Fargo City Commissioner Tony Gehrig talks bar licenses, term limits and downtown property sales

(Fargo, ND) -- An eventful week has come to a close in Fargo.

Fargo City Commissioner Tony Gehrig stopped by WDAY Midday to comment on a number of issues across the City, including the recent sale of the Downtown 2nd street south riverfront property to EPIC companies.

"It's going to have apartments, condos. Some businesses on the main level like most downtown buildings do," said Gehrig, talking about the recently purchased "Unite" property on the Red River. Gehrig added the process did take some time to get the sale approved to EPIC, but that was because certain commissioners wanted the decision to be heavily researched and go through several other committees before a decision was made.

Another topic is term limits, with the language on the issue being officially changed for the ballot this coming June. "It used to say if you vote Yes, that means you aren't in favor of the term limits. We're trying to avoid confusion by changing this so a yes vote means you want them, and a no means you don't." Gehrig says there was some pause in the decision because of confusion of the verbiage in the measure from Mayor Tim Mahoney, who is one of the reasons why term limits have been brought up again in recent months in the city.

Also, bar licenses were brought up in the wake of the decision that Southtown Pourhouse must close an hour early over the next six months as penalty for violating their '50-50' agreement on food and alcohol sales. Commissioner Gehrig says over the well over 600 establishments that sell alcohol in Fargo, only 17 are considered bars. Gehrig says he's been getting fought on the option of adding more bar licenses to the city, and that fear over bringing in more 'bad actors' or crime shouldn't exist. He says the easy solve on that is less bars in the downtown area, and more in areas of need, like South Fargo.