2023 Vol 17, Issue 3 May Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 City News Sealcoating of Roads Streets in Gem Lake are getting a sealcoat this summer, as part of our overall street maintenance plan. The target start date is July 17 and the target completion date is August 18, subject to weather delays, of course. By proactively treating road surface with sealcoat (an oil and rock application) on regularly scheduled intervals (3- 5 years), a street’s useful life can be extended. This recommendation by our Public Works experts at White Bear Township is based on current road research. Temporary no parking signs will be posted at least 24 hours before operations begin. Included in this project are Summit Farm Lane, Big Fox Road, Little Fox Road, Haven Lane, Scheuneman Road (North and South) and Hoffman Road. Water System Funding Update The City of Gem Lake’s application for federal funding for a partial municipal water system has been selected to advance to the next stage in the U.S. House appropriations process. The City received the official notice of nomination on April 11 from the office of U.S. Representative Betty McCollum. Under the rules designated by the Republican Majority, each member of the U.S. House of Representatives was limited to nominating 15 projects for funding this year. This year, McCollum’s office nominated projects that appear to have the highest probability of being chosen for funding based on the criteria previously outlined. There is significant competition for limited dollars available for Community Project Funding and this nomination to advance is not a guarantee of funding. More information will be shared when it is available as the City’s application progresses through the process. Prevent Spring Flooding – Check Your Culverts Because Gem Lake does not have an extensive stormwater system, we rely on other ways to make sure water flows properly in our city. Most of our roads lack curbs and gutters and we have a lot of driveway culverts. In most cases, the care and maintenance of the culverts are the homeowner’s responsibility. First, what is a culvert? It is a ditch that runs along or under a road or a driveway. Keeping an eye on that culvert is really important. When they aren’t maintained, they can cause problems that can cause havoc on roads and driveways nearby. Over time, those culverts get clogged up with twigs, leaves, weeds, grass clippings, you name it. It is sometimes called “yard lint.” It is going to build up, but it is important to make sure the culvert doesn’t get plugged up with all this stuff. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that yard lint doesn’t reduce water flow in your culvert more than 20%. It’s time to take a look at your driveway culvert, if you can see it through all the snow. Once the melt starts in June or July, will water be able to flow through it? It might be as simple as raking it out a bit when the culvert is finally more accessible. If things are really clogged and no maintenance has been done for years, more extensive work might be needed. Several years ago, during the winter of 2018-2019, there was also an unusually heavy snowfall. This event clashed with several very clogged culverts in one area of the city. As a result, it complicated the spring snow melt and resulted in flooding issues. Be a good neighbor and just go check that culvert when you can. It isn’t glamorous. It isn’t even fun, but it’s needed. Charitable Gambling Donations A donation of $1500 was approved by the Gem Lake City Council in April to be given to the White Bear Area Food Shelf. This donation comes from charitable gambling receipts that result from pull-tab and bingo sales within city limits. Gem Lake Has a Facebook Page Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence has designed and published a Facebook page for the City of Gem Lake. The address is: www.facebook.com/CityofGemLakeMN The Facebook pages focuses primarily on special announcements and news items, events, etc. It is intended to compliment rather than replace the city website. Please check it out and “like” and “follow” the page. We are also looking for a few appropriate Gem Lake photos. Your feedback is welcome!