Minutes - 2026/01/26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council January 26, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 12 asked for comments or questions regarding the ordinance language. He reiterated that this ordinance was a tool and starting point for the City Council. Mayor Lindstrom recommended the body cameras not have SD cards that could be removed. Rather he wanted to see the body cameras having the videos stored in a system that was in the cloud. Council Member Gunn inquired what kind of identification federal ICE agents had to provide to Mounds View law enforcement officers if asked for identification. Police Chief Zender stated this was very difficult to determine at this time. Mayor Lindstrom stated the only recourse the City has was to pass an ordinance. City Attorney Riggs reported this was the case noting there were discussions about how local municipalities need to start charging federal officers. He anticipated this would be a difficult road to go down and noted the proposed ordinance would assist the City with addressing this topic. Police Chief Zender indicated the enforceability of the ordinance was a concern for him. He stated there were a lot of cities discussing this topic at this time and he was uncertain if the proposed ordinance would be enforceable. He explained he did not want to tie up resources chasing ICE agents in the community. Mayor Lindstrom stated he understood these were unprecedented times, but it was his hope the ordinance would provide the City with a backdrop on the behavior that was expected in this community. Council Member Gunn agreed, noting the ordinance would provide the police department with a tool. Council Member Meehlhause stated even if the ordinance was not enforceable, he supported the City Council approving the proposed ordinance which would set expectations for behavior in this community. Further discussion ensued regarding how valuable body cameras were for confirming the actions and behaviors of Mounds View police officers. Council Member Smith indicated she was concerned with how some residents may come back to the City expressing concern with the fact the Council passed an ordinance that was not being enforced by the Mounds View Police Department. Police Chief Zender stated this was a concern for him as well. Council Member Clark supported the City adopting the ordinance as it would give the police department some level of authority. Mayor Lindstrom expressed concern with how ICE was not attempting to notify local agencies when they were entering a community.