2014 Vol. 8 issue 6 November - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 Ordinance Changes After diligent work by the Planning Commission several significant ordinance changes were finalized and approved by the Gem Lake City Council. The Gateway Ordinance, which covers the business district, was rewritten slightly to allow for an appendix that covers permitted uses. The ordinance number was changed from #107A to #107B.The modification allows the city council to approve special business uses under a conditional use permit under certain circumstances. Ordinance #69, which covers pets in Gem Lake was amended to ensure that service animals were not counted as pets and don’t come into plan when maximum permitted pets per household are calculated. Also the procedures for dealing with nuisance pets were refined. 2014 Gem Lake Accomplishments: The Mayor Weighs In The following is information from Bob Uzpen regarding activities in 2014 and goals for 2015. 2014 was a very challenging year. The city struggled to stay within its expense budget and was able to come very close. The Sheriff’s Department pulled out of our agreement with them to supply a receptionist. This resulted in the city using temps while we looked for a replacement for our former city secretary, who retired. This cost of this ate up any excess funds we achieved in 2014. Starting in December, the city has now hired a receptionist who will work 30 hours a week at Heritage Hall. The 2015 Budget is finalized and is much improved and refined from the preliminary budget, which was turned into the County in September, according to State Law. The city worked hard to refine budget figures and come up with a total budget that meets our needs without placing undue burden on property owners. The City Council continues to work on VWALMO in efforts to clean up the pollution in Gem Lake. This will affect the business district in the city, as studies show that this is where most of the . City News Page Pollution originates. The accounting firm of CliftonLarsonAllen audited the financial condition of the city. The city received a satisfactory rating, stating that the city is in a strong financial position, with adequate reserves. City water has been requested in the Hoffman Road area of the city. A large amount of work has gone into working with the City Engineer to create documents to apply for grant money for soil evaluation. Grant money is also being sought for infrastructure re-development. This process will continue through 2015 with the hope of obtaining grant money to pay for some of the work. In order to help redevelopment in the Hoffman Road area of the city and match the redevelopment plan that the city worked on, the Gateway Ordinance, that covers that area was improved, so developers will have a clear picture of what the city is looking to accomplish. Looking Ahead to 2015 The City Council believes that 2015 will be more of the same from the previous four years and will work hard to control expenses, provide the necessary services, and position ourselves for the future, while protecting what makes Gem Lake unique. In 2015 special goals will be to complete a water contract with W hite Bear Lake, begin construction to bring water to the Hoffman Road area, if feasibility studies show the idea is reasonable and the public hearings are supportive of the project, and then develop a plan to provide city water to the businesses on County Road E and Scheuneman Road. Feasibility Study Authorized The Gem Lake City Council authorized SEH, which acts as the city engineer, to begin a feasibility study as soon as possible. This feasibility study will look at whether it is economically and technically feasible to bring municipal water to parts of Gem Lake’s business district. This study will be completed in several months, and is the required first step in state controlled process for bringing additional city services to a district.