City Commission - Regular Meeting

Mr. Mayor, thank you. Once again, I want to thank Mr. Redlinger and the team to their response in a timely fashion to my late questions. So gratitude to you. Apologize to the sometimes silliness of it all, but I got to learn. So this is how I learn. Asking questions. Grateful. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Commissioner Turnberg. Have we had discussions with the schools? Is this all good with them? Did they have any future plans for expansion, or was there anything that was discussed with either Capstone or North Dakota State School of Science?

But neither one would be part of the school district, the private school and state school.

And then what are these specials going to look like? Because it looks like a lot of infrastructure. Will we be competitive here? with Horace and West Fargo with these? Will they be similar to what other new construction specials are?

As long as we're keeping that in mind and staying competitive so people want to move there rather than going to a neighboring city because we don't want our specials. I mean, people already don't want them, but let's keep it as low as possible.

Thank you. I'm curious with this discussion point of special assessments for improvements and it being consistent with past practices, Going forward, which elements of this project and development are in the discussion phase for future special policies? And what would change conceivably, if anything?

And if I might, with regard to those greenfield discussions about specials for development out to the edge, What's up in the air that could be discussed and changed in the future? So I'm just, you know, we're here right now, but then there's this discussion about what we're doing down the road, especially with regards to specials. What topics will be in the scales and measured that will be up in the air for future policy decisions for EDGE development specials?

And might I continue? Yes. You know, this is 140-some lots. We know we need lots, but we also know that we need to address these policies. At least that's my sense that they're front burner to be. And I'm not in favor of... of changing what we offer to the public now, but it's not a secret that these topics are forthcoming and may change policies and protections for the developers in the city in the future and the way we assess. So the sooner we can get to that conversation, the better. As soon as we have exact agreement on where we're at going into future EDGE development, the better. Because

Mr. Mayor, I recommend approving the recommended motions, and so move.

It's really important to note that a few years ago when this topic surfaced and the conversation came about do we look at social services funds and the arts partnership and the downtown community partnership and Native American Commission, we had a full house. we had a sign-up of people speaking to us, telling us very, very, very, very clearly, do not mess with our arts funding. I was the one who advanced that to get the conversation going. And it was pretty palpably loud and clear what the public asked us to do and told us they wanted. So this is really something tonight to see only one perso

Mr. Mayor, thank you. Commissioner Strand, you're right. I've received copious amounts of emails, which is great. Know that what the mayor said is spot-on accurate to those of you that are here or those of you playing the home game. Contact us. Talk to us. We are available. All of us want to engage. We want to listen. People like me, and I think the other remaining four of us, want to learn as well. You have three new faces here. Some of us have governed. Some of us haven't. It's important for you to share your thoughts with us so we know what's important to you. We don't know everything. I do

Mr. Mayor, yes, I would. Those are the pictures I think we have in our packet.

You give a 180-day permit and I get 90 days to finish?

Mr. Mayor, thank you. I know I've seen these pictures before. I think we must have got email correspondence. Did you send email correspondence to us?

Help me understand the state of the building right now.

Bear with me, but how much work would it take to get to the point where we look at it as stabilized and safe enough to not demolish immediately?

What would the assessed value of this house be in today's condition and in a repaired condition.

I guess, Mayor, if there's a way forward, I'd rather have $46,000 plus put into the house than into demolishing it, but how could we ever assure that the owners would comply and get it up to safety standards versus demolition?

Mayor, I move we give them a two-week extension, and there's no yielding in any way, shape, or form on that approach. If in two weeks it isn't up to our abilities to say it's safe, we've all given them every chance we can, but I would say two more weeks won't break the bank.

Mr. Mayor, I'll second the motion for sake of discussion.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Radnick, have you or your team been inside this building enough times to figure out whether it's structurally sound or not? And where I'm going with that is, if we were to give them this two weeks, do you and your team, A, have a baseline of starting information to make sure it's structurally sound, and then B, do you have the time for you and your team to actually be present when they call in for various inspections. I don't want to set them up to fail, is my point.

Mr. Mayor, thank you. To the family and the supporters, I am going to support you on this. I'm going to put my trust and faith in you that you will comply with what our inspectors have to say with the rules and ordinance we have in place in the next two weeks. Know that if it gets to two weeks and a day and this comes before us again, which it hopefully will not, but if it does, I will without a doubt, with no reluctance in my heart, vote to demolish your home. And that will be crushing to me because I realize it is your family home and realize the time and effort you put into it. But know tha

I too will support this. However, I am with Commissioner Peterson. We need to see that progress and we need to get moving. I would recommend you gather everybody that you can to put your home together. I don't want us to be in a position where we're taking away homes. Please, please, please work with our staff and make sure that you are following these steps. I want to help you if at all possible, but I too will have to vote against it if it does come back to us the next round.

Mr. Turnburg. Sean, is there even time in two weeks to have an inspected and permitted and and okayed?

I just don't understand how we are voting on feelings and not following city ordinance. This has been going on for over two and a half years. So that's the problem I have. And quite frankly, I see a family with a whole lot of boys And respectfully, I'm just wondering why there couldn't be teamwork together to get this done one more day? And you can answer me. That's not how a city commission meeting works. But I don't want to vote on feelings. We have city ordinances. We have rules. This has been extension after expired extension for two and a half years. Commissioner Strand.

My thinking is we get this two weeks to get them up to the 90-day threshold you had initially proposed, and they had agreed to. And then, of course, the clock is still running for the next 30 days to finish it. That's my thinking. I'll say one more thing. I don't know. Mayor, you're in the world of real estate. It probably costs $300,000, $400,000 to build a house these days. You know, I mean, the cost of living is just, and to demolish an existing structure is not the most sustainably resilient approach in life when you're losing what's all been invested. If we can take this home and get it l

Without objection, Mr. Mayor, thank you.

I'd like to tell the public, this is what this department is supposed to do. And we had many years of properties in Fargo, prior to me being here, that we're falling into blight, and we didn't have the ability or teeth to require people to keep their standards up to what their neighbors needed. So thank you for doing your work, and thank you for bringing this to us. And it's not easy, but this is on our shoulders. You've done your job adequately, and your team is doing their job. And now we're just working with the public to find a middle ground, but this is what the inspections department is

I've been regularly attending several of the various meetings in my portfolio. Just a couple of things that I wanted to bring up. Last week, I spent a half a day riding with our chief and looking at our various fire stations as we're looking at New things, there were four that I hadn't been to, so I appreciated that opportunity. We were also lucky enough to be able to take in some trench training, things that I didn't think about the fire department doing, but structure, support when there's been damage, and trench training. If people were trapped in a trench, it would be their job to get them

Thank you, Mayor. Just one more shout-out to the public that, you know, with nearly 60% of our people living in apartments, we have a lot of people with concerns about life in apartments, and we have landlords that provide them their space to live in. So the mayor, when he ran for office, he advocated for us listening to and learning from the renters and bringing the landlords and the tenants together to the best world we can in the future. On the 21st, we're going to have a public forum here in the city in the chamber. a listening session to hear from people on all sides of the issues with re

We are working on the budget. Feel free to reach out to me. A lot of work is being put into it, but we want to hear your ideas, suggestions, you name it. Thank you. Commissioner Peterson?

Mr. Mayor, thank you. Yeah, I've been very busy, as our predecessors have said, with portfolio assignments. Nothing really sticking out, and that's a good thing that we don't have anything catastrophic or of remark for me to comment on. So keeping busy, looking forward to the week or three days of camaraderie up north and I do think it's valuable for us to attend these things because we learn from our peers, we can share with our peers.