Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 2012 Gem Lake Newsletter January, 2012 Volume 6, Issue 1 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • 2011 Accomplishments • Goals for the Year Ahead • City News Page 4 • Victory Gardens make a come-back, sort of... Upcoming Recycling Dates: January 25 February 8 February 22 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor With the economy in flux and property values on a downward spiral, the City Council worked very hard at managing funds. It did this by focusing on the most important projects. For instance, road and sewer maintenance were priorities. In addition, the following projects were accomplished: 2011 City Budget - The City Council was able to end the year with a small surplus. This surplus was used with the future in mind. This means $60,000 was moved into reserves for future needs and $38,000 was used to offset expenses and keep taxes lower than they might have been. A new sign for Heritage Hall was purchased and installed, replacing the very tired "temporary" sign. Continued on page 2 Mayor Reviews 2011 City Accomplishments Winter Parking Rules in Effect in Gem Lake On-street parking is not allowed in Gem Lake after a snowfall of two inches or more, until after streets have been plowed, according to City Ordinance Number 86. (Section 6.4.2) Although snow doesn't seem to be happening much this year, it has once on New Year's Eve, to the degree that some plowing was needed. Because several cars were parked on city streets, the plows had to make an extra trip back in the hopes that the cars would be gone. (Gem Lake is not going to have your car towed away and stored at a Minneapolis impound lot...) Although we haven't had to spend much this year, this extra trip back did cost the city a little of your money. Mayor Bob Uzpen is asking that you keep that in mind when the snow finally comes. (See related story on page 3) Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 Annually, the City Council hires an accounting firm to audit the books of Gem Lake. The accounting firm gave the city the highest rating allowed under accounting guidelines, and complimented the City Council on how well the finances of the city are being managed. The culvert on Tessier Street was rebuilt and improved. Concrete was installed to provide better drainage and infrastructure, so that it will stand up to plowing and garbage trucks for many years. Variance Ordinance - With the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling generally against the granting of variances without clearly defined guidelines, the city worked to provide these guidelines. It did so by adopting a very specific Variance Ordinance. Garden Overlay Ordinance - The City Council saw the need to adopt rules covering the renting of land for the purpose of gardening, and this became the Garden Overlay Ordinance. This ordinance does not take away the initial, or underlying zoning of the land parcel, but does allow property owners the ability to rent land for gardening. Charitable Contributions – The city receives a percentage of the pull tab sales that happen within city limits. For Gem Lake, this refers to sales at the Country Lounge. According to state statute, these funds can be used for certain community oriented purposes. This past year, the City Council awarded four scholarships of $500 each to graduates of White Bear High School. These four graduates were each residents of Gem Lake and went through an extensive application process to receive the Mayor Reviews 2011 City Accomplishments (continued from page 1) funds for post-secondary education. Charitable gambling receipts were also distributed to the White Bear Food Shelf ($500), the Willow Lane Elementary School ($1500), and the Union Gospel Mission (($250). Development Incentives – The Gateway Ordinance has a provision to allow the City Council to provide development incentives for developers. The City Council discussed this from time to time during the past year. It also met with a planner to seek ideas for future development and what potential incentives for developers might be, as well as how they might be administered. The year ahead will bring more challenges to the City Council, particularly in the area of financial management. The economy is still unsettled and property values are still going down, while fixed expenditures are increasing. Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Mild winter temperatures are saving the City of Gem Lake time and money. So far this season, snow plowing of Gem Lake streets has been required only twice, according to Mayor Bob Uzpen. This compares to overwhelming snowfall and two snow storms in November and December of 2010. Snow and ice removal as of the end of 2011 amounted to $17,611.06. This compares to $23,639.06 as of the end of 2010, according to City Finance Director Jessie Hart. Snow Plow Budget Gets Little Action If you want to just cut to the chase on this story, here it is. A recent study of Gem Lake's fish population, which was briefly reviewed in last month's newsletter, basically recommends that we leave everything alone and let nature take its course. You can keep on reading if you want more details. The study was conducted by Blue Water Science Co. for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Vadnais Lakes Area Water Management Organization. (VLAWMO) The study began last September when nets were placed in the lake over a two day period, in order to catch, count, study and release fish found in Gem Lake. According to the Minnesota DNR, the fish population of any particular lake in the state can be an overall indicator of lake health. The results of this study showed that Gem Lake most likely contains only black crappies, as these were the only fish species caught in the standard fish nets during the two day test period (September 27 and 28). The sampling showed that the number of crappies caught per net was unusually high, with an average of 37. Data from the DNR shows that the typical average falls into the 2-18 range. The black crappies ranged from less than 3 inches to 9.5 inches in length, with the average about 6 inches. Gem Lake is a relatively shallow lake and it is likely that winter kills have occurred in the past. A few years ago a winter kill probably killed all fish in the lake, according to Blue Water Science. Crappies were then introduced, either intentionally or Gem Lake Fish Study Produces Recommendations for Future unintentionally. Because Gem Lake is land locked, immigration of other fish species is unlikely. Blue Water Sciences went on to conclude that if there is another severe winter kill, the existing population of crappies will probably be eliminated and minnows will be the dominant species. Looking towards the future, Blue Water Sciences has concluded that significant fish stocking of Gem Lake is not recommended without a winter aeration system. And, without such a system, a "boom and bust" fish population is likely. Due to the shallow nature of the lake, future winter kills are inevitable. Bottom line: why waste the money when Gem Lake needs a flagpole and a few other things. Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 BuBu Goals for 2012 Discussed by Council As in previous years, the January City Council workshop included a short discussion of goals for the year ahead. This discussion will continue at the city council meeting on January 17 at 7:00 p.m. Last year's discussion resulted in a list of goals pertaining to road maintenance, volunteerism and citizen communication. The public is invited to participate in the development of this year's list. Possible goals discussed for 2012 were things such as: *Attracting development to our city, as the economy recovers. *Adding more meat to the Gateway Ordinance, which affects land in the business district and on County Road E. This would mean including information on possible incentives for developers and definitions for terms used in the ordinance. *Cleaning up city ordinances, in terms of any vague language and gaps in definition that may exist anywhere. *Dealing with storm water run-off issues that emerged as a result of the Ramsey County Conservation District and their report entitled "Gem Lake Water Retrofit Assessment." In this report the county pointed on that several areas in the business district were contributing a vast majority of the run-off and accompanying pollution that was making it to the water body of Gem Lake City News Page City Appointments to be Made at January Council Meeting As required by state statute, the City of Gem Lake will formally appoint individuals and organizations to various city positions at the January City Council Meeting. This includes things like appointing a back-up mayor so meetings could be conducted in the mayor's absence. Some appointments are required by law, such as the city clerk, the city treasurer, the back-up mayor, and believe or not, a weed inspector. (Mayor Bob Uzpen has volunteered to take on the weed position, with Jim Lindner as his loyal back up weed inspector.) Other positions or appointments are usual and customary to assign to someone to once a year in January. This would include things like naming an auditor, a sewer inspector, a building inspector, etc. With the exception of services the City contracts for, such as fire, law enforcement, animal control, city clerk, etc. most of these positions are what you call honorary, meaning don't wait by the mailbox for that paycheck. It ain't coming... Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Victory Gardens Once Common in Gem Lake Urban gardening projects, like those encouraged by Gem Lake's Garden Overlay Ordinance, have become more common throughout Minnesota, as witnessed by the proliferation of Farmer's Markets. It's important to note, however, that this is not a new idea--it's a recycling of a great old one. During World War II, "Victory Gardens" sprang up all over Gem Lake. "The idea was to make citizens more self sufficient," says long-time resident Connie Kunin. She was born into the shortages of the war years and remembers how hard it was to find some basic items. "I vaguely remember the garden out in our pasture, where we grew all kinds of vegetables. I don't remember all the specific kinds, because I was very little. I do remember asparagus and rhubarb." Connie's family grew currants for jam and kept a flock of chickens. They also got a memorable and rather stubborn cow named Rosebud, that no one but her mother Eileen Bigelow would milk. "She (Eileen, not the cow) was very conscious of the need for self-sufficiency. She figured we would always have milk, eggs and vegetables. She was determined to have a large Victory Garden, I remember her referring to it and how important it was. To be honest, I remember the cow more than the garden." During World War II, the U.S. government had to ration essentials such as milk, cheese, butter, sugar, coffee, canned goods and meat. The shortage of labor and transportation made the harvesting of crops and the movement of fruits and vegetables to market very difficult. To help with this problem, ordinary citizens were asked to pitch in and plant their own gardens and grow whatever fruits and vegetables they could. Some produce simply wasn't available at the store anymore. These "Victory Gardens" were an important part of the war effort. An estimated 20 million Americans answered their country's call and started gardens in backyards, in empty lots and sometimes on city rooftops. According to the US Department of Agriculture, these 20 million gardens produced between 9-10 million tons of produce. Families were also encouraged to can their own vegetables, partly so the commercially canned produce could be directed to military needs. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used in canning), compared to 66,000 the year before. Gardening was always a way of live in Gem Lake, says Dick Arcand, who turned a proud 90 years old last month. "There were so many gardens here, that the area around Hoffman's Corner was called Gardenville, and canning was very common." Some gardeners grew tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, sweet corn and similar crops for their own use. Others were what was called truck farmers, meaning they grew produce for sale to local vendors. "During the war, I guess they became, more or less, what you would call "Victory Gardens." It wasn't a new idea here, even then," says Dick. "Everyone in the area had a garden and grew things. My dad was a mail carrier and even he raised his own tomatoes. Almost everyone did some canning." Starting in 1950, Dick and his wife ran Hoffman's Grocery, selling produce from all over the area, as well as from throughout the United States. By that time, produce was widely available again. Bob Uzpen-Mayor Phone: 651-492-5083 City Council Members: Gretchen Artig-Swomley Phone: 651-260-9742 Rick Bosak 651-426-9695 Jim Lindner Phone: 651-429-7597 The following Gem Lake Meetings will be held at Heritage Hall for the next few months: January 17, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. February 6, 2012 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Meetings: January and February 2012 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: gretchenas@comcast.net Kiki Sonnen: 651-747-2790, or Kiki.Sonnen@CO.RAMSEY. MN.US To report incidents for the Neighborhood Watch program or for information on that program contact Block Captain Chuck Watson 651-653-8319; Charles.Watson@bdk.com We’re on the Web! See us at: www.gemlakemn.org CITY OF GEM LAKE 4200 Otter Lake Road Gem Lake, MN 55110 February 7, 2012 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. February 21, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. Tom Rasmussen Phone: 651-426-8854 For more information on meetings, city ordinances, recent events, permit procedures, etc. please consult the Gem Lake web-site. The address is www.gemlakemn.org Each Gem Lake Newsletter is also posted on the web-site under the news section. Please email your ideas, comments and suggestions. See box at left for detailed contact information.