Remarks by Chad Peterson
61 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 3
“No, Mr. Mayor, just gratitude. I realize how busy everyone is and adding another meeting to the schedule gets to be cumbersome and then some. So especially those that are somewhat part-time and certainly those that are volunteer. So gratitude. Looking forward to good discussions, Mr. Mayor. Thanks.”
“Mr. Mayor, I'll jump in. So maybe I can share some of my background regarding my 12 years in my prior office, as well as my background with working with big developers and those sorts of things in construction. I think one of the things I looked for, and this is what I looked for, where I struggled with the reviews prior was often with development fees, architectural engineering fees, and then cash flow of the building, right? The incentivization needs to exist because the building can't cash flow, or but for some other thing, literally but for, that's why they say that, but for some other…”
“Actually, it's both. So you can also see cash flow and accelerated rents too, right? So if you're using this incentive to just become market rate, let's say I want to pay more or I want my renters to pay more, I'm going to use this incentive to Maybe not buy it down, but I think I better say this. The easy answer is both. So are you making too much as a developer to begin with? Are the architects and engineers making too much? Because what happens is we have multiple examples of this where the architects are the brothers or sisters of the developer. So you're going to pay your, literally, and…”
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“Mayor, thank you. Commissioner Strand, we called them phone centers when we were making fun of them. Same thing you were saying. We're incentivizing folks that are barely making ends meet. It doesn't financially or logically make sense. Could you please share that matrix with us, please? I think it's incredibly valuable. And again, I know it's only a shot at it to begin with, and I think that getting some eyes on might be prudent for this group, both City Commission as well as EDIC, because depending upon how that matrix yields, there we go. Yeah, I mean that, could you get us a PDF of this,…”
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“Mr Mayor, thank you. Has anyone ever objected to these? I'm guessing no, but I'm feeling compelled to ask.”
“I'm not aware of any either. I hadn't heard anything either. Just curious. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor.”
“Mr. Mayor, well done to have a public hearing during a public hearing. I will make a motion to approve the assessments, please, sir.”
“Mr. Mayor, thank you. This is more of a question for our attorney. So I notice a 0.75% interest rate, and there are some pretty big numbers on this list. Is this century code that limits that? Because frankly, I'll quit paying my bills, and I'll just take the 1%, and you guys can assess me, and I'll put that money in a money market account.”
“Maybe for next year, but just something, and I think you understand my math on this. We can only charge .75. The math says don't pay, and that's not great. So thank you both. Thanks, Mr. Mayor.”
“Mr. Mayor, and if I'm reading this wrong, I'm happily corrected. If not so paid, the amount shall bear an interest rate not exceeding .75 per annum. Oh, over the average net interest rate. I'm guessing that'd be LIBOR? What would that rate be? I would think that's correct. Okay. That makes more sense. So I'm going to guess anyway. Sorry, Mr. Mayor. Thanks. That's fine.”
“mr mayor thank you as i'm looking through my agenda i think this is one of the topics i emailed you on regarding the floor plan correct so commissioners if you take a peek at this form it requires the applicant to have a two scale reference with a floor plan and a site plan and a north compass and all that sort of stuff And I think you noticed from the packet, it's basically a hand sketch quickly drawn rather hastily with no scale, no anything. All of that's fine. But just know that I've actually volunteered my time to help small business owners on my own dollar to create a two-scale plan.…”
“Mr. Mayor, thank you. As our team members said, gratitude to all the work that went into this and the painstaking questions that I asked a goodly number of you. I know they were sometimes a little bit awkward and uncomfortable. Forgive me for learning. Forgive me for my private practice and how I've done things in the past. This budget works. Much like the weather outside, it's a bit foreboding, though. Commissioners, Mayor, we have holes in this budget. We have opportunities to fund optional things like the Fargo Dome, Newman Field, but we have required things that we still do not have…”
“Mr. Mayor, thank you. Commissioners, great questions. This does a couple things, I think, in my mind. It starts codifying what's been transpiring over time regardless. We've given out 25, when I say we, the City Commission, have given out 25, 20, and 15-year incentives, and I think those will yield, and I'll get somewhere with this, Commissioner Strand, to your point. I think those yield a net loss to our taxpayers, and this is the important part of that. Your question, Commissioner Turnberg, you hinted at this too. I think that Our team members, in concert with the EDC, are preparing sort of…”
“Mr. Mayor, thank you. Great idea, Commissioner Strand. And like I said, I took notes on what you said. So I think these are good questions, valid questions, and I think that would help our team maybe a little bit, too, to have a greater consensus. Just I'm not talking for you, but if I was you, I'd be saying, I sure wonder what those people are thinking. So within that brown bag in a legal meeting, you can actually hear what we're all thinking. So I think there's some other good things that will come out of this as well. So thank you, Mr. Mayor.”
“Mr. Mayor, thank you. A busy couple weeks. I won't get a whole lot into it because I saw most of you at most of those meetings. The one question I have, though, I'm going to the Chamber of Commerce leadership activities Wednesday afternoon. Is anyone else going to that? I don't want to have a quorum. Okay, so I'm the only one there. Perfect. YWCA meeting. Commissioner Gullix and I are going to team up and meet a couple folks from South Fargo, see what's what. Next week it's going to be a good learning opportunity. And then just for the sake of The order, I've applied for leadership within the…”
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“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…”
“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?”
“Mr. Mayor, I'll second the motion for sake of discussion.”
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
“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…”