The Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization (KMPO) met today at Post Falls City Hall to approve a report by Iteris. The report considers feasibility, and preliminary facts for the construction of a traffic video collection center dubbed the Kootenai Regional Traffic Management Center (KRTMC). The meeting was attended by over 150 community members, and about 20 individuals offered public comment on the project.
After a lengthy round of remarks from KMPO members, a roll call vote was requested by Post Falls Highway Commissioner Jeff Tyler, and the report from Iteris was accepted.
The vote-split was as follows:
AYE
- Corinne Johnson, Worley Highway District
- Vic Holmes, Mayor of Rathdrum
- Jim Kackman, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
- Graham Christensen, East Side Highway District (KMPO Vice Chair)
- Damon Allen, ITD
NAY
- Jeff Tyler, Post Falls Highway District
- Dan Gookin, CDA City Council member
- Bruce Mattare, Kootenai County Commissioner
ABSTAIN
- Rod Twete, Lakes Highway District (KMPO Chair)
ABSENT
- Sandra White, Hayden City Council member
- Lynn Borders, Post Falls Council member
This moves the KRTMC project to the next phase of planning, however, immediately after the roll call vote Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes (member of KMPO) successfully passed a motion to place an action item on the July 13th KMPO agenda that would effectively end the KRTMC project.
This motion was passed unanimously to the applause of attendees.
During the meeting, several public commenters and KMPO board members remarked how unexpected it was to have such a large turnout during a mid-afternoon meeting. It seemed to be that the topics of privacy, and mass surveillance of citizens via Federal dollars was something that struck a deep nerve with local community members.
A range of the attendees offered public comment that included parents, local political activists, senior citizens, Idaho Representatives Tony Wisniewski and Joe Alfieri, and CLN Trustee Tim Plass. Opposition to the KRTMC project was unanimous, and the central theme of the public comment could summarized in the thesis, The federal government has no business installing fiber optic video cameras in North Idaho.
Local citizen concerns are made worse when previous workshops with Iteris suggests that video feeds from traffic cameras could be processed using facial recognition technology, and license plate skimmers. While the stated purpose of the KRTMC is to optimize roadways, and improve responsive times for emergency services… many local community members seem to be doubtful about Iteris’ claims.
The next KMPO meeting is scheduled for July 13th at 1:30pm, and takes place at Post Falls City Hall.
A man named Henry with In the Know Idaho did a live poll of the attendees regarding support for the KRTMC. Watch below:
