Fargo City Commissioners to Governor: Raise occupancy, increase hours of in-person dining in bars, restaurants

 

Two Fargo City Commission members have written a letter to North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to ask for local changes in the bar and restaurant industry, citing reduced numbers of active cases and total hospitalizations in Cass County.

Fargo City Commissioners Dave Piepkorn and Tony Gehrig, who also sit on the city's Liquor Control Board, have requested Governor Burgum increase occupancy in bars and restaurants from 50 percent to 75 percent, and increase in-person dining service hours in bars and restaurants from ending at 10 p.m. to ending at 12 a.m.

"We feel, after conversations with industry leaders, that this is a prudent and rational
request given the downward decline of COVID-19 cases in Cass County," the letter stated. "As you are well aware many bars and restaurants are struggling to keep afloat and during this holiday season we feel that this would be a significant opportunity for many of them to increase their profits without impacting the health and well-being of our residents."