September 2011 Gem Lake Newsletter

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 City News Page Budget Passed for 2012 A preliminary Gem Lake General Fund budget for 2012 was approved by the City Council at their August 16 meeting. The 2012 budget is anticipated to be $431,887, which includes a General Tax Levy of $274,672 and a Debt Levy of $51,300. This would represent the maximum levy for 2012 and would be refined before final adoption in November of 2011. The total tax levy would be no more than $325,972. The budget includes a draw-down of the city's existing fund balance in the amount of $96,448. The 2012 use of existing fund balance would bring the projected General Fund Balance down to 56.31% of the projected expenditures for next year, which is in line with guidelines from the State of Minnesota about how much money a city should keep in reserves. The property taxes for the General Fund budget are projected to be $6,438 more than the 2011 levy amount. Also on the revenue side, license and permit revenues are estimated to be about the same as 2011, with the exception of one more projected liquor license renewal. Fines and forfeiture are expected to be about the same. On the expense side, several increases are expected, but most items will remain about the same. The estimate for law enforcement services includes a 4.1% increase in costs. Animal control services have also increased by $1,500. The line item for road maintenance is consistent with the 2011 budget, as is the anticipated budget for ice and snow removal. The total Gem Lake budget for 2012 is slightly higher than $431,887, and includes income from other sources than the tax levies. Time to Trim Branches in the Right-of-Way Remember, if your trees have branches that hang over streets or into a public right-of-way, it is your responsibility to trim them back. In previous years, some of Gem Lake's many trees have caused difficulties for snow plows trying to keep our streets clear. If you are in doubt about a particular tree, just give Gem Lake Mayor Bob Uzpen a call. (See page 6 for contact information.) Crime Wave in Gem Lake, Well, Sort of... Ramsey County's periodic summary of crime events in the county usually includes the words "No Incidents" when it comes to Gem Lake. Not so in the most recent report, issued on September 6. This time there were two events in our normally quiet suburb. A car was stolen from the lot at Tousley Ford and recovered later in Vadnais Heights, when a woman found it in her driveway. Turns out she had lent her own car to her new boyfriend and he left the stolen car for her use, without mentioning where it came from. Now she has had to report her own car as stolen, placing a potential strain on her new relationship..... Also, some knuckle-head destroyed several mailboxes on Goose Lake Road, when they were struck hard by a moving vehicle. MS-4 Report is the Subject of A Public Hearing A state mandated report on storm water management, called the MS-4 Report has been completed by council member Jim Lindner and accepted by the State of Minnesota. Jim spent countless volunteer hours trudging all over Gem Lake to document and photograph inflows and outflows in our city, as required by the report. A public hearing on the report was held August 16 during the August City Council Meeting. Although the attendance at this public hearing was a bit on the light side, the subject is an important one. Jim outlined where storm water flows in and out of our city and what happens to it. He also covered the various ways Gem Lake is seeking to educate the public about how each person's actions affect overall water quality in the area.