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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 2011 Gem Lake Newsletter September, 2011 Volume 5, Issue 8 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • House Fire in Gem Lake • Sheriff Attends City Council Meeting • 2012 Budget Passed • City News Page 4 Upcoming Recycling Dates: September 21 October 5 October 19 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor Quick action by the White Bear Lake Fire and Rescue Department saved the Gem Lake home of Huck and Chrissie Cammack from complete destruction when a fire broke out there on August 13. The White Bear Fire Department was assisted by fire and rescue personnel from at least four neighboring communities and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. The fire was reported around 7:00 a.m. by nearby residents. Fortunately the calls were received by the fire department shortly after the fire apparently broke out. Family members were away at the time. Both the homeowners and nearby neighbors were very impressed with the speed of the response to the emergency (continued page 2) Residence Saved by Fire Department Gem Lake Fish Study Expected to "Reel in" Data A fish survey will be conducted this month of Gem Lake by the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO). Fish populations and species are great indicators of water quality and can also help identify issues with a lake, according to Stephanie McNamara, Administrator for VLAWMO. "The type, size and number of fish found in any lake can tell a story about how healthy the lake is," said McNamara. She sees this survey as part of a bigger picture that includes cost effective storm water management and measurements of total maximum daily loads of things like phosphorus that are entering a lake. 'It all leads to a Sustainable Lake Management Plan for Gem Lake." (continued on page 3) Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 New Ramsey County Sheriff Matt Bostrom made a short presentation at the August 16 Gem Lake City Council Meeting on his goals for county law enforcement this year. Bostrom was elected Sheriff of Ramsey County on November 2, 2010 and took office on January 3. In his presentation he emphasized themes of inclusion and cooperation. Bostrom says he believes whole-heartedly in providing safety through community policing, collaborating with local law enforcement and connecting with youth to build for the future. With all this in mind, Matt is reaching out to the contract cities within Ramsey County that use the Sheriff's services for law enforcement. He appreciated the opportunity to get to know people within Gem Lake. Sheriff Bostrom has nearly 29 years of law enforcement experience at the St. Paul Police Department with service as a police officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, Senior Commander, Chief of Staff and much more. Gem Lake residents welcomed the opportunity to meet him. Gem Lake Meets New Sheriff: Matt Bostrom House Fire in Gem Lake (continued from page 1) call and the professional handling of the situation by the fire department. "On behalf of the neighborhood, we want to express our sincere gratitude for a tremendous effort on the part of the White Bear Lake Fire and Rescue, as well as fire and rescue departments from Hugo, Mahtomedi, Vadnais Heights, Lake Johanna and the Ramsey County Sheriff." said neighbor Fritz Magnuson in a letter to the White Bear Fire Department. At one point while the White Bear team was fighting the blaze, there were water tankers from four communities staged and waiting to deliver the water necessary to suppress the fire. " From my 17 years as a Gem Lake City Clerk, I realize that our community poses a special and difficult area to respond to fires in the absence of water supplies." "Yet, from response to completion, and in the face of this adversity, the performance and coordination of your team, as well as the other responders mentioned, reminded us of how lucky we are to have such a remarkable group serving the Gem Lake area," said Fritz. The homeowners would prefer to focus less on the fire and more on the talented and brave firefighters working together to save a family's home. The fire is thought to have started in a car that was parked inside the attached garage. Gem Lake NewsPage 3 of 6 (continued from page 1) The survey will be done in conjunction with Blue Water Science Co. and is expected to take a total of three days. The first day involves setting nets; the following two days involve sampling, measuring and identifying the fish. All fish are then released back into the lake. Results of the survey will then be shared with the Gem Lake City Council as soon as possible. VLAWMO is also surveying other nearby lakes in order to draw overall conclusions about water quality in the area. For more information on this important study, contact Stephanie McNamara at VLAWMO at 651-204-6073. Gem Lake Fish Survey will Tell a Story about Water Health . No Drought in Gem Lake: Water Level Up from 2010 Unlike nearby White Bear Lake, the water level for our little lake has actually gone up almost a foot from last year's high of 8.5 feet. Currently, the water level stands at almost 9.5, swamping at least one of the small docks on the lake. An application for a garden overlay district on a parcel of land in Gem Lake was approved by the Planning Commission and passed onto the City Council for final approval at their September meeting. Gem Lake Ordinance #122, which establishes and allows for potential garden overlay districts, was approved by the City Council at their July meeting. The Gem Lake Planning Commission drafted and approved the ordinance earlier this summer and sent it to the council final approval. The ordinance allows for a garden "overlay" zone for larger undeveloped parcels in Gem Lake, including the city's Gateway Zoning District. This would permit the temporary use of this land for agricultural purposes, under set guidelines, while the market for commercial and residential development recovers from the current downturn. The first application for the use of this ordinance was made by Tom Hansen for land he owns on County Road E. First Application Approved by Planning Commission for Garden Overlay District Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 City News Page Budget Passed for 2012 A preliminary Gem Lake General Fund budget for 2012 was approved by the City Council at their August 16 meeting. The 2012 budget is anticipated to be $431,887, which includes a General Tax Levy of $274,672 and a Debt Levy of $51,300. This would represent the maximum levy for 2012 and would be refined before final adoption in November of 2011. The total tax levy would be no more than $325,972. The budget includes a draw-down of the city's existing fund balance in the amount of $96,448. The 2012 use of existing fund balance would bring the projected General Fund Balance down to 56.31% of the projected expenditures for next year, which is in line with guidelines from the State of Minnesota about how much money a city should keep in reserves. The property taxes for the General Fund budget are projected to be $6,438 more than the 2011 levy amount. Also on the revenue side, license and permit revenues are estimated to be about the same as 2011, with the exception of one more projected liquor license renewal. Fines and forfeiture are expected to be about the same. On the expense side, several increases are expected, but most items will remain about the same. The estimate for law enforcement services includes a 4.1% increase in costs. Animal control services have also increased by $1,500. The line item for road maintenance is consistent with the 2011 budget, as is the anticipated budget for ice and snow removal. The total Gem Lake budget for 2012 is slightly higher than $431,887, and includes income from other sources than the tax levies. Time to Trim Branches in the Right-of-Way Remember, if your trees have branches that hang over streets or into a public right-of-way, it is your responsibility to trim them back. In previous years, some of Gem Lake's many trees have caused difficulties for snow plows trying to keep our streets clear. If you are in doubt about a particular tree, just give Gem Lake Mayor Bob Uzpen a call. (See page 6 for contact information.) Crime Wave in Gem Lake, Well, Sort of... Ramsey County's periodic summary of crime events in the county usually includes the words "No Incidents" when it comes to Gem Lake. Not so in the most recent report, issued on September 6. This time there were two events in our normally quiet suburb. A car was stolen from the lot at Tousley Ford and recovered later in Vadnais Heights, when a woman found it in her driveway. Turns out she had lent her own car to her new boyfriend and he left the stolen car for her use, without mentioning where it came from. Now she has had to report her own car as stolen, placing a potential strain on her new relationship..... Also, some knuckle-head destroyed several mailboxes on Goose Lake Road, when they were struck hard by a moving vehicle. MS-4 Report is the Subject of A Public Hearing A state mandated report on storm water management, called the MS-4 Report has been completed by council member Jim Lindner and accepted by the State of Minnesota. Jim spent countless volunteer hours trudging all over Gem Lake to document and photograph inflows and outflows in our city, as required by the report. A public hearing on the report was held August 16 during the August City Council Meeting. Although the attendance at this public hearing was a bit on the light side, the subject is an important one. Jim outlined where storm water flows in and out of our city and what happens to it. He also covered the various ways Gem Lake is seeking to educate the public about how each person's actions affect overall water quality in the area. Gem Lake NewsPage 5 of 6 A School Bus Safety Refresher Course The Ramsey County Sheriff's Department and the Minnesota Office of Public Safety are urging motorists to "see yellow" and be ready to look for school buses and student pedestrians as school resumes. Officials stress that motorists need to drive attentively and be aware of children around school buses, and at all marked and unmarked crosswalks and intersections. Public safety officials remind motorists to anticipate children, especially in a school bus "danger zone," the area around a bus, where most injuries and deaths occur. More children are killed outside of a school bus than inside of it. Officials also ask parents to discuss and demonstrate pedestrian safety with their children and reinforce safe crossing after existing a bus. *Red flashing lights on buses indicates that students are either entering or exiting the bus. *Motorists are not required to stop for a bus if that bus is on the opposite side of a separated roadway (median, etc.) but they should remain alert for children. In Minnesota, school buses make at least 10,000 school trips daily. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are the safest mode of transportation for children. In fact, children are eight times safer riding in a bus to school than in any other vehicle. *Altering a route or schedule to avoid a bus is one way motorists can help improve safety. In doing so, motorists won't find themselves delayed behind a bus, and as a result, potentially putting children at risk. *Watch for school crossing patrols and pedestrians. Reduce speeds in and around school zones. There have been 1,944 crashes in Minnesota involving school buses in the last three years, from 2008 to 2010, about 650 each year, resulting in 12 deaths. Of these deaths, four were children, ages 10-14, who were killed while riding in a bus in the Cottonwood, Minnesota crash in 2008. *Watch and stop for pedestrians--the law applies to all street corners, both marked and unmarked crosswalks. For Children *When getting off the bus, look to be sure no vehicles are passing on the shoulder (side of the road). "Drivers need to welcome back school buses to the road and take extra caution around them," according to Ramsey County Sheriff's Spokesperson Randy Gustafson. "Stop for red flashing lights and when stop arms are extended, both when driving behind a bus and when coming toward a bus." *Before crossing, take five "giant" steps out from the front of the bus, or until the driver's face can be seen. *Wait for the driver to signal that it is safe to cross. The Sheriff's Department and the Office of Public Safety offer these tips: *Look left, right, left when coming to the edge of the bus, to make sure traffic is stopped. Keep watching traffic when crossing. For Motorists *Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights and/or has its stop arm extended. This applies when the motorist is approaching from the rear or from the opposite direction on undivided roads. For more information on bus safety, contact Kiki Sonnen at 651-747-2790. August and September Meetings The following Gem Lake Meetings will be held at Heritage Hall through September and October of 2011. The City of Gem Lake October 3, 2011 October 18, 2011 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. PHONE: (651) 747-2790 FAX: (651) 747-2795 City Hall Address: October 4, 2011 4200 Otter Lake Road September 20, 2011 Gem Lake, MN 55110 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. An application for the garden overlay district will be discussed. GENERAL E-MAIL: City@gemlakemn.org 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 Your Gem Lake City Council Newsletter e-mail: gretchenas@comcast.net Kiki Sonnen: 651-747-2790, or Kiki.Sonnen@CO.RAMSEY. MN.US Tom Rasmussen To report incidents for the Neighborhood Watch program or for information on that program contact Block Captain Chuck Watson Phone: 651-426-8854 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 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.