[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6209338,"mediaKeyId","3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72","parentId",3735918,"title","City and JDA move to acquire 575–595 S. Washington amid billboard easement dispute with Newman Signs","audioSeconds",811,"startMs",907000,"endMs",1718000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72&start=907&end=1718","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72/thumbnail_907000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6209338/Grand-Forks/Grand-Forks-County/North-Dakota/City-and-JDA-move-to-acquire-575595-S-Washington-amid-billboard-easement-dispute-with-Newman-Signs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209338-6ae4295bb774af53025055b0c123b4ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149520&Signature=Hu5C05HZnmLudzNoz0XRMSbHyVntYWyQiYz1t2Hm5vS7aO0-2lNyavRsIpw-ZcN6Cu~pvpgGapAnf8lbmEMRDaL1a8sCNasWBjsth9kodv1L9qBs-cmFdYq6IJKdPyvEntY1ow7GZts4r~KFi9bNb~cl-bNEP8xXiUcFy7d64WoX1DJxq1AcK2kC7Mb-UpF1WhkBmYAJolYyvghjNfxoiygmpybGvCV2fgdihQ-WUeIpQ4YAF23s4Jb9olagts02vDhmZ7PwAZ20KXe8ssKHezM7PuNKrOdMplKXoYmgd-rM9yAgMD5nFPNkTgNzeiZ2TiBwBaSXwkXjbExKsn9Pog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Grand Forks, ND","date","2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Forks Growth Fund JDA and the Grand Forks City Council on June 2 took steps to advance a purchase of property at 575 and 595 South Washington Street, while flagging unresolved easement restrictions that limit sign placement and create practical constraints for the city’s intended uses.

At a JDA meeting earlier in the evening staff summarized a purchase agreement executed in March between the city and Lander Real Estate LLC and said the seller had retained obligations to pay annual billboard easement fees to Newman Signs, Inc. Staff described three signed easements covering three separate areas; a 2025 payment is roughly $14,000, rising to about $14,600 in 2026 with a 3% escalator.

“One of the conditions for the city to be required to close is that the terms of the easements… are approved by the council,” staff said. The easement documents prohibit placing any sign within 600 feet of the recorded billboards — a distance that would include the city’s adjacent Fire Station 1 parcel and could bar traffic and maintenance signage in rights of way, staff warned. City staff proposed amendments to the easement to allow a monument sign on the purchased property, a static building sign, and an explicit exception for traffic and street maintenance signage; Newman Signs rejected the proposed easement amendments and also rejected a staff offer to reduce the annual payment to 50%.

Because the easements run with the land and name the city as the grantor if it takes title, staff reported legal uncertainty about whether assigning the purchase agreement to the JDA would fully avoid those constraints; legal research showed a JDA can sometimes be treated as a separate entity and sometimes as an alter ego of the city. The JDA voted to accept assignment of the purchase agreement should City Council approve the transfer. At the City Council meeting later the same night the council voted to authorize the city to pursue the JDA assignment rather than terminate the contract or accept the easement terms as written.

Supporters called the property a strategic, contiguous site next to Fire Station 1 that could provide office and garage space for the fire marshal’s office. Fire Department representatives said current space at Station 1 is crowded and that retrofitting or expanding the existing station would be more expensive than the purchase.

Council members raised frustration that Newman Signs would not negotiate, but voted to advance the acquisition and to ask Planning and Community Development staff to explore a variance related to billboard rules and potential signage options on the purchased property. The council’s action directs staff to proceed with the assumption of the purchase agreement assignment and to brief the council as negotiation and title matters continue; the property closing remains contingent on resolving the easement and purchase‑agreement conditions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Grand Forks JDA/City Council Meeting- June 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Grand Forks City Council and the Forks Growth Fund JDA agreed on June 2 to advance a purchase‑agreement assignment for property at 575 and 595 South Washington Street, even as signed billboard easements held by Newman Signs constrain signage and complicate the proposed use adjacent to Fire Station 1.","taxTitle","Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, North Dakota","taxId",3815,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209328,"Council affirms special assessments for Oscarville paving after court‑directed monetization analysis; opponents petitioned for evidentiary review",778,2669000,3447000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72&start=2669&end=3447","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72/thumbnail_2669000.jpg","/articles/6209328/Grand-Forks/Grand-Forks-County/North-Dakota/Council-affirms-special-assessments-for-Oscarville-paving-after-courtdirected-monetization-analysis-opponents-petitioned-for-evidentiary-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209328-9658837ac192dd66bc89d63870e56fd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149520&Signature=hiSbCTSRF2z0wR8pTtqjhmkE3p-wkdBkIMEqyMacODW776tDEgE9vUw~sqi2eZnJvCLL2YivtupHRkYaZLCiqskAt3VuCQg79EErtePxd0v5jjZh7jUIGzAYIjwvfTVyB0neucc-Y4u1aKZEO8rIp3eX1GJjTSt0zk2MZY4haQv1PUd7avgRmI5o3Hn2omNG0gGt0DuC64X1IeLWzjdSWHGp1UiH9XiYkgf~HnkRPlu6PRn0nyK72x~ul2UezfQb6XxuegfXR6Y-3Hx2MD0XZZJucIoS3BepLZlE8E5Z1-s2zJKQshswKW-WAmVrS4QBl3vBlAvZs9GYL6D3nS4PWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Forks City Council on June 2 affirmed special assessments tied to Project 7539 (paving and streetlights in the Oscarville area) after hearing staff legal analysis, public comment from property owners who appealed, and council discussion about methodology to monetize special benefits.

City legal staff summarized the legal history: the council’s earlier certification of assessments was affirmed at district court but reversed by the North Dakota Supreme Court in a 3‑2 decision. The Supreme Court directed municipalities to monetize special benefits when comparing assessments to benefits and said municipalities may use present and future use or formulas — but must provide a monetary estimate of benefits on a parcel‑by‑parcel basis rather than only cost‑driven measures. City staff presented a monetization methodology that combined a conservative estimate of future development value (roughly $11.4 million for undeveloped acreage in the project area) with a calculated value tied to improved emergency response using published value‑of‑statistical‑life (VSL) estimates drawn from federal data; staff said the combined benefit estimate exceeded the project costs.

An owner‑representative who spoke at the public hearing challenged the methodology and data. He told the council the Special Assessment Commission had not exercised independent fact‑finding, disputed the use and applicability of a national VSL compilation to local response times, and asked for an evidentiary hearing to test assumptions. The speaker questioned dispatch and response‑time figures that staff used and argued the monetized benefits “don’t add up,” urging the council to reconvene with more fact‑finding.

Staff described cross‑department analysis including police, fire and assessing staff. Fire and police personnel provided comparisons of response times before and after paving; city staff said truck‑travel time to incidents was faster and that the analysis used federal data to monetize the value of reduced mortality risk in emergency responses. Staff also described an approach to allocate total monetized benefits to individual parcels using the same frontage‑based formula that had been applied to spread project costs, producing a per‑lot benefit assignment comparable to the cost allocation.

After public comment the council debated whether to postpone the decision for further evidentiary review. A motion to postpone two weeks failed on a 3–3 tie; a subsequent motion to approve the benefit determination carried by roll call. Council members who voted to affirm cited the need to follow the Supreme Court’s guidance and the city’s analytic work; those opposed or urging more review argued the assumptions used to monetize benefits required further testing and clearer evidentiary supplementation.

The council’s action affirms the Special Assessment Commission’s methodology and authorizes proceeding with the assessments as certified; opponents indicated they may pursue further legal remedies. Staff said they would be available to provide additional material and to participate in any further proceedings required by the courts or the council.","The Grand Forks City Council on June 2 affirmed special assessments for the Oscarville paving and streetlight project after staff presented a monetized benefits analysis the council concluded met the North Dakota Supreme Court’s new guidance; property owners who appealed challenged the assumptions and asked for evidentiary review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209333,"City Council approves 10‑year PILOT for Cirrus Aircraft expansion, tying completion milestones and conditions to incentives",359,2012000,2371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72&start=2012&end=2371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72/thumbnail_2012000.jpg","/articles/6209333/Grand-Forks/Grand-Forks-County/North-Dakota/City-Council-approves-10year-PILOT-for-Cirrus-Aircraft-expansion-tying-completion-milestones-and-conditions-to-incentives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209333-36c127ca0a0ea16c65e13cab02a00aee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149520&Signature=FMN-gsWRGrcGIBIhJEtJK0H6ck62DGshHNgmfEW4v71Yk9sbFeJnNWqhN7r4DQ0OD22xarkkj9Df-o-SFj8UQ6MTAN2T-T586Phov55BmOdF6EvbXTbRNx5I1OP~1F6KK07lt26AgK3RZkFEoDb-i0MKheCvBIbURP35fSRquey~ICTejZH~Q4OX6PHLd6mnB1FblQL~IQ8eMI5hkcEA0cslKH7kAN3d05DejX8WWWNE0Sg7sutJyL6vdf5RYaHS47cq5GCfHIYA6Z-j4EjuqwaJWhWK98b533D5gY3jqy9NnsTUrthZNcQ7YLnhTiNW4J-w4M9p7wHfSI2ez5jMYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Forks City Council on June 2 approved a 10‑year payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes (PILOT) development agreement to support a 30,000‑square‑foot expansion and renovation at Cirrus Aircraft’s Grand Forks facility.

City staff presented the PILOT, describing it as part of a larger planned expansion that staff estimated at about $15 million for current work and indicating an additional 60,000 to 90,000 square feet of potential expansion over the next five years. Mr. Phelan, a city staff presenter, said the company planned to begin construction this summer if approvals proceeded on schedule and that the JDA had already approved related PACE financing. “All told, it’s an estimated amount by about a $15,000,000 investment,” Phelan said.

City legal staff reviewed the pilot agreement with council. The agreement requires the expansion’s substantial completion and issuance of a certificate of occupancy before pilot payments begin, sets a completion window (commence by August 2025, complete by April 2026), and lists annual conditions — including no defaults and continued accuracy of developer representations — that must be satisfied on each assessment date for the pilot to remain in force. The pilot applies only to the identified project and operator; special assessments remain unaffected and other property‑tax incentives are ineligible during the pilot term.

City legal staff cited Century Code requirements for pilot findings and said the council must find the pilot is in the best interest of the city; that finding is required by statute (Century Code 40‑57.1‑3, subsection 5, as read into the record). City staff said the existing building and land remain taxable; only the qualified expansion area is eligible for the pilot once the project reaches substantial completion.

Council members asked procedural questions about the checklist of public notices and local advisory steps; staff presented a timeline showing notices to the Department of Commerce, local government advisory committee meetings and briefings to the school board and county commission. Council member Rosalind voiced concern about offering incentives to firms with foreign ownership; that comment was recorded on the public record but did not change the motion. The council moved to approve the development agreement and pilot; the motion passed with one dissent (Osovsky).

The council’s approval authorizes the mayor and staff to finalize the pilot documents; the pilot becomes operative only after the project meets the agreement’s completion and non‑default conditions and as the developer requests pilot status under the terms of the agreement.","Grand Forks City Council on June 2 approved a 10‑year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement to support a 30,000‑square‑foot expansion and renovation for Cirrus Aircraft, with strict milestone and compliance conditions before the PILOT takes effect.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209343,"Forks Growth Fund JDA approves multiple PACE and Accelerate loan requests and modifications",231,280000,511000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72&start=280&end=511","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735918-b51caee6305767933b7dcd152c0d1f72/thumbnail_280000.jpg","/articles/6209343/Grand-Forks/Grand-Forks-County/North-Dakota/Forks-Growth-Fund-JDA-approves-multiple-PACE-and-Accelerate-loan-requests-and-modifications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209343-eb7624866ae42d15ac31159aef14e7b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149520&Signature=kGgywISdMdJUrKwnijQe7Wuv95L5ugDH0NYeDYRw0pCXyVOvyGxdGbLuKJohTudchno8xNWozuToFIXejlkkHfcNRO3R6xclkHdT1Kz4VVlwAfOB8gVSRaWnjq3LRjZsFkabYxCy2Vgkq1s6vwY84RIhJRh8Dt4hQ~JBgZ5FnPKiKUC8PboN5jEoeL-6jpqn5wmuDF~wK45E6QqDQaNS~8GNqlg0nJ0RDc30YkwvEtQMrys7~sfNU4QZIQcd780oUq9UxiI9T6AZW5LOUWm467vpKgWnoLCr2g71BW9vhhc7jP5if3FVlooX4ouczdyaW05kZkl-lSCc2xEiNYNJmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Forks Growth Fund Joint Development Authority on June 2 approved a series of financing actions, voting unanimously on most items to back equipment purchases and cash‑flow modifications for several area companies.

The authority approved PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) or similar flex loans for Johnstown Bean Company, Northern Plains Railroad and Cirrus Industries; approved Accelerate program modifications for Thread and Safety Spec to extend and spread repayment; authorized collection efforts on a defaulted Accelerate borrower identified as Taylor E; and approved a modification for an EDA RLF loan to Integrity Fundraisers.

The loans and modifications were introduced by staff member John Conlon. “The loan is gonna be funded in part by a, a Larris loan of $500,000… The interest would be deferred for the standard 5 years, and then repaid over 12 months at 2 and a half percent and then secured by a subordinate blanket UCC and some corporate and personal guarantees,” Conlon said when presenting the Johnstown Bean request. Conlon gave similar funding and security details for the Northern Plains Railroad and Cirrus Industries requests, and described the Thread and Safety Spec modifications as measures to assist companies during fundraising or to provide cash‑flow flexibility.

Board members moved each item to public hearing, heard no public speakers, and then voted. For the Johnstown Bean request the authority moved to approve ‘‘by Sandy, by Berg’’ and recorded a unanimous aye. The Northern Plains Railroad PACE request and the Cirrus Industries PACE request each carried after motions to approve; the Cirrus vote was recorded with 1 dissent (Osofsky) on the JDA roll. The Thread Accelerate modification included a separate procedural motion to allow Council President Sandy to participate after an initial recusal was raised; that motion (to allow Sandy to vote) passed, and the authority then approved the extension with Sandy recorded as not voting on the final motion to modify the loan maturity.

Conlon told the authority that the Accelerate Loan Program is no longer active and that staff had coordinated recommendations with the Bank of North Dakota on these legacy loans. On Taylor E, Conlon said the borrower “is ceasing operations, no longer have any financial assets and… unable to repay,” and the authority voted to authorize staff and the city attorney to pursue collection and, if appropriate, declare the loan in default.

Actions on the agenda were conveyed as staff recommendations; most motions were moved and seconded from the dais and passed without extended debate. No members of the public spoke during the related public hearings.

The authority’s approvals authorize staff to execute the financing documents and adjustments described in staff reports; the loans and modifications remain subject to the specific loan terms and security filings described at the meeting.","The Forks Growth Fund Joint Development Authority on June 2 approved PACE and Accelerate financing for local businesses including Johnstown Bean Company, Northern Plains Railroad and Cirrus Industries, and approved loan modifications and collection actions for several Accelerate and EDA/RLF borrowers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City and JDA move to acquire 575–595 S. Washington amid billboard easement dispute with Newman Signs

Council affirms special assessments for Oscarville paving after court‑directed monetization analysis; opponents petitioned for evidentiary review

City Council approves 10‑year PILOT for Cirrus Aircraft expansion, tying completion milestones and conditions to incentives

Forks Growth Fund JDA approves multiple PACE and Accelerate loan requests and modifications