11 November 2009 Gem Lake News - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 New Ordinance Regulates Peddlers . The Gem Lake City Council passed a new city ordinance on October 19 regulating door-to-door sales, or peddling. Ordinance #111 requires that peddlers and transient merchants engaged in for-profit activities must obtain a license from the city in order to offer merchandise for sale on a door-to-door basis. Solicitors of future orders on behalf of a for-profit company would have to register with the city but would not have to obtain a license. Canvassers and people engaged in door-to-door advocacy of political, social or religious organizations or causes would be exempt from registration, but professional fundraisers for any of these causes would still have to register. A property owner would be entitled to put up a “No Solicitors” sign denying entry to any uninvited peddler, solicitor, canvasser or advocate of any kind. (See story on page one for guidelines on how to placard your own property.) The new ordinance was the subject of a public hearing on October 19 and had also been discussed at previous city council meetings. Pigeon Owners Must Comply With New Regulations If you keep a flock of carrier or racing pigeons on your Gem Lake property, please take note. Standards and conditions for pigeon facilities and their maintenance are now covered by a new city ordinance. Gem Lake City Ordinance #110 was the subject of a public hearing last month and was passed by the city council on October 19. A city license is now required for property owners who want to keep pigeons. The ordinance allows for a maximum of 120 pigeons during peak season, and 90 at other times of the year. Only one license is allowed per property. Full Newsletter Now Available Electronically This monthly newsletter is now available electronically. If you would like to receive it each month as a pdf.file, you can do so by contacting Gem Lake City Secretary, Jean Reiter. Her contact information is listed on page 6 of this newsletter. You can chose to receive both the printed and electronic versions, but keep in City News Page mind that you can save some of your very own money by eliminating your printed and mailed copy. New Signage Ordinance Becomes Official A new ordinance regulating the construction and maintenance of signage in Gem Lake was passed by the city council on October 19. Existing signs are grandfathered into the new ordinance, although there are now more clearly defined guidelines on how both new and existing signs must be maintained. Ordinance #109 has been the subject of several public hearings over the past few months and has received a great deal of comment and feedback from the public and from the Gem Lake Planning Commission, which was in charge of the project. The ordinance was drafted with the expert assistance of city attorney Trevor Oliver. It has been updated to deal with more current technology, such as electronic message centers, illuminated signs and signs with moveable copy. Public Hearing on 2010 Budget A public hearing on the Gem Lake 2010 Budget will be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 17 at Heritage Hall. A preliminary budget for next year has been approved by the city council, but a final budget must be completed no later than December 15, per state law. Cities under 500 in population are not required to hold a public hearing, but Gem Lake Mayor Bob Uzpen scheduled the meeting in the interests of citizen communication. You are encouraged to attend. Military Families Take Note Do you have a Gem Lake family member currently in the active military? We would like to profile your soldier/family member in an upcoming Gem Lake News. Please email newsletter editor Gretchen Artig- Swomley (gretchenas@comcast.net.)