Report a Concern: The City Service You're Probably Not Using

I regularly ride my bike through the four roundabout pedestrian tunnels at Hwy. 246 and Jefferson Parkway:

When I rode my bike through them last June, I noticed some small graffiti on the walls of each of them where artist Adam Turman painted his murals back in 2021. Over the years since Turman completed the project, the City of Northfield has regularly painted over graffiti, so the murals are almost always a delight to ride or walk through. I figured this round would get caught the same way. It usually does.

However, I rode through the tunnels again a couple of weeks later, on July 3, and the graffiti was still there. That’s when it occurred to me to take photos and report the graffiti via the City’s Report a Concern feature instead of just waiting it out. Photos of the roundabout tunnels graffiti that day:

When I got home, I fired up my laptop and visited the City’s Report a Concern feature on its website to, well, report my concern.

If you’re using the City’s smartphone app, it looks like this:

When you click Report a Concern, what you see next depends on whether you’re using the app on your smartphone or a web browser on a computer. The web version shows three categories of concerns for you to choose from, plus an open-ended General Concern option, non-emergency issues only:

• Building Inspections/Code Enforcement

  • Blight, tall grass and weeds, junk

  • Sidewalk snow shoveling violation

  • Other code enforcement concern

• Non-Emergency Police Requests

  • Animal problem

  • House Check

  • Vehicle parked on street

  • Other police concern

• Public Works Requests

  • Debris in Street

  • Graffiti or vandalism

  • Illicit discharge or dumping in storm drain

  • Maintenance needed on public property or parks

  • Pothole

  • Snowplowing issues or damage

  • Streetlight out

  • Trees

  • Other public works concern

• General Concern option, non-emergency issues only

Screenshot of the page:

Clicking one of the links brings you to a form customized for that concern. Here’s a screenshot of the graffiti/vandalism form. Notice that it has the option to upload a file, typically a photo:

The app version, however, is an all-in-one page: you describe your concern and fill out the form, with a mapping option to indicate where you’re reporting from:

When you submit the form, you receive an automated email confirmation message from one of the City’s departments that looks like this one I got last week when I reported graffiti on the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge that spans the Cannon River between Babcock and Sechler Parks:

When your concern has been addressed, you get a confirmation email. Screenshot:

I find it most helpful to have a registered username and password on the City’s website so you can check the status of your Report a Concern request(s). (FYI, the same account can be used to get Notify Me notifications for city meetings and project updates.)

Here’s a screenshot that shows me logged in, viewing my two reports:

I’ve now used this tool twice, and both times it worked the way it’s supposed to. If you’ve ever noticed something in Northfield that needs fixing and wondered whether it was worth mentioning to anyone, this is the way to mention it. It takes a few minutes, it goes to the right department automatically, and you’ll know when it’s done.

It’s a small thing, but small things are most of what makes a town feel cared for. Report a Concern is a low-effort way for any of us to be part of that.

Update, Aug. 6: After this piece was published, I reached out to Andrew Tussing, the City’s Streets and Parks manager, to ask about the volume of Report a Concern submissions his department handles. He offered this context first:

“The Report a Concern feature is an invaluable asset for our department. With just seven operators, the Streets and Parks Department is responsible for maintaining 35 parks encompassing 564 acres, 22 miles of trails, 22 playgrounds, and five park pavilions. In addition, our staff maintains 79 miles of city streets, along with street signs and other public infrastructure.

“Given the size and scope of these responsibilities, it is impossible for staff to be everywhere at once. The Report a Concern feature provides residents with an easy and effective way to notify us of maintenance issues, safety concerns, and other problems requiring attention. This partnership with the community allows us to identify and address issues more quickly, prioritize work efficiently, and provide a higher level of service to our residents.”

I followed up asking for a number. Over the past year, the department has received 134 Report a Concern reports. On average, those reports are closed out within six days.

That’s a useful data point on top of my own two-for-two experience. It suggests the tool isn’t just a novelty I happened to have good luck with. It’s a working part of how Streets and Parks manages a lot of ground with a small crew.

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