Justin Olsen
Name: Justin Olsen
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-459-6336
Campaign Website: https://olsenforcottagegrove.com/
Twitter handle: @JustinOlsenCG
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OlsenForCottageGrove/
Candidate Bio
My name is Justin Olsen. I grew up in Cottage Grove, graduating from Park High School in 1988. My Dad was a Volunteer Firefighter for many years while my mom worked in Early Childhood Education. Their example about the importance of serving others led me to my role as a volunteer Public Safety, Health, and Welfare commissioner for four years before seeking election to the Cottage Grove City Council. That experience taught me a lot about how our city operates, the annual budget process, and the critical importance of compromise. A little more about me.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
For me, it’s imperative to approach the role of council member employing the ideals of being a true “servant leader”. I’m committed to a “community first” approach that works in unison with city staff, community leaders, elected officials, local non-profits, our Chamber of Commerce, city advisory commissions, and valued citizen volunteers to strengthen our city both economically and socially. I am committed to be both engaged and engaging by staying well informed about issues important to our residents, such as affordable housing and improved transit options, while working hard to support the continuing elevated levels of service and taxpayer value residents deserve from their local government. It has always been my goal to serve Cottage Grove residents fairly and honorably, to represent our city positively, to communicate my positions effectively, and to help enact policy initiatives that serve the greater good of our community. Those are my core values, instilled in me as I grew up in Cottage Grove, went to school here, and settled here with my family.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Cottage Grove?
Our biggest challenge is ensuring that any development, both commercial and residential, is done wisely and in keeping with the vision of the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan. We cannot simply grow for growth’s sake. Any project brought to the city council and staff for consideration must be closely scrutinized to ensure it makes sense for both today and our city’s future. The biggest opportunity is the growth in our Business Park to expand our city’s commercial tax base and reduce the tax burden on the city’s homeowners. We’ve been phenomenally successful in doing exactly that over the past 10 – 12 years with our reward for that work being a AAA Stable Bond Rating, which is the highest rating available, providing a significant savings to Cottage Grove residents in interest on any capital projects requiring bonds.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
As mentioned previously, The State of Minnesota is an important partner for local governments with respect to infrastructure planning, bonding for large projects, MSA and Grant funding sources, public safety, and public health. It’s critical that we maintain a strong relationship with our state levels partners to ensure they are listening to our community’s needs and engage in the necessary planning processes for the areas mentioned above. That said, we must understand that market dynamics often play a significant role in all those collaborations. For example, the Covid Pandemic created an exceedingly difficult market for building materials and other items necessary for housing. That put an immense strain on housing prices. Some governments decided to implement rent controls to help lower income people across the state find affordable housing. The business community rightly said that rent controls would not be effective for several very valid reasons, yet some governments were not listening. The ideal collaboration is when all stakeholders with an eye on satisfying their “customers” come together in the spirit of finding solutions which work for all when facing difficult issues requiring tough decisions. Neither side can let perfect become the enemy of good when making policy. I believe the state legislature did well overall in the 2023-24 session after an incredibly busy 2022-23 session. However, there were several missed opportunities when it came to listening with intent and being more deliberate about crafting policy with all stakeholders getting involved.
How would you characterize the business climate in Cottage Grove and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Cottage Grove?
The Cottage Grove business climate is extremely healthy. We have an extremely low vacancy rate combined with several recent expansions of large local businesses currently taking place in our business park. All of which adds to diversifying our tax base while creating more good paying jobs for our residents. The city’s role in this arena is to function as a conduit between landowners and interested parties seeking to do business in our community. We provide data and services, such as engineering or planning services, as needed throughout the process until such time as an application is brought forth for the planning commission and city council to consider. The city is also a marketer in terms of making local and national developers aware of what we have to offer regarding infrastructure, a labor pool, and other essentials to their success should they decide to locate a business in our city.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Our public safety department in Cottage Grove is the envy of other departments across the state. As a city council member, and as a volunteer public safety/health/welfare commissioner before that, I’ve always fully supported our public safety team as it is an essential element of any strong and healthy community. We’ve made big investments in people, equipment, training, facilities, and community engagement initiatives to ensure Cottage Grove is an incredibly safe community in which to live, work, and play. I will continue that level of support for as long as I am an elected official. Our residents deserve nothing less.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This is a common question I’ve been asked many times. The fact is the cost of development and home ownership continues to be a challenge nationally due to the costs of building materials and labor. One important method of combatting that is recognizing that higher density must be part of the solution. In Cottage Grove we’ve adjusted our comprehensive plan by zoning more areas of the city for higher density housing such as townhomes, villa homes, apartments, and single-family homes on smaller lots. We’ve adjusted setbacks and other ordinances in response to what we hear from builders and developers to ensure they can provide a more affordable product. Additionally, we’ve collaborated closely with developers who specialize in lower income products by partnering with the county and state on TIF financing, tax credits, and grant programs available to help support that type of development at an affordable price for the end user/renter. We’ve been able to generate more residential growth with a wider variety of housing stock available to our residents because of those efforts.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We are continually working on transit in Cottage Grove. As a growing community we have numerous residents who rely upon public transit every day. Our Cottage Grove Park & Ride is used extensively as we have worked closely with Metro Transit to ensure we have enough capacity to manage the demand along with the proper route connections to serve the needs of our ridership. This is done in partnership with our county and state elected officials. We’ve also developed a highly effective DART option for local riders in town who need a public transportation option to do their errands or attend appointments. The safety question is a broad one. We continue to make rod improvements across the community to control traffic flow and speed with the focus being public safety. These include roundabouts, speed studies on main collector streets, and additional signed crossing options for pedestrians to cross safely. Last, we’ve pursued grant funding for a designated traffic safety/DUI law enforcement officer whose only assignment is ensuring local drivers are obeying traffic laws and safety protocols.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
Those dollars have been exhausted. Through wise stewardship of those funds, we were able to utilize them for one-time costs related to the pandemic without creating long term liabilities in the City of Cottage Grove. Instead, we created a 10-year financial plan in partnership with our financial consultants at Ehlers and Associates to ensure we maintain our public services and infrastructure while maintaining the second lowest tax rate in Washington County. Which we’ve done consistently for many years without receiving much, is any, local government aid from the state.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
I am a strong advocate for local control of local issues. In my role as a board member for Metro Cities, I’ve espoused my belief that unfunded mandates handed down from state or county government are a recipe for significant push back by local property taxpayers. With respect to wage ordinances for rideshare drivers, the companies providing those services should be paying what the market requires to attract and retain talent so they can stay in business. If the providers of those services fail to do that, the employees have every right to seek employment elsewhere and should do so. That said, there should also be a licensing component to ensure the public safety of end users just as there is for taxi drivers. Childcare is a massive issue nationally as the cost of services continues to go up due to the liabilities of providing those services and the overall labor market. Again, there are market conditions at play here that should be discussed at all levels of government in our state to find solutions benefitting all stakeholders. For example, many corporate entities are now providing childcare services at the office. There are tax credits available for businesses which do the same to ensure that childcare is readily available and properly licensed. Finding solutions to hard problems can only happen when we work together, requiring lots of listening to understand all points of view before crafting policy.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-459-6336
Campaign Website: https://olsenforcottagegrove.com/
Twitter handle: @JustinOlsenCG
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OlsenForCottageGrove/
Candidate Bio
My name is Justin Olsen. I grew up in Cottage Grove, graduating from Park High School in 1988. My Dad was a Volunteer Firefighter for many years while my mom worked in Early Childhood Education. Their example about the importance of serving others led me to my role as a volunteer Public Safety, Health, and Welfare commissioner for four years before seeking election to the Cottage Grove City Council. That experience taught me a lot about how our city operates, the annual budget process, and the critical importance of compromise. A little more about me.
- Accomplished thirteen-year Council Member seeking re-election.
- Current Board Member of the association of Metro Municipalities
- Previous President of Cottage Grove Strawberry Festival Committee
- President & Current Board Member for Cottage Grove Lions Club
- CGAA Youth Baseball & Softball Coach for many years
- Business Mentor for DECA & Junior Achievement High School Students
- Vice-President of the Cottage Grove Economic Development Authority
- Member of Mississippi River Valley Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee
- Over 30 years of Multi-Unit Retail Business Management & Corporate Support
- Experience in a variety of Retail & Wholesale Industries that includes responsibility for regularly managing budgets exceeding $100 Million annually.
- Member of council that achieved a AAA Stable Bond Rating for City of Cottage Grove
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
For me, it’s imperative to approach the role of council member employing the ideals of being a true “servant leader”. I’m committed to a “community first” approach that works in unison with city staff, community leaders, elected officials, local non-profits, our Chamber of Commerce, city advisory commissions, and valued citizen volunteers to strengthen our city both economically and socially. I am committed to be both engaged and engaging by staying well informed about issues important to our residents, such as affordable housing and improved transit options, while working hard to support the continuing elevated levels of service and taxpayer value residents deserve from their local government. It has always been my goal to serve Cottage Grove residents fairly and honorably, to represent our city positively, to communicate my positions effectively, and to help enact policy initiatives that serve the greater good of our community. Those are my core values, instilled in me as I grew up in Cottage Grove, went to school here, and settled here with my family.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
- Sensible growth in our business sector to increase our city’s tax base & create good paying jobs.
- Work closely with Economic Development Authority, Chamber of Commerce, City Staff, and other Government Partners at the County & State level toward supporting and enhancing a vibrant, compelling commercial environment - including retail services & dining amenities - that keep Cottage Grove residents shopping locally.
- Fiscal responsibility that perfectly balances our city’s overall tax levy, bond rating, & infrastructure needs for the long-term health of our community.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Cottage Grove?
Our biggest challenge is ensuring that any development, both commercial and residential, is done wisely and in keeping with the vision of the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan. We cannot simply grow for growth’s sake. Any project brought to the city council and staff for consideration must be closely scrutinized to ensure it makes sense for both today and our city’s future. The biggest opportunity is the growth in our Business Park to expand our city’s commercial tax base and reduce the tax burden on the city’s homeowners. We’ve been phenomenally successful in doing exactly that over the past 10 – 12 years with our reward for that work being a AAA Stable Bond Rating, which is the highest rating available, providing a significant savings to Cottage Grove residents in interest on any capital projects requiring bonds.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
As mentioned previously, The State of Minnesota is an important partner for local governments with respect to infrastructure planning, bonding for large projects, MSA and Grant funding sources, public safety, and public health. It’s critical that we maintain a strong relationship with our state levels partners to ensure they are listening to our community’s needs and engage in the necessary planning processes for the areas mentioned above. That said, we must understand that market dynamics often play a significant role in all those collaborations. For example, the Covid Pandemic created an exceedingly difficult market for building materials and other items necessary for housing. That put an immense strain on housing prices. Some governments decided to implement rent controls to help lower income people across the state find affordable housing. The business community rightly said that rent controls would not be effective for several very valid reasons, yet some governments were not listening. The ideal collaboration is when all stakeholders with an eye on satisfying their “customers” come together in the spirit of finding solutions which work for all when facing difficult issues requiring tough decisions. Neither side can let perfect become the enemy of good when making policy. I believe the state legislature did well overall in the 2023-24 session after an incredibly busy 2022-23 session. However, there were several missed opportunities when it came to listening with intent and being more deliberate about crafting policy with all stakeholders getting involved.
How would you characterize the business climate in Cottage Grove and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Cottage Grove?
The Cottage Grove business climate is extremely healthy. We have an extremely low vacancy rate combined with several recent expansions of large local businesses currently taking place in our business park. All of which adds to diversifying our tax base while creating more good paying jobs for our residents. The city’s role in this arena is to function as a conduit between landowners and interested parties seeking to do business in our community. We provide data and services, such as engineering or planning services, as needed throughout the process until such time as an application is brought forth for the planning commission and city council to consider. The city is also a marketer in terms of making local and national developers aware of what we have to offer regarding infrastructure, a labor pool, and other essentials to their success should they decide to locate a business in our city.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Our public safety department in Cottage Grove is the envy of other departments across the state. As a city council member, and as a volunteer public safety/health/welfare commissioner before that, I’ve always fully supported our public safety team as it is an essential element of any strong and healthy community. We’ve made big investments in people, equipment, training, facilities, and community engagement initiatives to ensure Cottage Grove is an incredibly safe community in which to live, work, and play. I will continue that level of support for as long as I am an elected official. Our residents deserve nothing less.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
This is a common question I’ve been asked many times. The fact is the cost of development and home ownership continues to be a challenge nationally due to the costs of building materials and labor. One important method of combatting that is recognizing that higher density must be part of the solution. In Cottage Grove we’ve adjusted our comprehensive plan by zoning more areas of the city for higher density housing such as townhomes, villa homes, apartments, and single-family homes on smaller lots. We’ve adjusted setbacks and other ordinances in response to what we hear from builders and developers to ensure they can provide a more affordable product. Additionally, we’ve collaborated closely with developers who specialize in lower income products by partnering with the county and state on TIF financing, tax credits, and grant programs available to help support that type of development at an affordable price for the end user/renter. We’ve been able to generate more residential growth with a wider variety of housing stock available to our residents because of those efforts.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We are continually working on transit in Cottage Grove. As a growing community we have numerous residents who rely upon public transit every day. Our Cottage Grove Park & Ride is used extensively as we have worked closely with Metro Transit to ensure we have enough capacity to manage the demand along with the proper route connections to serve the needs of our ridership. This is done in partnership with our county and state elected officials. We’ve also developed a highly effective DART option for local riders in town who need a public transportation option to do their errands or attend appointments. The safety question is a broad one. We continue to make rod improvements across the community to control traffic flow and speed with the focus being public safety. These include roundabouts, speed studies on main collector streets, and additional signed crossing options for pedestrians to cross safely. Last, we’ve pursued grant funding for a designated traffic safety/DUI law enforcement officer whose only assignment is ensuring local drivers are obeying traffic laws and safety protocols.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
Those dollars have been exhausted. Through wise stewardship of those funds, we were able to utilize them for one-time costs related to the pandemic without creating long term liabilities in the City of Cottage Grove. Instead, we created a 10-year financial plan in partnership with our financial consultants at Ehlers and Associates to ensure we maintain our public services and infrastructure while maintaining the second lowest tax rate in Washington County. Which we’ve done consistently for many years without receiving much, is any, local government aid from the state.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
I am a strong advocate for local control of local issues. In my role as a board member for Metro Cities, I’ve espoused my belief that unfunded mandates handed down from state or county government are a recipe for significant push back by local property taxpayers. With respect to wage ordinances for rideshare drivers, the companies providing those services should be paying what the market requires to attract and retain talent so they can stay in business. If the providers of those services fail to do that, the employees have every right to seek employment elsewhere and should do so. That said, there should also be a licensing component to ensure the public safety of end users just as there is for taxi drivers. Childcare is a massive issue nationally as the cost of services continues to go up due to the liabilities of providing those services and the overall labor market. Again, there are market conditions at play here that should be discussed at all levels of government in our state to find solutions benefitting all stakeholders. For example, many corporate entities are now providing childcare services at the office. There are tax credits available for businesses which do the same to ensure that childcare is readily available and properly licensed. Finding solutions to hard problems can only happen when we work together, requiring lots of listening to understand all points of view before crafting policy.