In a May 20 meeting that lasted just 18 minutes, the Long Lake city council unanimously passed an ordinance that amended Zoning definitions, distributed its triennial Pay Equity report, and approved longtime Public Works employee Don “Luke” Laakkonen’s resignation.
With lake season in full swing, definitions surrounding boating equipment and storage are essential for Long Lake to sort out.
Effective as of June 1, Long Lake now defines recreational vehicles and equipment as operable and licensed travel trailers, chassis mounted campers, motor homes, tent trailers, slide in campers, converted buses, snowmobiles and trailers, boats/watercraft and trailers, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and utility trailers.
Fish houses, boats, snowmobiles or other recreational vehicles stored on a trailer are considered just one recreational vehicle.
This definition amends previous language in which a recreational vehicle was defined as a single chassis vehicle of no more than 400 square feet, designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable and intended for temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
Long Lake residents are now able to store three recreational vehicles on their property as long as the following conditions are met: The vehicle must be owned and registered to the owner of the property it’s located on; the vehicle is stored on a driveway if on the front yard of the property; the vehicle is stored at least five feet from any interior side or rear property line if stored on the rear or interior side yard of the property; the vehicle is stored directly along the exterior wall of the principal structure or a detached garage if stored in the corner side yard of the property.
To help clarify these new rules, Long Lake also drafted a definition for driveways as a paved area leading from a public or private road to a house or garage.
Long Lake residents may store whatever they please on their driveways, so long as they adhere to the aforementioned recreational vehicle rules.
As is required every three years, Long Lake city council and administration submitted the city’s Pay Equity report in compliance with Minnesota’s State Pay Equity Act. Per Minnesota’s state government website, “State law requires all public jurisdictions such as cities, counties, and school districts to eliminate any gender-based wage inequalities in compensation…”
To enforce this law, Minnesota analyzes salary data between male and female job classes. Pay equity may be compromised when the percentage of male job classes that are underpaid is below 80 percent of the underpaid female job classes.
Of the eight employees that comprised city council and administration in 2023 (six male, two female), there were six established job classes (four male, two female). Two of the four male job classes and one of the two female job classes were paid below their predicted values.
Being that both genders were underpaid in half of their job classes, Long Lake city council and administration are not determined to harbor pay inequity.
Had the report found that only one of the four male job classes were underpaid (25 percent underpayment), a t-test would have been needed to determine if female underpayment was significant.
The report also found that both genders reached maximum salaries within seven years.
Lead Maintenance worker Don “Luke” Laakkonen will retire from Long Lake Public Works after 39 years of service.
In a kindhearted resignation letter addressed to city staff, the city council and Long Lake residents, Laakkonen announced his last day of work on Wednesday, July 31.
Laakkonen was described as a “go-to” guy, a hard worker, and someone with a great sense of humor even on tough days. City clerk Jeannette Moeller wrote, “We will deeply miss Luke, and wish him every happiness in his retirement! May the fishing be plentiful wherever he goes.
The council (regrettably) approved his resignation, thanking him for his service to the community and for his mentorship to the Public Works department.
Most Popular
Comments / 0