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Cottage Grove council appoints Paul Sponholtz as city engineer
Summary
The Cottage Grove City Council approved the appointment of Paul Sponholtz to the city engineer position, with a start date of “as soon as possible.” The hire followed multiple interview rounds and a brief introduction by Public Works Director Ryan Burfein.
The Cottage Grove City Council voted to appoint Paul Sponholtz to the position of city engineer, approving the hire as part of the meeting’s consent agenda on May 7, 2025.
The appointment was introduced after Councilmember Olson pulled the item for comment and asked Public Works Director Ryan Burfein to present the candidate. Burfein said the city had conducted “several rounds of interviews” and that staff was “very confident” in the candidate. Paul Sponholtz told the council he has worked about 20 years in county, state and private-sector engineering and described himself as a local resident: “I’ve been here, a resident of Cottage Grove here about 15 years or excuse me, since 2015.”
Burfein framed the role as an important leadership position for the public works department and the city, saying the process prioritized finding “the right fit, not just for the engineering team, the public works department, but really the city as a whole.” Sponholtz said he currently serves as county engineer for Steele County in Owatonna and described the shorter commute and desire to work in the community where he lives as factors in his decision to accept the position.
The council approved the consent agenda, which included the city engineer appointment, by voice vote. Councilmembers Garza and Thidi moved and seconded the motion to approve the consent agenda; council members present signified approval by saying “aye.” The agenda packet indicated Sponholtz’s start date would be “as soon as possible.”
The council did not identify an exact first day in the meeting; the record notes the start date as “as soon as possible” and that the appointment will be processed through the regular hiring procedures. No formal amendments or conditions to the appointment were recorded during the meeting.
