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Fruita council narrows language for citywide survey, debates how to ask about growth
Summary
City staff presented a final draft of a citywide community survey and councilors debated wording changes on inclusivity and on how to ask residents about growth. Staff said the survey will be mailed to households with unique links, be shorter than prior years and include a $500 gift-card incentive to boost participation.
Shannon Boston, city manager for the City of Fruita, presented the council with a final review of the municipal community survey the city plans to mail to households next week and said the results will guide strategic planning, the budget and operational priorities for several years.
Councilors discussed edits to question wording in the draft. Members asked staff to revise a question that had read, in part, that Fruita "is a place that is open and welcoming to people of all races, backgrounds," and suggested language aimed at intolerance of racist beliefs rather than an open-ended character statement. Councilors also asked the survey question about what Fruita is known for be changed from a present-tense descriptor to a forward-looking prompt — from "Fruita has been known for its mountain biking opportunities; what else do you think Fruita is known for?" to "What do you think Fruita should be known for?"
Boston said the survey has been shortened to boost response rates after participation dropped in past years and that the city will mail a unique link to each household to ensure one response per address. She also said the consulting firm is providing a $500 gift-card drawing as an incentive and that the city will include demographic questions and census-tract reporting so staff can target follow-up work. Boston noted the survey could be sent as soon as next week if the council signs off on the final draft.
Nut graf: The survey's wording and distribution method matter because officials will use the responses to shape the city’s strategic plan and budget priorities; council members sought questions that would produce actionable guidance on growth and values rather than assume growth is inevitable.
On growth, councilors argued for questions that measure residents' perceptions of the rate of growth (for example: "How would you describe the overall growth of your community? Rapid, moderate, slow, stagnant?") and a follow-up about whether residents view that growth positively, negatively or neutrally. The council also asked staff to add an option allowing respondents to indicate the ages of people in a household rather than only the age of the respondent, and to keep the open-ended comments box for additional input.
Staff said the final draft will be circulated to council for last comments and that results are expected to be presented in May or June. Outreach will include the CityLink mailer, the city website, and social media pushes to increase participation.
Ending: Council directed staff to incorporate the discussed wording changes, include household age data, and finalize distribution details before the survey is mailed.
