2021 Vol 15, Issue 6 October Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 Changes Made to Deer Hunting Ordinance A public hearing was held on September 21 at the monthly Gem Lake City Council meeting to consider changes to Ordinance #124B-Hunting and Discharge of Weapons. Following the hearing, the council voted to make several changes to the ordinance as it regards archery deer hunting. Changes included those pertaining to permission and notice to property owners near a hunting site, how the hunt can be scheduled, where deer stands must be located and when hunting is prohibited. The new rules now state that all property owners within 300 feet of a proposed deer stand must provide written permission for the hunt. Any property owner whose land borders the land at which the hunt takes place must be notified in writing of the dates and location of the hunt. Previously all adjoining property owners had to agree in writing to the hunt, no matter where the deer stands were located. Previously, the deer hunt had to be scheduled on three consecutive weekends. Now, the deer hunt can be any three weekends, agreed upon in advance, that occur within the archery deer hunting season. Previously, the deer stands had to be 300 feet from any border and any house. Now the stands must also be 300 feet from any garage. Lastly, now no hunting can take place on Halloween. Following the changes to the ordinance, the City Council approved one hunting permit. Pick up Your Dog Poop Gem Lake’s animal control ordinance makes the owner of a dog responsible for immediately cleaning up any feces your dog decides to gift to the world. Basically, any owner having custody of a dog on public property, such as a trail or street, has to pick up and dispose of dog poop and has to carry in their possession means for doing so. The same applies if your dog decides to give your neighbor a special gift. City News After Hour Emergency Number for Public Works In the event of a public works emergency after our normal business hours, there is a number you should call. Gem Lake’s normal business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. A public works emergency is defined as a threat to public safety or critical infrastructure. (Not a pothole, or something that can wait.) Examples of an emergency would be a water main break, (please don’t call City of Vadnais Heights), a city sewer line back up or the collapse of a manhole. The phone number to call after business hours is 651-755-9828. The City of Gem Lake has a cooperative agreement with White Bear Township to handle these emergencies. Workshop on Stormwater Scheduled for October 12 (continued from page 1) They presented an extensive and detailed report at the July and August City Council meetings. Various solutions for optimum stormwater flow were presented from the simple to the over the top expensive, involving the construction of swales, driveway and road culverts. It is unclear what course of action, if any, should be taken. A next step that was determined to be potentially very useful involves more communication. To facilitate information flow, the city will sponsor a workshop on the Scheuneman Road Stormwater report on October 12 at Heritage Hall at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Those living in the area of the Golf course are especially encouraged to attend. How Long Can You Keep a Dumpster on Your Property? You cannot keep a dumpster on your property indefinitely, according to a decision made at the September 21 City Council Meeting. The Council decided that expanded language was needed in the City’s Nuisance Ordinance (Ordinance #86) putting a time limit on this, due to several complaints in recent months. The new language says you can keep that dumpster for 30 days in any 12-month period unless the city grants an extension. An exception is made for projects involving a building permit or a home improvement project. In this case the time limit is 120 days.