Fargo City Commission - July 27, 2021 Minutes

Special Meeting: Tuesday July 27, 2021:

Agreeable with a call for a Special Meeting issued by Mayor Mahoney, the Board of City Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, convened in a Special Meeting in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall at 11:30 o'clock a.m., July 27, 2021.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Gehrig, Piepkorn, Preston, Strand, Mahoney (via Conference Call).
Deputy Mayor Piepkorn presiding.

License of the International African Restaurant and Nightclub Suspended Until a Reapplication is Completed and Approved:
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour to consider the recommendation of the Liquor Control Board to suspend the liquor license of the International African Nightclub, LLC d/b/a International African Restaurant and Nightclub a/k/a Africa International Restaurant and Night Club for a finding of a violation of Fargo Municipal Code §25-1512(B)(6) by the Liquor Control Board on June 29, 2021.

Chief Zibolski shared the information and public safety concerns that he had presented at the June 29, 2021 Liquor Control Board meeting and at the Special Meeting of the Board of City Commissioners on July 1, 2021. He stated there is a correction to the record; the issue of a party bus situation of intoxicated patrons on May 29th did not come from the nightclub as initially reported and that information has been retracted.

At 11:41 a.m. Mayor Mahoney present and presiding.

Speakers included: Assistant City Attorney Nancy Morris, Police Chief Zibolski, Officer Lachlan Vaira, Detective Troy Hanson, City Auditor Steve Sprague and Kwame Daniel Omane.

Mr. Omane said he feels some information has been misrepresented and he disputed that disturbances at the African Nightclub are issues or threats to public safety. The video showing guns in the business were security guards protecting employees inside the nightclub when there was an active shooter outside, he said, that should not be a crime. The shooting was not on the premises of the nightclub, he said, it happened in an adjacent parking lot. He said they do not have issues with underage drinking or overconsumption and they have complied with recommendations made by the City. He said the management team has been changed, security will operate under a new Code of Conduct and everything is being done by the book. He said he does not feel that filling out a license application again is necessary.

Commissioner Gehrig moved the liquor license held by International African Restaurant and Nightclub be suspended until such time as there is a reapplication completed and approved by the Liquor Control Board and the City Commission.

Second by Piepkorn. On call of the roll Commissioners Gehrig, Piepkorn, Preston, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.

Commissioner Gehrig moved that the Board adjourn.

Second by Preston. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 12:53 o’clock p.m.