Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The city of Palouse planning commission has started to compile results of a town survey, collected in May and June bringing in 156 responses.
The questionnaires were filled out online through Survey Monkey. Helpers were made available for computers at the Palouse library, and paper copies were handed out at city hall.
Members of the planning commission spoke about the survey at a community senior lunch and sent out reminders to the 525 households which receive water bills in Palouse.
The commission initially sent two survey codes to each household – printed on a sticker stuck to water bills. The codes allowed online access to take the survey.
For preliminary results, Planning Commission Chairman Jim Fielder noted concerns over pending required updates to the sewer system, keeping the town's positive spirit, senior housing and affordable housing.
“Affordable housing was a big key word,” Fielder said. “Appropriate growth; overall, the tenor of the results was very positive.”
The survey included questions about the town overall as well as information on the person filling it out – employment, number of people in their household and more.
The project was directed by Fielder with the commission starting analysis on survey results at its Sept. 11 meeting. They will meet again twice more before presenting findings Nov. 12 to the city council.
The last Palouse community survey was conducted in 2012, also by the planning commission.
“I think we'd like to do this analysis more often than we have been,” said Fielder.
Once the planners present results to the city council, the commission will begin work updating the city's comprehensive plan.
They meet again Oct. 2.
“We want to grind through and make sure we're making the appropriate observations of how the community feels,” Fielder said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)