Special Fargo City Commission Meeting - July 15, 2024

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 10:00 o'clock a.m., Monday, July 15, 2024.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Kolpack, Piepkorn, Strand, Turnberg, Mahoney.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.

Administrative Notices and Orders to Correct on Property Located at 421 15th Avenue North Upheld: City Attorney’s Office Directed to Prepare the Appropriate Findings of Fact and Order (421 15th Avenue North):
Inspections Director Shawn Ouradnik said the junk vehicles and junk notices are Incident No. 24-0182 and Incident No. 24-0513 and were sent June 12, 2024 for the property at 421 15th Avenue North. He read Article 13-09, which outlines the violations and defines junk, junk automobiles, trash and rubbish, and he read the International Property Maintenance Code description of an inoperable motor vehicle. Three vehicles were cited under the Vehicle Removal Notice, a Black Jeep Compass, a Silver Nissan Rogue and a green scooter, he said, and the Junk Removal Notice was served at the same time.
In response to a question from Commissioner Piepkorn asking about previous actions on the property, Mr. Ouradnik said there was a dangerous building, a garage, which was abated in mid to late 2023 plus there was junk accumulation at the same time which was later dismissed by the court because the property owner met the clean-up notice.
Dawn Novotny, 421 15th Avenue North, said she was not sure how the property was not in compliance before receiving the notices in June. It is difficult to store items when the garage was removed, and then the make-shift storage shed was removed, she said. This is overwhelming, she said, and it feels like it is personal to her and her fiancé. She said there are rules and codes that she does not know and she is not breaking them on purpose.
In response to a question from Mayor Mahoney asking what will be done about the junk vehicles, Ms. Novotny said the Rogue is not there, the scooter is licensed and the Compass is being worked on.
Mr. Ouradnik said the licenses cannot be verified as they have been barred from the property. The deadlines on the notices are past and the suggested motion is that violations be corrected in seven days, he said. If not, he said, vehicles will be impounded. He said it is not only the licensing requirement, the condition of a vehicle can make it a junk vehicle and as far as if the junk not being removed, that would go to court.
City Attorney Nancy Morris said while the suggested motion is for seven days, ten days is more appropriate as the next City Commission is on July 22nd, which is when the Findings of Fact, Conclusions and Order will be presented for signature.
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the Administrative Notices and Orders to Correct regarding the “Junk Removal Notice” and the “Vehicle Removal Notice” be upheld and the City Attorney’s Office be directed to prepare the necessary Findings of Fact, Conclusions and Order directing the removal of described junk and debris in accordance with Fargo Municipal Code Article 13-09 within 10 days.

Second by Kolpack. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Kolpack, Strand, Turnberg and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 10:23 o’clock, a.m.