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City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes September 17, 2024 1
<br />City of Gem Lake
<br />City Council Meeting – September 17, 2024
<br />Meeting Minutes
<br />
<br />Mayor Gretchen Artig-Swomley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Len Cacioppo, Jim
<br />Lindner, Ben Johnson and Laurel Amlee were present. Also present: City Attorney Kevin Beck, City Treasurer Tom
<br />Kelly, Planning Commission Chair Joshua Patrick, and Commission Member Don Cummings, Civil Site Group
<br />Civil Engineer Robbie Latta, Phillps Architects & Contractors President David Phillips, Barnett Companies General
<br />Manager Jack Mayeron, Minnesota Senator Heather Gustafson, Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence and residents
<br />Betsy DiFabio, Rick Bosak, and Jim Wilson.
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<br />September 17, 2024, Agenda
<br />A motion was introduced by Councilmember Linder to accept the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo.
<br />Motion carried 5-0.
<br />
<br />Minutes
<br />A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to approve the
<br />August 20, 2024, City Council Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 5-0.
<br />
<br />A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to accept the
<br />September 10, 2024, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 5-0.
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<br />Special Presentations/Public Hearings
<br />
<br /> Minnesota Legislative Session Update – Minnesota Senator Heather Gustafson, District 36, DFL
<br />Minnesota Senator Heather Gustafson provided highlights of this year’s session and discussed future
<br />projects, including the fact that she will be aiming to repeat her 2023 Public Safety Bill in some form,
<br />which provided significant public safety funding to every city in Minnesota. She also reiterated her
<br />priorities on education and infrastructure, offering advice and assistance where possible, on the City’s quest
<br />for municipal water funding.
<br />
<br />2025 Preliminary Budget Presentation / Public Hearing – White Bear Township Finance Officer,
<br />Tom Kelly
<br />Under state law, cities must adopt a proposed property tax levy by September 30 of each year. The
<br />proposed levy will be used to produce parcel-specific taxpayer notices, also referred to as truth-in-taxation
<br />notices, which will be distributed to taxpayers in November. If a city fails to certify its proposed levy to the
<br />county by September 30, the county auditor is required to use the authority’s previous year’s final levy as
<br />the levy for the following year.
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<br />City Treasurer Tom Kelly gave an overview of the 2025 preliminary property tax levy is proposed at
<br />$733,757, which is a 2.231% increase from the 2024 certified preliminary property tax levy. The 2025
<br />preliminary property tax levy consists of a debt levy of $83,736.00 (an increase from 2024 preliminary debt
<br />levy of $2,182.00) and the general operating levy of $650,021.00 (an increase of 2.174% from the 2024
<br />preliminary tax levy).
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<br />The following changes were made from the 2024 adopted budget as a basis for the 2025 proposed
<br />preliminary property tax levy:
<br />1. Based on the 2015 Refunding Bond schedule the debt levy for 2025 is set for $79,711.00. In
<br />addition, in 2018, the City issued bonds for the improvements on Scheuneman Road and the 2025
<br />debt levy for this issue is $4,025.00. The two of these debt levies makes up the City’s 2025 debt
<br />levy of $83,736.
<br />2. Increased City Council wages 3%.
<br />3. City Council contingency was increased to $15,000 (was $9,000).
<br />4. Clerk/General Government budget includes $63,000.00 for wages and $11,550 for health
<br />insurance coverage.
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