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City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 1 <br />City of Gem Lake <br />City Council Meeting – August 19, 2025 <br />Meeting Minutes <br /> <br />Mayor Gretchen Artig-Swomley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Jim Lindner, Len <br />Cacioppo, Ben Johnson, and Joshua Patrick were present. Also present: City Attorney Martin Norder, City Treasurer <br />Tom Kelly, Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence, Gem Lake business owner Max Vannelli, The Lakes Dispensary, <br />and residents Daniel Epelboim, Tom Bolfing, and Jim Wilson. <br /> <br />August 19, 2025, 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 July <br />15, 2025, City Council Meeting minutes. Motion carried 5-0. <br /> <br />A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to approve the <br />August 7, 2025, Special City Council Meeting minutes. Motion carried 5-0. <br /> <br />A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to accept the August <br />12, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 5-0. <br /> <br />Special Presentations/Public Hearings <br />None <br /> <br />Consent Agenda <br /> <br /> Resolution #2025-021 August 2025 Donation to White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf <br /> Resolution #2025-022 August 2025 Donation to Willow Lane Elementary <br /> Monthly Financial Report(s) <br /> Claims <br /> <br />All items on the consent agenda were reviewed by the Council. Councilmember Lindner introduced a <br />motion to approve all the items listed on the consent agenda, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. <br />Motion carried 5-0. <br /> <br />Committee Reports <br />Planning Commission Chair Don Cummings was unable to attend the meeting but sent the mayor a summary of <br />what happened at the planning commission meeting. The Planning Commission is recommending an update to the <br />Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 and Appendix A. The updates are the result of excellent staff work by <br />TKDA, led by CJ Sycks, and thorough, successive discussions over spring and summer Planning Commission <br />meetings and a Public Hearing. The Commission will be addressing the "Gateway District" portion of the Land Use <br />Ordinance separately in meetings ahead and in conjunction with beginning work on the next round of <br />Comprehensive Plan work. The Planning Commission would also like to strongly endorse the appointment of Daniel <br />Epelboim to the Gem Lake Planning Commission. Mr. Epelboim brings a strong interest in our city's future, a <br />thoughtful style of engagement, and executive level experience in large organizations. He has attended many City <br />Council meetings and most recently Planning Commission meetings related to the Land Use Ordinance. Chair <br />Cummings also wanted to make sure that the city was addressing the recent attempted fraud incident that happened <br />after the last Planning Commission meeting. <br /> <br />Old Business <br /> <br /> Newsletter Updates / Topics / Suggestions <br />The August edition of the Newsletter has been printed and mailed. Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence has <br />been working on putting stories into the next edition of the Newsletter to get it started.