WAYZATA — The Wayzata City Council is scheduled to meet in closed session Monday, May 5, as the city weighs its legal options following a Hennepin County judge’s ruling that voided Wayzata’s short-term rental ban, including whether to appeal the decision.
According to a closed meeting notice posted April 28, the special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. under the attorney-client privilege exception to Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law. The notice says the meeting will allow the council to meet with its attorneys to “review, and candidly and openly discuss” confidential and privileged matters related to two pending short-term rental lawsuits.
The May 5 meeting marks the second closed meeting the council has held on the issue since a Hennepin County judge voided the city’s short-term rental ban earlier this spring.
The litigation involves two cases brought by property owners against the City of Wayzata. The first names Adlon C. Adams, 225 Manitoba Ave LLC, Olivia A. Adams, Wayzata Cottage LLC, and Robert C. Fisher, as trustee of the Robert C. Fisher Trust dated July 8, 2016, as plaintiffs and petitioners. The second names Jeffrey Lee Holmers, 306 Barry Ave N LLC, Scott Tripps, 1020 Lake Street E LLC, Anna Ovsyannikova, and Yevgeniy Ogranovich as plaintiffs and petitioners.
The latest closed session follows a March 30 ruling by Hennepin County Judge Joseph R. Klein, who held that Wayzata’s Ordinance 852 functioned as a zoning ordinance and was void because the city did not follow the procedures required for zoning changes. The ordinance had been adopted in 2025 to prohibit rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days in licensed rental dwellings.
The council previously met in closed session on April 7 after approving an emergency interim ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on new short-term rentals. That measure passed 4-1, with Mayor Andrew Mullin casting the lone dissenting vote.
The May 5 meeting is closed to the public because it concerns attorney-client communications related to pending litigation. No public action is expected during the closed portion of the meeting.
The Wayzata City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve an emergency interim ordinance imposing an immediate 12-month moratorium on new short-term rentals, with Mayor Andrew Mullin casting the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns largely centered on procedural sequencing.
The action follows a March 30 district court order that voided the city’s earlier short-term rental ordinance, setting off a new round of discussion over how Wayzata should regulate the use moving forward. City staff said the emergency pause is intended to give the council time to study the issue and consider changes to the city’s zoning ordinance and other official controls.
Community Development Director Alex Sharpe opened the discussion by outlining the legal and procedural backdrop. He said the city adopted Ordinance 852 on Oct. 9, 2025, prohibiting short-term rentals through its rental dwelling licensing regulations, but that approach was later challenged in court by short-term rental operators.
“On March 30th, 2026, the district court issued an order declaring that Ordinance 852 was a zoning regulation and therefore void,” Sharpe told the council.
Sharpe said staff brought forward the moratorium as a possible tool while the city considers a new zoning-based framework. He emphasized that staff was not explicitly urging the council to adopt the moratorium, but said it was being presented for consideration because of the risk that additional operators could apply before new zoning rules are in place.
“Specifically, we’ve had already one, potentially two new applicants that were not short-term rental operators in 2025 apply for short-term rental licenses in 2026,” Sharpe said.
He later confirmed those were not just preliminary inquiries. When asked whether the applications were complete or still in an early phase, Sharpe said: “They’re complete applications with fees paid,” adding that rental inspections had not yet occurred.
That timing, Sharpe explained, could carry long-term consequences. He told the council that once a use is lawfully established, it can become a legal nonconforming use if the city later changes its zoning rules. In practical terms, that means a newly approved short-term rental could potentially continue even after a new ordinance is adopted, so long as it complies with applicable provisions and does not lapse for more than a year.
Council Member Molly MacDonald said she supported both the moratorium itself and the decision to adopt it on an emergency basis, framing the vote as a continuation of the city’s earlier work on the issue.
“We had really studied this, engaged the community, and I think really came to the right conclusion,” MacDonald said. “While there may be some debate about how we got there, I think where we got was the right place.”
Council Member Ken Sorensen also backed immediate action, saying the temporary pause was consistent with the city’s earlier direction and would give the council time to continue discussing the issue without allowing additional applications to move forward in the meantime.
“I’m in favor of this moratorium. I think we should enact it as soon as possible,” Sorensen said. He said the move was “very consistent with where we ended up with the ordinance we passed last year,” and noted the city had already received two new applications.
“I think we could expect more if we don’t enact a moratorium,” Sorensen said. Sorensen said the emergency measure would create space for the council to continue evaluating its options. “It gives us the time we need to really think this through,” he said.
Mayor Andrew Mullin said his opposition was procedural rather than substantive. He said the council had not yet received “a full legal briefing on the status of our existing case, which we lost,” and that he wanted the city to signal to the community that it was still evaluating all available paths before acting. In his view, adopting a moratorium before receiving that briefing felt “out of order,” and he said he would have preferred to table the matter and revisit it after council had a clearer understanding of the court ruling and its options. “We are looking at all options and we are going to take the path that makes the most sense,” Mullin said, indicating those options could include an appeal, zoning regulations, or a return to what he described as responsible regulations.
Mullin said he considered the move premature because the council still did not know what path it would ultimately choose. “It doesn’t mean that I’m not in support of it,” he said, but added that his concern was “how the information is coming to us and not having a full understanding of the implications of court ruling.” He said he would have preferred to consider the moratorium after receiving a fuller legal briefing.
Mullin also read a statement into the record from existing short-term rental license holders Theresa and Bob Fisher, who he said were unable to attend the meeting. Their message urged the city to include current operators in the discussion rather than treating them as outsiders to the community.
“We sincerely want our voice to be heard,” Mullin read from the statement. “We would welcome an opportunity to work with a task force or related group to come up with ideas and an action plan to identify and address the issues of short term rentals.” The Fishers added that local owners want “to have a positive relationship with our fellow community members, be responsible residents, and want to be treated as part of the community.”
In the public forum portion of the council meeting, Benton Avenue resident Marilyn Richter urged the council not to lose momentum on regulation despite the recent court ruling. Richter said the need for short-term rental rules “still exists for Wayzata” and pointed to ongoing problems on Benton Avenue, where she said issues tied to a concentration of short-term rentals had persisted for at least two years.
Richter told council members that the city should not let its planning efforts be derailed by the lawsuit. “Please don’t let your interest in planning be dropped because of the lawsuit,” she said, adding that “there has to be a way” to regulate short-term rentals, noting that similar issues have been addressed in communities across the country.
The ordinance approved Tuesday imposes a 12-month moratorium on any new short-term rental use in the city while staff studies whether and to what extent Wayzata’s official controls should be revised. Under the ordinance, the moratorium does not apply to short-term rentals with licenses that are active and in good standing as of the ordinance’s effective date, or that were active and in good standing when Ordinance 852 took effect.
Because at least four of the five council members voted to declare an emergency, the moratorium took effect immediately upon adoption rather than waiting for an additional reading and publication. Staff had told the council that without emergency adoption, the ordinance likely would not have taken effect until sometime in May.
In the ordinance preamble, the council found that short-term rentals “have the potential to negatively impact the health, safety and welfare” of the city if not properly regulated, and that the city needs time to study the issue and consider “necessary and appropriate changes” to its policies, ordinances and official controls.
Tuesday’s vote marks the city’s latest move in an ongoing fight over short-term rentals, as Wayzata shifts from a court-rejected prohibition toward a temporary freeze designed to preserve time for a new regulatory approach.
WAYZATA — The City of Wayzata is taking a fresh look at its park dedication requirements, with City Council members beginning to explore alternative approaches as part of a broader ordinance review.
At issue is how the city calculates park dedication—fees or land contributions required when property is subdivided. The tool is widely used across Minnesota to help fund parks and public spaces. But under state law, those requirements have to be tied to the impact of new development.
“This is really about trying to bring it up to the standards and compliance with state statute…”, stated Community Development Director Alex Sharpe in a March 24th workshop.
The discussion traces back to a January 22nd action, when applicant Dray Trustee formally reserved the right to test the city’s requirements. Rather than wait for a challenge, the Council directed staff to take a closer look.
“The agreement was to reserve the applicant’s right to test the park dedication,” stated Sharpe.
What Wayzata Requires
Under current code, Wayzata requires:
10% of land value for residential development
6% for commercial properties
Those numbers are applied at the time of subdivision. In some cases, land can be dedicated instead of cash, but most of the recent discussion has focused on fees paid in lieu of land.
“What we’re really trying to address… is the fee in lieu of…” stated Sharpe.
Where the Pressure Is Coming From
The structure itself isn’t unusual. What’s drawing attention is how it plays out in a place like Wayzata.
Because the formula is tied directly to land value, the same percentage produces much larger fees here than in most surrounding communities.
In at least one recent example discussed in the materials, the required dedication reached into six figures for a single project. That outcome isn’t an outlier—it’s how the formula works when applied to high-value land.
That’s where the legal question starts to come into focus: whether those numbers still reflect the actual impact of development on the park system.
How Other Cities Do It
A comparison of nearby cities shows just how different these policies can look in practice.
Some cities use flat, per-unit fees:
Shakopee charges about $5,500 per unit
Blaine is closer to $6,500
West St. Paul is around $3,000
Others base it on land area:
Minnetonka uses an acreage model, typically in the $7,000 to $8,000 per acre range
Maple Grove combines acreage, land value, and caps
And some use percentage-based systems, though often at lower levels:
Excelsior applies 3.5% of market value, with a minimum but no cap
Bloomington ties fees to a proportional share of park demand
Against that backdrop, Wayzata’s 10% requirement stands out—not necessarily in structure, but in scale once land values are factored in.
What Happens Next
City staff are now reviewing the ordinance, including how it aligns with state law and how other cities are structuring similar requirements. Any changes would come back to the Council at a future meeting.
For now, no decisions have been made.
But the direction is clear: the city is taking a closer look before the issue is forced by a formal challenge.
WAYZATA — A proposed subdivision at 190 Gleason Lake Road and 121 Gleahaven Road will return to the Wayzata City Council next month after the developer requested additional time to work with nearby residents and address concerns raised during the review process.
During a recent council meeting, city officials noted that the applicant’s attorney had requested the item be tabled until April 21, 2026, postponing consideration of Resolution 14-2026, which would formally deny the preliminary plat. The council amended its agenda to reflect the request.
Lake West Development has proposed a 4 lots subdivision off of Gleason Lake Road.
The proposal, submitted by Lake West Development, seeks to subdivide two existing residential parcels near the entrance to Gleahaven Road into four single-family home sites. According to the developer’s attorney, the proposal complies with the dimensional standards of Wayzata’s R-3 zoning district, including requirements for lot size, width, density, and impervious surface coverage.
In a letter to the city, attorney Megan C. Rogers of Larkin Hoffman, representing the applicant, wrote that the proposed subdivision satisfies the objective requirements of the zoning code and aligns with the density framework outlined in Wayzata’s Comprehensive Plan.
The four proposed parcels would average approximately 15,363 square feet, which the applicant argues falls within the range of existing lot sizes in the surrounding neighborhood.
Despite those arguments, the Wayzata Planning Commission has recommended denial of the preliminary plat, citing concerns tied to the city’s subdivision ordinance. Those concerns include the project’s relationship to the character of the surrounding neighborhood, as well as questions related to grading, topography, and preservation of natural features on the site.
Developer Seeks Time for Dialogue
The request to delay the council vote was made through the applicant’s attorney and provides time for the developer to continue discussions with neighbors and consider whether modifications could address concerns raised during the public review process.
Subdivision proposals in established neighborhoods often involve multiple layers of review, including both the measurable standards contained in the zoning code and broader planning considerations outlined in the city’s subdivision ordinance.
Neighborhood Residents Voice Opposition
Several residents of Gleahaven Road submitted written comments and a petition asking the city to deny the proposal.
The petition argues that replacing two existing homes with four new residences could significantly change the character of the small cul-de-sac neighborhood and require the removal of mature trees. Petitioners also raised concerns about drainage, grading, and the overall scale of the development compared with surrounding properties.
In a letter to the city, Ryan Schultz of 108 Gleahaven Road wrote that his family chose the neighborhood because of its quiet setting and mature tree canopy, stating that replacing two homes with four would permanently alter the feel of the street.
Other residents cited traffic and safety concerns near the intersection of Gleahaven Road and Gleason Lake Road, where sight lines are limited by the hill and curve along the roadway and where children often wait for school buses.
In a separate letter, Pete Trinh and Morgan Kaufman of 167 Gleahaven Road said the addition of four homes could increase traffic and change the established character of the cul-de-sac.
Residents Kumar and Kathy Das Gupta of 110 Gleahaven Road also expressed concerns about potential impacts to neighborhood safety and property values if the subdivision were approved.
Recent Decisions Provide Context
The debate over the Gleason Lake Road subdivision comes amid several recent land-use decisions in Wayzata where questions about zoning standards and subdivision review have drawn public attention.
Taken together, those cases illustrate the balance cities often weigh between objective zoning requirements—such as lot size and density—and broader planning considerations, including neighborhood character and natural site conditions.
Next Step
With the Gleason Lake Road proposal now tabled, the Wayzata City Council is expected to revisit the preliminary plat on April 21.
In the interim, the developer and nearby residents may continue discussions about the proposal and whether revisions could address the concerns raised during the public review process.
The council will ultimately determine whether to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendation of denial or allow the subdivision to proceed.
Wayzata’s two charitable gambling organizations — the Wayzata Lions Club and Wayzata American Legion Post 118 — reported strong financial performance and growing community impact during an update to the Wayzata City Council on March 10.
Leaders from both groups described how charitable gambling revenues are helping fund local nonprofits, youth programs, veteran services, and community improvements across the region.
Wayzata Lions report record year
Tim Anderson of the Wayzata Lions Club opened the presentation with a review of the club’s community service work over the past year.
The Lions continue a long list of local initiatives, including Salvation Army bell ringing — an effort the club has supported for 15 to 20 years.
The club also participates in Wayzata’s Light Up the Lake event and organizes a popular Letters to Santa station, where children write holiday messages that Lions members later respond to. Anderson said the club collected 155 letters from children this year.
Other volunteer efforts include helping at Special Olympics events in Stillwater, supporting the Tour de Tonka diabetes fundraiser, and volunteering with Feed My Starving Children, where members pack meals for international hunger relief.
The Lions also continue their longstanding eyeglass collection program, gathering 4,239 pairs of glasses last yearthrough a network of about 24 collection sites across the region.
Beyond volunteer work, the club distributes significant charitable donations each year. Anderson said recent contributions included:
Equipment funding for the Wayzata Fire Department
Support for Interfaith Outreach, Hammer Residences, and The Retreat
Donations to the Ridgedale Library and Hope Chest for Breast Cancer
Funding for the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra and Blue Water Theatre
Four $1,000 scholarships for Wayzata High School students through the Wayzata Education Fund
The club also partners with Senior Community Services and hosts holiday events for residents at Boardwalk Apartments, which Anderson noted is one of Wayzata’s Section 8 housing properties.
Looking ahead, the Lions plan to assist with improvements at Gullickson Field near Gleason Lake, including new paint, rock work, and signage.
Gambling revenue drives charitable giving
Nancy Nelson, the Lions Club’s lawful gambling manager, reported that the club’s charitable gambling operation posted record results during its most recent fiscal year.
Gross gambling revenue reached $5.3 million, the first time the organization has surpassed the $5 million mark.
Those revenues allowed the Lions to distribute $150,500 in charitable donations, also a record for the organization. Nelson said the previous high had been around $109,000.
Since the club’s founding in 1954, Nelson said the Wayzata Lions have now donated more than $4 million to charitable causes.
Nine months into the current fiscal year, operations remain strong. Nelson said electronic pull tabs and E-Link Bingo have helped boost revenue while traditional paper games remain a core part of the operation.
The Lions currently hold a five-star rating from the Minnesota Gambling Control Board, a designation awarded to organizations that direct more than 50 percent of net proceeds to charitable purposes. Nelson also noted the club has maintained clean regulatory audits.
Legion gambling supports veterans and community
Doug Carter, the relatively new commander of Wayzata American Legion Post 118, also provided an update on the Legion’s charitable gambling program.
Carter, a U.S. Navy veteran who served alongside Marine units at Camp Huntington and during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, said the organization has benefited significantly from the addition of electronic pull tabs and paper pull tabs.
Historically, the Legion relied primarily on bingo and meat raffles, which Carter said barely covered operational costs as membership declined and the organization’s veteran base aged.
“With the diminishing membership and increasing member age, by adding electronic pull tabs and paper pull tabs our membership benefits have increased and the benefits to the community have increased as well,” Carter told the council.
For the current fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30, the Legion has generated approximately $1.86 million in gross revenue through February, averaging about $240,000 per month.
If the pace continues, Carter said the organization expects to reach about $2.82 million in revenue for the fiscal year, roughly a 15 percent increase compared with the prior year.
The Legion currently distributes about 84 percent of its net proceeds to charitable causes, which also qualifies the organization for a five-star rating with the state.
Carter said roughly 60 percent of the Legion’s charitable giving supports veterans organizations, while about 40 percent goes to community causes.
Recent recipients include:
Plymouth–Wayzata Youth Baseball and Softball
D.A.R.E. programs
Gillette Children’s Hospital
HopeKids
The Randy Shaver Cancer Research Fund
Sharing and Caring Hands
Wayzata Crime Prevention Coalition
Gambling revenues have also helped fund improvements to the Legion building itself. Carter said the organization recently added a third ADA-accessible restroom to better accommodate aging members and guests.
Partnership across the community
Both organizations emphasized their cooperative relationship with the city and with one another.
Mayor Andrew Mullin noted that when Wayzata allowed multiple charitable gambling licenses in the city, some had feared the organizations would compete for limited revenue.
Instead, he said, both groups appear to be thriving.
“We appreciate the relationship that we have with the city and with the Lions,” Carter said. “We look at it as a team to benefit the community, and we’re all working well together.”
City council members thanked both organizations for their service and contributions to the community.
Between the Lions and Legion operations, charitable gambling continues to generate millions of dollars in local economic activity and hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations each year, supporting a wide range of programs across the Wayzata area.
WAYZATA — The City of Wayzata has announced three finalists in its search for the community’s next City Manager: Andrew Letson, Charlie Miner, and Aurora Yager.
The finalists were selected by the Wayzata City Council from a pool of five semi-finalists through an executive search conducted by MGT Impact Solutions.
Selecting a city manager is among the most consequential responsibilities of the council in Wayzata’s council-manager form of government. The city manager serves as the chief administrative officer, overseeing day-to-day operations, implementing council policy, managing staff, and guiding long-term financial and operational planning.
The three finalists bring varied public sector backgrounds spanning county administration, municipal leadership, law enforcement, and higher education.
Andrew Letson
Andrew Letson currently serves as County Administrator for Meeker County, Minnesota (population 23,400), where he oversees 215 employees and a $46 million budget.
Letson brings more than 15 years of experience in local government. Prior to his county role, he served as Public Works Director for the Village of Lincolnwood, Illinois.
He holds a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration/Policy Analysis and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Letson also previously served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
Charlie Miner
Charlie Miner currently serves as Mayor of Long Lake, Minnesota (population 1,900), and works as a Professional Services Specialist for Lexipol, a national provider of online policy manuals for government agencies.
Miner brings more than 30 years of public sector experience. He previously served as a police officer before advancing into progressive leadership roles at the University of Minnesota. As Deputy Chief of Police (Administration), he oversaw approximately 300 staff members and a $9 million budget.
Miner holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Law Enforcement from Minnesota State University–Mankato.
Aurora Yager
Aurora Yager currently serves as Interim City Manager for Wayzata (population 4,400), a role she assumed following the departure of former City Manager Jeff Dahl in July 2025. Yager has served as Wayzata’s Deputy City Manager since 2019, overseeing the Department of Administration.
Wayzata employs approximately 175 staff members and operates with a $23 million budget.
Yager brings 10 years of local government experience, previously serving as Assistant City Administrator for Howard Lake and earlier as an Administrative Intern for Eden Prairie.
She holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Social Welfare from the University of Kansas.
Public Interviews Set for February 24
Finalist interviews will take place Tuesday, February 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Wayzata City Hall and the Wayzata Library.
Three interview panels will participate in the final selection process:
The Wayzata City Council
The Staff Leadership Team
Invited community members representing city commissions, boards, the business community, and residents
The interviews are open to the public to observe in person. A detailed schedule will be included in the February 24 City Council agenda packet.
Former City Manager Jeff Dahl served Wayzata for more than nine years before accepting the position of City Administrator for Woodbury, Minnesota, in July 2025.
The council is expected to continue its deliberations following the February 24 interviews.
The Wayzata City Council will convene Thursday, February 5, for a workshop session to review internal and external pre-screened candidates and select semi-finalists in the search for Wayzata’s next city manager.
During the workshop, councilmembers will meet with MGT Impact Solutions, LLC, the executive search firm assisting the City with recruitment. Consultants will present an overview of the qualifications of nine candidates who advanced through initial screening, along with summarized feedback from reference and media checks.
To protect applicant confidentiality, candidates will be identified only numerically during public discussion. Names and identifying details—including current employers—will not be disclosed. City officials emphasized that the redaction of names is being done out of courtesy to the applicants, many of whom are currently serving in senior leadership roles elsewhere.
Former City Manager Jeffrey Dahl resigned effective July 17, 2025, prompting the Council to initiate a national search. A subcommittee consisting of Andrew Mullin and Councilmember Ken Sorensen has been working closely with MGT consultants Ellen Hiniker and Pam Dmytrenko to guide the process.
Following Wednesday’s presentation, the Council is expected to select a smaller group of semi-finalists to advance to first-round interviews scheduled for February 12. Final interviews are planned for February 24.
City officials noted that maintaining confidentiality throughout the early stages of the search is considered best practice in municipal recruitment, particularly when candidates are actively employed in other communities.
The Wayzata City Council voted this week to approve the final plat and development agreement for the Ferndale Bluffs project at 565 Ferndale Road West, marking a key milestone for the three-lot residential subdivision following months of review and negotiations.
Alex Sharpe, the city’s Community Development Director, presented the item to the council, outlining the procedural history and the reason the final plat appeared as a standalone agenda item rather than on the consent calendar. While final plats are typically routine, Sharpe explained that this application included a revised preliminary plat—an uncommon step—prompted by earlier conditions placed on the project, including flexibility related to roadway width. To ensure transparency, staff brought the matter forward for full council discussion.
The approved plan includes three single-family lots and associated outlots, with elements of the outlots incorporated into the primary parcels as outlined in the development agreement. Council members reviewed the final configuration, which reflects the revised preliminary plat previously requested by the city.
As part of the approval, the council formally acknowledged that the applicant has filed a notice of dispute regarding the proposed park dedication fee. The approval apparently allows the project to move forward while directing city staff to continue working with the applicant to resolve that issue at a later date.
The council approved Resolution 05-2026 on a 3–1 vote, with MacDonald dissenting. No discussion or questions of staff preceded the vote.
In parallel with the land use action, the Ferndale Bluffs matter has also seen a settlement reached between the parties involved, bringing closure to outstanding disputes connected to the project. City officials noted that the agreement clears the way for the development to proceed under the approved terms, subject to final resolution of the park dedication issue.
With final plat approval now in place, the Ferndale Bluffs development moves from the entitlement phase toward implementation, adding to the evolving residential landscape along Ferndale Road West.
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Andrew Mullin formally entered into the record a city statement clarifying the role of local law enforcement amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement activity across the Twin Cities metro and Minnesota.
“The Wayzata Police Department enforces only Minnesota state law and the City of Wayzata and the City of Long Lake ordinances,” Mullin read. He emphasized that local officers “do not enforce federal immigration law, do not inquire about immigration status, and do not collect that information.”
The statement further noted that enforcement of federal immigration law is conducted exclusively by federal agencies. Wayzata police do not participate in or collaborate with federal agencies on immigration enforcement, are not notified in advance of federal activity, and have no authority to direct, control, or interfere with federal agencies carrying out their lawful duties.
According to the statement, if Wayzata police are called to respond to a disturbance or enforcement activity involving federal agencies, their role is limited to de-escalation and public safety—not immigration enforcement. “The Wayzata Police Department’s primary responsibility is protecting public safety and the well-being of all individuals within the city,” Mullin read.
Mullin continued, “For the record, there have been reports of federal immigration activity in the city of Wayzata for several weeks now. The chief of police, the city manager and I, the mayor have been directly involved in working with impacted stakeholders, including local businesses to address concerns that were brought to our attention.” He also noted that, to date, there have been no magnified issues associated with the federal activity in Wayzata.
Mullin said the decision to release the statement was driven by the ongoing nature of the situation and a desire by city leadership, including the full council, to provide clear guidance on the city’s role and the role of its police department.
Mullin closed his remarks by acknowledging that federal immigration enforcement activity is affecting a broad range of stakeholders in the community. He said city leadership remains available to hear concerns from residents, businesses, and others impacted, both now and going forward, and emphasized that the city will continue to listen as the situation evolves. He added that, if appropriate, the city is prepared to adjust its approach and communication to respond to changing circumstances.
The City of Wayzata issued a statement today acknowledging recent federal law enforcement activity conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security within the community and clarifying the role of the Wayzata Police Department in such situations.
Mayor Andrew Mullin said the City’s statement on federal immigration enforcement was issued proactively, not in response to any specific incident in Wayzata. He noted that City officials have recently received an increase in general questions from residents about safety and law enforcement roles, prompting the decision to provide clear, factual information to the public.
The statement emphasized that the Wayzata Police Department enforces only Minnesota state law and the ordinances of the City of Wayzata and the City of Long Lake. The department does not enforce federal immigration law, does not ask about immigration status, and does not collect immigration-related information.
According to the statement, enforcement of federal immigration law is carried out exclusively by federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. Wayzata Police do not participate in or collaborate with federal agencies on immigration enforcement matters. Local police are not notified in advance of federal immigration enforcement activity and have no authority to direct, control, or interfere with federal agencies as they carry out their lawful duties.
The City reiterated that the primary responsibility of the Wayzata Police Department is to protect public safety and the well-being of all individuals within the city. If Wayzata Police are called to respond to a disturbance or are present during a federal enforcement action, their role is limited to de-escalation and ensuring safety—not immigration enforcement.
City officials said Wayzata remains committed to serving residents, maintaining public safety, and supporting the community. The City stated that it wants all residents, businesses, and visitors to feel safe in Wayzata, including when contacting local law enforcement.
Residents who witness immigration enforcement activity are encouraged to stay safe, remain peaceful, and follow the instructions of Wayzata Police officers, if present, as they work to keep everyone safe.
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