City Commission Candidates

Candidates for City Commission responded to the following questions:

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.
What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?
Core neighborhoods are key to the success of our community. If the heart of the city thrives so will the whole. As a city commissioner what policies would you support to ensure core neighborhoods are maintained, valued, and invested in?
The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?
Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

Candidates are Linda Boyd, Tim Flakoll, Tony Gehrig, Liz Maddock-Johnson, Kelan Oster, Dave Piepkorn, Arlette Preston, Lenny N Tweeden, and Michael J Williams. Read more about the candidates by clicking learn more.

Linda Boyd

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.

I have served as a Fargo City Commissioner (2004-08), Fargo Deputy Mayor (2006-08), Fargo School Board member (2010-2018), non-profit administrator (1989-93, 2007-18) and business owner (1995-11).

As a commissioner I was focused on the areas of housing, homelessness, libraries and business development. As a member of the Fargo Renaissance Zone Authority, Community Development Committee and liaison to the Planning Commission, I was deeply involved in downtown redevelopment, neighborhood issues, affordable housing initiatives, and public transit. I chaired the Library building committee, spearheaded the establishment of the Gladys Ray Shelter, and helped facilitate the development of the “Going Home: Ten-Year Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness,” which is currently being updated.

My service on the School Board included two years as President (2015-17), during which time the Board planned and executed a successful public campaign for voters to approve a specified mill levy, as required by the ND Legislature. I served as Chair of the Governance, Communications, Negotiations and Governmental Affairs committees.

My 40-year professional career has been in music as a teacher, record producer, and non-profit leader. I have a daughter who is a professional music teacher and conductor in India, and a son in Fargo who is a massage therapist.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

Fargo is moving forward in many positive ways. However, a healthy and vibrant community does not happen by accident, and now is not the time to go backward. My vision of Fargo is a community that strives for excellence in all facets of community life and is a destination city where people of all ages can thrive. My goals for Fargo would include:

Successful completion of all planning and permitting processes of the Red River Diversion and progress made toward construction
Implement downtown development recommendations as outlined in the Downtown InFocus study
Continue work with the City Planning Department to ensure existing subsidies (including CDBG, HUD, HOME, tax abatements, etc.) are aligned with the greatest community needs
Facilitate a “New Practices” study of alternative low-income housing, exploring alternative group and communal supportive living models for low-income, substance recovery and prison re-entry populations
Develop a downtown “ConnectHub” facility to serve as a daytime center where people who are experiencing homelessness can connect with services and resources, including personal care facilities
Help steer the proposed Performing Arts Center to successful completion
Ensure all citizens, including New Americans and refugees, experience Fargo as a safe and welcoming community
Encourage workforce development by pursuing the Regional Technical Education Center

Core neighborhoods are key to the success of our community. If the heart of the city thrives so will the whole. As a city commissioner what policies would you support to ensure core neighborhoods are maintained, valued, and invested in?

Fargo is comprised of 38 distinct neighborhoods, all of which have their own distinct character, needs and challenges. I lived for 20 years in the Clara Barton neighborhood, 2 years downtown 5 years in the Bennett neighborhood, so I have experience the full spectrum of core, downtown and suburban living.

For 12 out of the past 14 years I have served on the City of Fargo Community Development Committee, which focuses on affordable housing, homelessness, downtown development, housing policy and neighborhood redevelopment. The committee oversees the allocation of use of HOME/CDBG, Community Housing Development Organization projects (CHDO), and city social service funds.

This committee’s efforts and programs directly impact Fargo’s core neighborhoods including Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), Housing Rehab, Special Assessment Assistance, Storefront and Downtown Rehab grants.

Over the past two decades Fargo has invested a tremendous amount of resources and effort to ensure that its core neighborhoods stay vibrant, healthy, safe, and appropriately developed. Of course, it is the core neighborhoods that are on the front lines of community change and redevelopment, as NDSU and downtown expand their footprints. Supporting the integrity of our core neighborhoods in the face of change has been and is my primary concern.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Since the early 1960s a multi-jurisdictional entity called Metro COG (Metropolitan Council of Governments) has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Fargo-Moorhead region, and is a transportation policy-making organization comprised of representatives from local government and transportation authorities. This Metro COG Policy Board, on which I served for four years as one of the Fargo City Commission liaisons, has “big picture” purview over all aspects of transit policy planning throughout the region. Metro COG is also home to several committees that directly impact all forms of transportation including public transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and hiking facilities.

Fargo has undertaken several visionary studies for land use development downtown and throughout the community, including Downtown InFocus and Fargo 2030. It is the work of groups like Fargo’s Planning Department, working in sync with MetroCOG, Fargo Park District and others to coordinate the myriad pieces of the puzzle to make multi-modal transit improvements happen.

Retrofitting some core neighborhood streets and arterials to comfortably accommodate multi-modal transit can be challenging. It will take not just visionary ideas but also intricate collaborations among many boards, commissions and jurisdictions to continue making progress.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

One of my goals as City Commissioner would be to initiate a two-prong look at the special assessment process: infrastructure financing for new construction as well as financing for infrastructure improvements in existing neighborhoods. Regarding rehab assessments, many communities in other states use alternative, city-wide financing models to more fairly assess the cost of rehab and reconstruction throughout the city.

This proposed study would include myriad stakeholders including representatives from neighborhood associations, the Home Builders Association, City of Fargo administrators, planners, assessors and finance staff.

Tim Flakoll

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience:

My goal is simple: to make Fargo the greatest place to live, work, learn, raise your family, do business and retire. I have the right experience to be a responsive leader who gets results. I want to make the rest of your life, the best of your life, right here in Fargo! Fargo is changing and we need leadership to change with the times to realize our immense potential.

I am a consensus builder who served you for 18 years in the North Dakota Senate. I chaired the Senate Education committee where I sponsored legislation which created $3 billion in property tax relief – keeping more money in your pockets. I’m proud to have sponsored successful anti-bullying legislation and humane treatment of animals Legislation.

I have held more than 40 positions with various organizations, including: the Downtown Community Partnership, Vocational Training Center, Fargo Planning Commission, American Cancer Society and the Anne Carlsen Center for Children. I have lived all of my adult life in Fargo – living in both north side and south side neighborhoods. I am Provost for Tri-College University and Director of Operations for NDSU Downtown.

I always have and always will put you, the people first.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

My five pillars of progress are: 1) improve our infrastructure including focus on completing the diversion and flood protection; 2) promote vibrant economic development and working with millennials to make Fargo the Creative Capitol of the Midwest; 3) maintain a high quality of life in our community – Fargo must be safe, affordable and fun in order to attract and retain people; 4) quality safe neighborhoods – by making Fargo a great place to live and raise a family and we must work with the county and state to tackle the substance abuse crisis; and 5) providing good government and promote an efficient and effective government while keeping an eye on taxes, fees, specials and assessments.

Be inclusive in our decision making processes, so that all voices are listened to.

Measurable outcomes include: beginning and make significant progress on the FM Diversion. Use Opportunity Zones to help with infill, affordable housing and rundown buildings. Make Fargo a safer place to live including addressing the opioid epidemic. Use more technology to improve efficiency, transparency and save money. Produce an annual report of historic trends with measures such taxes, miles of bike trails, specials/resident. Improve building code enforcement so neighborhoods don’t get run down.

Core neighborhoods are key to the success of our community. If the heart of the city thrives so will the whole. As a city commissioner what policies would you support to ensure core neighborhoods are maintained, valued, and invested in?

As a homeowner in one of our great core neighborhoods, I recognize how valuable they are to the look, feel and warmth of Fargo. Opportunity Zones are a new (April 2018) great tool to ensure the quality and reinvestment in our core neighborhoods. As we see upgrades and infill, they must be gracious in their appearance and reflect positively on the block they sit on.

In visiting with residents, they expressed a need for better building code enforcement so buildings don’t get run down and dilapidated and their concerns should be supported. I am always willing and happy to attend neighborhood meetings to hear what residents have on their minds. The City needs more of a consensus and inclusive process with affected neighborhoods. Thus more of a “buy in” model rather than a “notification” model. Fargo works best when it works together.

I live in Fargo because I love it – and you probably love it too. As your Commissioner I am dedicated to ensuring we have quality of place. High quality street lights drive down crime and I will push for additional street lighting in higher crime areas, like I helped lead in the area just south of NDSU.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Fargo needs a healthy balance between all of types of transportation and residents need access to their preferred options. We can’t have a vibrant community without success with all of those options. I have been involved in a number of advancements in access to more transportation options. In the Legislature I pushed for changes to allow Uber and Lyft. As Provost for Tri-College University I signed the first check for support of the Great Rides Bike Share program. Now that it is established, we need to look at additional siting options such as near the Cass County Courthouse.

While Fargo is rated as one of the best bike cities in the U.S., we need to keep pushing for improvements. As a novice bike rider with limited confidence, I would like to see more opportunities for novice bikers who have less confidence and don’t feel comfortable in faster and higher traffic areas like University Drive. Overall I would like to see more of a systematized and long term approach for identifying bike lanes and trails in new and existing neighborhoods (with Fargo Parks). We must address and improve street lighting for walking, for health, leisure and to and from work.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

We must continue the practice of using sales tax dollars dedicated to infrastructure projects to help keep down costs.

I will use my Legislative experience to work to open up low interest funds from the ND Legacy Fund. They could use those funds to invest in infrastructure projects in Fargo and across North Dakota, rather than invested with east coast investment firms. In a previous job, our company owned a business that produced underground pipes for sewer and water. Resin (which pipes are made of) prices fluctuate up and down during and between years. Fargo should time advance purchases to capitalize on times when prices are low, knowing they will be making purchases every year for replacement and new construction. It is like buying on the futures market and once you understand the market you can predict a price trend and strategically hedge against adverse price Movements.

Let’s look at innovations like the UK, where they use millions of tons of recycled plastic to replace much of the crude-based asphalt in a section of pavement. The result is a street that is 60% stronger than traditional streets, last 10 times longer and is better for the environment (Curbed.com).

Tony Gehrig

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience:

Born in Moorhead and lived here all my life. I went through the Fargo Catholic Schools Network, graduating from Shanley in 2002. In 2002, while still in high school, I joined the NDANG and have worked there ever since. I am currently a pilot for the 119WG here in Fargo. I graduated from NDSU in 2007 which is when I bought my first home near Lindenwood Park. I am married to Rachel, a lawyer in Fargo. I have a son named Jack. In my free time, I enjoy riding my Indian motorcycle, going to the lakes, and spending time with family and friends. I am running for Fargo City Commissioner because we need to have people who are willing to ask the

hard questions, and leaders who aren’t afraid to vote “No” when necessary. I am a very different voice on the Commission, and my voting record shows that I am fiscally responsible and dedicated to the voters.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

I envision a city where individuals are able to peruse their unique American dream with as little of government impact as possible. I envision a local government that stays in its lane, does what it is supposed to do very well, and doesn’t do things that it isn’t supposed to do. In short, a

government that prioritizes needs over wants, and empowers citizens to lead the path forward. Over the next four years, I would like to see the government end special assessments, end incentives for the wealthy and well connected, and continue to expand our regional assets like the water and sewer plants. If we can use our assets wisely we can lower taxes on everyone, and that way we can allow people to thrive free from government interference.

This is a complex issue and I believe we as leaders have made some pivotal mistakes. The Fargo City Commission has made it very hard to create and maintain affordable housing. We are restrictive and resistant to new ideas for affordable housing. We have denied developments that would fill the need for lower cost starter homes both internally and new developments. We have very high property taxes. Specials are a large deterrent for those who want to build new or even buy existing homes in our core. I believe that if we were less restrictive and let the free market work, we would have better outcomes, lower prices, and lower taxes/specials.

I will soon be releasing a plan to END all special assessments. I believe if we can do that, you will see more and better housing, more investment in existing homes, and we will have fewer renters with more home owners.

I have been critical of “incentives” across the board. We are manipulating the market which has risen the cost to consumers. The problem is, we offer incentives to try and get people to build new homes (new home abatement for 2 years) and we are offering different incentives for infill, usually downtown. (Exceeded word limit)

I think ultimately the question is, should we put bike lanes all over the place. My stance on this has been clear, no we shouldn’t. We have taken very busy roads like university dr and we have removed car lanes for bike lanes. This is problematic. It doesn’t make bikers safer, it costs money, itv reduces the flow of traffic, and people just don’t use them. Places like downtown make sense for bike lanes. But busy roads with semis and fast moving cars should not. Ultimately, if there is a large demand for bike lanes, we will produce them. To this point, that demand has not been established.

END SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS. All of them. It would be quite easy to do. I will be releasing a detailed plan in May as to how we can accomplish this. But in short, we have dramatically escalated the amount we are assessing people. In fact, only 5 years ago the city assessed only 4 million dollars. In 2018, we are assessing 24 million. We can have a lower and more predictable system. It would involve raising utility rates to meet the actual cost. It would also mean using existing sales taxes to cover the cost of improvements, instead of subsidizing pet projects. If we can shrug off the many wants of some of the commissioners, we can focus on the needs of Fargo residents. If you have an assessment of $2,000 dollars or more, my plan will save you money every single year. I will release this plan very soon at www.Tonygehrig.com

Liz Maddock-Johnson

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience:

I was born and raised in Fargo, attending Horace Mann, Ben Franklin, graduating from North. I have lived in Fargo for over 30 years, taking a quick ten year hiatus beginning my teaching career in the Dallas area. My husband is a teacher at Lincoln Elementary, and we have four children - 23, 21, 18, 17. I have worked for the Fargo Public Schools for over 15 years, and currently work at Bennett as a 5th grade teacher. Recently, I served as an assistant principal at HMR and Jefferson Elementary. I have my Masters in Curriculum and Design, and also pursuing my specialist degree in Educational Leadership. I have served on various committees as a member of my children’s school PTAs. I served on the board for the Tri-City Storm Soccer Club as well. I am a listener, thoughtful in my responses, and desire to be a part of voice for all citizens. I am strong proponent of teamwork, collaborating to provide solutions.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

In the next four years, I think it will be crucial for Fargo to address three big issues. The first issue is working to continue the current conversations about making Fargo a more inclusive community where all citizens are respected, given equal opportunity and treatment, and where diversity is valued. The second issue would be to address affordable housing and distribution of equitable resources for everyone in our community. Implementing creative solutions to increase home ownership in the 25 to 40 age range and helping ensure housing for our aging baby boomers are a few examples. And a third to ensure a successful future of Fargo we need to support our emergency services including police and fire departments in continuing to train and find resources and skills to best provide support and safety for our community. Addressing these three issues will improve our neighborhoods and community but also continue to be a destination choice for people throughout the Upper Midwest and beyond to relocate for new and better opportunities only Fargo can provide.

I love this statement. Our neighborhoods serve as areas of hope and growth, opportunities and resources to support all families and individuals to be active in their community. As a City Commission, we will need to continue to create spaces for connections and networking defining what the neighborhood means to the people that live there. Ways to do this would be in establishing a collaborative planning approach between the city and the neighborhood to discuss improvements that need to be done and what are they are willing to do as a neighborhood, giving community and neighborhoods input in decisions about special assessments. Each neighborhood needs to be engaged in this process. Strong Neighborhood Associations like Hawthorne’s are models for other neighborhoods, making sure neighbors know neighbors, defining their neighborhood together, constantly seeking to promote the importance of their neighborhood in the community. We will need to make smart investment decisions regarding the infrastructure needs of our city and in particular in our neighborhoods. Without adequate infrastructure, the growth and continued success of neighborhoods will be stifled. We need to be proactive in addressing current needs thinking about how to impact positively the future growth and vitality of our neighborhoods.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Living in a neighborhood close to the Hawthorne neighborhood, I have walked, run, and visited many on the streets of here. As many of you, I want the biking, walking, and running areas to be accessible, safe, and open to all of Fargo for use. In moving forward, creating our green spaces and their functionality needs to promote active, vibrant neighborhoods making it easier for neighbors to know neighbors. The Hawthorne Neighborhood Association has been so successful in this through Streets Alive events, the Marathon, and neighborhood block parties. The city will need to be vigilant in analyzing changes in traffic patterns and accessibility of transportation services for some of the major streetways commonly used, then collaboratively work with the neighborhood to determine solutions to continue and improve safety and use.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

Again, the City Commission must engage the neighborhood in a collaborative planning approach - here’s what the city/neighborhood needs, what are we willing to do to achieve this. Residents want to have a voice and knowledge of what is happening in their neighborhood. But more importantly, residents not only want to know the plan, but also be an active part of defining their neighborhood together. Through the use of Fargo’s In Focus site and the Go2030 plan, the city of Fargo should be preparing for our future needs. Our older neighborhoods have been successful in promoting Fargo, but more importantly are also essential to the success of Fargo’s future. We have an incredible opportunity, like Hawthorne Neighborhood Association has done, to revitalize and prepare these neighborhoods to be integral parts of a success future for Fargo. The tree canopy of elms, the neighborhood schools, the relative low crime rate, outstanding parks and recreational opportunities are just to name positive aspects of these neighborhoods. Growing up in a historic neighborhood myself, I appreciate the the warmth, family-oriented, and supportive networking possibilities of these neighborhoods that is why I chose to raise my family in one.

Kelan Oster

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.

I am a resident of South Fargo and work as a Bank Compliance Consultant for Eide Bailly. I have lived in the Fargo area for the last 4 years and hope to help make Fargo the best it can be. While attending the University of Mary I studied servant leadership in depth. That is why I am running to be your Fargo City Commissioner, to serve the people of Fargo. I will work hard each and every day to be the leader we all deserve representing us.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

I see Fargo continuing to grow at an even faster rate than it currently is. This will be accomplished through an outreach program to bring in new high paying jobs with great benefits. These opportunities for the people of Fargo will help ensure that we retain the hardworking citizens we have and bring in new talented workers. This will need to be accomplished through outreach to businesses not currently here as well as current businesses. By convincing businesses looking to expand to grow in Fargo rather than other area metros we will help ensure that Fargo’s citizens always have great work options available to them. We also need to be the city that all businesses want to expand in. We will accomplish this by the removal of regulations and hoops that are discouraging growth. I will work hard each and every day to ensure Fargo is truly open for business, all business.

We need to ensure that neighborhoods are truly taken care of while still keeping an eye on the bottom line. If we are not responsible with the city’s limited resources we will see all neighborhoods in disarray. We need to tap all ideas and resources to find the best ways to improve all areas of our city and ensure maintenance and updates are properly allocated. We need to look at encouraging businesses and other city leaders to invest in our community. We will accomplish this mostly through enticements. We need to ensure however that any tax payer money used to encourage any expansion is truly in the best interest of the people of Fargo.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Transportation is a very important issue within Fargo that I believe needs to be addressed. As more people continue to move in to Fargo, we are going to need to have a set plan in place to handle the additional vehicles. This is where buses become very important. The bus system in Fargo does not currently have enough stops to really be a major service to the majority of our citizens. We need to look at adding more stops to ensure people who need to or want to use this mode of transportation can. This will need to start with an analysis of the bus routes and the riders we have to determine what the best steps would be. We also need to look at adding bike/skate paths to all updated roads where room is permitted. This will help to cut down on the number of vehicles traveling our streets and should help to reduce the wear and tear. We also need to ensure when planning updates to streets to ensure proper stop lights and street lights exist to make all non-vehicle modes of transportation easier as well safer. I would love to see all citizens be able to take better advantage of these opportunities however at the current time in many areas this is not an option.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

In many developed areas of our city we are beginning to see deteriorations that are only being updated and fixed through expensive special assessments added to our tax bills. This is an area that our leaders need to look at very closely. We are requiring property owners to foot the entire bill for street updates that are benefitting more than just them. We need to look at different tax avenues to pay for some of or all of these projects. We should take a look in to finding ways to pay for these updates through sales tax. We owe it to the citizens in developed neighborhood to at least explore the option. If we had a slightly higher sales tax rates and then gave that break to the citizens of Fargo through breaks in their property taxes and special assessments we would be ensuring that roads are being updated without taking it all from our citizens. People who do not live in Fargo, but use the roads would then pay for some of the upkeep.

Dave Piepkorn

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.

Deputy Mayor & City Commissioner

Department Liaison: Engineering

Committee Liaison: Metropolitan Council of Governments, Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, Liquor Control, Position Evaluation, Renaissance Zone, Tax Exempt Review, Fargodome Finance Committee, Diversion Authority, Alternate to the Lake Agassiz Water Authority, Finance Committee and Traffic Technical Advisory Committee

Board Liaison: Fargo Dome Authority, Special Assessment, Auditorium, Parking, Red River Basin Board and Downtown Community Partnership

Term Expires: June 2018

Commissioner Dave Piepkorn was elected to the Fargo City Commission in June 2008 and served until 2012. He was re-elected in 2014. Piepkorn served seven years as a member of the Fargo Dome Authority.

Professional background:Commissioner Piepkorn is a past franchise owner of TruGreen lawn care service. The business has two locations, one in downtown Fargo and the other in Grand Forks, ND.

Educational background: Piepkorn graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in 1984. He was a captain of the 1983 National Champion Football team. Piepkorn was drafted in 1984 in the 5th Round by the Cleveland Browns.

Personal: Piepkorn is a lifelong Fargo resident who attended Washington Elementary, Ben Franklin Junior High and graduated from Fargo North High in 1979. He and his wife, Vickie, were married in 1990. She is a former elementary teacher and has a Master’s degree from NDSU. (Exceeded word limit)

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

A growing and vibrant city.

Increasing downtown redevelopment.

Repurposing the Civic center.

Using the land made available from our flood protection to grow.

Removing regulations that would inhibit our citizens on improving their neighborhoods and promoting programs that encourage homeowners to improve their homes.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Spending our tax dollars wisely, having accurate facts to invest in transportation that benefits the most people.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

The costs paid by specials are a fixed number. If there is a better way to pay them, we should consider them.

Arlette Preston

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.

I grew up in the Mayville-Portland area and have been living in Fargo for the past 43 years. I attended St. Luke’s School of Nursing, received a B.S. in Nursing at MSUM and a M.S. in Nursing, Texas Woman’s University.

My employment at MeritCare (now Sanford) was for 21 years as a nurse, educator, and administrator. After leaving MeritCare, I started my current business-- Home Instead Senior Care -- in 2003, which I’ve been managing for the past 14 years and employing 85 people.

I served on the Fargo City Commission 1992-2000. During my tenure, the Land Development Code was completely re-written, providing more clarity for decision makers and developers. I led the study which resulted in the first downtown re-development plan, providing impetus for the adoption of the Renaissance Zone legislation. I chaired the task force setting up the first Renaissance Zone in Fargo. I led the effort to hire the first Human Resources Director for the City of Fargo.

I have been a longtime member of the Plains Art Museum and served on their Board of Directors. During my tenure as Chair, the Art Museum met a fundraising goal to finish a 7y project expanding the museum into an adjacent building and providing a home for the Fargo Public Schools Center for Creativity. (Exceeded word limit)

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

Fargo will be an open, welcoming community attracting young workers to well-paying career jobs. Fargo will be a community of neighborhoods where residents can feel safe, where people know and interact with neighbors, and will be a community of which our residents can be proud. Neighborhoods will be walkable and essential services will be easily accessible. Our growth will be managed to make efficient use of our infrastructure, working with our neighboring communities to combine resources in meeting resident’s needs.

Within the next four years, along with City staff, I will work to re-design the infrastructure planning process. The process has already begun and it will provide more opportunity for neighborhood involvement, up front, to provide input and influence the end product. Along with that, streets will be designed to be bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly. Bump-outs, tree planting, speed bumps should be incorporated to make neighborhoods safer. With the Park District and City staff, I will work to enhance activities programming to encourage interaction within neighborhoods, including support for neighborhood associations.

Most important -- neighborhood plans need to be developed to provide guidance to the development process, identifying how density changes from the downtown neighborhood out into the core neighborhoods. Out of those plans, policies will become more evident, including design standards sensitive to surrounding neighborhoods. Once the vision and more detailed plans are in place, the Planning and City Commission must stand behind those plans.

In the meantime, the Fargo Neighborhood Association Coalition (FNC) is working toward a rental licensure program. I fully support that effort and have been centrally involved. The conversion of single family housing into rental units must be better controlled. The Fargo Community Development Committee, along with the FNC, is studying the possibility of starting a Community Trust Fund to prevent some of the rental conversions. Again, I fully support this effort and will work to accomplish that.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

Right now, the entire traffic light system is built around pushing car traffic through. With minimal effort those can be re-programmed to a “pedestrian-first” focus. As streets are re-constructed and as new streets come in play, bike paths need to be consistently implemented and traffic calming concepts should be incorporated. In cooperation with the Park District and School District, a public service program should be considered -- to educate and encourage the public regarding the health benefits of walking/biking/skating.

Regarding the transit system – we need to be as efficient as possible with this and the most recent MetroCOG plan presented the idea of a regional transit authority. I would support studying this as a possibility.

There are so many plans on all forms of transportation, put together by Metro COG, along with suggested policies. My priority will be to re-examine those plans, discover how much, if any, has actually been implemented, and pursue best practices identified in those plans.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments

Changing the financing of infrastructure obviously would require study to figure out what is possible. We need to find a city-wide funding mechanism for reconstruction projects, whether it’s through making these projects a higher priority in the city budget or through another method such as a sales tax. The entire street grid is used by more than just the local neighborhoods and is central to traffic planning.

With new construction, I would be very supportive of examining other approaches, such as developers carrying that cost up front and passing it on in the price of new housing. The few projects that have been financed this way have produced challenges which must be closely studied and problems mitigated. There are other options such as impact fees, as well. It would be wise for a city of our size to consider other options which could help to decrease the burden of special assessments on home owners and decrease the current practice of leap-frog development.

Mike Williams

Please share about yourself and your leadership experience.

Married to wife Susan, the best thing ever. Fargo native, youngest in a family of 10. Attended Hawthorne, St. Anthony's and Shanley. I learned the importance of teamwork and planning working construction 5 years across ND and across the SE of U.S. I moved back and entered the hospitality business. I learned to serve and connect people by listening and introducing them to other customers.
These building and communication skills served me well as I became a more engaged, active citizen since 1994 and as a commissioner.

My role is collaborating and connecting people to achieve a common goal. I work to engage the community and listen to citizens. Example is key initiatives identified in Fargo GO2030 for what our city should accomplish by 2030. 8,700 people shared their ideas. We've improved in some areas of the top 5 but still much work to be done:

Flood protection
Neighborhoods, infill
Arts and Culture
Walking and Biking
Design standards

While I didn’t always agree with my fellow commissioners, and my votes prove that. I listen carefully, look for verifiable information, offer viable alternatives, and most importantly treat people with respect. This is how we make progress.

What is your vision for the future of Fargo? What goals and objectives would you like to see our community accomplish in the next four years?

*Permanent in town flood protection.

*Improving land use and comprehensive water management stops expansion into natural flood plain. A benefit of this will be more focus on making better use of land and infrastructure in our current footprint.

*Design for people first and foremost, focusing on becoming a less car centric city. Many don’t realize our citizens on average, spend more on transportation (27%) than on housing (24%) source: FM Metropolitan Council of Governments.

*More transportation options: Many people will still choose to drive, but people can have more money available for housing along with a better quality of life when we have access to robust transit, good bike facilities, and expanding opportunities for a sharing economy like award winning Great Rides bike share, EVs to GO car share, Uber, Lyft, and mixed use neighborhoods that promote more walking.

*Incorporate art into urban design and infrastructure as a standard. Fargo invests tens of millions each year into planning and infrastructure. We should have a resident artist program established at inception of projects are being considered and designed. Take a multidisciplinary approach to work to build lasting art, and people-oriented design into streets and above ground projects.

Analyze and apply best practices from cities across the country moving away from single use Euclidian zoning and land use toward a more context-oriented form-based coding. In 2014, I invited Placemakers expert Hazel Borys to share about how Fargo can start with a simple form code applied that can help us incorporate more context-based zoning in specific LDC areas to start.

This will help neighborhoods be more attractive, walkable, connected, and integrated socially and economically. Adding more mixed use to thousands of acres of underused, low value parking lots can create new neighborhoods across parts of the city dedicated almost exclusively to retail/commercial.

In 1960 Fargo had a total of 8 square miles and 50,000 people = 10 people per acre. This is similar to current density in our core neighborhoods like Hawthorne today. Today our footprint has grown at 2.5 times the rate of our population growth. There are several factors for this, a major one is a mentality that “all growth is good”. This has contributed to a decades long expansion of Fargo’s footprint now 54 sections and just 3.5 people per acre with disconnected neighborhoods. This makes for very high special assessments, less efficient and more expense to provide city services and infrastructure.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood values all forms of transportation: walking, skating, biking, driving and busing. What policies would you support to increase access to all modes of transportation?

*Plan and design for people first. Focus on more complete, connected streets and invest more resources to adopt proven best practices to become a less car centric city that features people, accommodating active transportation as well as cars.

*Promote sharing economy: Many people will still choose to drive, but people can have more money available for housing along with a better quality of life when we have access to robust transit, good bike facilities, and expanding opportunities for a sharing economy like award winning Great Rides bike share, EVs to GO car share, Uber, Lyft, and mixed use neighborhoods that promote more walking

* Reduce cost of bus day pass to $2.50 and adopt mobile ticket purchase system to improve ease of use.

*Double Matbus annual ridership from 2.1 million to 4.2 million. Add value by investing more in Matbus and public transportation systems. Tie proximity to transit in incentive policies to promote more affordable, walkable mixed-use housing development close to these routes.

*Develop enhanced intersecting direct routes in grid neighborhoods like those in the core area between I-94 and 32 Ave N for more direct rides with more frequency.

*Require a comparative analysis that weighs opportunity costs prior to making large transportation and parking capital investments.

Street infrastructure in core neighborhoods has begun to age. What ways can the city improve infrastructure financing as to not place such a burden on homeowners through special assessments?

To reduce special assessment costs on replacing/enhancing existing infrastructure beyond existing street sales tax resources, we could apply some of the new revenue derived from our investments in expanding developing a regional water supply and waste treatment program.

We get what we plan for. If we continue to build for cars foremost, we will get more cars. If we build for people, we’ll get more people. Run some projections/comparative analysis that includes: Savings from possible reductions in street widths and low value parking lots. Savings can be invested in more public active transportation options and mixed use to reduce driving.

More trees and grass, less pavement. Cities across the country and world (Like Oslo Norway, Vancouver BC, Portland OR) have reduced vehicle congestion while increasing population and active transportation. We can revisit appropriate street widths, possible road diets, and most cost-effective materials and design that reduces negative environmental impacts.

Have developers pay for a large part of new development infrastructure and include that in the initial purchase of house, no second mortgage for specials. In most cities, this is the standard method of development and reduces sprawl inducing expansion into farm fields and focuses full development in areas with existing infrastructure. These privately funded infrastructure projects must meet city specifications and traffic analysis to ensure quality, capacity, and connectivity.

About Simone Wai

Creator. Adventurer. Learner. Community Builder at Folkways. Experience designer of @AlleyFair, @redrivermarket and other such lovely things.

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Candidate Responses

City Commission Candidates

Linda Boyd

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About Simone Wai