0:00Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
0:01Welcome to the Monday, January 19, 2026, West Fargo City Commission meeting.
0:07Would you please join the commission in a pledge of allegiance?
0:12I pledge allegiance through the fly of the United States of America.
0:16And through the Republic for which it stands.
0:19One nation under God.
0:21Individual with liberty and justice cloud.
0:30Commissioner Jorgensen.
0:32Ah here via the teams.
0:34Commissioner Zundell?
0:38Commissioner Anderson.
0:40Let the record show all commissioners are present and participating.
0:45Item D is to approve the order of the agenda.
0:49Commissioner Zendel moves to approve.
0:52Commissioner Anderson seconds.
0:54We have a motion and a second to approve the order of the agenda as presented.
0:58Is there any discussion?
1:01Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
1:09Hearing none in favor, please signify by saying aye.
1:25Next order of business is to approve the minutes of January 5th.
1:29They have been distributed and in your packets.
1:32Commissioner Anderson moves to approve.
1:35Commissioner Anderson, excuse me, Commissioner Olson seconds.
1:38We have a motion and a second.
1:40Is there any discussion on approval of the minutes?
1:44Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
1:54Next order of business is the building permits.
1:57Again, the building permit report has been distributed in your packets.
2:01Commissioner Olson moves to approve the building permits as presented.
2:06Commissioner Zundell seconds.
2:08We have a motion and a second to approve the building permits as presented.
2:13Is there any discussion?
2:18All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
2:26The next order of business is a consent agenda.
2:29Consent agenda consists of items A through M.
2:35Commissioner Zundal moves to approve consent agenda items A through M.
2:41Commissioner Anderson seconds.
2:42We have a motion and the second to accept uh and approve the consent agenda items A through M as presented.
2:49Is there any discussion?
2:51Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
3:00We are now in the regular agenda.
3:01At this time, first order of business is public comment.
3:05Madam Secretary, do we have anybody signed up for public comment?
3:08I do not have anyone.
3:10We move on to item number two, which is public hearings.
3:15Uh on public hearings, the commission adjourns out of the regular meeting and listens to any uh conversations that the public wants to bring forward.
3:26This evening we have no items that are require a public hearing.
3:31We move on to item number three.
3:34Item number three is the second meeting of A25-23, Meyer Second Edition.
3:39Request for approval of a zone change from R-2 to C to commercial.
3:45Aaron Nelson, Director of Planning, City of West Fargo will present.
3:49Good evening and welcome.
3:51After you good evening, President Artisan Commissioners.
3:54So item three is a uh request for rezone from R2, limited multiple dwellings to C Light Commercial for the property located at 1202 Prairie Parkway.
4:03Item was originally um presented to the commission and approved after a public hearing at the January 5th meeting.
4:10Uh there have been no changes to the request since that time.
4:13Uh so I'm here to answer any questions you may have.
4:15Otherwise requested action tonight is to approve the second reading of the rezoning ordinance.
4:23Any questions from Mr.
4:30Motion to approve by Commissioner Olson, second by Commissioner Anderson.
4:36Motion and a second regarding the A twenty five-23 Meyer second edition.
4:42Uh change of zone from R2 to C.
4:45Is there any discussion?
4:51All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
5:00Item number four is land acquisition from Cass County.
5:03We're going to call in Jerry Wallace, the city engineer for the City of West Fargo.
5:07The purpose of this discussion is to approve a land acquisition from Cass County.
5:12Wallace, good evening and welcome.
5:15Commission President.
5:16Uh and Commissioners.
5:18Here before you tonight, I'd like to think we have a great working relationship with our counterparts over at Cass County.
5:27A couple months ago, they reached out to us essentially explaining that there's a couple of parcels uh within the city limits here that for one reason or another they acquired over the years to you know assist in a construction project or uh you know something along those lines.
5:46Um to date they still retain ownership of of those parcels, and essentially it was um you know they reached out and and made the comment that you know given they don't have jurisdictional authority in these areas or anything like that anymore, it would just make a lot more sense if uh they were handed over to the city of West Fargo for ownership instead.
6:08Um I apologize, but in my packet, I'm a little out of order with the uh the presentation or the uh the memo that the county sent over on these.
6:18The uh the the first uh parcel in the in your packet here is up on uh 12th Avenue North.
6:25Um essentially many years ago uh when the county undertook the project of removing the bridge over the Cheyenne up there and put the box culvert in.
6:33Uh they acquired the parcel um as an aid to construction type thing.
6:39Um essentially uh you know obviously not needed anymore and doesn't really make sense given that they no longer have jurisdictional authority of the roadway for them to hold on to it.
6:50Um the second parcel is down by uh 52nd Avenue in Cheyenne, the roundabout down there, as you can see in the exhibit.
7:00Uh you know, essentially that was acquired many years ago to facilitate construction of the original roundabout.
7:06Uh since then, uh again, no longer any reason for the county to retain ownership of that parcel.
7:13Um so uh essentially I'm here before you tonight uh I guess to try to uh uh recommend that we uh we proceed with the uh uh land acquisition of these two parcels.
7:25Um just pointing out that uh essentially they'll be quick claimed for a dollar.
7:29Um there are uh some special assessment obligations uh with the one on 12th up by public works that uh has a little more uh usable space to it.
7:40But uh essentially that uh is the um item I'm here presenting before you tonight again uh looking for you to approve the uh land acquisition from Cass County and uh with that I'm available for any questions you may have.
7:53Do you know the dollar amount of the special assessments on the 12th Avenue North product?
7:57Uh it's currently sitting at a little over 25,000 dollars.
8:04Questions, commissioners?
8:05Anyone commissioner Zendal moves to approve the land acquisition from Cass County?
8:15Commissioner Anderson seconds.
8:17We have a motion and a second to approve the land acquisition from Cass County on 12th Avenue North and 52nd Avenue South.
8:24Is there any discussion?
8:30Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
8:38Thank you for your time.
8:40Item number five is a city administrator's report.
8:45Dustin Scott, City Administrator.
8:47Good evening and welcome, Mr.
8:50Thank you, Commissioner President Dotis and Commissioners.
8:53Uh consistent with our light agenda, I have a brief update for you tonight.
8:57Uh our HR director search is going well.
9:00We had interviews last week with four candidates, and I'm happy to announce that we are uh working right now to extend offers to three finalists for a second round of interviews tentatively scheduled for next week.
9:12Uh our team is still working on the details for that process, but it will involve a couple stakeholder groups as well as uh an interview selection panel.
9:22As we uh determine those details, we'll engage the commission uh accordingly and uh hopefully everything it in place for next week, and again, three finalists.
9:32So be I guess on the lookout for more information this week.
9:37Uh well I the only other thing I have is just to uh extend a very big thank you to our street department for keeping our streets clean.
9:45I think it was in record time.
9:47I I know throughout the uh the uh rough weather uh this weekend they were out there keeping things uh under control and this morning the streets seem to have been just as good as they would be in the summertime.
10:00So uh big kudos to them.
10:02With that, I would stand for any questions you have.
10:05So uh just a point regarding your human resource uh search.
10:10You started with 34 applicants.
10:12How many were uh applicants were interviewed?
10:15So of the uh 34 applicants, we did extend an interview offer to six.
10:19Uh four accepted an interview, so we did interview four of those candidates, and again we are moving forward with three finalists.
10:29Any other comment anything else from Mr.
10:37All correspondence has been distributed and in your mailboxes.
10:41Does any commissioner have any have any non-agenda item they'd like to bring forward at this time?
10:50Does any department head have anything you'd like to bring forward at this time?
11:02Uh Commissioner Zundell.
11:05Commissioner Wilson.
11:07The West Fargo City Commission stands adjourned.