City of Fargo, Airport Authority to enter mediation

The City Commission in the City of Fargo will enter mediation with the Fargo Municipal Airport Authority, in a decision made Monday night at the City Commission meeting. The meeting included a public comment session, which brought several supporters forward for the Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.

Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney says the main issue, at the center, is updating the original Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was last updated since 1969, and Mahoney says the City is just ‘trying to clarify the MOU.’

Mahoney says the City is happy to go into mediation with the Airport Authority.

Commissioner John Strand made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Dave Piepkorn and passed by a majority, to enter the two entities into mediation. Strand’s motion gives the two entities 45 days to come to a resolution.

If not agreed to, Strand’s motion says the City will move into an orderly dissolution of the Airport Authority.

Commissioner Tony Grindberg says he believes the outcome will ‘hopefully be positive.’ He says it is ‘incumbent on us to work through the issue.’

Strand says he believes all parties ‘will come out better for it.’

Commissioner Tony Gehrig says the Airport Authority wants services through the City of Fargo, but the Authority wants to keep the employees its own, not under the City’s umbrella.

This is a developing news story. Stay tuned to AM 1100 The Flag and am1100theflag.com for updates on this developing news story.