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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 08-19 City Council Meeting MinutesCity of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 1 City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting – August 19, 2025 Meeting Minutes Mayor Gretchen Artig-Swomley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Jim Lindner, Len Cacioppo, Ben Johnson, and Joshua Patrick were present. Also present: City Attorney Martin Norder, City Treasurer Tom Kelly, Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence, Gem Lake business owner Max Vannelli, The Lakes Dispensary, and residents Daniel Epelboim, Tom Bolfing, and Jim Wilson. August 19, 2025, Agenda A motion was introduced by Councilmember Linder to accept the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Minutes A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to approve the July 15, 2025, City Council Meeting minutes. Motion carried 5-0. A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to approve the August 7, 2025, Special City Council Meeting minutes. Motion carried 5-0. A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to accept the August 12, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting Minutes. Motion carried 5-0. Special Presentations/Public Hearings None Consent Agenda Resolution #2025-021 August 2025 Donation to White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf Resolution #2025-022 August 2025 Donation to Willow Lane Elementary Monthly Financial Report(s) Claims All items on the consent agenda were reviewed by the Council. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve all the items listed on the consent agenda, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Committee Reports Planning Commission Chair Don Cummings was unable to attend the meeting but sent the mayor a summary of what happened at the planning commission meeting. The Planning Commission is recommending an update to the Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 and Appendix A. The updates are the result of excellent staff work by TKDA, led by CJ Sycks, and thorough, successive discussions over spring and summer Planning Commission meetings and a Public Hearing. The Commission will be addressing the "Gateway District" portion of the Land Use Ordinance separately in meetings ahead and in conjunction with beginning work on the next round of Comprehensive Plan work. The Planning Commission would also like to strongly endorse the appointment of Daniel Epelboim to the Gem Lake Planning Commission. Mr. Epelboim brings a strong interest in our city's future, a thoughtful style of engagement, and executive level experience in large organizations. He has attended many City Council meetings and most recently Planning Commission meetings related to the Land Use Ordinance. Chair Cummings also wanted to make sure that the city was addressing the recent attempted fraud incident that happened after the last Planning Commission meeting. Old Business Newsletter Updates / Topics / Suggestions The August edition of the Newsletter has been printed and mailed. Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence has been working on putting stories into the next edition of the Newsletter to get it started. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 2 Code Enforcement Issues Discussion All code enforcement issues have been resolved at the moment for the one property located along Scheuneman Road. Potential Water System Planning along Labore Road/Goose Lake Road At the July City Council meeting the Council approved SEH to begin the planning phase of the project. Obtaining soil borings is the first step that SEH is taking. The more shovel ready the city is with the project the better opportunity the city has at receiving funding and start the next phase of planning and public hearing. New Business 1599 County Road E East – Conditional Use Permit for a Wall Mounted Illuminated Sign The applicant is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) for 1599 County Road E East to erect an illuminated sign on the wall of The Lakes Dispensary. Roger Vannelli is the applicant and owner of the business. The sign is proposed to be 24 feet long by 5 feet tall with the text “The Lakes Dispensary” and a logo on the left-hand side of the text. The lighting is to be illuminated internally by LED tubing. Signage is regulated by Ordinance 131, Consolidated Land Use Ordinance Section 19. Sign permits are required and are typically issued administratively. Section 19.5.2.4 outlines the standards for Illuminated signs and states, “Application for approval of lighting or electronic features shall be made in the manner of a conditional use permit, using the procedure stated at Section 17.5 of this Ordinance.” Section 17.5 outlines the procedures for Conditional Use Permits. Conditional use permits are reviewed by staff, reviewed by the Planning commission at a Public Hearing, and forwarded to the City Council with a recommendation for action. 1599 County Road E East is located in the Neighborhood Center Sub-Zone of the Gateway District. The property is located at the intersection of Scheuneman Road and County Road E East. The building also includes Al’s Gun Shop. Ryan Podewils Properties LLC owns the property. The parcel is 0.52 acres in size and addressed 1601 County Road E East County GIS, however the southern building is considered 1599 Country Road E East. The Planning Commission reviewed the request during a public hearing on 8/12/25. The Commission discussed the impact of “soft, low lumen, LED lamps" on the surrounding areas and evaluated the criteria. The Planning Commission recommends approval of the requested Conditional Use Permit Amendment for 1599 County Road E East, with the following conditions: 1. The Applicant is permitted to install an illuminated sign in the size and to the dimensions proposed, consistent with the plans received by the City on July 22, 2025, and reviewed with this request. 2. The Applicant shall obtain all necessary local permits prior to construction, including but not limited to building, electrical, and sign. 3. The Applicant shall adhere to all other applicable local, state, and federal requirements. 4. The Applicant shall pay all fees and escrows associated with this request. Resolution #2025-023 Approving CUP for The Lakes Dispensary Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the resolution #2025-023 with the conditions listed above, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Ordinance No. 131 – Sections 5-10, 16 Amendments and Appendix A Definitions Update The Planning Commission and City Planner reviewed the City’s zoning ordinance, referred to as the Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131. Updating Ordinance No. 131 will increase zoning and permitting clarity among residents of Gem Lake. Amending the existing language and formatting will enhance the ease of use of the ordinance. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 3 The Commission began discussing proposed updates and providing staff guidance on further improvements to the Ordinance and its appendix of definitions in June 2025. At a public hearing on August 12, 2025, the Planning Commission discussed the Ordinance updates for a third time and recommend adoption of the proposed Ordinance. Ordinance No. 131 was enacted in 2017, replacing Ordinance No. 43K (Zoning Ordinance). There are 30 Sections within Ord. No. 131. The definitions are found in Appendix A. The first four sections of Ordinance No. 131 provide a background to the purpose of the document and the related rules. Maps are provided to visualize each zoning district. Each zoning district is described in individual sections (section 5 through section 10), including the district purpose, permitted uses, and lot regulations. Concerns with the current ordinance include inconsistent formatting, combining conditional and interim uses, frequent back referencing, and unclearness. Amendments were made to provide clarity on permitting within each zoning district. This includes updated formatting, language, and division of sections, as well as the minor changes of writing conventions. To better understand the progress of these revisions since June 2025, please review the Planning Commission meeting minutes and packets. The restructuring of Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 and clarification on Conditional vs Interim Uses was addressed. The changes can be found in the City Council Packet located on the city’s website or at Heritage Hall upon request. Appendix A included some additions to relevant definitions. This proposed update to Ordinance No. 131 focuses on enhancing clarity surrounding the permitted, accessory, conditional, and interim uses in each residential district. Additional changes proposed go hand- in-hand with this focus, such as structure setbacks. Staff recommends that additional desired Ordinance No. 131 updates be done concurrently with the upcoming Imagine 2050 Comprehensive Planning process. Updating the Comprehensive Plan and Ordinance 131 at the same time will ensure consistency between the two documents and ensure the City’s mission and goals are being accurately and effectively carried out. If additional and substantial changes to Ordinance 131 are desired, Staff will begin making note of those sections. The Metropolitan Council adopted the Imagine 2050 regional development guide. The City of Gem Lake will need to begin their comprehensive planning process at the start of the new year. A comprehensive plan update often requires updating the zoning ordinance to reflect any changes in future land use designations, allowable uses, etc. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the amendments to Ordinance No. 131 and Appendix A updates, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. VLAWMO Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for City Council Consideration A memo from VLAWMO Administrator, Phil Belfiori, summarized how VLAWMO is working to update its Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) in conjunction with its work to develop the 2027-2036 Watershed Management Plan. The current JPA was adopted in 2016 and will expire on December 31, 2026. While the current JPA will not expire until next year, VLAWMO determined the concurrent review and update of the JPA, and the Watershed Management Plan is the most efficient and will help ensure the documents are properly aligned. VLAWMO staff would respectfully request City Council consideration and action on the JPA by Friday, September 26, 2025, if possible. This timing would allow for best “fit” and alignment with the anticipated timing with the upcoming VLAWMO Board consideration of the next version of the VLAWMO Watershed Management Plan later this Fall /Early Winter. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 4 Resolution #2025-024 Approving a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for the Continued Operation of the Vadnais Lakes Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve resolution #2025-024, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. City Clerk Position Mayor Artig-Swomley shared with the Council and those in attendance an overview of the hiring process for the new City Clerk. There were 18 applicants, with 4 withdrawing their application for various reasons. 9 of those applicants were given a Microsoft Teams interview by the mayor and current Acting City Clerk, and of those 9 applicants, 4 moved on to the in-person interviews conducted by the mayor, current Acting City Clerk, and City Treasurer, Tom Kelly. The mayor discussed with each Councilmember individually before the meeting on who to offer the position to. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to hire the applicant suggested by Mayor Artig-Swomley, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Gem Lake Trail Policy The purpose of the Gem Lake Trail policy is to establish consistent guidelines for the use and maintenance of the public trail. The guidelines were established by City Staff and White Bear Township Public Works recommendations. The policy and procedures related to such use and maintenance are contained in the following statement: The City of Gem Lake intends to create an inviting environment for all Gem Lake residents and non- residents that come to use the public trail. The city has a responsibility to maintain the trail as it sees fit to encourage use and maintain public health and safety. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to adopt the Gem Lake Trail Policy, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Cancellation of September Planning Commission Meeting Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that the planning commission would like to cancel their September meeting and pick back up in October on the first Tuesday of each month. Mayor Artig-Swomley agreed that it would be ok to cancel the September meeting if nothing comes up. Application for Planning Commission and Approval of Alternate Mayor Artig-Swomley again summarized the planning commissions endorsement of Daniel Epelboim to the Planning Commission. This applicant will replace the member that was appointed at the February City Council meeting but failed to make an appearance at all the meetings that took place in 2025. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to appoint the addition of Daniel Epelboim to the Planning Commission beginning with the October 7, 2025, meeting, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Future Charitable Gambling Donations White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf Mayor Artig-Swomley suggested that the Council make a donation in September in the amount of $1,500.00 to the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to request a donation in the amount of $1500.00 for the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0. Community Outreach to Other Cities and Government Bodies Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that the recent meeting with the City of Vadnais Heights went well. A compromise is being worked out regarding the rate at the Villas of Gem Lake and the new unit being built along Labore Road is a chance to work with Vadnais Heights and bring water down Labore Road. More information will be forthcoming. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes August 19, 2025 5 Presentations from the Public, 2 Minutes Maximum Resident Tom Bolfing brought up the recent power outages in Gem Lake and the correlation between the trees along the easements that need to be trimmed to help prevent future power outages. Open Items for Council Members to Bring Up None Future Council Meetings City Council, Tuesday, September 16, 2025. City Council Workshop, Monday, September 8, 2025, is CANCELED. Attendance Inquiry At this time, Councilmember Lindner is the only one that will not be in attendance at the September meeting. Adjournment Being there no further business, following a motion from Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo, the meeting adjourned at 7:34 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Lawrence