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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 8 <br /> <br /> <br />Garbage and Refuse <br />Ordinance Gets a Clean-Up <br /> <br />Under the direction of the City Council, the Gem Lake <br />Planning Commission discussed potential updates to the <br />city’s garbage and refuse ordinance (Ordinance No. 45) <br />over the last few months. The ordinance was adopted in <br />1983 and has not been updated since. The <br />commissioners reviewed different examples of garbage <br />ordinances from nearby communities, discussed the <br />pros and cons of requiring licenses, and reviewed <br />results of a survey that was sent out by city staff last fall <br />to residents and businesses regarding their garbage <br />hauling service. <br /> <br /> <br />Based on the results of the survey and direction from the <br />Council, the commissioners focused on updates to the <br />ordinance language to ensure the rules work for the <br />community today. At their March meeting, the Planning <br />Commission recommended the council approve an <br />amended ordinance. This draft included mostly minor <br />changes and edits. <br /> <br />Here are some highlights: <br /> <br />• Size limitations for garbage containers was <br />increased from 32 gallons to 96 gallons. <br />• Sections regarding multiple dwelling residences <br />and commercial establishments were reformatted <br />to help with ease of reading and interpretation. <br />• Hours for hauling were revised to be <br />consistent/similar with neighboring communities. <br />• Text was reviewed to address redundancies, to <br />correct problems with formatting and to update <br />references to other ordinances and statutes. <br /> The Planning Commission researched the issue of <br />requiring licensing of haulers in the City, and potentially <br />joining White Bear Township in their contract for garbage <br />hauling services. A licensing framework could apply <br />citywide to both residential and commercial services, or <br />just residential. The consensus from the commissioners <br />was to not pursue it at this time, although the ordinance <br />could be amended to allow this in the future. <br /> <br /> <br /> Gem Lake Hills Golf Course <br /> <br />Our wacky winter this year had one bright side. The Gem <br />Lake Hills Golf Course opened for business over one <br />month earlier than 2023. Enthusiastic golfers turned out <br />in droves on March 1, to enjoy the balmy weather and a <br />course that was in surprisingly good shape. The course <br />continued to be open most days in March, although there <br />were some weather-related exceptions. <br /> <br />This year, the course will undergo some exciting <br />improvements that will enhance the golfing experience. <br />Early spring included major work to remove dead trees <br />and conduct tree trimming. Some of the work was related <br />to two summer storms in 2023, including a significant <br />number of stumps that had to be removed. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />