Welcome to the Grovecast, a municipal podcast hosted by the city of Cottage Grove. We are here to demystify city government, make it more accessible to you, while also showcasing the real human beings who work every day providing services to residents. I am your co-host, Phil Jensent, the city's communications manager. >> Hey, Phil. And I am Emily Schmidz, the city's community development director. Hi Emily. >> Hello. >> How are you today? >> Well, >> hey guys, don't forget about me. Beat us. I'm Dave. Dave the I'm Council Member Dave Thei. >> How did I not know that you were going to throw us a little bit of a curveball >> and this is my first time. I am so excited to be here to talk with you guys. >> I can feel the excitement and I am excited as well. >> This is fantastic. I here I was. I was just gonna We were going to try to lead into it, but our guest he's just >> chomping at the bit. You couldn't wait. >> He's been here since who knows what time. >> I kid, Dave. >> Well, Council Member Theiti, welcome. >> Thanks. >> How are you doing today? >> I am doing great. It's a sunny day outside and and we're here to be able to talk to all these folks and so forth and and, you know, give them some good information. So, it's it's all good. And I do want to say I agree. I'm excited to to get into it and jump into it with you. I I just as a quick recording note, I think we're in a slightly different location today. So if we sound different >> or if you hear like doors opening uh or closing in the background, we're in city hall. We're not in the normal True Lens Community Media Studio. There's a little bit of work happening and moving happening. So we're in city hall today. >> We're on our home turf, so to speak. >> We are. And it's intermediate and once they get settled, it's going to be fantastic. So we'll be patient as they >> and don't be alarmed if council member the you hear like a sawzall doing some kind of wood work in the background. >> No problem. >> It just means progress. Right. >> There you go. Right. >> Yeah. >> Well, Council Member Theiti, you you threw us through a little you threw us a little bit of curveball jumping in with your greeting, which I love. If I could throw a little curveball back at you both, >> a topic we haven't actually jumped in with to start the podcast and I was thinking about this the other day is, you know, we all work for the city of Cottage Grove. We either live here or grew up here or we work here obviously. So, Cottage Grove, >> Emily, we'll start with you maybe. What's your earliest or favorite memory of Cottage Grove? >> Oh my goodness. Well, Phil, that would go back to like 2012. >> Okay. >> And I would say my earliest memory of Cottage Grove is during my internship back in 2012. They kindly hired me. They thought I'd be able to do some good in the code enforcement world. And I my fondest memory is the old city hall. And Dave, you can probably recall, you've been around long enough, but that old city hall, um, it just held so many memories. As questionable as some of the areas were, that is one of my fondest memories. >> Old City Hall. >> Old City Hall. >> And we're in New City Hall today. >> We were in New City Hall today. Yeah. But that old city hall had some good memories. >> Okay. Nice. Yeah. And you make a very good point that uh that I have been around for quite a quite a long time. I mean, this it's actually I think back now and and you know, we built a house in Cottage Grove uh in uh in 98. Yeah, 98. >> So, what is that? That's getting to be about 28 years in in one spot. The longest I'd lived anywhere before that was about six years because I was changing different jobs and promotions and things like that. So, we finally got to Cottage Grove and it was a great place to settle down and and three kids graduated through the the school systems here and and uh so uh you know it was is fantastic I guess. And so, you know, the first memory I have, I guess, was was when I was actually looking for houses and where to build because we were looking in Woodbury and so forth and and, you know, came down to Cottage Grove and in the Hidden Valley area and so forth and and found that I could just like snap of a finger, I could save about 30 grand, you know, and anybody that knows me knows that my my dad raised me to be pretty squeaky and and so I'm I'm probably sometimes a little too tight with with the money issues, but but hey, you know, it It's the way it is. And so, yeah, we've uh we've been here a long time, seen a fair amount of changes. >> I was going to say, Dave, in that area, I would have loved to drive through there in 19 what' you say, 1998. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, certainly not what you see today, but but that's a testament to all the work that you've done. >> There you go. >> Yeah. >> And it sounds like a long time ago when you say just before the turn of the century. >> It does. >> I like that. Yeah. It's all in how you frame it. It's all in how you frame it. >> Different perspective. Yep. Well, mine I have to say is uh I grew up in Cottage Grove. Uh proud proud Cottage Groveian. Uh and uh growing up we used to ride our bikes down East Point Douglas Road and we went to Soft Top Ice Cream. >> Yeah. >> Which is now I believe an insurance, >> right? And and actually he just retired. I think a different State Farm insurance guy is going to take over the building. I thought I didn't know that. >> That makes sense. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, we used to go down there and get I think they called them it was a little bit of a Dairy Queen kind of spin-off, if you will. But they called them glaciers, I think, instead of Blizzards. >> And we get I get a cookie dough glacier and it had these huge chunks of cookie dough in it. It was so good. >> Well, you certainly seen a lot more changes than I have then. >> Well, on that stretch of road. Yeah. I mean, there's our old haunts that we used to ride our, you know, Huffies to or whatever. They're not there anymore. So, >> our old Huffies. Yeah, >> I could see that, Phil. Yeah. Fantastic. You know, the other topic we always chat about with our guest, Phil, which is a good one. I'm curious to hear what Dave has to say about it. But we talk about superpowers a lot, Dave. >> Oh, yeah. >> And I am so curious to know, Dave, >> if you could have a superpower, >> what would it be? >> Oh, it' definitely be that I could fly. >> Really? >> Nice. Oh, yeah. I agree with you. >> Yeah, >> I think I've said Yeah. flying before. >> Yeah. So, it'd be great just to be pick up, you know, and just zoom off into the sky, you know, and and uh I I mean, even even after I graduated from college, when I first went working with Rockco International down in in Iowa, I actually got into the flying club, you know, and they had these little grooming uh A60 trainer type deals, you know, and they were kind of they flew like rocks. But uh you know they even had a little message that well if you if you go into dangerous go into a stall and and and you know you do more than one and a half spin you know then you know good luck see you later. But uh so it was great >> you were willing to take your chances. >> Well no usually good luck see you later is not a great slogan for flying >> but but I I tell you one of the first times that I went up you know you're supposed to when you do a stall you're supposed to actually put the power back in then drop your nose. Okay. Well, I dropped the nose first and then put the power back in. So, we lost a couple hundred feet real quick and I had to clean the seats of the plane when we got back down. But, but so it was but I I loved flying, but it but it turns out it was even at that time it was quite expensive and and you almost had to commit part of your uh your budget to it and Yeah. And and then I decided to get married. I decided to buy a house and it was just too many things at one time. So, the flying had to go. But >> something had to give and the flying was >> something had to give. Yeah. So then I So he gave up flying and I'm curious, Dave. So then how did you get into you know serving your local community? I'm curious because you've been doing it quite some time. >> Yeah. So you know and and with that I my career has been more into like management things like that. I I like I kind of like to be in charge at times, you know, but uh so you know, it it it was uh around the time that the the boys had gotten their Eagle uh ranks in Cub, you know, scouts. >> Eagle Scout. Yeah. >> And uh and I was very involved in scouts. And then that was like uh 200, they graduated in 2003. And so, you know, it was kind of like, well, what should I get involved in, you know, and and uh, you know, I loved helping the city that I I live in and and and so forth. And and so I kind of looked and and I was going to look at getting on to the planning commission first. Um, but uh I ended up on the public works for a year and then it was on the planning commission for five years. >> Okay? >> You know, and then somebody said, "Well, you should run for council. you know, it might be a good time. And and I said, well, I you know, I hate politics and and I I I hate the campaigning. The last time I campaigned anything for was like in high school and I don't I don't think I even won. So, but uh so finally I I got convinced, okay, well, so I got the signs, I got, you know, the stuff and and uh so actually in 2010 got onto the council. >> Actually actually won >> in 2010. It was >> 2010. Okay. >> Yeah. So >> 16 years later. >> Yeah. So this is uh you know my uh uh 16th year. Yeah. Yeah. So >> well happy 16th year. >> Thanks. >> Of service to you. >> Thanks. And I and I and I really enjoy it. I mean I I got to admit I I I don't put up with the politics. I I wouldn't go any higher than this. You know there's too many things in in you know state and federal that they just don't know how to get along quite right. You know, one of the things that makes the council we have right now so good is that I mean, we don't all agree. We've we've got our our different opinions on things, but we, you know, talk it out and and look at things and and we know how to to kind of compromise with each other and we work together and and uh and we all come to pretty much to to an agreement. And so over the years here, and maybe that's a testament why why I'm still on council after 16 years is that uh people have kind of enjoyed or like the uh the group that's in there and things have been going pretty good, I think. So, you've already that that is interesting and you've already kind of touched on this a little bit, but you know, you've been on council for 16 years now. And so, for those I think people can conjure up some images in their mind about what it's like to serve on city council or maybe they've been to a city council meeting or they're watching them online. So, but tell the folks out there what it is like to serve on city council. What is that role like? What do you do? >> Yeah. So, you know, I I think for me the thing that I like most is I like development and and you know, the different city planning and and and some of those kind of things, the businesses, the you know, uh roads, uh you know, even even in my when I when I'm like almost like a hobby sometimes, I'll I'll take a look. Well, let's see where should that road go or or where was that road before. So, that's the thing that that I tend to really get a lot of enjoyment out of some of that that design and and and you know, speculation type of of things and and uh and so forth. But, you know, there's a lot of other things in terms of uh you know, making sure that the the city and and services and and that the people do have good public safety and public works and and all that sort of stuff. Good planning. I I tend to be more of a planner with some of my my technical background and so forth. So, I think it's great uh like when we developed the East Ravine plan and things like that, you know, we we knew that it wasn't going to necessarily come out exactly how we planned it back in in you know, I think it was like 2005 or six something, >> you know, but but we knew that, hey, we had the idea there and and it'll kind of shape itself as as you know, people decide to to sell their land and and and things. So, so that you know, try to get it so that a homeowner that thought that they were going to have, you know, other homes buy them don't all of a sudden end up with this big conglomerate chemical plant or or something like that when where they didn't expect it to be, >> right? Yeah. So, so that's what I I like those things that, you know, again, I I don't get as involved in some of the political type stuff, you know, looking at at some of the legislative, but but again, that's why it's good on a council to to look at what people's skills and what people's desires are, you know, and try to to really see if you can't get, you know, cover all the bases, right? you know, with the people that are on council. So that together our our skills and our uh what things that we like to to focus on and so forth kind of work together to make it a complete package. And obviously, you know, a big part of it is also listening to the community, you know, listening to the staff, you know, and and bringing all that information together to really make good productive decisions. You know, some of them are real easy. Yeah. >> And as you know, some of them complex, we call them complex complex, right? Yeah. So, which and speaking of complex, Dave, I mean, these remain master plan. That is certainly complex. And I'm I'm curious over your >> do I call it tenure on the council? >> I think you do. >> Yeah. Right. >> And you just did. So, >> I just did. We're going to make it work. So I curious Dave, do you have a project that you worked on that you felt the most success from? Well, you know, actually, I think the, you know, and I was thinking about that a little bit and uh and the thing that I think I'm most proud of to be honest is is is actually, you know, when I first got involved, it the uh because I was in management for most of my career and so forth and and looking at people and how people interact. Uh you know, when I first got on council, there was this program called Good to Great, right? But it was a structured program and things like that. And and sure, it was it was probably good. It probably had some good things, but but I don't think it really I don't think it really needed to have something like that in writing. You needed to actually get it within the people that are actually, you know, running the city and so forth. And I think I think that's what I'm most proud of when you look at back in the, you know, early 2000s and compare that to the organization now. You know, I I think back when I first got on, there was a lot more situations where, well, somebody's saying, "Well, I'm not going to say anything about that or otherwise I'll get uh, you know, uh, yada yada yada." But and and we're where now I I definitely see people are more willing to to help each other and and and work together and that actually lends for greater productivity and also a much better working environment. And and I guess you guys would would tend to, you know, be able to to to verify that or not. I mean, you're in it every day. I I see it from about a 5,000 foot level, right? Type of deal, right? But I from my perception anyway, it appears that it's it's kind of like a night and day and and I I I'd like to think that, hey, I had part in in making that organization the organization better. >> That's really cool. >> That is true. >> Kind of building on that. And you you you kind of listed earlier when we were talking about kind of when you first got into, you know, public service and on the city council, you listed things like roads, developments, >> housing developments, um planning, and I don't think he was just saying that because you're here, Emily. >> I >> director of community development. >> I'd hope he was just, you know, fluffing my ego. >> Emily had written that down and slid across the there's a little bit of that, too, right? >> There is. Yeah. We won't tell anybody else. So, of all those issues that you're interested in, planning roads, etc., is there one that you would pick as your most favorite? >> I think my most favorite probably hasn't happened yet. >> Oh, >> you know, one of the one of the things that I' I'd love to see happen is like in Old Cottage Grove, >> whether we could find a developer that could actually build some some buildings right there along that that would look like some of the the old downtowns. M >> you know kind of make it almost more like an old cottage grove downtown, >> right? And uh uh and have you know obviously different businesses and you could have the living upstairs and and and businesses down and so forth. And uh you know I I think that would be be >> pretty neat. >> Yeah. you know, and and uh well, as you know, I I I come up with a lot of these different I I I you know, unload them on you guys all the time, you know, and and we should do this or we should do this. Oh, jeez, he's coming again. >> See what he's got to say now. >> It's always Yeah. But but you know, Dave, but that's part of the the creativity and the thought process to think outside the box and that's why we're all here, right? Even as an organization, as elected officials, we're all here to kind of navigate. So, so while Dave's kind of traveling in the clouds with some of these ideas, we've got good people that are soundly on the on the ground that can pull some of the maybe a little bit of that out of the sky and and and say, "Oh, yeah, we can use a little bit of that with Dave's coming out." >> But that goes but that goes back to Dave's original point is everybody brings their strength and we all all bring it together. >> And there's a little bit of that that's I think maybe not required, but it definitely is needed in government, especially local government. and you've got people on council, people on staff, and and and so on. I think you need a little bit of that. You need a little of like, well, we have to keep the trains running on time, right? We've got to keep the operations going and and keep budgets, you know, tight as we can and be good stewards of dollars and all that stuff. And also, you got to be a little >> a little wild, you know, a little like >> a little creative and a little like, >> well, what can't what what really can we do here? And have a vision for for stuff. And I think that's I think that's neat. I think that's cool >> because you know actually some of the that's a good point because some of the craziest ideas people have sometimes and and as way out as they are you know a lot of times part of it'll actually solidify to to become reality. You know what I'm saying? >> Yep. And it ends up being the best thing that could have happened. >> There you go. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So Dave, the hardest question of the of the day >> and we're quickly running out of time. It goes I know it goes very fast. >> I thought it was just a couple minutes. so far that we've been talking about. >> But the hardest question of the day, what's your favorite food? >> Oh gosh, >> he has to think about that. >> My favorite food would probably be like, you know, ribeye steak, you know, beef, something like that. >> Although I, you know, I I' I've seen, you know, a few years and so forth and and some of that uh that gets a little bit fatty. I get told that I can't I can't eat as much beef as I used to. >> Now, are you like >> Makes me sad. charcoal grill the steak or you cooking it in the pan? >> I I grill all year round. Okay. >> Okay. That's where you >> all year. The grill is on the deck. Yeah. So So the grill is half buried in snow and you're still out there. >> Well, it's on the deck, so it's shut. >> But even this past weekend, my my daughter and and so forth was in town and and we actually cooked steak and and uh chicken on the grill to make fajitas, you know. >> Oh, that sounds great, Dave. All right. Oh yeah, it can be. In fact, it's better when it's cold versus when it's raining. So, >> that's very true. Well, Dave, if you're ever concerned why Phil and I are standing on your deck, >> I was going to say it's cuz we're over there. >> If you're if you're driving down Hinton, you got your window down and you smell some some chicken thighs grilling and you might you might be cook you might be smelling council member Thei's cooking. >> There you go. And just hey, everybody's welcome. stop by. I'll some beer or some wine or or maybe if you like kombucha. Is that the right way to say that? >> I think you got it. >> I don't like kombucha, but >> that's it. >> But hey, I'd find some for you. >> He's got options. >> I love that you brought it up then to say you don't like it. >> Yeah, the kids do, you know. Actually, actually, the kids get all fancy sometimes with their cooking and so forth. I'm pretty simple, meat and potatoes type of guy. >> But you got a little something for everyone. That's right. You're a good You're a good host then. There you go. >> All right. Well, Council Member Theiti Dave, thanks so much for joining us. We did really appreciate having you. Thanks for coming down to city hall and chatting about, you know, your your your tenure. >> My tenure plus six. >> Yes. Just after the turn of the century, I think is what you >> So, that that that'll do it for us, but again, thank you. We'll let you get back to the rest of your day. >> Uh whatever whatever that entails for you. >> Well, thanks for having me. I I enjoyed it. It's a It's nice to have a little chat, you know, and and uh reminisce a little bit about some things and and uh so forth. So, yeah. And great to learn a little bit more about you and your background, too. So, thank you. >> Great. >> Thanks, Dave. >> Thanks. >> Well, thank you all for listening. This has been the Grovecast, a city of Cottage Grove municipal podcast. You can catch episodes monthly. And to listen or download, find us at cottaggrovemn.gov/thegrovecast gov/thegrocast or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you as always to True Lens Community Media for producing the Grovecast and stay tuned for our next episodes where we'll move on to other departments, city services or other topics. Thanks for listening.