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Community Development Committee - July 18, 2017 Minutes

The Regular Meeting of the Community Development Committee of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the City Commission Room at City Hall at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 18, 2017.

The Community Development Committee Members present or absent were as follows:

Present: Commissioner John Strand, Mayor Tim Mahoney, Linda Boyd, Linda Klebe, Michael Redlinger, Shara Fischer, Lynn Fundingsland, Samantha McDonald, Sami Eidenschink

Item 1. Welcome
Chairperson Strand welcomed Members to the meeting and introductions were made.

Item 2. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting of June 20, 2017
Ms. Klebe moved the minutes of the June 20, 2017 Community Development Committee meeting be approved. Second by Ms. McDonald. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Item 3. Review Special Assessment Assistance Program policy relating to Tree Removal
Community Development Administrator Dan Mahli reviewed the Special Assessment Assistance Program and provided a background of the policy and the various project types that are eligible under this program. He mentioned that the current policy project types for the program do not include tree removal.

Scott Liudahl, City of Fargo Forester, spoke on the City’s role in maintaining tree safety and health. Fargo City Auditor Steve Sprague discussed the process of notifying property owners of diseased trees and the importance of removing them. He said the fees are able to be special assessed to the property owner and reviewed the timeframe the City gives property owners to pay for tree removal. Discussion was held on the current classification of special assessment for tree removal, which is nuisance abatement, and that tree removal is currently not an eligible project type under the Special Assessment Assistance Program.

Ms. Boyd moved to include tree removal services to qualify under the Special Assessment Assistance Program and asked staff to study an amending language to update tree removal services from nuisance abatement to an infrastructure improvement classification. She stated this could also extend the payment term of the services. Second by Ms. Fischer. On call of the roll Members McDonald, Boyd, Fundingsland, Fischer, Eidenschink, Klebe, and Strand voted aye. The motion was declared carried.

Item 4. Review 2016 CDBG & HOME Executive Summary Report to HUD
Mr. Mahli gave an update and summary on the goals and amount of CDBG and HOME funds spent in the 2016 Program Year. He stated notice of the annual report was published in The Forum and is available for public comment at this time. The City Commission will review the report at its regular meeting on July 31, and upon approval, staff will submit to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Item 5. Update on the Affordability Study
Katie Black and Mary-Bianca Fuller, Community Development Policy Fellows, gave an update on the status of the affordability study. The final report and findings will be summarized and presented to the Community Development Committee in August.

Item 6. Other Business
Mr. Mahli updated the CD Committee on the workgroup that is reviewing the Community Development Grant application and process.

Item 7. Adjourn
The time at adjournment was 3:40 p.m.