Dear Neighbors,
I was pleased to learn that last week an industrial park in Cottage Grove has been certified as “shovel ready” by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The 39.72 acre Southeast Industrial Park, located at the former site of Lyman Lumber at 91st Street and Hemmingway Avenue, by Hamlet Park, adjacent to the Canadian Pacific rail yard, is the 29th site to be certified through DEED’s Shovel-Ready Certification program.
With this program, DEED works closely with both property owners and communities alike to certify that many the most difficult work required prior to development, such as planning, zoning, and environmental analysis are all complete prior to the site being offered for sale. This saves potential developers significant time and money as they seek to find the best location to begin construction.
It will continue to be a focus of mine to bring jobs to our area. State programs have been utilized by businesses in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park at Renewal by Anderson and Werner Electric, and they have provided our area with more living wage jobs. I am very grateful for the partnership of the members of the Cottage Grove City Council and the businesses to make this happen.
Minnesota #1 in Job Creation
Evidence of an improving Minnesota economy continues as Gallup ranked our state the first in the nation for job creation in their 2015 Job Creation Index. The report is based on workers’ reports of hiring activity at their place of employment. Minnesota topped the list with an index of 38, two points ahead of Georgia and Utah, each with 36. The national average was 30.
In the survey, 46% of workers said their employer was hiring workers; higher than the average of 42%. With an unemployment rate of just 3.5% and 40,000 new jobs in the last year, we are on the path to long-term growth.
Universal Pre-K
Last week, the Educator Policy Innovation Center released a report showing the tremendous benefits Minnesota could reap if we enacted universal pre-K. Last session, this was a major priority of Gov. Dayton, and I expect him to push just as hard in 2016. While this would be a major change and might bring with it some growing pains for our school districts, such as addressing the space needs, the research shows this is a superb way to close the opportunity gap, and I hope we can take a fresh look at it this year.
Charitable Gambling Impact
In fiscal year 2015, charitable gaming receipts in Minnesota grew for the fifth consecutive year to $1.3 billion. After prize payouts, expenses, and taxes, $113.6 million was available for organizations such as veterans groups, youth sports, wildlife management and many others.
While the Powerball craze certainly swept the nation, if you participate in an activity such as pull tabs or bar bingo, the proceeds benefit local organizations doing great work in the community.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any comments or questions, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to serve you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Dan Schoen
State Representative