FARGO — City Hall was packed on Monday, Sept. 15, with residents crowding to the podium to share their thoughts about the city’s Downtown Engagement Center.

The DEC serves people experiencing homelessness and has been a hotbed of debate in recent years as the number of unhoused people rises both nationally and in Fargo.

On Monday, Mayor Tim Mahoney asked Assistant City Administrator Brenda Derrig to make a presentation to the full commission about Fargo’s “future commitment to the operations of the Engagement Center as well as potential relocation options,” according to the commission packet.

In a 4-1 vote, commissioners recommitted to the Downtown Engagement Center’s mission and gave city staff the green light to pursue a new location for the building, currently at 222 Fourth St. N.

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