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Cottage Grove council refines goals: Downtown Main Street, recreation and community engagement added
Summary
Councilors refined goals around community growth and recreation, added a Downtown Main Street objective and recreation funding targets for Bohemia Park and a BMX track, and asked staff for an action spreadsheet and quarterly reporting before formal adoption.
Cottage Grove City Councilors spent the bulk of a meeting refining council goals and related objectives, moving the work toward a formal adoption planned at the council’s next meeting.
Staff facilitator Ashley (consultant) led the council through goals 4 (community growth) and 5 (recreation). Councilors reached consensus to add an objective to complete the Downtown Main Street revitalization project to the community growth goal and to keep an aspirational “destination hotel” objective in place to support use of the armory and downtown revitalization. Staff said the economic opportunities analysis prepared by Eco Northwest is scheduled for a public hearing before the council on May 12.
On recreation, the council revised the goal language to make recreation objectives inclusive (“for all”) rather than targeting only youth; it agreed to add two staff-proposed objectives to secure funding for Bohemia Park improvements and to support completion of the BMX track. Councilors separated a proposed skate park objective from general park improvements: they agreed to pursue funding specifically for a skate park while making a separate objective around working with the community to improve existing parks.
Councilors asked for more measurable tracking. Staff said it is developing an action plan spreadsheet that will list each goal, responsible department, timeline (year 1/2/3), status notes and an area for quarterly updates; staff offered to circulate the spreadsheet and any proposed key performance indicators for review prior to formal adoption. Councilors discussed conducting a community survey and other feedback mechanisms to measure public trust and engagement; staff and the city manager said quarterly reporting on goals will be added to regular budget updates.
The consultant also presented a proposed vision statement — "building a thriving, connected, and resilient community rooted in financial stability, sustainable growth, and active engagement" — and a set of five team values (accountability and transparency, integrity, collaboration, one team, dedication). Councilors suggested minor wording adjustments to emphasize community trust and to commit to supporting the will of the council once decisions are made.
On process, staff emphasized that key performance indicators and monitoring are typically developed after the council sets high-level goals and that more detailed KPI work could be scheduled as a separate work session. Staff said they will update the goal language with the council’s refinements and circulate the action spreadsheet in advance of the May 12 meeting, when the council is scheduled to adopt the final goals.
Ending: Councilors moved to other agenda business after finalizing the refinements and said adoption is scheduled for the May 12 meeting; staff will follow up with the action spreadsheet and draft KPIs for council review.
