Otto loves working in his hometown
HOMETOWN PROUD — Josh Otto, a 2000 graduate of NRHEG High School, enjoys going to work in his hometown of Ellendale. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
If there’s one area that doesn’t get much attention in any town, unless they’re woefully inadequate at performing the task, it’s the maintenance department.
Josh Otto is changing that.
Otto, Ellendale’s maintenance man since March 2013, has garnered plenty of positive attention lately, from helping people in snow storms to plowing snow and doing his day-to-day job overseeing the town’s wastewater treatment facility.
The scenery is familiar to him. Otto grew up on a dairy farm southwest of Ellendale and his family still lives in the area, parents Larry and Emily Otto and sister Bethany Boswell, her husband Curt and nieces Kyah and Hope. Otto and his wife, Kristin, have four children, Peyton, Kayedence, Kyah and Kenley.
A 2000 graduate of NRHEG High School, Otto earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement with a minor in Resource Management from Minnesota State-Mankato.
So what’s it like to work in your hometown?
“It’s great,” said Otto. “Growing up, I called Ellendale my second home. I was either hanging out with my friends or visiting my grandparents who lived in town.”
The commute to work — all of three blocks — and the people, including the city’s decision-makers, are part of what makes Otto’s job enjoyable.
“I know a lot of the residents who have lived in town their whole lives, and enjoy helping out whenever necessary,” he said. “I also enjoy working with the city council to address the needs and the future of Ellendale.”
Among the recent honors bestowed upon Otto include an award from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a plaque of recognition from Steele County Sheriff Lon Thiele for his work during snowstorms.
“I feel I was just doing my part to help out the community,” he said. “I have a great relationship with the Steele County Sheriff’s Department. They have always been there to help me out, so it was nice to return the favor. As far as the wastewater award, I don’t see it as a reward. I’m doing my job the way it’s supposed to be done. I take pride in the work I do.”
Many people mentioned how well Otto kept up with snow removal. What’s his secret?
“I’ve learned to love winter,” he said. “When I first started, I hated the fact that winter was just around the corner. I didn’t enjoy the long hours of plowing and the what, when and wheres of it.”
But, eventually, his thinking changed.
“I realized I can’t do much about it,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere and snow removal is just part of the job. So I have learned to accept that. A lot of it is prioritizing what needs to be done first, depending on the day of the week or even the time of the day. I have to thank my part-time help that comes in. Without them I’d probably still be out there plowing those February storms!”
As it is, Otto is ready for spring, just as he’s ready to turn the calendar at the end of each season.
“I really enjoy all the seasons,” he said. “From snowplowing to mowing, I enjoy all of it. I enjoy meeting and getting to know different people. I enjoy this job so much that even on a scheduled day off I can probably be found working at the shop or checking on the lift stations or treatment plant. I like that no two days are the same. There are always things that need to get done.”
What does Otto enjoy the least?
“The unexpected things that happen, water breaks, big storms whether it be strong winds taking out the power or blizzards like the one we had this February,” he said. “Another aspect that can get tough is having an extra hour now and then. There are a lot of jobs that take more than one person to accomplish. Luckily, I have a few people who are willing to swing in now and then and lend a hand.”
Otto, always ready to lend a hand, oversees water for Ellendale, Geneva, Hope and the Thompson Oaks Estate, and wastewater for Ellendale, Geneva and Clarks Grove. He also joined the Ellendale Fire Department about five years ago.
An all-area baseball player in high school, Otto still plays slow-pitch softball in an Owatonna league. He also enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and fishing. He said the biggest influence on his life has been by his parents.
Otto said he hopes to get to move of Ellendale someday — but not too far.
“Sooner or later,” he said. “We would like to find something outside of town on a few acres.”