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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 NovDec 2010 Nov./Dec., 2010 Volume 4, Issue 9 Gem Lake News Special Interest Articles: • Financial Report Card for Gem Lake • Election Results • City News-Page 4 • 2011 Budget Upcoming Recycling Dates: December 1 December 15 December 29 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor Gem Lake is currently on target to come in on or slightly under its budget for 2010, according to a recent report by Jessie Hart, Gem Lake Treasurer. Year-to-date revenues as of the third quarter were budgeted at $214,246 and have come in at $210,826. (Revenues have come in slightly under budget in the categories of Intergovernmental income and Miscellaneous income.) The city has now received 98.4% of the revenues anticipated to come in for the first three quarters of the Gem Lake Report Card: High Marks for Budget Goals Election Results for Gem Lake Two city council positions for Gem Lake were up for election this year. The two candidates were incumbents Gretchen Artig-Swomley and Rick Bosak. Rick received 130 votes and Gretchen received 131 votes. No recount is being called for. There were also four write-in votes. Gem Lake has a total of 287 registered voters. At least 204 local residents voted on election day, meaning Gem Lake turnout was 71%, well over the average for the state. Both candidates say they are honored to be re-elected, including Rick Bosak, who is pictured at right. year. This represents 47.57% of the revenues budgeted for 2010. The remaining revenue to come in during the fourth quarter will be primarily from property tax revenues. Thorough planning is the prime reason Gem Lake is doing as well as it is, according to Mayor Bob Uzpen. "We put together a realistic budget and on a month to month basis we are controlling discretionary spending." (continued pg. 2) Jessie Hart, Gem Lake Treasurer Rick Bosak, Gem Lake City Council Member Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 Gem Lake Anticipated to Meet 2010 Budget (continued from page 1) "We are relying on volunteer time whenever possible, but controlling the variable expenses is really the key." Expenditure for year-to-date as of the third quarter were budgeted to be $302,824 and have come in at $190,797. Although expenditures appear to be significantly below budget, the issue is mainly the timing of when these expenses come in. "If expenditures were spent evenly throughout the year, the City should have spent about 75% of its budget," says Hart. "Most activities, such as general government and public works appear to be under budget, but it is due in part to the cyclical nature of some of the city projects." Budget for 2011 Approved: City Tax Rate Going DOWN!!! As a result of careful financial planning, the Gem Lake City Council was able to significantly reduced its final 2011 budget numbers from the preliminary figures turned in to Ramsey County in September. The council approved a preliminary tax levy of $413,245 at their August 17 City Council Meeting. A series of budget refinements and adjustments for services led to good news for the final 2011 budget. At the November 16 City Council meeting, a final tax levy of $320,234 was approved, down $93,011 from the preliminary numbers. This is also a 19.09% decrease from the 2010 tax levy. This number includes a general fund operating property tax levy of $268,234 and a debt levy for Heritage Hall of $52,000. The Gem Lake tax capacity rate will go down from 36.943% in the preliminary budget to a much more palatable 28.483%. The new proposed tax capacity rate is almost 15% less than the actual 2010 rate of 33.483%. This means the city portion of each resident's property tax bill has a good chance of going down next year. One of the primary strategies used to reduce the amount of the tax levy is simply to draw down the anticipated general fund balance to cover some of next year's expenses. The Minnesota Office of the State Auditor has indicated recently that it is acceptable for a city to maintain a general fund balance level of 40-60% of the next year's operating budget. The projected 2010 general fund looks like it will have excess revenues over expenditures of $75,738, which would bring the general fund balance at the end of the year to about $389,800. This is almost 91% of the 2011 Proposed General Fund Budget. The 2011 General Fund Operating Budget for the City will be $411,755, which is an increase of 2.66% over the 2010 budget. However, because the city is drawing down its general fund balance, less will have to be collected from citizens to cover 2011 expenses. "It's important to note that we are doing this with no anticipated decreases in any services," said Gem Lake Mayor Bob Uzpen. (continued on page 3) Gem Lake NewsPage 3 of 6 D ue to personnel changes at Ramsey County, Gem Lake has lost the part-time employee it shared with the Sheriff's Department. Effective last month, City Secretary Jean Reiter, has been reassigned to other duties with the County. Jean came to work part-time for the City of Gem Lake shortly after Heritage Hall opened in March of 2008. For the past several years, Jean has worked hard to perform city duties, such as answering citizen questions, preparing meeting materials, mailing the city newsletter, and many other tasks. She shared her time with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, which still maintains a sub-station at Heritage Hall. "Jean was efficient, hard working and great with the public," said Gem Lake Mayor Bob Uzpen. "It was an honor and a privilege to work with her for the past two years." Prior to coming to Gem Lake, Jean spent 26 years in the banking field, performing a variety of bookkeeping functions. She also worked for several years as a real estate broker's assistant. When she began her Gem Lake job, Jean said "I think this job is going to be ideal for Personnel Changes at Heritage Hall me because it will offer a lot of variety. Plus the area is so pretty, with all the woods and wildlife." Jean will be missed by Gem Lake residents who worked with her or came into contact with her. Gem Lake plans to hire a part-time employee in the near future who will take Jean's place. In the meantime, Heritage Hall will be staffed by volunteers between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. City Tax Capacity Rate Going Down in 2011 (continued from pg.2) The final general operating budget of $411,755 was reduced $68,495 from the preliminary estimates drafted in September. This reduction was possible due to refined revenue estimates based on actual 2010 activity and more accurate information for 2011. Also, reductions were made in anticipated costs for storm water management, legal services and development costs. The general fund budget accounts for the operations of the city, such as general government, public safety and public works. The major revenue source is property taxes. The total budget for the city for 2011 for all expenditures in all funds is $608,868, of which the operating budget of $411,755 is the largest piece. The remaining expenditures are comprised of debt service funds of $153,465 and Enterprises Funds, such as sewer projects, etc. of $43,648. This is a decrease over the 2010 budget of .82%. Bottom line: the city did a careful and responsible job of spending your money this year and as a result can draw on excess funds to pay some of the expenses next year. Please contact Mayor Bob Uzpen if you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the 2011 budget. Gem Lake News Page 4 of 6 City News Page Electric Cable to Be Replaced on Big Fox xCel Energy will be replacing an underground cable on Big Fox Road sometime around December 20th, due to a problems with power outages. Grand Opening of Sports Complex Held November 20 Thousands of people showed up on November 20 for a very special open house celebration at the newly completed The Vadnais Heights Sports Complex. New Traffic Light on County Rd. E County Road E and International Drive will be the site of a new traffic light, which will be installed sometime in the next month. The construction is in response to anticipated increases in traffic volume that are expected with the opening of the Vadnais Heights Sports Complex. An open house for the expansive new center was held on November 20. The complex includes multiple hockey rinks and other sports and related service facilities. The open house featured food, fun and prizes. There were continuous tours of the 83,000 square foot facility, which features 2 sheets of ice and other amenities. The celebration also included laser light shows throughout the afternoon, as well as face painting, magician acts and a chance to enter a drawing to win a trip for two to Mexico. The Sports Complex is located at 1490 County Road E. East in Vadnais Heights. Their phone For more information call 651-481-1000. Gem Lakes Celebrates the Holidays with Donations to Charitable Organizations The Union Gospel Mission and the White Bear Lake Area Emergency Food Shelf were the recipients of recent charitable donations from the City of Gem Lake. The Gem Lake City Council voted on November 16 to give $1000 to the food shelf and $250 to the Mission. The funds came from the city's portion of pull-tab sales collected within city limits. Heritage Hall Hours Change Due to the departure of Jean Reiter as Gem Lake City Secretary, (see story on page 3) personnel staffing at Heritage Hall will change temporarily. As the Gem Lake City Council searches for a part-time replacement for Jean, Heritage Hall will be staffed by volunteers from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays. For more information, contact Bob Uzpen or dial the City's main number and leave a message. You will find contact information on page 6 of this newsletter. Wind Tower Ordinance to be Discussed at Public Hearing A draft of a new ordinance dealing with wind energy and wind turbines will be the subject of a public hearing on December 21 at 7:00 p.m. The hearing will take place at Heritage Hall. The draft ordinance has evolved as a result of months of meetings at the city council and planning commission levels. It deals with the rules and requirements for putting up wind turbines within city limits. The public is invited to provide feedback. Comcast Replacing Cable Lines Comcast will be replacing some cable lines in the area of Hoffman's Corners sometime in the near future. Some brief interruptions in service are possible during the replacement period. Gem Lake NewsPage 5 of 6 Downed Tree Blocks Goose Lake Road Changes in Real Estate Value in Ramsey County Residents on Goose Lake Road woke up to a special surprise on Saturday November 13. Following 9.5 inches of wet, heavy snowfall, a variety of trees in the area snapped under the weight. One of them snarled traffic on Goose Lake Road temporarily. For the second year in a row, there has been a decline in overall market values for real estate within Ramsey County. Property values are established on the county level. The sum total of all property values within a city make up that city's "tax capacity" From this tax capacity, cities then establish their own "tax capacity rate" basically how much they need to tax each property to cover city costs. A decent sized tree toppled over the road in the 1300 block, causing drivers in both directions to have to back up and find another route. The median value of a home in Ramsey County is now $256,700, compared to $270,800 last year. This is a decrease of 5.20%. For 2011, Gem Lake's tax capacity saw a decrease of 4.53% based on property value declines. By noon the tree was cleared. This reporter obtained a great picture of the event, prior to dropping the camera in the driveway and then running it over with the car. Please imagine that great photo is below, instead of the faux picture I have inserted.... December/January Meetings Meeting at 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission The following Gem Lake Meetings will be held at Heritage Hall through January, 2011 December 21, 2010 The City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. PHONE: (651) 747-2790 January 18, 2011 FAX: City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. (651) 747-2795 City Hall Address: January 3, 2011 December 6, 2010 4200 Otter Lake Road City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. Gem Lake, MN 55110 City Council Workshop at 7:00 p.m. GENERAL E-MAIL: December 7, 2010 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 Planning Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. Your Gem Lake City Council January 4, 2011 Newsletter e-mail: gretchenas@comcast.net To report incidents for the Neighborhood Watch program or for information on that program contact Block Captain Chuck Watson Tom Rasmussen 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.