Commission reauthorizes one‑time Broadway closure for TEDx after‑party, asks staff to revise street‑closure and parking fee policies

The Fargo City Commission voted to allow a one‑time Broadway closure between Second and Third Avenue North for a TEDx after‑party s'mores eating contest on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and directed the city’s street closure task force to evaluate current closure processes and legacy criteria.

Commissioner Dave Kolpak, who moved reconsideration of the closure, said the request arose after conversations with event organizers and downtown stakeholders and asked that the multi‑department review add clearer criteria for future legacy events. "The time has come to think differently about street closures," he said, describing the motion as a narrow, single‑event reconsideration and a prompt for process improvement.

Rocky Schneider of the Downtown Community Partnership, representing Folkways and downtown interests, told commissioners the organization supports refining city policy to better handle varied events and praised staff for recent event support. "This final approach that is brought forward today is very acceptable and it handles a lot of the nuances that I think were concerns on the technical side," he said.

Toward fees and parking policy: Commissioner Pepcorn asked staff to develop an event street‑closing policy that includes recouping associated city costs for closures — citing police, engineering, signage and barricade costs — and to review parking revenues and rates for downtown ramps. Staff said a parking study is underway with draft findings expected in August–September and that fee proposals would return to commissioners for consideration.

Why it matters: commissioners and downtown stakeholders said clearer, transparent fees and a consistent street‑closure process will help organizers plan events and reduce last‑minute requests. Some commissioners said the previous appearance of a last‑minute consent item had caused confusion and that better premeeting communication is required.

Action and vote: the one‑time closure and task force instruction passed on roll call. The commission also directed staff to continue work on a parking revenue and rates study and to return with findings; staff said a comprehensive parking study will be completed in August–September with follow‑up recommendations.

Next steps: the street closure task force will draft updated closure criteria and a legacy‑designation rubric; staff will produce a report on costs and proposed rates for event closures and accelerate the downtown parking study.