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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 2012 Gem Lake Newsletter-Version 2 mail boy October, 2012 Volume 6, Issue 9 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • Gem Lake Salutes Tom Rasmussen • Labore Road Construction Projects • City News Page 4 • Willow Lane Elementary School Gets Grant Upcoming Recycling Dates: October 31 November 14 November 28 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor After completing a total of eight years on the Gem Lake City Council, Tom Rasmussen, pictured at right, has decided to step aside. He will be greatly missed by his fellow city council members and members of the community who valued his time and commitment to the city. First elected in 2004 and then re-elected in 2008, Tom has lived near the south side of the lake for over a decade. He has balanced his community service with his occupation as the owner of several small businesses and involvement on the board of a few non-profit organizations. When asked what he was most proud of working on during his terms of office, Tom responded that it was "simply working with a diverse and dedicated group of residents who give of their time and talents on behalf of the city." (continued on page 5) Tom Rasmussen Completes His Service th Construction Projects to Affect Labore Road Nearby street and utility improvements on Labore and County Road E, as well as the construction of a new medical office building were both recently approved by the City of Vadnais Heights. The street and utility work are now underway and will last into November. According to a memo from Mark Graham, City Engineer for Vadnais Heights, the work will include underground utility work for sanitary sewer, water main and storm sewer improvements. No bituminous surfacing or concrete curb work is anticipated until next year. The street work will also include turn lane construction and modifications on both County Road E and Labore Road. The construction of the newly approved medical facility will take 11 months (continued page 2) Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 and will proceed throughout the winter. Other plans for a hotel development are currently being prepared for City review and approval. No details or construction plans are yet available on this project. Construction hours for the current work-site and the projects listed above are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. No outdoor work is allowed on weekends or holidays, unless specifically approved in advance by the City of Vadnais Heights. Mark Graham urges drivers to "please be careful in this area, as there will be construction equipment and dump trucks entering and leaving the site." . Construction Projects to Affect Labore Road (continued) City Funds Willow Lane Elementary Programs Receipts from charitable gambling within Gem Lake city limits have picked up a bit in recent months, allowing Gem Lake to make a long anticipated contribution to the near by Willow Lane Elementary School. A donation of $1,500 was approved by the City Council on October 16 to support a variety of programs at the school. According to the school's new principal Brendon Schwirz, the school is very pleased about the donation and is very grateful to the citizens of Gem Lake. The money will be spent in three main areas. "First, we will be supplementing a very impressive new literacy programs for students," says Schwirz. "Also, we want to recognize outside organizations that play a role in our success, such as the local YMCA, with a special 'Hall of Fame' Display. This will highlight some of the important ways they get involved in our programs." "And, we also want to recognize student success through measures of academic performance. We want to do this through a 'Student Hall of Fame,' which will be impressive." Schwirz became principal in July of this year. He comes to the area after serving as an assistant principal for the Robbinsdale School System. Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 Compost Sites Await Your Leaves and Branches Road Extension Project Put on Back Burner.... Slight change of plans. The Labore Road extension project, that would have connected Labore Road to White Bear Parkway going north, has been indefinitely postponed by the City of Vadnais Heights. This is according to a letter received by officials of White Bear, White Bear Township and Gem Lake in early October. City Administrator Gerald Urban states that "through our review of available funding sources and competing project needs, the Vadnais Heights City Council has determined that this project is not financially feasible for us at this time. The road extension will remain on our list of potential projects and may be considered again in the future." Leaf Disposal Do's and Don't Do rake up your leaves. Don't rake them into the street. Don’t burn leaves or branches. Do pick up free compost, wood chip mulch, or dirt when seasonally available at Ramsey County collection sites. Free Yard Waste Collection Sites You can drop of your yard waste at several local sites free of charge. Tree branches, shrubs, leaves, grass clippings and soft plant materials can be brought to: a. 3530 Hudson Avenue, Arden Hills, or b. 5900 Sherwood Road, White Bear Township You have to be a Ramsey County resident to use these free sites. A photo ID is required as proof of residency because this program is paid for by Ramsey County taxpayers. It is important to note that bags of yard waste must be emptied on site and taken with you. Also, biodegradable bags are not accepted because their presence in the pile invites non- biodegradable bags. There are also several other Ramsey County sites that you can find at: www.co.ramsey.mn.us (search the site for yard waste collection sites) The 2012 hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday--11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday-- 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The hours run through November 30. For more information call 651-633-3279. 2013 Scholarship Program Gem Lake residents who are graduating from high school in 2013 should consider the Gem Lake Scholarship program. The program will be in its fourth year and uses charitable gambling receipts to fund scholarships for post secondary education. Information will be available in the spring through high school counselors. Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 Ramsey County Conducts Traffic Safety Initiative Maplewood Police conducted a high visibility DWI Saturation on Friday September 17 in an effort to get drunk drivers off the roads. They saturated Highway 36 from border to border within the city and worked from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. As a result they yielded the following: *277 traffic stops *26 people taken into custody *21 DWI arrests *26 drivers cited for "Driving after Revocation or Suspension" It turned out to be quite an eventful night for officers conducted High Visibility stops throughout the area. One officer in St. Paul arrested a driver for DWI who drove onto Phalen Golf Course and hit a tree. A Maplewood officer arrested a driver for Possession of a Controlled Substance that he had arrested three weeks prior in the same area and for the same offense. A St. Anthony officer arrested a driver for DWI and for causing a three car crash that completely blocked Rice Street north of Roselawn. All three vehicles were disabled and had to be towed. A Ramsey County officer arrested a driver for DWI after crashing into three parked cars a block from his home.... Planning Commission Tackles Residential Zoning Ordinance Gem Lake's Planning Commission began work several months ago on revisions to the City's Ordinance 43K, as it pertains to residential zoning rules. The commission, led by Faith Kuny (pictured below) has been tasked with rewriting certain sections of the ordinance, so the rules and the wording will more closely match language and guidelines in the City's recently approved Comprehensive Plan. City News Page In some cases this means bringing consistency to various sections of the ordinance. In other case it means taking a look at set back ordinances for residential lots and the placement of patios, fireplaces, sheds and pools to be sure these rules make sense, are stated clearly, are up to date and match the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Often times, the Commission is working to be sure the rules in one section of the ordinance, match rules, definitions and wordage in another section. Your feedback is welcome. The next Planning Commission Meeting is scheduled for November 7. MS-4 Report Reviewed By Public A public hearing was held September 18 at Heritage Hall on the City's of Gem Lake's 2012 MS-4 Report. This state mandated report on storm water management was completed by council member Jim Lindner and submitted to the State of Minnesota several months ago. Jim (pictured below) spent countless volunteer hours trudging all over Gem Lake to document and photograph inflows and outflows in our city, as required by the report. At the public hearing Jim went over the report in detail. The document was also on display at Heritage Hall for anyone who wanted to read it, as mandated by law. As far as we know, no one stopped by to see it, but maybe next year. Sad News A White Bear Lake man was found dead near his car in Gem Lake on September 14. Police have called the incident an apparent suicide. He had a gun shot wound to his head and a gun next to him on the ground. The man was in his 50's and was found by a passerby. Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Gem Lake Salutes Tom Rasmussen (continued from pg. 1) "Over eight years all those who have served on the council and planning commission have, for the most part, reached consensus on decisions stemming from issues faced by the city. It's not always easy to work together and agree on the common good. Consensus means we might not all agree, but we can accept the decision. I always feel good about decisions when we have general consensus and strive to reach that." Over the years, the myriad of small decisions required for Gem Lake City government to fulfill its obligations as a city is something that Tom finds staggering and also growing yearly. "Keeping things running smoothly is a challenge for Gem Lake," says Tom. This is partly due to the many mandates that come from federal, state and county regulations and trickle down to cities, no matter what their size. Meaning the days of small towns with few regulations, are for the most part behind us. "There are so many people who step up to insure that we can maintain our independence and quality of life. It takes some sacrifice and commitment and I am pleased to have given what I could to the city, although I wish I could have committed more time. " When asked about his biggest challenges and his achievements in the past eight years, Tom felt "Our biggest challenges became our biggest achievements." "I came on board at the early stages of leadership transition from the group that served the city so well for many years, to the group that took on the new complexities of running a city in the current era. I was fortunate to learn from those with experience and try to help with new leadership." Tom calls the city's recent comprehensive plan, which is required every ten years by the Metropolitan Council, "an exhaustive project that was a complete re-write. It had to fit our vision as a city, but also match the Metropolitan Council's vision and requirements--not an easy task. Enlisting the entire city at the workshops in the old White Bear Township town hall was tremendously valuable and a large undertaking." Another big challenge for Tom that turned out well in his view was the city's work on its somewhat outdated zoning ordinances. "The Gateway zoning was a challenge and a departure from our normal code based zoning.(Often called Euclidian zoning) It brought us into territory with which we were quite unfamiliar. It forced us to conceptualize growth in a manner that could satisfy the needs of the city and surrounding communities, and yet also keep Gem Lake 'special.' The Gateway district zoning, while costly at the beginning, may hold up and translate better than our traditional code based zoning as we move through changing economic times." According to Tom, there will be much to miss about serving on the council, even though it can be challenging. "I will certainly miss meeting other city residents, hearing their desires for the preservation of the quality of life that brought them initially to Gem Lake, and trying to assist with problems and threats to that quality of life." "How lucky are we to share our vision and desire for our 'rural feel' so widely within the city. I will miss the opportunity to work to preserve that on the council. I will continue to promote our values within the city however, just from the public seats at Heritage Hall!" On the ballot this November for the spot opened up by Tom's departure will be Faith Kuny, who currently serves on the Planning Commission. Our thanks and appreciation to Tom Rasmussen! 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: November 7, 2012 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. November 13 2012 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Meetings: November and December 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 December 10, 2012 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. December 18, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. A list of potential goals for the city for 2013 will be discussed at this meeting November 20, 2012 City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. December 4, 2012 Planning Commission 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.