HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 Vol 16, Issue 7 November Gem Lake NewsSpecial Interest
Articles:
• Future Water Plans
• Recycling Hauler
Change
• City News, Page 4
Scheduled Recycling
Dates:
• November 9
• November 23
• December 7
• December 21
Future Water Options Discussed at Summit
The status of Gem Lake’s private wells, the
possibility of a municipal water system and the
investigation into the source of sporadic well
contamination within city limits were all discussed at
the Gem Lake Water Summit, held September 12
at Heritage Hall.
Approximately 30 people attended the event, which
began with a report from the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) on efforts to quantify the
amount and source of some contamination of the
chemical 1,4 dioxane that has shown up in
approximately 22 wells. According to Tim Grape of
MPCA, progress has been made on locating a
possible source and more information will be
available in the next few months. In the meantime,
the agency plans to do another round of well testing
of affected wells and possibly those that were
showing very slight traces of the chemical in
question, but were not over the state allowed limit in
terms of parts per billion.
(Continued on page 2)
Gem Lake Loses a Jewel – Lorraine Birkeland
Lorraine Birkeland, whose family owns White Bear
Floral and who was perhaps Gem Lake’s oldest
resident, passed away on September 9 at the age
of 98. Lorraine also had the distinction of being
Gem Lake’s longest-term resident.
She was born in 1923 and moved to Gem Lake
from St. Paul in 1932 when she was nine years old.
These were some of the darkest days of the Great
Depression. Her father, Henry Wohletz, had moved
the family to the area to start a greenhouse. Local
businessman Henry Hoffman, of Hoffman’s Corner
fame, sold them 4 acres so they could embark on
their dream of a better future. Lorraine said she
never forgot his generosity. Hoffman allowed
Lorraine and her family, which also included her
mother Elizabeth and her sister Esther, to live rent
free in one of his houses for a whole year, while the
business got off the ground.
(Continued on page 3)
Gem Lake News
November 2022 | Volume 16 | Issue 7 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor
Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6
Future Water Options Discussed at Water Summit
(Continued from page 1)
The MPCA plans to conduct well testing over the course
of the next several years, so they can monitor whether
the pollution is increasing, decreasing or moving around.
In the meantime, the city has spent the year looking at
what their options might be. These options could include
installing a city-wide municipal water system, installing a
smaller more targeted municipal water system in the
area where wells have been affected, or doing nothing
for now. Homeowners affected by the contamination
could drill new wells or install sophisticated water
filtration systems.
The process leading up to the Water Summit on
September 12 began with the commissioning of a
comprehensive municipal water study. That study was
meant to evaluate what options are available for
obtaining water from a neighboring city, should it become
necessary, and how the system might be implemented.
Over the course of the year, SEH, the city’s engineering
firm, also studied possible sources of funding to put in a
municipal water system.
The total study detailed three potential sources for
obtaining municipal water, The City of White Bear Lake,
White Bear Township, and Vadnais Heights, all of which
border Gem Lake. The study concluded that a viable
system that could supply the entire city efficiently is
possible, from an engineering perspective, from these
neighbors. The ballpark cost of a system from either
White Bear Township or the City of White Bear Lake was
estimated at between $11-$12 Million. This is the real
and actual current figure for putting in a city-wide system,
absent of any grants or loan programs that might be
tapped into. The Water Study also explores additional
potential options of providing safe, reliable sources of
water within the City, with a goal of prioritizing those
areas with known well water contamination and the
areas with a higher likelihood for potential future well
water issues.
The goal would be to feed these smaller, localized water
service areas by the nearest surrounding community’s
distribution system to limit project costs and
complexities.
The Engineering Firm SEH mapped out three priority
service areas in Gem Lake’s northwestern section,
where most of the contamination exists, and described
prices and options for each of these areas. These more
targeted options could cost between $367,021 and
$3,478,076, depending upon the number of households
served, and where the water would be coming from.
At the Water Summit, experts from SEH detailed several
state and federal sources for grants and loans and raised
the possibility that any viable responsible party that
created the pollution could be called on to contribute to
the cost of the mitigation.
It was pointed out that the lead time for getting state and
federal grants is very long and the application process
can be a bit overwhelming. A 12-18 month application
process is not unusual. They suggested the city might
start an application in early spring of 2023, even if they
later withdraw it in the event they decide not to install
municipal water anywhere in Gem Lake.
Action items decided upon at the Water Summit were to
encourage cooperation with the MPCA to conduct all
necessary well testing as soon as possible. Also, it was
decided that a survey might be appropriate. This survey
would be sent out to all well owners in the city to
determine their thoughts on municipal water versus
private wells, based on various cost scenarios. The
numbers provided in this article on the cost of various
options are based on current costs without outside
funding.
Here are a couple of the questions that came up at the
summit:
1. If a viable responsible party is found regarding
our contamination problem, what does that
mean? Answer: Depends. The MPCA starts with
clean-up of the problem and works from there.
Sometimes Super Fund money is tapped into to
help. We will know more by the end of the year.
2. Would every citizen of the city have to pay for a
municipal water system, even if it is only installed
in one neighborhood? Answer: No.
Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6
Gem Lake Loses a Jewel –
Lorraine Birkeland
(Continued from page 1)
“In those days, no one had a dime,” said Lorraine. “He
stood out as a kind and generous man.”
Thanks in part to his help, the Wohletz family survived
their disastrous first year in Gem Lake. In the midst of
economic conditions that are unmatched in history,
their small glass greenhouse was destroyed by hail. “I
don’t know where we would have been without him—
and we weren’t the only ones he helped,” said Lorraine.
That legacy of generosity helped them survive and
thrive through the following 90 years! And, for much of
that time, Lorraine worked at the business on a daily
basis. Lorraine married Arthur Birkeland and had two
children, Cindy and John. They lived next door to the
greenhouse and Lorraine often tended children while
working at the family business. (Arthur died in 1988.)
Some changes in the business happened in the early
1950’s when the state did a major realignment of
Highway 61. Formerly the highway ran right in front of
White Bear Floral on what is now called Hoffman Road.
It then curved around and ran in front of the soon to be
extinct Village Restaurant, and then back behind White
Bear Rental on what is also now called Hoffman Road.
The road was so curvy that many accidents resulted.
The State of Minnesota was determined to make the
road safer to travel and created the current highway
path in what had formerly been cornfields.
One major consequence of the Highway 61
straightening was to reroute traffic away from a major
part of the Gem Lake business district and in front of a
new car dealership called Tousley Ford. While Tousley
Ford (which opened after the construction project) was
later happy, the owners of the Hoffman’s Corner
businesses, such as White Bear Floral, were not quite
as overjoyed.
“We saw a drop off in traffic,” said Lorraine. “It wasn’t
right away, but within 6-8 months, it was apparent that
things had changed.”
However, the business survived and thrived. Until a few
years ago, Lorraine was a daily fixture at the business,
tending to plants and waiting on customers. A bad fall
within her home slowed things down as she recovered.
Lorraine’s son gave her a grand send off with a
celebration of her life, held on September 30 at the
greenhouse. The service included numerous funny
stories about Lorraine and lunch for all attendees. She
will be greatly missed within the community!!
Republic Services Now Gem
Lake Recycling Hauler
By now you should have received your new 95 gallon
recycling bin from Republic Services. Republic is now
the official recycling hauler for the City of Gem Lake.
The first pick-up occurred October 26, and then every
other Wednesday thereafter. Please note that this is a
calendar switch from our former recycling hauler,
Waste Management, who would have picked up the
following Wednesday.
If you find you need a second Republic Services bin, no
problem. Call or email Melissa Lawrence at Heritage
Hall and she will take care of your request. Also, your
green and yellow recycling bin from Waste
Management should have been picked up the week of
October 17. If it is still sitting at the end of your
driveway, please let us know.
Election Day is November 8
If you live in Gem Lake, you don’t need to search
around for information on where your polling place is -
we only have one. Heritage Hall is located at 4200
Otter Lake Road. It will be open for voting from 7:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. These are standard voting hours all
through Minnesota.
In addition to state and county elections, Gem Lake has
two city council positions on the ballot. The candidates
for the two spots are Jim Lindner and Len Cacioppo.
Gem Lake shares this building with White Bear
Township as a polling place. Because of that, the
parking lot can get crowded at times. However, you will
typically be able to get in and out very quickly. Happy
Election Day!
Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6
City News
MS4 Public Hearing Held in September
A public hearing was held on September 20 on Gem
Lake’s annual MS4 report, which is a mandatory
document required by state law, covering stormwater
flow within city borders. At the public hearing, an
overview of Gem Lake’s stormwater situation and
anything that would have impacted it in the previous
year was presented. The report is now on file at
Heritage Hall and available to anyone who wants to
read more about it.
What is an MS4 and what does it mean to be
compliant? MS4 stands for “Municipal Separate Storm
Sewer System” shortened to the “M” and four “S’s” for a
catchy acronym that is all about managing runoff from
storm events. An MS4 is a government entity such as a
city, county, or other governmental entity, that is
charged with the responsibility of preventing the spread
of pollution. MS4 falls under the direction of another
acronym NPDES, the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System. NPDES traces its origins to the
1992 Clean Water Act that was designed to protect the
nation’s water supply.
Septic Inspection Required with Property Sale
If you sell or transfer ownership of your property in Gem
Lake, you are required to have a compliance inspection
done on your septic system by a qualified septic
inspector. A certificate of compliance on the septic
system must be submitted to Gem Lake’s city clerk for
any system that is more than five years old. There are
some exceptions. For instance, if you are selling a
property with no buildings or plumbing fixtures on it, a
compliance certificate is not required. Contact the city
clerk for a copy of Gem Lake’s ordinance on this
matter, or for more information about Ordinance 67D,
which covers private septic systems.
Gem Lake Has a Facebook Page
Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence has designed and
published a Facebook page for the City of Gem Lake.
The address is: www.facebook.com/CityofGemLakeMN
The Facebook pages focuses primarily on special
announcements and news items, events, etc. It is
intended to compliment rather than replace the city
web-site. Please check it out and “like” and “follow” the
page. We are also looking for a few appropriate Gem
Lake photos. Your feedback is welcome!
Changes to Dog Ordinance
Several changes were made to Gem Lake’s Domestic
Animal Ordinance. There is now a $50 fine if a person
fails to pick up their dog’s waste on public or private
property other than their own. There is also now a $50
fine if a dog owner fails to get a license for their pet.
See Ordinance No. 140 Domestic Animals for more
information.
Food Shelf Donations Made by City
Two large donations were made to the White Bear Area
Emergency Food Shelf by the City of Gem Lake. The
City Council approved two checks for $1,000 each, one
in September and one in October. The contributions
are made possible by charitable gambling within city
limits. In Gem Lake’s case it results from pull-tab sales
at the Country Lounge.
Truth in Taxation Hearing
There will be a “Truth in Taxation” Public Hearing to
cover Gem Lake’s proposed 2023 Annual Budget. You
are invited to attend on December 20, 2022 at 7:00
p.m. This hearing will be held during the regular City
Council Meeting, which takes place on the third
Tuesday of each month.
Because Gem Lake now has a population of over 500,
Minnesota State Law requires that there be such a
hearing and that all citizens and interested parties have
a chance to review and comment on the proposed final
budget, you are invited to attend.
Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6
County Road E Corridor Project Works to Renew Area
The County Road E Corridor, between Centerville Road
to the west, and Century Avenue on the east, has
enormous potential for revitalization, placemaking and
serves as a catalyst for future development in the area.
The cities of White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and
Gem Lake have been working with subject matter
experts, elected officials, and community members to
inform and guide future development along the corridor
through a series of community workshops and
discussions.
The outcome of the process will be to produce a
community-tailored action plan to include near,
medium, and long-term goals and action steps. The
goal of the action plan is to serve as a tool to attract
private investment through development and
infrastructure improvements.
To date, the project team has held 6 workshops:
Workshop I: Gather Information – September 14,
2022
Kickoff to the Co. Rd. E Action Plan. Representatives
from White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights and Gem Lake
introduced the project and spoke a bit about what the
goals and objectives were for each community and the
corridor as a whole. Presentations were then provided
by land use and transportation planning experts to help
frame the discussion, and questions were posed to
those in attendance:
• What is important and unique about County
Road E Corridor?
• What are the concerns about future
development, and what can be achieved?
Workshop II A - C: Exploring Development Options
- The Block Exercise
Neighbors joined in interactive workshops to create
development scenarios for key sites along the County
Road E Corridor. Land use and design experts were on
hand to share ideas and insights. Sites were divided by
city among three workshops:
A. Vadnais Heights sites, September 28, 2022.
B. White Bear Lake sites, September 29, 2022.
C. Gem Lake sites, October 5, 2022.
Gem Lake – Exploring Development Options, ‘The
Block [tabletop] Exercise’
On October 5, community members gathered for a
hands-on workshop to create potential redevelopment
scenarios for two sites along County Road E in the City
of Gem Lake.
Redevelopment Scenario Sites
Site 1: Parcel east of Daniels Farm Road and north of
County Rd E (18 acres)
Site 2: South of Co Rd E and West of Hwy 61 (12
acres).
Meeting Summary from the Report
Participants split into two groups and spent time
considering each site, brainstorming plans for its
redevelopment – including options such as new housing,
commercial space, light industrial space, and community
amenities. Groups created and named development
scenarios and a housing finance expert provided
feedback on the proposed development’s financial
feasibility, offering strategies a developer might pursue
to create a successful development.
A detailed copy of the County Road E Corridor Report
for the Gem Lake Tabletop Exercise is available.
Workshop III: Developer Panel Discussion October
12, 2022
A panel of developers with a range of expertise explored
the opportunities and challenges of potential redevelop
options. This discussion invited real estate professionals
to provide insights on what types of development are
likely for some key opportunity sites along the County
Road E corridor, and to think about ways to create a
more cohesive and connected corridor, while preserving
the uniqueness of each city. Panelists invited included:
• Jeff Salzbrun, Commercial Equities Group
• Todd Stutz, Robert Thomas Homes/RT Urban
Homes
• Leanna M. Stefaniak, Esq, At Home
Apartments, LLC
• Max Musicant, The Musicant Group
• Mikeya Griffin, Rondo Community Land Trust
• Marty O’Connell, MWF Properties
Workshop IV: Framing Recommendations
October 26, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St N
Contribute to the creation of development of the County
Road E Corridor action plan recommendations, which
will be submitted to a Project Team of local government
and private partners for consideration.
This summary was written by City Councilm ember Ben
Johnson, who is also Gem Lake’s official representative
on this project team. Feel free to reach out to him with
any questions or comments at
ben.johnson@gemlakemn.org.
The City of Gem Lake
Phone:
(651) 747-2790
Fax
(651)-747-2795
City Hall Address:
4200 Otter Lake Road
Gem Lake, MN 55110
General E-mail:
city@gemlakemn.org
Newsletter E-mail:
Gretchen.artig-
swomley@gemlakemn.org
This newsletter is also posted
on the city’s website under the
“Documents” section and the
“News and Updates” section.
www.gemlakemn.org
After Hours Public Works
Emergency Number:
651-755-9828
(For water main breaks, main
city sewer back up, collapse of
manhole, etc. Or call 911)
Meetings: November and December 2022
The following Gem Lake
meeting will be held in the
months of September and
October. All meetings are
held at Heritage Hall
unless otherwise indicated.
See also the Gem Lake
website for more
information.
November 9, 2022
Planning Commission
Meeting at 7:00p.m.
November 14, 2022
City Council Workshop is
CANCELED
November 15, 2022
City Council Meeting at
7:00 p.m.
December 12 , 2022
City Council Workshop is
CANCELED
December 13, 2022
Planning Commission
Meeting at 7:00p.m.
December 20, 2022
City Council Meeting at
7:00 p.m.
Your Gem Lake City Council
Mayor:
Gretchen Artig-Swomley
Email: gretchen.artig-
swomley@gemlakemn.org
City Council Members:
Laurel Amlee
Email: laurel.hynes-
amlee@gemlakemn.org
Len Cacioppo
Email: len.cacioppo
@gemlakemn.org
Ben Johnson
Email: ben.johnson
@gemlakemn.org
Jim Lindner
Email: jim.lindner
@gemlakemn.org
You can also reach each
City Councilmember by
calling 651-747-2790. After
hours you can follow the
prompts for the City
Council directory.
CITY OF GEM LAKE
4200 Otter Lake Road
Gem Lake, MN 55110