Survey says … residents’ feedback is valuable

ThisWeek News – February 5, 2018

If you see 614-641-2353 appear on your cell phone or home phone from Feb. 19 to early March, please answer it: You have been randomly selected to participate in New Albany’s resident survey, conducted by Saperstein Associates.

Why a phone survey? Essentially, phone surveys provide the greatest flexibility in asking open-ended questions and then following up based on responses. They also are the best way to ensure the randomness of the survey-participation process from a well-represented cross-section of the community.

When you answer Saperstein’s call, you’ll be asked a series of questions about:

* City services.

* Your experiences (if any) with city staff members.

* What you like most about living in New Albany.

* What would make New Albany an even better place to live, work or play?

New Albany City Council and city leaders strive to provide a high level of municipal services while being fiscally responsible. We also understand the importance of facilitating the creation of compelling environments in which people take precedence in an aspirational community.

Over the past decade alone, we collaborated with partners on such projects as the Rocky Fork Metro Park, Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts and the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany to support our community pillars of lifelong education, the arts, health and wellness and sustaining or growing our core. The Heit Center’s success has led to more than 70,000 square feet of new restaurant, retail and service space in our Village Center along Market and Main streets.

SO WHAT IS NEXT?

Are there services you would like to receive that we are not providing? Do we need more parkland? Is there a style of restaurant, housing option or type of boutique specialty shop not present in our community? Would you like to provide input about traffic, community activities or trails?

This survey is an opportunity for our residents to tell us the kind of future they would like to see here in New Albany. After all feedback has been tabulated, we will share it with the community later this year and use it when we start our budget process for 2019 and beyond.

If you are called, thanks in advance for participating.

Joseph Stefanov is city manager of New Albany.