Highlights from Monday night’s Fergus Falls City Council meeting include:

• Approved a proclamation declaring February 9 as Giving Hearts Day. There are 562 non-profit organizations participating and at least 12 in Fergus Falls. Participating Organizations receive a match on gifts made.
• Heard a review from our investment advisor with Advanced Capital Group. The city has $27.9 million invested. Reflecting worldwide markets, the city portfolio lost value in 2022. These are unrealized losses as no investments have been sold. With a $3.5 million decrease in value, it is anticipated that will rebound in the next couple of years. 2023 is off to a strong start, having regained nearly $700,000 in January. The investment committee includes representatives from the city council, staff, and an independent financial advisor.
• Appointed Amy Mayo to the Human Rights Commission. The only opening remaining on the city’s boards and commissions is the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Would you like to serve?
• Declared Summerfest, Over the River festival and Shop, Move & Groove as 2023 Community Festivals.
• Adopted the city’s strategic plan. Link to the report here.
• Approved increasing the wage matrix for the police patrol officers and sergeants. This allows the city to attract top candidates and retain the excellent staff already in place.
• Authorized staff to begin working with an attorney from Flaherty & Hood to pursue an annexation by ordinance of land in Fergus Falls township. This is the next step in a process that has included working with the township on a joint resolution for annexation, though an agreement has not yet been reached. Should an agreement remain out of reach, the city may respond with an annexation by ordinance to fulfill the landowner's annexation request.
• Authorized the Heritage Preservation Commission to apply for a grant to assess our downtown and its potential eligibility for historic designation. This does not commit Fergus Falls to making that designation, only begins the assessment.
• Adjourned for closed session then reconvened, directing staff to develop a purchase agreement for a tract of 33,000 square feet of land along Stanton Ave. This is currently a gravel parking lot, owned by Kevin Bartram, developer of the Flour Mill project. Bartram is building a 31-room boutique hotel with construction beginning this spring. The new municipal parking lot will provide public parking as well as continue to serve several businesses in the area as this section of the downtown riverfront is developed.

The city council did not discuss the 9/30/22 letter of intent from the school district regarding the possible acquisition of nearly 15 acres at Kirkbride Park as the site for a future elementary school. Superintendent, Jeff Drake, will first discuss the project with the MN State Historic Preservation Office before it could come back to the council for consideration.

Watch the entire meeting on the city’s YouTube Channel