The Town of The Blue Mountains recently completed its first-ever resident satisfaction survey and the results indicate that local residents who responded to the survey are a happy bunch.
The overall results of the survey indicated that 93 per cent of respondents are either very satisfied or satisfied with The Blue Mountains as a place to live. The results showed that a cross-section of local citizens, including new and long-time residents replied to the survey. More than 60 per cent of the responses came from residents living in Thornbury and Craigleith.
The survey was divided into two sections. Part one surveyed local residents about the town’s overall administration, leadership, communications and financial management, which generated 369 responses Part two was about town infrastructure and attracted 151 responses.
Full results of the survey can be found here.
“There were a lot of good lessons learned throughout the survey. We’re working through an action plan for how we can address the concerns that were raised,” said town communications manager Tim Hendry. “We have a highly engaged group of residents.”
In his report, Hendry recommended to council that a similar survey be conducted every two years and said staff would bring back a follow-up report detailing action plans to respond to comments and feedback received from the survey.
Coun. Andrea Matrosovs said she hoped town staff would examine more ways to reach residents who might not have participated in the survey and find out what barriers to participating might exist.
“There is more work to do to make sure we’re getting that input,” she said.
Coun. Paula Hope was pleased with the results of the survey, but said she was concerned that 37 per cent of survey respondents said they weren’t satisfied with town’s planning department and asked for that area to be addressed in the follow-up report.
“There is a lot of very good news here,” she said, emphasizing the progress the town has made in communications over the past year with its new website. “I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve.”
Council voted unanimously to receive the survey report from staff.
