.
±0 1.50.75
Miles
Disclaimer: This map is intended for reference purposes onlyand isnot a legally recorded map or survey. The City of CottageGrove shallnot be liable for any damages or claims that arise due toaccuracy,availability, use or misuse of the information herein pursuantto MNStatute 466.03 Subd 21. Upated: 5/9/22
Cottage Grove Archery Hunting Area
Cottage Grove, MN
±
Date: 8/20/2025
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Legend
Archery Permited
No Archery Hunting
School Property
Park and Open Space
±0 10.5 Miles
1. Five acre minimum required. (AG1, AG2, and R1 Zones)
2. Hunting not allowed within 300 feet of any public park,
trails, open space or right-of-way.
3. Hunt from a stand with a minimum elevation of 6 feet.
4. No arrows to leave the property being hunted.
5. All hunters must have written permission from land owner,
proper ID and licenses in possession.
Archery Hunting Rules 2025-2026 Season