FARGO, N.D. – Two days after the Fargo City Commission delayed a decision on committee and department liaison assignments, the Commission met Wednesday in a special meeting to consider and adopt the assignments for the upcoming year.
“I know at the Monday night meeting, it was proposed to have this as a brown bag workshop, but what we realized is that an action needed to be happened, especially with some of the commission’s meeting next week and making sure that we have a formal appointment,” Mayor Josh Boschee said at the outset of the meeting.
At the request of Commissioner John Strand, City Attorney Ian McLean clarified the Home Rule Charter rules. Individual department assignments are proposed by the Mayor and approved by the Commission, while committee/board assignments are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Commission.
In the hour-long meeting, commissioners collaborated with each other to adjust portfolios. Commissioner John Strand was apprehensive to make any changes to the assignments.
“I think we need to not undermine the expected role of the mayor on the first day we’re in office,” he said. “ I think that this is a discussion that should happen through policy.”
Despite Strand’s comments, the Commission changed some of the assignments. Those changes are:
- Commissioner Chad Peterrson will serve on the FargoDome Authority and its finance committee, and will inherit the FargoDome portfolio from Commissioner Michelle Turnberg. Turnberg will inherit the Municipal Airport Authority’s spot represented by the City Commission.
- Boschee will continue to hold the Fargo Police Department portfolio, while Commissioner Nikkie Gullickson will hold the Fargo Fire Department portfolio. Commissioner Michelle Turnberg requested the portfolio for the department, citing her two years of building relationships with members of the departments. Gullickson said she was unwilling to give up the assignment as she had begun to also build relationships.
- Peterson was reassigned to the Economic Development Incentives Committee (EDIC) from Gullickson. Turnberg cited Peterson’s 12 years of county and legislative experience as the reason for her recommendation.
- Gullickson will take on the Red River Regional Dispatch Center portfolio. After the EDIC switch, she expressed interest in the assignment to align with her portfolio with the Fargo Fire Department.
Commissioner Strand brought up the Native American Commission (NAC) liaison assignment.
“It’s my understanding that when we reinvented the Native American Commission and it went to the community that we would maintain a liaison relationship with the Native American Commission into their future, and just to have some bridge to us officially,” he said. “I would recommend Commissioner Turnberg for that, because she had a huge voice and role in community members stepping up and participating in the reinvention of the Native American Commission out into the community.”
McLean said there will likely be action at the Commission meeting on July 20 regarding the NAC.
“It has not totally been disbanded,” he said.
