City survey gives residents a chance to provide input
Toolbox
Luis Garcia Fierro - Published: March 17, 2009
What problems exist in your neighborhood? How satisfied are you with city services? How should the city proceed to address social and economic problems? What are your concerns and suggestions about crime and public safety?
These and other important questions are being asked of residents in the comprehensive 2009 Rutland City Survey. The survey is being conducted for the city at no cost by the College of St. Joseph and designed to gain the detailed, localized perspective necessary to inform public discussion and decision making. Professional telephone surveys are being conducted during the next three weeks (9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 to 9 p.m.) with a representative, random sample of 300-plus adults residing within the city's five neighborhood areas. Residents are urged to respond and provide their valuable input. Respondents remain anonymous with no personal identifiers collected.
Such research provides vital information for city officials, residents, parents, and businesses – a baseline measure of public perception on various issues; an assessment of city services; a tool for individual and organizational planning; and a contributing source for productive response strategies. Since many residents do not attend public meetings or vote, this scientific method provides a broader representation of opinion on a more extensive list of issues.
What are the three most important problems facing the City of Rutland? What services are residents least likely to support in a poor economy? What changes are residents making in their lives to deal with the current economic recession? How would you rate the effectiveness of the police? Should possession of marijuana be decriminalized and become a fine-based revenue source? What can be done to stimulate the downtown environment?
While the answers to some questions may be apparent, the survey will yield informative results that, combined with institutional figures (e.g., economic indicators, reported crime statistics, city budget expenditures), may be used to support more effective collaboration and problem solving throughout the city.
The indications and implications of the survey findings will be thoroughly discussed in the final report to the Rutland City community. All residents may request a free copy. In the meantime, to those who kindly participate, we thank you in advance for your valuable contribution.
Luis Garcia Fierro, Ph.D. is chairman and associate professor of criminal justice at the College of St. Joseph (776-5238).
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