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Gem' lake; Hs P' 30 8 <br />The Minnesota Senator who represents: Gem Lake was <br />recently recognized for her leadership skills. Senator <br />Heather Gustafson was named as a 2823 Legislator of <br />Distinction by the League of Minnesota Cities. <br />The League named many accomplishments by <br />Gustafson that lead to the award. For instance, she <br />authored the Public Safety Aid Bill in 2.23, which <br />provided $21.[} Million in assistance to cities and then <br />assured that the final bill aided all. 855 cities. She was <br />recognized as being critical to achieving local -zoning <br />authority for Minnesota cities as part of the legalization <br />of adult -use cannabis, authoring an. amendment to <br />provide for local license limiting authority and zoning. <br />The League of Minnesota Cities specifically stated their <br />appreciation of Gustafson's awareness of -city needs. <br />Senator Gustafson was a guest speaker at the October <br />21 Gem Lake City Council meeting, during which she <br />was able to discuss the Public Safety Aid Bill in more <br />detail. She.also.touched briefly on other legislative <br />accomplishments and plans for the year ahead. <br />Thank you Senator Gustafson!. <br />r �S� � �x � _ � '; � z�±.r fill <br />i - <br />7 '1 " ? 'j" <br />The Ramsey County Commissioner who represents <br />Gem Lake was a guest speaker at the August 15 Gem <br />Lake City Council Meeting. She took the opportunity. to <br />bring Council members and guests up.to date..on county <br />initiatives that affect Gem Lake. <br />These. 'include programs such, as: <br />• Appropriate Response Initiatives <br />■ Food Scraps Pick Up <br />Affordable Housing <br />■. Non public Safety Traffic Stops <br />For instance, there is a pilot project now underway in <br />Ramsey County to decide at the point of a 911 call, <br />whether the response should include: police officers, <br />social workers or a combination of the two. It is currently <br />in a test phase, with full roll out expected in the coming. <br />year. <br />There is also an exciting new initiative in which <br />households can dispose of food scraps in: their trash pick= <br />up, by. using a special food scraps disposal bag. This bag <br />will be sorted out of the rest of the trash at the trash <br />processing site and composted properly, thus keeping it <br />out of the landfill. This program is. also in a pilot testing <br />phase and is.expected to he rolled out in the Next few <br />years in both Ramsey and. Washington Counties. To <br />participate; a household would order special disposal <br />bags online for weekly use in theregular trash pick-up. <br />For more information, go to <br />https:llfoodscraPspicku q: coml. <br />Frethern also detaiied:the Housing and.Redevelopment <br />Authority (HDA) Levy on property tax bills that will go <br />towards.Affordable.Housing Initiatives within the :county.. <br />The levy was instituted to.insure an. increasing supply of <br />affordable housing and creating deeper affordability <br />levels through down payment assistance, Ramsey <br />County has also worked on .creating what they call <br />"critical corridors" for affordable housing opportunitles. <br />Frethem touched on changes that are being initiated in <br />non-public safety traffic stops, Ramsey County Attorney <br />John Choi has elected to decline .filing:charges stemming <br />from searches related to pretextual stops. Various area <br />jurisdictions have stopped enforcing violations that are <br />related to nonpublic. safety traffic stops, such as expired <br />license tabs. <br />