Residents press Council on intersection safety, proposed flagpole, garage-sale rules and park spending

Multiple residents used the Citizens Input segment of the April 1 meeting to press the council on traffic safety, the proposed 250-foot flagpole, local code enforcement and park spending.

A group led by Emory and Shawn asked Council to direct the city Transportation Advisory Committee (SEATAC) to study and install a traffic signal at the intersection of Embers Parkway and Eldorado Boulevard South, citing a documented rise in crashes: "It all started with 15 crashes in 2021… in 2022 it rose to 17 crashes… and tripled in 2024," the speaker said. Councilmembers who serve on SEATAC said they would raise the issue at the committee and follow up with the young men who brought it forward.

Several speakers raised concerns and questions about the city's recently approved flagpole project. A resident asked whether FAA approval had been obtained and whether soil borings were complete for a planned 250-foot structure; the City Manager told the dais that FAA coordination and required borings/surveys are part of the contractor’s scope and that design work and approvals were underway.

Other public commenters criticized city spending and procurement. Marie Cavanaugh sharply accused the council of back-channel decision-making and said the flagpole’s placement on city property lacked proper public process; she stated, "The flagpole was illegal," and urged legal review. Council members responded that the council had approved the flagpole in a prior meeting and that design and FAA work were ongoing under the contractor’s contract. Officials said they would review records and follow up on the public-records request several commenters referenced.

Residents also raised longstanding local-code complaints about the three-day/30-day garage-sale rule and an earlier-design decision about a neighborhood park that some speakers said will cost far more than expected. Tom Shadrach criticized recent park design approvals and higher-than-budgeted design costs; council members and city staff said they would revisit procurement details and confirmed that no final funding decision has been completed for the yacht-club project noted by the public.

What to expect next: Councilmembers asked staff to refer the traffic-signal request to SEATAC and to follow up on FAA approvals and project drawings for the flagpole. The clerk and staff also noted upcoming public meetings and staff commitments for responding to records requests and procurement clarifications.

Why it matters: The comments raise public-safety concerns about a busy intersection, call attention to transparency around high-visibility projects and put pressure on staff to document approvals and cost estimates for major park and civic projects.