HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 091 AdministrationCity of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Administration
Ordinance No. 91
AN ORDINANCE DEFINING THE OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES TO BE
USED IN THE CITY OF GEM LAKE.
Section 1. In General. The City of Gem Lake is a statutory city and a municipal corporation organized and created
under the laws of the State of Minnesota. Gem Lake is organized as an Optional Plan A city as allowed by
Minnesota Statutes, § 412.572 to § 412.591. The City shall have the powers and rights and be subject to the duties of
municipal corporations at common law. The City shall also exercise the powers granted it by Minnesota Statutes,
Chapter 412 and other legislative enactments granting powers to cities.
Section 2. Open Meeting Law and Data Practices Act. All meetings and matters of the City Council, Committees,
or Planning Commission shall be subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law and the Minnesota Government Data
Practices Act.
Section 3. Conflict of Interest. No member of the City Council, Committees, or Planning Commission may vote on
a matter in which the member has a direct or indirect financial interest or other substantial interest.
Section 4. Vacancies and Removal of Members.
1. Vacancies. Except as otherwise specified in this Ordinance, a member's position shall become vacant upon
the occurrence of any of the following:
1. The death of a member.
2. A determination by the Council that the member's physical or mental disability renders the
member incapable of service.
3. The member's resignation in writing.
4. A member's absence from 3 consecutive meetings, unless excused by action of the Council
5. Termination of a member's residence in the City.
2. Removal from Office. Except as otherwise specified in this Ordinance, a member may be removed:
1. Upon petition of a commission or committee. The commission or committee by a three -fifths
vote of its members, may petition to the Council to remove any member when it believes the best
interest of the City would be served thereby. The removal of the member is not accomplished
unless and until the Council passes a motion removing the member.
2. By the Council. The Council shall have the authority, in its discretion, to remove any member
without a petition from the board, commission or task force.
Section 5. City Council and Mayor.
1. The City of Gem Lake shall operate through its City Council, whose voting membership is composed of the
Mayor and four elected members, which shall exercise all legislative and administrative powers of the city.
2. The term of office for the Mayor shall be four (4) years.
3. Ordinances, notices and other acts of the Council required to be posted for public viewing shall be posted in
a public place to be designated by the City Council each year. Adopted ordinances and other public notices
shall also be published in the official newspaper, to be selected by the Council in January of each year.
Administration Ordinance No. 91
Section 6. Boards, Commissions and Committees.
1. The Council may create such departments and advisory boards and appoint such officers, employees and
agents for the city as may be deemed necessary for the proper management and operation of municipal
affairs.
2. All actions of the advisory boards, commissions and committees shall be in the nature of recommendations
to the City Council, and the commission shall have no final authority about any matters, except as the
Council may lawfully delegate to it.
3. Each appointed body shall elect a chairperson and vice -chairperson in January of each year. The
commission may elect other officers, establish meeting times, and adopt its own rules of procedure to be
reviewed and approved by the City Council.
4. All meetings of the City's boards, commissions and committees shall be open to the public.
5. All members of boards, commissions and committees shall serve without compensation. However,
approved expenses of these bodies shall be paid from available city funds.
Section 7. Planning Commission.
1. Establishment. The City Council establishes for the City a Planning Commission as an advisory board to
the City Council, as provided in Minnesota Statute § 462.354.
2. Composition. The planning commission shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the City Council.
Alternate members may also be appointed who will take the place of regular members who cannot make a
specified meeting. The members shall be residents of the City and may not hold an elected City public
office. When possible, the council shall select commission members to represent various areas of the city
and to help meet the needs of residents.
3. Terms and Compensation. The appointments of members to the Planning Commission shall have no limit
on the number of successive terms. Appointments are identified at the January City Council meeting for the
period of 01 January to 31 December of each year. Members hold office until their successors are appointed
and qualified. The Gem Lake Planning Commission is an unpaid position
4. The planning commission shall have the duty to:
1. Prepare and recommend a comprehensive plan for development for the city.
2. Conduct hearings and make recommendations to the City Council about the adoption of the city
comprehensive plan and any amendments thereto.
3. Study and make recommendations to the City Council about implementing the comprehensive
plan and any land use regulations.
4. Study and make recommendations to the City Council about zoning code amendments.
5. Review and make recommendations to the City Council on development applications, such as re -
zonings, conditional use permits, variances, vacations, preliminary plats and home occupation
licenses.
6. Accept such other and further duties as may, from time to time, be directed by the City Council,
including conducting hearings.
Administration Ordinance No. 91
5. Organization and Meetings.
1. Election of Officers. At the January meeting, the Planning Commission shall elect a chairperson
and a vice chairperson from its membership for an annual term to end on December 31.
2. Chairperson. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings, appoint committees and perform other
such duties as may be ordered by the Planning Commission.
3. Vice Chairperson. The vice chairperson shall act in the capacity of the chairperson in the absence
of the chairperson. In the event the office of the chairperson becomes vacant, the vice chairperson
shall succeed to the office of the chairperson for the unexpired term and the Planning Commission
shall elect a successor to the officer of vice chairperson for the unexpired term.
4. Meetings. The planning commission shall hold at least one regular meeting each month, unless
cancelation has been approved by the Mayor or City Council.
5. Special Meetings. The Chairperson or any two members of the Planning Commission may call a
special meeting of the Planning Commission. Notice of a special meeting shall be by writing filed
with the Clerk who shall then notify all Planning Commission members of the time and place of
the meeting at least 1 day before the meeting. Where all Planning Commission members are
present at a special meeting and take part in the proceedings, failure to give notice in the manner
provided shall not invalidate the proceedings nor any action taken at the special meeting.
6. Record/Reporting. Planning Commission minutes will be reviewed and approved at the
following month's meeting. If no meeting is held the following month, minutes are approved at the
next scheduled Planning Commission meeting. Planning Commission minutes shall be submitted
to the City Council monthly as a report of its work.
7. Attendance. Planning commission members are required to attend at least half of the planning
commission's regular and special meetings in each calendar year. A Commission member may be
excused from an individual meeting for reasons of illness, work, out of town trip, or other
justifiable reason. Commission members shall notify the Clerk of expected absences from the
meeting. Excused absences shall be so noted in the minutes of the applicable meeting. Failure to
meet this attendance requirement in a given calendar year, shall result in automatic removal from
the Planning Commission as of December 31 of that calendar year.
6. The City Council hereby adopts and ratifies all previous actions of the citizen committees who have served
as the City's planning commission prior to the adoption of this Ordinance.
Section 8. Severability. Should any section, subdivision, clause or other provisions of this Ordinance be held to be
invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole, or of any part thereof, other than the part held to be invalid.
Section 9. Enactment. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and
publication.
Dated: August 20, 2024
GIE(� g,4-sweM4
Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Mayor
Melissa Lawrence, Acting City Clerk
Administration Ordinance No. 91
City of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Planning Commission
Ordinance No. 91
The following table indicates the original ordinance(s) and the same amendment(s).
Ordinance
Description
Enactment
91
An Ordinance defining the operations and administration procedures to be
19 February 2008
used in the City of Gem Lake.
An Ordinance No. 91 amendment. The ordinance title was updated from
Administration to Planning Commission. Section 4 part 2 was updated from
91
three (3) to five (5) members. Section 4 part 5 was added to give more
20 August 2024
information regarding meeting requirements. Section 5 was removed because
the City does not have a Parks and Recreation Committee.
Administration Ordinance No. 91