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Residents urge action on Northdale Boulevard safety, wildlife crossings and data privacy at public comment
Summary
During open mic, residents described near-collisions on Northdale Boulevard, frequent wildlife crossings near soccer fields and raised concerns about Flock license-plate camera data privacy, urging the council to consider signage, reduced speeds and alternatives to private data vendors.
Several residents used the Open Mic period at the April 21 Coon Rapids City Council meeting to press elected officials on neighborhood safety, wildlife protections and surveillance technology.
Kathleen Sekhon, a longtime resident of Coon Rapids and former teacher at Coon Rapids Middle School, described multiple close calls driving on Northdale Boulevard and recounted a recent near-collision at Crooked Lake Boulevard. Sekhon said aggressive speeds and heavy traffic make turning onto Northdale difficult and urged the council to act to avoid a future fatality.
Kathleen O’Hern, a resident of the Bainbury Estate Apartments, described repeated wildlife activity near the soccer fields at 100th and 111th Avenue, including ducks and turtles crossing roads. She requested signage or reduced-speed measures to alert drivers and protect animals and pedestrians.
Conor Hanson, a data analyst and resident of 551 112th Lane NW, raised concerns about data privacy and the use of Flock security cameras that collect license-plate and movement data. Hanson urged the council to reconsider its contract with Flock, investigate city-owned alternatives, and offered his time and expertise to help research privacy-preserving options.
The transcript records these comments as public input; there was no formal council action recorded in response during the meeting. The council has other agenda items that direct staff to follow up on public-safety and infrastructure topics; residents may see future staff reports or agenda items addressing these concerns.
