Land Management Committee Meeting – March 26, 2025

See full minutes.

A meeting of the Metro Flood Diversion Authority Land Management Committee was held on March 26, 2025. The following members were present: Nathan Boerboom, Fargo Division Engineer; Matt Stamness, Cass County Engineer; Brenda Derrig, Assistant Administrator, City of Fargo; Duane Breitling, Cass County Commissioner; Bob Zimmerman, Moorhead City Engineer; Jake Gust, Cass County Joint Water Resource District; Jenny Mongeau, Clay County Commissioner; Deb White, Moorhead City Council; Michelle Turnberg, Fargo City Commissioner and Tim Flakoll, Cass County Commissioner. 

Member(s) absent: Kevin Campbell, Clay County Commissioner. 

1. CALL TO ORDER

Mr. Breitling called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present.  

2. APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 2025 MEETING

MOTION PASSED 

Mr. Boerboom moved to approve the minutes from February 26, 2025, and Mr. Zimmerman seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the motion carried. 

3. APPROVE THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA

MOTION PASSED 

Mr. Flakoll moved to approve the order of the agenda as amended, moving item 6., up to item 5., and Mr. Gust seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the motion carried. 

4. OIN 1899 SALE OF EXCESS LAND RECOMMENDATION

Mr. Dodds introduced OIN 1899 and asked for approval to sell the parcel per the Excess Lands Policy. OIN 1899 is a heavily wooded parcel located along the Red River in the southeast corner of Cass County. The parcel has access from 54th St SE and the parcel boundary aligns with the center line of the driveway. This parcel is in the Upstream Mitigation Area, Mitigation Zone 1. When acquired, the property had a rural residence, a large horse barn, several other outbuildings, and was home to multiple businesses that have been relocated. The proposed sale price is $275,000. 

MOTION PASSED 

Ms. Derrig moved to approve the sale of OIN 1899 per the Excess Lands Policy and Ms. Mongeau seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the motion carried. 

5. PIFER’S AUCTION AND REALTY SERVICES-PUBLIC SALE OF EXCESS LANDS

Mr. Dodds provided an overview and summary of the Land Auction Proposal that was submitted by Pifer’s Auction and Realty Services.  

Since 2014, Pifer’s has been under contract with CCJWRD and MCCJPA for farmland leasing and management services. Additional services under this contract are auction and realty services. Mr. Dodds recommended that the MFDA retain Pifer’s Auction and Realty Services to auction the excess parcels that have not been liquidated.   

MOTION PASSED 

Mr. Flakoll moved to retain Pifer’s Auction and Realty Services for the liquidation of excess lands and Mr. Stamness seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the motion carried.  

6. OINS 7234B, 7234C AND 7234D SALE OF EXCESS LAND RECOMMENDATION

Mr. Benson introduced the above-referenced parcels and noted that they are part of the abandoned rail corridor parcels.  The parcels are not needed for the project and the Authority would like to have them deemed as excess lands and sell them so that we no longer have to maintain them.  The Excess Land Policy offers first back to the prior property owner (BNSF) which they have declined, second to any member entities, third to adjacent property owners, and finally for public sale.  The City of Horace had expressed interest in either an easement or purchasing the parcels.  Mr. Benson attended a meeting with adjacent property owners on March 12, 2025 and some of the adjacent property owners attended and spoke at the March 26, 2025 Land Committee Meeting. The adjacent property owners expressed interest in purchasing the excess land adjacent to their respective properties and requested that the Excess Land Policy be followed in offering them the next opportunity to purchase the adjacent parcels.  Mr. Benson noted that the challenge is that there are many adjacent property owners and the Authority or CCJWRD cannot end up with a landlocked parcel with no access to maintain.  The proposal laid out the steps that MFDA staff will take to reach out and work with the adjacent property owners.  However, in no situation will we proceed with leaving the parcels with a patchwork of inaccessible project owned land.  If no solution can be reached, the sale of the property would then proceed to the public sale step of the Excess Land Policy.   

Mr. Benson requested that the referenced parcels be deemed Excess Lands and stated that the Excess Lands Policy will be followed and the MFDA staff will contact each of the adjacent property owners as the next step in the policy.   

MOTION PASSED 

Mr. Gust moved to declare the above-referenced parcels as excess lands and Mr. Stamness seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, the motion carried.  

7. OTHER BUSINESS

Mr. Benson reported that a partial RIMP mortgage release has occurred involving OINs 816Y1 and 817Y1.  

8. NEXT MEETING

To be determined.  

9. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:43 PM.