Residents raise traffic and emergency-medical concerns at council meeting; staff say they'll follow up

At the May 5 Avondale City Council meeting, two residents used the public-comment period to raise safety concerns about traffic at the In-N-Out drive‑thru on Dysart Road and about emergency medical response from a red fire pickup. City staff said they are aware of the issues and will follow up with the speakers.

Adam Decker told the council he had experienced multiple near-misses while bicycling near the In-N-Out on Dysart Road and said traffic from the restaurant sometimes backs up to the off-ramp, creating hazards. Decker asked the council to write to the restaurant's CEO and said he believed the site was violating city code and state law; he cited “code ordinance 1337” and a state citation he described as “28 8 15 d.” He told the council an incident on “the 27th of this month, April” nearly struck him and said the location “has outgrown the city” and needs corrective action.

City Manager Ron (as identified in the meeting) and Police Chief Espinosa responded that staff and the police department have been working with In-N-Out management. Chief Espinosa told Decker he or his officers would speak with him after the meeting and exchange contact information to follow up.

Later in public comment, Theresa DeSanti said she had grave concerns about the red fire pickup response to a recent medical emergency, saying she observed what she characterized as inexperienced EMTs and limited on‑scene equipment. DeSanti urged the city to staff the red pickup with experienced paramedics and to equip it with a heart monitor, oxygen, IV equipment and medications comparable to what is carried on fire engines.

Interim responses came from staff in the meeting: Chief Rooney (Fire Department) had attempted to contact DeSanti earlier and staff asked DeSanti and the chief to step outside so they could connect and discuss details. No formal policy change or vote resulted from the comments; the council referred both matters to staff for follow-up.

Both resident appeals were recorded in the minutes and staff committed to additional outreach. For the In-N-Out complaint, staff said they have been coordinating enforcement and traffic-management efforts with the restaurant's managers and owners; for the medical-response concern, the Fire Department indicated it would follow up with the speaker to reconcile differing accounts and provide further information.

No ordinance or staffing change was enacted at the meeting; both issues remain under staff review.