We'll call the meeting to order.

We'll begin with a Pledge of Allegiance.

I invite you to join us.

Roll call.

Coal Pack here.

TEPCON?

Strand.

Here.

Turnberg here.

Mahoney.

Here.

Tonight we're highlighting the work of Fargo Cass Public Health.

Some people may not be aware that Fargo Cass Public Health is the city of Fargo agency that serves Fargo, West Fargo, Cass County, and surrounding counties.

It's funded through a combination of federal, state, and local funds.

Fargo Cass County Health Team plays a critical role in providing essential health services, leading public health preparedness, and promoting wellness initiatives for our residents.

We are constantly looking out for the most vulnerable citizens, partnering with schools and organizations to build a healthier future for the whole community.

Thank you for all you do to make Fargo Region a safe and healthy place to call home.

Providing support and food resources for families.

The WIC program helps women, infants, and children, families stay healthy by providing free nutritious foods, tips on eating well, breastfeeding support, connections to community resources.

It's all about giving eligible families the support they need to grow strong and to thrive.

Our emergency preparedness division is ready to respond and supports our community by providing training and support for long-term care facilities, group homes, and shelters to ensure residents remain safe.

The clinic at Frago Cass Public Health provides various services for men and women, including reproductive health, STD and STI counseling, testing and treatment, immunizations, and screening for breast and cervical cancers.

The clinic staff participate in many outreach events throughout Cass County.

The North Dakota Ryan White and Women's Way programs are also based at FIGO CAS Public Health.

As part of our fee for services, we we work with people where they're at.

And that is if they can't pay for the entire visit, we can make payments available and just whatever their income bracket is to help cover the services that they need.

In addition to meeting people where they're at financially, we also want to meet them where they're at physically.

That's going to include meeting them at schools for immunizations or providing school nursing in addition to our adult nursing division going into homes for home health care.

We also provide services via telehealth for our WIC and clinic services.

Why do I believe in public health?

And for me, it was having a long history of being on the treatment side of mental health care specifically and in the hospital settings that I've worked with in.

Uh, truly to prevent, promote, and protect our public.

Thank you, Jen.

That was a nice video.

Appreciate it.

Tonight we're representing the Fargo Rising Star Award to a recipient chosen by the leadership of Fargo Cass Public Health.

The award goes to Mike Hondlick.

Mike has served Fargo Cass Public Health for five years.

He started as a seasonal emergency management intern in 2020.

The next year he was hired by the environmental health division as an office associate.

In this role, Mike handles high volumes of phone calls and in-person inquiries and provides residents with information about environmental health programs, licensing, and regulation.

He resolves over 80, 800 nuisant complaints each year, conducts annual building for 1,700 licensees, and assists with documenting 3,500 annual health inspections.

Mike is known for his integrity, positive attitude, strong work ethic, and outstanding customer service.

He consistently volunteers to take on additional responsibilities, provides impeccable attention to detail, and is a valued member of Fargo Cast Health.

Congratulations, Mike.

Your commitment to public service makes you Fargo rising star.

The other thing we had going on last week was we're trying to figure out who gave the most blood, police or fire, more head or Fargo.

So I have Kimberly Vasseltag from the Red Cross.

And she is going to explain to us the different trophies that are out there tonight.

And then I think we have some fire policemen from Moorhead as well.

I see Chuck is here as well to represent Moorhead.

And do we have the police chief and the fire chief here as well?

If they had all come to the podium, please would like to give the presentations.

Yeah, I yeah, we can all come back up.

Yeah.

Who's carrying the trophies?

Jared has them and then Chief has one.

Come on on.

Where are we going?

There you go.

You got your speech ready?

I have a little bit.

Yeah.

So I'm Kimberly Vasiteg, executive director of the Merrick Red Cross Response for Eastern North Dakota, Northwest Minnesota.

We are excited to have a long running Battle of the Badges here in the Fargo side.

And this last year we did expand over to the Moorhead side, um, doing Battle of the Badges, but also we created Battle of the Cities, getting a little bit more fun to it.

Um so this year, I haven't even gotten the results yet.

Um, but this year on the Moorhead side for the battle of the badges.

Fire took it.

Fire took the first battle.

And we do it on a you can't, he's peeking.

Um we do it on a donation basis.

So if you donate your if you donate blood, you do get a vote.

Um so on that one it was 24 to 20 fire taking it.

Um Jared has the Nefargo side, so I'm gonna do the Fargo one here, Denise.

Do you want to hold?

Grab it from Jared, and then in between Gary and let's see, Chief of Fire, Chief of Police.

Okay.

So this year's battle on the Fargo side.

Um we had a really great showing.

I think both both blood drives were had a great showing.

Um, but somehow Gary got the whole recruit team um of the Metro Fire to show up, and he ended up taking it um 20 to 10 or 30 to 10 for fire.

So fire did come back this year and they won.

They reclaim their spot, and then on the city side, so we have um deputy chief, excuse me, deputy mayor Chuck Hendrickson.

Do you want to come up here with I'm gonna step aside?

Um Mayor Mahoney.

So this is the first inaugural year of the battle of the cities.

So just taking a little bit of time and um really presenting and giving back to those um that save that are jumping in our spots every single day.

Um, saving lives, our first responders.

Um I haven't opened it yet.

Come on now.

Okay.

Throughout the whole entire two days, we had 84 blood donations made.

So I want to make sure you all know that 84 blood donations made with 36 new blood donors.

So that's an incredible feat within 12 hours.

We're actually gonna I I haven't seen it.

Yeah, they they locked it up.

So Jared, are you ready?

What if I drop it?

They even pick the one.

I don't even know.

Ohhead 43.

Fargo 41.

Ohgratulations to Moorhead.

Congratulations.

Thank you all for showing up for um the first responders and for their Mayor Cred Cross Blood Drives.

Um, this will be an annual battle.

So these are your winners.

Um, and thank you so much.

Congratulations.

Very good.

Is there a motion to approve the order agenda?

So moved.

Sir second.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion carried.

So motion to approve the minutes of the August 18th, 2025 regular meeting and the August 27, 2025 special meeting.

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

So a motion uh to approve the consent agenda items one through 28.

So moved.

Sir second.

Second.

Roll call vote, please.

Strand.

Yes, Pepcorn.

Aye.

Colpeck.

Aye.

Turnberg?

Aye.

Mahoney.

Public hearings.

Uh special assessments for skyway maintenance fees.

Steve Sprague to explain.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Annually we do an assessment of the Skyway maintenance fees.

And this assessment covers things like the cleaning, the electric, the heat, the air conditioning in the Skyway, as well as we're starting to try to build up a little pot again so that we can replace carpet and do some of the wall coverings.

The last year the assessment was 160,000, and we've repeated that again this year.

I think the plan is to do the same assessment for about five years, and that will give us time to save up so that we can do the uh the uh uh wall coverings and the uh carpeting anyone president wishes to speak in regards to these assessments or maintenance fees.

So one present wants to talk about skyway maintenance fees.

If not, I'll close the public hearing.

Do I have a motion?

I'll make the motion, sir.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Paul vote, please.

Pepcorn, turnbury.

Aye.

Cole Pack, aye, strand.

Yes, Mahoney.

Aye.

Public hearing special assessments for nuisance abatement fees, snow removal.

Steve Sprague to explain.

Yes, Mayor.

So the um snow removal costs uh when it's done on a complaint-driven basis.

Uh we go out, we take pictures beforehand, we remove the snow, take pictures afterwards.

We do send out a billing through our accounts receivable process.

Um, and when we get into the middle of summer, and if it hasn't been paid yet, then we switch over to the assessment process.

So there was about $7,000 remaining unpaid, and that's what we have on our list.

That's all I have.

So when president wishes to speak about the snow removal assessment.

Anyone president wants to speak about the snow removal assessment?

If not, I'll close the public hearing.

Do we have a motion?

So moved.

Sir second.

Second.

Discussion?

Mr.

Strand.

Thank you.

Steve, I'm just curious with the uh snow removal abatements.

In our social services funds, we had about nearly $50,000 for snow removal for people that couldn't.

Is this isn't the same, is it?

No, this is uh this is just a homeowner that uh or uh you know a rental property or something like that where they're not uh taking care of the property like they should be.

And the other program explain it briefly if you could.

Well, um, I think that falls under Nicole and planning, but my understanding is that it um property owners can apply for assistance to um remove snow on their on their property.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

Roll call vote, please.

Colpack, aye, Turnberg, aye.

Pepcorn, aye strand, yes, mahoney.

Aye.

Item 31, special substance unpaid utilities.

Much longer list.

It this is a long list.

Um we are trying to get our um trying to get ahead of this a little bit uh with our new meter project going in also.

Um and so with this list now.

We remember we have areas of town that are served by Casserole Water, and we do not have the ability to turn off the water.

It's uh water is not our debt on those, and so those uh properties that are in the city of Fargo City limits but are serviced by Castro Water.

Um they have other city services that uh need to be paid, and um they are billed monthly through the utility billing process, and a number of those people uh do not pay theirs, and so this is how we collect those assessments.

In addition to that, um we've switched uh or we put an emphasis on rental properties uh a number of years ago, and and we've uh pretty much worked through all of the landlords now.

Understand that they are responsible for their uh utilities at their rental properties, and so those are two of the areas.

We have some others with where uh getting access to the um to the turnoff valves is is uh difficult.

Uh either they have um like a car parked over it or different things like that, and so those are on the list also.

Um storm sewer is uh you know, obviously we we bill for storm sewer services, and uh if somebody chooses not to pay that, um you know we we have no uh method of collecting other than through this assessment process, sir.

Anyone present wishes to speak about special assessments for unpaid utilities.

Anyone wanting to speak?

If not, I'll close public hearing.

Do we have a motion?

I'll make the motion to second.

Second.

Any discussion, Mr.

Strahd.

Thank you.

Steve, I'm just curious with regard to the bigger picture.

A few years ago we raised these uh these costs to the consumer, maybe substantially, I'm not sure.

But how are you seeing that trickle into how many are unpaid or the collectibles growing equivalently or no?

I I don't think that's uh that's the case at all.

I I think it's we have some property owners that just choose not to not to pay their utilities and it's difficult to stay to you know be turning everybody off that's not paying them.

Um and so um I I think that that's just this just kind of the way it is, I guess.

It's that um you know people are choosing not to pay them and and our collection method now is through the property taxes.

I will add that um when we send out this notice, you know, when the property owners got their notice.

We've seen a substantial um increase in payments uh because people don't necessarily want that to go on there.

This uh 318,000 that was on there was the first um assessment that or notice that went out.

Now we will before we um convert this to an assessment.

We double check to make sure that you know payments are made and and that type of thing.

So I don't know if there's other questions.

No, thank you.

We'll call the was there a question, Mr.

Tremor?

Your mic was there.

Okay.

Uh Turnberg?

Aye.

Cole Pack.

Aye, strand.

Yes.

Mahoney.

Public care and application for transfer ownership license, class F, alcoholic beverage license for La Fiesta, Mexican American Grill doing businesses, Casa Mexica Cacuria Express located at 2511 Christian Lane South.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

So this is an existing business.

The class F is full alcohol, but it does require food sales.

It does not allow them to have a physical bar in the location.

Uh and what we're doing here is just adding one owner.

Uh there was if this was uh individually owned, and he brought on a partner.

Uh, we went through the background check and through our normal process.

Um there were no issues in the background check, and uh does come to you with a recommendation of approval from the liquor control board.

Is there anyone president who wishes to discuss the transfer of this ownership?

Anyone want to discuss this ownership?

If not, I'll close the public hearing.

Do I have a motion?

I'll make the motion.

Sir second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Roll call vote, please.

Pepcorn.

Colpac, aye.

Strand.

Yes.

Turnberg, aye.

Mahoney.

Aye.

Thank you, Steve.

Item 33, Brecky 64th uh Avenue Edition.

We were recommended by planning commission on 4125.

Zoning change from a single dwelling residential to swingle dwelling residential SR4.

First reading, the rezoning ordinance and the plat of the Brecky 64th Avenue edition.

Donald Cruster explained.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Donald Cress of the Department of Planning and Development.

Note this item includes the an ordinance prepared by the City Attorney's Office.

Our first uh our only item here tonight, as the mayor stated, is Brecky 64th Avenue addition.

It is located here along 64th Avenue South, west of University Drive.

Uh here's Davies High School down here.

Here's the water tower that says Fargo on one side and Cass Rule Water on the other.

And this uh large property here is a city-owned property uh that is often informally referred to as Borrow Pit Park.

Um these are uh it's a 4.62-acre property, so we're just looking from the four corners here.

Uh the property has been cleared of everything that's on it, and they are in the process of lowering it.

That is uh to meet the flood requirements.

They own the property, and so they can uh the owner owns the property, so they can start this work now.

Uh just a few different uh views of the site here.

It's interestingly surrounded on one side by uh water tower and a cell tower in the back by that city-owned property.

On the east side by some uh uh large lot residences.

Here's the here's the uh edge of one large lot residence here, and then of course 64th Avenue is an arterial with some uh residences across the street.

Here's just looking down 64th Avenue, the subject property is over here.

Here are the uh residences across the street.

And uh this shot here is on the south side.

Uh there has been much discussion about how this trail goes through here.

So the grass, the trees, and the trail are the cities.

They're managed by the park district, but they're the cities, and the subject property ends here where the uh where the dirt meets the grass.

Uh the zoning here is SR2, single dwelling residential, and the uh proposed zoning is SR4, single dwelling residential, which is intended to accommodate this plat.

So taking there were once two houses here on large lots.

This is proposed to be platted into 30 lots that are zoned SR4.

Again, these lots would meet the minimum development standards of the SR4 zone.

And access is provided by a an internal private drive here, uh, which uh we do occasionally.

They will take access off 64th Avenue South, but the easement and the roadway and all that is internal to it, the utilities will be uh maintained by the development, uh not by the city.

That's a pretty busy-looking plat here.

This is uh those lots laid out so you can see them more clearly, and then the dashed blue line is the uh easement that goes through that.

It's a 30-foot-wide easement.

Um at the planning commission, as it states in your staff report, the planning commission was uh adamant that a sidewalk should be provided, which was not in the original uh design.

So here is a graphic prepared by the project engineer.

Uh this darker edge here is the sidewalk.

It's four and a half foot wide sidewalk, standard city width sidewalk that will go all the way around the subject property.

And then this should shows the approximate house layouts.

Your your commission is not approving this exact layout tonight of the houses, but this is the idea that's behind it there.

Uh the developer can provide more details on the houses.

Uh Commissioners, you received a communication including your packet regarding our concerns about a fence along the south side of the property line here.

Uh this is a graphic provided by the applicant.

Um, the uh the neighbor there uh who was uh sent that letter, uh planning's department staff and the developer met last Friday, had some discussion, and the result of that is a uh the developers plan to build a fence here.

Uh it's a steel reinforced fence along the south property line between the residences here.

Uh, this down here is the applicants uh or the developer's explanation of how that fence was going to work.

We did pass this along to the neighbor, and he said that this uh if this is uh comes together like this, this would uh satisfy his concerns and staff will document this uh the developer's obligation to build this fence.

Uh there are a couple of easements included in your packet.

This just shows what they are here.

You know, back one.

This uh this sidewalk here connects to the shared use path.

This again was another recommendation of the planning commission.

And so that's it requires an easement off city property or cross-city property, and there's also a stormwater uh pipe easement that will connect to the to the detention basin there from the subdivision.

Uh the applicants representatives.

Uh Michael Brecke of Breckey Customs Homes, Casey Jackson of JN Contracting, and Brian Pattengale of Houston Engineering are with us this evening and may wish to address the commission.

Your packet did include a couple of public comment letters, and there may be some neighbors here also this evening who wish to address the commission.

That uh the planning commission's recommendation is stated in the staff report and shown on the screen.

That concludes staff's presentation.

Thank you, Commissioners.

Sir, anyone present wishes to talk about this zoning change.

Anyone present wishes to speak to the zoning change?

If not, I'll close the public hearing to have a motion.

I'll make the motion.

Second.

Any discussion?

Roll call vote, please.

Pepcorn.

Aye.

Colpac.

Aye, strand.

Yes.

Turnberg.

Aye.

Mahoney.

Aye.

Thank you, Commissioners.

Thank you, Don.

Public hearing.

Here in a proposed increase of passenger fares and fair structure adjustment for MAT bus fixed routes and paratransit effects of January 1st, 2026.

Julie Ballman to explain.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Mayor.

There's actually two separate uh hearings tonight.

This first one is about the proposed fare increase, fair structure adjustment.

And then the second one will be in regards to proposed route changes.

So starting out with the potential fare increase and fair structure.

Umluded in your packet.

This is information that we gathered from agencies, transit agencies that are comparable to the City of Fargo transit service.

So Grand Forks, Bismarck, Minot, St.

Cloud, Mankato, Rochester, and Sioux Falls.

And it demonstrates what their fare structures are currently.

So looking at some of this, we determined that perhaps our fare structure is a bit complicated.

So that was one of the things we brought forward to the MAT bus coordination committee at the same time that we brought forward proposal to raise cash-only fares.

This does not impact the past fares.

So Grand Forks in January, actually, I think it was in April of 25, raised their fares to the highlighted yellow on the screen.

And they have not seen a significant decrease in ridership, which is always a concern.

So when we looked at other structures and trends in the agencies, we concluded, like I said, it might have been a little bit more complicated than it needed to be.

So simplifying it would probably be advantageous to us as well as the riders.

Although the magnitude of that is a little difficult.

We forecast a 10 percent decrease based on some of the industry averages and general findings that are part of our industry standards.

And what we determined was that the only thing that, like I said, we're we're proposing to increase is the cash fare and adding a seven-day pass, removing a 14-day pass, which rarely, if ever gets purchased.

And so what we were proposing is going from $1.50 adult cash fare to $2, discounted fare, which is for elderly disabled and youth would be going from 75 cents to a dollar.

The seven-day pass would be $10 across the board.

And you can see that for paratransit, complementary paratransit that's provided any time you have a fixed route, that fare would go from $3 for one trip to $4 for one trip.

It can never be more than double the adult cash fare that you charge on a fixed route.

And that would also impact any guests going along with the riders.

All riders that are eligible to have a personal care attendant, though they will continue to ride at no cost.

This would just be guests that would be going with the rider.

These are some of the metrics looking at uh the price elasticity of demand uh really it can be very riveting information, I understand.

But um historically, when you look at increases, there is has generally been a decrease in ridership, which of course would would impact um our anticipated level of um fair revenue that we would be collecting.

And it's based on income sensitivity, uh availability of alternatives if if folks have other alternates to alternatives to take where they're going, that could impact it.

And then our demographic factors and geographics.

So just wanted to throw that in in there for you.

Our anticipated, and this does take into account the 10 percent decrease in ridership would be approximately 196,000 additional dollars.

Uh however, if the second um set of information that we're bringing forward for route changes uh depending, we're not bringing those actually for approval, just this is just the public hearing after this one.

Um any of those adjustments could impact projected revenue.

Uh, we did bring it to the MAP bus coordination committee.

We discussed the proposal on April 16, May 21, the unanimous unanimously approved uh the proposal to increase again cash-only fares.

Uh so the recommended motion is on the screen.

I do know that there has been some public input provided ahead of time on uh cash fares, which were in your packet as well.

So happy to answer any questions.

Any questions of Julie?

Mr.

Stran.

Thank you.

Um, Julie, I'm just curious.

I think it would be if I remember right, you and others like Commissioner Colpeck and others lobbied the state legislature pretty significantly this last session.

Yes.

And if I remember right, there was uh uh an investment that came from them that is, I think new, I believe, to the mass transit.

Um but wasn't there also a sentiment that we need to I think step up the contribution from the riders, or am I wrong on that?

Help me understand that.

You you are correct, Commissioner Strand.

Uh yes, the legislators that we spoke with during during our um trips out there and conversations, uh they almost to a single person asked, have we increased our fares?

Um and if we have, when was that, and what has been the impact on that?

Uh cash fares we have not increased since 2009.

So that was one of the recommendations they made, they as legislators made.

And we did get additional funding from the state on additional 424,637 dollars for this year and for next each.

So it was it it was well worth helping educate them, and then we are involved in a study that's going to be going forward too.

And so the expectation on us locally from the state leaders was we need to step up our local contribution as long as they were also newly contributing?

I I think that's probably a fair assessment.

I Commissioner Kolpak was there for many of the conversations.

So if I'm if I'm incorrect, please correct me.

No, yeah, Mr.

Colpack.

Mr.

Chair and Commissioner Strand, yes, that was in both of the hearings as part of the testimony.

That expectation, I believe, is a fair one.

Um to to Julie's point, um, Director Bomberman's point that the study is going to be also a significant um outcome of the work that was done, and hopefully the formulas more fairly represent the actual ridership by market.

Yeah.

Anything else?

I am for public hearing.

Uh, if any of the directors speak, they go to the podium to the left here.

Is there anybody who wishes to speak to the fair that uh transit is going to put the proposed?

Just identify yourself and then you start to speak.

My name is Quincy Tullock.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective as a MAT bus consumer.

I work with our agent population in a skilled nursing facility, and I am enrolled at NDSU.

Fargo might not be the home that I was born into, but it is a place where I choose to put down roots with Fargo's strong sense of resiliency and community.

I would like to appeal to that as your neighbor.

As a daily rider commuting to work, college, and appointments, I argue that an increase in fare, also paired with the decrease in route frequency will negatively impact ridership with a long-term decrease in revenue.

I understand that the reason for this proposal is economic based.

If prices have not been updated in the past 10 years, it is time for a change.

However, transit systems are particularly vulnerable to changes in ridership, especially with increased fares.

My research supports what was shown on the screen that according to the American Public Transportation Association, a 10% fare increase results in about a 4% decrease in ridership for large cities and perhaps 8% in smaller cities within the U.S.

Fargo sits right in the middle of that and um has a population of about 120,000 as of the last 2020 census, but that does not include Moorhead and the greater area.

With Fargo being somewhere in the middle, with a 33% price increase, 10% is a reasonable number, but so is up to 18% of current ridership is expected to decrease.

And this is just with the price increase, not also considering the decrease in route frequency.

I will step up to speak on that when that becomes an issue, or should I address that now?

The route changes now?

Okay.

Also with the route changes, if you look at the proposal, three of the routes are going to be negatively impacted.

Route 16 is Mr.

Chair, could we separate this out if you don't mind?

It'll have my own setup as such.

Okay.

We can wait till a second.

That'll come the next time we bring the next motion.

Okay.

I will just say that fare increases and route decreases at the same time have historically led to a larger negative spiral.

And I will continue this when we get to the route decreases.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Is there anybody else wish to speak to the fare increase?

If not, we'll close public hearing.

Do I have a motion?

So move.

Sir, a second.

Second.

Any further discussions?

Mr.

Strand, thank you.

Um I'm just curious for the sake of, you know, we all the users of our mass transit are often the people who need transit access the most.

And it's now always uh it's a financial challenge to do that.

With these with these changes, do you have hardship programming or hardship access or scholarshipping available for people who are hit financially and just can't make it?

Help me understand what what room there is to help people still ride the bus with with more financial burdens placed on them.

Yes, thank you, Commissioner Strand.

There are uh we have the out program, which is opportunities under transit, which was a program developed um probably over 10 years ago with some funding that the federal government made available, and there are people that do use that, and what that does is it allows um agencies to pay a portion of the fee and the funds that are in that program to pay a portion of the fee, and then the end user usually doesn't pay much more than maybe 15, 20 dollars for a monthly pass.

That's not maybe significant to some folks, but for others it is.

And if you're youth or your disabled, same thing.

And if you have a documented disability, you would qualify for that.

So that's half of the regular fare.

And we do have many folks that take advantage of those programs.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

We'll call work, please.

Strand.

Yes.

Culpac.

Aye, Pepcoin.

Hi.

Turnberg.

Hi.

Mahoney.

Yeah.

Yes.

So on public hearing 35, we're gonna talk about permanent route and service turns for Matt Button.

It's only gonna be public hearing.

There's no vote on this particular aspect because it's to hear public.

Julie?

Yes, thank you.

So the proposed route changes which are in your packet, uh, and I realize many you have seen these before, these proposed changes, are are in response to uh some of the ongoing rise in operational costs and some of the stagnation of some of the revenue streams.

Uh the transportation, the federal transportation bill expires next year.

They are working on it.

Um, nothing coming out of that right now, other than apparent my understanding is the House wants to cut public transportation quite a bit, but the Senate actually would like to see some increases there.

So there are discussions going on at the federal level about this.

We did do quite a bit of research and looking at our routes in Minutia and tried to propose changes that would impact the least number of folks that that utilize the system.

Uh, and specific route changes and adjustment costs are going to depend on which of those changes uh we bring forward on September 15th that you do or do not approve.

So uh we did quite a bit of public outreach, and I know some of the folks that are here are here to talk about this particular issue.

So we just wanted to share with you what we did, hopefully notifying most of the folks that utilize the system.

Oftentimes a question of ridership comes up.

This is a lot of numbers, I understand that, but the trend after COVID, and this is system-wide.

This is Fargo Moorhead West Fargo.

NSU, everybody is in this in these numbers.

We are seeing uh upward trends.

Significant, probably not to you guys, but to us, they are pretty significant.

And last year we saw a three percent increase.

Um the paratransit ridership, paratransit is the service that's complementary to fixed route.

It's for people with qualifying disabilities, and they they have to, under the ADA guidelines, be qualified within our um service.

So those for that I believe will tend to be continuing upward.

Uh, there is a lot of need out there, and we are the least expensive to the end user uh option that's available.

And we operate paratransit operates within city uh boundaries, Fargo, West Fargo, Dilworth, Moorheads.

So it's not it's city limits, so every time there's a change in city limits, we we fold that into what the area that we serve.

Uh so I'm just gonna briefly go through routes.

I know there's a lot of folks that want to talk tonight.

Uh Route 13, uh the proposed change that we're talking about would reduce the frequency from once every half hour to once every hour.

And this is a picture, well, a map, I'm sorry, of where Route 13 travels.

It travels from the GTC, goes north on 10th Street, goes up 32nd Avenue, and then comes back down and serves NDSU just along university and goes back down to the GTC.

So currently, if you look at, I realize there's a lot of numbers and and stats up there, but we did look at uh with the population that that route touches, jobs within that sector, and what the impact uh would be, which is about 39% fewer trips Monday through Friday on that route.

Route 14, uh it would change the frequency of this of Route 14 from once every half hour to once every hour.

And Route 14 travels from downtown, it goes south on university, goes down to 32nd Avenue South, goes along, goes west on 32nd.

The first number you see there, right above Essentia, is actually an apartment loop, and the numbers you see highlighted in red are the anticipated impacted number of riders on an average day.

We pulled all the 2024 numbers in this, and about 13 folks would be adversely impacted by that.

We would be able if we made these adjustments to Route 14 as far as the alignment of the route.

We would be able to bring Elliott Place into being served, and I know that's been a need that's been expressed many times.

And go back and travel the same way back to the downtown area.

Route 15, the proposed change would increase that route from 60 to 90 minute route to improve on time performance.

We actually implemented a pilot program in May of this year to determine the effect and effectiveness of the change.

There were very few drivers that could keep that route on time.

And when you add snow ice, any adverse conditions, it just was a losing battle.

So there's no cost impact to the proposed change.

But it has been successful.

I've had some comments tonight that people really like it.

The drivers are able to perform better on it, and we are able to make the time points.

That's actually referred to as our Gold Star route by some folks.

It travels from downtown, goes along 13th Avenue, currently serves West Acres, then it goes out to Walmart, turns around and comes back and does a very close proximity of the way it goes out.

Route 16, the proposed change would eliminate Route 16 completely.

Routes 14 and 15 cover a majority, not all, but a majority of the areas that are covered by that route currently.

It travels from downtown, goes south on university, and then it goes along 17.

I'm sorry, it goes on south on 4th Street, goes along 13th Avenue, and when then it goes down to 17th, it jogs over at 5th Street, goes down to 17th Avenue South, serves Cashwise, Fargo South, goes into the West Acres area, turns around and comes back and does pretty much the same thing on the way back.

So one of the proposed discussions has been, and I'll just make the point that the old Lashkowitz high rise is on that route.

When that was removed, we did notice a significant drop in ridership, but we do know that there's housing being built there that is low income, and we did meet with Fargo Housing.

They didn't seem to have a lot of concerns because Route 14 would still serve along 4th Street, which is about a half a block from the development.

Route 18 is a long route.

It serves from downtown.

I'll show you the map, but um, what the proposal would be that we would end it on Essentia clinic area, 32nd Avenue South and no longer serve areas south of 32nd Avenue South.

The northern part of the route would also be adjusted to serve Cass County Jail.

We don't want to lose that connection.

Um currently that is served by Route 20.

Uh we do anticipate minimal cost to the change or for when the change is if it is or is not proposed, but it is tied to adjustments on Route 20, which I I will cover here shortly.

This currently is where Route 18 travels that comes goes from downtown, uh, travels out, hits Southeast Human Services, it hits the Cass County Jail, it goes south on 25th Street, which is the only route we have serving 25th Street.

And then currently it does travel south of 32nd Avenue, goes down and serves the Osgood area, and uh finally goes down into Walmart, the South Walmart on 52nd Avenue South, travels back up the same path serving those same areas.

117 number is the number of folks that it would impact based on 2024 ridership if we remove that southern portion of the route.

Route 20, which partially straddles West Fargo, uh, would be moved from a 60-minute route to a 30-minute route and would only travel as far east as 42nd Street.

And that would eliminate the Cass County jail on that particular route.

But if the proposal goes through and is tied to Route 18, it would still be served by Route 18.

Um those adjustments are tied together, as are many of the route suggestions.

So this is where Route 20 currently travels, and the area it um our planner put on there, so the areas in kind of the Christmas green, uh, those would be areas that would still be covered by another route that are currently on Route 20.

And the areas in red would be areas that are served but would be eliminated with this proposal.

Route 24 is the last one.

That's a realignment uh for the north section of the route.

It would no longer serve the West Acres Transit hub.

That's another proposal that is part of this as a transfer point for routes and would instead utilize the Walmart shelter.

It would be the reason for the realignment would be to serve uh the Walmart bus shelter if we uh realigned the routes to go in there.

Uh this is Route 24 as it exists now, and that would be the only proposed change.

But in order to make it happen and go along 42nd Street, we would make that adjustment that's in kind of that bright pinkish red with number eight uh riders impacted, but it would still serve generally the same areas and would still serve the sample Sanford Medical Center, and um we have a lot of riders from from that location that that utilize the service to get there for work.

The other proposals include the West Acres Transit Hub.

One of the proposals was to no longer utilize that hub as a transfer point, instead, it would be shifted over to the Walmart bus shelter.

Uh the industrial park on demand, or as some of you know, a tap ride service would be to eliminate that service.

Uh the number of trips per day on that service is 10, maybe 12 riders a day.

And with the nature of the industrial park, which is a lot of shift work, there uh chances are we can get you to work, but we we can't get you home or vice versa.

Um, and it is an expensive service to provide.

The last proposal is the paratransit service.

We talked a little bit about the paratransit service.

It if we are offering a fixed route, we're required to offer what the um feds refer to as complementary paratransit.

It's the service is supposed to be the same as fixed route or offer the same type of service to people with disabilities.

Uh, and we do not have any fixed route service currently on Sundays, and we do have paratransit service out there.

So the proposal would be to eliminate that service on Sundays.

There are again 10 to 12 riders that usually take it maybe to go to church or shopping or whatever they go for, and they usually use it round trip.

So when you look at ridership, is its number of trips from origin to destination, and then often folks come back utilizing the same service.

Next steps.

Uh at the August 20 Map Bus Coordination Committee meeting, the proposed changes were discussed but not approved.

Uh discussions, we're going to continue discussions with those partners, and help them understand why we're making these proposals.

And we have a meeting scheduled on September 10 for that group to discuss it and uh get input and feedback from folks tonight.

Uh just so you're aware the service changes have been assumed or implemented into the 2026 transit department budget and action on each suggested change.

We're not, like I said, we're not going to ask for it tonight, but we will on September 15 bring it back and ask for a motion on each of our proposed adjustments.

So there is technically no motion that I'm asking for tonight.

But I know there are folks that want to talk.

Just one at a time would come over to the podium, please.

Just keep your remarks brief if you would, but explain what your concerns are.

My name is Robert.

My last name is Round.

Because I live in Moorhead and I don't drive.

And we need, and there's a lot of people that said they don't need a bus to go out to West Acres, even though there's not a terminal, they can just have a bus stop.

And it let people get off and get back on like they do at normal bus stops.

And then the bus that goes out to Walmart number 18.

They're going to stop doing it.

And I would told not to shop by my family and people at the 13th because it's not the greatest Walmart.

People do steal your stuff when you try to get back on the bus.

And are I going out to the one on 50 52nd?

And I hope they still could keep a bus that goes out there and like West Acres.

I go I ride bus 15 out there.

And I hope there's some bus that can at least go out to Walmart from the GTC.

And it doesn't have to be a terminal there.

Can just be a bus stop.

That's all I've got.

Okay.

If you want to talk to somebody from transit, if you lose your name with Kimber in the back, she will take your name down on transit would talk to you if you had some concerns about how to get to where you need to cut.

Next speaker, please.

It's first come first, sir.

You don't have to raise your hand to just come to the podium, please.

And if the next speaker wants to line up so we don't waste time, that would be nice.

Hello again.

My name is Quincy Tullock.

Fare increases and route decreases at the same time have historically led to a negative spiral for transit systems.

A temporary increase in revenue will occur directly after the fare increase.

However, the short-term gains have historically been lost within six months as riders seek, find, and change their methods of travel, resulting in a no-win situation for anyone involved.

There is a relationship of positive externality in pickup frequency.

More frequent times mean more opportunities to catch the bus.

There are many vehicle owners who use MAT bus so they can save on gas, travel safety safely in the winter, and worry less about parking in downtown Fargo.

I've met doctors, I've met students, young families, the elderly, and they all use the transit system.

If route times are decreased, then the many people who rely on the current transit schedule may need to consider alternate methods of travel because the system will become too inconvenient to use.

If you plug the numbers, if we decrease ridership too much, the proposed increase in fares that is supposed to balance that out will result in a net zero.

That's part of the problem.

As a writer of the MAT bus system, I cannot democratically vote on what and when bus routes are available.

And with upcoming changes causing a decrease in bus availability, current consumers will be forced to vote with their wallets elsewhere.

And I am deeply concerned for people for where other options are not available.

I see women from our local shelters using the bus.

I see people who are struggling with their jobs and with their homes who use the bus system.

One of the changes is to no longer use West Acres at as a transit hub, but use Walmart instead.

Part of my concern with that is that the Walmart stop is essentially in the middle of an intersection.

And in the main uh part of winter, there is no internal heating, there is no safety from the wind.

It's just out there versus West Acres has a place where you can uh seek safety.

When building and maintaining a key community, you have to make sacrifices, and I recognize that.

Is the Fargo City Commission sacrificing a lifeline for the community for those who need it over the revenue?

Is that where priorities lie?

Is it income and the ever-changing dollar or the people who live and breathe in your neighborhood?

But there's hope.

Not all transit system changes are negative, even with the uh proposals here.

In Spokane, Washington, limited increases in route frequency, increased ridership by 13.4%.

They added a bus rapid transit line which connected downtown and university areas.

When they did this, riders returned.

That one line increased ridership by nearly a million people in a million individual rides in the course of one year.

Small investments in city transit transform into massive returns that are long term and resilient to changes.

Decreasing routes and increasing fares may grant a surface level response and revenue, not profit.

The long-term effects can devastate a piss a system to the point of no return.

Is that the goal?

Transit is a service for the public good and positively impacts people in many ways.

Thank you for allowing my time to speak.

Next, please.

Hello, my name is Amy Benson.

I would like to thank everybody for letting me have the opportunity to speak here today.

I'm very honored.

I will try to keep it brief as I respect your time.

My name is Amy Benson.

I am a student like the other gal who came up here, but I'm a student at MSUM instead.

Trying to get my bachelor's and communications, and I uh I am worried about a few of the uh routes with um Route 16.

I'm worried that that'll take away the availability from Route 15 and 14, because 15 is usually very, very, very congested, and that can get people really agitated and mean.

Uh so I have a concern about safety there.

Uh for the existence as uh for um as the Walmart on 13th being a transfer hub, I would be worried about an already really, really, really busy uh parking space to be served by several different buses, as at least four or five usually go to the mall at a time.

So uh it would probably congest there a lot.

And uh I um don't like the Walmart on 13th very much.

It does feel very unsafe, and I have heard that from a lot of people.

Uh but my um main concerns today is that I would like to discuss the changes and ask for reconsideration of the changes proposed to Route 18.

Um I'm one of the people who live on the route that is being canceled in the services.

And um, although it is stopped at Ascension Health, it um it cuts off that availability to get to that major hospital for everybody south of that area.

And it is the only bus that serves that far down the southwest Fargo Moorhead area.

Um they wouldn't be able to go to uh appointments or specialists for uh their needs.

There are many citizens who live in this area that depend on it for daily accessible transportation to and from home, school, grocery stores, their working opportunities, and accessibility to Ascension Moorhead and the entire Fargo Moorhead area by extension of the GTC, which would be also taken away if that uh were happened.

Uh by shortening this route, it cuts those resources from everybody uh south of 32nd.

And um a lot of these people in this area are from lower income households and families and live in uh work in this area who may be surviving paycheck to paycheck and can't cope with this change uh or the cancellation of the route.

Um I would be very remiss and sad if uh I I've always counted on the bus to be able to at least get to the hospital.

Uh I have a five-year, I have a seven-year-old nephew, he's growing fast, and a one-year-old niece and family that I've been depending on the uh Route 18 to be able to get there in a state of emergency because when it's an emergency time really matters.

Uh the other uh concern that I have is with uh this it um all the routes that are uh all the there are over 30 stations that are going to have to be removed by the city.

And um, this uh cuts through commercial and residential areas.

Uh, this can cause buildings at building businesses and people to suffer in response.

Um apart from the customers who code to these businesses and the work um and the businesses that will suffer from it, the employees who rely on this bus as this their main mode of transportation to their work would be at risk, resulting in a large number of people having to forcefully resign or being fired from their positions if they do not have the resources to make it.

Getting a job elsewhere is difficult when you can't go anywhere anymore.

This can also affect the city, I fear, in major ways, resulting in extreme losses in revenues for many businesses in the area, hurting the city's economy and having to pay for the removal of those 30 bus uh stops and causing a sharp increase of unemployment and possibly homelessness for those at risk.

These changes will also be enacted upon in January.

This is one of the most bitterly cold months in the year, uh, along with February, and not everybody will see these changes coming no matter how hard we try with outreach and telling people that these changes are happening.

So it will hit a lot of people very, very suddenly and very viciously.

These are also the months where vehicles are snowed in, frozen shut and won't even start.

I myself have been in the frigid temperatures from below 20 degrees with about negative 16 degrees in wind temperatures where I could barely feel my fingers through two pairs of gloves.

And the bus route helped me to get to uh a place of warmth and make it to my home that day.

And um, I have always been very grateful for that, and I will always remember it.

Even as much as it would affect me, I know it is even much more needed by others depended on and valued as well.

Even if the numbers do not show this, many people rely on this.

It has been there every time when needed and asked.

One of the best things about MAT bus as a company is that it focuses heavily on the people, providing sustainable transportation that saves on greenhouse gas emissions, providing excellent coverage of availability to everyone with accessibility with those with disabilities, regardless of their race, gender, orientation, status, origin, or creed.

I've been extremely grateful for the public transportation and map and the MAT bus system as a whole.

And I know that this company would care deeply about the people.

And this route is vital and integral to the livelihoods of many, many people, much more than the 117 on that route.

I I know that number could re easily reach at least three times that amount, which would be too much of a loss to suffering for.

Oh, that was it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Just uh the speakers get up there to remember we're trying to understand route changes.

We love transit, we think grants is great, but I'd like you to just maybe tell us how the route changes changes, because that's what we're supposed to listen to today.

Next speaker, please.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Candice.

Um, I don't know much about most of the routes.

I'm speaking specifically for Route 18.

Um, cutting it off at 32nd Street, that is the only route that services any of that lower area.

Um I currently work at the Walmart at the South Bargo, um, so I know a lot of associates and customers rely on that bus service to be able to go down there.

Um just it would cause a lot of people to lose their jobs and um would make it unavailable for them to do that.

I have actually had to use the service several times because my car battery died and I needed to get to work.

Um that's all I just wanted to say.

So thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hi.

My name is Thiago Mengi, and I have ridden the buses in Taiwan for over 40 years.

The north side bus trying to increase it to negatively impact everybody on the US side who depends on it.

Removing the bus get through's hub will also impact everyone in the city who wishes to go and shop.

Their miles in West August.

Same problem with Lam.

There is nowhere for all those buses to be.

There's nowhere for all those people to write it a parking lot.

There is nothing there to protect anybody in removing the bus from the proposed housing for the last of this rose means that people with canes, with bathrooms, with power chairs, have to go down a hill in the middle of the winter to cross a street and catch a bus.

Many of them expressions about the 13th Avenue line if we wish to go shop at the head button the Southside button if you remove the bathtubs we can't get there if you create a pattern to people many of them who are above 60 but disabled cannot get there out they cannot travel and they cannot afford Ubers as some people say just how the Uber have a cat do you know how much they cost the running trip I can write the bus almost I'm not for some of those trips and then you have to be able to lack there that's not possible at us I sincerely hope that you and your housing discussions on a larger basis.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker please Ricky Meidinger step close to the mic please oh sure once again my name is Ricky Meidinger in reference to road 15 um I've used that road I've used our roof for many years here for various reasons without eliminating that road from the Westakers hub I'm I'm sure it would make the road more efficient um would like to go save money um power I do quite a bit of business out at West Acres and due to the fact that it's an indoor shelter um it affords me warmth it affords me comfort I grew the I grew to the fact that I have a I agree to the fact I have a new um I have a nerve order I have a nerve disorder um it's um it's called neuropathy um I saw that um that in past one of my hands and got my feet sort of on if I would have to use an outdoor shelter agree with the fact that I have that nerve condition um there are certain parts of my body that get a lot um they get a lot colder um a lot more quickly that's pretty much all I have thanks for your time and effort thank you next speaker my name is Robert Jackson and uh I've got a couple of things to talk about because number one Route 18 is extremely important to me I'm disabled when I started my journey of being disabled it was because of long it was because of COVID and to this day I just walk two blocks and had to sit down for 20 minutes to catch my breath we're talking about knocking out a big chunk of 18 and I'm right in the middle.

Now I can move and I'll do that but I got five months where I gotta figure out how am I going to get to the grocery store how am I going to get to the doctor's office I'm trying to get back to work.

How am I going to get back get over to uh North Dakota vocational rehabilitation.

How am I going to do all that?

I don't know anybody that's gonna come pick me up but I do appreciate the services because that's what's been a big thing to help me.

On average I go grocery shopping I got about 57 pounds of stuff to carry.

Now when I walk just normal my body uses a lot of oxygen.

Getting to a doctor's appointment.

Well, they do you no favors when they put you on disability because when you get put on disability, you can't even afford food.

My Walmart, by the way, is Dorothy Day.

How am I gonna get there?

I can't get there.

Who's gonna help me?

I don't know.

One of you guys maybe.

I don't know.

Uh it affects a lot of people.

Now I'll tell you, during the summertime, there was very few people that I saw at the stop.

But come winter time, and basically whenever school starts again, I've seen an influx in my neighborhood.

I think we've got six extra riders.

Uh doesn't mean much to some people, but those six people need to get to NDSU, MSU, et cetera.

Um without that service, they don't get, they've got to figure they're gonna have to figure out another way to get there.

Sure, they'll use an Uber or something like that, but those are expenses they didn't come to school, come to school thinking about.

Um another thing is that we've uh you know that's a very important thing, and if there's nothing else that happened, I mean for me, that would be the big thing, but then you're taking away uh on Sundays, you're taking away the uh the whole idea of having paratransit.

Uh I know of an 80-year-old man, and he lives in a nursing home, but he still owns his own home, and on Sundays he gets together there with his family.

He takes a paratransit.

Well, by the time he gets there, all the foods cooked, the grandkids and the children are there, everybody's having a good time.

Someone's gonna have to uh figure out how to get him there.

That was an that was a service that he needed, and you know, I really like to really focus on one thing real quick, that these uh these events that are taking place, whether they're going to church or whether they're going to visit friends and family, it's a big deal because it affects your mental health.

Uh, you know, I I know that real well because for the last five days I haven't been able to leave the house.

And when you only when you're in there by yourself, that really has a deep effect upon you.

And you need to get out and just say hi to somebody.

And when you take away uh a weight means of transportation, uh you're you're really beginning to mess with someone's mental uh health, and I think that's important.

Um the other thing is you know, while we're trying to cut back, I don't really think that we need to have you know a 60-foot bus for Fargo for 18 or whatever, however many routes we've got going on.

I know one route's got four buses.

Uh some of those could be short, and another thing is we don't need a hub called GTC.

It's a waste, and we've spent millions of dollars on that in recent years, and they're doing it right now.

You can have small hubs in that in in small areas where you're not driving as far.

Let's wrap it up.

Right.

So I mean, there's plenty of things to be done, but you don't have to make people that are vulnerable pay for it.

Next is um a lot has been said about Route 18.

So I'm just gonna say ditto.

And um, I've been working at the Walmart on 52nd for 13 years, and um I I don't want to lose my job.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chair, could we we didn't get her name?

Could we please get your name?

My name's Martha Anderson.

Okay.

Oh, and um, I also I live a block from Essentia Hospital, so if the route is shortened, yeah, I won't have any way to get there.

And um, also my doctor is at the essential clinic down there, and I was so excited when um they put a stop there.

So I wouldn't have to take a cab, so that's that's another disappointment.

Hello, my name is uh Zana Beosef.

I have some questions about uh routes changing about bus 15.

Like I see a letter that I received an email that it will be changing about the bus 15 will not be stopping no longer at the Fargo was the Icar Small.

So I was kind of curious about that.

And the second I'm curious about is are the bus passes are gonna be the same?

Are they gonna decrease or are they gonna increase?

Because mostly by take the bus in the summertime, I take the bus like the big bus in the summertime.

When I go to school, I go to visit school.

I take that bus.

So and I'm curious about that that uh I was told that the they're doing something for the roads.

So I'm curious about that.

When is gonna finish?

I'm curious about that.

So that's my questions for now.

Okay.

Next speaker.

Okay.

I don't know where it is.

Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I didn't realize there wasn't a mic up here.

Um I'm Mary Lou Stip and uh originally from Wynat.

And I was so excited to move back to Fargo because of your transit.

Well, now it's almost impossible if this is gonna change, because of course we live out in the Osgood area, we will no longer be able to take the bus because we have to still walk a little bit, but I encourage you guys not to take away 18 because there are people that work at Oscott Hornbachers and Walmart, and I am so saddened to hear about the HUD if that goes through at West Takers.

I do not like that Walmart out there because people, especially people with disabilities, they're being attacked by people that you don't even see.

Come around you and take your belongings.

You guys think for the people with disabilities.

Come on, make it work.

You guys, we have got a big city here.

There's no excuse for this.

Come on, give us a break.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Yeah.

Hi, my name is Doug Stip.

I'm uh I'm her other half here.

Just as a point of uh historical context just within the last few years, when we moved here and and bought a townhouse where we live, you could uh pick up number 18.

Uh all you had to do to get on number 18 was go on 44th Avenue and pick it up by you could either pick it up by uh uh across the street on on 14th, it was not too far from a place called Blue Stem uh Parkway or whatever they call that.

Uh and then in an interest in trying to make the route more efficient, they moved the the nearest uh place where we could pick up the bus over to 47th Street South, which which uh amounts to uh several block.

Uh I'd say it's about a maybe about a 10-minute walk to get there or thereabouts, but still it's still a bit of a walk to get there.

Okay, fine.

But but uh if you move the end of the route to uh if you change that from 90 minutes to 60 minutes and you move the uh end of that route to Essentia Hospital, that's uh for March for three days rations, I think.

I'm exaggerating to prove a point, but but that's that that's a long walk.

And uh at this at the same time, you're also going to increase people's reliance on uh the pair transit, which I'm already worried about what demands this is going to to make on the pair transit.

So uh that's my uh two seconds.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Thank you for letting us speak today.

My name is uh is uh Craig Campbell, and I've been asked by uh my daughter, who uh is a vulnerable adult, 34 year old with autism, and uncomfortable to speak in this um uh setting.

So she asked me if I would express for her um the impact of the changes.

She is a a uh passenger on the on the Matt Para and uses it to get to work.

Her concern that she has expressed to me is that she's been told about work requirements for benefits that she receives, and so her need to have a job is not just for her uh income.

She works as a bagger at Hornbacher's uh and uh lives independently and is a tax paying citizen.

Uh and uh in addition to needing an income just to put food on her table, uh she also uh is fearful that she's going to receive her benefits because of the inability to get to work when uh Matt Perra does not provide uh services on Sunday.

Um life is difficult for everybody.

Um we all know that, and I know the challenges that you have.

Life is harder for some within our society, and I think that it is incumbent on those of us who can help them to make their way when they're trying to make their way, and people have expressed it tonight, uh, to to help them and to provide a hand up to them so that they can that they can make it in in this world.

Thank you.

Next.

Hi, my name is uh Dennis Hopper.

I take Route 4 out of Moorhead, Minnesota from uh Parkview terrorists.

Um with Route 16, I would say disagree with that, because during the springtime I take Route 16 to get off at Essentia in Sanford, and also I get off at Fargo Salt for uh Special Olympics practice for uh power lifting, and I would kinda for Route 16, I would extend the time frame instead of being done early, extend the time to say nine, nine fifteen, because when I get done with practice about eight, eight thirty, and route sixteen is not in service, I have to walk all the way to 13th Avenue to catch Route 15 to go back home and for on top of it, I would say deny the cancellation of um losing the transfer hub at West Acres Mall.

And like with the big chaos at the 13th Avenue Walmart, yeah, that doesn't suit me very well with all the buses going there.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Last two speakers, go ahead.

Hi, my name is sorry, my name is Destiny Rylan.

Um I would like to speak on behalf of the Route 15 in the West Acres hub.

Um I saw that it might possibly still go by it, which is fine, but it's still like during winter, I don't know about the how high the snow gets, to be honest, but I do think we remember hearing one of the other speakers saying about Ubers and taxi drivers.

It does get expensive going back and forth, and me personally, as you see, I have a service animal.

Not a lot of drivers are open to having a dog on their vehicle.

Me and Doyles, we actually worked on accommodations to where they see I have a dog, so we worked on Pip and Lee, but me and Uber drivers, they are realize that they can't deny me, but I still get drivers at deny my therapist animal, and luckily they updated to where you do pep family, but it's still really expensive.

So if they cannot take away the transfer hub at West Acres, or at least just allow 15 in there only, or work out some kind of way to where just a few buses in there only would be really accommodating because I go there to walk my mouth with my dog or just to hang out when I'm bored.

That would really work out perfectly.

And 16, I use it when I need to go there for appointments here and there.

Thank you.

Yes, Christopher Cohn, Fargo resident.

The problem.

So I've studied the uh the the uh proposed changes, and the problem is that the online public comment map is unreadable.

So we can't really determine where all the routes are going and how they're going to interconnect.

And so we can't we we're not prepared to make comments about about those today.

Uh uh the the problems are that they're not color coded, so each route doesn't have its own color.

They don't have direction arrows, so we don't know which direction they're going.

Um, and um they're not separated.

So you'll have one street that might have three different routes on it, and you have one gray line, and there's multiple gray lines.

Some are dotted, some are dashed, and the the streets are not labeled.

Uh I'm talking about in particular the area around West Acres and um the 13th Avenue Walmart because I was trying to understand how all those changes are going to work properly.

So we we um we we really need to see that before we can make a public comment.

And um, I did see a couple of maps um that were put up tonight on uh showing so uh showing some of the the new routes there, but those aren't available on the MAT bus website, so we weren't able to to look at that.

Um and then uh lastly uh uh with regard to uh the elimination of Route 16.

Um yeah, I live down on um 4th Street near the water plant, and so now we'll still have Route 14 going down 4th Street, but only one direction, so it only goes south.

So if I want to travel downtown, I can't.

So I'm gonna have to walk um at least over a dozen blocks just to get to City Hall.

And um it's good exercise for me, but the only problem is sometimes during the winter there's treacherous uh foot conditions with ice and snow.

So um, so that's not gonna work.

I thought of an idea uh that could solve that, and that is to um when the uh so what I think is gonna happen is that the 14 will then um stay where it is and it will be it will go inbound back up 10th street to the GTC, and I think instead we should make it go inbound up on 4th Street.

So we'll have two-directional travel on 4th Street because currently 10th Street South has three routes that travel inbound on it, has route 15, Route 14, and Route 18.

Uh so it's it almost it almost has too much coverage.

So that's my idea.

Thanks.

Last speaker.

Good evening, my name is Mark Puppy.

I'm a resident of North Fargo.

I came just in out of interest of seeing what would happen at the city commission meeting this uh afternoon.

I'm glad that I did come.

I'm not real sharp on all the details of the presentation, but one thing several things caught me off guard.

Uh first, I have an extensive experience riding the the city buses due to a medical disability.

I want to thank the Matt uh Transit for doing a remarkable job with what they have.

I think it's it's great and it served me and my 13-year-old daughter will.

I currently have my license, and if you have your driver's license, I would wager that you have been to the West Acres on 13th Avenue.

There's a cruel's diner there.

You know, it used to be uh Toys or Us.

That's a three-way intersection to transfer that hub from West Acres placing that hub at the three-way intersection, a lot more congestion, a lot less safety, and a lot less access to the resources at West Acres.

Route 11 runs up by the VA Hospital, 25th Avenue to New Horizons.

There are people there who I heard suggestions that we remove the GTC.

I wouldn't pose that.

I don't think that's on the table, but there are people at New Horizons who take Route 11 to the GTC and transfer to West Acres only because that's their only opportunity for social activity.

They don't have mobility, they're unable to speak oftentimes.

And if that hub at West Acres becomes compromised, you'll have a lot of people, even in North Fargo adversely affected by removing that West Acres hub.

So I implore you to keep that in mind.

But this was not our choice.

We'll call the meeting back to order.

Item 36.

Uh and ask people to go back to their seats, or you can leave the place if you want.

If you don't want to stay for the rest of the meeting, uh we're gonna have a hearing on dangerous building located at twelve oh two, twelve oh four, First Avenue South and 103, 105, 105, 15, 12 of the South.

Sean O'Radneck and Sean, just light of the long meeting.

If you could keep your presentation brief, I'd appreciate it.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

I'll keep it as brief as I possibly can.

Um we're here tonight to take a look at a dangerous building.

It's got five units in it.

Um it's a twenty-nine hundred and forty-eight square foot two-story wood frame structure that contains five residential units.

Um it was originally constructed in 1915, and the taxes are current and paid.

Um they've had 17 calls for service in in 2025 alone.

The list of damages um include a fire that's happened.

It's also had um some police action on it that did some damage to the building, um, significant wall window damage to the main floor, um, total loss for a basement unit uh from a fire on 7725, smoke damage to the rest of the building.

Um entry doors have been compromised and kicked in.

There's been squatter complaints and damage to the main floor unit.

Um electrical meters were removed due to the fire, but they have been re-established.

Um basement walls show movement, and so there are some braces, there is some bracing in place, and the what the deck has deteriorated, and again, the property did have another fire in 2020, so this is the second one.

Um it does appear to meet eight of the ten dangerous criteria or dangerous building criteria.

Uh timeline of events is uh damage to the structure occurred from uh Fargo police action on six fourteen.

Uh the fire department reported a fire in the lower unit of the building on seven seven.

Uh investigation was conducted on seven ten, and the structure was posted as a dangerous building on seven twenty-four.

On 730, they received the uh we received an engineering engineering report from the uh owners for temporary safeguards during the clean out and construction.

Uh no final engineering report has been submitted.

Um we verified that the owner did secure the structure on 731.

Uh, we made the request for the public hearing on 818.

Um notice and order to show cause was sent on 822, and we're having that dangerous hearing today on 9-2.

Um, additional information for this property.

Um again, it was damaged during a police raid or police action on 614.

Um, they do not have any current mortgages on this property.

Um, the owners have been working with their insurance company to secure financing for repairs, and they have filed a claim for the damage that occurred during the police action on 614.

Um, um, they do not have any permits out for this property right now.

They're in the cleanup and evaluate phase.

And again, the uh engineering was only for temporary safeguards during construction.

Um here's some pictures of the property.

Uh, you can see that there is some securing and stuff that have been done due to the fire.

Again, you can see the significant fire damage on the structure.

Uh again, securing and uh broken broken uh doors, exterior doors to allow squatters to enter.

Here's the basement unit.

Um I understand it.

The owners have cleaned out some of it and are starting to show some progress, but it hasn't been significant yet.

Um, there is significant charring, and we're gonna have to have a lot of engineering and stuff to be able to make sure that this is going to be a sustainable structure in the future if they so desire to repair it.

Uh again, here's some of the uh damage from the SWAT action or from the uh police action.

Uh it damaged a header over one of the large windows, and it's a load-bearing header, so it is a significant structural problem.

Um again, this is just more of that, and then inside interior conditions and some of the other units.

Um this is just one of the units uh showing how clean and sanitary is an issue in a lot of it.

Um there's missing smoke detectors, compromised doors.

Um here's pictures of the deck showing that that's uh deteriorating to a point that it needs to be repaired, and also another door that's been damaged.

Um some temporary shoreing up of some windows and things like that.

Uh the the problems with the basement, you can see that there's been some patches made, but there is still needs to be more work done.

Um here's more damage that's been done by squatters and others that find it as an attractive nuisance and small pictures of some of the fires.

This just kind of shows some of the uh smoke damage that's in the building.

Here again, more exterior doors, and once again they have secured this to a point so they don't have any squatters in there at that we know of right now, but um in the past it has been a problem.

Here's just some of the securing that they tried to do, and they have upgraded this securing to date.

And our recommended motion is on the screen.

Is there anyone present with speak to this this uh motion on dangerous building?

Please come to the speaker's time.

Hello, good evening.

My name is Shuven Mo.

This is my husband's name is uh uh we are the house landlord.

Uh can you move the mic down to your voice a little bit so we can hear you better, please?

Yeah, sorry.

Uh my name is Shufen Mo.

Uh, this is my husband is a Hoy Lu.

Uh we are the Lisa buildings uh uh owner.

So uh we we started by uh by the property insulant from the American family insulant company started uh uh from the uh 2015 when we bought the house.

So uh and right now we already paid the next year, June is the 2025.

June we all paid the uh insulin fee.

So uh then this uh uh swat the 10 middle is uh June 14th.

That time we hold the family is out of the USA for the summer uh vacation.

So when we back uh the attendant that is sending the detox video, sent let us know.

They said uh the last night uh the policeman swat the window and the couple from the uh uh noon till uh uh midnight, about midnight, then a couple hours then uh the policeman tell the other tenants said that they will come back, uh sealed the window.

But here now, never people come in.

And uh other tenants help us uh just see the like the beach.

Uh you're the ball cover that so um they said only two nights a lot of the homeless guy all come in there and get the more damage.

So then uh swap the window is the bigger window, it's the low building wall.

So right now, um just the inspiration of our house instead of uh uh concentration have damage.

So let we also let the older tenants move out by the July.

So right now, and couple companies gave the estimate is uh total is uh uh 31,000 uh 559, 58.5.

But the uh insulant on uh only cover us, we only receive the 3,000.

You only get one-tenth of the money come back.

So we just uh don't know how to do because uh this uh insulant company also gave our uh email.

They said that because they needed repair so large, they don't cover.

They said uh and also they don't cover the reconstruction damage.

Uh we just want to say, because uh uh before least two case, uh we our building is everything all available uh for rent.

And just the house in space uh uh department, uh every time in space our home, uh uh everything all good and perfect for rent.

Just our damage uh then uh uh cause the concentration uh damage.

Uh cause the concentration uh damage.

So while the uh incident company not cover.

So we only get uh one tenth of the money.

Not enough for for one window uh uh repair.

So just right now, so we we don't know what's about them.

Uh and don't know how how to stab that.

And we also connect the um couple police uh we go to the police office uh five more time.

We go to every week I go to the incident uh company.

And right now we also uh feed the the complaint uh for the uh North Soda Coda uh incident uh uh commission.

Commission obviously we also have the collab uh complainant.

Are you gonna repair the house?

What?

Are you gonna repair the house?

Uh yeah, we won't do it, but no, when are you gonna repair the house?

If we if the money enough of just uh uh the estimate gather, we just uh call have a two company when to come fair.

They said that they can fix it in two weeks.

Okay.

So John, this is uh if you do something different, they have time to do this, otherwise we October 1st, is that correct?

Um so what we have before us is just basically giving them another 60 days to get the things with their insurance company and stuff sorted out.

It's got the electricity cut off.

Uh the electricity and the water actually on the level right now.

Excuse me.

It's not lovable, right?

It's not what you can't live in it, right?

No, no, nobody can live in it.

It's vacant at this point, too.

The uh tenants that they did have living on the on the top floor, we worked with them to try and get them out and they found uh separate housing.

Um but uh the the problem is is there's insurance companies and stuff involved in it and they're not willing to pay out.

Um we just need a timeline to be able to establish something so that we have some movement on it, and we're not sitting on it for more.

So it's forced to the insurance company to make some decisions.

Well, it's it's gonna help force uh hopefully help them uh get the insurance company makes some decisions as well as um giving them a time frame that they have to work within.

Um if something happens with the insurance company or something right now, we're not seeing a lot of movement on it.

Um they're doing a little bit, but it's not a lot, and there hasn't been no structural or anything done on it at this point.

So right now it does constitute a hazard to the people around it as well as as others that could get into it.

So I have a motion.

I'll make the motion.

Sorry, a second.

I'm gonna close public hearing to have a second.

Any further discussion.

We'll call vault, please.

Pep Corn?

Aye.

Strand?

Yes.

Call Pack.

Aye.

Turnberg?

Aye.

Mahoney?

Aye.

Thank you.

Item 37.

Recommendation to night extension requests for dangerous building located at 1102 First Avenue South.

Showing to explain this as well.

Uh Mayor and Commissioners, this is uh this extension was request was made by AJS Ventures LLC.

Um, Adam Stone Street, the owner of the property is here tonight, and he would like uh opportunity to speak to the commission.

Uh this is for 1102 First Avenue South.

Uh, this structure was deemed a dangerous building during the City Commission meeting on June 23rd.

Um again, the owner has requested an extension, he requested on 815.

Otherwise it would have been on the other agenda if we would have received it earlier.

Um the copy of that is attached.

We did receive uh plans finally to try and get a permit to salvage this place on 818.

And um the engineering and the plans that were submitted were not um anything that we could actually use for any permitting purposes.

Um again, we responded back and gave them um a list of things that we needed to have in the plans and and things.

And um we responded back on 821, so just a couple of days later, we're trying to be as quick as possible for this one because the deadline was 823, but again he submitted the extension request, so we have to give him the opportunity here at commission.

Um again, we sent them back.

The the engineering and uh plans are both insufficient for any kind of permitting process.

Um we did receive revisions on 826 and they did make some changes and updates on them, but there's still a lot of uh clarifications, confirmations, and we still don't have any structural plans or anything for the property.

Um if you do look at the pictures that we submitted in your packet, those pictures do show the condition of the property as of last Thursday.

Um right now, you know, he was asked to put up uh the uh extra covering or that that uh um tie back on the outside to help the t with the deterioration of the building.

So if we wanted to save it, we wanted to save what was there already.

Um it was improperly installed and it was only installed up a little bit.

It really did nothing.

It was uh net zero for us um looking at it that way.

Um we do continue to receive complaints on this property.

Um if Mr.

Stone Street would like to uh speak to the commission, we're perfectly fine with that.

I'll have a motion.

So move.

Sorry, second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Well called Strand.

Public hearing is over, John.

No, the isn't a public hearing.

This isn't a public it's not a public hearing, but Mr.

Stone Street is here to speak to the commission on his own behalf to try and save the structure.

If if you'll allow it.

Um, I didn't guarantee that we would be able to speak to it.

I I don't know if he did sign up to indicate an intent to speak.

I'll just sign to the agenda item.

Mayor, I'd like to hear from them before my vote.

Sure.

Okay.

Will you come up and speak then, sir?

Two and a half minutes if you won't mind.

Good evening, commissioners.

My name is Adam Stone Street, operating member of AJS Ventures LLC, owner of 1102 for 70 South.

Here tonight to respectfully request a 30-day extension so that my architect and engineer can finalize the document needed to move this project forward.

I have over nine years of experience developing commercial, industrial, and storage properties.

And I live here in downtown Fargo.

I care deeply about this neighborhood and believe this property once completed will contribute positively to down downtown's housing up uh oper options and vibrancy.

When I purchased this building in 2022, it was represented and used as a triplex.

Utilities, inspections, and appraisals all reflected that.

Only after beginning renovation, did we discover a 57-year-old city record suggesting it was originally a duplex?

The unexpected unexpected issue stalled the project for nearly two years as we navigated reviews, redesigns, and legal questions.

Despite these setbacks, I never gave up.

I've engaged multiple architects, engineers, and legal counsel.

We've redesigned the interior to comply with current code, addressed fire and parking requirements, and obtained a structural opinion.

Today, the project is closer than ever to compliance and completion.

I realize that the property has sat too long in a partially demolished state, and I share the number neighbors' frustration.

My intent has always been to rehill rehabilitate it properly and safely, not cut corners.

We removed hazardous old materials, updated infrastructure, and plan for modern life safety systems.

Inspections previously acknowledged that an extension might be necessary as engineering wrapped up, provided progress is being made.

That progress is happening now.

But 30 more days, I believe we can submit the final documents and get this project moving towards construction.

This is a small project, but it has outsized importance.

It eliminates blight, adds housing and sports downtown's architectural character.

Ask for your support in granting the short extension so it can finish what we started and deliver a safe valuable improvement to the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Uh the 30-day extension would not be adequate enough to get the paperwork completed and also complete the construction project.

When we ask people to submit their their um extension requests, we asked them to submit for a full time frame, as in getting your permit and completing the project.

We don't know how long the project would take.

We don't know if they're gonna be able to complete it in 30 days.

That's why we're recommending denial, is we just don't see that this project is on enough to push forward at this point.

We don't feel that the uh the owner of it is is paying enough attention to this project actually at this point to push it forward.

Um at one time he was going to demolish it, so he did take out a demo permit.

So it's been stalled out not due to our factor.

Uh it's been stalled out just because it's been sitting there.

So at one point he was going to demo it anyway, but that never came to be.

That's when he tore off all the exterior stuff and things like that.

So that's why we're looking for the extension and stuff.

We just don't believe that this project is gonna move forward and come to a completion.

Commissioner Strand, do you have any other questions?

No discussion.

We have a motion.

I'll call vote, please.

Strand.

Yes.

Cole pack, aye.

Pepcorn.

Aye.

Turnberg, aye.

Mahoney.

Aye.

Item 38, update on the communications department.

Mike Bridlinger to explain.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Uh, I was asked to provide a brief report uh this evening on the status of the communications department.

Joined uh this evening uh by uh Beth Wigman.

Beth is our assistant HR director, and so what I wanted to do is just provide a high-level summary of what uh occurred and where we're going here in the future.

Just really want to thank the commissioners too for your time over the last couple of weeks as we've talked about next steps uh for the communications department.

So, first I'd also uh like to note tonight that it's probably important for our discussions to stay really focused on the future and on our path forward.

Um, it uh really uh is is not going to be something we're gonna be able to talk about tonight uh with the investigative report.

Uh, that report is public now that's been out for some time.

Uh, that report is public now that's been out for some time, and so we just asked for your discretion uh for legal reasons and other considerations uh to keep the comments tonight really focused on the future and moving forward.

So, what I can confirm is that uh what did occur, we did uh have an employment uh investigation that was conducted uh following the receipt of a formal complaint and related concerns, and due to the scope and the magnitude of some of the issues involved, what we did was uh move to the outside, used an outside investigator uh to look at uh the matter more thoroughly, and then uh really made sure that we were looking at other options for uh outside investigators.

This is really consistent with city practice, it's consistent with other matters in which the city uh has needed outside services in the past.

And so, what are we doing in the interim?

Um, I think in the interim, it's really important to note that we've got a couple of really excellent staff members that are helping us out in uh co-leadership positions right now.

Uh Brian Selene, who you see here at your meetings on Monday evenings, as well as uh Archie Ingersoll.

Uh, they are stepping forward as co-operational leads uh during this time.

Also, would note that uh we've had a number of staff meetings.

These are meetings that are occurring within that team as well as with Archie and with Brian, trying to support their needs and making sure that we are getting them set up for success and moving this department forward.

Also, would note that our department administration has also been involved uh very directly uh for the last two weeks.

We'll continue to stay directly involved, uh providing interim leadership, interim support uh for our two leaders, making sure that they are supported and that they have what they need to move forward.

Most importantly, it's uh it's really incumbent on us to get ready for the future, uh really prepare the department for that future and do everything that we can to prepare for uh new leadership to join that team.

Uh that is probably our number one uh opportunity and priority for right here and right now, and that is to move forward with the uh the selection of a new director for the department.

That's something that we'll be recruiting for, and that will be an open and advertised position.

And then together with our department, once that individual arrives, what we will do is really look at the operations of the department, look at workload, also uh look at uh other ways in which we can help that department uh move forward.

So, really starting with that key principal leader and making sure that uh that person he or she is in a position for success and can really help us move forward.

Um finally, in addition to thanking uh Archie and Brian for all of their effort, uh I'd be remiss if I didn't thank uh our other team members or other team members have really assisted a great deal in the last two weeks.

They've really helped us rebalance existing projects and workload.

They're taking on new duties, new tasks, new things that perhaps are are new to them, but uh still is work that's important.

Uh but uh they're really doing a great job, and probably most importantly, they're really supporting one another.

Uh, we just much appreciate that as an employer and making sure that we're doing everything we can to support them.

Uh, they are really doing a great job helping one another, and so I just wanted to publicly thank them, publicly thank Archie and Brian for their work as well in moving the department forward.

So, with that, uh, that's the brief report I wanted to add tonight.

Happy to answer any questions, and Beth is here with me as well.

Thank you.

Commissioner Pipgarden, you originally had asked the question.

Did you want to ask any questions or details?

Uh sure.

I I have lots of questions.

First of all, I'm a city commissioner and I didn't know anything about any of those.

That's not a good sign.

Uh, second of all, to think that we're going to continue the communications department the way it was in the past with the director.

That's not correct.

Uh we're we're gonna drastically reduce the spending in the communications department because we don't need it.

Uh the third is uh was there an RFP and and who approved the money that was spent uh for this because I think it was well, we have a finance committee, it certainly wasn't approved by us.

And so it it appears to me like the city employees were the ones that determined all of this.

Uh and that's not a good sign.

So those are just my initial comments.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would just ask commissioners to keep it constructive because we are following policy city policy and doing this, and Beth can explain that.

But the uh ability for them to look into things number two is all commissioners are welcome to give administration ideas of how they want the communications department to go forward, but I don't want to neglect the fact that the team is working very vigorously now to maintain the things that have to be done.

Yeah, it's a very busy city, very busy things going on.

Communications partners critical for that.

I do appreciate very much the people are stepping up and accepting roles they're not normally in and is doing a great job.

But when you lose four members from an apartment, that's a lot of people to lose at one time and to make things to go on in a seamless manner.

And then Beth, you want to explain a little bit how we go outside when we have to in HR.

Sure.

Okay.

Um when we are faced with the potential for an investigation, we really look at the circumstances surrounding the matter at hand.

And in this particular case, we worked with city administration and determined that because of the complexity and the scope of the investigation at hand, we were best served by an external investigator versus handling it internally with our HR team or other investigators.

Commissioner Turnberg.

I'm I'm a little perplexed at why us asking questions would be discouraged for legal reasons.

What would that be?

So the the purpose of our report tonight is just to talk really about the future and moving forward.

The investigative report is the work of a third-party uh investigator.

That work would really stand on its own.

Um those uh questions that would be asked of her would be questions posed to her.

Um, we're not here to talk about what's really in the contents of that report uh simply because that has all uh been disclosed publicly and and is really uh those were issues that are identified.

I would just share that uh many of the issues that uh she uh highlights in her report, these were some of the same uh concerns, some other issues that were raised uh previously, so I note that um we appreciated the work.

Uh we will certainly use those findings as we move forward because I do think it's important that, especially when you have whether it's in this matter or in other matters where we have used outside investigators, it's really important to learn from those experiences and use their reports to inform where you go and in the future.

And so I would say that uh the information gleaned from that process will most certainly be used in the future as we think about the future as we think about uh changes to be made, as well as supporting the team that remains in place.

Was this investigator supposed to be a neutral party?

So we use third-party investigators.

This isn't the first time, but we will use third parties if the as Beth said the issues are complex, or we think we need that impartiality, that ability to complete the work without any kind of bias, um, or if there are concerns uh with uh a complainant uh with a specific department or other internal uh issues, we just want to make sure to give that investigation the best chance for success, and this is one way that we do that.

And so, in other cases in the past, um, in my time here too, we've done uh outside resources that way, just to simply get that third-party review, get that uh that that kind of arm's length so that they can make their own remarks and judgments using their own means and methods and their own investigative tactics and uh and and just to try to get to the bottom of issues.

So I would just say that that's not unusual for the city of Fargo.

I would say that I would think residents would be very curious to know why she was picked.

Just reading her biography.

I don't think she aligns with more than half of our residents.

And then for some of the comments that she made during the investigation, I thought were extremely inappropriate to say that the city provides comms staff for the PD.

Does the city also provide equal funding for BLM to get its messaging out?

Why on earth would that be brought up to the comms department?

And and saying that that should be done and it's only fair.

Um her bio also represents her her way of thinking.

Um we lost four incredible workers, which I think could have saved the city $30,000 by just having a meeting with them and communicating.

So instead, we hired this very biased investigator, spent $30,000, which we may have a lawsuit coming at us for a department that could have been handled internally when we've had way more complaints about the police department than the comms department.

So why hasn't in an in external investigator been used for the PD As it relates to the police department?

I have no formal complaint uh that's been received to investigate at this time.

Um I can just uh talk about briefly how we look to other um attorneys in this case.

We've worked with other attorneys.

I can think of another one from the Fergus Falls area that we've worked with in the past.

Uh, these are labor law experts, they are employment law experts, they have familiarity with North Dakota employment law as well as employment law generally.

And so in this case, um I can just say that we looked at credentials, we looked at availability, that's uh another big thing too.

Um so working with the city attorney's office, we were scanning the environment to see who would be available to assist us in this matter.

Again, that's not unusual.

That's something that we've done in the past, most recently in other matters working with a different attorney, but uh that would be customary here for asking for that assistance from the attorney's office to try to screen prospective um attorneys who could serve as an investigators.

And um I can say that a scope of work was secured from this particular attorney, and uh it was deemed that she was available, credible, and could uh certainly be well qualified to perform the work.

And Mike and Beth, I think we have to define what a written complaint is.

I think Commissioner Turnberg doesn't quite understand that.

I I don't let me finish Turnberg, let me finish.

That is not fair.

Let me finish.

You say you have multiple complaints on the police department.

Which you've all been seized on in emails Turnberg.

Let me finish.

We had written complaints in regards to the comms department.

We did not have written complaints regarding the police department.

It sets up a different precedent when the human resources gets a written complaint.

Can you explain, Beth, what a written complaint means rather than if I'm just complaining to actually file a written complaint?

Yep.

Um, and so in this situation, we received a complaint in writing as it sounds from an employee who was concerned about some things, and um that in conjunction with other circumstances in the situation is what led us to determine that an investigation was needed.

This is disappointing, and $30,000 of taxpayer money was Colpack.

So the the communication team has actually been under public scrutiny and criticism now for almost two years and continue to rise above the criticism during that time and still do work.

And for some context, the work of the communication team, which is in my portfolio, requires a 24-7 365-day um effort, given the realities of the media world today, along with the tremendous amount of work and projects they manage each week.

And I will share for some context that each position of the 12 over the past five years and prior to me was approved by both the personnel evaluation committee as well as the finance committee, both of which used to meet not in public but privately to determine what was going to be brought forward for final approval.

Today that's now covered by the FAR and the finance committee meetings, which are now public meetings.

Um it's also important, I think, to remember that the team also brings in a million dollars a year, which is half their cost, which is deposited directly into the general budget because of broad uh public broadcasting content.

You know, another important reminder here is our government's policies, which we spent 18 months together working on, it was prior to Commissioner Turnberg's time, um, but but have been shared, clearly articulate that our only direct oversight of any position is of the city administrator.

And therefore, I don't think it's appropriate to call out specific employees or teams.

And this entire period of criticism, along with the lack of transparency in my opinion, and communication over the past five minutes with the some of the people who left, have been demoralizing and chilling across the board, not just to the communication team and the employees we have lost, but across all departments.

And what is appropriate now is we is and and I believe, based on our governance policies, that what is appropriate now is that we have an expectation that this information to Director Redlinger's comments earlier will be used to evaluate how our teams and management at all levels and all departments are supported by administration and human resources to ensure the best outcomes and employee success of all our employees.

In this case, and if you have read the report as I have, what is still a for me the greatest takeaway is how a concern turned into a complaint and ultimately resulted in a resignation and an exit interview, but none of that was shared with the managers involved for the last five for five months, and after it was only after the investigation began.

That means that the managers involved in the concerns were never told about the concerns until the investigation was underway, when in fact telling them right away could have completely avoided an investigation altogether and helped the team succeed.

And sadly, it resulted in the loss of some very accomplished and dedicated employees, and now is very much impacting the remaining employees.

So aligned with our appropriate governance policies, I will be working directly with the city administrator biweekly meetings for a number of topics on how changes will be implemented to ensure our managers are given the support and tool necessary to ensure their and their team's success moving forward is a possibility.

And I also mean this sincerely.

Because without Team Fargo, like we say in every budget cycle, Fargo would not be Fargo, and we would not be the success that we are.

So I want to sincerely thank you.

Any other discussion.

Certainly.

All I know is that we're one people.

We're one community.

We're one extended family.

And all of us will at times be challenged with moments where people in our world and sphere are under criticism or scrutiny.

But we should not ever lose sight of the reality or the fact and the expectation of us to treat people as well as we can and as with as much respect as they deserve, even in their bad moments.

And I think we've fallen short in this.

I I I I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm a people hugger.

We need to hug our own people more.

And we need to just quit discrediting them publicly.

When there are avenues and ways and vehicles to address our concerns with our own people internally, this is not the time to air our laundry, air our dirty laundry in public.

And if we keep doing that, if that's what we do, that's us.

It's not them.

That's a reflection of us.

If we go out every day, I'm about to take my dirty laundry and show everybody.

I'm gonna show people how wrong others are.

I'm gonna show them all how how how far how much faults there are.

I'm gonna show people how imperfect there are.

We can all do that all the time.

But is that our leadership style that we're aspiring to?

Is that why the people voted us in to cloud other people and their futures and their lives?

I just think we can do better.

And we need to do better right now going forward for all of our people.

We'll have more moments like this.

What's our approach?

And that's where my head's at is I have a big heartache inside, a big lump in my throat.

That our our group of people has just been affected in a way that's gonna continue and it will affect others maybe going forward, and that has to stop.

Just has to stop.

That concludes your report, I think, Michael.

I think we lost four excellent people, and we'll have to reload at what we're gonna do.

I would ask commissioners to give administrative team input if they would like some modifications of the communication department.

We still have a lot of stuff we have to do at every department head, and we have to support our department heads.

So I would say again, we'll try to be helpful in that, but you're gonna hire a new director, and then we'll go from there as far as how we may reform what we're gonna correct.

Correct.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Tom Knock is construction update.

Good evening.

Uh, here to provide monthly update uh on our engineering-led construction projects.

Uh there have not been any uh injuries or accidents on any city of Fargo projects since I last uh um presented.

Uh always trying to steer people here to Fargo Streets.

This is just a screenshot from that uh web page where uh residents can find more information about current projects, uh future projects, and then there's an interactive map that shows uh current real-time road closures and then upcoming uh capital improvement plans.

That gateway fiber is is uh has started uh in South Fargo.

Uh this has been going on for about a month.

Uh the map that you see here uh pictured in green, uh the green lines are areas that are complete where we are monitoring restoration.

Uh orange is active installs, yellow is approved permit routes, uh, white is where uh the gateway fiber is has submitted, but has not yet been reviewed or approved by our staff, uh, and then red are areas that uh a route was denied, uh and then we're working with Gateway Fiber on uh uh alternative route.

Also have uh email address and phone number up here of where residents can uh contact us uh with any concerns that they have uh with the work that's taking place.

A couple images here.

This first one uh just kind of shows what uh residents can expect.

Uh so as we talked about when Gateway Fiber was here and ubiquity.

Umperties, uh, especially newer properties in town have a 10-foot utility easement.

Uh, so extends about two feet on the house side of the sidewalk going in an additional 10 feet.

Uh so this is an area where utility companies uh typically are located and are allowed to locate.

Uh and you can see here uh based on some of those marks that there are a number of utilities that are already in there.

Uh so what the contractor does is after those locates have been made, uh contractor um typically spots any of the utilities using a back truck like you see here in the image.

Uh, and then you can just kind of see uh directional drill rig there in the background uh where they'll directional drill throughout this this corridor where utilities are installed.

Uh talk briefly about 32nd Avenue.

Uh roadway is closed between 18th Street and 22nd Street.

Business access is being provided.

Uh all underground uh utility construction is complete at this point, and the contractor is working on paving between 18th and 22nd uh street south.

Uh and this project is estimated to be complete here uh in just a couple of weeks.

Uh, and hopefully the contractor will be getting the full incentive on this project.

Uh, here's just an image of the portion that's already complete uh east of where the contractor is currently working.

Uh same contractor is actually up on uh North University Drive as well, uh, doing concrete pavement repair.

Uh there's three four phases uh taking place, two phases are already complete, and contractors currently working in the third phase.

Uh and so this is reduced from um to one lane between 28th Avenue and 32nd Avenue North.

Uh, you might have read here recently that uh the Broadway uh crop railroad crossing just north of Main Avenue will be uh closed.

Uh this will take about 10 days to complete uh and BNSF is upgrading the railroad crossing material there.

A lot of projects going on uh in fairness of your time.

I'll I'll go through these pretty quick, but number of uh street recon and uh pavement preservation projects taking place, number of projects continuing throughout the city.

Uh, some new development projects to highlight Selkirk third edition uh contractors installing underground utilities, just an image of them installing sanitary sewer.

Uh interstate business district.

We've been talking about this throughout the summer.

Um dirt work and concrete pavements currently going on.

Storm sewer lift station is complete.

Here's just an image of them working on that concrete pavement.

Uh Southwest Metro Pond continue to excavate clay.

Uh they have installed the box covers under 45th Street and working on restoring that roadway.

Here's the image of the pond excavation.

Uh 32nd Avenue Storm Lift Station.

Uh the walls are all poured, and they're working on the lift station cover for that.

And then we do have some projects that we still anticipate starting up.

Uh Dakota Commerce Center uh phase two that was just awarded by City Commission tonight, uh, and then some miscellaneous repair projects.

Happy to share that NP Avenue between Broadway and Roberts is complete.

I feel this project turned out well.

Encourage you to go take a look if you haven't.

Um, and then a lot of other projects have also completed.

Uh, another one I want to highlight here is 45th Street and 32nd Avenue concrete pavement repair.

Uh that project is complete.

Again, uh, you've seen a lot of these uh before, so go to uh opportunity for questions if there are any.

Any questions for discussion?

Thank you, Tom.

Thank you.

Yeah, my recommendations for the appointments of Native American Commission.

Do I have a motion?

So move there, second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Roll call vote, please.

Strand.

Yes.

Colpack.

Hi.

Turnberg.

Hi.

Mahoney.

Hi.

It's on reports.

Commissioner Strand.

No report, Mayor.

Mr.

Kolpak.

I have two water updates and three event updates.

Um for a total of five slides, I believe.

So the first is with water reclamation.

Yeah, so the water environmental federation of global nonprofit of water quality professionals has highlighted the city of Fargo for our innovative effluent reuse facilities.

And the facilities in North Fargo processes wastewater so it can be reclaimed for industrial use since 2007.

Thank you, Brian.

Sorry.

Since I keep getting too close to the mic.

Since 2007, Fargo has supplied the Therraldson ethanol plant with more than six billion gallons of reclaimed water, helping our metro area preserve valuable water resources.

This is another example of Fargo leading the region through innovation and collaboration.

So sincere thank you to the water reclamation staff.

Engineering, this was a meeting I got to attend on Friday, August 22nd.

I attended the NDSU Civil Construction Environmental Engineering Retreat.

I attended the NDSU Civil Construction Environmental Engineering Retreat along with members of Fargo City staff, including the both water directors.

The retreat brought together city and county engineers, educators, and students to discuss how we can all work together to create smarter cities.

We provided the welcome, and many students today are city engineers of the future who will plan, design, and help maintain Fargo's infrastructure.

It was a wonderful brainstorming session and exchange of ideas, and I can tell you everyone there was much smarter than I ever will be.

So thanks for hosting that along with our city engineer.

I reminder the Fargo Youth Initiative is an advisory body to the city commission.

It's made up of high school students from around our community, and they're scheduled to meet this Sunday, September 7th at 1 for their first meeting of the school year, and we'll also be talking about kind of future structure as part of the boards and commission work we're doing.

So there's a website there, backslash FYI if you want more information.

Here's the second water department update.

As you know, we're installing new digital water meters.

I still need to appointment.

Um in businesses across the city.

As of the 29th, we have almost 15,000 installations of the new meters, and that means almost half of the new meters have been installed to date.

And the project's expected to be finished by the end of 2026.

And then the last was this Sunday.

I had the honor of attending the All African festival held in downtown Broadway Square.

The festival featured cultural displays, tree food, excuse me, free food, a kids' fund zone, a sports showcase, and a dance.

And I also had the opportunity to meet and welcome to the crowd the um the new Miss African North Dakota.

So those are my updates.

I have nothing to report at this time.

Commissioner Turnberg.

Reminder that the Northport Library is being repainted and it will reopen on Friday.

Mr.

Pipgord.

We have two resident comments this time.

Robert Cost, if you want to start.

Rob Cost Hello.

I am a resident on 64th Avenue South.

I sent an email to each of you this week.

I don't know if you've uh had a chance to read that or not.

Um it's in regards to the new uh on and off ramps on the 64th Avenue and I-29 interchange that uh is raising our concern as a neighborhood.

Um I guess just a little history.

Um when we were buying our property on 64th Avenue in 2018-2019.

I spent quite a bit of time with the city engineering department up here to understand what the growth was and what the plan was for 64th Avenue before we actually bought the property.

Um I worked with Donald Crest and Rezoned it from Egg into SR2.

Um, and I'd say uh I met with a lot of the neighborhood in the last week um talking to them to understand if they what they understood the project to be as well.

And it was all of us were unanimously communicated to by the city that it was going to be uh just an overpass or underpass like 40th Avenue South.

Um it caused by surprise last week when it was presented, or we received uh a note in a mail um and uh telling us that uh they're planning an overp or on and off ramps on 64th Avenue.

Umce the overpass was commissioned the last couple years.

Um the traffic flow is obviously increased, which we knew it would.

Uh the speeding is absolutely terrible out there.

Um I worked with uh Jeremy Gordon to get the speed signs installed out there.

Uh there's been numerous complaints filed with the police department and the I've talked to the engineering engineering department several times as well with Jeremy, and he says he says it's just a control issue.

Well, the police come out there, they pick up tons of people.

It's almost continuous because I can see it out of my back window when they're there.

The speeding goes down for a couple hours and it turns into a racetrack again.

Um anyways, um, I guess I have a petition right now of 23 people in the neighborhood that totally oppose want to stop the the progression of that interchange.

Um I'm asking all of you to come out and each of us to experience the mailboxes on ramp.

You know, 11 driveways that residents have to have a rob, we can you can talk later.

You can meet with people and talk later.

Well this is this is only two and a half minutes, so you can meet with the commissioners and give them your concerns.

That's fine.

But on the public speaking, you only get two and a half minutes.

So we have your email address, so we can set up meetings.

Okay.

Christopher Cole.

Yes, Christopher Cohen, Fargo resident again.

And um the um I wanted to uh bring up the subject of how the city commission operates and some of the discourse that's been happening uh this year in particular.

There's been some concerns to me about um a coarsening of uh of the of the of the discourse and you know which we're seeing nationally and um uh and I think it's a really it's a it's a big problem because it discourages public participation and it it um encourages the public to not trust government and not trust elected officials and um it it makes the whole process negative and um uh we really need to keep it positive because the whole purpose of this is to be cooperative and to and to uh help our community be a better a better community and um uh in examining um some of the policies of the cities of the city, there's something called the Board of City Commissioners governance policies, and I see that uh this includes and includes code of ethics, uh specifically there's a pledge of personal and professional conduct that includes the following integrity, demonstrating quote, the highest standards of individual conduct, fair dealings, and consideration of the rights of others, uh unquote, honesty, quote, communicating respectfully, unquote, respect, quote, respect and act fairly toward all those I encounter, unquote.

These are this is a really good policy.

I'm really impressed that the city uh came up with this, and uh I uh uh I think the city commission approved this last year.

There were chain changes uh to it.

And um and I won't get into things I've seen that um I I think don't work uh because I don't want to make this a negative discussion tonight.

Um but lastly, with regard to the AI um data center, um I think both Fargo and Harwood should have encouraged public participation in it from the beginning because we we didn't know anything about it until the public session is over, we're adjourned.