Fargo City Commission Meeting Wrap-Up - 12.08.2025
In case you missed the December 8, 2025, Fargo City Commission meeting, here are a few highlights we would like you to know about.
NP Avenue Project Offers Window into 1890s Sewer System
Fargo upgraded the infrastructure on NP Avenue this summer, replacing some of the oldest underground utilities in the city.
During Monday’s City Commission meeting, City Engineer Tom Knakmuhs provided Commissioners with a summary of the 2025 construction season, including the replacement of 1890s-era infrastructure on NP Avenue in Downtown Fargo.
The work involved removing and modernizing sanitary sewer and water lines dating back more than a century. The original sanitary sewer system under NP Avenue from 8th Street North to Broadway was installed in 1893 and included nearly 1,300 feet of pipe, three catch basins, two manholes, a flush tank and a “lamp hole,” a vertical pipe once used to lower a lantern for inspections of the sanitary main.
Water mains in the same corridor were last replaced in 1912. This summer’s project fully updated these aging systems. For comparison, the 1893 sewer cost $1,690 to build, while removing just two of its manholes in 2025 cost $1,353. The total cost of installing the new sanitary sewer was $226,158.
Learn more about Fargo’s street construction projects at FargoStreets.com.
MATBUS Drivers to Become City of Fargo Employees
MATBUS, the public transit system that serves the Fargo-Moorhead area, has contracted its bus driver services for over 25 years. Starting December 22, MATBUS drivers will become City of Fargo employees, marking a major transition in how the system is operated.
Through the transition, the City of Fargo has hired 76 full-time drivers and six part-time drivers – drawn from the current pool of contracted employees. For riders, this change is expected to provide smoother operations.
The Fargo City Commission approved the transition in May 2025, with the goal of bringing bus operations in-house and strengthening long-term system stability. On Monday, the City Commission unanimously approved an amendment to the agreement between MATBUS and the contractor that helps finalize the transition to City-employed drivers.
Learn more about MATBUS at MATBUS.com.
Battle of the Badges Hockey Game Raises Funds for First Responders
Fargo’s firefighters and police officers faced off in the annual Battle of the Badges ice hockey game at Scheels Arena on Sunday, December 7.
The Fargo Police Department entered the matchup looking to defend last year’s title, and the teams delivered a hard-fought contest. Tied at the end of regulation, the game came down to a shootout. This year, Team Fire claimed the victory, with a 7-6 win.
The fans in attendance helped raise funds for the Fargo Force Hometown Heroes Fund, which provides life-saving equipment for first responders across the region.
Deputy Mayor Denise Kolpack, who attended the game, shared this news during the Commissioner update portion of Monday’s City Commission meeting.
Eight Recruits Graduate from Metro Fire Academy
The Fargo, West Fargo and Moorhead fire departments celebrated the graduation of six Fargo recruits, one West Fargo recruit and one Moorhead recruit from the Metro Fire Academy on Friday, December 5, in the Commission Chambers of Fargo City Hall.
The ceremony recognized the 13th graduating class of the Metro Fire Academy, which is a collaboration of the Fargo, West Fargo and Moorhead fire departments. During the academy’s 18-week training program, recruits completed classroom work, drills, ride-alongs and live burn scenarios. Recruits experienced hands-on training in a controlled environment, learning techniques to prepare them for real-life scenarios.
A video recapping the recruits’ experience in the academy was shown during Monday’s Fargo City Commission meeting. Additionally, a video of the graduation ceremony can be viewed here.