Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the November 3rd West Fargo City Commission meeting.

We welcome you all.

We call the meeting to order.

Uh please join the commission in the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and through the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, do you please call the role?

Commissioner Anderson.

Here commissioner Olson.

Here.

Commissioner Dartis.

Here.

Commissioner Zundell.

Here.

Commissioner Jorgensen.

Here.

The record show all commissioners are present.

Item D is to approve the order of the agenda.

Commissioner Jorgensen.

As per request of City Engineer, Mr.

Wallace, we will remove the item six on the agenda and I'll approve the rest of it.

Okay.

Thank you.

I have a motion to approve the order of the agenda with one exclusion of item number six.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Zundell, seconds.

We have a motion and a second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Next order of business is item E is to approve the minutes of October 20th, 2025.

They have been distributed in your packets.

Move to approve.

Commissioner Wilson moves to approve the minutes of October 20th.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Anderson seconds.

We have a motion and a second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Item F, Commissioner Jorgensen.

I'd like to recuse myself from voting on this issue.

Commissioner Jorgensen is recusing himself from the building permits report.

Permit has been distributed in your packets.

Move to approve.

Commissioner Anderson moves to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Zundell seconds.

I have a motion and a second to approve the building permits as distributed.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Next order of business is the consent agenda.

We have items A through F.

Move we approved.

Commissioner Zundell moves to approve the consent agenda.

Items A through F.

Is there a second?

Olson seconds.

Sorry to interrupt.

It should be A through G.

Oh.

I have this morning's agenda.

It's been a change.

My apologies.

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

The consent agenda is items A through G.

So the person uh I would love to amend my motion to approve items A through G on the consent agenda.

This is a second.

Yep.

We have we have a motion and a second to apprent approve the concentage items A through G.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Motion carried.

We are now on the regular agenda.

Item number one is public comment.

Madam Secretary, has anyone signed up for public comment?

I do not have anyone.

Thank you.

Public comment is now closed.

We move on to item number two, which is public hearings.

None of our agenda items this evening require us to have a public hearings.

So item number two is closed.

We move on to item number three.

Item number three is the second meeting of A24-28.

An ordinance amendment to Title IV and Title 10 regarding the establishment of regulations and licensing standards for short-term rentals.

We call on Mr.

Aaron Nelson, Director of Planning and Zoning.

Good evening and welcome.

Good evening, President Artis, and good evening, Commissioners.

So item three is an ordinance amendment regarding the regulation and licensing of short-term rentals of residential dwellings.

It also includes a resolution adopting fees for the ordinance.

This item was most recently presented at your last meeting on October 20th, at which point the public hearing was held in the first reading of the ordinance was approved.

In summary, this ordinance establishes regulations and annual licensing requirements for short-term for the short-term rental of residential dwellings.

It would become effective July 1 of 2026.

There have been no changes to the proposed ordinance since the last meeting, and so the requested action tonight is to consider approval of the second reading of the rezoning ordinance as well as the approval of the resolution establishing fees.

With that, happy to answer any questions you may have for staff.

Commissioners, do you have any questions for Mr.

Nelson?

Move we approve the second reading and the accompanying resolution.

I have a motion by Commissioner Olson, a second Commissioner Jorgensen for the second meeting of A24-28 ordinance amendment to Title IV and Title 10 regarding the establishment and regulations of licensing standards for short-term rentals.

Is there any further discussion hearing none?

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Thank you.

Item number four.

Is a temporary site license for ATT cell tower?

We're going to call in Mr.

Dan Hanson, Senior Director of Community and Development.

Purpose of this discussion is to approve a terminate a temporary site license to construct a temporary cell higher tower, excuse me.

Thank you, Commissioner President Douglas and Commissioners.

The city was approached by Terra Consulting Group.

They want to install a cell phone tower that would be utilized by ATT, and the request is to install it on the southwest corner of our property that has the fire hall, the fire station.

And there would be two phases to this.

The first one would be to construct a temporary tower.

And there is in the packet.

Survey one more.

There you go.

You can see where the stormwater pond is located in the southwest corner.

They would be looking to install first of all the temporary tower adjacent to the parking lot where shown.

And then they they plan on coming back with a permanent tower that would be located just south of that.

We did get uh buy-in from uh the fire department that they do not have any plans for the use of that particular area on site.

So they are uh they don't take any objections to this.

Um we did work with them uh to put together along with our legal uh team to put together the contract uh for them to install this.

Uh we did negotiate uh leasing agreement of the space in the amount of fifteen hundred dollars per month.

I have examples of other um uh tower that they had, for example, with the city of Fargo at Parks Department uh for a similar tower, and uh I believe the number that they were charging them was four, hundred dollars a month.

Um we do have other um entities using like water towers and and infrastructure.

Uh wanted to just bring to your attention this would be the first time that we would actually be allowing an actual cell tower uh by its own uh standing on city property.

So wanted to make you aware of that uh so that way uh when you're making your decision whether this is to be approved or not, uh this would be the first of its kind to be installed on our on our property.

Uh and with that I would entertain any questions.

Any questions for Mr.

Hansen?

Commissioner Zundal.

Have you compared the costs of what they're getting with the school district?

I have not seen uh uh anything that they have with the school district.

I've just seen the one that they had with the city of what uh Fargo Parks Department Umz I think they they do monthly ones for higher than what this is, and those would be ones that are even on like other infrastructure and not even on specific lands.

So my only concern about this is the the monthly rate.

Yeah.

And this is the monthly rate for the temporary tower.

Um we would be doing a I believe a separate agreement for their permanent tower.

Do you know what they would do that for?

Like what they're gonna give you a lease.

I have not asked them.

Uh we haven't begun any negotiations for that.

Is it sorry to get granular, but do we lose any negotiating power if we're doing a temporary one and then they're I mean it's kind of assumed we're gonna do the next one in our phases that we've done before?

Do we usually do the temporarily first and then the finalized one?

Um I'm sure that they have a level of expectation when they put the temporary one up that we would be able to move forward with the permanent one.

Um I'd ask uh Ms.

Schmidt as far as I I believe that there is an out if we want to terminate uh the agreement.

So you're referencing the Cheyenne Tower, Cheyenne High School Tower that's right there by the football stadium.

Yeah.

Yeah, they have one, and then I think yeah, we have another one.

Um they uh there are some things in the park board minutes and stuff as well.

This was a conversation that was had, I think, at that level.

Um then I think probably how how it ended up here.

But those are my questions.

Sure.

Okay.

Uh could we could we have someone follow up on that, please to compare the rates of the compare the rates to an existing.

One with West Fargo High School.

Yes, please.

Commissioner.

Uh Dan, when would the temporary structure go up?

They want to put it up at starting right away, yep.

This is as fast as they can get it up.

Uh the next step is for them to uh have this uh be on the planning and zoning.

Uh they've applied for a permit to do it that would go to planning and zoning, I believe.

Aaron, is that correct?

Oh, straight to the city commission.

Okay, I'm sorry.

Okay.

Any additional questions for Mr.

Hanson?

Oh, I have one.

Commissioner Zendell.

Is this going to require any um deviations from any ordinance as far as the setbacks in that location?

So this meets all setback requirements as currently written in our code, and they would not be applying for any.

That's correct.

There's there's no like variances or uh extra special treatment that's needed.

This is uh available to be used.

Okay, thank you.

What's your pleasure, Commissioners?

Move to approve.

Commissioner Olson moves to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Jorgensen's second.

We have a motion on the second to approve the temporary site license for AT and T cell tower.

Um the temporary site is located on the uh new fire hall property.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Opposed?

Motion carried.

Thank you, Mr.

Hanson.

Item number five is the Brookwood meter pit replacement on the east side.

We're gonna call in Mr.

Jerry Wallace, the city engineer for the city of West Fargo.

The purpose of this discussion is to create an improvement district and direct the engineer to prepare an engineer's report.

Thank you, Mr.

Commission President and Commissioners, for your time tonight.

Uh I'm here before you uh to present the uh Brookwood meter pit replacement project.

Um the action being requested is essentially creating the improvement district and directing the engineer to uh prepare an engineer's report.

Um essentially public works came to the engineering department earlier this year and discussed that the uh the meter pit at the Brookwood Manufactured Home Park is in pretty tough shape and uh uh needs to be replaced.

Um as as part of this discussion, um currently uh the engineering department uh proposes um that as we enter in if the commission chooses to enter into this project um we would follow the guidance that we took away from the 2024 CIP uh presentation and uh essentially uh create the district, uh assess 30 percent of the cost of the meter, and uh the city would uh pay 70 percent of the replacement costs through um uh water revenues.

Um essentially we're following century code requirements uh on the front end of the project here to uh set up the district.

Um included in your packet tonight is an improvement district map, uh pictures of the existing cont conditions, uh which you can see it's it's in pretty poor shape, and the associated resolutions.

Uh with that being said, uh staff recommendation is to create the improvement district and direct engineer to prepare an engineer's report.

And with that, I'm available for any questions you may have.

Commissioners, questions for Mr.

Wallace.

A move we approve.

Commissioner Olson moves to approve the uh the Brookwood meter pit replacement as presented by Mr.

Wallace to create a complement district and direct the engineer to prepare an engineer's report.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Anderson seconds.

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye opposed.

Motion carried.

Thank you, Mr.

Wallace.

Thank you.

Um reminder, item number six was pulled from the agenda.

So we move on to item number seven.

Item number seven is an improvement district twenty-two ninety-six, shadow wood neighborhood, pavement rehabilitation.

Again, we call on Jerry Wallace, City Engineer.

Purpose of the discussion is to approve both an engineer's report and a task order.

Direct the engineer to prepare plans and specifications and authorize a resolution of necessity.

Mr.

Wallace.

Thank you again, Commission President Dartis.

Um as you stated, uh we're we're here to talk about uh the issue of the Shadowwood neighborhood and uh essentially what is going to be a mill and overlay project.

Um, many years ago uh we we brought uh the idea forward uh that uh you know we really should uh it it's it's critical uh you know with the city here that we take the best efforts we can to try to preserve our our pavement assets.

Um there's been multiple neighborhoods on the south side um that have been identified as as being well in need of this type of work um excuse me um essentially you know through local engineering judgment here um we've decided that the Shadowwood neighborhood and uh the next item as well, but the Shadowwood neighborhood with this item um is is in critical need of this work.

Um I'm here before you tonight uh you know presenting an engineers report, uh the associated task order and the associated resolutions.

Um recommending uh that we approve the engineers report and the task order, uh, direct the engineer to prepare plans and specifications and authorize the resolution of necessity.

Um I guess with that I'll stand for any questions you may have.

Questions for Mr.

Wallace.

Commissioner Jorgensen.

Excuse me.

Is this one of the ones we discussed about bidding out and not doing it in host?

Uh I don't recall potentially down to the idea.

It was asked at a previous commission meeting and this was going to be bid out and this is not a public work staff uh sure by consultant led to the motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Anderson, second.

We have a motion and a second to approve uh engineers report and task order, direct the engineer to prepare plans and specifications, and authorize a resolution of necessity for improvement district number 2296.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, say please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Motion carried.

Thank you, Mr.

Wallace.

Thank you.

Item number eight, you're back.

Item number eight is improvement district number 2297, the South Pond neighborhood.

Pavement rehabilitation.

Again, purpose of the discussion is to approve both an engineer's report and a task order, direct the engineer to prepare plans and specifications, and authorize a resolution of necessity.

Mr.

Wallace.

Thank you, Commissioner President DARTAS again.

Um similar instance here.

We're just looking at the South Pond neighborhood.

Uh mill and overlay work is uh what's anticipated.

Um not much really different to talk about other than you know this this is another neighborhood that scores high in the in the need category.

Um, you know, I just like to point out that uh you know our our less than 15-year-old Costco across the street uh made a business decision here recently to mill and overlay their prod parking lot.

So that this work does make sense.

And uh you know, we are recommending uh you know you to approve the engineers report, the task order, uh direct the engineer to prepare the plans and specifications, authorize the resolution of necessity.

Um again, we've attached the engineers report, the associated task order, uh the resolutions, um, and with Adam available for any questions you may have.

Commissioners, any questions for Mr.

Wallace on this project?

Commissioner Jorgensen.

Sorry, this should have gone with the other one too.

Um my last meetings with Mr.

Scott.

Um, what is gonna get done with the mill?

Is it gonna get hauled off or do we retain that?

Um traditionally, I believe public works has often requested to take ownership of the millings, and uh we could certainly proceed that way if it's something that the commission would like to see.

There was a few places we identified where we could definitely stockpile it and use it.

Absolutely.

No, great question.

Save on trucking if they're gonna haul it back to their place.

Absolutely.

Oh, we can certainly proceed that way.

We'll plan for it if you bet, sir.

Anything else from Mr.

Wallace?

Right.

Moving approved.

Commissioner Olson moves to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Zundell seconds.

We have a motion and a second to approve for the improvement district in number 2297, South Pound neighbor South Pond Neighborhood to approve the engineers report and task order and direct the engineer to prepare plans and specification and authorize a resolution of necessity.

Is there any further discussion?

Hearing none.

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Thank you.

Item number nine.

Audit number nine is the second reading of ordinance twelve sixty-four, a parking ramp ordinance.

We call on Katie Schmidt, City Attorney of the City of West Fire.

Ms.

Schmidt.

Thank you, Commissioner President and Commissioners.

This is the second reading of ordinance 1264 regarding use of city-owned parking ramps.

There have been no changes to the draft since the first reading.

So I ask that you consider approval of the second reading and adopt the ordinance.

I'm available if you have any questions.

Commissioners, any questions?

Ms.

Schmidt.

I move the approval.

Commissioner Sundow moves to approve the second reading of ordinance 1264, the parking ramp ordinance.

Is there a second?

Second.

Commissioner Anderson seconds.

We have a motion and a second to approve the second reading of ordinance 1264.

Is there any discussion?

I have one thing, Burn.

Commissioner Jorgensen.

Last week I was asked to go on a radio show, and Chief Neilsen, I applaud he jumped in quick for me and gave me a lot of information.

It cleared up a lot of the fuzziness why this was happening, but people don't realize that the parking ramps out of sight, out of mind, and the amount of trouble that was happening up there.

And thank you, Chief, for helping me with that.

We have a motion and second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Opposed.

Motion carried.

Item number 10.

We call on Dustin Scott, City Administrator for the City Administrators Report.

Thank you.

Good evening, Commissioner President Dartis and Commissioners.

Just a couple updates for you.

First, uh regarding MAT bus.

As you are familiar, we had some uh good dialogue, good discussion the last time we uh looked at the transfer uh the transit development plan.

Um the commission did direct uh that that come back for an update to the commission.

I just want to uh let you know that Dan Anson, Aaron, and I met last week.

We're gonna start with compiling information, uh organizing everything to uh share with commissioners, walk through our our relationships with Fargo Transit, how that all intertwines with MetroCOG, um, so that we can make sure we're all on the same page uh and then go through uh the details of the transit development plan that we would like to focus on uh in terms of making some adjustments uh for uh for the future.

And then also uh we will have to bring forward the 2026 agreement with uh Fargo Transit.

So prior to bringing that to the city commission, we hope to uh roll this information out and uh ensure that we have some time to ask questions and get the answers that you are all looking for uh before we get to that next stage.

So we have also been in communication with uh Judy for Julie from Fargo Transit, and they are uh certainly welcoming the idea of coming before the commission to again share some uh information and and have uh dialogue and how to progress into the future.

So uh with that, any questions uh where we're how we're approaching that?

Commissioner Zundell.

When you're compiling the information, is one of the things that you could compile, even probably for the benefit of the public, it's just like generalized flow of if someone from West Fargo wanted to go to Essentia or to Sanford or to the VA or something like that, what a typical bus route would look like and what that options are.

I think part of the difficulty for some of that is the basics that people might tend to lean on that for, aren't super digestible.

I don't think, as far as if I was gonna try and go to have an appointment, how long would that take me?

Where would I need to originate from?

Is that possible?

What areas of town is it possible from?

Um, and I think maybe, or even quick hits to some of the basic essential stores in West Fargo, I think, seem to kind of be the other point of concern.

So when you're doing that with the proposed route, do you think that could be a request of the information that they present at the meeting?

Certainly.

Yeah, absolutely, certainly.

Um Aaron's taking a lead on this, so I'm hoping he's back there taking some notes.

But Aaron, I'm I was just making more work for you.

So sorry.

100%.

No, he uh he he does a fantastic job and has already shared a draft with Dan and I that um I was able to share with Bernie this morning, too.

So I think we're on uh on the good on the I think those seem to be the main concerns is people's ability to be able to do some of those things.

So absolutely.

Anything else?

Nothing else on that.

Um like to share an update on our uh endeavor to move forward into a new ERP system.

Uh Willie, our finance director, was able to share an updated draft with uh Nick Lee and I.

So we are really close to finalizing that uh RFP submittal and hope to bring that forward to the November 17th Commission meeting for approval to advertise that RP.

Uh from there, of course, it'll be there will be a selection process.

Uh we will uh invite uh two of our commissioners to partake in that.

Uh the commissioner is holding the portfolios, so um we will be in touch over the next uh week or two as we put the final touches on that RFP and again uh plan to bring that forward November 17th meeting.

So any questions on on the ERP system.

My last update is just to uh we are continuing our our work on policies.

We have hit uh the all of the leave policies and special pay and and some of those things that uh we are having some good uh collaboration amongst our our senior directors and leadership teams.

Um hope to uh squirt those things away and and again bring those forward ideally at the November 17th meeting, but we will make sure that uh we are um collectively moving forward with recommended changes to those policies before we do bring them to the commission.

So uh, but as soon as we have those drafts available, we will uh get those out to commissioners for review and consideration.

And that's all the updates I have.

I stand for any questions you have for me.

Any questions for Mr.

Scott?

Thank you.

Thank you.

All correspondence has been distributed and in your mailboxes, commissioners, unless you receive something personally.

Anything you share?

Any non-agenda items any commissioner would like to bring forward at this time?

I have one item.

A week ago, a week ago, Saturday, we had a Halloween event and West Fargo events was in downtown West Fargo at the MIAPOW plaza.

And uh I don't know if anybody got a head count, but I would guess there were three to four thousand, if not more, children and parents that showed up.

It uh there was at one time there was a line from the front door of the VFW all the way south down Cheyenne Street to just about 7th Avenue.

And there was another line that went north of those families that were coming from the north.

It was an absolutely spectacular event and a lot of candy was given out.

Kids had a lot of fun, a little breezy, but uh it was an amazing city turnout.

Fun to see.

Fun to see.

And you can when you sit there and watch this, you can certainly understand why the West Fargo Public Schools is building an elementary school about every other year, because I'll tell you it was it was fun to watch.

It really was.

Anything else non-agenda?

Any commissioners like to bring up?

Any department heads, anything?

With that, Commissioner Anderson.

Move to adjourn.

Commissioner Wilson.

Second.

We stand adjourned.

Thank you.