FARGO - News that Minneapolis City Hall wanted to break ties with banks supporting the Dakota Access Pipeline, including Wells Fargo, sounded like a public-relations opportunity to one Fargo city commissioner.

Dave Piepkorn told colleagues Monday, Dec. 19, that he'd like to encourage Wells Fargo to move more of its operations here. The city can show that its schools and transportation time is superior to comparable or better than Minneapolis', he said.

listen live watch live

Earlier this month, Minneapolis City Council members unanimously agreed to ask city staff to "stop doing business with financial institutions that invest in the fossil fuel industry and in projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline," according to the Star Tribune.

The pipeline connecting North Dakota oilfields with an oil hub in Illinois has gained national notoriety because of Missouri River crossing near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. American Indians and environmentalists complain construction would disturb sacred ground and leaks in the $3.8 billion pipeline would endanger the reservation's water supply.

Thousands of protesters camped near the site of the crossing have helped convince the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny an easement to tunnel the pipeline under the Missouri, though ensuing court battles or the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could overturn that decision.

Wells Fargo is among many institutions that provide services to Minneapolis. The bank handles utility bill payments and large wire transfers, helps manage city investments and purchased city bonds to pay for the Target Center, the newspaper said.

Piepkorn said it might seem wild for a little town like Fargo to try to compete with a big city like Minneapolis, but Fargo is home to major companies like Microsoft's second-largest campus.

Mayor Tim Mahoney said he'll ask City Planner Jim Gilmour to provide that information.

Wells Fargo, the fourth largest bank in the country, is headquartered in San Francisco but says it maintains "'hubquarters' of employment and expertise" in major metro areas such as Minneapolis-St. Paul. The bank's predecessor, Northwestern National Bank, was founded in the Twin Cities in 1872.

The Star Tribune said it has 11,000 employees in Minneapolis and recently spent $300 million building two office towers.