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11. Community Facilities and Services Plan As stated in Chapter 4 of this plan, Gem Lake residents wish to maintain a low profile government. This would mean providing a minimum of urban services, consistent with the needs of a low density "small town" community. With this in mind, the City of Gem Lake intends to establish long-term service commitments with other governmental units in the area. Given the relatively small ultimate population planned for the community, it would not be cost efficient to maintain separate municipal commitments for many community services. Police Currently, the City receives police protection on a contractual basis from the Ramsey County Sheriff. As the population of Gem Lake increases, there will be a need to increase police surveillance. There is a Ramsey County Sheriff's sub -station located at Gem Lake City Hall which does cause a better patrol presence in the City. Policy: The City of Gem Lake will seek to combine with other governmental units in the area in maintaining and improving upon a high quality sub -regional police force. The City will continue to support the Sheriff's substation at the Gem Lake City Hall. Fire Protection The City of Gem Lake currently contracts with the City of White Bear Lake for fire protection services. These services are currently based on a flat rate, plus a fixed charge per fire occurrence. Policy: The City will seek a longer term commitment with either Vadnais Heights or White Bear Lake for fire protection services. In the future, these services might be charged on an annual basis. The fees could be based on mutually agreed upon criteria, such as assessed property valuation. Road Maintenance Approximately 2.1 miles of roads are currently maintained under Gem Lake jurisdiction. Policy: The City will continue to contract for road maintenance. Professional Assistance There are no full-time employees of the City of Gem Lake. All professional assistance including lawyers, engineers and planners are paid for on the basis of time and materials. The City contracts with White Bear Township for City Administration and other related services. Policies: Legal, engineering and planning assistance will continue to be on a time and materials basis. The contracting of City Administration services by White Bear Township will be continued. Municipal Building Gem Lake recently constructed and opened a City Hall in January of 2008. This structure is a joint project between the City of Gem Lake and White Bear Township. The facility is expected to provide adequate space for the City for the next 20 or more years. SEH 11. community facilities and services plan I page 56