Grand Forks council approves 2026 budget after heated debate; requires NEST to report rules, location and a six‑month evaluation

The Grand Forks City Council adopted the city’s 2026 budget, including the 2026 salary plan and fee schedule, and approved adding nine 9‑1‑1 dispatchers to the public‑safety defined‑benefit pension plan, during a Sept. 15 vote that passed 6–1. Councilmember Salski cast the lone dissenting vote.

The meeting’s budget discussion included a lengthy public and council debate over the Nest, the city‑supported low‑barrier shelter located in the downtown health services corridor. Several council members and many residents raised concerns about downtown quality of life and public safety tied to a small number of high‑contact individuals the police identified; others said closing or defunding the Nest would make the downtown crisis worse and shift costs and risk to emergency departments and the street.

After several unsuccessful motions to remove Nest funding outright, the council passed the budget along with a motion that conditions the city’s 2026 contribution on several deliverables from the Nest and its partners: (1) return to the council within one month with proposed operational parameters and rules tied to the city funding; (2) produce a six‑month evaluation of outcomes tied to the city contribution; (3) evaluate alternative locations for the Nest; and (4) implement stay limits for individuals tied to city funding (the council asked for a 60‑day cap per year as a funding condition) and require clients receiving city‑funded stays to be connected to a designated service provider within 15 days.

Councilmembers who supported the motion said the conditions create oversight and measurable expectations while preserving a place‑based emergency shelter in the near term. Councilmembers who opposed the budget objected to new taxes and utility rate increases in the proposed budget and expressed concern about certain capital and program items (arts grants, BMX funding, and continued support for the city’s community “Hive” facility). The mayor and budget staff said the proposal balanced public‑safety, capital and quality‑of‑life priorities and that staff had trimmed proposals since the initial mayor’s budget.

Vote: The motion to adopt the 2026 budget and include the dispatchers and the Nest conditions passed 6–1 (Weigel Yes; Salski No; Berg Yes; Klenski Yes; Bridal Yes; Dean Yes; President Sandy Yes). The council also approved a number of ordinance changes and fee adoptions contained in the budget package during the final vote.

Why it matters: The budget sets city spending and fees for 2026 and establishes near‑term monitoring and operational conditions for the Nest shelter. The conditions give the city a timeline to evaluate the Nest’s impact and to require operational changes tied to municipal funding.