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District 1’s Karsann praised for highway-safety response

A call to report hazardous-road conditions was fielded by District 1’s Robin Karsann in October 2014. The caller had no expectations that her complaint would be taken seriously. Karsann’s response, and the district’s action, left the caller dumbfounded.

Mrs. Debra Lane described being involved in a “very scary incident” while driving southbound on Idaho 95, when she ended up driving off the road just south of the Idaho 54 junction. The next day she returned to the scene to try to figure out what had gone wrong. She concluded that the area lacked the proper signage, striping, markings and traffic control (cones) needed for the construction zone.

Lane, of Dalton Gardens, called District 1 to report her findings, and spoke to Karsann (pictured to right). The complaint was then relayed to a Striping Crew returning at that moment through the Athol area. They were able to report to the site and promptly made the requisite changes.

The quick response prompted Lane to send a letter of thanks to ITD district leadership.

“I am writing to tell you about the excellent customer service I received when I called your office,” Lane wrote. “Robin Karsann was thoughtful, patient, concerned and efficient. She could have politely listened to my complaint and filed it away, but she took my complaint very seriously.

“She called me back several times that day to advise me of the progress that she was making with getting the appropriate supervisors to rectify the situation,” Lane reported. “She was truly concerned that the driving public was safe and she assured me that your department takes the reports seriously. She eased my fears and was diligent in getting the problem fixed. She is an excellent representative of the Idaho Dept. of Transportation's commitment to keeping Idaho roads safe.”