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<br /> <br />Special Interest <br />Articles: <br /> <br /> Gem Lake Final 2024 <br />Budget Approved <br /> <br /> Gem Lake MS4 Permit <br />Audited <br /> <br /> Recycling in Gem Lake <br /> <br /> White Bear Lake <br />Annual Report <br /> <br /> Smart Salting <br /> <br /> City News, Page 7 <br />Scheduled Recycling <br />Dates: <br /> <br /> February 14 <br /> <br /> February 28 <br /> <br /> March 13 <br /> <br /> March 27 <br /> <br /> <br />Gem Lake Final 2024 Budget Approved <br /> <br />The 2024 Final Gem Lake Budget was approved on <br />December 19, following the city’s required “Truth in <br />Taxation” hearing. The city council approved a final <br />property tax levy of $697,081, which is a 7.042% <br />increase from the 2023 final property tax levy. <br />However, it is a decrease of almost $20,000 from the <br />2024 preliminary budget of $717,742 that was <br />approved in September. By State law, cities must <br />establish a preliminary budget by the end of <br />September, while final figures are being worked out. <br />Cities can decrease the final budget numbers, but <br />can’t go over whatever they establish in September <br />as their preliminary budget. State law also mandates <br />that the final property tax levy must be established by <br />each city by December 29. <br /> <br />Gem Lake’s final levy of $697,081 consists of a debt <br />levy of $84,418 (an increase from the 2023 debt levy <br />of $2,094) and the general operating levy of <br />$612,663 (an increase of 7.693% from the 2023 tax <br />levy. <br /> <br /> <br />(Continued on Page 2) <br /> <br /> <br />Gem Lake’s MS4 Permit Audited <br /> <br />Gem Lake’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer <br />System (MS4) permit was recently audited by the <br />Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The <br />MPCA routinely audits every MS4 throughout the <br />state on a random basis, so it was not a matter of if, <br />but when, Gem Lake would have its turn. <br />The audit consisted of a review of the approximately <br />75 items identified on the permit. Most items concern <br />various “best practices” intended to safeguard <br />against discharging chemicals or other toxins into the <br />public water system. Since storm drains transport <br />storm water directly into rivers and lakes, there is no <br />treatment process involved. The permit emphasizes <br />preventive measures such as construction site <br />inspections, or physical berms or retention ponds that <br />are designed to filter water before it enters the main <br />storm sewer network. <br /> <br /> <br />(Continued on Page 2) <br /> <br /> <br />Gem Lake News <br />February 2024 | Volume 18 | Issue 1 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor <br />