Fargo advisory committee discloses potential conflicts, agrees to independent review of nine proposals

At a meeting of the Fargo advisory committee, members disclosed potential conflicts of interest tied to firms named in responses to the city's request for proposals and agreed to engage an outside reviewer to evaluate nine submitted proposals.

The committee — convened by Visit Fargo Moorhead and made up of city commissioners, local economic development and hospitality representatives and other stakeholders — discussed whether three members should be disqualified or recused after their connections to firms named in one or more proposals were raised. The group ultimately opted to proceed with those members participating after public disclosure and legal counsel’s guidance; the committee also agreed to hire a consultant to provide an independent review of all nine proposals and to schedule public presentations by proposers across three upcoming Friday meetings.

The committee’s decision follows a review of conflict-of-interest standards under state law by Eric Johnson, Fargo assistant city attorney, who summarized the legal test for disqualification. "There's sort of this duty to vote. That's sort of the starting point," Johnson said, adding that a conflict arises when a member has a "direct and or and substantial personal or pecuniary monetary interest in the item." He noted that the city attorney can give an…