Metropolitan Fargo Model Cities Agency Records

Collection

Identifier: Mss 142

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Metropolitan Fargo Model Cities Agency records document, in quite good detail, its development, programs and final demise in 1973. The records, in general, were quite well organized and much of the structure was retained when organized. Many duplicative as well as extraneous materials were discarded during processing. For a brief overview of the series consult the Series Description following this Scope and Contents. The MFMCA records have been divided into the following series. Most of the series contains numerous subseries due to the complex nature of the records.

1. City Demonstration Agency 2. Action Year Programs 3. Action Year Support Files 4. Fiscal 5. Audits 6. Publications The City Demonstration Agency Series includes complete meeting minutes for both the Metropolitan Fargo Model Cities Agency and the Central Neighborhood Board. They are all typed and mimeographed, some also having agendas. Filed at the beginning are incomplete tables of contents of the minutes for both boards. Other minutes include various committees (usually very incomplete) and other governmental bodies and agencies with which it had close contact. The Correspondence Subseries includes inter-staff letters and memos, with North Dakota's congressional delegation, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a Miscellaneous Subseries primarily with local and state offices. The Administrative Files Subseries constitutes a wide variety of miscellaneous documents which are organized alphabetically. Of note in this subseries are copies of all resolutions passed concerning the program. There are also several files of newspaper clippings concerning the project, two of which were removed from the Fargo R-2 Urban Renewal records. The Conferences Attended by Fargo Model Cities Personnel Subseries is organized chronologically containing reports and other literature from the many national and regional conferences attended. The Contracts Subseries includes copies of agreements and contracts entered into with staff, consultants and governmental bodies. The Personnel Subseries contains job descriptions, application lists, resignation letters, and staff resumes. There is a small number of director's reports and to the Fargo Center for Disease Control. The final subseries concerns the National Model Cities Directors Association/National League of Cities of which the local executive director was a member. The material documents primarily the activities of the two organizations. The Action Year Programs Series contains the records which document the development and implementation of the numerous components of the model cities program. Following original order, the records have been divided into six subseries. The first four document the separate Action Years plus a preliminary Planning Year. It should be noted that the Third Action Year was never implemented. Typical files include monthly and quarterly reports, grant applications, evaluation reports, and late developing projects. The Project Files Subseries is organized by project number within each action year. These files contain pertinent contracts, and correspondence. The Project Programs Reports Subseries is also organized by project number and contain primarily monthly, quarterly and narrative reports. There are six subseries in the Action Programs Support Files Series which contains City of Fargo records, broad topics research/administrative files (education, manpower and economic development, physical, and social) and documentation on various surveys and studies done. The City of Fargo Subseries contains of primary importance the correspondence of Mayor Herschel Lashkowitz from 1967 to 1972. The remaining files are by city department. The broad component files contain a wide variety of documents relating to the specific area such as contacts with local and state agencies, organizations, and programs. The Surveys and Studies Subseries includes reports and other documentation on such topics as awareness, land use, manpower, mass transit, senior citizens services provided by social agencies, HUD, and studies and surveys made by local agencies. The Fiscal Series includes a Cost Control and Reimbursement Statements and General Files subseries. The cost control statements are the primary means of documenting the expenditures of each component of the model cities program. All bills, receipts etc. were removed and discarded. This subseries is organized by project number. The General Files Series contains budgets, financial statements, letters of credit, statements of financial condition and other files. The small Audits Series contains audits of the first and second action years by the federal government as well as an audit of the first year by Eide, Helmeke, Boelz, and Pasch of Fargo. The Publications Series consists of a wide variety of publications and near-publications, all of which are related to the model cities program. They are organized in alphabetical order by main entry. Items of particular note are the Barton- Aschman Associates' Comprehensive Planning and Transportation Studies (1964- 1966); Comprehensive Drainage Study, Cass County Legal Drains 3-10-40 by Moore Engineering; and the Cass County, ND - Clay County, MN Manpower Survey by Red River Research Associates. This series also includes two official newsletters published by model cities; both of which are incomplete. They are The Changing Times (1969-1973) and Model Neighborhood News (1969).

Dates

1968-1973

Creator

Metropolitan Fargo Model Cities Agency. (Organization)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The copyright is held by the State of North Dakota.

Biographical / Historical

March 12, 1968: Fargo City Commission created a Fargo Model Cities Agency to serve as the official body for preparing and filing an application for a study grant under Title I of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966. Mayor Lashkowitz served as the executive officer, and was the prime mover for the establishment of a model cities agency. March 15, 1968: Initial meeting of the Model Cities Agency, with Rev. Joseph Belgum named chairman. April 15, 1968: Application for grant to plan a comprehensive Model Cities Program submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

September 6, 1968: Planning grant for $100,000.00 awarded by HUD. January 24, 1969: Metropolitan Fargo Model Cities Agency (MFMCA) hired Al Austin as executive director. September 8, 1969: Al Austin resigned as executive director. Bill Barney appointed acting director, and later appointed director effective November 15. October 10, 1969: Mid-Planning Statement sent to HUD regional office in Chicago. March 10, 1970: Mid-Planning Statement (Updated) and a revised First Action Year approved locally and forwarded to HUD. May 28, 1970: HUD approved the grant in amount of $1,112,00.00 with the First Action Year to begin August 1. August 5, 1970: Bill Barney resigned as executive director with Mayor Lashkowitz serving as interim director. November 16, 1970: Michael L. Puklick recommended as executive director but rejected by the Fargo City Commission January 4, 1971: Mr. Puklick secretly sworn in as director. January 18, 1971: The MFMCA Board named Kenneth Lewis as acting director. March 1, 1971: Richard Jakobson assumed the executive director position. June 10, 1971: First Action Year extended to September 30. July 28, 1971: Second Action Year program sent to HUD for approval. October 1, 1971: Second Action Year began. October 12, 1971: Second Action Year approved by HUD. August 10, 1972: Third Action Year program sent to HUD for approval. October 3, 1972: Second Action Year extended to December 1. December 5, 1972: Second Action Year extended to March 31, 1973. January 31, 1973: Richard Jakobson resigned as executive director. February 28, 1973: Advised by HUD that the Model Cities program would be terminated as of March 31, 1973. March 31, 1973: Model Cities Program terminated. February 3, 1977: "Certificate of Program Completion" issued by HUD and financial books closed.