Far More is Happening Here

Fargo City Commission - December 23, 2024

The Regular Meeting of the Board of City Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall at 4:00 o'clock p.m., Monday, December 23, 2024.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Kolpack, Piepkorn, Strand, Turnberg, Mahoney.
Absent: None.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.

Mayor Mahoney announced that the Board of City Commissioners will retire into Executive Session in the Red River Room for the purpose of negotiation discussions regarding an offer received from Galvanizers, Inc. for the acquisition of a portion of the City property west of the landfill. Discussing this negotiation in an open meeting will have a negative fiscal effect on the bargaining position of the City of Fargo. An Executive Session for this matter is authorized pursuant to North Dakota Century Code §44-04-19.1, subsection 9.
Commissioner Kolpack moved the Commissioners meet in Executive Session in the Red River Room as authorized by NDCC, Section 44-04-19.1(9) to discuss said matter.

Second by Strand. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

At 4:03 o’clock p.m. the Board moved to the Red River Room to discuss the matter in Executive Session.
Members present were: Kolpack, Piepkorn, Strand, Turnberg, Mahoney.

The Executive Session closed at 4:37 p.m. and the meeting reconvened in public session at 5:00 o’clock p.m.
All Commissioners present.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.

The Mayor read a message with the following information: Starting January 1st, the Downtown and Carlson libraries will be closed Sundays and the Downtown location will open at 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday; the annual online “Reading is SNOW Much Fun! Winter Reading Challenge” starts January 6th; all three library locations have Mitten Trees for donated new or handmade cold weather items; and a holiday video was shown featuring all Team Fargo departments.

Order of Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Kolpack moved the Order of the Agenda be approved, adding an extra item to the Regular Agenda to amend the 2025 City Commission meeting calendar.

Second by Turnberg. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Minutes Approved:
Commissioner Piepkorn moved that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board held on December 9, 2024 be approved as read.

Second by Kolpack. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Consent Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Kolpack moved the Consent Agenda be approved as follows:

1. 1st reading of an Ordinance Amending Section 8-0602, of Article 8-06, of Chapter 8, of the Fargo Municipal Code, Relating to Starting, Stopping or Turning Movements and Required Signals.
2. Second Amendment to Findings of Fact, Conclusions and Order for property located at 1011/1013 University Drive North.
3. Extension of the Class “A-8” Alcoholic Beverage License for BFG, Inc. d/b/a Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse until 6/30/25.
4. Renewal of the Alcoholic Beverage and Live Entertainment Licenses until 12/31/25, contingent upon all essential requirements for renewal are met by 12/31/24.
5. City of Fargo Resolution Authorizing Officers to Make Deposits and Withdrawals (Attachment “A”).
6. Receive and file the Amendment to the Franchise Agreement with Cass County Electric Cooperative adding the area annexed by the City of Fargo on 11/20/24.
7. Gaming Site Authorization for the Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley at Wurst Bier Hall.
8. Applications for Games of Chance:
a. Audrey Langer Medical Benefit for a raffle and raffle board on 4/5/25; Public Spirited Resolution.
b. Fargo Area Sports/Fargo Dugout Boosters for a raffle and raffle board 3/29/25.
c. Fargo Area Sports/Fargo Dugout Boosters for bingo and a raffle board on 5/10/25.
d. Knights of Columbus Council 11930 Sts. Anne & Joachim for a calendar raffle on 5/22/2025.
e. Rape and Abuse Crisis Center for bingo and a raffle on 1/25/25.
f. Safari Club International North Dakota Chapter for a raffle and raffle board on 2/28/25 and 3/1/25.
g. TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics for raffles on 1/24/25-1/26/25.

9. Memorandum of Understanding with the City of West Fargo for 7th Avenue North Project.
10. Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 1 in the amount of -$9,561.60 for Project No. AN-22-B1.
11. Negative Final Balancing Change Order No. 1 in the amount of -$35,103.00 for Project No. ER-24-D1.
12. Amendment No. 5 with HDR Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $82,288.00 for Project No. FM-15-J0.
13. Amendment No. 2 with HDR Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $9,159.70 for Project No. TR-26-A0.
14. Final Balancing Change Order No. 1 in the amount of $11,577.17 for Project No. QR-22-A1.
15. Cost Participation and Maintenance Agreement with NDDOT for Project
No. QR-25-A1.
16. Contract and bond for Project No. SN-24-A1.
17. Memorandum of Offer to Landowner for Permanent Easements (Utility) and (Street and Utility) with Casey’s Retail Company for Improvement District No. PR-24-A1.
18. Exempt Purchase from Traffic Control Corporation in the amount of $134,860.00 for the Central Traffic System Software upgrade to Centracs Mobility Platform (EX25016).
19. Bid award to Sun Electric, Inc. for traffic signal t-base installation (RFP24372).
20. Prequalification of two vendors for Electrical Services, as presented (RFP25017).
21. Service Agreement with Vestis Services, LLC (RFP25005 and RFP25006).
22. Item from the FAHR Meeting to Receive and file General Fund - Budget to Actual through 11/30/24 (unaudited).

23. Notice of Grant Award from the ND Department of Emergency Services for FY 2024 State Homeland Security Program in the amount of $136,000.00 and related budget adjustments (CFDA #97.067).
24. Agreement for the Joint Operation of Red River Valley Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit with the City of West Fargo and Cass County.
25. Notice of Grant Award from the ND Department of Health and Human Services for Regional Public Health Network (CFDA #93.991).
26. Memorandum of Understanding with North Dakota Department of Health.
27. Appointment of the Interim Health Officer for Fargo Cass Public Health.
28. Eide Bailly LLP End-User Agreements with the City of Fargo and the FARGODOME.
29. Direct the City Attorney to amend the Findings of Fact, Conclusions and Order for property located at 909 4th Street North.
30. Bid award to BALCO Uniform Company for Police Department service uniforms and equipment (RFP25004).
31. Contractual Agreement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fargo Police Department to host the Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO) training course in 2025.
32. Bid award to RDO Equipment in the amount of $543,559.25 for one three-axle articulated truck and associated warranty (RFP25014).
33. Bid award to Sanitation Products in the amount of $395,923.00 for one dual auto side load truck and Lease with Option to Purchase Agreement with Kinetic Leasing, Inc. (RFP24017).
34. Change Order No. 2 for a time extension to the substantial completion date to the 6/19/25 for Project No. SW 23-04.
35. Amendment (First) to Transit Passenger Shelter and Hub Snow Clearing and Hauling Services Agreement and Amendment (First) to Transit Passenger Shelter Maintenance Services Agreement with Valley Green & Associates.
36. 2026 State of North Dakota grant requests for the Transit Department, as presented.
37. Additional grant funding through the State of ND for the replacement of two
35-foot fixed route buses and two paratransit vehicles.
38. Amendment to Agreement - Lease of Rights to Sewer System with City of Oxbow.
39. Bid award to R&R Excavating in the amount of $510,245.39 for Project No. WW2005 (Sanitary Lift Station No. 62 Improvements).
40. Bills in the amount of $16,204,928.77.

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

Presentation from FM Coalition to End Homelessness and United Way of Cass-Clay:
Mayor Mahoney said the expectation that Fargo should end homelessness has seemed to exist in the community for a long time, yet this is not just a Fargo challenge; it is a challenge for the neighboring communities and beyond. While many may not be fully aware of the efforts behind the scenes, he said, staff, elected officials and community partners have been pursuing a metro-wide approach to address this critical issue. The processes of government often require time to ensure decisions are made thoughtfully, transparently and with the community's best interests at heart, he stated, and this can sometimes create the impression that little progress is being made; however, this issue has been a top priority for many months. Chandler Esslinger has recently taken the Executive Director position with the FM Coalition to End Homelessness, he said, and her expertise and dedication are already making an impact as she works collaboratively with partners across the metro area, especially the United Way of Cass-Clay. He said her transition to this role comes at a pivotal time when things are starting to come together and it is a perfect storm of collaboration, expertise and opportunity to make meaningful progress on addressing homelessness. Through the work of many, he said, he is excited to be broadening this approach and transitioning to a supportive role as the City works towards implementing a unified vision with the FM Coalition to End Homelessness and the United Way of Cass-Clay. He said this will help to evolve much of this important work to a broad consortium of metro-wide professionals who are experts in their fields. He said ending homelessness is a metro-wide issue that requires bringing new partners to the table to find collaborative, lasting solutions that work.
Chandler Esslinger, FM Coalition to End Homelessness, and Taylor Syvertson, United Way of Cass-Clay, presented a plan to address homelessness that is intended to guide the metro through the next 30, 60 and 90 days with the long-term goal of reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness and slowing the flow of residents falling into homelessness. They said homelessness in the area has reached a crisis level, and metro-wide, homeless shelters have been over capacity for years with service providers being forced to turn people away for lack of resources. This has led to an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness, they said, and a decrease in the public’s perception of safety and added demand on emergency services. They said people are falling through the cracks, the system is overwhelmed and there are more people in need of support services than there is available assistance and accessible housing. They said there is programming in the Fargo-Moorhead area that has documented success at reducing homelessness and slowing the flow of people who become homeless, and with support, those programs can scale up to meet the rising need. To start seeing a slowdown of the rise in homelessness, they said, the area needs to build up the capacity of supportive services such as housing navigation and intensive case management, increased support for landlord risk mitigation funds and households at risk of eviction. They said there needs to be development of creative paths into permanent housing and to increase the amount of housing available metro-wide with a focus on affordable housing, which will have the biggest impact on long term success. Over the next 30 days, they said, the Coalition and United Way will work with partners to raise $2.5 million in order to support this plan and they will create an advisory group of leaders who will oversee how the money is spent and keep the plan on track. The plan also calls for identifying partners in the metro’s homeless response system, they said, and helping them build up their services to meet the demand. In the next three months, they stated, the plan outlines a need to support agencies that are preventing people from entering into homelessness, to work with landlords and developers to increase the number of available housing units and assist service providers. They said they will also work with emergency rooms, detox centers and jails to ensure people are not discharged into homelessness.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand, asking where citizens with ideas on how to help with the homelessness issue can share their ideas, Ms. Esslinger said those ideas can be sent to her and the Coalition sees its role as embracing anyone who may have ideas about addressing homelessness. She said they welcome collaboration and innovation, and everyone is welcome to participate.
In response to a question from Mayor Mahoney, asking about reunification and relocation work, Ms. Esslinger said those are things the system does every day with a variety of different partners. She said the majority of people experiencing homelessness are from the region; however, it is a well-coordinated system that ensures people are being matched with services in this community or any community they may be returning to and to ensure they have a soft place to land.
Commissioner Kolpack said this is a region-wide problem and she appreciates the solutions being brought to the table with a number of organizations. She said the perception is that the work has not been getting done; however, the City has been trying to address this very challenging and complex issue for many months and it is a daily conversation in City Hall on what actions can be taken. She said Assistant City Administrator Brenda Derrig has made it a priority to work with City staff and with community organizations. She said it is so important to have that collaboration if the City is going to solve this problem.
Ms. Syvertson said homelessness has been a daily conversation at the United Way. She said the United Way has been deeply involved in the homelessness issue for decades and that work is the reason there is not more homelessness. She said the United Way is being called on to scale up those efforts now that the community is facing some challenging situations with more people falling into homelessness.

Parcels of Land in HAL Addition Rezoned (602, 608, 612 and 616 3rd Street North; 601 and 617 4th Street North; 304 and 312 7th Avenue North):
At a Hearing held on October 1, 2024 the Fargo Planning Commission recommended approval of a change in zoning from DMU, Downtown Mixed-Use, MR-3, Multi-Dwelling Residential and LC, Limited Commercial to DMU, Downtown Mixed-Use.
The City Auditor's Office published a Notice of Hearing stating this is the time and date set for said Hearing at which time all interested persons could appear and would be heard.
Current Planning Coordinator Donald Kress said this parcel is commonly referred to as the Sahr’s block. He said the former Sahr’s service station and all other buildings on the site have been demolished and the proposal is to replat the block into a single lot and vacate the alley.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking if this block would qualify for tax incentives such as PILOTs and Renaissance Zone, Mr. Kress said it would; however, the developer has not yet requested any of those incentives.
Commissioner Strand said it is good those incentives exist so developers can take a blighted block such as this and turn it around. He said this is close to Downtown and the project will be transformative for the neighborhood.
Commissioner Piepkorn said it is also close to the Horace Mann neighborhood and school and when housing is built, there may be families who move in and have children, which will be a positive impact to that neighborhood and school.
Mr. Kress said there were public input meetings and several residents said they are glad this block is being redeveloped and were very supportive of the project.
Commissioner Piepkorn offered the following Resolution and moved its adoption:
WHEREAS, All legal requirements in connection with the above-described request for rezoning have been complied with; and
WHEREAS, There have been no written or verbal protests to the request for rezoning and no one is present to protest thereto.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the findings of staff be accepted and the rezoning be approved on the basis that the proposal satisfactorily complies with the Comprehensive Plan, Standards of Section 20-0906.F (1-4) and all other applicable requirements of the LDC.

Second by Turnberg. On the vote being taken on the question of the adoption of the Resolution Commissioners Piepkorn, Turnberg, Kolpack, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the Resolution was adopted.

First Reading of an Ordinance Rezoning Certain Parcels of Land Lying in HAL Addition to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota:
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the requirement relating to receipt of the Ordinance by the Commission one week prior to first reading be waived and that the Ordinance Rezoning Certain Parcels of Land Lying in HAL Addition to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota be placed on first reading.

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

Resolution Adopted Approving HAL Addition:
Commissioner Piepkorn offered the following Resolution and moved its adoption:
WHEREAS, A Plat has been filed in the office of the City Auditor entitled “HAL Addition” containing 1 Lot, 1 Block and 1.86 acres of land more or less, located at 602, 608, 612 and 616 3rd Street North; 601 and 617 4th Street North; 304 and 312 7th Avenue North; and
WHEREAS, A Hearing was held October 1, 2024 by the Fargo Planning Commission, and notice of such Hearing had been published, as required by law, and said Plat had been approved by the Fargo Planning Commission and by the City Engineer; and
WHEREAS, The City Auditor's Office published a Notice of Hearing on said Plat in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo on November 20 and 27 and December 4 and 11, 2024 that a Hearing would be held in the Commission Chambers, City Hall, Fargo, North Dakota at 5:15 p.m., December 23, 2024 at which time said Plat would be considered and all interested persons would be heard.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the findings and recommendations of staff and the Planning Commission be accepted and the Plat entitled “HAL Addition” be and the same is hereby in all things affirmed and approved on the basis that it complies with the Standards of Article 20-06, and all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code, and that the Mayor of the City of Fargo and the appropriate City Officials are hereby directed to endorse their approval on the Plat and then direct Petitioner to file same for record in the Office of the Recorder of Cass County, North Dakota.

Parcels of Land in Eagle Valley Fifth Addition Rezoned (7475 24th Street South):
At a Hearing held on December 3, 2024 the Fargo Planning Commission recommended approval of a change in zoning from LC, Limited Commercial with the C-O, Conditional Overlay to SR-5, Single-Dwelling Residential.
The City Auditor's Office published a Notice of Hearing stating this is the time and date set for said Hearing at which time all interested persons could appear and would be heard.
Current Planning Coordinator Donald Kress said the property is currently zoned Limited Commercial with a Conditional Overlay and the proposed zoning is for Single Dwelling Residential without a Conditional Overlay, which is typical with single dwelling residential. He said under the 2007 Growth Plan, this area was designed commercial; however, the City Commission recently approved the 2024 Growth Plan, which was a re-evaluation of the entire growth of the area and this area is now designed as suburban neighborhood.
Commissioner Piepkorn said the new Land Development Code (LDC) is not going to be done until next year; however, going forward, the Planning Department has to make sure the developments comply with the proposed LDC and will be a more modern way of looking at these developments rather than just static colors on a map. He said there cannot be a moratorium until the LDC is completed and the standards are going to be much higher than they have been in the past. He said with the LDC, developers will know what to expect even before they come to the Planning Department.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking about future commercial development in that area, Mr. Kress said there is an area to the west that could be developed as commercial due to the fact that it is on the corner of two arterials, which would be conducive to commercial development.
Commissioner Piepkorn offered the following Resolution and moved its adoption:
WHEREAS, All legal requirements in connection with the above-described request for rezoning have been complied with; and
WHEREAS, There have been no written or verbal protests to the request for rezoning and no one is present to protest thereto.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the findings of staff and the Planning Commission be accepted and the rezoning be approved with the Conditional Overlay requirements listed in the Ordinance on the basis that it satisfactorily complies with the Comprehensive Plan, Standards of Section 20-0906.F (1-4) and all other applicable requirements of the LDC.

Second by Kolpack. On the vote being taken on the question of the adoption of the Resolution Commissioners Piepkorn, Kolpack, Strand, Turnberg and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the Resolution was adopted.

First Reading of an Ordinance Rezoning Certain Parcels of Land Lying in Eagle Valley Fifth Addition to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota:
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the requirement relating to receipt of the Ordinance by the Commission one week prior to first reading be waived and that the Ordinance Rezoning Certain Parcels of Land Lying in Eagle Valley Fifth Addition to the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota be placed on first reading.

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

Application for a Transfer of the Alcoholic Beverage License for Red Lobster Hospitality LLC d/b/a Red Lobster Approved:
A Hearing had been set for this day and hour on the application for a transfer of the Class "A" Alcoholic Beverage License for Red Lobster Hospitality LLC d/b/a Red Lobster at 4215 13th Avenue South, prior notice of which had been duly published in the official newspaper for the City of Fargo.
No written protest or objection to the granting of the application has been received or filed in the office of the City Auditor, and said application has been approved by the Police Department as to the character of the applicant.
The Board determined that no person is present at this Hearing to protest or offer objection to the granting of the application.
City Auditor Steve Sprague said this transfer application is due to a change of officers. He said the new officers are Morgan McClure, Andrew Robbins, Oludamola Adamolekun and Norma Riviara and the Police Department found no concerns during its background investigations.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the application be approved.

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

Resolution of Support of the Fargo Moorhead Area Metropolitan Transportation Plan Adopted:
Senior Transportation Planner Michael Maddox gave a presentation on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and stated it is one of four federally required documents mandated by transportation legislation to be completed by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO). He said it is the core document of the MPO in much the same fashion that a Comprehensive Plan is a core document to a city or county. It is required that the MTP be updated every five years, he stated, and have a planning horizon of 20-25 years. MetroCOG embarked on updating its Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) in April 2023 when the Policy Board authorized a contract with SRF Consulting Group to complete the planning effort, he said. Since then, a draft plan has been prepared entitled "Metro 2050 MTP - Transportation Moving Ahead,” he stated, and the final step in the approval process is to act upon the MTP at MetroCOG's Transportation Technical Committee and Policy Board meeting. MetroCOG is requesting that each of its member jurisdictions act upon a Resolution of support for the 2050 MTP, which is a requirement of the agency's Public Participation Plan. He then outlined the Metro 2050 process, the various stages of the engagement process including plan analysis and implementation options, as well as Plan outcomes, goals and next steps. There were also some Transit strategies discussed, including maintaining an effective transit fleet, upgrades to the existing bus garage, the development of transit hubs, bus safety enhancements as well as micro transit considerations and strategies.
Commissioner Piepkorn said Fargo is now a Transit Management Area (TMA) and it is now up to Fargo to summarize its own projects rather than going through the State. He said unfortunately the funding went down; however, he is optimistic that funding eventually will go up.
Mr. Maddox said even though the funds that directly flow into Fargo have decreased, it is a steady flow that can be counted on.
Commissioner Piepkorn said MetroCOG has also been helping Horace with planning due to the fact that Horace is under tremendous pressure to develop due to that city’s growth and the Diversion. He said MetroCOG helps with long-range regional planning and coordination amongst jurisdictions.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking about return on investments (ROI) on developments, Mr. Maddox said it is hard to nail down what the actual ROI is and that was changed into a context-sensitive approach when roadways need to fit the context of the areas they are going through. He said MetroCOG has to weigh all of the different users of the system, whether it is businesses, the traveling public or pedestrians.
In response to a question from Commissioner Strand asking about congestion and getting people more quickly across neighborhoods or through town and his mindset is to slow down traffic to make things safer, Mr. Maddox said it is a requirement that MetroCOG integrate a congestion management process and due to the fact that Fargo is the smallest of the large urban systems, he has told the Federal partners that congestion is not a big issue for Fargo. He said as Fargo grows, MetroCOG is not just trying to push cars through areas, it wants to right size the congestion of the region and make sure to easily connect people to the local places that they want to go. He said MetroCOG also develops those connections for cars, bicycles, pedestrians, transit systems and all modes of transportation and makes sure Fargo is not just focusing on how quickly someone can traverse the region.
Commissioner Strand moved that the Resolution titled “Resolution of Support of the Fargo Moorhead Area Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Metro 2050: Transportation Moving Ahead, and referred to as Attachment “B,” be adopted and attached hereto.

Second by Kolpack. On the vote being taken on the question of adoption of the Resolution Commissioners Strand, Kolpack, Piepkorn, Turnberg and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the Resolution was adopted.

Resolution Regarding Camping on Public Property and Rights of Way to Sunset on March 23, 2025:
Mayor Mahoney said sunsetting the Resolution is a thoughtful and planned approach that will enact a timeline and a commitment for the City to work together as a team. He said based on community feedback as well as comments from the Commissioners, he has been contemplating for some time whether this should be an immediate decision or a phased approach and ultimately, it was Commissioner Strand who convinced him to adopt a 90-day plan, emphasizing its alignment with a more compassionate and humanitarian approach. He said he is proposing to sunset the Resolution prohibiting camping on public property and rights-of-way in 90 days, effective March 23, 2025. Through this deliberate and phased sunsetting, he stated, a well-structured and intentional effort across departments can ensure it is done effectively. He said there are some abandoned tents with belongings frozen to the ground, which is reflective of the unique challenges posed by North Dakota weather and those sites will be removed in the spring once the ground thaws. At last count, he said, there were five active camps with a total of six people, three dogs and one cat. As part of the City’s ongoing efforts, he said, he wants to highlight the involvement of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which is a philanthropic organization dedicated to equipping cities with the tools and insights needed to address complex issues such as homelessness. Their guidance has provided the City with a fresh perspective and strategic support, he said, as the City works toward sustainable solutions for the community.
Olivia Fischer, Matt Osborne and Rocky Schneider spoke about homelessness issues.
Commissioner Strand said this topic has been challenging and to not criminalize homelessness was a big issue with him. He said the fact that there are only six people camping on the river now versus 41 is remarkable. Everyone is doing their level best, he stated, Commissioners are engaged and all are listening and learning from people and offering ideas. He said to have the United Way step up is huge and he is optimistic. He thanked Commissioner Turnberg for stepping up and pushing all of the Commissioners to do better.
Commissioner Kolpack said there is still a lot of hard work ahead and communication and transparency are going to be important. She said the City is working with State and Federal representatives with very actionable asks coming. She said this is a community issue and everybody needs to be involved.
Commissioner Strand moved the Resolution Regarding Ordinance Prohibiting Camping on Public Property and Rights of Way in the City of Fargo to sunset on March 23, 2025.

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

Discussion on the Transitioning of the Downtown Engagement Center into a Community Service Center:
Mayor Mahoney said he has been listening to community partners, and he has determined that the Downtown Engagement Center is not working in its current location. He said he has also heard from residents who do not want Fargo to shoulder this issue alone. This is a community issue, he said, as well as a metro and State issue and all the community partners need to come together. He said Fargo has been collaborating with stakeholders and City staff to determine the best path forward and to create a framework for the future. He said he envisions one facility capable of bringing together State, County and local partners under one roof for more efficiency and effectiveness. Currently, in the Downtown Engagement Center there are more than a dozen agencies represented who provide 30 outreach staff members, he stated. The new Community Service Center would have four core components, he said, including a relocated Engagement Center from the core of the City into a better-placed location, some of the services currently offered at the Gladys Ray Shelter, deflection efforts to relieve the time-consuming work currently being managed by the Fargo Police with the goal to get officers back on the street as quickly as possible, and mental health providers, who can connect individuals to a mental healthcare provider. He said the City also needs to consider how to create efficiencies along with bringing in partners to assist in areas where there is a gap in services. He shared a map of the preferred relocation area for the new Community Service Center and said if the City can get into an existing building, that would save the City money and cost approximately $10 million. He said he is in discussions with the State for the potential of $4 million, $2.5 million would need to be fundraised and there are grants available for at least $1 million. After that, it would leave $2.5 million the City would cover with the sale of the Engagement Center building and the old Fargo Cass Public Health building. He said this is not an expansion of the Engagement Center, it is a centralization of resources to make it more efficient. The current location was never built to be an Engagement Center, he said, and a new location would offer more room for the centralization of services to do more work with fewer people. The problem is only going to grow as Fargo grows, he stated, and right now, there is momentum, the right mentality and leadership to reach the goal of ending homelessness. This solution emphasizes lean government, he said, doing more with less, and collaborating with agencies as the whole is greater than separate parts. He said the ultimate goal is to save money on first responder services and emergency mental health resources. He said it is hope that everyone can put their minds together to find the best path forward for Fargo and region to build a framework that works.
Deborah Frederickson spoke about the need to move the Engagement Center and to have a more comprehensive building that would be more efficient.
Commissioner Piepkorn said the Engagement Center building and the old Public Health building are valuable and should be redeveloped; however, the $2.5 million from the sale of the two buildings should certainly not be used for homelessness. He said that money should be returned to the General Fund of the City and in no way should it be earmarked for the homeless. All of the homeless services need to be moved out of Downtown, he stated, that is what the City is dealing with now, it has been a disaster, it has been a failure and it has harmed Downtown redevelopment. He said all those services need to be moved someplace outside of the Downtown and if it stays Downtown, the problem will continue. He said the Salvation Army also needs to be moved out of the Downtown and he knows the City cannot force them to move; however, the City could help them move. He said as far as finances for homelessness, the City has no money, more partners are needed and the City certainly cannot be the lead agency. It is good that there are now going to be collaborating partners, he said; however, Fargo cannot be the leader and it is not an exaggeration to say the City does not have any money.
Commissioner Strand said there are more assets other than the old Police and Health buildings. He said there needs to be a consolidated list, such as the Mid America site, the Civic Center, the water tower locations, and also include the school districts and the counties to see what lands they have available. Commissioner Piepkorn raised some good points, he said, and he would like to know how many assets there are and what they are worth.
Mayor Mahoney said the City has an opportunity to go after the private sector for funding as well and is open to other ideas. He said Commissioner Turnberg talked to the Governor's office and talked about State funding so the City will look at all different ways of trying to fund this. The City’s finances for this year are going to come out better than expected, he said, and there is the possible sale of some landfill land that will help the reserve fund. He said Fargo Cass Public Health is looking for grant opportunities to help with costs in the future. This is a framework for the future, he said, and everyone needs to dig in and try to come up with some solutions.

Appointments to the Renaissance Zone Authority:
The Board received a communication from Mayor Mahoney recommending appointments to the Renaissance Zone Authority, including Dean Bresciani being reappointed and Cass County Commissioner Tony Grindberg being appointed to serve as the County representative to replace Cass County Commissioner Chad Peterson, who has come to the end of his term as a Cass County Commissioner.
Commissioner Kolpack moved Dean Bresciani be reappointed to the Renaissance Zone Authority for a three-year term ending January 1, 2028 and Cass County Commissioner Tony Grindberg be appointed for a term ending June 30, 2025.

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

Appointments to the Historic Preservation Commission:
The Board received a communication from Mayor Mahoney recommending Christine Kloubec be reappointed to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Commissioner Kolpack moved Christine Kloubec be reappointed to the Historic Preservation Commission for a three-year term ending October 31, 2027.

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

Appointment to the Native American Commission:
The Board received a communication from Mayor Mahoney recommending Daniel Frye be appointed to the Native American Commission to fill the unexpired term of Whitney Johnson, who resigned. Her term would have expired on June 30, 2027.
Commissioner Kolpack moved Daniel Frye be appointed for the unexpired term of Whitney Johnson on the Native American Commission for a term ending June 30, 2027.

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

Appointments to the Fargo Youth Initiative:
The Board received a communication from City Commissioner Denise Kolpack on her recommendations for appointments to the Fargo Youth Initiative (FYI) for the 2024-2025 academic school year. She said she would like to recommend the following interested participants:
Returning Members: Koral Siegel (South-2027), McKenzie Lynn Olson (North-2025), Kallie Andersen (Davies-2025), Steph Kramer (South-2025), Abigail Hamilton (Davies-2027), Isabella Meyer (North-2026).
New Members: Minou Babingui (South-2026); Justin Jiang (Davies-2026); Reanna Quiah (South-2026); Ava Bach (North-2026); Drew Burris (North-2026); Lillian Dybing (North-2026); Setiya Hamidi (Davies-2027); Rose Ali (Davies-2027); Ashley Hsu (Davies-2027); Erica Johnson (North-2027); Aiden Rosten (South-2027); Kaj Naujokas (Davies-2027); Lucy Paul (North-2027); Harper Reininger (Northern Cass-2028).
Commissioner Kolpack moved that members be appointed to the Fargo Youth Initiative for the 2024-2025 school year as recommended.

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

Amendment to 2025 City Commission Meeting Calendar Approved:
Mayor Mahoney said due to a scheduling conflict on January 6, 2025, he is requesting the City Commission consider amending the 2025 meeting calendar and that the January 6, 2025 City Commission meeting date be moved to Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved that the amendment to the City Commission meeting calendar be approved, as presented.

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

Liaison Commissioner Assignment Updates:
The Commissioners gave reports on the Boards and Committees on which they serve.

Resident Comments:
Cheryl Bergian spoke about homelessness and Olivia Fischer spoke about Gaza.

The meeting adjourned at 7:00 o’clock p.m.