Of the three candidates running for mayor in the upcoming election, two—Andy Mullin and Barry Petit—responded to a questionnaire from this publication, outlining their priorities and vision for Wayzata.
Jeff Buchanan chose not to participate in our questionnaire. According to a an email statement from Buchanan, his publicist is currently engaged with several local media outlets and he therefore respectfully declined our request.
We have provided the responses from the candidates in an effort to offer a complete view of their positions on key issues.
All three candidates were asked the same questions, and we present their responses in alphabetical order by last name.
Jeff Buchanan
What motivated you to run for mayor of Wayzata, and what are your top priorities for the city if elected?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
How do you plan to balance maintaining Wayzata’s small-town charm with promoting economic growth and development?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
What strategies would you implement to address affordable housing in the city if at all?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
What are your views on environmental sustainability, and how would you work to preserve Wayzata’s natural resources, such as the tree canopy and lakefront?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
What experience do you have in working with community organizations and city staff to foster strong relationships and ensure effective governance?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
How do you plan to support public safety, including police and fire emergency services, within the community?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
What are your thoughts on the Panoway and Lakewalk projects? Do you think any design changes are needed? How do you feel about the eco-park and Section Foreman House in Phase 3? And what is your take on how these projects have been or are being funded?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
How will you address transportation and infrastructure challenges in Wayzata, particularly with regards to traffic flow and pedestrian safety?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
What is your plan to address parking challenges in downtown Wayzata, and how would you ensure there is adequate parking for both residents and visitors as the city continues to grow?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
How would you ensure transparency and community involvement in decision-making processes as mayor?
This candidate declined to participate in our questionnaire.
Andy Mullin
What motivated you to run for mayor of Wayzata, and what are your top priorities for the city if elected?
Wayzata needs leaders focused on nonpartisan community-driven solutions. I plan to bring my background as a 28-year resident of Wayzata, a former Wayzata city council member, and local Wayzata business owner to solve the problems that matter to residents. I have been meeting with Wayzata stakeholders since April of this year, and here is what I have heard that citizens want from our city government:
Public Safety – Invest in Police and Fire, make sure the people who serve us have the tools they need to do the job.
Fiscal Responsibility – General fund spend has increased from $5 million to $7 million from the property tax levy over the last 5 years. This is unacceptable! Good governance means doing more with less; I’ll be an advocate for the taxpayer. We can be more creative in helping our city thrive without raising taxes year after year.
Mitigate traffic and congestion – Changes are required to both the layout of Lake Street and Wayzata Blvd to make them function adequately. Explore adding a third exit to and from 394 to the west at Ferndale to provide a release valve for cars being forced to cut through town via Lake St and Wayzata Blvd.
Bring the Public back into Public Service – by engaging residents before decisions are made. Our citizens deserve a voice every day in the decisions that are being made. As Mayor, we will not be opaque in the way we operate, and I will personally hold office hours for citizens of Wayzata.
Calm development/redevelopment but continue moving forward, but not at the cost of losing what makes us special. We need to consider every project, weigh the pros and cons meticulously, and manageably grow without compromising the quality of life of citizens – this includes new development projects.
Invest in Parks & Public Space only after getting basic city services where it needs to be.
How do you plan to balance maintaining Wayzata’s small-town charm with promoting economic growth and development?
My plan for finding balance in Wayzata is based on my government experience and community input:
- Have a community-informed vision for the future
- Inventory the assets that model what is desired
- Build plans on the enhancement of existing assets
- Use education and incentives, not just regulation
- Pick and choose among development projects
- Cooperate with neighbors for mutual benefit
- Pay attention to community aesthetics
- Elect strong leaders to engage the community
We need to “Find Balance by Moving Forward.”
What strategies would you implement to address affordable housing in the city if at all?
Wayzata’s housing strains are not unique. Across the state and country, there is a shortage of housing inventory and costs have skyrocketed. Wayzata needs a realistic plan to increase affordable housing. The City should invest in already existing housing, especially multi-unit buildings, before building new government-subsidized housing. I will also explore options to provide affordable housing solutions, such as a housing stipend for our Police and Fire workers first.
What are your views on environmental sustainability, and how would you work to preserve Wayzata’s natural resources, such as the tree canopy and lakefront?
I led the effort to include environmental initiatives in the Panoway project, establishing Wayzata as a regional leader for lakeshore restoration. A substantial part of the cost for this was covered by county and state grants. Our current initiatives will help inform restoration along all of Lake Minnetonka, and I plan to continue prioritizing sustainability in Wayzata.
Examples of environmentally conscious elements that I spearheaded in the Panoway project include:
- Increasing community accessible green space
- Reducing surface water runoff while refurbishing the 7-block downtown streetscape by creating rain gardens, tree trenches, and permeable pavers
- Treatment and redirection of stormwater runoff to reduce lake pollution
Future environmental initiatives:
- Shoreline restoration by adding native vegetation or pollinator habitat on top of the rock and gravel that currently lines our lakefront
- Eco-park creation for learning
- Offshore underwater reef to dissipate wave damage to the shoreline from boats and storms, allow native plants to flourish, and protect the boardwalk from ice flows in the winter
The relatively new tree ordinance, while well intended to protect Wayzata’s tree canopy cover, which stands at nearly 30 percent of the City’s surface area, needs some changes. By comparison, Minneapolis’ tree canopy stands at only 4 percent. As drafted, the policy has created unnecessary friction with Xcel Energy, resulting in trees not being adequately pruned to prevent significant and frequent power outages, particularly in our East Holdridge neighborhoods. The policy is not functional for our institutional landholders, such as Wayzata Public Schools, Woodhill Country Club, and Wayzata Country Club. I support protecting and enhancing our tree canopy, particularly from redevelopment, but we need a policy that is also practical and reasonable to implement.
What experience do you have in working with community organizations and city staff to foster strong relationships and ensure effective governance?
During my time on Wayzata City Council, I developed a track record of offering creative solutions and getting things done. I often bridged the divide between citizens and staff. Examples include solving the 30+ year impasse over streets and city water in the Holdridge neighborhood and leading the overhaul of the City’s financial policies and procedures, which resulted in restoring the City’s credit rating to AAA. Wayzata does not have the resources, budget, or staff to go it alone. We need to invest more effort in building public-private partnerships, including working with other governmental entities like Hennepin County and the State to get more of the tax revenues that go outside of Wayzata (80%) and make the case for investing it back into our community (grants, capital investment).
How do you plan to support public safety, including police and fire emergency services, within the community?
Wayzata has undergone vast growth and change, which expectedly came with growing pains. City leadership, now more than ever, needs to prioritize and invest in public safety. Unfortunately, current city leadership has failed to adequately prepare for the growth and change Wayzata has experienced. While they claim that public safety is a priority, their actions don’t match their words.
We need a long-term plan to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents by enhancing our independent police and fire departments. This is essential because residents and business owners do not want to follow the trend of small communities outsourcing public services to larger communities, as Wayzata currently provides police services to Long Lake. I propose:
- Addressing leadership transitions within these departments, ensuring continuity and effectiveness.
- Focusing on recruitment and retention strategies, including equitable pay for public safety employees, to ensure the long-term viability of these essential public services.
- Updating the outdated Police Station that no longer meets the needs of our officers to serve the community.
What are your thoughts on the Panoway and Lakewalk projects? Do you think any design changes are needed? How do you feel about the eco-park and Section Foreman House in Phase 3? And what is your take on how these projects have been or are being funded?
Before looking to construct the final phases of Panoway, we need to make adjustments to Phases I and II to improve how they function for residents and visitors alike.
I am proud of my contributions to creating green space and improving access to one of Wayzata’s greatest assets—Lake Minnetonka. However, I was not part of City Leadership when the plan was implemented, and we have come up short in the execution of the project. I am stepping forward to offer solutions to address these shortcomings:
Explore use/tax fees for visitors to support the maintenance of this new public space. While in City Leadership, I developed a plan that delivered 10 years of prepaid maintenance for each major project element, but we need to close that gap past 2030.
Adequately fund the Police and Fire departments to mitigate the growth stress on our public services by creating a robust Community Service Officer program that can address noise, loitering, and traffic violations.
Consider moving the public bathroom to the Mill Street ramp, as was proposed during my tenure on the council, or relocate it to the south and east adjacent to the trail leading to the Section Foreman’s House.
Widen Lake Street in areas that are both dangerous and contribute to congestion.
Fix the new transient public docks so that boaters can park without fear of damaging their boats.
In parallel, continue to raise private funds and seek grants and funding from the State to complete the following:
- Restoration and adaptive re-use of the historic Section Foreman’s House to a Lakeshore Learning Center
- Create additional park space to complement the Lakeshore Learning Center
- Invest in remodeling Depot Park to make it more accessible, safe, and functional
How will you address transportation and infrastructure challenges in Wayzata, particularly with regards to traffic flow and pedestrian safety?
We have significant challenges with the flow of traffic, particularly along Lake Street and Wayzata Blvd. Changes are required to both the layout of Lake Street and Wayzata Blvd to make them function more efficiently and improve safety. Explore adding a third exit to and from 394 to the west at Ferndale to provide a release valve for cars being forced to cut through town via Lake and Wayzata Blvd. Optimize the traffic signals and add crosswalk lights at streets that intersect with the Luce Line and Dakota Trail.
What is your plan to address parking challenges in downtown Wayzata, and how would you ensure there is adequate parking for both residents and visitors as the city continues to grow?
Our downtown area, in particular, faces parking and circulation issues. It’s clear that we need to make changes to our public street parking and explore creative solutions to mitigate traffic congestion along Lake Street and Wayzata Boulevard. Potential solutions include:
- Adding diagonal parking to the streets that feed Lake Street
- Widening Lake Street in select areas
- Gating the top deck of the Mill Street ramp and only opening it when the first level is full to mitigate loitering on the roof
- Increasing awareness and signage for East Public Parking at PresHomes and West Public Service lot at 253 Lake
- Working with Three Rivers Park District to direct trailhead bike users to park at 253 Lake to open up more parking for residents at Wayzata Beach/Boatworks
How would you ensure transparency and community involvement in decision-making processes as mayor?
As your mayor, I will encourage proactive community engagement. Our current city leadership has been passive in its approach, often leaving important decisions to city managers and attorneys. This lack of engagement is unacceptable.
I’m committed to being a visible and accessible mayor, engaging with residents and businesses directly to address their concerns and feedback. We need leadership that listens and responds directly to the needs of the community, not one that hides behind bureaucracy.
Barry Petit
What motivated you to run for mayor of Wayzata, and what are your top priorities for the city if elected?
I’m fascinated with redefining the ‘new’ Wayzata as a result of the natural schism between dramatic progress and the notion of small-town. This will be an interesting conversation. What is our new identity? Who are we now? Where do we go?
How do you plan to balance maintaining Wayzata’s small-town charm with promoting economic growth and development?
In theory, small-town charm and growth are not inherently at odds with each other, however, commercial growth has dominated our physical changes. In reality, the idyllic small-town charm has nearly faded. Now it’s a matter of defining behavior and dealing with ongoing costs.
What strategies would you implement to address affordable housing in the city if at all?
Nearly 40% of our housing is rental and there are many modestly priced units in this inventory. We have done an amazing job considering our size and perception.
What are your views on environmental sustainability, and how would you work to preserve Wayzata’s natural resources, such as the tree canopy and lakefront?
Environmental sustainability has many facets. For example, the combustion engine remains the biggest challenge impacting climate change. Fortunately, Wayzata provides so many convenient goods and services that our driving distances are a fraction of residents in other communities. We must work diligently to maintain these businesses.
We have done a great job with tree preservation. Parts of Wayzata Blvd east seem a bit barren, but I’m assuming there are plans to fix this.
What experience do you have in working with community organizations and city staff to foster strong relationships and ensure effective governance?
For 26 years I was involved in our town via councils, commissions and committees. I know how things work, and my institutional memory should be valuable. Historic context and understanding current trends remain an important formula for any solid decision.
How do you plan to support public safety, including police and fire emergency services, within the community?
The safety issue has changed with the advent of becoming a popular regional destination; more people create more challenges. The reality is we will simply need to find more money by shifting funds and raising taxes.
Frankly, in the longer run, the Fire Dept concerns me. They have done a remarkable job over the years. Their commitment and dedication are amazing. The crystal ball is telling a different future. As the cost of living in Wayzata becomes more expensive, we will struggle to find volunteers. The price tag of transforming into a blend of volunteers and full-time fire fighters will cost us a small fortune in new taxes.
What are your thoughts on the Panoway and Lakewalk projects?
It demonstrates the difference between concept (sales) and execution (the detail).
Conceptually one could argue the Panoway is spot on. The visual outcome, the ‘detail,’ remains questionable. Personally, for all the dollars and all the community involvement there is no wow factor.
Do you think any design changes are needed?
I must confess the public toilets sitting on the visual gateway to our precious lake remains curious. While one might expect a sculpture, a fountain or at the very least a statue commemorating the Klapprich family, we have a toilet… hmmm.
How do you feel about the eco-park and Section Foreman House in Phase 3? And what is your take on how these projects have been or are being funded?
More ‘stuff’ more people… and adding large cumbersome school busses into the equation will be ‘entertaining.’
The Lake Effect Conservancy’s promise to raise the dollars to maintain the lake-front will be challenging. Donors rarely, if ever, contribute to fixing and cleaning. The maintenance costs will ultimately fall on the taxpayers.
How will you address transportation and infrastructure challenges in Wayzata, particularly with regards to traffic flow and pedestrian safety?
These are consequences of becoming one of the most popular destinations in the metropolitan region. As we graciously welcome more visitors, we will need more money to patrol and regulate. Our new popularity will continually absorb more time and money.
What is your plan to address parking challenges in downtown Wayzata, and how would you ensure there is adequate parking for both residents and visitors as the city continues to grow?
Some have suggested that parking meters should be considered. Metering would generate much-needed revenue, and it should increase the turn-over rate for our limited spots. Residents and employees would park free. I was told about a place where the meters didn’t kick in until 10:30 AM. Seems like a very fair and common solution.
How would you ensure transparency and community involvement in decision-making processes as mayor?
I believe Wayzata does a noble job of keeping folks informed. There are currently seven committees and commissions assigned to regulate and study ‘things.’
It seems to me that community involvement has been encouraged and works well. However, I sincerely believe a public forum regarding Marijuana sales is essential. The residents must be heard.
