Residents urge action on dangerous McKnight Road intersection and criticize code enforcement at North Saint Paul council meeting
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Summary
At the Jan. 1 North Saint Paul meeting, resident Dean Mathison described repeated dangerous driving and a fatal hit-and-run on McKnight Road and asked for greater police traffic control; another resident, John Schmall, criticized the city's enforcement of property-code violations and questioned public engagement for a multimillion-dollar project.
At the North Saint Paul City Council meeting on Jan. 1, resident Dean Mathison told the council he has repeatedly observed dangerous driving on McKnight Road, including a recent hit-and-run in which a dog was struck and killed. Mathison said the incidents occur at or near Seventh Avenue during morning hours and asked the city to consider stepped-up traffic control.
"Somebody's gonna get hurt big time there," Mathison said, identifying his address as 2096 McKnight Street.
Mathison told the council he turned around to pursue the vehicle after the November incident and called 911 but said he has not received information about the 911 response or the vehicle involved. He said a separate incident on Dec. 17 involved a driver passing in a left-turn lane. "They just drive like they're crazy out there," Mathison said, adding he has lived on the corner of Seventh and McKnight for 29 years and has witnessed several fatalities at that intersection.
Mayor Mange responded on the record that the concern can be raised with the police chief and that the city manager will follow up. "That can be brought up by city manager to the police chief," Mayor Mange said.
Another speaker, John Schmall of 2750 Chisholm Avenue, criticized the city's code enforcement and questioned public engagement in a recent large project. Schmall said his neighbor counted only five residents on a Zoom meeting that covered a multimillion-dollar project and urged greater in-person engagement. He also described unresolved code-enforcement complaints about containers left on sidewalks and said neighbors' reports produced "zippo" results.
"They've never been moved. They get picked — he moves them to the curb from the sidewalk and then moves it back," Schmall said of a recurring obstruction. "I've complained to code enforcement. Neighbors have complained to code enforcement. Zippo. Nothing gets done."
The council did not take immediate votes or make new policy during the public-comment segment; Mayor Mange and staff acknowledged the complaints and indicated follow-up through the city manager's office and police department would occur.