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citizenportal.ai

LAWA to pursue shared lobbying arrangement with City of Fargo, retains previous lobbyist preference

LAWA staff said Garrison Diversion hired its own lobbyist; the board authorized staff to pursue a lobbying arrangement with the City of Fargo and expressed interest in continuing to work with consultant Terry Evertz of Integrity Public Affairs.

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LAWA approves $2.13 million task order for construction-phase services at Biota water plant

Black & Veatch presented Task Order 2650 for construction-phase services at the Biota Water Treatment Plant with a fee of $2,134,000 (about 10.4% of estimated construction cost); the board approved the task order by roll call.

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LAWA board authorizes procurement for construction-manager-at-risk to speed Biota plant work

After presentations and extensive Q&A, the authority authorized staff to develop CMAR procurement documents (RFQ/RFP) for the Biota Water Treatment Plant to gain schedule advantages and earlier cost certainty; board members cited Grand Forks examples and range of contractor markups.

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LAWA board backs due diligence on state ownership option for major supply project

The Lake Agassiz Water Authority unanimously approved a resolution directing staff to pursue due diligence on a proposal to transfer project ownership and operations to the State Water Commission (Option 3), citing the state's 75% cost share and the project's statewide scale.

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State water officials warn of multibillion-dollar funding gap, urge bonding and governance changes

The director of North Dakota's Department of Water Resources told the Lake Agassiz Water Authority that projected extraction-tax declines create a near-term funding shortfall of about $2.1 billion and longer-term gap of $1.7 billion, and consultants recommend bonding and governance options including state ownership for further due diligence.

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City staff says permit, documentation gaps and updated codes underlie denial of Explorer Academy locking request

City staff told the Board of Appeals it denied the Explorer Academy's request because there was no formal permit application on file and incomplete documentation from the 2020 approval; staff said bringing the expanded area to current code or providing a full alternative-design package is required.

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Board of Appeals finds error in building official's interpretation, clears path for Explorer Academy locks pending design submittal

The Fargo Board of Appeals voted to find an error in the building official's interpretation and signaled support for Fargo Public Schools' request to add three magnetized door locks at the Explorer Academy, while directing the district to file a formal alternative-design submittal or seek City Commission action.

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Commissioners raise concerns about assessor rulings and a state equalization appeal

Commissioners discussed a recent property assessment outcome and the county's experience before the State Equalization Board, questioned why parcels (including Rice Lake) were treated as commercial, and discussed whether local ordinances and enforcement of permit expirations should be strengthened.

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Commission adopts West Fargo growth area plan; lagoon redevelopment and site work flagged as next steps

On second reading the commission adopted the West Fargo growth area plan, citing 18 months of outreach. Staff said lagoon redevelopment and site-selector work are near-term priorities; airport authority follow-up was noted.

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Mandan Airport Authority seeks fuel‑system upgrade and hangar plans; commission approves 2027 airport budget

Airport director Lindsey Gerhardt reported 106 based aircraft, full T‑hangar occupancy with a 12‑person waitlist, plans for apron mill/overlay and T‑hangar maintenance, and proposed a 12,000‑gallon Jet A / 12,000‑gallon Avgas fuel system upgrade (estimated cost contingent on 50/50 North Dakota Aeronautics participation); the commission approved the airport authority’s 2027 budget.

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External auditors give Mandan a clean financial opinion but flag repeat control findings at the airport

Brady Martz presented an unmodified opinion on the city's 2025 financial statements and single audit reports but reported two repeat findings (segregation of duties at the airport and auditors preparing financial statements) and two single‑audit control documentation issues tied to the Flood Mitigation Assistance program; management has taken corrective steps on noted items, the auditors said.

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Commission introduces Ordinance 1488 and sets public hearing on the 2027 preliminary city budget and tax levy

Finance staff introduced Ordinance 1488 — the preliminary all‑funds 2027 budget and proposed 2026 tax levy — outlining $43.3M in all‑funds expenditures, no new full‑time positions, salary plan adjustments, and a wastewater treatment facility planning estimate; commissioners approved introduction and called a public budget hearing.