The Fargo City Commission met on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. Mayor Mahoney presided, with Commissioners Kolpack, Piepkorn, Preston, Strand, and Mahoney present. The meeting included approval of a consent agenda, public hearings on plats and zoning, a presentation on the police department's master facility plan, decisions on a police memorial event and the 2024 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and adoption of housing and downtown studies.
Call the meeting to order. We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. I invite you to join us. One nation under God. Here. Preston. Here. Strand. Here. Mahoney? Here. Hell Faro Cows Public Health recognized January as a cervical cancer awareness month. All women who are at risk for cervical cancer, though it occurs most often in women over age thirty. Screening tests and HPV vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer. When found early, cervical cancer is highly treatable and associated with long-term survival and a good quality of life. Services available through job seeking assistance, veteran services, information on training programs, resume building, and limited unemployment insurance assistance, as well as migrant and seasonal farm worker services. Planning. Planning has been busy. Fargo issued building permits in 2023 worth more than $784 million. There were nine twenty nine hundred and twenty-nine multifamily housing units, two hundred and twenty-two single-family housing units, and sixty-three roll houses slash twin homes. Large projects include the NDSU Pell Tierra Complex, the Forgo Sports Complex, Bell Bag Tower, and Epic Unite, and Block mixed use buildings. Water treatment plant. The pump capacity improvements were about 60% funded by the State Water Commission grant. In 1997, the pre-treatment rehabilitation ultraviolet system improvements project updated 25-year-old equipment with pre-treatment process and ultraviolet system installation, adding more disinfectant capabilities in the old water plant. A state revolving loan fund at one and a half percent interest funded this project. And the 1997 Ozone System Improvements Phase 2 project installed a vacuum swing absorption system to produce on-site 93% oxygen and reduced reduce the reliance on liquid oxygen to be trucked in from the cities. The new system will improve the plant operations cost efficiency. The project installed a third smaller ozone generator for winter operation. Again, an SRF loan at one and a half percent interest funded this project. Good sustainability, John. Don't you think that owes on stock? Finally, the police and fire departments hosted an award ceremony here in the commission chambers a few weeks ago to honor the heroic actions taken by first responders as a result of a critical incident on July 14th, 2023. We want to continue to support and honor those officers and firefighters to ensure no one ever forgets their life-saving actions on that day, which impacted our entire community. We have a short video to watch that recaps the event. Today we gather to honor and recognize the extraordinary bravery displayed by our dedicated police officers and firefighters during the incident that significantly impacted our community. In so many ways, this is such an important day for our city, our community, and our first responders. We gather here today in a somewhat melancholy state to remember certainly the most horrific day in our police department history, nearly 150 years. Likely one of the most horrific events in our city's nearly 150 year history. It's necessary for all of us as we transition forward with heavy but grateful hearts. Today we gather not only to recognize the bravery, but also to pay tribute to six extraordinary individuals whose courage and selflessness shone brightly amidst the darkest days of July 14, 2023 in Fargo, North Dakota. A tragic incident unfolded that tested the mettle of our emergency responders. Their rapid response exemplified a seamless coordination and solidarity that defines the emergency response community. Nice job by communications, thank you. Sir motion to approve the order of the agenda. So move. Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye.