Grand Forks Park District's Daktronics Deal Raises Concerns

City Council President questions the park district's procurement process for a new scoreboard.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 12:05pm

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The Grand Forks Park District has signed a $75,000 agreement with Daktronics to install a new scoreboard at the Choice Health and Fitness facility, using a third-party purchasing agency called Sourcewell. This has raised concerns from City Council President Dana Sande, who believes the park district should have considered bids from other Sourcewell-approved vendors instead of just selecting the top-ranked supplier.

Why it matters

The park district's use of Sourcewell mirrors a similar controversy around the Alerus Center's $4 million scoreboard deal with Daktronics, which the City Council voted to terminate after a local vendor protested the lack of a public bidding process. This latest agreement has reignited questions about whether the park district and other public entities are getting the best value by not soliciting bids from multiple qualified vendors.

The details

The park district initially reached out to three local vendors for quotes on the scoreboard project, but did not end up choosing any of them. Executive George Hellyer said the local vendors either could not provide the necessary software or would have supplied the same equipment and software the park district already had issues with. About $30,000 of the $75,000 total cost will go to a local company, Indigo Signs, which is being subcontracted by Daktronics to install the video board.

  • The park district signed the agreement with Daktronics in January 2026.
  • The City Council voted in March 2026 to terminate a $4 million scoreboard contract between the Alerus Center and Daktronics.

The players

Dana Sande

The Grand Forks City Council President, who has expressed disappointment in the park district's procurement process and is questioning whether the use of Sourcewell is the best approach for public entities.

George Hellyer

The executive of the Grand Forks Park District, who defended the decision to use Sourcewell and select Daktronics, citing issues with the park district's current scoreboard equipment and software.

Daktronics

The video display company that was awarded the $75,000 contract with the Grand Forks Park District to install a new scoreboard.

Sourcewell

The third-party purchasing agency used by both the Grand Forks Park District and the Alerus Center to find vendors for their respective scoreboard projects.

Indigo Signs

The local company that is being subcontracted by Daktronics to install the new video board at the Choice Health and Fitness facility.

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What they’re saying

“I'm pretty disappointed in the park district. I personally have requested documents from the park district to try and get an understanding of what process they used and why they did that.”

— Dana Sande, City Council President

“They either were only able to provide the equipment and not the software, or they were able to provide equipment but it would have been the same equipment and software that we currently have. One local vendor never really got back to us with any information.”

— George Hellyer, Executive of the Park District

“We want to support local companies. We want to support the people who are supporting the park district. We're having issues with the current equipment and software and wanted to try a different solution.”

— George Hellyer, Executive of the Park District

What’s next

The City Council is expected to further discuss the park district's use of Sourcewell and the Daktronics agreement at an upcoming meeting.

The takeaway

This case highlights ongoing concerns about public entities using third-party purchasing agencies like Sourcewell to award major contracts, as it may not always result in the best value for taxpayers or support for local businesses. The City Council is determined to ensure more transparency and competition in these types of public procurement decisions.