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Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Monday, September 22nd West Fargo City

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Commission meeting. We'd like to call the meeting to order. Please join the commission in a pledge

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of allegiance.

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Will you please call the roll, Madam Secretary? Commissioner Jorgensen. Here.

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Commissioner Sundell. Here. Commissioner Dardis. Here. Commissioner Olsen. Here. Commissioner

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Anderson. Here. That's a record show. All commissioners are present. Item D is to

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approve the order of the agenda move we approve have a motion in the sec do I

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have a second to approve the order of the agenda second commissioners on down

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moves commissioner Jorgensen seconds I have a motion in a second is there any

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discussion commissioner we're going to move the item g on a consent that would

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requested that gaming site authorization for Devil's Lake American Legion post 24 at the

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lights event center be moved into the regular agenda. That will be item 2A.

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I have a motion

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in the second with that amendment. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. Thank you. Any discussion?

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Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion

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carried. Thank you. Item E is to approve the minutes of September 8, 2025. They have

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been distributed and in the packet.

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Move to approve.

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Commissioner Olson moves to approve.

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Do I have a second, please?

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Second.

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Commissioner Anderson seconds.

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We have a motion and a second to approve the minutes

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as distributed for September 8, 2025.

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Is there any discussion?

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Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed?

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Motion carried.

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Thank you.

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Item F is the approval of special assessment

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meeting minutes of September 15, 2025.

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Again, they have been distributed

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and iron your packet. Motion to approve. Commissioner Jorgensen moves to approve. Is there a second?

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Second. Commissioner Olson seconds. I have a motion and a second to approve the special

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assessment meeting minutes of September 5th, 2025. Is there any discussion?

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None. All those

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in favor, please say goodbye by saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Item G is the

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building permits. I call on Commissioner Jorgensen. I need to recuse myself from voting on this

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matter? Commissioner Jorgensen has recused himself from boating on the

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building permits. They have been distributed and are in your packet.

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Move approved. Commissioner Anderson moves to approve. Is there a second?

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Second. Commissioner Zundell seconds. We have a motion and a second to approve the

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building permits as distributed. Is there any discussion?

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There are none.

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All those in favor please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried.

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Let the record show it's a four vote with one recusal.

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Commissioner Jorgensen.

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Next order of business is the consent agenda.

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I would remind you that we moved item G

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into the regular agenda, so we have items A through F

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and H and I.

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This is different.

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Commissioner Zandell moves to approve

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the amended consent agenda.

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Is there a second?

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Second.

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Commissioner Anderson seconds.

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I have a motion and a second on the consent agenda.

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items A through F, H and I. Excluding G. Is there any discussion?

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Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

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Opposed? Motion carried.

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We are now on the regular agenda.

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First order of business on the regular agenda is public comment.

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Adam Secretary, we have one individual that's signed up.

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I would invite to the podium Mr. David Withey.

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Good evening and welcome.

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Some

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tall person puts this up every time just for me. Good evening. David with

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the 24-21 on the cloud drive ease. I'm here just to address the budget. I believe

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that they've done a good job putting that budget together and I think it's to

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everybody's benefit that City Governments North Dakota now face similar

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issues that every other organization faces which is some sort of cap on how

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much you can raise. There's the customer acceptance of prices, price increases or

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whatever. 3% capital help, our staff become even more creative and figure out how to

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get things done. I would suggest that now with that 3% increase, we should know

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that of the 10 largest expenses for the top six deal with personnel, salaries,

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health care, retirement, social security. So overall expenses were 3%, those four

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combined went up to 6.1%, and they represent over 50% of the budget. As a

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result, that means everything else, on average, has a slight decrease. That's

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good for the first year. But for future years, we all know less is not

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going to work. And we're going to have to find ways to still make it work. And I would suggest

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the solution, a broad solution, is to figure out how to increase productivity, just like

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every organization has had to face over time. It's over by you. Only by increasing productivity

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can we manage not to decrease staff, but not have to add staff and still be able to

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more done. I'm sure that Mr. Grohl already knows this, Commando already knows this,

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already thinking the ways to do that. But that's the important thing to do. I would

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also suggest that remember that certain funds are for particular purpose. And for

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two years in a row now we're using the capital projects sales tax fund to

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fund a street crew. I'm not certain that that's a good precedent to set. The money

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was passed as sales tax for capital projects, not for employing people. So those are my

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suggestions. I think of all its very good budget. I look forward to seeing it being

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passed tonight. Thank you very much. Appreciate your time and effort.

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Thank you.

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Again, we had only one individual that signed up for public comment. Public

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comment is now closed. We move into public hearings, which is item number two on the agenda.

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We have no public hearings this evening. So we move on to 2A. Again, 2A is the gaming

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site authorization for Devil's Lake American Legion Post 24 at the Lights Event Center.

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This was a request by Commissioner Jorgensen, so I'll call on you.

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I think Madam Secretary has some more information than it was in our packet.

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Okay.

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Yeah, so the question was why is it not somebody that was local that came up

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before the meeting. This is an event that they do twice a year within West

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Fargo. It's just a poker tournament. Typically it comes across as Tim

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running Legion post 24, but they've done it for the past few years. So.

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All

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right. Any questions on that information? Thanks for the clarification.

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Yes.

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Move to approve.

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Commissioner Anderson moves to approve.

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Is there a second?

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Second.

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Commissioner Jorgensen seconds.

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I have a motion and a second on item number 2A,

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which is a gaming site authorization for the

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Devil's Lake American Legion Post-24

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at the Lights Event Center.

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Ascension at the Lights Event Center.

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Is there any discussion?

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Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

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Aye.

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Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you.

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We move on to item number three. This is the 2024 audit

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presentation. We call on Mr. John Hagen from Idaily for that presentation. Good

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evening and welcome.

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Good evening. Thank you guys for having me. My name is John

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Hagan. I work with the local office here of Ida Bailey. I've been with Ida Bailey for just over

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10 years, servicing now basically 100% of the government world. So cities, counties, school

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districts, some special utility districts. But if it's government related, I pretty much

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trust it. Our Ida Bailey office has been servicing City West Fargo here for I think

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it's seven or eight years now doing the audit. So tonight we'll be going over the

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executive summary, which is kind of a condensed version of the financial

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statements. Financial statements get longer and longer each year, new accounting,

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principles, and standards. So we like to present the executive summary similar to

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previous years with some tables and graphs just for

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comparability and being able to see some trend lines over the last couple

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years. So with that let's hop into the presentation. First one being your

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audit results and findings for the year. So the end goal of every single

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audit is to issue an audit opinion. So what does that mean? The city management is

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responsible for three things. The financial statements are prepared with the proper accounting

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standards, which is GAAP, that they are free of material misstatements and that they are

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presented fairly. So we as auditors, we come out and through a series of standardized procedures

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and tests, we ultimately come to an audit opinion to provide reasonable but not absolute

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assurance on those financial statements. So the audit opinion as of December 31st, 2024,

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for for the city was an unmodified opinion or a clean audit opinion in

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layman turn. So exactly what you're going for from a financial statement audit

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perspective.

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With an audit opinion we are required to formally communicate any

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audit findings. If you want to jump to the next slide. Not sure who's running.

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If you want to grab the mouse on this one. Sorry. No that's okay. Then I can just scroll.

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Perfect.

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Now I got a multitask so bear with me. As I was saying so with an

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opinion, we do issue and present audit findings to those in charge of governance, which is

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you guys. Broken down into two different categories, first one being financial statement findings.

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I will lump the first two together, the preparation of the financials and material journal entries.

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I alluded to it earlier. There's more and more accounting standards and with that become

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larger financial statements. It gets a little bit tougher on finance, office and staff to

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prepare and issue those financial statements. So we as auditors are commonly asked to

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We prepare the financials and when we do that, we do issue a finding.

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With that, we do also propose a number of journal entries to be adjusted on the financial

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statements to make sure that those standards are being followed.

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Again, very common for cities of your guys' size and repeat findings from previous years.

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I would anticipate those two findings kind of continuing forward as well.

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The third finding is segregation of duties, which is a fancy way of saying having

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enough hands and eyeballs on everything finance related. Those auditing standards are getting

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more complex and require more hands and eyeballs on things. And when there's vacancies and

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positions it's really tough to do that. The city's had some turnover within their finance

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office last couple years and therefore has led to segregation of duties. Now that office

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is quieted down. I look forward to seeing the processes improve with the additional

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bodies and potentially removing that finding in the future.

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The second bucket there is federal wards. We'll touch on this on the next slide. Actually,

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I'll just go there right now.

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So a secondary avenue of every audit is called a single audit,

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which is the audit of specific use of federal funds of the city. This is required anytime

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an entity expense over $750,000 in a fiscal year. The city did spend about $2.2 million

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in 2024, thus triggering this secondary audit. This audit, like I said, is over

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specifically those federal funds expended and is much more compliance driven.

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So we do issue a separate audit opinion over those funds and the city did

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receive again an unmodified or clean audit opinion associated with those. There

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were no findings of any kind as well with those.

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Next slide is a specific

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kind of more of an FYI relating to a new accounting standard. This is a

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bigger accounting standard. Didn't change a whole lot from the number standpoint but it did change

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some internal kind of accounting and tracking of compensated absences which for the city is

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made primarily up of vacation and sick leave. It was a standard to kind of

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consistent recognition and measurement of those related liabilities. So strictly an FYI slide.

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So now we'll get into some of the numbers. I won't spend as much time on some of these

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slides just kind of let you guys take them in. I'll cover high level items as we

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go. First couple slides here are the cash and investment balances for the city.

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This does include all funds within the city. Again cash and investments is made

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up of a couple different components mostly deposits, certificates of

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deposit CD balances, and some investments in some treasury notes and

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related US government type investments.

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Total cash and investment balances for

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the city in total was about 110 million and change these slides are all

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throughout the night presented within thousands. So keep that in mind as some

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of the numbers do look a little goofy. I have to retrain my brain when

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remembering that these are indeed in thousands. So overall very consistent

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cash and investment balances within the city.

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Okay from a liquidity standpoint,

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So, kind of...

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One of that current mindset of cash and investments as compared to kind of your current liabilities,

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which would be composed of accounts payable, related construction or retainage payable,

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accrued liabilities, unearned revenue, and then the big component would be your current maturities

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of principal and interest of those debt. So current equity ratio as of 1230 on 2024

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is coming in at right about four. You can turn over your cash balances about four times and cover those current liabilities.

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This graph does exclude the capital project cash balances just because based on timing of debt proceeds,

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that can really swing this liquidity ratio as well as the timing of kind of project payments.

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So we do exclude that just kind of for comparability purposes.

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Okay, now the next couple slides will focus in on the general fund, which is the main operating fund for the city.

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first slide here we have our revenues and transfers in so ultimately money

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coming in the door.

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Compose of a bunch of different components primarily the big

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driver would be your property taxes and special assessments secondary buckets

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would be your intergovernmental money coming from county or maybe state

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grant money and then other components license permitting fees some other

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other things like that. Overall, pretty consistent year over year from a bucket standpoint. One

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thing to note here in 2024, the yellow kind of other bucket did jump significantly. That's

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due to a unique paper transaction associated with governmental accounting. Your guys lease

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proceeds associated with this building. It's a net wash to fund balance. It has to be

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recorded as proceeds coming in and then capital outlay within the year the lease

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was signed. So again, paper transaction net zero, but that does lead to a little bit of a goofy

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looking jump here in 2024. So I did want to point that out. That was about 7.6 million.

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On the flip side to revenue is obviously expenditures, a key component to all city

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financials. General fund expenditures, as the previous gentleman mentioned,

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largely based within wages within the general fund, wages and wage related type

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expenses, health insurance and other benefits. That's far and away the biggest

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category. Broken down into different departmental codes for the city. You have

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public works, public safety, general government make up your different color

230
00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:49,620
schemes there. Overall very consistent uptick within those overall expenditures

231
00:17:49,620 --> 00:17:53,980
over the last 10 years, which is to be expected with the growth of the city

232
00:17:53,980 --> 00:17:55,360
and just general cost of things.

233
00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,380
So all in all the last two slides come

234
00:18:01,380 --> 00:18:07,460
together and you have an ultimate impact to fund balance. In 2024 that net change was

235
00:18:07,460 --> 00:18:13,640
about a $4.5 million deficit. So it did decrease fund balance to an ending fund balance within

236
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:18,080
just a general fund of about $14.4 million. So if you can kind of mentally circle that

237
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,460
number here, the next couple of slides will focus on that ending fund balance.

238
00:18:24,740 --> 00:18:28,340
So ending fund balance about $14.4 million in the general fund. What does that do

239
00:18:28,340 --> 00:18:33,140
for the city? It does a number of things. First, it contributes to a favorable bond

240
00:18:33,140 --> 00:18:38,480
rating. So as you guys have additional debt endeavors down the road can produce

241
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:43,240
better interest rates for the city. Secondly, it offers produces investment

242
00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,620
income and provides a source of working capital. So having your money work for

243
00:18:46,620 --> 00:18:50,880
you within the bank through interest rates. An interest income is always a

244
00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,680
plus. And then thirdly, most importantly, offers a cushion for

245
00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,780
unexpected expenditures or revenue shortfalls.

246
00:19:03,170 --> 00:19:04,290
Another pretty technical

247
00:19:04,290 --> 00:19:08,470
slide is broken down breakdown of different fund balance categories within

248
00:19:08,470 --> 00:19:13,210
the general fund. I'll be pretty high level with this, but non-spendable is in the form

249
00:19:13,210 --> 00:19:19,490
of money that's already spent through prepaid expenses or inventory. Restricted would be restricted

250
00:19:19,490 --> 00:19:26,030
by outside sources legally. Common would be debt service or capital projects fund.

251
00:19:26,270 --> 00:19:30,070
There aren't currently any restrictions within the general fund, but there are those

252
00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:31,950
restrictions within the other funds of the city.

253
00:19:33,170 --> 00:19:36,550
The next three, committed, assigned, and unassigned are kind of usually lumped

254
00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:41,270
together and considered as unrestricted. This is money that ultimately the City has added

255
00:19:41,270 --> 00:19:47,050
discretion to spend how it would like. They can commit or assign money for certain projects

256
00:19:47,050 --> 00:19:52,150
or endeavors and then ultimately everything left over would fall in the unassigned bucket

257
00:19:52,150 --> 00:19:58,210
which is your last kind of unencumbered and kind of typically considered your city

258
00:19:58,210 --> 00:20:00,050
reserves or rainy day fund if you will.

259
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,780
So this shows a breakdown of those different

260
00:20:08,780 --> 00:20:13,240
fund balance categories. As I mentioned, there aren't currently any restrictions committed

261
00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,940
or assigned fund balances within the general fund. So there is a very small bucket for

262
00:20:18,940 --> 00:20:23,840
non-spendable for some prepaid items for $113,000 and then everything else remaining

263
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,220
of that $14.4 million dollar bucket sitting in that unassigned.

264
00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:33,140
So I kind of let you

265
00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:34,960
guys take that in here before moving on.

266
00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,500
So here's another way to look at that unassigned

267
00:20:48,500 --> 00:20:54,760
only fund balance for the city. This shows trend lines over the last 10 years as opposed

268
00:20:54,760 --> 00:21:02,740
to annual expenditures within the city. Ending 2024 represents about 48% of annual expenditures.

269
00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:07,280
So another way to look at it would be the city could operate as is with no additional

270
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:12,420
money coming in within the general fund for about 6 months. So about 48% of annual

271
00:21:12,420 --> 00:21:17,560
expenditures. So I know there's been some plan spending to deficit over the last

272
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,560
couple of years to bring down some of those fund balances but certainly

273
00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:24,720
something to kind of keep an eye on with with the state climate on revenue

274
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,540
stream constraints and stuff like that where you guys want to be from a

275
00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:35,220
reserve standpoint. We get asked a lot where should the city be? There isn't

276
00:21:35,220 --> 00:21:38,940
a really a golden rule. There is no right or wrong. Every city operates a

277
00:21:38,940 --> 00:21:42,260
little bit differently depending on if they're more rural, they're bigger

278
00:21:42,260 --> 00:21:48,360
city or smaller city. Typically we see somewhere in that 25 to 50% range of

279
00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:51,340
kind of annual expenditures with the bigger cities usually having a little

280
00:21:51,340 --> 00:21:54,340
little bit additional in reserve. So you're kind of right in line with what

281
00:21:54,340 --> 00:21:58,680
we typically see, but like I said there is no necessarily right or wrong or

282
00:21:58,680 --> 00:21:59,280
golden rule.

283
00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,180
Next we'll focus on a couple quickly on a couple different

284
00:22:08,180 --> 00:22:11,680
funds, other funds for the city. First one being your capital projects fund.

285
00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:15,900
This is a pretty big fund for the city with all the growth and just

286
00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:22,740
other capital adventures for the city. This shows your capital expenditures over

287
00:22:22,740 --> 00:22:29,400
the last 10 years. Again this is in thousands. So total capital outlay for

288
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:35,020
the city within the capital projects was about, let's call it, 25 million in

289
00:22:35,020 --> 00:22:39,620
change. Very consistent over the last four years. Various projects throughout

290
00:22:39,620 --> 00:22:44,680
the city ongoing improvement districts and road projects, sanitary sewer rehab

291
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:49,380
projects. Lagoon decommissioning are kind of some of the big heavy hitters. In total, the

292
00:22:49,380 --> 00:22:54,500
city does have about 44 million in construction and progress at year-end. So

293
00:22:54,500 --> 00:23:00,280
kind of projects that have been started in the past and still ongoing. But fund

294
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,760
balance specific to the capital projects is a positive. It's pretty

295
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,600
common depending on the timing functions of some of the the funding

296
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,600
mechanisms for those projects for the fund balance to creep into a

297
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:22,800
deficit, similar like you can see in previous years. There was a bond issued in 2024 for

298
00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:29,160
about $15 million, which did lead to an increase in that fund balance in 2024. So it's sitting

299
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,800
in capital projects fund balance of about $8 million as of $1231.24.

300
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,800
Okay, last couple of slides are going to focus on the proprietary or kind of business

301
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,580
type funds for the city. First one being your water and sewer fund. Those are presented

302
00:23:46,580 --> 00:23:52,760
together within the city financials. From an operational standpoint this is a

303
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,280
pretty nice slide to kind of summarize a bunch of different items.

304
00:23:58,720 --> 00:23:59,900
There's operating

305
00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:03,860
revenues is your top blue line there followed by your operating expenditures

306
00:24:03,860 --> 00:24:08,620
excluding depreciation. So the city is operating at a net positive from

307
00:24:08,620 --> 00:24:14,020
operations specifically with water and sewer again excluding depreciation.

308
00:24:14,020 --> 00:24:19,920
Once you factor in depreciation, which is kind of a paper expenditure, it's a cost of those assets built out over time

309
00:24:20,620 --> 00:24:27,720
based on the useful life of those assets. There was a deficit in the current year, which again is very common.

310
00:24:28,220 --> 00:24:31,200
You guys can see trend lines over the last 10 years have been very consistent.

311
00:24:32,060 --> 00:24:39,820
And then overall net change to fund balance did come in as a deficit, but again, it's due to that depreciation.

312
00:24:39,820 --> 00:24:40,400
Okay,

313
00:24:47,460 --> 00:24:49,060
next slide is your ending net position.

314
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:51,020
That's kind of the counterpart to fund balance.

315
00:24:51,180 --> 00:24:54,060
They're the same things, different terminology within the financial statements.

316
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,340
Overall net position of water and sewer fund is a very significant $310 million.

317
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:05,180
At year end, comprised almost exclusively or a large chunk, I should say about 96%

318
00:25:05,180 --> 00:25:10,220
of capital assets, a lot of infrastructure built into that water and sewer.

319
00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:16,260
The remaining 4% would be your typical assets, less liabilities of cash and

320
00:25:16,260 --> 00:25:20,740
investments receivables less any sort of liabilities and related debt.

321
00:25:25,540 --> 00:25:26,000
Those are

322
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,780
really big dollar amounts so a kind of a little bit better way to maybe look at it

323
00:25:29,780 --> 00:25:33,040
from a liquidity standpoint is year-end cash and investment balances. So what's

324
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,200
sitting in the bank attributed to the Water and Sewer Fund. Total cash and

325
00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:43,840
investments is about 12.4 million, where if you go back a few slides, annual

326
00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:49,100
expenditures in the Water and Sewer Fund excluding depreciation is just

327
00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:54,340
over 10 million. So four years worth sitting in that cash investment balance.

328
00:25:57,490 --> 00:26:02,210
Okay, and then very last fund is garbage funds. So very similar to Water and

329
00:26:02,210 --> 00:26:06,590
Sewer, kind of a business type fund for the city. First slide here being your

330
00:26:06,590 --> 00:26:12,130
operating statement. Again, money coming in from operations, money going out

331
00:26:12,130 --> 00:26:15,850
from operations, ultimately leading to your operating income. We do include

332
00:26:15,850 --> 00:26:19,550
depreciation in on this just because the total assets in the garbage fund

333
00:26:19,550 --> 00:26:25,270
much smaller so it skews this slide much less. So for comparability it's still

334
00:26:25,270 --> 00:26:30,050
good to have that in there. But overall operating basically at an exact

335
00:26:30,050 --> 00:26:35,190
breakeven in FY24. Typically speaking we see kind of these proprietary funds

336
00:26:35,190 --> 00:26:38,470
operating at roughly a breakeven and that's kind of the goal of most cities.

337
00:26:39,130 --> 00:26:43,350
Making sure that they're sustainable for the long term but obviously not

338
00:26:43,350 --> 00:26:47,790
trying to make a bunch of money off the the citizens for for some of these

339
00:26:47,790 --> 00:26:48,750
proprietary services.

340
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,540
Last two slides similar to the water and sewer fund

341
00:26:56,540 --> 00:27:01,580
here's your net position or fund balance for that garbage fund again

342
00:27:01,580 --> 00:27:05,940
attributed mostly to capital assets about 73% in capital assets and in

343
00:27:05,940 --> 00:27:14,780
related infrastructure total FY24 net position of about 4.2 million and then

344
00:27:14,780 --> 00:27:20,560
lastly from a liquidity standpoint total garbage caching cash investments

345
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:21,840
about 2.1 million.

346
00:27:23,870 --> 00:27:25,950
There has been some decrease over the last couple years

347
00:27:27,310 --> 00:27:31,150
designed as money has gone out the door to replace some of the garbage truck

348
00:27:31,150 --> 00:27:32,550
fleet within the city.

349
00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,840
Okay I know I kind of sped through that there's a lot of

350
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:43,020
numbers in there. Some pretty high-level stuff. Hopefully it was mostly user

351
00:27:43,020 --> 00:27:46,760
friendly but any questions before I go tonight? Questions from Mr. Higgin?

352
00:27:50,060 --> 00:27:53,000
Okay well if anything does come up feel free to relay those through Dustin

353
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,700
or Willie and we'll be happy to get back to you. Thank you guys for

354
00:27:56,700 --> 00:28:00,380
have me and I do want to give a special thank you to the finance office,

355
00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,920
William team. We can be pretty demanding for a couple of months with

356
00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:07,820
requests and questions, phone calls, meeting stuff like that and they're

357
00:28:07,820 --> 00:28:10,820
always responsive and very helpful so they make our lives pretty easy. So we

358
00:28:10,820 --> 00:28:15,080
appreciate working with you guys and look forward to more successful audits

359
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,380
in the future. Thank you sir. Thank you guys.

360
00:28:21,860 --> 00:28:23,400
I am going to ask for a motion

361
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,980
please, yes. I would make a motion to accept the 2024 audit. Commissioner

362
00:28:27,980 --> 00:28:33,180
Zundale moves to approve the 2024 audit presentation by I'd Bailey. Is there a

363
00:28:33,180 --> 00:28:38,980
second? Second. Commissioner Olson seconds. We have a motion and a second to accept

364
00:28:38,980 --> 00:28:43,100
the audit presentation for 2024 from the City of West Fargo. Is there any

365
00:28:43,100 --> 00:28:43,500
discussion?

366
00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:48,140
Hearing none, all those in favor please signify by saying aye.

367
00:28:48,420 --> 00:28:51,960
Aye. Opposed? Motion carried.

368
00:28:55,350 --> 00:28:58,330
We move on to item number four. Item number four

369
00:28:58,330 --> 00:29:04,530
is a presentation by our economic development director, Casey Sanders-Berglin, and is in

370
00:29:04,530 --> 00:29:08,030
regard of business incentive request. Good evening and welcome.

371
00:29:11,530 --> 00:29:14,870
Good evening, Commission President Dardis. Commissioners,

372
00:29:17,510 --> 00:29:18,950
the application for rate of

373
00:29:18,950 --> 00:29:24,150
night is for sign badgers. This is a name you'll likely recognize in business as it

374
00:29:24,150 --> 00:29:29,390
was founded in West Fargo and remained here for the last 15 years. Within the last

375
00:29:29,390 --> 00:29:36,010
As of the month this business ownership has changed, the brand, product, and team remain as sign badgers

376
00:29:36,010 --> 00:29:40,970
and are looking ahead at their next steps centered around stability and potential growth.

377
00:29:41,890 --> 00:29:45,230
However, moving forward begins with a new location for this business.

378
00:29:46,050 --> 00:29:50,890
During the search for space, sign badgers has identified two top choices,

379
00:29:51,690 --> 00:29:55,510
one of which is located in West Fargo and the other one in Fargo.

380
00:29:55,510 --> 00:29:59,410
Both of these spaces are approximately 5,000 square feet.

381
00:30:00,110 --> 00:30:07,070
The requirements for the space are a bit unique, as they need to accommodate a hyper-clean environment

382
00:30:07,410 --> 00:30:15,550
for printing equipment, as well as ventilation, air, and handling for computer and precision

383
00:30:15,550 --> 00:30:23,350
cutting, painting, and laser engraving equipment. We're also offering a space for design, collaborative

384
00:30:23,350 --> 00:30:30,530
of spaces and operations offices. Signed-bedders is proud of their roots in West Fargo and would

385
00:30:30,530 --> 00:30:36,770
like to remain. However, when comparing the two options, the space in Fargo requires

386
00:30:36,770 --> 00:30:43,330
no tenant fit-up investment. The request before you today would make funding the

387
00:30:43,990 --> 00:30:52,670
portion of the tenant investment expense required, excuse me, the request before

388
00:30:52,670 --> 00:30:56,850
today would fund a portion of the fit of expense required at the West Fargo location.

389
00:30:57,790 --> 00:31:06,090
This offset would make, excuse me, this offset makes a retainable at the West Fargo site.

390
00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:13,510
This primary sector business collects approximately 12,000 to 15,000 annual sales tax and employs

391
00:31:13,510 --> 00:31:15,450
12 employees currently.

392
00:31:15,450 --> 00:31:22,450
The public participation requested today is $275,000, is funded through Economic Development

393
00:31:22,450 --> 00:31:27,970
Sales Tax, and is to be used as a forgivable loan over a period of five years.

394
00:31:29,390 --> 00:31:33,950
During the conversation with the Economic Development Advisory Committee, the discussion

395
00:31:33,950 --> 00:31:42,530
centered around that this is a unique opportunity for sign-basers to present for an industrial

396
00:31:42,530 --> 00:31:49,690
space that normally would not collect ideally, excuse me, ideally this space

397
00:31:49,690 --> 00:31:57,110
would generate sales tax. Many spaces like this are held for industrial

398
00:31:57,110 --> 00:32:01,110
manufacturing and do not collect a sales tax. This factored into the

399
00:32:01,110 --> 00:32:05,490
committee's ultimate recommendation for approval to the City Commission.

400
00:32:06,990 --> 00:32:11,610
Included in your agenda is a staff report in a summary from the sign

401
00:32:11,610 --> 00:32:13,630
and Badgers, as well as design and plans.

402
00:32:14,950 --> 00:32:17,530
Dawson from Sign Badgers is here in the audience,

403
00:32:17,970 --> 00:32:19,290
and I can certainly invite him up

404
00:32:19,290 --> 00:32:21,330
to answer any business-related questions,

405
00:32:21,610 --> 00:32:24,030
as well as Nancy from Rusted Properties

406
00:32:24,030 --> 00:32:25,750
in which the West Fargo location

407
00:32:27,770 --> 00:32:30,270
is the West Fargo locations representation.

408
00:32:31,230 --> 00:32:32,850
I'll stand for questions at this time.

409
00:32:33,270 --> 00:32:34,310
Questions for Casey?

410
00:32:35,730 --> 00:32:35,950
Anyone?

411
00:32:39,650 --> 00:32:40,590
Commissioner Drogenson.

412
00:32:41,870 --> 00:32:43,210
I guess if he could come to the podium.

413
00:32:43,210 --> 00:32:43,910
Good

414
00:32:51,690 --> 00:32:55,490
evening. Good evening. Thanks for coming. So with the amount that you're

415
00:32:55,490 --> 00:32:58,570
requesting, how much is going into production space and how much is in the

416
00:32:58,570 --> 00:33:02,830
office space and how much is out of pocket? I have significant six-figure

417
00:33:02,830 --> 00:33:07,990
investment into the business and will into the fit-up as well. And you know

418
00:33:07,990 --> 00:33:11,290
it's really hard to sort of draw a line between what's office, what's

419
00:33:11,290 --> 00:33:15,610
production in this fit-up portion because what we're doing is subdividing

420
00:33:15,610 --> 00:33:21,670
a space. Leaving part of the space essentially open. Yeah, the drawings might help us out

421
00:33:21,670 --> 00:33:28,950
here. You know, so that top left corner, if you will, is going to be the office space

422
00:33:28,950 --> 00:33:31,570
and the rest is production. So I'd say, you know, if you want to put rough numbers

423
00:33:31,570 --> 00:33:36,150
on it, probably 25% of this is dedicated as office space and 75% is production.

424
00:33:36,950 --> 00:33:39,050
Do you have any stake in the actual building itself?

425
00:33:39,810 --> 00:33:39,990
No.

426
00:33:39,990 --> 00:33:47,390
But I just think this is an extreme amount of money for a business that size.

427
00:33:47,650 --> 00:33:52,190
I mean, we gave the steel company the same amount for a 90,000 square foot warehouse.

428
00:33:52,530 --> 00:33:57,870
And this is being asked for a 5,000 square foot warehouse that brings in one report says

429
00:33:57,870 --> 00:33:59,930
12 to 15, the other one says 15 to 20.

430
00:34:00,770 --> 00:34:02,050
I have a tough time with this.

431
00:34:05,810 --> 00:34:06,870
Any additional questions?

432
00:34:10,540 --> 00:34:11,340
Mr. Zundale.

433
00:34:11,580 --> 00:34:15,040
You said you have significant investments in it.

434
00:34:15,720 --> 00:34:18,240
How much money are you investing in this fit up?

435
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,200
I have a six figure investment in the business.

436
00:34:23,140 --> 00:34:24,380
Excuse me if I misspoke.

437
00:34:24,700 --> 00:34:29,060
The fit up would be primarily funded with these dollars.

438
00:34:29,820 --> 00:34:33,640
And then the landlord is going to kick in some portion of that as well.

439
00:34:33,900 --> 00:34:37,840
But my FARGO proposal is zero TI coming in for me.

440
00:34:37,980 --> 00:34:41,280
It's actually 375,000 that would come from the developer over there.

441
00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:46,120
So this is a bridge that basically gives me, you know, apples to apples.

442
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:50,440
And so I would not have personal investment into the fit up into this space.

443
00:34:50,500 --> 00:34:51,880
But, you know, it's also a lease space.

444
00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:56,940
And, you know, the alternative is zero dollars investment in the forego side.

445
00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:03,300
And then are you expecting sales to increase by increasing your current space as well?

446
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,440
Or is the sales tax number that Casey provided?

447
00:35:08,140 --> 00:35:12,780
I absolutely see growth in this business and in this vertical. It's part of why I'm taking

448
00:35:12,780 --> 00:35:20,060
capital risk to invest in it. We see an active M&A discussions with other regional sign companies.

449
00:35:20,180 --> 00:35:24,400
We'd love for West Fargo to be sort of our home and our hub for production going forward.

450
00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:30,180
My team would prefer to stay here and it's served us well and they've enjoyed being

451
00:35:30,180 --> 00:35:35,720
in the West Fargo community. And so we, as a result of the new space, of course

452
00:35:35,720 --> 00:35:39,960
we'll see you know better efficiency and it'll you know have a lot of benefits

453
00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:43,880
for our team but you know sort of the broader business strategy will be to

454
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,380
grow here and you know ultimately contribute more sales tax to the city

455
00:35:47,380 --> 00:35:51,520
of West Fargo. And then I'm going to clarify when you say you'd rather be in

456
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:58,280
West Fargo what makes you rather want to be here than not? You know my team

457
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,980
prefers you know working in this community many of them live in this

458
00:36:01,980 --> 00:36:07,080
community and you know you know but I have to make a business decision here

459
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:11,580
right and there's a capital incentive for me to go to Fargo you know my team's

460
00:36:11,580 --> 00:36:14,780
going to commute to where we go and and you know we're probably going to head

461
00:36:14,780 --> 00:36:15,640
to where the capital is.

462
00:36:21,020 --> 00:36:23,660
On the overview picture which one of the buildings is

463
00:36:23,660 --> 00:36:23,860
it?

464
00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:32,340
It's the one that's going up currently so it's actually be in that

465
00:36:32,340 --> 00:36:38,400
bottom right hand corner there. Where the dirt is yeah. So there's no building

466
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,800
there currently. It's awaiting a floor being poured in it.

467
00:36:44,590 --> 00:36:46,550
If I'm not mistaken you're taking up a

468
00:36:46,550 --> 00:36:48,530
portion of that building not the full half of it.

469
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:54,480
So this building hasn't been built in just

470
00:36:55,220 --> 00:37:00,580
would there be room for you to expand in that building? Yes absolutely you know which is part

471
00:37:00,580 --> 00:37:03,160
of what makes it attractive we could push into the other half if we need.

472
00:37:05,980 --> 00:37:08,120
Mr. Olson. I was at

473
00:37:08,740 --> 00:37:15,540
presentation at the EDAC committee and could you just refresh my memory on what

474
00:37:15,540 --> 00:37:20,280
your business, how big a footprint nationwide, I think, where you're out

475
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,520
and doing and all that kind of stuff? Yeah, no, I can appreciate that. Thank you.

476
00:37:24,340 --> 00:37:28,300
You know, I'm part of a, you know, this is part of a broader set of investments

477
00:37:28,300 --> 00:37:32,240
on my part that operate in sort of communications and media space. So I have

478
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:35,640
a company that does traditional and digital media placement, a company that

479
00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:39,700
It does direct mail a company that does public opinion research and we work with clients

480
00:37:39,700 --> 00:37:40,540
all over the country.

481
00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:43,800
This was sort of a strategy first investment on our part.

482
00:37:43,980 --> 00:37:47,400
We had those other clients coming to us looking for visual marketing and signage.

483
00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:49,140
We couldn't provide that in-house.

484
00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:50,640
It's also part of my personal story.

485
00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:55,240
My mom started a sign shop in our basement on the farm in northeast North Dakota.

486
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:58,180
So I grew up in a crib watching her hand paint signs.

487
00:37:58,900 --> 00:38:02,480
And before that, my great-uncle George was a sign painter in the 1920s.

488
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,480
So it's kind of a fun return to this business for me.

489
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:10,840
but you know sign badgers and their excellent team of 12 serves some pretty

490
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:15,500
large companies nationwide. We do most of the interior a fixed signage for all

491
00:38:15,500 --> 00:38:19,800
shields locations around the country. RDO has been a long time very committed

492
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,640
customer as well. Anytime they open a new dealership around the country we're

493
00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:27,460
providing equipment decals things like that. Those are two verticals you know

494
00:38:27,460 --> 00:38:30,560
middle market retail and equipment dealers where we see significant

495
00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:36,580
growth sort of from Fargo out to the rest of the country so it'll be I think a

496
00:38:36,580 --> 00:38:38,640
strong investment for us and

497
00:38:40,650 --> 00:38:43,030
so it's fun to back a great team. So keeping your

498
00:38:43,030 --> 00:38:45,970
footprint in West Fargo brings the spotlight back on what we can produce

499
00:38:45,970 --> 00:38:53,250
here in West Fargo. That was thank you for that. Thank you. I thought I just

500
00:38:53,250 --> 00:38:57,350
offer one piece of clarity as I stumbled over this earlier but the

501
00:38:57,350 --> 00:39:02,150
intention a lot of the spaces in this area offer a great opportunity for a

502
00:39:02,150 --> 00:39:08,130
small business and businesses. The majority of them don't create large

503
00:39:08,130 --> 00:39:14,170
amount of jobs. You know, usually you see one or two jobs, maybe three. In addition, you're

504
00:39:14,170 --> 00:39:20,870
not going to see production coming out of this area or any amount of sign or any amount

505
00:39:20,870 --> 00:39:27,710
of sales tax. I think to that point, when we had this conversation at the EDAC, even

506
00:39:27,710 --> 00:39:35,230
even more candid, the conversation was more around an opportunity loss, rather than recognizing

507
00:39:35,230 --> 00:39:40,190
this as a significant dollar amount in comparison to maybe some of the other incentives that

508
00:39:40,190 --> 00:39:40,790
we've offered.

509
00:39:41,130 --> 00:39:43,950
And so I just wanted to kind of share some of that candid feedback.

510
00:39:46,570 --> 00:39:47,490
Mr. Zondale.

511
00:39:48,170 --> 00:39:54,830
When you talk about some of the loan forgiveness pieces of it, I feel like basically you just

512
00:39:54,830 --> 00:39:56,450
have completions of operations.

513
00:39:57,470 --> 00:39:58,050
Did you?

514
00:39:58,050 --> 00:40:03,790
like I know I guess I feel like part of our discussion also centered around job

515
00:40:03,790 --> 00:40:07,830
retention and like continued commitment is there anything other than they just

516
00:40:07,830 --> 00:40:12,670
have to have the doors open or when you say forgivable loan what are your

517
00:40:12,670 --> 00:40:16,210
markers because they seem very vague in this. Sure that's something you can

518
00:40:16,210 --> 00:40:20,850
certainly add anytime we have an incentive we also work with our city

519
00:40:20,850 --> 00:40:24,250
attorney to create a business incentive agreement so that's something we can

520
00:40:24,250 --> 00:40:29,770
add around job retention numbers. I don't have anything specific outlined in this

521
00:40:29,770 --> 00:40:34,650
proposal for job retention numbers, something we could talk about. In addition,

522
00:40:35,390 --> 00:40:43,110
I would say the other kind of aspect that we look at is this space. Once fit

523
00:40:43,110 --> 00:40:48,470
up, let's say sign petters eventually expand to the point where this space is

524
00:40:48,470 --> 00:40:52,350
no longer feasible for them. This space and the fit up in those dollars

525
00:40:52,350 --> 00:40:57,690
will remain here in West Fargo. It's not going into equipment. It's not going into vehicles

526
00:40:57,690 --> 00:41:02,470
or items that would leave the community that fit up would remain and be able to be reused

527
00:41:02,470 --> 00:41:09,670
by an additional future tenant. And so that acts much like the enterprise grant does

528
00:41:09,670 --> 00:41:13,730
in our downtown space. And so that's where kind of the model around this discussion

529
00:41:13,730 --> 00:41:14,330
has come from.

530
00:41:15,130 --> 00:41:19,570
If I may too. I think in the discussion at EDAC we did sort of put up or discussed

531
00:41:19,570 --> 00:41:24,150
a forgiveness clock so you know X amount every year for five years on a

532
00:41:24,150 --> 00:41:27,370
lease term which certainly is something that we would very much understand and

533
00:41:27,370 --> 00:41:34,350
be amenable to. Yeah I see just like two kind of chunks and then what happens if

534
00:41:34,350 --> 00:41:38,870
the business isn't successful so they don't complete the 2.5 years of

535
00:41:38,870 --> 00:41:43,290
operations that you have chunked out at each of the different sections. That's

536
00:41:43,290 --> 00:41:46,650
something that we'd have to work with our city attorney to create a specific

537
00:41:46,650 --> 00:41:50,710
clawback and those can be challenging. So I recognize that our

538
00:41:52,820 --> 00:41:53,620
clawback is ever

539
00:41:53,620 --> 00:41:58,460
successful really in these circumstances. I mean it is a tough position because

540
00:41:58,460 --> 00:42:01,700
you're going into it with the business and then the business fails probably right

541
00:42:01,700 --> 00:42:04,200
and so then you're in that position where you're trying to recoup the

542
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:08,980
dollars that you invested. So it's a tough spot for the city. Would it

543
00:42:08,980 --> 00:42:16,400
transfer ownership so if someone bought outside banners for example would the

544
00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:21,060
part of the forgive forgivable loans stay with the business regardless of

545
00:42:21,060 --> 00:42:26,020
loans it. I would lean on our city attorney to answer that question. No we

546
00:42:26,020 --> 00:42:29,400
can certainly draft it that way. Yeah I think it would be essentially booked as

547
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:30,960
a liability in the entity.

548
00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:36,360
I guess I just see this is a lot of money to fit

549
00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:41,860
up a building. I don't see it. I've done commercial projects. I don't see

550
00:42:41,860 --> 00:42:47,020
putting these walls, bathrooms and stuff in, cost me $275 dollars. I can

551
00:42:47,020 --> 00:42:51,500
appreciate that. I didn't think it would either. Have you gotten quotes or bids?

552
00:42:52,140 --> 00:42:53,500
That's what supports the number.

553
00:42:58,350 --> 00:42:59,090
Additional questions.

554
00:43:04,230 --> 00:43:04,630
This is an

555
00:43:04,630 --> 00:43:09,490
actionable item, Commissioner. Will we approve the proposed business incentive?

556
00:43:10,030 --> 00:43:14,210
Commissioner Olson moves to approve. Is there a second? Second. Commissioner Zundow

557
00:43:14,210 --> 00:43:17,350
seconds. We have a motion and a second to approve the

558
00:43:18,510 --> 00:43:24,630
business incentive request by sign badgers as presented by Casey Sanders

559
00:43:24,630 --> 00:43:25,470
in this evening.

560
00:43:26,250 --> 00:43:27,030
Is there any discussion?

561
00:43:29,390 --> 00:43:30,090
Any discussion?

562
00:43:31,750 --> 00:43:34,330
All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

563
00:43:34,650 --> 00:43:34,990
Aye.

564
00:43:35,990 --> 00:43:36,490
Opposed?

565
00:43:36,870 --> 00:43:37,190
Nay.

566
00:43:38,050 --> 00:43:41,270
With the record show at support of one vote, the motion passes.

567
00:43:41,850 --> 00:43:42,170
Thank you.

568
00:43:42,630 --> 00:43:42,950
Thank you.

569
00:43:43,030 --> 00:43:48,170
We move on to item number five, the final 2026 City of West Fargo budget presentation.

570
00:43:49,250 --> 00:43:54,350
We call on Mr. Dustin Scott, City Administrator for the City of West Fargo, and Mr. Willie

571
00:43:54,350 --> 00:44:00,430
Galindo director of finance, the city budget. Mr. Scott, good evening and welcome.

572
00:44:01,090 --> 00:44:05,110
Thank you, Commission President Dardis and commissioners. I'm honored and

573
00:44:05,110 --> 00:44:10,470
privileged to have the opportunity to introduce our 2026 final budget for your

574
00:44:10,470 --> 00:44:16,510
consideration tonight. A memo is available in our agenda packet. That

575
00:44:16,510 --> 00:44:21,170
memo by the way was updated a little bit this afternoon, specifically adding a

576
00:44:21,170 --> 00:44:26,650
section regarding the property taxes and the full budget document is available on our website.

577
00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:33,330
I'll give a brief overview of the memo that you have before you and the budget and then

578
00:44:33,330 --> 00:44:35,950
I'll call on Willie to walk through some of the numbers.

579
00:44:37,290 --> 00:44:40,630
But before I do that, I want to start with some acknowledgments.

580
00:44:41,910 --> 00:44:46,450
I want to extend my sincere appreciation to those who've helped lead this effort

581
00:44:46,450 --> 00:44:48,870
and shape this budget to where we are today.

582
00:44:49,910 --> 00:44:58,030
Starting with Nick and Willie, their first time managing the budget process, and I think

583
00:44:58,030 --> 00:44:59,490
they did a phenomenal job.

584
00:45:00,050 --> 00:45:06,290
Bringing efficiency, structure, and integrity throughout the budget and the process in general.

585
00:45:06,650 --> 00:45:13,190
And of course, Sheila and the rest of the budget team for their hard work and diligence, getting everything in order.

586
00:45:14,390 --> 00:45:15,930
Also, I'd like to thank Rachel Lordman.

587
00:45:18,030 --> 00:45:24,790
As usual, she's the one bringing everything together for public consumption, and I think she's done a fantastic job with the 26 budget book.

588
00:45:25,330 --> 00:45:28,910
If you've not had an opportunity yet, please go through it.

589
00:45:28,910 --> 00:45:36,690
I feel like it is very user-friendly, easy to follow, and well put together, so thank you, Rachel.

590
00:45:37,690 --> 00:45:43,910
Of course, our department heads and staff who've approached this year's budget cycle with discipline

591
00:45:43,910 --> 00:45:50,710
and teamwork finding over $3 million worth of reductions to their initial requests

592
00:45:50,710 --> 00:45:57,610
while maintaining a focus and protecting our services that our residents deserve.

593
00:45:59,740 --> 00:46:05,560
City Commissioners, we thank you for your active participation throughout and all of your guidance

594
00:46:06,580 --> 00:46:12,100
has been greatly appreciated and of course has played a significant role in achieving the 2026

595
00:46:12,100 --> 00:46:18,680
budget. And finally to our residents we thank you for staying engaged and entrusting us to

596
00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:19,000
serve you.

597
00:46:21,740 --> 00:46:24,760
So with that I'll walk through a few highlights before I turn it over to Willie.

598
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:35,100
Firstly, the budget pauses all new FTE requests while supporting the retention of our existing

599
00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,980
staff through a 2.5 percent COLA and competitive benefits.

600
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:44,340
The general fund is balanced without the use of reserves.

601
00:46:48,990 --> 00:46:58,510
I want to point out that there are a few funds that appear to have deficits like our

602
00:46:58,510 --> 00:47:03,650
There is cash on hand to fund the projects that have already been approved by the City

603
00:47:03,650 --> 00:47:03,950
Commission.

604
00:47:04,730 --> 00:47:07,250
And you heard some of that discussion with the audit report.

605
00:47:08,390 --> 00:47:15,850
So while the capital sales tax fund, for example, has a 10 or 11 million dollar deficit,

606
00:47:16,350 --> 00:47:19,770
that's going to be supplemented through the cash on hand.

607
00:47:20,130 --> 00:47:24,090
And again, those projects have all been before the Commission and approved or will

608
00:47:24,090 --> 00:47:26,530
be coming before the Commission for approval.

609
00:47:26,530 --> 00:47:27,470
We've

610
00:47:31,090 --> 00:47:32,610
continued to improve our transparency.

611
00:47:33,430 --> 00:47:39,310
The budget book includes departmental overviews, priority statements, and an itemized appendices

612
00:47:39,310 --> 00:47:42,510
that contains all of the detail for each department.

613
00:47:47,710 --> 00:47:50,170
Here is the new section that was added this afternoon.

614
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:58,480
In accordance with new state law, the 2026 budget includes a 5.4 percent increase in

615
00:47:58,480 --> 00:47:59,460
property tax revenue.

616
00:48:00,260 --> 00:48:05,880
So that includes the 3 percent cap, along with the new growth that is also allowed

617
00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:06,900
by that new state law.

618
00:48:11,020 --> 00:48:16,140
Revenue from property taxes support our general fund, library fund,

619
00:48:16,260 --> 00:48:22,740
municipal library, and our share of special assessments. The allocation of property tax

620
00:48:22,740 --> 00:48:25,880
revenues are based on departmental budget needs.

621
00:48:28,580 --> 00:48:31,120
So that's a high-level overview of

622
00:48:31,120 --> 00:48:36,020
our budget, but I'm going to call Willie up to talk through the changes that have

623
00:48:36,020 --> 00:48:40,820
been made since we last presented on September 8th, as well as go through the numbers

624
00:48:40,820 --> 00:48:44,240
that are available in that summary of funds table at the back of this memo.

625
00:48:53,500 --> 00:48:54,600
Good evening, commissioners.

626
00:48:55,920 --> 00:48:57,520
Let's go down to...

627
00:49:03,340 --> 00:49:06,260
Before I go over the summary of the schedule that you see before you,

628
00:49:06,740 --> 00:49:10,460
there are a few changes that were made since we last met

629
00:49:10,460 --> 00:49:14,220
during September 8th public hearing and the budget draft.

630
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:19,600
One of them being we have a TIF district, San Hills,

631
00:49:19,600 --> 00:49:26,500
which was not included in the debt service fund listing and is now included as well.

632
00:49:27,460 --> 00:49:36,280
This is a new fund for 2024 and we have additional revenues totaling 34,100 that is estimated for next year

633
00:49:37,020 --> 00:49:45,260
and brings the total debt service fund revenue to $23,602,972.

634
00:49:45,260 --> 00:49:55,720
The second item is the revenue for the lights plaza and the parking ramp for Cheyenne was

635
00:49:55,720 --> 00:50:06,960
adjusted. That revenue went from $528,500 to $536,200 to account for a transfer to our

636
00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:13,920
parking ramp fund to match the expenditures as it had a small deficit of $7700.

637
00:50:16,950 --> 00:50:17,310
Starting

638
00:50:17,310 --> 00:50:21,430
from the top. We're looking at the governmental funds. No change has been

639
00:50:21,430 --> 00:50:27,290
made there since the final draft was presented back in September the 8th.

640
00:50:27,650 --> 00:50:28,310
General

641
00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:36,000
funds including library, municipal airport and sheriff's specials

642
00:50:36,720 --> 00:50:38,120
have not been adjusted.

643
00:50:40,490 --> 00:50:43,390
Next up is the enterprise funds or the utility funds.

644
00:50:44,910 --> 00:50:49,910
Those comprised primarily of the utility fee revenue and these funds

645
00:50:49,910 --> 00:50:58,590
have a surplus forecasted in 2026, which will be funds used for strategic reserves.

646
00:51:01,830 --> 00:51:06,230
After that, we have the sales tax that our city administrator was discussing.

647
00:51:08,130 --> 00:51:11,790
Those are primarily made up of the sales tax portions between public safety,

648
00:51:12,510 --> 00:51:16,050
capital improvement sales tax, and economic development sales tax.

649
00:51:18,070 --> 00:51:24,410
early there are revenues for 2026 are being displayed here as our city administrator discussed

650
00:51:24,410 --> 00:51:33,410
earlier that cash balances or an accounting we call fund balances are utilized to offset

651
00:51:33,410 --> 00:51:36,370
the additional expenditures for the 2026 year.

652
00:51:40,040 --> 00:51:42,440
After that we have what we call agencies.

653
00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:48,980
now we call them custodial funds. These are funds that the city has no direct

654
00:51:48,980 --> 00:51:54,100
oversight or governmental control over and they're considered normally a

655
00:51:54,100 --> 00:51:59,260
pastor which is why whatever comes in normally comes out so that's neutral.

656
00:52:02,310 --> 00:52:02,630
Then

657
00:52:02,630 --> 00:52:07,870
we have our special funds that include all the other special revenue funds

658
00:52:07,870 --> 00:52:12,670
that the city has which include the state aid such as the Prairie Dog

659
00:52:12,670 --> 00:52:21,610
funds. The city-owned plazas that we discussed a little earlier, the Cheyenne and other special

660
00:52:21,610 --> 00:52:32,390
circumstances as well. The gaming fund has a $150,000 deficit because there is a fund

661
00:52:32,390 --> 00:52:38,470
balance that stems from gaming grant funds that appear to have started back in 1983

662
00:52:39,030 --> 00:52:47,810
when the state was providing these grant funds to cities that were non-oil generating cities.

663
00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:56,600
After that we have the debt service funds and these funds are used to pay down the debt of

664
00:52:56,600 --> 00:53:05,800
the city and they also show a small deficit as we have proceeds from previous years revenues

665
00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:13,380
that have accumulated, whether from special assessments or other forms of proceeds.

666
00:53:15,790 --> 00:53:22,590
And that concludes my section regarding the summary of the revenues and expenditures for the City of West Fargo.

667
00:53:23,350 --> 00:53:25,830
And I stand in front of you to answer any questions you may have.

668
00:53:26,830 --> 00:53:27,830
Commissioner Zondale.

669
00:53:28,590 --> 00:53:30,570
Could you walk through the gaming fund again?

670
00:53:31,430 --> 00:53:31,890
Yes.

671
00:53:31,890 --> 00:53:41,070
Yes. So the gaming fund is the revenues are made up of the taxes collected by the state

672
00:53:41,070 --> 00:53:46,950
and they provide these grant funds over to these various cities. We're included in that.

673
00:53:47,630 --> 00:53:53,590
In addition to that, we also get the fees that we charge for gaming permits. And what

674
00:53:53,590 --> 00:53:58,990
we're using these funds for is the administration of those charitable permits.

675
00:54:00,950 --> 00:54:03,710
So you're looping it back into the general fund, essentially?

676
00:54:03,730 --> 00:54:03,950
Correct.

677
00:54:04,590 --> 00:54:09,930
So previously, every all the expenditures that come from the salaries of these employees

678
00:54:09,930 --> 00:54:11,530
are hitting the general fund initially.

679
00:54:12,290 --> 00:54:17,950
Do you have any idea what the fund balance is of the gaming fund after we deficit out

680
00:54:17,950 --> 00:54:18,950
135,000?

681
00:54:19,770 --> 00:54:22,210
It's estimated to still have a small sum.

682
00:54:23,110 --> 00:54:24,150
I think it was about $10,000.

683
00:54:24,150 --> 00:54:27,950
hours and we're looking to see if they start to build up again at the end of

684
00:54:27,950 --> 00:54:32,570
this year and next year then we may consider moving those and transferring

685
00:54:32,570 --> 00:54:38,050
back to General Fund as well. Okay and then just a point of clarification so I

686
00:54:38,050 --> 00:54:45,050
understand as far as the property tax cap does that affect the library and the

687
00:54:45,050 --> 00:54:52,690
airport? It does because it's part of the overall tax so it is part of the

688
00:54:52,690 --> 00:54:56,890
cap, the only one that is not considered, part of the cap is the share of specials.

689
00:54:57,430 --> 00:55:05,710
So did they individually cap at the retrospective 5% in that budget, or did you lump them all

690
00:55:05,710 --> 00:55:11,890
together minus the share of specials to get to a cumulative 5 point, I think you said

691
00:55:11,890 --> 00:55:12,550
26, Dustin?

692
00:55:13,250 --> 00:55:13,350
Yeah.

693
00:55:13,710 --> 00:55:14,930
I see Dustin wants to come up here.

694
00:55:15,670 --> 00:55:16,270
You're doing fine.

695
00:55:16,730 --> 00:55:17,130
Okay.

696
00:55:18,290 --> 00:55:18,590
I don't know.

697
00:55:18,670 --> 00:55:19,330
He's lurking in.

698
00:55:19,450 --> 00:55:20,710
He's looking like he's ready.

699
00:55:22,030 --> 00:55:27,830
I can speak on behalf of the airport fund that went up higher because now we're selling the gas.

700
00:55:28,350 --> 00:55:31,250
So we're taking the revenue to cover the expenditure.

701
00:55:31,750 --> 00:55:37,030
Right. I'm just wondering how that looped in, how we're basically treating the different mill,

702
00:55:37,150 --> 00:55:41,290
or how we treated the milled entities different when they had different ones in that.

703
00:55:41,810 --> 00:55:45,070
Right. The number we do is we oversee the overall taxes.

704
00:55:45,070 --> 00:55:49,810
So technically it would be the general library and municipal airport combined

705
00:55:49,810 --> 00:55:57,350
based on 2025's figures. From there we move on to add the new growth component to

706
00:55:57,350 --> 00:56:03,610
it which includes the actual new growth to the city as well as this year we had

707
00:56:03,610 --> 00:56:08,930
a TIF district that closed down so that created another benefit which is

708
00:56:08,930 --> 00:56:14,350
considered new growth under the state law. Once we added those and calculated

709
00:56:14,350 --> 00:56:21,150
the new growth in value, the dollars associated with that, we added that to the 2025 base year

710
00:56:21,150 --> 00:56:27,390
and then we took the 3% of that. So the cap is included of municipal and airport and library.

711
00:56:27,690 --> 00:56:31,390
I think what I'm trying to understand is if they capped each individual budget

712
00:56:31,390 --> 00:56:36,970
or if you did a lump sum of all the money and then everyone had to work within those confines.

713
00:56:37,230 --> 00:56:38,110
Does that question make sense?

714
00:56:38,530 --> 00:56:43,470
Yes. So I would say it's the latter portion of that where it's a combined dollar amount

715
00:56:43,470 --> 00:56:52,530
and basically we look forward to see which fund sources are needed in each of the in each of the

716
00:56:52,530 --> 00:56:53,110
seconds.

717
00:56:59,830 --> 00:57:06,710
I'll just build on what Willie's saying there and it's actually included in the memo here.

718
00:57:12,150 --> 00:57:22,940
So the revenue from our property taxes is calculated as a lump sum over that just property

719
00:57:22,940 --> 00:57:31,840
tax revenue, that revenue goes into our general fund, it goes into the library, the airport,

720
00:57:32,380 --> 00:57:34,680
as well as a share of special assessments.

721
00:57:35,840 --> 00:57:41,400
The amount that we are apportioning to those funds are dependent upon their budget needs.

722
00:57:42,320 --> 00:57:47,780
So the 3% cap does not cap any individual fund's budget, if you will.

723
00:57:47,780 --> 00:57:53,240
So think of the property taxes as one of our revenue streams, which is less than 50, yep.

724
00:57:53,460 --> 00:58:00,460
So of that total revenue stream, when we calculated out the 3% cap and then added in the new growth,

725
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:04,860
all of that led to a total dollar amount, 22 plus or minus million dollars.

726
00:58:05,540 --> 00:58:14,260
Of that, we took and then set a portion to each of those funds based on their

727
00:58:14,260 --> 00:58:16,080
departmental needs or their fund needs.

728
00:58:16,080 --> 00:58:20,880
So my only question with that as we're voting on this is I just want to ensure I

729
00:58:21,760 --> 00:58:25,700
worry a little bit with this 3% because for example, they have different

730
00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:29,020
boards that approve budgets and

731
00:58:30,460 --> 00:58:36,210
We're obviously the overall approving of what those are considering, but if they're all lumped in I

732
00:58:38,060 --> 00:58:42,180
Think I'm maybe in Katie perhaps I can ask you that is how do we

733
00:58:43,440 --> 00:58:46,520
They're two separate boards and they're sort of government entities.

734
00:58:46,980 --> 00:58:51,180
They're not taking their cap, but it counts as our cap because it's all out of the same

735
00:58:51,180 --> 00:58:51,440
fund.

736
00:58:51,700 --> 00:58:53,320
Right, because the city collects it.

737
00:58:53,820 --> 00:58:53,900
Okay.

738
00:58:54,240 --> 00:58:59,040
And maybe to think of it this way, those boards are charged with overseeing their

739
00:58:59,040 --> 00:59:00,300
expense budgets.

740
00:59:01,460 --> 00:59:08,380
The city establishes their revenue stream through an allotment of not just property tax

741
00:59:08,380 --> 00:59:09,880
revenue, but other stuff.

742
00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:15,880
So, again, think of those boards as governing their operational expenses.

743
00:59:16,380 --> 00:59:16,460
Okay.

744
00:59:20,300 --> 00:59:24,820
For the record on your memorandum, we don't have the updated one.

745
00:59:27,240 --> 00:59:34,820
We do not have anything about your property tax calculations in the document that I have

746
00:59:34,820 --> 00:59:38,220
or the commissioners have just for the record.

747
00:59:38,420 --> 00:59:42,900
Just to clarify that, are you looking at a printed copy or what you see on the screen here?

748
00:59:42,900 --> 00:59:48,280
What I see on the screen in our printed copy does not have number two property tax calculations.

749
00:59:48,820 --> 00:59:51,920
Right. That was added this afternoon after our discussion this morning.

750
00:59:52,420 --> 00:59:59,620
But that's the most important discussion item with regard to Commissioner Zondale's question.

751
01:00:01,100 --> 01:00:15,860
So it has been added to the agenda packet that is available online. If you would like to do printed version, we can certainly do that, and the information is available.

752
01:00:16,160 --> 01:00:18,340
So just let us know if you need more or less.

753
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:23,100
Any other questions, commissioners?

754
01:00:23,100 --> 01:00:23,840
Commissioner, you're awesome.

755
01:00:24,560 --> 01:00:28,240
Can you just give me the high overview of,

756
01:00:29,580 --> 01:00:34,660
if you go to your attachment to where it shows our revenues is $123.7 million

757
01:00:35,260 --> 01:00:41,840
and our expenses are $134.2 million, so that's a deficit of $10.5 million.

758
01:00:43,020 --> 01:00:46,080
So explain how that all works and we still have a balanced budget.

759
01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:51,840
Okay, yep, so that's where my initial opening remark I was

760
01:00:52,420 --> 01:00:58,820
indicating that while we will have some of these funds in deficit, there are existing cash balances.

761
01:00:59,400 --> 01:01:04,360
So for example, the capital sales tax balance, and I don't know the number off the top of my head,

762
01:01:04,420 --> 01:01:10,420
but it is flush enough to afford the projects that we are expending in 26.

763
01:01:11,420 --> 01:01:18,480
I believe John alluded to it during the audit report that these capital funds get to be an awkward timing thing

764
01:01:18,480 --> 01:01:22,560
of when are you approving the projects, completing the work, and writing the checks.

765
01:01:23,320 --> 01:01:28,320
And so they don't necessarily always align with your budgeting schedules.

766
01:01:28,680 --> 01:01:34,360
So in the budget, we're focused on what is the annual collection and what is the annual

767
01:01:34,360 --> 01:01:34,840
expense.

768
01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:42,320
So for example, the annual revenue for 26 is there, but the expense is twice as

769
01:01:42,320 --> 01:01:47,380
much because we've already committed to those projects.

770
01:01:47,380 --> 01:01:53,020
projects. And we've committed knowing that we have enough cash on hand to afford those

771
01:01:53,020 --> 01:01:59,240
projects. Now, what Willie does in collaboration with the engineering team is they take a look

772
01:01:59,240 --> 01:02:05,240
at a five-year projection. What are the projects we're going to do? What are the monies used

773
01:02:05,240 --> 01:02:10,720
to fund those projects? And can we move forward with them? So, but yes, when you

774
01:02:10,720 --> 01:02:14,380
look at and see that there's a deficit, it's because this budget is not accounting

775
01:02:14,380 --> 01:02:19,760
for the cash that was already encumbered to finance those projects, if that's making

776
01:02:19,760 --> 01:02:20,020
sense.

777
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:21,680
I want the public to hear that.

778
01:02:21,760 --> 01:02:21,860
Yep.

779
01:02:22,400 --> 01:02:27,200
Where you can find that information is on our monthly financial reports, which you would

780
01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:32,660
have seen in the agenda packet, the financial report through July and the financial report

781
01:02:32,660 --> 01:02:33,140
through August.

782
01:02:33,780 --> 01:02:35,060
You'll see cash balances there.

783
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:36,220
Thank you.

784
01:02:37,600 --> 01:02:43,260
And I do have a couple closing remarks if you don't have any other questions.

785
01:02:45,200 --> 01:02:45,800
So

786
01:02:47,820 --> 01:03:06,900
I just want to go back to in the memo here. There are next steps identified. So the first one being tonight's meeting, of course, you have the opportunity or option to approve the budget, either as presented or with changes.

787
01:03:07,640 --> 01:03:15,060
You could direct staff to continue to work on the budget and hold either a special meeting

788
01:03:15,060 --> 01:03:19,820
or bring it forward to your next regular meeting on October 6th.

789
01:03:19,960 --> 01:03:24,400
But the final budget is due to the county by October 10th.

790
01:03:24,640 --> 01:03:30,740
So again, those are your options in moving forward with approving the final budget.

791
01:03:30,740 --> 01:03:36,260
But once the budget is approved, then of course we turn that over to the county.

792
01:03:36,740 --> 01:03:40,300
We will make sure everything is published on our website and publicly available.

793
01:03:41,440 --> 01:03:46,040
And then finally, residents will receive their preliminary tax statements or their tax statements

794
01:03:46,040 --> 01:03:46,520
in December.

795
01:03:46,880 --> 01:03:48,620
The county will distribute those in December.

796
01:03:48,860 --> 01:03:56,820
So one of the legislative changes that we all know occurred is the county was not

797
01:03:56,820 --> 01:03:59,740
required to send out preliminary tax statements this summer.

798
01:03:59,740 --> 01:04:07,460
so that will be delayed until December so those are the next steps and again

799
01:04:07,460 --> 01:04:11,400
Willie and I are available for for any questions any

800
01:04:14,340 --> 01:04:15,980
additional questions I

801
01:04:18,960 --> 01:04:19,180
move

802
01:04:19,180 --> 01:04:23,880
we approve the 2026 budget as presented commissioners endow moves to

803
01:04:23,880 --> 01:04:31,160
approve the 2026 city of West Fargo budget is there a second second

804
01:04:31,160 --> 01:04:36,460
Commissioner Olsen seconds. I have a motion and a second to approve the final

805
01:04:36,460 --> 01:04:42,520
2026 City of West Fargo budget as presented this evening. Is there any

806
01:04:42,520 --> 01:04:42,960
discussion?

807
01:04:49,240 --> 01:04:54,400
Hearing none all those in favor please signify by saying aye. Opposed?

808
01:04:55,680 --> 01:05:03,220
Motion carried. Thank you again gentlemen. Item number six is a 25-16

809
01:05:03,920 --> 01:05:09,840
Bogey 4th edition. Request for access to an arterial street. We're going to call on Mr.

810
01:05:10,020 --> 01:05:14,560
Aaron Nelson, Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of West Fargo. Good evening and

811
01:05:14,560 --> 01:05:20,460
welcome Mr. Nelson. Good evening President, Artists and Commissioners. So item 6 is a request

812
01:05:20,460 --> 01:05:25,140
for approval of full access of a driveway onto an arterial roadway along with associated

813
01:05:25,140 --> 01:05:29,260
access agreement. This item does come to you with recommendation for approval from

814
01:05:29,260 --> 01:05:30,180
in the Planning and Zoning Commission.

815
01:05:32,460 --> 01:05:34,440
So we'll just start with the aerial map here.

816
01:05:34,760 --> 01:05:38,540
The subject property is located at 475 12th Avenue

817
01:05:38,540 --> 01:05:41,600
Northeast, which is the site of the Hazer's self-service

818
01:05:41,600 --> 01:05:44,000
auto parts salvage, excuse me, salvage yard.

819
01:05:45,080 --> 01:05:47,080
Yep, it currently has a right in, right out driveway

820
01:05:47,080 --> 01:05:49,740
access point onto 12th Avenue on the north end

821
01:05:49,740 --> 01:05:50,880
of their property here.

822
01:05:51,600 --> 01:05:54,440
Scroll down a little bit to another graphic

823
01:05:54,440 --> 01:05:55,340
in your packet here.

824
01:05:56,760 --> 01:05:59,220
Full access is currently restricted due to the presence

825
01:05:59,220 --> 01:06:04,760
of a raised concrete median within the center of 12th Avenue northeast that extends approximately

826
01:06:04,760 --> 01:06:10,680
350 feet east of the adjacent railroad tracks which are located just to the west here. The applicant

827
01:06:10,680 --> 01:06:14,660
is requesting removal of the raised concrete median at this location in order to allow full access

828
01:06:14,660 --> 01:06:19,500
into their property. This request has been reviewed by the engineering staff and in

829
01:06:20,100 --> 01:06:24,640
contact with the original consultant design team that did the design work for this portion

830
01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:30,840
12th Avenue. The access point in question is approximately 350 feet from the nearest driveway

831
01:06:30,840 --> 01:06:35,940
or intersection, which does meet our minimum standards for driveway and access spacing of

832
01:06:35,940 --> 01:06:40,740
our subdivision ordinance. And while staff does not have any concerns with the removal of the

833
01:06:41,240 --> 01:06:46,520
median at this location, future traffic volumes and conditions may warrant

834
01:06:46,520 --> 01:06:50,100
reinstallation of a raised median at some point in the future if and when

835
01:06:50,100 --> 01:06:55,120
traffic volumes increase along 12th Avenue. As such, staff recommends that the

836
01:06:55,120 --> 01:06:58,700
approval of the applicant's request be conditioned on the applicant's waiver of

837
01:06:58,700 --> 01:07:02,560
a right to protest any future decision by the city to reinstall the raised

838
01:07:02,560 --> 01:07:06,860
median and or to otherwise restrict access if conditions warrant, as well as

839
01:07:06,860 --> 01:07:09,920
the applicant's waiver of the right to protest any costs for such improvements

840
01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:13,700
that may be assessed in accordance with the city's infrastructure funding

841
01:07:13,700 --> 01:07:18,060
policy. Costs associated with the proposed removal of the median will

842
01:07:18,060 --> 01:07:22,320
be the responsibility of the applicant and at least 100 feet of the raised

843
01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:29,020
median will remain just to the east of the railroad crossing there. So with

844
01:07:29,020 --> 01:07:33,020
that overview, request action tonight again is to approve the request for full

845
01:07:33,020 --> 01:07:36,920
access on 12th Avenue at this location with the conditions noted in the staff

846
01:07:36,920 --> 01:07:40,800
report and to approve the associated access agreement which documents

847
01:07:40,800 --> 01:07:44,200
those conditions. So with that, happy to answer any questions you have for staff.

848
01:07:47,700 --> 01:07:49,860
I'm going to ask the question on everybody's mind.

849
01:07:51,030 --> 01:07:55,540
Tell me why this is different than the ongoing argument with the Shea West location.

850
01:07:56,140 --> 01:07:56,400
Yeah.

851
01:07:56,960 --> 01:08:01,520
So the main difference here is there's just adequate spacing between other driveway and

852
01:08:01,520 --> 01:08:02,340
intersection points.

853
01:08:03,200 --> 01:08:08,520
Shea West is a little different and that is in proximity to a major intersection with

854
01:08:08,520 --> 01:08:10,660
the traffic control traffic light.

855
01:08:11,120 --> 01:08:16,060
and the queues required for that traffic light encroached into the area that

856
01:08:16,060 --> 01:08:17,540
Chi West would be requesting for their full access.

857
01:08:17,540 --> 01:08:25,220
None of that here. There's no traffic DOT regulation, no nothing like that to deny a request and the applicant is paying for it.

858
01:08:25,540 --> 01:08:27,780
Correct, yep. Just different context, yep.

859
01:08:28,380 --> 01:08:28,700
Thank you.

860
01:08:29,060 --> 01:08:32,220
With that being said, why was it placed there in the first place then?

861
01:08:34,280 --> 01:08:37,940
So that one I'll probably defer to Mr. Hansen if that's the right order.

862
01:08:38,580 --> 01:08:39,000
Mr. Wallace.

863
01:08:42,440 --> 01:08:47,200
Thank you, Commissioner, present artists and commissioners. We did do some research. I obviously

864
01:08:47,200 --> 01:08:52,200
wasn't around when this was originally constructed. And I had the same question as well because on

865
01:08:52,200 --> 01:08:57,160
the west side of the tracks, the median sticks out about 100 feet. On the east side of the tracks,

866
01:08:57,260 --> 01:09:02,400
it sticks out about approximately 340, 350 feet. So why so long on the east side?

867
01:09:02,480 --> 01:09:06,600
I thought maybe that might be a quiet zone for the railroad, something like that.

868
01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:11,460
found out that it was not a railroad requirement. It's my belief that at the

869
01:09:11,460 --> 01:09:19,040
time it was installed to restrict open access into that property. But a couple

870
01:09:19,040 --> 01:09:25,180
of the things that engineering has looked over in this new request is that

871
01:09:25,180 --> 01:09:30,980
there are people that are traveling westbound and they're making U-turns

872
01:09:30,980 --> 01:09:34,820
in the railroad track and beyond the railroad track right now. We recently

873
01:09:34,820 --> 01:09:40,760
only had a pickup. That was a train hit it, basically. Luckily, the person that was driving

874
01:09:40,760 --> 01:09:48,980
the pickup survived. But it is a safety issue. And also, as Erin described, we don't have

875
01:09:48,980 --> 01:09:54,020
any current rules against letting us allow this. But we did want to take a look as the

876
01:09:54,020 --> 01:09:58,680
future, once the diversion is done and we've got thousands of acres of a developable

877
01:09:58,680 --> 01:10:02,860
land that could produce eventual traffic on here that might want us to restrict

878
01:10:02,860 --> 01:10:09,940
the access again in the future. Right now the traffic patterns don't suggest to us that

879
01:10:09,940 --> 01:10:14,920
we can't allow this accommodation as long as we are reserving the right to recreate

880
01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:19,300
the accommodation in the event that the traffic levels do increase with future growth of

881
01:10:19,300 --> 01:10:19,580
the city.

882
01:10:19,880 --> 01:10:23,680
So the removal of this, is that the expense of the owner?

883
01:10:24,160 --> 01:10:29,340
Yep, they would have to take out a permit from us and do it as a private job with

884
01:10:29,340 --> 01:10:31,960
a licensed contractor and good standing with the city.

885
01:10:32,780 --> 01:10:39,620
And the future, if the traffic increases and it has to go back in there at whose expense?

886
01:10:39,980 --> 01:10:44,500
That would be, at the time, it would be a public improvement project that we would do when

887
01:10:44,500 --> 01:10:48,120
we would run it through our standard assessment procedures that we would normally do so.

888
01:10:48,980 --> 01:10:55,320
I think we're talking years and years in the future and as far as the amount of cost

889
01:10:55,320 --> 01:11:01,500
for extending a median, it's fairly negligible in the overall thing, but it would be able

890
01:11:01,500 --> 01:11:06,740
to be assessed at a, in our current rate, we would assess it at 70%.

891
01:11:06,740 --> 01:11:09,720
That being said, to remove it and then the possibility

892
01:11:09,720 --> 01:11:11,320
that we're going to a special assessed

893
01:11:11,320 --> 01:11:13,620
and pay for it makes absolutely no sense.

894
01:11:14,640 --> 01:11:16,520
This should not be approved, in my opinion.

895
01:11:17,300 --> 01:11:17,900
Mr. Olsen.

896
01:11:18,720 --> 01:11:19,120
Thank you.

897
01:11:19,300 --> 01:11:22,380
There was a comment made that this would be a full, full access.

898
01:11:23,460 --> 01:11:25,060
Will they be able to make a left out?

899
01:11:26,060 --> 01:11:28,540
Or are they still only doing a right out?

900
01:11:28,660 --> 01:11:28,780
No.

901
01:11:29,140 --> 01:11:31,060
Yeah, it would be a full access.

902
01:11:31,060 --> 01:11:38,400
full access to Mr. Anderson to that point the question I had was do we know if

903
01:11:38,400 --> 01:11:43,200
there's many trucks or vehicles taking a left to go west that would need to go

904
01:11:43,200 --> 01:11:48,060
west out of there or is the need coming from westbound traffic turning left

905
01:11:48,060 --> 01:11:52,860
into the driveway and then they would write out yeah talking with the owner

906
01:11:52,860 --> 01:11:56,860
the vast majority of the traffic are as far as truck traffic is it they're

907
01:11:56,860 --> 01:12:00,820
coming from the east they want to take a left into the lot and then

908
01:12:00,820 --> 01:12:06,000
when they leave their intent for the vast majority of those trucks would be

909
01:12:06,000 --> 01:12:08,860
to take a right and head off to the east again.

910
01:12:09,220 --> 01:12:09,940
Okay, thank you.

911
01:12:12,290 --> 01:12:14,250
Any other questions, Commissioners?

912
01:12:15,290 --> 01:12:17,770
So could we just make it a three-quarter?

913
01:12:18,670 --> 01:12:22,370
There's no room for a three-quarter. There's not enough room in the

914
01:12:22,370 --> 01:12:26,150
median to make a three-quarter because you have to have enough room to

915
01:12:27,090 --> 01:12:31,130
provide. If you look at a three-quarter when they're turning they

916
01:12:31,130 --> 01:12:35,810
have to stop at an angle. There isn't enough room for that, whereas there is enough room

917
01:12:35,810 --> 01:12:40,870
to just extend that center turn lane, that shared turn lane that's in the center. That

918
01:12:40,870 --> 01:12:48,430
can be extended at the current standard width for there to be a queuing allowed and they

919
01:12:48,430 --> 01:12:51,290
can make a turn into it from that center turn.

920
01:12:53,200 --> 01:12:57,260
Well, there's enough room to make a full access where they can make a left out,

921
01:12:58,060 --> 01:13:03,020
but we can't just make it so that it's only a left in coming from the east.

922
01:13:03,640 --> 01:13:10,380
Right, it doesn't seem like it makes sense, but when you're having to put enough concrete in there

923
01:13:10,380 --> 01:13:14,060
so that you can get a skewed vehicle to stop in the middle of some turning lanes

924
01:13:14,060 --> 01:13:18,080
as opposed to having them just stop facing directly to the west,

925
01:13:18,420 --> 01:13:25,100
you need more room in the median for that skewed stopping maneuver.

926
01:13:28,460 --> 01:13:35,360
Are there any discussions about them being responsible if we have to have it closed again

927
01:13:35,360 --> 01:13:35,960
for the cost?

928
01:13:36,080 --> 01:13:40,220
Like I understand they're going to be responsible for the cost to remove it, but should it warrant

929
01:13:40,220 --> 01:13:46,180
to have it closed again, was there any discussion or do you think the applicant would be agreeable

930
01:13:46,180 --> 01:13:47,140
to covering that cost?

931
01:13:47,820 --> 01:13:54,220
So the intent of being put into the agreement is that they're waiving any rights to

932
01:13:54,220 --> 01:13:59,060
the amount of assessments that we would assess against that property in the event that we

933
01:13:59,060 --> 01:14:05,640
do close it. At the time of that project, benefit would be determined as to who's benefiting

934
01:14:05,640 --> 01:14:11,600
and who's not from that. And then assessments would be basically levied against whatever

935
01:14:11,600 --> 01:14:17,060
property they're benefiting at the time of that assessment in the future. So there

936
01:14:17,060 --> 01:14:21,820
isn't any clause that says, okay, we'll let you pay to open it, but if we ever

937
01:14:21,820 --> 01:14:26,780
want to close it. You have to pay 100% for the closure. That is not in the

938
01:14:26,780 --> 01:14:31,740
agreement. I guess my question would be from their perspective is that I mean

939
01:14:31,740 --> 01:14:36,460
that would be the opposite of a benefit. If they're asking us to open it

940
01:14:36,460 --> 01:14:40,180
because that's going to benefit them closing it, I'm not sure and maybe

941
01:14:40,180 --> 01:14:43,620
that's different in special assessment words or whatever, but I would say it's

942
01:14:43,620 --> 01:14:51,300
the opposite of a benefit. So typically for street projects the the benefit is

943
01:14:51,300 --> 01:14:56,400
this absolutely could be argued at the time I'm not benefiting from this. However, a lot

944
01:14:56,400 --> 01:14:59,980
of times when you're talking street improvement projects, the benefit for any

945
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:06,160
Any local or regional or, you know, arterial street project, when that is done, it is assessed

946
01:15:06,160 --> 01:15:11,760
at a front footage basis to everybody that abuts the project because the benefits of improving

947
01:15:11,760 --> 01:15:18,860
traffic circulation on collector roadways is a benefit to all that are adjacent to it.

948
01:15:19,400 --> 01:15:26,040
So there's intrinsic benefit in improving the maneuvering of traffic on the roadway.

949
01:15:26,040 --> 01:15:28,600
Now, again, yeah, I agree 100%.

950
01:15:28,600 --> 01:15:30,120
The current owner at the time,

951
01:15:30,260 --> 01:15:31,500
because it might not even be these people.

952
01:15:31,580 --> 01:15:34,220
This might be 20 years in the future or longer.

953
01:15:35,280 --> 01:15:38,360
They might be, and I would assume they probably would be

954
01:15:38,360 --> 01:15:39,560
at a commission meeting saying,

955
01:15:40,120 --> 01:15:41,500
how is this any benefit to me?

956
01:15:41,620 --> 01:15:42,900
I don't want this to close.

957
01:15:43,060 --> 01:15:45,380
This is gonna, and you can create all the arguments

958
01:15:45,380 --> 01:15:49,200
you can think of, but we are putting in there

959
01:15:49,200 --> 01:15:52,760
that at the time, whatever assessment is deemed

960
01:15:52,760 --> 01:15:55,060
to be a benefit to their property,

961
01:15:55,060 --> 01:16:00,020
They would not have the right to contest that so my question would be does that transfer to owners?

962
01:16:00,360 --> 01:16:05,380
Like if they sell their property to somebody else someone else now owns the subject property

963
01:16:05,380 --> 01:16:09,740
We do a whatever we deem they have to close it can those people

964
01:16:09,740 --> 01:16:14,080
I mean I would presume they would have the ability to protest because they're not the ones who signed this agreement

965
01:16:14,080 --> 01:16:17,880
Okay, I believe that this stays with the property and I would look at the city attorney

966
01:16:17,880 --> 01:16:21,900
But she's shaking her head and affirmative as well for that. I think the intent was to record it

967
01:16:21,900 --> 01:16:23,960
that so that it would be binding on future owners.

968
01:16:27,020 --> 01:16:27,980
Thank you, Mr. Schmidt.

969
01:16:29,200 --> 01:16:32,080
Commissioner Olson and then Commissioner Bergen to come to the floor.

970
01:16:32,440 --> 01:16:36,120
Dan, can you move your slides to the number four, slide four?

971
01:16:37,720 --> 01:16:38,780
I'll go the other way.

972
01:16:40,260 --> 01:16:41,140
Keep going.

973
01:16:42,180 --> 01:16:43,120
Right there.

974
01:16:44,380 --> 01:16:50,180
What is preventing their customers from coming in and having access at 11th Avenue northeast

975
01:16:50,180 --> 01:16:52,800
versus coming in on 12th Avenue?

976
01:16:54,920 --> 01:17:00,200
They can have full access right there, you know, wouldn't affect the Ray Road or anything up there.

977
01:17:01,780 --> 01:17:16,760
That's a good argument. 11th Avenue is more of a local roadway as opposed to the 12th Avenue when it would be, you know, trucks and things of that nature that are coming to access their parcel going through that local roadway.

978
01:17:16,940 --> 01:17:20,840
However, it is City Street, so it is public right away.

979
01:17:21,220 --> 01:17:23,000
Is it constructed so it could hold?

980
01:17:23,000 --> 01:17:31,100
but yet everything out there is constructed as a industrial section. Mr.

981
01:17:31,160 --> 01:17:36,740
Jorgensen. I just see it as a bottleneck to put that to give them access in

982
01:17:36,740 --> 01:17:41,740
there because the truck bypass lane is just barely starting there won't be

983
01:17:41,740 --> 01:17:47,500
enough room to fully gain access to the bypass lane. So the intent would be

984
01:17:47,500 --> 01:17:51,580
that where the median occupies that space the median would be removed

985
01:17:51,580 --> 01:17:59,140
creating a shared center turn lane that has allowed plenty of queuing especially

986
01:17:59,140 --> 01:18:07,080
since an average daily traffic to the site is you know 10 15 vehicles something

987
01:18:07,080 --> 01:18:13,380
like that. We're not talking that this is a major thoroughfare to get in and

988
01:18:13,380 --> 01:18:17,780
out of there. So with the amount of traffic that are that's going in there

989
01:18:17,780 --> 01:18:29,260
and that the bypass lane is not in assistance or to the detriment of what

990
01:18:29,260 --> 01:18:32,240
we're talking about here today because the center turn lane would be able to

991
01:18:32,240 --> 01:18:36,660
handle what we're what we're talking about. It's too bad this work wasn't done

992
01:18:36,660 --> 01:18:39,660
in the spring before we redid on that whole road with

993
01:18:41,800 --> 01:18:43,240
all of them. Yeah and from

994
01:18:43,240 --> 01:18:48,740
what I under what I can gather is that the median was and intentionally when

995
01:18:48,740 --> 01:18:52,980
the roadway was constructed. I believe there was talking to the design team,

996
01:18:53,120 --> 01:18:58,040
there was talk with the current public works staff and everything as far as

997
01:18:58,040 --> 01:19:03,340
the design of the road. It was chosen to do that. Again, I'm not 100% certain

998
01:19:03,340 --> 01:19:09,940
exactly why, but my guess would be it would be to have restricted access to

999
01:19:09,940 --> 01:19:15,140
that site would be my guess. But again, what we're seeing is there's, there

1000
01:19:15,140 --> 01:19:21,840
illegal and dangerous turning movements that are occurring because it is restricted.

1001
01:19:22,560 --> 01:19:27,280
And there are trucks headed west that need to go into there and there isn't a natural

1002
01:19:27,280 --> 01:19:33,020
U-turn for a truck off to the west unless you go around away.

1003
01:19:33,520 --> 01:19:42,580
So that's why engineering is, we don't see a reason why at this point it should be

1004
01:19:42,580 --> 01:19:48,620
flat out red flag denied and we don't see a detriment to allowing it at this

1005
01:19:48,620 --> 01:19:53,020
point along with the contingency that we have the right to put it back this way

1006
01:19:53,020 --> 01:19:57,220
someday when the population of West Fargo increases and traffic levels

1007
01:19:57,220 --> 01:20:00,220
increase. Who's the neighbor to the right?

1008
01:20:11,700 --> 01:20:12,560
I believe that's Midland

1009
01:20:12,560 --> 01:20:16,080
full access that has the exact same situation we're creating here. Thank you.

1010
01:20:20,060 --> 01:20:23,680
Commissioner Zondale? Would it be possible to amend the agreement to say if we

1011
01:20:23,680 --> 01:20:26,720
had to pull it back, put it back, they would be responsible for 100% of the

1012
01:20:26,720 --> 01:20:31,920
cost? Yeah we could make that amendment. I don't know that the landowner will be

1013
01:20:31,920 --> 01:20:34,980
open to it or not. I know there was a lot of discussion back and forth with him.

1014
01:20:35,240 --> 01:20:39,060
We originally, I believe, were starting from that point and they argued

1015
01:20:40,240 --> 01:20:44,900
that we should pay our fair share but not be not being able to put the

1016
01:20:44,900 --> 01:20:50,460
name in writing that a future owner at the best of the city with regardless of

1017
01:20:50,460 --> 01:20:53,920
whatever we want they just have to pay a hundred percent of it without being

1018
01:20:53,920 --> 01:20:57,680
able to go through a special assessment procedure. But it sounds like the

1019
01:20:57,680 --> 01:21:01,460
special assessment procedure they can't go through anyways under the concept of

1020
01:21:01,460 --> 01:21:04,560
they can't protest the special assessment. So they're already kind of

1021
01:21:04,560 --> 01:21:10,500
signing away the rights of the property owner to protest it anyways. I

1022
01:21:10,500 --> 01:21:12,980
I don't think it's fair to expend any money

1023
01:21:13,450 --> 01:21:18,830
from a city budget to basically benefit this sole property.

1024
01:21:20,060 --> 01:21:22,440
So I can understand the concept of wanting to do it

1025
01:21:22,440 --> 01:21:25,360
and it not being a problem under any other

1026
01:21:25,360 --> 01:21:27,820
regulation standards, there's no reason not to do it.

1027
01:21:28,120 --> 01:21:31,580
I just don't know that it's fair to commit

1028
01:21:32,460 --> 01:21:34,720
additional funds because we undid it

1029
01:21:34,720 --> 01:21:36,340
for one property to redo it.

1030
01:21:37,360 --> 01:21:37,880
So,

1031
01:21:40,960 --> 01:21:45,580
I guess I would personally make the motion to approve it under the premise that they're

1032
01:21:45,580 --> 01:21:50,000
going to pay 100% of it if that's to go back of just that portion, whatever the cost of

1033
01:21:50,000 --> 01:21:55,740
returning the median to be what it would be if anybody has an appetite for that.

1034
01:22:00,220 --> 01:22:00,840
Got a motion?

1035
01:22:01,560 --> 01:22:02,080
Sure.

1036
01:22:02,520 --> 01:22:03,220
I have a motion.

1037
01:22:03,400 --> 01:22:03,840
Is there a second?

1038
01:22:04,120 --> 01:22:04,720
I'll second that.

1039
01:22:05,040 --> 01:22:06,140
Commissioner Anderson seconds.

1040
01:22:06,140 --> 01:22:15,400
It's been a motion in the second to approve a 25-16 Bogey 4th edition with amended language

1041
01:22:16,160 --> 01:22:20,220
that the property owner would have to pay 100% if it to reconstruct.

1042
01:22:20,920 --> 01:22:21,680
That about it?

1043
01:22:22,200 --> 01:22:22,460
That right?

1044
01:22:24,960 --> 01:22:25,980
Any further discussion?

1045
01:22:30,170 --> 01:22:33,110
Hearing none, all those in favor please signify by saying aye.

1046
01:22:33,270 --> 01:22:33,730
Aye.

1047
01:22:36,120 --> 01:22:36,700
Opposed?

1048
01:22:37,020 --> 01:22:37,320
Nay.

1049
01:22:37,740 --> 01:22:37,940
Nay.

1050
01:22:38,880 --> 01:22:40,700
Motion passes three to two.

1051
01:22:44,450 --> 01:22:45,310
Item number seven.

1052
01:22:45,310 --> 01:22:47,930
and there's a second reading of A25-17,

1053
01:22:48,430 --> 01:22:51,490
Cheyenne's second edition, a request for rezoning

1054
01:22:51,980 --> 01:22:54,490
from R2 to P.

1055
01:22:54,810 --> 01:22:56,070
Again, we call on Erin Nelson,

1056
01:22:56,310 --> 01:22:57,470
Director of Planning and Zoning.

1057
01:22:58,930 --> 01:22:59,670
Thank you.

1058
01:23:01,170 --> 01:23:03,790
So item seven is an application to rezone

1059
01:23:03,790 --> 01:23:06,370
the South Elementary School property from R2,

1060
01:23:06,830 --> 01:23:08,930
multi-dwelling residential to P public facilities.

1061
01:23:09,790 --> 01:23:11,710
A specific request to action today

1062
01:23:11,710 --> 01:23:12,870
is to approve the second reading

1063
01:23:12,870 --> 01:23:13,750
of the rezoning ordinance.

1064
01:23:14,370 --> 01:23:18,770
The first reading of the ordinance was approved by the City Commission at your last regular

1065
01:23:18,770 --> 01:23:22,330
meeting back on September 8th, at which time a public hearing was held.

1066
01:23:22,930 --> 01:23:26,590
There have been no changes or updates to the request since it was presented to the Commission

1067
01:23:26,590 --> 01:23:28,310
on September 8th.

1068
01:23:28,310 --> 01:23:32,170
So unless there are additional questions for staff, again, the requested action tonight

1069
01:23:32,170 --> 01:23:34,670
is to approve the second reading of the Rezone Ordinance.

1070
01:23:35,610 --> 01:23:36,650
I motion to approve.

1071
01:23:37,030 --> 01:23:38,130
Thank you, Commissioner Dorgon.

1072
01:23:38,210 --> 01:23:40,030
So now I have a motion to approve, is there a second?

1073
01:23:40,910 --> 01:23:41,350
Second.

1074
01:23:41,890 --> 01:23:43,130
Commissioner Olson seconds.

1075
01:23:43,130 --> 01:23:48,590
we have a motion and a second to approve the second reading 825-17 Cheyenne

1076
01:23:48,590 --> 01:23:52,290
second edition of requests from zoning from R2 to public land.

1077
01:23:54,310 --> 01:23:54,790
Is there any

1078
01:23:54,790 --> 01:24:00,310
discussion? Hearing none all those in favor please signify by saying aye. Opposed?

1079
01:24:01,030 --> 01:24:08,930
Motion carried. Thank you. Item number eight is 825-12 FMD

1080
01:24:08,930 --> 01:24:12,810
Mapleton subdivision request for a final Platt approval. Erin Nelson

1081
01:24:12,810 --> 01:24:14,130
Director of Planning and Zoning.

1082
01:24:16,570 --> 01:24:17,150
Thank you.

1083
01:24:17,930 --> 01:24:24,410
Item 8 is a request for approval of the final plan of FMD-Mapleton Subdivision along with the Associated Subdivision Agreement.

1084
01:24:25,230 --> 01:24:28,290
This request comes to you with a recommendation of approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

1085
01:24:29,510 --> 01:24:34,690
In this case, the subject property includes the portion of the FM Diversion Project boundary that is located within

1086
01:24:34,690 --> 01:24:40,290
on Mapleton Township. So this is just west of the current city limits. Approximately south,

1087
01:24:40,470 --> 01:24:49,690
I think, of 12th Avenue Northwest and north of 52nd Avenue West. The primary purpose of

1088
01:24:49,690 --> 01:24:54,510
this subdivision is to establish formal property boundaries for and simplified legal description

1089
01:24:55,250 --> 01:25:01,070
for the FM diversion right away. The project is being platted one township at a time

1090
01:25:01,070 --> 01:25:06,030
starting from the north and moving south. Some of you may recall a similar type application

1091
01:25:06,740 --> 01:25:12,830
for Raymond Township just the north several months back. The plot is unique in that typical

1092
01:25:12,830 --> 01:25:18,070
plot features such as vacation of unneeded section line roads and dedication of additional

1093
01:25:18,070 --> 01:25:22,430
public rights of way for future streets and utilities are not included in the plot.

1094
01:25:22,910 --> 01:25:26,740
Instead the property is intended to be replatted upon substantial completion of

1095
01:25:26,740 --> 01:25:33,080
and diversion project once the final right-of-way boundaries are known. The

1096
01:25:33,080 --> 01:25:37,600
replat will include the reconfiguration of easements rights-of-way based on the

1097
01:25:37,600 --> 01:25:41,820
final project design as built. Additionally, the rezoning of the property

1098
01:25:41,820 --> 01:25:46,680
is anticipated to take place with the future replat of the property at a date

1099
01:25:46,680 --> 01:25:50,380
to be determined. To ensure the replat takes place, any associated

1100
01:25:50,380 --> 01:25:56,060
subdivision or associated modifications to the rights-of-way are

1101
01:25:56,060 --> 01:26:00,220
are completed. The subdivision agreement basically documents that intent,

1102
01:26:00,900 --> 01:26:06,020
guaranteeing that the FM diversion project will come back and replat the

1103
01:26:06,020 --> 01:26:10,080
property once the project is complete. So with that I'm happy to answer any

1104
01:26:10,080 --> 01:26:13,340
questions you have for staff. Otherwise again the request is action tonight is

1105
01:26:13,340 --> 01:26:15,440
to approve the final plan and the associated agreement.

1106
01:26:16,240 --> 01:26:18,260
Commissioner, do you have any questions?

1107
01:26:20,530 --> 01:26:21,270
We'll be approved.

1108
01:26:21,530 --> 01:26:24,870
Commissioner Olson moves to approve Metro Flood Diversion Mapleton

1109
01:26:24,870 --> 01:26:30,950
subdivision request for a final plot. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Zendal seconds. I have

1110
01:26:30,950 --> 01:26:35,710
a motion and a second. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor

1111
01:26:35,710 --> 01:26:41,490
please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you. Moving on to

1112
01:26:41,490 --> 01:26:47,750
I-9, number nine is 825-13, Metro flood diversion again. It's a worn first

1113
01:26:47,750 --> 01:26:52,210
subdivision request for a final plot approval calling on Aaron Nelson

1114
01:26:52,210 --> 01:26:53,430
and Director of Planning and Zoning.

1115
01:26:54,610 --> 01:26:55,030
Thank you.

1116
01:26:55,310 --> 01:26:57,190
Item nine is a request for approval of the final plan

1117
01:26:57,190 --> 01:26:59,270
of FMD War and First subdivision,

1118
01:26:59,550 --> 01:27:01,210
along with the Associated Subdivision Agreement.

1119
01:27:02,190 --> 01:27:04,110
This one, again, comes with a recommendation

1120
01:27:04,110 --> 01:27:05,890
for approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

1121
01:27:07,350 --> 01:27:09,510
Essentially, this is the same type of request,

1122
01:27:10,210 --> 01:27:12,210
only instead of Maplewood Township,

1123
01:27:12,310 --> 01:27:14,190
we're looking at Warren Township,

1124
01:27:14,650 --> 01:27:16,490
specifically the section of Warren Township

1125
01:27:16,490 --> 01:27:19,230
that the City of West Fargo exercises

1126
01:27:19,230 --> 01:27:21,710
is extra-territorial zoning jurisdiction.

1127
01:27:23,450 --> 01:27:26,650
So here again, there's an associated subdivision agreement

1128
01:27:26,650 --> 01:27:30,170
that basically documents the unique aspects of this flat

1129
01:27:30,890 --> 01:27:33,750
and talks about the intention to come back

1130
01:27:33,750 --> 01:27:35,810
and replat the property upon completion

1131
01:27:35,810 --> 01:27:37,130
of the FN diversion project.

1132
01:27:38,010 --> 01:27:40,010
So here again, happy to answer any questions

1133
01:27:40,010 --> 01:27:40,830
you have for staff.

1134
01:27:41,870 --> 01:27:44,330
Otherwise it's a same request, different location.

1135
01:27:45,310 --> 01:27:46,070
Motion to approve.

1136
01:27:46,070 --> 01:27:52,070
Mr. Jorgensen moves to approve a 25-13 for the Metro flood diversion worn for

1137
01:27:52,070 --> 01:27:57,130
subdivision. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Anderson seconds. A motion and a

1138
01:27:57,130 --> 01:27:58,170
second. Is there any discussion?

1139
01:28:00,550 --> 01:28:02,550
Hearing none all those in favor please signify by

1140
01:28:02,550 --> 01:28:09,530
saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you. Item number 10 2025 sewer

1141
01:28:09,530 --> 01:28:15,030
budget adjustment. We call on Mr. Matt Anvick the director of public

1142
01:28:15,030 --> 01:28:19,630
work City of West Fargo. Good evening and welcome. Good evening, Commissioner, President, Commissioners.

1143
01:28:20,270 --> 01:28:25,470
Tonight I'm asking for an increase or budget adjustment and increase to the chemical line

1144
01:28:25,470 --> 01:28:32,310
item on the sewer department from 150,000 to 350,000. This came about because last

1145
01:28:32,310 --> 01:28:37,070
fall we started getting, they had conversations with Fargo. They were getting some complaints

1146
01:28:37,070 --> 01:28:41,970
about odor and smell that was coming kind of on the north side of town doing some

1147
01:28:41,970 --> 01:28:48,930
testing our H2S levels were quite high at the time, so working with them we started

1148
01:28:48,930 --> 01:28:56,350
trying to take some samples, actually started doing some more odor,

1149
01:28:58,510 --> 01:28:59,410
well losing

1150
01:28:59,410 --> 01:29:06,450
it today, doing some more odor control, doing a little bit more injection to keep

1151
01:29:06,450 --> 01:29:10,770
those those levels down and that's just basically the reason for this

1152
01:29:10,770 --> 01:29:19,670
increase. The H2S causes order issues and just the increased chemical treatment is the cost to

1153
01:29:19,670 --> 01:29:25,070
stay within the limits for that. When we identified this we just decided to bring this forward kind

1154
01:29:25,070 --> 01:29:30,990
of as a formal budget adjustment. This won't change the overall sewer department budget.

1155
01:29:31,410 --> 01:29:37,510
It's just more or less this one line item. Just because of the large dollar figure it would

1156
01:29:37,510 --> 01:29:40,590
look and be something that would really stand out in the budget next year.

1157
01:29:41,350 --> 01:29:45,270
And without coming forward and explaining it in this way and kind of being more transparent

1158
01:29:45,270 --> 01:29:49,350
about coming forward with it now, we probably would have got more questions in the future

1159
01:29:49,350 --> 01:29:53,470
so that we wanted to bring this forward now, explain what was going on and why we need

1160
01:29:53,470 --> 01:29:54,010
to do this.

1161
01:29:55,370 --> 01:29:59,090
So it would be an increase of about $200,000 in that chemical line item.

1162
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:04,260
Like I said, no change to the overall sort of budget. But what we are looking at is future

1163
01:30:06,040 --> 01:30:10,620
items to try and save this money. The way it is right now, we're about $1,000 a day in chemicals

1164
01:30:11,240 --> 01:30:16,900
to keep that down. So that'll be a quite a significant expense going forward. We're looking

1165
01:30:16,900 --> 01:30:24,960
at some old zone injection stations. That's more of a cost-heavy upfront, but that annually then

1166
01:30:24,960 --> 01:30:31,740
to do that is probably about $10,000 to $15,000. That's kind of somewhat unproven a little bit

1167
01:30:31,740 --> 01:30:36,320
on certain areas. We talked to some other cities that have that and it's worked well

1168
01:30:36,320 --> 01:30:40,820
for them. We're in the middle of doing kind of a testing phase in the next few months

1169
01:30:40,820 --> 01:30:46,540
hopefully, getting a small unit up here for a rental and just to make sure it's kind

1170
01:30:46,540 --> 01:30:50,460
of a proof of concept to make sure that works before we really start looking at

1171
01:30:50,460 --> 01:30:55,080
bringing a large-scale unit in to try and save some of those dollars in chemicals.

1172
01:30:56,600 --> 01:31:01,220
We looked at order corrosion and control study this last year.

1173
01:31:01,720 --> 01:31:03,100
Those studies take about nine months.

1174
01:31:04,140 --> 01:31:08,940
We want to hold off of that until maybe next spring, get a little bit more information

1175
01:31:08,940 --> 01:31:12,840
on the ozone, and then possibly bring that study back before you.

1176
01:31:13,560 --> 01:31:18,280
Since they always, when they're doing that study, they want to see what the levels

1177
01:31:18,280 --> 01:31:22,780
are in the winter when the cooler months ends as well and then come back in the summer months

1178
01:31:22,780 --> 01:31:26,560
when we have the warm weather to test those levels as well.

1179
01:31:27,200 --> 01:31:37,380
So with that, I'll ask for approval to increase the chemical line item from $150,000 to $350,000

1180
01:31:37,380 --> 01:31:40,500
for the 2025 budget and I'll stand for any questions.

1181
01:31:43,020 --> 01:31:43,540
Commissioner Olson.

1182
01:31:44,700 --> 01:31:45,360
Thank you.

1183
01:31:45,360 --> 01:31:56,160
Matt, in your policy analysis, you really don't speak to the odor, but it's more that

1184
01:31:56,160 --> 01:32:01,640
this H2S can lead to corrosion, increased maintenance costs, and all that.

1185
01:32:01,880 --> 01:32:06,920
So that is one of the other things that we need to do, too, right, rather than just

1186
01:32:06,920 --> 01:32:09,620
maintaining the odor for Fargo to treat it.

1187
01:32:10,280 --> 01:32:10,620
Correct.

1188
01:32:10,620 --> 01:32:17,780
it's kind of a two, you know, with the H2S, you actually get some water in there, it turns

1189
01:32:17,780 --> 01:32:24,340
into hydro-sophiric acid, sorry, tripping over that one. And we've spent a lot of money

1190
01:32:24,340 --> 01:32:30,740
in the last few years on some of the capital improvement projects to redo a lot of our

1191
01:32:30,740 --> 01:32:36,540
manholes, lift stations, because of the corrosion that we've seen with the H2S. That's

1192
01:32:36,540 --> 01:32:42,440
we've had three kind of stations before for order control and trying to contain that H2S,

1193
01:32:42,540 --> 01:32:50,860
but we've seen hazard flows of increase, so is the H2S as well. And then the smell has been

1194
01:32:50,860 --> 01:32:56,460
mitigated somewhat in West Fargo, but that long horseman that goes to Fargo, we were starting

1195
01:32:56,460 --> 01:33:02,740
getting some order up around the airport area, kind of North Fargo area, where we need to

1196
01:33:02,740 --> 01:33:05,540
to keep our levels down to as part of the agreement with Fargo.

1197
01:33:05,800 --> 01:33:05,920
Sure.

1198
01:33:06,380 --> 01:33:06,880
Thank you.

1199
01:33:08,540 --> 01:33:09,440
Mr. Jorgensen.

1200
01:33:10,000 --> 01:33:14,360
I applaud you, Matt, when you first brought this to my attention that, I mean, there's

1201
01:33:14,360 --> 01:33:18,680
a problem and you're looking far ahead in the solutions that are much more economical.

1202
01:33:19,120 --> 01:33:20,360
So I applaud you and your team.

1203
01:33:21,160 --> 01:33:21,340
Thank you.

1204
01:33:22,700 --> 01:33:23,400
Mr. Anderson.

1205
01:33:26,080 --> 01:33:32,720
I guess in relation to the budget that we just passed this evening, is this the

1206
01:33:32,720 --> 01:33:37,520
count for for any like future things next year. I know that we're you know

1207
01:33:37,520 --> 01:33:42,720
that you're asking about 25 budget but what impacts would this have to next

1208
01:33:42,720 --> 01:33:49,200
year's budget? We did increase the chemical line item budget. I think it's

1209
01:33:49,200 --> 01:33:55,860
220,000 I think next year. So it's not quite that amount. What we'd look for is

1210
01:33:55,860 --> 01:34:00,860
if this ozone treatment is what we think it's going to be and what we've

1211
01:34:00,860 --> 01:34:03,140
talked to other counties, then we'd come back.

1212
01:34:03,300 --> 01:34:05,440
That would probably be like a capital one-time purchase

1213
01:34:05,440 --> 01:34:06,660
that I'll bring back through.

1214
01:34:07,180 --> 01:34:10,740
That should keep that budget line item down in this next year.

1215
01:34:12,480 --> 01:34:15,940
Like a 4 million gallon a day ozone generator that

1216
01:34:15,940 --> 01:34:19,740
would go up on our SA-40 site is right around that 250,000

1217
01:34:19,740 --> 01:34:21,860
mark, but that's a one-time purchase.

1218
01:34:22,200 --> 01:34:27,080
And then it's about 10,000 to 15,000 for annual running,

1219
01:34:27,980 --> 01:34:29,480
operating per year after that.

1220
01:34:29,480 --> 01:34:33,860
So, you know, that's a one-time purchase instead of like, you know, $300,000 every year.

1221
01:34:34,300 --> 01:34:38,440
So, hopefully we can mitigate that as a one-time purchase and do that and keep that.

1222
01:34:38,580 --> 01:34:41,700
But that is something we're going to have to monitor as we go forward to see

1223
01:34:41,700 --> 01:34:46,000
if we, how much we're going to have to increase that or decrease that budget in the future.

1224
01:34:46,440 --> 01:34:46,540
Okay.

1225
01:34:46,720 --> 01:34:47,040
Thank you.

1226
01:34:48,500 --> 01:34:49,740
Anything else for Mr. Anvic?

1227
01:34:54,940 --> 01:35:01,920
Mr. Zundal moves to approve the adjustment to the 2025 sewer budget by $200,000.

1228
01:35:01,920 --> 01:35:02,620
Is there a second?

1229
01:35:03,860 --> 01:35:04,420
Second.

1230
01:35:04,680 --> 01:35:06,040
Commissioner Jorgensen seconds.

1231
01:35:06,300 --> 01:35:10,200
We have a motion and a second to approve a sewer budget

1232
01:35:10,200 --> 01:35:14,820
adjustment for 2025 to the tune of $200,000.

1233
01:35:16,660 --> 01:35:18,260
Is there any further discussion?

1234
01:35:18,860 --> 01:35:20,180
Just a point of clarification.

1235
01:35:21,480 --> 01:35:27,100
It's a line item adjustment versus an overall correct sewer

1236
01:35:27,100 --> 01:35:29,220
budget, the budget in the way Matt explained it.

1237
01:35:29,560 --> 01:35:30,020
Good point.

1238
01:35:30,480 --> 01:35:30,700
Thank you.

1239
01:35:30,700 --> 01:35:36,060
Just a line item. We're changing the numbers there, but overall budgets remains the same chemical budget

1240
01:35:36,060 --> 01:35:38,200
Okay, yep. Okay. Thank you

1241
01:35:40,640 --> 01:35:41,720
journey from the discussion

1242
01:35:43,180 --> 01:35:49,260
Hearing none all those in favor, please signify by saying aye opposed motion carried. Thank you, Mr.

1243
01:35:49,300 --> 01:35:53,700
Henry item number 11 is an improvement district number 3009

1244
01:35:53,700 --> 01:35:59,180
It's first Avenue reconstruction Cheyenne Street to 4th Avenue east we call on Mr.

1245
01:35:59,180 --> 01:36:03,360
Mr. Dan Hansen, the director of community development, purpose of the discussions to

1246
01:36:03,360 --> 01:36:07,700
approve the engineers report and direct the engineer to prepare plans and specifications.

1247
01:36:08,840 --> 01:36:09,920
Mr. Hansen, welcome back.

1248
01:36:10,440 --> 01:36:12,340
Thank you, Commissioner President Dardes and commissioners.

1249
01:36:13,140 --> 01:36:16,020
As stated, this is a project that is back in front of you.

1250
01:36:16,580 --> 01:36:22,100
The commission in June directed the engineer to prepare an engineers report.

1251
01:36:22,440 --> 01:36:27,580
We did have a consultant put together a feasibility study that was used to complete

1252
01:36:27,580 --> 01:36:31,580
this engineers report and up on the screen what you have in front of you is the proposed

1253
01:36:32,140 --> 01:36:36,280
improvements that are being recommended to move forward with this project.

1254
01:36:37,100 --> 01:36:43,240
One thing that I would point out is on the original, this project was in the 2024 CIP,

1255
01:36:43,920 --> 01:36:50,260
it was originally slated to be replacing this or removing this lift station and installing the

1256
01:36:50,260 --> 01:36:54,980
sanitary sewer over to second where we can connect it up to existing gravity.

1257
01:36:55,900 --> 01:37:02,300
In doing so, we also have in that section, we've got cast iron, water main, and asbestos

1258
01:37:02,980 --> 01:37:08,940
concrete pipe, ACP pipe, both well beyond their serviceable life and in need of replacement.

1259
01:37:09,260 --> 01:37:14,980
So that basically turns this area into a full blown reconstruct of the roadway since

1260
01:37:14,980 --> 01:37:16,740
we would be digging that up already.

1261
01:37:16,740 --> 01:37:25,080
And then, once you get that far, the next block over is one of the worst street sections

1262
01:37:25,080 --> 01:37:25,500
in town.

1263
01:37:25,680 --> 01:37:30,320
I mean that if you go out and drive it, it is alligator cracked, and it is just there's

1264
01:37:30,320 --> 01:37:32,180
no repairing it at this point.

1265
01:37:33,000 --> 01:37:39,920
And also from 2nd Street all the way west to Cheyenne Street, that is also as fast

1266
01:37:39,920 --> 01:37:45,680
concrete pipe that again is beyond its design life and in need of replacement.

1267
01:37:46,460 --> 01:37:50,200
Right now we do have the unique opportunity. There's a grant that I've

1268
01:37:50,200 --> 01:37:54,240
talked about a number of times in front where the Department of Water Resources

1269
01:37:54,240 --> 01:38:00,980
does give us grant money to pay for 60% of any water main replacement that

1270
01:38:00,980 --> 01:38:05,760
we're doing in these areas that would be applicable to this. We have a

1271
01:38:05,760 --> 01:38:09,960
because of the timing of when those funds need to be applied for. We have

1272
01:38:09,960 --> 01:38:13,080
already applied for that grant. That doesn't mean we have to do the project

1273
01:38:13,080 --> 01:38:17,880
and use it, but didn't want to lose the window in applying for that. I would

1274
01:38:17,880 --> 01:38:23,920
expect that we would be successful in getting that. And so it's kind of one

1275
01:38:23,920 --> 01:38:28,240
of the project is as soon as you get over to second, it's only a block of

1276
01:38:28,240 --> 01:38:33,840
really bad roadway and water main that is more than 50% paid for to

1277
01:38:33,840 --> 01:38:39,200
to increase from there. We don't have any more sanitary sewer that we would be

1278
01:38:39,200 --> 01:38:44,800
doing west of second again because the sanitary sewer is in the back alleys in

1279
01:38:44,800 --> 01:38:48,820
these areas and we did just we're in the process of finishing up a project

1280
01:38:48,820 --> 01:38:52,920
right now where we relined all of those mains. So the sanitary sewer is for

1281
01:38:52,920 --> 01:38:57,600
the most part taken care of in this area and this had become basically

1282
01:38:57,600 --> 01:39:00,920
more of a water main and as we're going by there's some storm sewer

1283
01:39:00,920 --> 01:39:06,300
inlets. Not a lot of mainline storm sewer running east and west down the corridor, but

1284
01:39:06,300 --> 01:39:13,420
as we're going past to replace some lead pipes that the existing storm sewer is undersized

1285
01:39:13,420 --> 01:39:18,860
to today's standards. So we would just at the intersections be making some storm sewer

1286
01:39:19,560 --> 01:39:26,160
corrections with those. West of what I would call the school property because eventually

1287
01:39:26,160 --> 01:39:30,180
that roadway just ends up running right into the school property. I would say west

1288
01:39:30,180 --> 01:39:38,300
of the school property. The curb and gutter in that area isn't that bad. It is an area

1289
01:39:38,300 --> 01:39:42,700
where we're in the feasibility study they recommended basically that we could replace

1290
01:39:42,700 --> 01:39:49,020
the water main in that area again with that grant money and then by the and included in

1291
01:39:49,020 --> 01:39:53,420
what is funded through that grant is also replacing some of the roadway that's above

1292
01:39:53,420 --> 01:39:57,780
the pipe that we're replacing. So we're getting roughly say half of the roadway

1293
01:39:57,780 --> 01:40:02,680
already paid for to install that water main and it wouldn't make sense just to

1294
01:40:03,380 --> 01:40:07,440
probably just leave a trench with a couple cold joints running down the

1295
01:40:07,440 --> 01:40:10,940
length of the trench. So what we would be looking to do there would be to

1296
01:40:10,940 --> 01:40:16,080
actually replace the pavement out to the curb line and in the days that that

1297
01:40:16,080 --> 01:40:20,400
was installed there was no drain tile. So one of the things that we can do is

1298
01:40:20,400 --> 01:40:23,420
we can retrofit the inside of the curb with the drain tile so we can

1299
01:40:23,420 --> 01:40:28,660
pick up some subsurface moisture and ambient water from the sub-base, get that into the

1300
01:40:28,660 --> 01:40:38,260
local storm sewer collection to help these roads perform longer, and in doing so we would

1301
01:40:38,260 --> 01:40:46,100
be able to basically get that roadway replaced as new with new water main, and in the end

1302
01:40:46,100 --> 01:40:50,440
it would leave this entire corridor from Cheyenne Street to the east reconstructed

1303
01:40:50,440 --> 01:40:59,040
because in 2017 the first avenue east of this area was reconstructed so that

1304
01:40:59,040 --> 01:41:05,600
would basically complete this corridor in the in the core area with the new

1305
01:41:05,600 --> 01:41:10,680
water mains. A lot of information but that's basically the crux to the

1306
01:41:10,680 --> 01:41:18,780
project. The new funds this is a 3.86 million dollar project. We believe

1307
01:41:18,780 --> 01:41:23,020
that we would be getting just short of a million dollars of grant money for that. Per

1308
01:41:23,020 --> 01:41:28,500
the 2024 CIP guidelines, this is a reconstruct in an existing area, so we would be looking

1309
01:41:28,500 --> 01:41:33,460
at the city. The capital improvement sales tax will be paying for 70% of the cost of

1310
01:41:33,460 --> 01:41:39,560
the improvements after the whole total project is bought down by the grant, leaving what

1311
01:41:39,560 --> 01:41:47,380
we're estimating to be is approximately 776,000. That would be the 30% of the remainder

1312
01:41:47,380 --> 01:41:52,380
that we would be looking to assess. And with that, I would stand for any questions.

1313
01:41:53,600 --> 01:41:57,500
Commissioner Jorgensen, when would you look at doing this project next year?

1314
01:41:57,800 --> 01:42:01,700
It would be next year. If tonight the Commission decides to proceed with the

1315
01:42:01,700 --> 01:42:06,120
project, the first thing that we would probably do is come back next at the

1316
01:42:06,120 --> 01:42:10,520
next meeting and pass a resolution of necessity because this, even though this

1317
01:42:10,520 --> 01:42:16,160
is a water project and a sewer project on the east side, we would want to

1318
01:42:16,160 --> 01:42:18,960
to pass a resolution or necessity for this project.

1319
01:42:19,380 --> 01:42:21,640
That would mean that we would have to advertise it,

1320
01:42:21,700 --> 01:42:23,140
but we would use that as an opportunity

1321
01:42:23,140 --> 01:42:24,360
to start having basically,

1322
01:42:24,680 --> 01:42:26,500
instead of just having a hearing of protest,

1323
01:42:27,120 --> 01:42:30,160
we would also be looking to schedule neighborhood meetings

1324
01:42:30,160 --> 01:42:31,540
as we did with the Westwood neighborhood.

1325
01:42:32,100 --> 01:42:34,100
I think with all of these core area projects,

1326
01:42:34,280 --> 01:42:36,680
the first step as soon as the commission decides

1327
01:42:36,680 --> 01:42:38,460
we are moving forward with the project

1328
01:42:38,460 --> 01:42:40,360
is to send out letters,

1329
01:42:40,780 --> 01:42:42,880
get the residents into the fire hall again,

1330
01:42:43,800 --> 01:42:49,120
and be able to lay out the project that needs for the project and provide the

1331
01:42:49,120 --> 01:42:53,540
people within that improvement district the opportunity to see what the plan is

1332
01:42:53,540 --> 01:42:59,020
and what we were looking to do. So we would move forward on a two-pronged

1333
01:42:59,020 --> 01:43:02,140
phase. One would be community engagement with the stakeholders in the

1334
01:43:02,140 --> 01:43:07,660
area and then the second one would be also to have that resolution and

1335
01:43:07,660 --> 01:43:12,280
necessity passed so that way there would be an opportunity for the

1336
01:43:12,280 --> 01:43:16,560
residents in the improvement district to issue a protest to the creation of that

1337
01:43:16,560 --> 01:43:20,440
district. I think the big logistical item here would be the rural fire

1338
01:43:20,440 --> 01:43:25,320
department. All our trucks come out that north door on the first avenue. Yeah, and

1339
01:43:25,320 --> 01:43:28,740
there would definitely need to be a lot of coordination with that.

1340
01:43:32,960 --> 01:43:33,440
Any other

1341
01:43:33,440 --> 01:43:33,780
questions?

1342
01:43:37,110 --> 01:43:40,510
We'll look for the engineers report and direct engineer or plan

1343
01:43:40,510 --> 01:43:45,190
specs. Commissioner Olson moves to approve the engineers report and

1344
01:43:45,190 --> 01:43:48,990
director engineer to prepare plans and specification for improvement district

1345
01:43:48,990 --> 01:43:53,430
number 3009 1st Avenue East reconstruction Cheyenne Street to 4th

1346
01:43:53,430 --> 01:43:58,230
that Street East is there a second second mr. Anderson seconds we have a

1347
01:43:58,230 --> 01:44:03,350
motion in the second is there any discussion hearing down all those in

1348
01:44:03,350 --> 01:44:09,470
favor please signify by saying I like opposed motion carried thank you move

1349
01:44:09,470 --> 01:44:15,670
on to item number 12 project number 1351 is a sanitary lift station SA 27

1350
01:44:15,670 --> 01:44:21,850
rehabilitation. We call on Mr. Jerry Wallace, City Engineer. The purpose of this discussion

1351
01:44:21,850 --> 01:44:25,690
is to accept the bid and award the contract. Good evening, Mr. Wallace, and welcome.

1352
01:44:26,330 --> 01:44:30,850
Good evening, Mr. Commission President and Commissioners. Thank you for your time tonight.

1353
01:44:32,030 --> 01:44:37,530
As everybody is probably well aware, this is our big sanitary lift station on the

1354
01:44:37,530 --> 01:44:43,290
south side of town that the entire south side pumps into and that continues to

1355
01:44:43,290 --> 01:44:48,830
move that sewer downward. Very critical lift station that we need to keep you

1356
01:44:48,830 --> 01:44:52,430
know in good working order and functioning. Essentially we're here

1357
01:44:52,430 --> 01:44:58,550
tonight to award a rehabilitation project to ensure that will continue to

1358
01:44:58,550 --> 01:44:58,830
happen.

1359
01:45:00,020 --> 01:45:07,840
Essentially, we'd be looking at awarding the base project to ICS in the amount of $1,446,400.

1360
01:45:08,840 --> 01:45:15,660
The mechanical portion would be going to CC Steel in the amount of $125,000. And the electrical

1361
01:45:15,660 --> 01:45:23,600
portion would be going to JDP Electric in the amount of $381,587. The total of all the

1362
01:45:23,600 --> 01:45:32,860
bids, as you can see there in your packet, is $1,952,987 compared to the engineer's opinion

1363
01:45:32,860 --> 01:45:42,080
of cost. That is slightly below what we had anticipated at $2,160,000. There's a bunch

1364
01:45:42,080 --> 01:45:48,060
of documentation available in your packet here for your review. But again, our staff

1365
01:45:48,060 --> 01:45:55,800
recommendation would be to accept the bid and award the contract ICS for $1,446,400,

1366
01:45:56,860 --> 01:46:07,920
CC Steel for $125,000, and JDP Electric for $381,587. As far as the financial components

1367
01:46:07,920 --> 01:46:12,540
and funding mechanism for this work, there is a significant amount of money still remaining

1368
01:46:12,540 --> 01:46:17,160
in a legacy fund, call it, that that's my term,

1369
01:46:17,660 --> 01:46:20,480
but essentially any properties on the south side

1370
01:46:20,480 --> 01:46:24,140
that developed paid into this fund a hookup fee

1371
01:46:24,600 --> 01:46:28,640
that involved reimbursement essentially

1372
01:46:29,260 --> 01:46:31,060
for the cost of this lift station.

1373
01:46:31,880 --> 01:46:34,020
And it would be our intention to draw

1374
01:46:34,020 --> 01:46:37,160
from those funds to pay for the project.

1375
01:46:37,700 --> 01:46:40,580
With that being said, I'm available for any questions.

1376
01:46:41,340 --> 01:46:45,580
please note there's no special assessments are intended to be used in

1377
01:46:45,580 --> 01:46:49,200
the conjunction with this project. Any questions for Mr. Ballish?

1378
01:46:51,840 --> 01:46:53,780
No? Mr. Zendal

1379
01:46:53,780 --> 01:46:58,160
moves to approve project number 1351 to accept the bid and to award the

1380
01:46:58,160 --> 01:47:02,860
contract. Is there a second? Second. Commissioner Olsen seconds. We have a

1381
01:47:02,860 --> 01:47:07,260
motion and a second. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in

1382
01:47:07,260 --> 01:47:14,080
favor, please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you. We move on to item

1383
01:47:14,080 --> 01:47:21,240
number 13. Improvement District number 3008, Meadow Ridge Development Reconstruction. Again,

1384
01:47:21,280 --> 01:47:25,520
we call on Jerry Wallace, the city engineer. The purpose of the discussion is to approve

1385
01:47:25,520 --> 01:47:29,800
an engineer's report, direct the engineer to prepare both plans and specifications,

1386
01:47:30,480 --> 01:47:34,240
and a task order for basic services. Mr. Wallace.

1387
01:47:34,240 --> 01:47:40,460
Thank you, Mr. Commissioner President and commissioners. Again, try to be respectful of your time tonight.

1388
01:47:41,560 --> 01:47:49,880
I wish I could have gone directly after Dan's presentation with this one and just said ditto, but I will do my best to follow him up.

1389
01:47:50,660 --> 01:47:59,580
Essentially, we're here tonight. Several years ago, we had requests from at least one commissioner to take a look at the streets in the Meadow Ridge neighborhood.

1390
01:48:00,580 --> 01:48:05,240
a lot of the infrastructure as far as the street components is past its useful

1391
01:48:05,240 --> 01:48:10,540
wife and diving into and looking at that work potentially doing mill and

1392
01:48:10,540 --> 01:48:15,680
overlays what we found was that you know there's some areas of the street that

1393
01:48:15,680 --> 01:48:19,860
are only two to four inches of asphalt and essentially a mill and overlay

1394
01:48:19,860 --> 01:48:26,070
project would not be a money well spent there was a lot of curb and

1395
01:48:26,070 --> 01:48:30,750
to the point that you know we just we started trending towards looking that

1396
01:48:30,750 --> 01:48:35,290
we'd be reconstructing the entire street and given the age of a lot of the

1397
01:48:35,290 --> 01:48:40,290
utilities in there at just under 50 years I believe it didn't seem to make

1398
01:48:40,290 --> 01:48:44,830
sense to us to reconstruct reconstruct the street and then potentially

1399
01:48:44,830 --> 01:48:50,310
sometime in the next 20 years before the streets useful wife was up have to

1400
01:48:50,310 --> 01:48:55,850
go back in and essentially be looking at reconstructing the water and sewer

1401
01:48:55,850 --> 01:48:57,390
or in storm with the neighborhood as well.

1402
01:49:00,680 --> 01:49:02,420
Bunch of documents before you tonight.

1403
01:49:02,960 --> 01:49:05,580
I'll try to walk through things as best I can here,

1404
01:49:05,740 --> 01:49:08,320
but I've touched on the street component.

1405
01:49:09,060 --> 01:49:11,880
I will say that the sanitary sewer

1406
01:49:11,880 --> 01:49:15,280
through this area in particular is generally flat.

1407
01:49:15,980 --> 01:49:18,740
There's quite often times where public works

1408
01:49:18,740 --> 01:49:20,040
is having to be out there weekly,

1409
01:49:20,820 --> 01:49:24,560
jetting and vectoring the sanitary sewer system.

1410
01:49:26,000 --> 01:49:33,600
and then the water mains in the area are again ACP at her, you know, starting to go beyond

1411
01:49:33,600 --> 01:49:39,040
their useful life. You know, as Dan had kind of commented, we're trying to take advantage

1412
01:49:39,040 --> 01:49:45,060
of a lot of funding components through the state similar to the previous project that

1413
01:49:45,060 --> 01:49:45,680
he presented.

1414
01:49:48,380 --> 01:49:52,600
Basically, we would be looking at, as far as the financial components here,

1415
01:49:52,600 --> 01:50:02,600
This again would be a 70 30 split where the city would pay the 70% of the cost of the project and we'd be looking at special assessing that that remaining 30%.

1416
01:50:07,670 --> 01:50:23,590
And again, as Dan alluded to, you know, if the commission chooses to move forward with this project, we would very quickly here be, you know, beginning to engage the neighborhood and meetings and, you know, try to, I guess,

1417
01:50:24,310 --> 01:50:32,090
you know, walk the initial phases of the project through that and hopefully come to a point

1418
01:50:32,090 --> 01:50:37,830
where we have a good project that, you know, the neighborhood can be happy with and essentially

1419
01:50:37,830 --> 01:50:43,230
we'll have, you know, completed the, hopefully the first reconstruction of the Meadow Ridge

1420
01:50:43,230 --> 01:50:43,630
neighborhood.

1421
01:50:44,630 --> 01:50:49,590
Our staff recommendation tonight would be to approve the engineers report and direct

1422
01:50:49,590 --> 01:50:55,830
both plans and specifications and approve the task order for basic services. Again,

1423
01:50:56,010 --> 01:50:58,150
with that, I'm available for any questions you may have.

1424
01:50:58,610 --> 01:50:59,550
Mr. Charleston has a question.

1425
01:51:00,210 --> 01:51:06,350
Thank you. Jerry, you said you wish you could have just said ditto to Dan's, but I see

1426
01:51:06,350 --> 01:51:12,990
one slight difference. In this one there's a task order attached to it where Dan's

1427
01:51:12,990 --> 01:51:17,190
did not, so I'm just wondering what's the task order on this one and why didn't

1428
01:51:17,190 --> 01:51:18,230
we have one on the other one?

1429
01:51:20,810 --> 01:51:25,770
I intentionally held a task order and told the consultant to hold off on the

1430
01:51:25,770 --> 01:51:31,230
task order on mine because in the 2024 CIP for the first Avenue project it

1431
01:51:31,230 --> 01:51:36,230
originally was just a fourth to second so I wanted to see if the Commission

1432
01:51:36,230 --> 01:51:40,090
wanted to proceed with that project this project or that project and that

1433
01:51:40,090 --> 01:51:43,690
way I wouldn't have a multi-tiered task order in front of you I could just

1434
01:51:43,690 --> 01:51:46,150
get one that matches the scope. Okay, thank you.

1435
01:51:47,450 --> 01:51:52,390
Commissioner Zendal. This would basically be the same scope of project that we're

1436
01:51:52,390 --> 01:51:55,790
doing in Westwood this summer. It would be a total reconstruct. Very similar.

1437
01:51:56,310 --> 01:52:01,710
Okay. Yes ma'am. Anyone else? I motion to improve the engineers report and direct

1438
01:52:01,710 --> 01:52:04,990
engineering to prepare both plans and specs and a task order for services.

1439
01:52:05,430 --> 01:52:08,210
Thank you Commissioner Jorgensen. We have a motion to approve. Is there a

1440
01:52:08,210 --> 01:52:12,230
second? Second. Commissioner Zendal seconds. We have a motion and a second

1441
01:52:12,230 --> 01:52:16,830
for improvement district number 3008 to approve the engineers report the

1442
01:52:16,830 --> 01:52:21,370
recti engineer to prepare both plans and specifications and a task order for

1443
01:52:21,370 --> 01:52:24,210
basic services. Is there any further discussion?

1444
01:52:26,370 --> 01:52:27,410
Hearing none all those in

1445
01:52:27,410 --> 01:52:32,890
favor please signify by saying aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Thank you. Thank

1446
01:52:32,890 --> 01:52:36,990
you for your time. Number 14 is an improvement district number 6059

1447
01:52:36,990 --> 01:52:41,030
Sidewalk improvements, 2024 walks,

1448
01:52:44,920 --> 01:52:45,940
am I on the right spot?

1449
01:52:48,400 --> 01:52:50,980
That project got pulled from tonight's agenda.

1450
01:52:51,500 --> 01:52:52,700
So not on my agenda, it didn't.

1451
01:52:53,380 --> 01:52:59,220
All right, number 15 is a resolution authorizing participation in the national opioid settlements.

1452
01:53:00,140 --> 01:53:04,160
We're going to call on Mrs. Kitty Schmidt, city attorney for the city of West Fargo.

1453
01:53:04,760 --> 01:53:06,760
Thank you, Commission President and Commissioners.

1454
01:53:06,760 --> 01:53:12,180
as you may be aware, Purdue pharma petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019

1455
01:53:12,180 --> 01:53:17,480
following the filing of thousands of lawsuits due to its role in the opioid crisis.

1456
01:53:18,020 --> 01:53:24,060
Since filing, Purdue has been working with creditor stakeholders to arrive at an acceptable bankruptcy plan.

1457
01:53:24,380 --> 01:53:28,760
Purdue recently filed its latest plan as in the process of soliciting votes from creditors.

1458
01:53:29,460 --> 01:53:36,240
As part of the proposed bankruptcy plan, Purdue and its owners will deposit billions of dollars into trust for creditors.

1459
01:53:36,240 --> 01:53:40,260
One such trust will be for governmental entities to receive funds.

1460
01:53:40,760 --> 01:53:46,560
The state of North Dakota has opted into receiving funds from its trust and it will receive the

1461
01:53:46,560 --> 01:53:52,760
greatest allocation from the trust if a higher number of North Dakota counties and cities

1462
01:53:53,300 --> 01:53:55,600
also opt into participating in the trust.

1463
01:53:56,200 --> 01:54:01,620
If an entity doesn't opt into the trust, then the trustee will set aside those trust

1464
01:54:01,620 --> 01:54:06,380
funds to use in defending against claims that are brought by those counties or

1465
01:54:06,380 --> 01:54:10,540
cities that didn't opt in. What I have for you tonight to consider is a

1466
01:54:10,540 --> 01:54:15,480
resolution to opt into the bankruptcy trust and the possibility to receive

1467
01:54:15,480 --> 01:54:20,100
funds from the trust. Really the only reason to not opt into the

1468
01:54:20,100 --> 01:54:23,820
trust settlement would be if the city has separate claims that it wants to

1469
01:54:23,820 --> 01:54:28,020
pursue against Purdue or its owners, but I'm not aware of any of those

1470
01:54:28,020 --> 01:54:32,740
separate claims and even if they were they would be incredibly difficult to to

1471
01:54:32,740 --> 01:54:35,960
collect on. I'm available for any questions that you may have about the

1472
01:54:35,960 --> 01:54:36,300
resolution. I'm available for any questions that you may have about the resolution.

1473
01:54:36,780 --> 01:54:37,540
Questions for Ms. Smith?

1474
01:54:38,140 --> 01:54:38,900
Mr. Zundow?

1475
01:54:38,960 --> 01:54:43,740
I'm not necessarily for you, but Dustin is this some of the stuff that we, I feel like

1476
01:54:43,740 --> 01:54:49,560
we've received settlement money and then we in turn give it to CASS Public Health?

1477
01:54:49,900 --> 01:54:50,080
Yep.

1478
01:54:50,460 --> 01:54:51,160
That would be accurate.

1479
01:54:51,440 --> 01:54:52,040
Is it the same thing?

1480
01:54:52,340 --> 01:54:56,300
Yes, Commissioner. Yes, we do have an agreement with the City of Fargo, CASS County,

1481
01:54:56,840 --> 01:55:03,080
Fargo Cast Public Health, we are currently receiving settlement funds from a few other

1482
01:55:03,980 --> 01:55:10,420
entities. Those funds are collectively given to Fargo Cast Public Health to manage a program

1483
01:55:10,420 --> 01:55:13,280
and dedicate their time to use those funds.

1484
01:55:13,560 --> 01:55:17,560
So this would be, I presume, the same thing, any funds we would receive would be passed

1485
01:55:17,560 --> 01:55:18,820
through for programming for that?

1486
01:55:18,840 --> 01:55:21,000
That's correct, based on our joint agreement.

1487
01:55:21,300 --> 01:55:21,900
Okay, thank you.

1488
01:55:25,620 --> 01:55:27,120
This is an actionable item.

1489
01:55:27,380 --> 01:55:27,840
Moved, we approve.

1490
01:55:28,240 --> 01:55:33,820
Mr. Olson moves to approve the resolution authorizing participation in the national opioid settlements.

1491
01:55:34,540 --> 01:55:35,180
Is there a second?

1492
01:55:35,600 --> 01:55:35,860
Second.

1493
01:55:36,180 --> 01:55:37,260
This is Undell's second.

1494
01:55:37,420 --> 01:55:38,500
We have a motion and a second.

1495
01:55:39,000 --> 01:55:39,660
Is there any discussion?

1496
01:55:40,940 --> 01:55:43,420
Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

1497
01:55:43,600 --> 01:55:43,960
Aye.

1498
01:55:44,720 --> 01:55:45,160
Opposed?

1499
01:55:46,100 --> 01:55:46,880
Motion carried.

1500
01:55:47,660 --> 01:55:54,380
Item number 15 is to appoint a representative and an alternate for the Cass Clay Interagency

1501
01:55:54,380 --> 01:55:57,800
Council on Homelessness. Thank you.

1502
01:56:00,420 --> 01:56:03,540
Mr. Scott. Thank you President Dardis and

1503
01:56:03,540 --> 01:56:08,360
Commissioners. So for those that aren't familiar, the Council was recently

1504
01:56:08,360 --> 01:56:09,900
formed and

1505
01:56:12,010 --> 01:56:15,970
they pardon the interruption. So the Council was recently

1506
01:56:15,970 --> 01:56:19,710
formed and held their inaugural meeting back in July. Following that

1507
01:56:19,710 --> 01:56:26,130
inaugural meeting, the participants made a suggestion or a motion to

1508
01:56:26,130 --> 01:56:31,950
request that each participating agency designate a representative and an

1509
01:56:31,950 --> 01:56:37,790
alternate to attend their meetings. Specifically the agencies that are

1510
01:56:37,790 --> 01:56:42,370
involved, Cass County, Clay County, Dilworth, Fargo, Horace, Moorhead and West

1511
01:56:42,370 --> 01:56:49,230
Fargo. They did request that the primary representative hold the portfolio of

1512
01:56:49,230 --> 01:56:53,550
homelessness, housing, or related human services. We don't really have a

1513
01:56:53,550 --> 01:56:57,370
portfolio that really aligns with that you could argue administrative services

1514
01:56:57,370 --> 01:57:01,090
which is a president Otis or you could argue community and development services

1515
01:57:01,090 --> 01:57:06,610
which would be Commissioner Anderson but they're not stuck on that it was just

1516
01:57:06,610 --> 01:57:15,870
kind of a request or a suggestion so at this time I'll let you discuss

1517
01:57:15,870 --> 01:57:21,990
amongst yourselves who would be designated to represent the City of

1518
01:57:21,990 --> 01:57:27,230
West Fargo again as the primary representative and an alternate. Since

1519
01:57:27,230 --> 01:57:30,930
the council was formed I've represented the city of West Fargo at all the

1520
01:57:30,930 --> 01:57:31,270
meetings.

1521
01:57:34,150 --> 01:57:38,410
Are you happy to do it? I nominate

1522
01:57:39,110 --> 01:57:41,310
mayor's artists to be our representative.

1523
01:57:44,070 --> 01:57:46,050
Second, is there anybody else who wants to do it?

1524
01:57:47,130 --> 01:57:54,170
We do have to have, they do request that in case I can't make it, they do

1525
01:57:55,630 --> 01:58:00,390
Commissioner Zundow has volunteered to be the alternate commissioner. Do we have a consensus

1526
01:58:00,390 --> 01:58:07,430
that myself and Commissioner Zundow be there? All right. Very good. Thank you. Thank you,

1527
01:58:07,450 --> 01:58:10,250
Mr. Scott. Thank you very much. Your city administrators report.

1528
01:58:11,410 --> 01:58:16,210
I just have a brief report. I want to let you all know that we had a great North Dakota

1529
01:58:16,210 --> 01:58:20,350
League of Cities conference last week. President Dardis, myself, and Willie attended.

1530
01:58:24,150 --> 01:58:24,150
Our

1531
01:58:24,150 --> 01:58:32,190
So it was a great experience, great discussions with our other cities that are out there.

1532
01:58:32,370 --> 01:58:37,170
So I can tell you that based on whatever we're hearing statewide, there are a lot of challenges out there.

1533
01:58:37,230 --> 01:58:40,570
We're not immune to those things.

1534
01:58:41,130 --> 01:58:48,670
But I will also say with a high level of pride that I really appreciate where we are at as a city,

1535
01:58:48,670 --> 01:58:53,230
where we are going and very much appreciate the opportunity

1536
01:58:53,230 --> 01:58:54,490
to lead that effort.

1537
01:58:54,770 --> 01:58:56,810
So that's the only update I have for you.

1538
01:58:57,030 --> 01:58:58,030
I stand for any questions?

1539
01:58:58,330 --> 01:58:59,410
Questions for Mr. Scott?

1540
01:59:02,410 --> 01:59:03,390
No, thank you.

1541
01:59:03,630 --> 01:59:03,850
Thank you.

1542
01:59:04,470 --> 01:59:06,710
All correspondence has been distributed

1543
01:59:06,710 --> 01:59:10,070
in your mailboxes unless you have received

1544
01:59:10,070 --> 01:59:12,070
something individually that you'd like to share.

1545
01:59:13,070 --> 01:59:13,950
No, okay.

1546
01:59:14,650 --> 01:59:16,910
Does any commissioner have any non-agenda items

1547
01:59:16,910 --> 01:59:18,170
you'd like to discuss this evening?

1548
01:59:18,170 --> 01:59:23,060
Does any department have any non-agenda items you'd like to discuss?

1549
01:59:25,580 --> 01:59:25,960
All right.

1550
01:59:26,620 --> 01:59:27,240
Commissioner Anderson.

1551
01:59:27,940 --> 01:59:28,560
Over to adjourn.

1552
01:59:28,660 --> 01:59:29,300
Commissioner Olsen.

1553
01:59:29,580 --> 01:59:30,120
Second.

1554
01:59:30,580 --> 01:59:31,540
We stand adjourned.