Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Annually, the City Council hires an <br />accounting firm to audit the books of <br />Gem Lake. The accounting firm <br />gave the city the highest rating <br />allowed under accounting <br />guidelines, and complimented the <br />City Council on how well the <br />finances of the city are being <br />managed. <br /> <br /> The culvert on Tessier Street was <br />rebuilt and improved. Concrete was <br />installed to provide better drainage <br />and infrastructure, so that it will <br />stand up to plowing and garbage <br />trucks for many years. <br /> <br /> Variance Ordinance - With the <br />Minnesota Supreme Court ruling <br />generally against the granting of <br />variances without clearly defined <br />guidelines, the city worked to <br />provide these guidelines. It did so by <br />adopting a very specific Variance <br />Ordinance. <br /> <br /> Garden Overlay Ordinance - The <br />City Council saw the need to adopt <br />rules covering the renting of land for <br />the purpose of gardening, and this <br />became the Garden Overlay <br />Ordinance. This ordinance does not <br />take away the initial, or underlying <br />zoning of the land parcel, but does <br />allow property owners the ability to <br />rent land for gardening. <br /> <br /> Charitable Contributions – The city <br />receives a percentage of the pull tab <br />sales that happen within city limits. <br />For Gem Lake, this refers to sales at <br />the Country Lounge. According to <br />state statute, these funds can be <br />used for certain community oriented <br />purposes. <br /> <br />This past year, the City Council <br />awarded four scholarships of $500 <br />each to graduates of White Bear <br />High School. These four graduates <br />were each residents of Gem Lake <br />and went through an extensive <br />application process to receive the <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Reviews 2011 City Accomplishments (continued from page 1) <br /> <br />funds for post-secondary <br />education. Charitable gambling <br />receipts were also distributed to <br />the White Bear Food Shelf ($500), <br />the Willow Lane Elementary <br />School ($1500), and the Union <br />Gospel Mission (($250). <br /> <br /> Development Incentives – The <br />Gateway Ordinance has a <br />provision to allow the City Council <br />to provide development incentives <br />for developers. The City Council <br />discussed this from time to time <br />during the past year. It also met <br />with a planner to seek ideas for <br />future development and what <br />potential incentives for developers <br />might be, as well as how they <br />might be administered. <br /> <br />The year ahead will bring more challenges <br />to the City Council, particularly in the area <br />of financial management. The economy is <br />still unsettled and property values are still <br />going down, while fixed expenditures are <br />increasing. <br />