HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 Vol 15, Issue 6 October Gem Lake NewsOctober, 2021
Volume 15, Issue 6 Gem Lake News
Special Interest
Articles:
•Well Situation
•City Budget for
2022
•City News, Page 4
Upcoming Recycling
Dates:
•October 6
•October 20
•November 3
•Tip: put out
your bin the
night before
for 7 a.m.
pick-up.
Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host a
Zoom call for Gem Lake residents who wish to learn
the latest information available on city wells that have
shown slight contamination from a chemical
substance called 1,4 Dioxane.
A total of 15 wells in a small area of Gem Lake have
shown traces of this substance. Although this
presents a low health risk to humans, it is still
concerning. The MPCA has been working closely with
the city to determine the source of the contamination.
They are hosting the call at the city’s request on
Thursday October 14 at 7:00 p.m.
It is thought the organization will be able to present
the very latest information on testing that has been
conducted in various areas of the city, and around the
Water Gremlin site, which is located in nearby White
Bear Township. There is no data that currently
connects Water Gremlin with this well problem,
although no conclusions have been reached yet.
(Continued on page 3)
Meeting on Gem Lake Well Situation is Oct. 14
A Gem Lake Workshop on Stormwater Flow on
Scheuneman Road has been scheduled for October 12
at 7:00 p.m. at Heritage Hall. You are invited to attend.
After epic snowfall several years ago caused some
flooding issues on Scheuneman Road, the Gem Lake
City Council decided to hire the engineering firm SEH to
study the matter. The goal was to determine if anything
could be done to easier improve water flow in the future.
The firm SEH did fairly extensive mapping of the area
and took into account that the streets are semi-rural,
mostly without curbs and gutter systems, some houses
are older and are at grade level and the topography of
generations ago generally still exists.
(Continued on page 4)
Stormwater Workshop on October 12
Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6
The preliminary budget for Gem Lake covering
2021 was passed at the September 21 City
Council Meeting. State statutes require Cities to
certify their preliminary property tax levies by
September 30th this year. Once the preliminary
property tax levy is approved and certified to the
County Auditor, the City can lower the levy during
the remaining budget process but cannot exceed
the certified preliminary levy. For this reason,
most Cities certify a preliminary levy using worst-
case budget scenarios, which is the case with the
2022 preliminary property levy and budget.
The 2022 preliminary property tax levy is proposed
at $588,063, which is a 9.24% increase over 2021
certified preliminary property tax levy. The 2022
preliminary property tax levy consists of a debt
levy of $87,285 (a decrease from 2021 preliminary
debt levy of $2,656) and the general operating levy
of $500,778 (an increase of 11.69% over 2021
preliminary tax levy).
Here are a few notables for 2022:
•Police budget was increased 10.85% to
$95,000 based on the City of White Bear
Lake’s budget.
•The cost of fire services could increase
14.40% to $29,343.
•Road Maintenance budget includes
$20,000 for trimming boulevard trees.
Salt/sand remain at $17,000 and snow
plowing contract increased from $18,500
to $20,000.
•Included a park maintenance budget of
$5,000 for maintaining the trail area.
•The 2022 budget includes $25,000 for
future improvements.
•Revenue and other expenditure line items
adjusted based on past history.
•The 2022 budget includes $25,000 for
future improvements.
•Revenue and other expenditure line items
adjusted based on past history.
These changes result in the City proposed
preliminary tax levy of $588,063 for 2022. This
compares to 2021 preliminary levy of $538,308
and 2021 final levy of $535,476. The final budget
will be approved at the December council meeting.
Due to the City having just passed 500 in
population, we are now required to hold a “Truth
in Taxation” hearing between November 24-
December 28. That hearing will be held at the
December City Council Meeting on December
21 at 7:00 p.m. Please feel free to attend the
meeting and ask any questions.
Building Improvements at
City Hall
Over the past several months, numerous
improvements have been made at Heritage Hall.
It all started with upgrading the building lighting
systems to something more energy efficient.
This replaced something installed years ago that
was non-code compliant.
Building exterior lighting and parking lot lights
are also scheduled to be upgraded to LED
lights, as soon as backordered material arrives.
An energy audit indicated that all HVAC
equipment has been running non-stop since the
building opened in 2007. To mitigate this issue,
the building automation software was upgraded
and HVAC equipment is now scheduled to run
only during office hours, which will greatly
reduce energy consumption.
Gem Lake also received COVID relief money
from the Federal Cares Act, which was
administered on a state level. Gem Lake used
some to upgrade restroom fixtures. Where it was
practical to do so, hands-free motion sensors
were installed on all sinks. New toilets are also
part of the project, as was a new water fountain
that has a water bottle filling station. Soon
hands-free soap and paper towel dispensers will
be installed, as will automatic door operators.
These door operators also make the restrooms
compliant with the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
“All of these improvements really puts Heritage
Hall on par with other governmental buildings, in
terms of modernization and energy efficiency,”
says Council Member Jim Lindner, a certified
facilities manager, who has been overseeing
these improvements.
Gem Lake Preliminary Budget Passes
Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6
Zoom Call Planned on Well Situation
The distribution of the 1,4-Dx detections in the
private wells makes the source unclear. Additional
sampling efforts to identify the source are ongoing.
Samples of shallow ground water (less than 100
feet below the ground surface) were collected from
borings drilled on the Water Gremlin property as
part of required monitoring in December 2019 and
the summer of 2020. This monitoring showed 1,4-
Dx at concentrations greater than the HRL.
In January and February 2020, MDH sampled 11
private wells, detecting 1,4-Dx below the HRL in 3
wells. Water Gremlin sampled 44 more private
wells in July 2020, but detected 1,4-Dx in only 3
additional wells, also below the HRL. To better
understand the occurrence, movement, and the
source of 1,4-Dx in the area, additional data
collection and analysis is required. White Bear
Lake City water was tested in March 2020 and no
1,4 DX was detected.
After results from additional sampling are in, the
MPCA/MDH will determine the locations of any
additional residential well sampling. Water Gremlin
is currently drilling additional monitoring wells near
their facility to evaluate the water quality and flow
direction in the deeper sand aquifer. This is the
aquifer from which most nearby private wells
appear to be getting their water (based on the few
available well logs for the private wells in the
area).
If you have questions regarding this important
matter, contact the Minnesota Department of
Health by calling 651-201-4897 and leaving a
message or emailing health.hazard@state.mn.us.
To contact the MPCA, call 651-757-2998
Please dial in to this zoom call. The dial in link
will be available on the Gem Lake web-site
under news and updates. Please note that we
may not have the information to post there
until 1-2 days prior to October 14. We will also
do an email to any resident that has provided
us with an email address. You can call our city
clerk to make sure we have your email
information. Lastly, you should also be able to
see the link to the zoom call a day or two
before by going to the following web address:
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/gemlake
As you may know, Water Gremlin, a White Bear
Township manufacturer on Otter Lake Road, has
had ongoing issues with the release of more
potentially harmful chemicals, such as TCE, above
the allowable limits in the past few years. They are
working with the Minnesota Department of Health
to test wells in the area to determine potential
pollution affects.
In 2020, 6 private wells in Gem Lake, out of a total
of 54 sampled had detectable levels of the
chemical 1,4 -dioxane (1,4-Dx). Concentrations in
all six wells were below the Minnesota Department
of Health (MDH) Health Risk Limit (HRL) for
drinking water of 1 part per billion (ppb) and were
not of health concern.
Follow up sampling began in July 2021. Initial
results of the sampling have shown that 15 wells
have 1,4-Dx slightly above the MDH HRL, ranging
from 1.1 to 3 ppb. All wells are located in a cluster
along the western part of Goose Lake Road.
Affected residents have been contacted and will
receive bottled water for drinking and cooking. The
addresses of affected homeowners is not public
information.
In December 2020, the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) directed Water Gremlin to submit a
work plan to sample additional private wells within a
one-mile radius of their facility, including wells that
had previous detections of trace amounts of 1,4-Dx.
Water Gremlin’s environmental consultant, Wenck,
sent letters to 129 residents, requesting access to
collect and test their well water, including some
homes that went beyond the one-mile radius. As a
result, they tested 49 wells on 48 properties.
The 1,4-Dx HRL of 1 ppb represents an amount of
a contaminant that poses little or no health risk to
those drinking the water daily for a lifetime,
including sensitive or highly exposed people. 1,4-
Dx is considered a likely human carcinogen, based
on studies of animals exposed to very high
amounts. Concentrations detected in well water in
Gem Lake are just above the HRL. 1,4-Dx breaks
down quickly in the body and is eliminated within
several days. For more information about 1,4-Dx
exposure and health in Gem Lake, see 1,4-Dioxane
in Private wells-Gem Lake and the White Bear Area
(PDF)
(https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/enviro
nment/hazardous/docs/sites/ramsey/wgprtwellgeml
ake.pdf).
Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6
Changes Made to Deer Hunting Ordinance
A public hearing was held on September 21 at the
monthly Gem Lake City Council meeting to consider
changes to Ordinance #124B-Hunting and Discharge
of Weapons.
Following the hearing, the council voted to make
several changes to the ordinance as it regards
archery deer hunting.
Changes included those pertaining to permission
and notice to property owners near a hunting site,
how the hunt can be scheduled, where deer stands
must be located and when hunting is prohibited.
The new rules now state that all property owners
within 300 feet of a proposed deer stand must
provide written permission for the hunt. Any property
owner whose land borders the land at which the hunt
takes place must be notified in writing of the dates
and location of the hunt. Previously all adjoining
property owners had to agree in writing to the hunt,
no matter where the deer stands were located.
Previously, the deer hunt had to be scheduled on
three consecutive weekends. Now, the deer hunt can
be any three weekends, agreed upon in advance,
that occur within the archery deer hunting season.
Previously, the deer stands had to be 300 feet from
any border and any house. Now the stands must
also be 300 feet from any garage.
Lastly, now no hunting can take place on Halloween.
Following the changes to the ordinance, the City
Council approved one hunting permit.
Pick up Your Dog Poop
Gem Lake’s animal control ordinance makes the
owner of a dog responsible for immediately cleaning
up any feces your dog decides to gift to the world.
Basically, any owner having custody of a dog on
public property, such as a trail or street, has to pick
up and dispose of dog poop and has to carry in their
possession means for doing so. The same applies if
your dog decides to give your neighbor a special gift.
City News After Hour Emergency Number for Public
Works
In the event of a public works emergency after our
normal business hours, there is a number you
should call. Gem Lake’s normal business hours
are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through
Thursday. A public works emergency is defined
as a threat to public safety or critical
infrastructure. (Not a pothole, or something that
can wait.) Examples of an emergency would be a
water main break, (please don’t call City of
Vadnais Heights), a city sewer line back up or the
collapse of a manhole. The phone number to call
after business hours is 651-755-9828. The City of
Gem Lake has a cooperative agreement with
White Bear Township to handle these
emergencies.
Workshop on Stormwater Scheduled for
October 12 (continued from page 1)
They presented an extensive and detailed report
at the July and August City Council meetings.
Various solutions for optimum stormwater flow
were presented from the simple to the over the
top expensive, involving the construction of
swales, driveway and road culverts. It is unclear
what course of action, if any, should be taken.
A next step that was determined to be potentially
very useful involves more communication. To
facilitate information flow, the city will sponsor a
workshop on the Scheuneman Road Stormwater
report on October 12 at Heritage Hall at 7:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served. Those living in the
area of the Golf course are especially
encouraged to attend.
How Long Can You Keep a Dumpster on Your
Property?
You cannot keep a dumpster on your property
indefinitely, according to a decision made at the
September 21 City Council Meeting. The Council
decided that expanded language was needed in
the City’s Nuisance Ordinance (Ordinance #86)
putting a time limit on this, due to several
complaints in recent months.
The new language says you can keep that
dumpster for 30 days in any 12-month period
unless the city grants an extension. An exception
is made for projects involving a building permit or
a home improvement project. In this case the time
limit is 120 days.
Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6
As
highwaySales
permit requirements to minimize the discharge of
pollutants from the sewer system.”
Gem Lake is not alone in the mandatory reporting
requirement. Across the Twin Cities metro area are
dozens of MS4 entities, part of a network of thousands
of similar MS4’s across the country. Just think, that’s a
lot of report filing and public hearings. Gem Lake’s
most recent public hearing drew exactly 0 residents
from the community who came specifically to attend
the public hearing. How many interested parties
across the nation who look forward to these annual
events is anybody’s guess.
Permit Issued for Archery Deer
Hunting Within City
The Gem Lake City Council issued an archery deer
hunting permit to Anthony Scornavacco and Mike
Garrett to take place on their property on the south
side of Gem Lake.Deer hunting permits have been
granted to this property for the past three years, where
successful and safe hunts have taken place and have
helped to reduce the city’s large deer population.
This year’s hunt will take place September 24-26,
October 22-24 and November 12-14 during daylight
hours. Neighbors have been notified and have agreed
to the hunt. The council has reviewed and approved
deer stand locations and has verified the credentials
and licenses of each person who will participate in the
hunt.
Permit Required for Rental
Properties in City
If you are renting out your house in Gem Lake you
need a rental license. If you own rental property but
are not currently renting it, you still need to fill out a
rental license application to keep the City updated.
The application process is easy. Fill out our form
located on our website, which can be found under
“Permits” or contact Melissa Lawrence, City Clerk, pay
a permit fee (if you are actively renting), and go
through a brief inspection of the property by our code
enforcement officer. We check for things like smoke
detectors. Call 651-747-2790 to find out more.
A public hearing was held on September 21 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 Emily Jennings of SEH
presented an overview of our stormwater
situation and anything that would have impacted
it in the previous year. The report is on file at
Heritage Hall and is available to anyone who
wants to read more about it.
Several years ago, Council member Jim Lindner
wrote an article on why this even matters to our
daily lives. It is excerpted below so you can 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.
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. When rain falls,
it may come in contact with pollutants such as
agricultural chemicals, leaked motor oil in a
parking lot, or any number of other pollutants.
Since stormwater is collected into stormwater
drainage systems, this contaminated water is
then directly discharged into our rivers and
streams, spreading the pollution. The goal of
NPDES through permits granted to MS4
agencies per the US Environmental Protection
Agency’s website, was to manage stormwater
runoff.
“To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed
or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are
required to obtain NPDES permits and develop
stormwater management programs (SWMPs).
The SWMP describes the stormwater control
practices that will be implemented consistent with
MS4 Report: What is it and Why it Matters
Gretchen Artig-
Swomley-Mayor
Email: gretchen.artig-
swomley@gemlakemn.org
City Council Members:
Laurel Amlee
Email: laurel.hynes-
amlee@gemlakemn.org
Len Cacioppo
Email: len.cacioppo
@gemlakemn.org
The following Gem Lake
meeting will be held in the
months of October and
November. All meetings
are held at Heritage Hall
unless indicated.
October 12, 2021
City Council Workshop at
7:00 p.m.
Subject: Scheuneman
Road Stormwater Report
Meetings: October and November, 2021
Meeting Dates
Your Gem Lake City Council
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 web-site 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)
CITY OF GEM LAKE
4200 Otter Lake Road
Gem Lake, MN 55110
November 16, 2021
City Council Meeting at
7:00 p.m.
See also the Gem Lake
web-site for more
information.
October 19, 2021
City Council Meeting at
7:00 p.m.
November 3, 2021
Planning Commission
Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
November 8, 2021
City Council Workshop at
7:00 p.m. CANCELED
Ben Johnson
Email: ben.johnson
@gemlakemn.org
Jim Lindner
Email: jim.lindner
@gemlakemn.org
You can also reach each
city council member by
calling 651-747-2790.
After hours you can follow
the prompts for the city
council directory.
Len Cacioppo
Email:len.cacioppo
@gemlakemn.org
Ben Johnson
Email:ben.johnson
@gemlakemn.org
Jim Lindner
Email: jim.lindner
@gemlakemn.org