Fargo City Commission Regular Meeting - June 10, 2024
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Fargo City Commission Regular Meeting - June 10, 2024
The Fargo City Commission met on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of items including consent agenda approvals, appointments, tax abatements, public hearings, police deployment to the Republican National Convention, dangerous driving enforcement, speed limit reductions, and encampment management. Commissioners voted on several key items, and resident comments focused on the ban on signs/flags, the conflict in Gaza, and public safety concerns.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the order of the agenda with a correction: Item 11f changed from "Horse Race North Dakota at Edgewood Tavern" to "North Dakota Horse Park Foundation at Edgewood Tavern."
- Approved the minutes of the May 28, 2024 regular meeting.
- Approved Consent Agenda items 1 through 39, which included:
- Letter of Support for the YWCA childcare project to the ND Opportunity Fund Consortium.
- Receipt and filing of summons and complaints.
- Final adoption of several ordinances (Land Development Code use regulations, alcoholic beverage amendments, public and sanitary nuisance amendments).
- Site authorizations and applications for games of chance.
- Agreement amendments, bid awards, contracts, bonds, improvement district actions, and other routine items.
- Bills in the amount of $9,769,563.04.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sumaya Abukar spoke against the new rule banning signs and posters, arguing it silences advocacy for Palestinian rights. She urged the commission to call for a ceasefire.
- Heidi Soliman thanked commissioners for their service but expressed concern that the sign ban appears Islamophobic and racist. She read a letter from a friend in Gaza describing the destruction and loss of family. She also criticized the decision to send police officers to the Republican National Convention, noting the suspension of body cameras in Milwaukee.
- Allison Slavik (via conference call) criticized the commission for not condemning the genocide in Gaza and for banning signs. She demanded a written response from the mayor and commissioners regarding their actions.
- Olivia Fischer (via conference call) echoed similar sentiments, calling the commission complicit in genocide and pledging continued activism until Palestine is free.
Discussion Items
- Appointment of Jennifer Faul as Director of Fargo Cass Public Health: Brenda Daring presented the recommendation following a national search. Faul has over 15 years of healthcare experience. The commission unanimously approved the appointment.
- Tax Abatement for 1019 4th Avenue South: The city assessor explained that the property had been gutted and values were reduced for 2022 and 2023 to $99,500 each year. The commission unanimously approved the abatement.
- Public Hearing – TIF District Continuation: The hearing for a renewal plan and developer agreement with JS2L Partners was continued to June 24, 2024.
- Public Hearing – Property Tax Exemption for Precision Dental Laboratories: The company plans to expand from 9,000 to 15,000 square feet, adding jobs (average wage over $31/hour). The commission approved the five-year exemption unanimously.
- Public Hearing – CDBG/HOME Action Plan: Planning Director Nicole Crutchfield explained the 2024 action plan, including allocations for YWCA shelter, Beyond Shelter housing, High Plains Fair Housing Center, and administration. The commission approved the plan and amendments.
- FAHR Staff Items: The commission approved routine items including sales tax update, budget adjustment for a truck, highway deicing salt contract extension, FEMA grant acceptance for December 2023 ice storm, and a workforce development agreement with University of Mary.
- Construction Update: City Engineer Tom Knakmuhs reported on ongoing projects, safety incidents (none), and traffic impacts. He noted that contractors are affected by recent rains.
- Request for Police Personnel Assistance to Wisconsin: Police Chief David Zibolski requested approval to send 15 crowd management officers to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention (July 13-19, 2024). Costs are reimbursed. Commissioner Kolpack expressed concern about staffing during the busy summer and recent traffic enforcement issues. Commissioner Strand supported the request as mutual aid. The commission approved the request 4-1, with Kolpack voting no.
- Presentation on Dangerous Driving and Loud Muffler Issues: Chief Zibolski and Assistant City Attorney Ian McLean presented enforcement options, including increasing fines, legislative changes to allow higher penalties, a fleeing vehicle owner liability bill, nuisance vehicle seizure, and photo radar. They emphasized the need for deterrence. Commissioner Preston urged immediate local action. The commission directed the chief and city attorney to return with specific recommendations for local ordinance changes at the next meeting.
- Speed Limit Reduction on 52nd Avenue South: The commission approved reducing the speed limit from 45 mph to 40 mph on 52nd Avenue South from I-29 to the Sheyenne River, effective June 18, 2024. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Piepkorn voting no.
- Encampment Management Policy Directive: Commissioner Kolpack moved to direct the Assistant City Administrator to report back in two weeks with policy and ordinance recommendations to manage encampments on public property, aligned with a Housing First philosophy. Commissioner Piepkorn raised concerns about equal application of camping rules. The motion passed unanimously (5-0).
- Liaison Commissioner Assignment Updates: Commissioners reported on their board and committee assignments. Commissioner Preston mentioned a new basketball league; Commissioner Strand highlighted the fire department's successful marathon; Commissioner Kolpack provided updates on vector control and water quality.
Key Outcomes
- Votes:
- Appointment of Jennifer Faul: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Tax abatement for 1019 4th Ave S: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Property tax exemption for Precision Dental: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- CDBG/HOME Action Plan: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- FAHR staff items: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Police personnel assistance to Wisconsin: Approved 4-1 (Kolpack opposed).
- Speed limit reduction on 52nd Ave S: Approved 4-1 (Piepkorn opposed).
- Encampment management directive: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Next Steps:
- Police Chief and Assistant City Attorney to return at the next commission meeting with specific recommendations for local ordinance changes to address dangerous driving and loud mufflers.
- Assistant City Administrator to report back in two weeks with a summary of policy and ordinance recommendations for managing encampments on public property, aligned with Housing First philosophy.
- The public hearing for the TIF district renewal plan was continued to June 24, 2024.
- The commission will engage with state legislators on legislative changes for traffic enforcement.
The meeting adjourned at 6:38 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Call the meeting to order. I invite you to join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Underground justice for all. Preston, here. Stand. Here. Mahoney. Here. Residents are encouraged to volunteer this summer at the Carlson Library Learning Garden Plots. Sessions are weekly at ten AM on Thursday mornings, weather permitting, and all ages are welcome to join in. Start with more than one thousand six hundred readers for all ages already registered. Adventure begins at your library is the theme of this year, and participants are encouraged to read daily to complete challenges, earn badges, and win prizes. We want to thank every member of the Fargo team for their passion and dedication to every day for making us a regional leader. It's crazy it's been that long. I started out with public health. I worked there in the medical lab for 10 years before moving to the water plant, and that's where I've been the last 10 years. With my chemistry background with what I went to school for, um it was just kind of a change that I was ready to make. I did the medical field long enough where I was ready to come and do more of the chemistry. I got working in nursing because I came from a family of um doctors and uh my aunt was a nurse, and that was kind of inspiring to me. And so it just seemed like a natural thing for me to go into nursing. I wanted to help people. I think the biggest change that I've seen over the 25 years was when we did move from downtown to where we are right now located. It just seemed like a better fit because Fargo at the time was growing south, and I think it's been a more positive location. The water treatment plan we've added on the reverse osmosis plants, which doubled our facility size. It's kind of like learning your job all over again, learning where everything is at and all the online instrumentation that have been brought in recently, is it's just made it more diverse. It's kind of fascinating. People don't realize the efforts and the amount of manpower that goes into producing drinking water for the city of Fargo, but it impacts everyone on a daily basis, whether they're showering, drinking, preparing food, watering the lawn, everybody is using water every day. Over the course of my career, I've been able to work at public health in many different areas and have enjoyed and learned from many different experiences. But working with the TV clients is the most rewarding and the most um interesting thing that I find because not every day is the same day. You have to understand that when you come to public health, it is diverse, it is unique, but it is all about the people, and it's about trying to make an impact and trying to make a difference, perhaps some of you haven't seen the rules for the commission room that basically we don't allow signs and flags. Uh appreciate in the past you've been very respectful of the rules of this house. If you choose not to be respectful, you can be charged with trespassing. Uh, we're gonna just take it as maybe people didn't quite understand the rules, but uh, we have asked people not to do signs and flags in the room. So I'm disappointed that you don't want to follow the rules. Is there a motion to approve the order agenda? Is there a motion to approve the order? We're not gonna disrupt the meeting. Is there a motion to approve the order of agenda? I so move. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Okay, motion carried. Sir a motion to approve the minutes of the May 28th, 2024 regular meeting, changing item I 11F from the Horse Race North Dakota at Edgewood Travern to read North Dakota Horse Race Foundation at Edward Tavern.
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