Brown Deer staff plans community survey; board to review questions in February

Brown Deer village staff told the Village Board on Jan. 13 that a community survey will return in spring 2025 to help the board and staff gather public input on service priorities, redevelopment and other policy questions.

Staff said the draft survey questions will come to the board for review at the Feb. 17 meeting; if approved, staff expects to distribute the survey by late March or early April and to allow about six weeks for responses. The staff member presenting said the prior survey drew "over 700 responses." The village plans a postcard with a QR code and hard-copy surveys available at village facilities and the library.

Topics under consideration include benchmarking (satisfaction with police, fire and other services), redevelopment preferences and targeted questions such as interest in senior housing, recreational amenities and the community’s appetite for environmentally oriented building standards. Trustee Steve Johnson suggested adding a question that asks respondents whether they would recommend the village to a friend or family member and why; trustees also discussed using the survey to gauge support for additional police staffing tied to commercial redevelopment.

Why it matters: Staff described the survey as a tool to gather public input ahead of potential policy decisions and redevelopment negotiations with private developers. Staff also said it helps provide context for questions brought to the board — for example, by showing public interest in particular housing types or amenities when the village talks with developers.

Next steps: Staff will circulate a draft questionnaire to trustees in advance of the Feb. 17 meeting and will incorporate trustee suggestions; staff expects to report survey results following the close of the response window for use in 2025 planning.