GF Fufeng petitions still making the rounds

Supporters of a petition effort to place the proposed Fufeng corn milling plant on the ballot in Grand Forks face a pending deadline for collecting signatures.

Organizers are using signs and mass mailings to encourage more people to put their name on the dotted line.

The group needs to collect 3,617 signatures from city residents to place the issue on the June ballot.

Mayor Brandon Bochenski says he’s not opposed to the signature effort calling it part of the process.  “The development agreement will give us a lot of the answers we need when it comes to odor and environment.  To call back that question and stop that first of the city will be on the hook for some of that.  You know we are making a decision without having all the information.”

Bochenski says despite the opposition Fufeng officials are still moving forward with the project in a positive way – until they can’t.

City officials say the petition deadline is 30 days from the date of the council action approving the development agreement (2/21).

The mayor made his comments as a guest on KNOX’s Jarrod Thomas program.