Sunfish Lake is a small residential community - area 1.7 square miles, population 525 (est.) - located 5 miles due south of St. Paul, Minnesota. With the exception of four churches, the entire city is zoned single-family residential. There is no commercial development.

First incorporated as a village in 1958, the consistent goal of city government has been to maintain a rural atmosphere, with large lot size and as little disturbance of the natural environment as possible. For new construction, the minimum lot size is 2.5 acres of buildable land. Most of the city is heavily wooded, on moraine topography with many slopes and wetlands and three small private lakes.

City government is disarmingly simple - there are no city employees and no direct city services. The only city properties are a parcel donated for a city hall ( for which there is no need); undeveloped Harmon park; and the recent extremely generous gift of 22 acres of parkland donated by the late Betty Musser. The latter will be kept in its natural state in perpetuity through a conservation easement with the Minnesota Land Trust. (See article on News Page). An array of consultants provides the necessary professional services.

Contractual arrangements with neighboring cities cover police and fire protection. Roads are maintained by independent contractors. All but a few properties have water wells and individual septic systems. The city budget averages around $300,000, mainly derived from local property taxes. Around 40% of the budget goes for police and fire protection.

Although surrounding communities are undergoing intense development, the Metropolitan Council has approved our Comprehensive Plan of maintaining this island of green space, hopefully in perpetuity.

MAP OF CITY OF SUNFISH LAKE
(Musser Park is black rectangular area south of Salem Church Road)

Sunfish Lake Map