Public surveyed on direction of community

Surveys will be sent to 1,000 Summerland households as municipal council seeks input.

Surveys will be sent to 1,000 Summerland households as municipal council seeks input about the direction and priorities of the community.

Municipal clerk Maureen Fugeta said the surveys will be sent to random households in the community. The structure and questions will be similar to a survey sent out in 2009.

The surveys were sent out last week.

Mayor Janice Perrino said the last survey identified five areas of priority for the community.

These were the water treatment plant, road work, affordable housing, a new RCMP detachment and sidewalks.

“All five goals were completed,” Perrino said. “We fixed the water treatment plant, built the Prairie Valley Road Rosedale Avenues, redid the zoning bylaw to help build more affordable housing, the RCMP detachment will open in July and sidewalks on Prairie Valley Road and Rosedale Avenue are completed.”

Municipal staff are asking that the surveys be returned to the municipality by July 16, giving residents around a month to complete them.

While the questions are similar to those from the last survey, a new question will be added.  The question is, what do you think Summerland’s vision should be?

Fugeta said the response to the last surveys was low, with 563 of the 1,000 returned.

The survey in 2009 was 10 pages long. The results were compiles in a 99-page report. While residents were mostly satisfied with the community, transportation issues were addressed, including the lack of transit and the lack of sidewalks. Limited opportunities for dining, shopping and entertainment were also mentioned, as were the limited hours businesses are open.

Municipal council modified some of its goals and objectives as a result of the survey responses.

 

Summerland Review