May 11, 2026 Minutes
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 5:00 o'clock p.m., Monday, May 11, 2026.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Kolpack, Piepkorn, Strand, Turnberg, Mahoney.
Absent: None.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.
Order of Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the Order of the Agenda be approved.
Second by Kolpack. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Minutes Approved:
Commissioner Kolpack moved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board held on April 27, 2026 be approved as read.
Second by Turnberg. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Consent Agenda Approved:
Commissioner Piepkorn moved the Consent Agenda be approved as follows:
1. 2nd reading, waive reading and final adoption of an Ordinance Amending Section 11-0809 of Article 11-08 of Chapter 11 of the Fargo Municipal Code Relating to Environmental Nuisances; 1st reading, 4/27/26.
2. Settlement Agreement and Release with Daniel H. and Edna T. Holm Revocable Living Trust.
3. Site Authorizations for Games of Chance.
4. Applications for Games of Chance.
5. Change Order No. 2 in the amount of $15,900.00 for Project No. TM-25-B1.
6. Final Balancing Change Order No. 3 in the amount of $385.32 for Project No. UR-24-C1.
7. Contract Award for Multimodal 3D LiDar Vehicle & Pedestrian Detection System with Aeva Inc. in the amount of $206,850.00 for Project No. MS-25-B1.
8. Infrastructure Construction Agreement with Eastdale, LLC for 4000 County Road 81 North.
9. Amendment Nos. 4 and 5 in the amount of $383,287.00 for Improvement District No. BN-25-A0.
10. ND Department of Transportation Flexible Transportation Fund Program Agreement as part of the Prairie Dog as Grants Program (Improvement District Nos. BR-26-F1 and PR-26-F1).
11. Bid award to Northern Improvement Co. in the amount of $1,864,164.38 for Improvement District No. PR-26-E1.
12. Bid award to Dakota Underground Company Inc. in the amount of $5,666,676.30 for Improvement District No. PR-26-F1.
13. Create Improvement District No. BR-26-D and adopt Resolution of Necessity (Paving and Utility Rehab/Reconstruction).
14. Contract and bond for Improvement District No. BR-26-F.
15. Purchase Agreement with Hempel Industrial Acquisitions, LLC for the property located at 115 and 107 31st Street South for the Fire Department Training Center.
16. Benefit Plan Agreement and Group Insurance Policy for Dental Benefits with Blue Cross Blue Shield of ND.
17. First Choice Client Agreement with First Choice Research and Investigations, LLC.
18. Second Amendment to Consulting Service Agreement - Employee Engagement Services Term Extension with CPS HR Consulting.
19. Direct the City Attorney’s Office to prepare an Ordinance to Amend Table R301.2 of the 2024 International Residential Code.
20. Extension of unpaid leave for Isabella Cody.
21. First Amendment to City of Fargo - Mosquito Spraying Agreement with Airborne Vector Control, LLC (RFP23049).
22. Bid Award to KPH, Inc. in the amount of $569,690.00 for Project No. SW 26-01.
23. Bid award to Johnson & Schock Excavating, LLC in the amount of $559,431.00 for Project No. WA2510.
24. Bid award to J.D. Kraemer Enterprises, LLC in the amount of $671,701.00 for Project No. WA2511.
25. Contract and bond for Project No. WA2505.
26. Bills in the amount of $6,622,168.
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.
Travis Stefonowicz Appointed Police Chief:
City Administrator Michael Redlinger said the Selection Committee presented a unanimous recommendation to appoint Travis Stefonowicz as the new Chief of Police for the Fargo Police Department. The selection process, he said, involved both internal and external advertising, culminating in a thorough review of the sole finalist following the April 28th application deadline. This process was highly collaborative, incorporating input and interview questions from the Department’s Captains and Lieutenants, as well as insights from a Selection Committee that included diverse representation from City staff and community partners such as the Downtown Community Partnership, he said. During his in-person interview on May 6th, Interim Police Chief Stefonowicz delivered a presentation on his vision for the Department and participated in a formal Q&A session, which remains available for public viewing on the City’s YouTube channel. He said the Interim Police Chief Stefonowicz is the right leader to move the Department forward, and pending the Commission's approval, the City plans to hold an official swearing-in ceremony on May 27th, which will coincide with the upcoming Police Academy graduation.
Commissioner Piepkorn raised concerns regarding the transparency and pacing of the recent search process and questioned Mr. Redlinger on whether the public was granted an adequate opportunity to provide input, noting the timeline appeared significantly condensed compared to a conventional search.
Mr. Redlinger said the limited public involvement was due to the expedited schedule. Commissioner Piepkorn further scrutinized the necessity of such urgency and pointed out that since an Interim Chief was already in place, there should have been ample time to conduct a more inclusive process and sought clarification on why the search was moved forward so rapidly toward a sole finalist.
Commissioner Strand expressed strong support for the selection, highlighting the value of having a local candidate who is deeply integrated into the community and noted while the national average for a Police Chief's tenure is typically only three to five years, the candidate's long-standing history of 25 years with the Department suggests a much higher potential for stability and longevity. The Chief's performance during public discussions, specifically praising his transparency, his willingness to admit when he doesn't have all the answers and his commitment to listening to the community; and he said, the new Chief is a thoughtful leader who is prepared to collaborate with various teams to address the City's complex challenges.
Commissioner Kolpack expressed her gratitude to the Selection Committee and City staff for successfully navigating the appointment process under a compressed timeline and specifically thanked Chief Stefonowicz for his willingness to step up and lead, acknowledging his 25 years of dedicated service to the Department. She also recognized the heavy workload handled by the Chief and his team during this transition period, noting he managed the challenges effectively and concluded by saying she was pleased to support his formal appointment.
Commissioner Strand moved Interim Chief Travis Stefonowicz be appointed to the position of Police Chief for the City of Fargo.
Second by Turnberg. On call of the roll Commissioners Strand, Turnberg, Kolpack, Piepkorn and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Appointments to the Board of Appeals:
The Board received a communication from Mayor Mahoney stating the terms of Brian Berg as a regular member and Clay Dietrich as an alternate member on the Board of Appeals expires June 30, 2026. Mr. Berg no longer wishes to serve; however, Mr. Dietrich is willing to continue his service. Tony Wolf has submitted an application indicating interest in serving on the Board of Appeals; therefore, I am recommending Mr. Wolf be appointed as a regular member and Mr. Dietrich be reappointed as an alternate member of the Board of Appeals for five-year terms ending June 30, 2031.
Commissioner Kolpack moved Tony Wolf be appointed as a regular member and Clay Dietrich be reappointed as an alternate member of the Board of Appeals for five-year terms ending June 30, 2031.
Second by Piepkorn. On call of the roll Commissioners Kolpack, Piepkorn, Strand, Turnberg and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Applications for Property Tax Exemptions for Improvements Made to Buildings Approved:
a. Mary and Michael Shulstad (5 years).
b. Christopher Akers and Jessica Biesoit-Akers (5 years).
c. Lisa Falk (5 years).
d. Lisa Falk (5 years).
e. Xochitl and Andrew Snyder (5 years).
f. Nathan Larson (5 years).
g. Kristen Wixo and Joshua McGavin (5 years).
h. Kelly Peterson (5 years).
i. Joel and Amber Hanson (5 years).
j. Timothy Olson and Jo Marie Jensen (5 years).
k. Roger Jaeger and Debra Welker (5 years).
l. Rohrich Rentals LLC (5 years).
m. AQ Services LLC (5 years).
Commissioner Piepkorn moved approval of the applications.
Second by Strand. On call of the roll Commissioners Piepkorn, Strand, Kolpack, Turnberg 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.
Public Comments:
None.
The meeting adjourned at 5:20 o’clock p.m.