The FARGODOME finished 2018 with an operating surplus of $472,000, 7 percent higher than the budgeted amount. Attendance at events and meetings at the FARGODOME in 2018 was more than 543,000 people. The direct and secondary economic impact generated by those attending Fargodome events in 2018 was nearly $40 million.
The North Dakota Department of Health completed a site visit at Fargo Cass Public Health where their survey team focused on the clinical, financial, administrative, community education and outreach areas of the clinic. Comments included “a warm and friendly staff,” “quality care provided” and “a clean and functional clinic.” There were also comments about the amount of community outreach done by Fargo Cass Public Health.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Nearly 13,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed each year with cervical cancer but the good news is cervical cancer can be prevented with regular screening and early detection in addition to vaccination.
The Inspections Department and the Fargo-Moorhead Homebuilders Association will co-host an open house on April 11th in the Inspections Department. At the open house, citizens and contractors will have an opportunity to talk about code changes with City inspectors and see the City’s new building. The event will provide a casual atmosphere where staff will be available to assist contractors in creating an account with the department’s new software and they will get a chance to see how the new software will ease the permitting process.
The Fargo Public Library has several interesting programs scheduled over the next two weeks, including: Crafternoon sessions for children on Mondays and Tuesdays; the Current History Book Club meets Tuesday to discuss “The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal” by David E. Hoffman; a Discovery Play session for children ages 4 months to two years is set January 31st; Project English meets Tuesday evenings; and Beginner Yoga for Adults is held most Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
The Library and the NDSU Department of Modern Languages will host a series of French films with English subtitles. The first film, titled “Félicité,” will be shown February 5th at the Downtown Library.
The Police Department held its annual awards ceremony for personnel, where officers nominate each other for awards recognizing amazing acts of courage and selflessness in their service to protect the community. Officer Dan Bair was named the Officer of the Year, which was a well-deserved honor.
The Police Department has released a new recruiting video on its Facebook page. Chief Todd said a lot of work went into making the video and he hopes it translates into attracting the best people to work with the best people.
January 25 was Hometown Heroes Night with the Fargo Force. Part of the ticket proceeds went towards a grant for tactical medical kits in squad cards..
Due to the Fargo’s ability to withstand turbulence in the national economy, the state’s low unemployment rate and Fargo’s strong, educated workforce, Livability.com has placed Fargo No. 3 on the list of “The 7 Most Recession-Proof Cities in the U.S.” The article also stated that Fargo is a great place to live with an under-the-radar cool factor that the rest of the country is just now starting to discover.
Tonight will be the last City Commission meeting held in these Chambers. The new Chambers in the new City Hall will host its first City Commission meeting on Monday, February 11th. This room was added during a major Civic Auditorium and City Hall expansion project that started in 2001 and was completed in 2004, so this room has served us well for almost 15 years. These Chambers hold many memories for me, especially when it was renamed the “War Room” during the 2009 flood, standing here almost every day, wearing this yellow vest, alongside Mayor Walaker, Senators Conrad and Dorgan, Representative Pomeroy, Governor Hoeven and others.