Saturday, July 23, 2011

Community survey response slow, behind goal

The goal of “one more completed survery” than DeRidder, the city that had the best response to the 2010 Louisiana Development Ready Communities program with 1,000 responses is in trouble — which means the LDRC Bogalusa Committee goal of 1,400 completed surveys is really in trouble.

But it’s not too late.

     Community survey




With a deadline of the end of the month, there are still two Sundays, along with church meetings during the week, when surveys can be distributed … and there are several locations with large groups of employees, such as LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center, Northshore Technical College, Temple-Inland and the Bogalusa City Schools.

Between those locations, a concerted effort can yield the necessary results. But, in trucker jargon, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Bogalusa was at 40.5 percent to the DeRidder goal and 28.9 percent to the committee’s goal. If partially completed surveys are included in the count, the numbers improve to 51.1 percent and 36.5 percent, which is sad for a community where so many want to voice their opinions at gatherings, such as the city council.

Online, there were 275 completed and 76 partial community surveys and 70 completed and 30 partial business surveys. Additionally, there about 60 paper surveys completed.

But now, when that input is sought for utilization in the development of a meaningful plan, where are those people?

The program, despite being behind pace because of the lack of survey response, gains momentum on Monday when two Town Hall meetings are held at the Senior Center on Willis Avenue.

The meetings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will afford persons the opportunity to tell what they feel are the communities strengths, its weaknesses, what is holding it back and what they would change if they had a magic wand and could do any one thing.

Bogalusa is one of eight communities selected to participate in this year’s program, which is funded by the state and essentially helps a community map its own plan for the future.

“This is an exciting time,” Bogalusa Mayor Chares Mizell said. “We have the opportunity to make a difference and to do things differently and take a new course. Not everyone … not every community … gets to do that, but we can. It just requires participation so that we might prepare, plan and execute.”


Between those locations, a concerted effort can yield the necessary results. But, in trucker jargon, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Bogalusa was at 40.5 percent to the DeRidder goal and 28.9 percent to the committee’s goal. If partially completed surveys are included in the count, the numbers improve to 51.1 percent and 36.5 percent, which is sad for a community where so many want to voice their opinions at gatherings, such as the city council.

Online, there were 275 completed and 76 partial community surveys and 70 completed and 30 partial business surveys. Additionally, there about 60 paper surveys completed.

But now, when that input is sought for utilization in the development of a meaningful plan, where are those people?

The program, despite being behind pace because of the lack of survey response, gains momentum on Monday when two Town Hall meetings are held at the Senior Center on Willis Avenue.

The meetings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will afford persons the opportunity to tell what they feel are the communities strengths, its weaknesses, what is holding it back and what they would change if they had a magic wand and could do any one thing.

Bogalusa is one of eight communities selected to participate in this year’s program, which is funded by the state and essentially helps a community map its own plan for the future.

“This is an exciting time,” Bogalusa Mayor Chares Mizell said. “We have the opportunity to make a difference and to do things differently and take a new course. Not everyone … not every community … gets to do that, but we can. It just requires participation so that we might prepare, plan and execute.”

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