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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2026/02/02APPROVED PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW CITY COUNCIL CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Special Meeting February 2, 2026 Mounds View City Hall 2401 Mounds View Boulevard, Mounds View, MN 55112 6:03 P.M. 1. MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL: Clark, Gunn, Meehlhause and Smith NOT PRESENT: Lindstrom. 4. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS A. Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance 1056, Regarding Civil Immigration Enforcement/Clarifying Requirements for Law Enforcement Agencies and Officers within the City. Acting Mayor Gunn reported Mayor Lindstrom could not attend this meeting because he was not feeling well. She explained she would like to move to table this item to a future City Council meeting. MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Meehlhause. To table action on Ordinance 1056 to a future City Council meeting. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. Acting Mayor Gunn opened the meeting for public comments. Sharon Kirscher, 8406 Red Oak Drive, stated she appreciated the desire for people to want to do something, she did not believe the City Council should move forward with this action because the Ordinance would not be enforceable. She understood Mounds View police officers would be able to ask for masks to be removed and for badges to be present, but she did not anticipate there would be compliance. She was of the opinion there would be frustration with Mounds View Police Officers for not carrying out this Ordinance if it were passed. She discussed the many ways Mounds View residents were helping one another and asked that this be the focus at this time. Mounds View City Council February 2, 2026 Special Meeting Page 2 Tony Preciado, 8217 Long Lake Road, commented on how ICE agents were carrying out federal orders and he did not believe these individuals would comply with this local ordinance. He anticipated residents would become upset with Mounds View police officers because they would not be able to do a single thing about ICE agents in the community even if this ordinance were passed. Karen Arciero, 7417 Park View Drive, explained she disagreed with the previous two speakers. She supported the City pursuing this Ordinance as it was written. She commented on how this Ordinance would show what this community stands for. She understood people had been killed and she appreciated what the City was doing to stand up and take action. Rebecca Scholl, 2467 Hillview Road, stated she was appalled by what was going on and noted people were afraid. She understood veterans were upset because this was not the country they fought for. She supported Mounds View taking action so residents could tell their children the City was doing all that it could to keep residents safe. She wanted the children in the community to understand Mounds View police officers were the good guys. She supported the City having transparency and encouraged the City to move forward with the ordinance in order to have laws on the books. Police Chief Zender reported that he learned today that Homeland Security officers on the ground would be issued body cameras. Debra Sorano, 5093 Irondale Road, explained she was of the opinion the City did not need new Ordinances for the police department to enforce. Rather, she believed officers needed to uphold their sworn duty to honor the rule of law. She reported that if a federal officer comes into the community and violates a resident’s civil rights they must be arrested. She indicated there was overwhelming evidence that federal agents were acting illegally. She commented on how residents were encouraged to protest peacefully, while the civil rights of others were being violated. She believed the Police Chief cared about the immigrants in the community and asked that no further individuals be dragged out of their homes without a court hearing. She discussed how peaceful protesters were being pushed, shoved, manhandled, pepper sprayed and killed by federal agents. She did not want to stand by and let her civil rights be obliterated. She explained she needed the local cops in place to protect civil rights and to bust through the paradigm that says law enforcement agencies cannot police each other. She asked that the local police officers stand between the protestors and ICE agents to monitor what was going on. She stated the first cop that steps up and arrests a federal agent for violating a resident’s civil rights will be a national hero. Mr. Preciado reported there were different views on this Ordinance. He suggested this matter be addressed by the City Attorney versus the City Council. He commented further on how the Mounds View City Council February 2, 2026 Special Meeting Page 3 directions from the federal government would trump the actions of local government in this situation. City Administrator Zikmund explained the City Attorney works for the City Council. He noted he would work with the City Council and City Attorney in order to bring this item back to a meeting where all individuals could be in attendance. Rosemary Lansing, 8310 Pleasant View Drive, explained she was concerned with the proposed Ordinance and how police officers would be impacted in the community. Acting Mayor Gunn closed the meeting for public comments. Acting Mayor Gunn explained the Council would further discuss this Ordinance at a future City Council meeting. Council Member Clark commented on the amount of time and feedback she provided to the Mayor and City Administrator regarding this Ordinance. Council Member Smith indicated she had spoken to other city mayors regarding this Ordinance and to learn about how other communities were addressing this concern. She noted on Friday morning she attended a discussion at Betty McCullom’s office with 49 other elected officials. She reported there were things that she did not like seeing and indicated the Council was working through the best way to proceed. Police Chief Zender addressed the comments made by Debra Sorano noting Ms. Sorano reached out to him six to eight months ago and he had a conversation with her. He reported there were things that local police were able to do and things local police could not do. He indicated he did not want it to appear that the Mounds View Police Department did not care. He stated the notion that Mounds View police officers would not stand up for human rights was not true. 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:24 p.m. Transcribed by: Heidi Guenther Minute Maker Secretarial