[Music] Hello everyone and welcome to the council update. I'm Phil Jentz, your communications manager and this month we are here with council member Monnique Garza. Mon'nique, welcome. Hi Phil, thank you so much for having me. How are you today? I am always wonderful. Always wonderful. I love that. I love the positivity. Well, Council Member Garza, we'll just jump right into it. Earlier this year, we conducted the National Community Survey to get some direct feedback from our residents. So, what does it mean to you to get feedback from our residents? Thank you, Phil, for that question. Um, for me, as a city council member, getting feedback from our residents is absolutely essential. It's how we stay grounded in the real needs, concerns, and hopes of our community. The National Community Survey gives us a direct line to the voices of our residents. It's not just numbers, it's insight. It helps us understand what we're doing well and what we need to improve on. That feedback guides our decision, shapes our priorities, and ensures we're not just making policy, we're making progress that reflects what matters most to the people who live here. Hearing from our residents reminds us of why we serve and helps us to build a stronger and more connected Cottage Grove together. So, Mon'nique, why don't you tell us a little bit about what the residents said? Sure. Well, first and foremost, the full report is extensive, so I would encourage folks to head over to our website to check it out. But there were a few things that actually stood out. First off, Cottage Grove residents experience a high quality of life. Over eight out of 10 residents positively rated Cottage Grove as a place to live and were likely to stay for the next 5 years. Additionally, 80% of residents gave excellent or good ratings for the overall quality of life here in Cottage Grove. And what about public safety? I know that that is on the top of residents minds. So, what did they say about uh public safety in the survey? Yes, definitely residents identified safety as both a priority and an asset. Residents tend to feel very safe in their community with nearly all respondents reporting feeling safe in their community and neighborhood during the day. That's great. And now, how about the economy? I know that we've heard a lot of feedback on that and so tell us what they said about the economy. Well, a significant number of residents emphasized an importance of focusing on the economy, ranking it among the top 10 things to focus on for our city. The overall economic health of Cottage Grove was rated positively by about six and 10 residents as was the overall quality of business and services here established in Cottage Grove. People also clearly want a better variety of businesses and services for sure. So that's something that is important to note as well in terms of focusing now and in the future. And as you said, there's a ton of information in the results and that those can be found on the city's website. So be sure to check out cottaggrovemn.gov/ community survey results. And council member Garza, uh there's a lot in the report and a lot of lot of things to to dig through there. So is there anything else you want to add before we uh before we end today? It definitely was a thorough report and I really appreciate it. But absolutely, I just like to add a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your input truly makes a difference. When you share your thoughts, you help us make a better, more informed decision that reflects our shared values and vision for Cottage Grove. I encourage everyone to keep engaging with us. Whether it's surveys, public meetings, or community events, your voice matters, and together we can continue to make Cottage Grove a place where we're all proud to call home. And don't forget to check out the full survey results at cottaggrovemn.gov. That is great. And thank you again, Council Member Garza, for joining us today. That is it for this month's council update. If you would like to learn more about the city, please visit our website or find us on social media and we would love to hear from you. Thank you as always to True Lens Community Media for producing this video and we will see you all next time. Thanks everyone. [Music]