12 December 2009 Gem Lake News - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Robert J. Hansen, whose family once owned Summit Dairy in Gem Lake, passed away November 22 from cancer at the age of 62. Rob and his brother Bryan owned a large parcel of land on County Road E in Gem Lake, next to the Tousley Ford dealership. Rob was very involved in the crafting of the new zoning ordinance now in place for Gem Lake’s newly designated Gateway Development Zone, which includes the Hansen land. He was also the mayor of White Bear Lake from 1976 to 1979. He is survived by two children and one grandchild. Good News on 2010 Budget (concluded from page 1) which pays for the cost of sewer operations and maintenance (10.10% of the budget). The total and final 2010 city budget ($613,876) is down 14.36% from 2009. Key changes leading to these budget reductions include: 1. Reduced costs anticipated for development activities in 2010. 2. Refined revenue estimates based on actual 2009 activity and more accurate information regarding 2010 costs. 3. Reduced costs anticipated for legal services; and 4. Reduced costs anticipated for storm water management. Gem Lake's tax rate for 2010 is 33.47%, which is down from the year before. This is partly a reflection of the fact that the city's tax capacity (total value of all property) is also down by 4.6%. The median value of homes in Ramsey County is now $270,800, down from $290,000 a year ago. The 2010 Budget represents many hours of hard work on the part of the mayor, the city council and the city finance director, Jessie Hart. "We are very pleased with the 2010 Budget numbers," says Mayor Bob Uzpen. "We all worked hard to be more efficient and to cut costs where it made sense to do so. Although not everyone is going to see a reduction in the property taxes, at least some people will." Rob Hansen Dies (concluded from page 2) Lorraine’s mother lived in a little house across the street, approximately where the used car dealership is today. “My mother’s house had to be moved to accommodate the new road, which Henry Hoffman did for us. “ Hoffman’s Grocery, which was run by Dick and Shirley Arcand, also noticed a drop in traffic. “Of course, it's always better having the cars running right in front of your store, rather than right behind it,” says Dick. One tragic consequence of the road straightening was an accident that killed Dick’s son Larry, who was about five at the time. Larry had been outside playing with Lorraine’s daughter. He stayed outside an extra minute or two possibly because he didn’t like the egg salad sandwiches that Lorraine was serving the children that day. In that short space of time, Larry was hit by one of the many construction vehicle in the area. “It's strange,” says Lorraine, “I can’t remember how long the project took or exactly when it happened, but I remember those sandwiches.” Highway 61 Make-Over Lorraine Birkeland of White Bear Floral