Cottage Grove, Minnesota

During stay-at-home orders, police officers and firefighters offered wellness visits for families who needed help checking in on loved ones. They also helped residents celebrate birthdays and milestones by putting their police squads, fire rigs, and plow trucks to good use for drive-by parades. And the city’s Public Works Department got together to hang 35 banners throughout the city to celebrate the high school seniors who couldn’t take part in their graduation ceremonies. The police department even made a viral video to help shine a spotlight on those businesses that were forced to close. “When hair salons and barber shops were closed, they did a great job of making a funny video lamenting the challenges of meeting the PD haircut protocols during closure,” says City Administrator Jennifer Levitt. “It was a great time for them to highlight those small businesses in our community. We just found ways that we could get through this together.” The city helped support small businesses by providing more than $180,000 in grant funding for businesses to meet payroll and rent needs. They refunded portions of liquor licenses for 2020 and didn’t require them to be paid for 2021, and offered a handy list to residents filled with names and phone numbers of restaurants offering take-out options. Even the community got in on the action. Local florist Rustic Floral created and donated flower bouquets to seniors centers, and more than 1,700 masks were donated by city residents to those in need. “We’ve really built on that sense of family and caring for one another in our community, and that’s been very positive,” says Levitt. When the pandemic threatened to put a damper on the holiday season, the city sponsored a few happenings to bolster enthusiasm and a feeling of community spirit. They set out boxes for letters to Santa at City Hall, hosted a Santa Chair COTTAGE GROVE , MINNESOTA