West Fargo City Commission Meeting – October 19, 2026

The West Fargo City Commission met on October 19, 2026. Commissioners Jorgensen, Stedman, Zundal, and Erickson were present; Commissioner Jerdovic was absent. No agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based solely on the raw transcript. The commission handled routine approvals, approved a Brewbird economic development request, heard lagoon updates, and reviewed the 2027 employee benefits plan.

Consent Calendar

• Commissioner Jorgensen moved to table agenda item 8 until the next meeting; motion passed 4-0.
• The order of the agenda, with item 8 removed, was approved 4-0.
• Minutes from the October 5, 2026 meeting were approved 4-0.
• Building permits were approved by voice vote; Commissioner Jorgensen recused herself.
• Consent agenda items A through G were approved by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were signed up.
• No public hearings were scheduled or held.

Discussion Items

Economic Development Fund Request – Brewbird West Fargo

• Staff member Casey Saunders Berglin presented the request; Brewbird owner/representative Britt Bellquist was present. The proposal was a reimbursable economic development sales tax award of up to $75,000 for fit-up costs at the former Spicy Pie location, with a target opening of December 2026 or early January 2027. The space, vacant about two years, has capacity for 200 people. The applicant projected 10–12 full-time jobs, about 30 part-time jobs, and $2.2 million in annual revenue based on the Fargo location; estimated total sales tax would be $176,000, with a city portion of $55,000.
• Staff stated EDAC recommended approval because projected sales-tax return on the $75,000 investment would be seen in less than two years.
• Commissioner Jorgensen questioned whether the return on investment should be measured only against the economic development sales tax share, saying the fund would take more than seven years to replenish at that share. Commissioner Erickson expressed enthusiasm for Brewbird but proposed a possible 40% clawback if cumulative performance targets were not met within the first three years of a five-year runway.
• Dan Hanson noted the Economic Development Advisory Committee had considered enforcement concerns and concluded that clawbacks would be difficult to collect from a failed business; he also cited the owner’s established restaurant track record and lack of financing as positive factors.
• Discussion clarified that the award would be reimbursable only for eligible fit-up expenses that remain with the building, not general operating or movable costs. Estimated construction fit-up cost was stated at $155,000.
• Outcome: A motion to approve the request passed 4-0, with a caveat that the contract include annual reporting on sales tax dollars, a breakdown of 58078 zip-code transactions if possible, and employee counts.

Lagoon Decommissioning Update

• Matt Anvick, Director of Public Works, reported on the decommissioning of the wastewater lagoons. The project began in 2021, with about $5.8 million in federal/ARPA funds allocated. The original budget estimate was about $2.4 million; a 2019 engineer’s estimate ranged from $17 million to $35 million depending on approach.
• To date, about $6.39 million had been spent; after credits from ARPA funds, riprap sales, and equipment sales, roughly $200,000 had been paid out of pocket from the capital improvement sales tax. About 412 of 555 acres have been decommissioned, 8 of 10 cells are done, and only one lagoon is still in use.
• A five-year microbe/bug program reduced sludge in cell one from 207,000 cubic yards to 102,000 cubic yards, avoiding about $3 million in hauling costs at roughly $30 per cubic yard, at a program cost of about $350,000.
• Next steps include continuing decommissioning through about 2029 and making the site “document-ready.” The city may need about 35 acres for future detention/equalization ponds, an inert landfill, a possible 10-acre transfer station, and city buildings. Commissioners took no formal action.

Lagoon Property – Economic Development Readiness

• Dan Hanson requested commission direction to prepare a resolution selecting a real estate broker to market the lagoon property. The resolution would authorize an RFP process, and the eventual broker contract would return to the commission for approval. A city attorney noted North Dakota Century Code requires the resolution to include a property description, maximum commission, and a right to reject all proposals.
• The motion to direct staff to prepare the resolution passed 4-0.

AT&T Cell Tower – Permanent Site License

• Dan Hanson presented a permanent site license agreement for the AT&T/New Singular Wireless tower at the fire department site. The temporary license had been approved in November 2025. The agreement contains four five-year terms, 3% annual escalation, and first-year rent of $1,600 per month. Comparable agreements in the Fargo-Moorhead area were cited at $1,500–$1,600 per month with similar escalations.
• Hugh Bilka with Colliers, participating online, confirmed the city could potentially use the tower for radio repeaters with an amendment to the agreement.
• The permanent license agreement was approved 4-0.

2027 Health, Dental, Vision, and Ancillary Benefits Review

• Beth Wayman, Director of Human Resources, presented results of a market review conducted with Marsh Agency. The city selected Medica for medical coverage and MetLife for dental, vision, life/AD&D, long-term disability, and employee-paid accident/critical illness plans.
• Key numbers: staying with the current medical carrier would have meant about a 17% increase; the Medica Passport plan came in at 5.9% above 2026 rates and includes a two-year rate cap guarantee of no more than 7% for the next plan year. The 2026 insurance baseline was about $5.2 million; the Medica total would be about $5.52 million versus about $6.1 million if the city stayed with the current carrier, reducing premiums by about $578,000 compared with staying.
• Other plan details: dental includes a new high option and out-of-network coverage; vision offers a higher annual allowance with a similar provider network; life insurance has higher guaranteed-issue amounts and grandfathering for current coverage; long-term disability offers a 6.2% savings. The city will not share claims risk under the fully insured plan.
• Transition supports include a 120-day continuity-of-care guarantee, step-therapy protection, open enrollment meetings beginning October 27, and Medica one-on-one employee appointments. Commissioner Jorgensen recommended an FAQ/living document, annual employee feedback, and clear communication about network changes.
• No vote was taken on the benefits plan. Contracts will be reviewed by HR and legal and brought to the November 2, 2026 commission meeting.

City Administrator’s Report

• The city administrator announced a joint workshop with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Commission for the following day in the West Fargo Room; lunch would be provided. No action was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the Brewbird economic development fund request with annual reporting requirements, 4-0.
• Directed staff to prepare a resolution for selecting a real estate broker for the lagoon property, 4-0.
• Approved the permanent AT&T cell tower site license, 4-0.
• Scheduled no formal public hearings; benefits contract action deferred to November 2, 2026.
• Motion to adjourn carried.