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Commission members debate accuracy and influence of town park survey
Summary
Commission members discussed concerns that a previously conducted town survey about the park may have been altered by earlier councils and could misrepresent public opinion; the commission agreed to keep the survey on hand for reference but did not launch a new survey or take formal action.
Commission members discussed a town park survey that several said may have been altered by a prior council during its formation. Speakers reported that questions had been changed during the survey’s drafting so as to influence responses; one member who identified experience as a statistician said the changes were obvious and that the revisions ultimately “backfired” on those who requested them. The commission did not conclude that the survey definitively represented majority opinion one way or another, and a member said the survey text does not support claims that a majority of town residents oppose specific park expansions.
Several commissioners said they intend to keep a copy of the survey on hand and use it when respondents or candidates cite the survey’s findings during public debates. The commission discussed whether to fund and run a new survey but concluded the town was unlikely to pay for a fresh survey, so members planned only to keep the existing document available as context. No formal motion or referral to staff was made.
Ending: The item will remain an informational matter; commissioners said they may revisit the topic if contested public claims about the park recur.
