Fargo City Commission Regular Meeting – April 1, 2024
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Fargo City Commission Regular Meeting – April 1, 2024
The Fargo City Commission convened in public session at 5:00 p.m. on April 1, 2024, following a closed executive session (4:03 p.m.–4:34 p.m.) to discuss threatened litigation regarding 501 Main Avenue. The regular meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Commissioners Denise Kolpack, Arlette Preston, John Strand, and Mayor Timothy Mahoney were present; Commissioner Dave Piepkorn was absent. The meeting included resident comments, three public hearings, approval of a consent agenda, and a vote on a ceasefire resolution.
Consent Calendar
- Approved items 1–30 en bloc. Key actions included:
- Tax abatement for 1488 Shawnas Place South (reduction to $1,239,200).
- First reading of an ordinance amending municipal code on ordinance violations.
- Second reading/final adoption of rezoning for Interstate Business District Addition.
- Games of chance applications (raffles, bingo) for six organizations.
- Site authorizations for games of chance at seven locations.
- Budget-to-actual report through February 29, 2024.
- Task Order No. 7 Amendment No. 2 with Houston Engineering, Inc. ($85,500).
- Payment to Xcel Energy ($8,004.80).
- Purchase agreement with Tones, LLC for storm water master plan property.
- Encroachment agreement with NDSU Development Foundation (window wells).
- Purchase agreement and quitclaim deed with John T. Jones Construction Co.
- Contracts and bonds for projects NR-24-A1, NR-24-B2, PR-24-E1, BN-23-J.
- Bid award to Northstar Safety, Inc. for Project TM-24-A1 ($1,065,407.35).
- Amended Engineer’s Report for Improvement District BN-23-F1.
- Early building permits for two properties.
- Negative final balancing change order (-$48,907.52) for Improvement District BR-23-B1.
- Bid award to Northern Improvement Co. for Improvement District PR-24-F1 ($2,550,072.20).
- Creation of Improvement Districts PN-24-A, BR-24-G, PR-24-H.
- Agreement with Mary Krueger as Health and Wellness Coordinator.
- Vacation of findings for property at 1208 University Drive South.
- Master Services Agreement with Flock Group, Inc. for 60-day police pilot program.
- Bid awards for aggregate materials, concrete, asphalt, etc. (RFP24138).
- Lease with option to purchase for a towable stump grinder (CapFirst Equipment Finance).
- Bills in the amount of $7,534,451.91.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ten residents spoke during the resident comments period, primarily urging adoption of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza. Speakers included Matthew Trefz (healthcare provider citing Doctors Without Borders), Cori Edgerton (emphasized collective punishment and hostage release), Lucky Bedell (cited U.S. funding and domestic priorities), Allison Slavik (noted 343 emails sent to commission, children killed), Cale Bauer (shared story of journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh), Chris Larson (called it common sense), Abdel Aburezeq (personal refugee story, genocide accusations), Sumaya Abukar (defined genocide, urged action), Elza Luzha (age 12, described children killed, hospitals destroyed), and Habiba Elbassiouny (shared personal anguish, pleaded for ceasefire).
- Cody Schuler of ACLU of North Dakota thanked the mayor for a Trans Day of Visibility proclamation and lighting City Hall in trans pride colors; he did not address Gaza.
Discussion Items
- Executive Session: The commission met in closed session (4:03–4:34 p.m.) with the city attorney to discuss threatened litigation at 501 Main Avenue, authorized under NDCC 44-04-19.1 (subsections 2, 5, and 9).
- Public Hearing – PILOT Transfer (Item 32): Jim Gilmore (Economic Development) explained that the existing property tax exemption for the Woodrow project (301/315 University Drive North) would be transferred to a new ownership group (Graystoke Capital selling 31.5% interest). No public testimony offered. Motion carried 4‑0.
- Public Hearing – Dangerous Building (Item 33): Building inspector presented photos of 1022 9th Avenue North showing structural issues, squatter activity, and failed gutters. The owner’s lender (Residential Accredited Loans Inc.) agreed to demolish by May 31. Commission voted 4‑0 to authorize removal if not completed.
- Public Hearing – Golden Valley Fourth Addition Rezoning (Item 34): Donald Cress (Planning) explained a request to rezone from SR-4 to SR-5 to allow 11 townhomes instead of 10. No public testimony. Motion to approve rezoning (4‑0) and first reading of ordinance (4‑0).
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure (Item 35): Troy Hall (Water Utility) presented the selection of Core & Main for a citywide AMI system (solid-state meters) with an estimated $4 million cost advantage over the next competitor. The system would allow real‑time water data for customers and city, improve efficiency, and be funded via a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan (2% interest, 30 years). Commissioners praised staff’s thorough evaluation. Motion carried 4‑0.
- Property Tax Exemptions (Item 36): Three applications for 5‑year exemptions on improvements (3625 21st Street South, 2627 18th Street South, 1241 Oak Street North) were approved 4‑0.
- Liaison Commissioner Updates (Item 37): Commissioner Strand announced a multi‑million dollar grant to convert city streetlights to LED (details to be shared at April 9 Sustainability & Resiliency Committee meeting). Commissioner Kolpack reported water treatment plant filter upgrades (half completed, 75% EPA grant).
- Ceasefire Resolution (Item 38): Dr. Hogan (Human Rights Commission) noted the HRC unanimously adopted the resolution on February 15, 2024, and forwarded it for city commission adoption. Commissioners Strand and Preston spoke in support, citing local family ties, moral obligation, and the human‑made humanitarian crisis. Mayor Mahoney and Commissioner Kolpack opposed, stating lack of authority over international affairs and a desire to focus on local governance. The motion failed 2‑2 (Preston & Strand aye; Kolpack & Mahoney nay; Piepkorn absent).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved unanimously (4‑0).
- PILOT transfer for Woodrow project approved (4‑0).
- Dangerous building at 1022 9th Avenue North ordered removed by May 31, 2024 (4‑0).
- Rezoning of Golden Valley Fourth Addition to SR-5 approved on first reading (4‑0).
- AMI system contract awarded to Core & Main; staff authorized to begin loan application (4‑0).
- Property tax exemptions for three properties approved (4‑0).
- Ceasefire resolution (Resolution Supporting a Permanent Ceasefire in the Middle East) failed for lack of a majority (2‑2).
- Next steps: AMI contract details to be brought back to next meeting; LED grant details to be presented April 9.
Meeting Transcript
Call the meeting to order. I invite you to begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. I invite you to join us. Pledge of allegiance to the United States America. Roll call. Cold pack here. Preston? Here. Stran? Here. Mahoney? Here. Hell. Fargo Cast Public Health is holding a special is holding a spring spot social on April 30th at five to six thirty at the main building. Community members are invited to attend and learn about Fargo Cast public health programs and initiatives. Library. Guidelines, rules, and information are all available at the library's website. This presentation brings together collaborative minds of the landscape architect and emergency management to showcase the power of design to mitigate the impact of disasters. Most of the competition was more coastal and maybe larger systems. So like to me, it's it's sort of like the movie Hoosers, you know, we're kind of the underdog and kind of the newcomer in the membrane field, but it's uh it's a very neat experience. I think it's really the result of long-term planning by the water utility. It's a planning over about 20 years and implementation of that plan, including the membrane plant. So keep trying to get better and better at it as we move on. So some of the stuff that's contributed to us winning this award is uh we've been trending towards a lot of uh online instruments, now doing the manual test and trending a lot of the water quality parameters here at the water plant. We've done a lot of upgrades for reliability and safety here at the water plant, uh, including our pump stations. We put in a new UV system and a new water tower. So a lot of these projects have kind of contributed to uh us winning this war. I think you're very uh grateful, appreciative to the support that um the current city commission and past city commission has given us as a utility, not just water utility, but other infrastructure across the city to help us help us out and improve our systems, and it's really about you know the quality service we provide to our customers. It's a good good overall award for our our staff and the water treatment plant and the city as a whole very good, thank you. Uh Tri already noticed you guys wear jeans, so you get your pants dirty all the time working on a water plant. It's kind of ironic that that happens, but that was interesting. Is there a motion to approve the order of agenda? So move. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carried. So a motion to approve the amendments of the March 18th, 2024 regular meeting. So moved. Sir second. Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. So a motion to approve the consent agenda items one through 30. So second. Moved and seconded.
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