The Wayzata City Council approved a new two-year labor agreement Monday night with Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS) Local No. 37, representing the city’s police officers.

The contract covers 2026–2027 and includes wage and benefit updates aimed at maintaining competitive compensation as part of the city’s Operational Excellence strategic goal. Interim City Manager Aurora Yager said the deal follows six months of negotiation between staff and union representatives.

Under the approved terms:

• A market adjustment averaging 6% will take effect in 2026.
• 2027 wages will adjust based on 2026 compensation data from comparable cities.
• Longevity pay will now begin at 8 and 12 years of service and recognize all prior sworn law enforcement experience.
• Officers will participate in a Health Care Savings Plan, contributing 2% of gross wages.
• The agreement also updates legal language and clarifies Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) provisions.

The 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and other anticipated changes were already included in the city’s 2026 budget.

Yager noted that retaining and attracting top law enforcement talent remains critical to Wayzata’s public safety mission. The city has three collective bargaining units: Public Works, Police Officers, and Police Sergeants.

With approval of the 2026–2027 contract, the council reaffirmed its support for the Wayzata Police Department and its commitment to maintaining high-quality local service in a competitive hiring environment.

The Wayzata City Council signaled its intent to make one last round of small landscaping adjustments at Klapprich Park following continued feedback from nearby residents. The discussion, held during a workshop session this week, centered on whether to close several remaining “visual gaps” between the park and adjacent homes before declaring the project complete.

Community Development Director Alex Sharpe and Council Members Molly MacDonald and Andrew Mullin outlined that while most feedback on the renovated park has been positive, a few neighbors—particularly along Park Street—have continued to raise concerns about visibility into the park and beyond to Wayzata Boulevard.

Discussion occurred around adding several mid-size balled-and-burlap trees to fill in the open spots where feasible, and revisiting the cap on the larger slide. Preliminary expectations for the additional work could range from a few thousand dollars up to the lower $20,000s at most. Council members were open to the idea, emphasizing that this would be the city’s final effort to address the screening issue.

“This would be a good-faith step to finish things off,” one council member summarized, while noting that the city has already invested in earlier landscape adjustments to respond to neighborhood input.

The consensus from the workshop was for staff to return with a final plan outlining the added trees and costs before bringing the item back to the council for formal approval in the coming weeks. Once complete, the additional landscaping will mark the end of the city’s long-running efforts to balance the park’s open design with nearby residents’ privacy concerns.

WAYZATA — In an Oct. 21 workshop, the City Council reviewed a draft 2025 legislative agenda that narrows the city’s bonding request, seeks a fix to Panoway sales-tax timing, and opens the door to a regional coalition focused on protecting local control. A formal agenda will return for adoption at a regular meeting.

The headline requests

$9 million state bonding package. Staff recommended a streamlined ask:

• $7 million toward the remaining regional Panoway work (about $9.6 million needed in total).
• $2 million for design of remodeled or new public safety facilities (police/fire).

Notably, Klapprich Park, Wayzata Beach, and Shaver Park are not included this year to keep the package targeted.

Extend the Panoway construction-materials sales-tax exemption. Wayzata previously secured a sales-tax exemption on construction materials, but the window for eligible purchases expires Jan. 1, 2025. With Phase 3 spending still ahead, the city will seek an extension so those materials stay tax-exempt.

Sales-tax tool: keep options open, gather numbers

Council also discussed whether to pursue special local taxation authority if the Legislature reopens the door next session. Two concepts were weighed:

• Food & beverage tax (narrow scope, aimed at visitors who use local services).
• General local option sales tax (broader base, but tightly defined in state statute, limited to capital projects and processes like project caps and ballot approval).

There’s has been a moratorium on new local sales-tax approvals statewide, and committee leaders reportedly hold divergent views on what (if anything) to allow next session. Staff and lobbyists advised remaining open to any viable path and deciding later whether to proceed.

Council members asked for hard numbers—revenues, impacts, timelines, and statutory constraints—before signaling a preference. Concerns surfaced about retail competitiveness under a general sales tax, alongside interest in a visitor-focused food & beverage approach if that option becomes available. The consensus: bring back data with the lobbyist present before giving direction.

Targeted policy asks

• TIF eligibility tweak. Wayzata will pursue expanded eligibility under TIF 6 to allow future facility-related expenditures if authorized by statute—described as a no-cost, “give us the option” clarification for the Legislature.
• Statewide e-mobility rules. Following local steps on speed, helmets, and noise, the city will ask for clear statewide standards for e-bikes and motorized scooters to address safety and consistency across lake communities.

Lake Minnetonka coalition on local control

Wayzata is being invited to join a Lake Minnetonka Area Legislative Coalition of cities to defend local control on issues like zoning, assessing, and tax authority. After success working together last session, lake-area mayors are organizing a small, shared lobbying effort to speak as a regional block. The Council asked staff to bring materials and a presenter (expected later this year) before deciding whether to join.

What’s next

Staff will return with a complete package—bonding bill language, the sales-tax exemption extension ask, TIF 6 eligibility language, the e-mobility request, and side-by-side analysis of food & beverage vs. general local option sales tax (revenues, constraints, and political viability). The coalition invitation will also come back with details on scope and cost. At that time, the Council will finalize its 2025 legislative agenda and authorize its lobbyist strategy.

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Quick recap (at a glance)

• Bonding: $9M total — $7M Panoway regional work + $2M public safety design.
• Tax fix: Extend Panoway construction-materials sales-tax exemption beyond Jan. 1, 2025.
• Local tax tools: Keep both food & beverage and general local option on the table pending numbers and state action.
• Policy items: TIF 6 eligibility expansion; statewide e-bike/scooter rules.
• Regional voice: Consider joining a Lake Minnetonka cities coalition to protect local control.

Community Development Director Alex Sharpe presents scope, costs, and compliance at workshop

The Wayzata City Council opened preliminary discussions on its next long-range planning document — the “Imagine 2050” Comprehensive Plan — during a workshop on October 21. Community Development Director Alex Sharpe led the session, outlining what the City must do under state law and Metropolitan Council requirements, how much it might cost, and how the process could be streamlined to reflect Wayzata’s priorities rather than regional mandates.

Looking ahead to 2050

Sharpe began by explaining the purpose of a comprehensive plan: a snapshot of Wayzata today and a guide for where it wants to be 25 years from now. “It’s the community’s story in one document,” he said, noting that the plan shapes decisions on housing, transportation, water, sewer, parks, trails, and land use.

The 2040 plan was completed in 2022 after years of work, public engagement, and consultant input. Under state statute, all metro-area cities must now prepare the next version for Met Council review and approval by December 31, 2028.

To stay on schedule, Sharpe said the City should aim to have a full draft ready for adoption by June 2028, allowing time for neighboring cities and other agencies to comment before the plan is formally submitted.

Concerns about cost and value

Council members reacted to the timeline with a mix of déjà vu and skepticism. Several said it felt too soon after finishing the 2040 plan — which took several years and cost about $273,000, including consultant fees and a parks master plan update. Preliminary estimates for the new plan fall in the $275,000–$325,000 range.

Council members all questioned the value of spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on another round of consultant studies. The consensus among the council noted that much of Wayzata’s data and direction “hasn’t changed” since 2022 and regional requirements “check boxes for other agencies but add little local value.”

Mayor Andrew Mullin summarized the sentiment: the City should meet the legal minimum but “be careful not to spend big money just to satisfy someone else’s spreadsheet.”

Sharpe’s response: compliance, but on Wayzata’s terms

Sharpe agreed that the City can keep the process efficient but reminded the Council that certain technical studies — such as wastewater, stormwater, and transportation modeling — must still be completed by professionals. “We can manage the process internally,” he said, “but there are pieces that will always require certified engineers and GIS specialists.”

He suggested issuing a request for proposals (RFP) in early 2026, selecting a consultant that summer, and focusing 2027 on drafting and engagement, with public hearings and adoption in 2028.

Revisiting housing and state mandates

One of the most pointed exchanges came during discussion of housing policy. Council members took issue with the 2040 plan’s references to “affordable housing,” saying it did not reflect Wayzata’s approach of preserving existing affordable units rather than mandating new high-density projects.

Mulin said the City should use “more precise language” going forward, emphasizing the preservation of its current housing stock and Section 8 units at the Boardwalk Apartments. Mullin also added that state lawmakers are debating whether to override local planning altogether, “wiping away” much of what cities have spent years producing.

Engagement and efficiency

The 2040 plan included 39 public meetings and generated more than 3,600 data points of community input. Council members agreed that level of outreach was impressive but not necessary to repeat.

Plechash suggested limiting engagement to targeted sessions and exploring interactive mapping tools where residents can comment online. Others proposed a smaller steering committee — potentially drawn from the Planning Commission, the Parks & Trails Board, and one or two business representatives — to keep the process nimble and avoid scope creep.

Sharpe said he would return with options for a steering group and potential engagement tools before drafting the RFP.

Balancing local control and regional rules

Throughout the discussion, Council members expressed concern that the Metropolitan Council imposes expensive mandates without offering funding assistance. Mullin and Sorensen both noted that cities are often required to produce transportation or climate data that the Met Council never uses. “They love to take our money but provide no assistance to implement,” Mullin said.

Next steps

Sharpe will refine the timeline and cost estimates, research potential consultants, and bring back a proposed scope of work and steering structure for Council review early next year. The formal planning process is expected to begin in 2026 and run through 2028, with the final “Imagine 2050” Comprehensive Plan submitted to the Metropolitan Council by the end of that year.