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Essex County rolls out community livability survey to inform comprehensive plan
Summary
County staff introduced a community livability survey adapted from ICMA/Polco to collect resident priorities through January; the survey will include demographic questions, paper copies for those without internet and a short tutorial video, and staff aim to use results to guide capital projects and the comprehensive plan.
County staff introduced a community livability survey designed to give leaders a clearer picture of resident preferences for services, parks, development and infrastructure.
The survey, adapted from ICMA and Polco materials and localized for Essex County, was described as modular so respondents may complete the whole instrument (about 45 minutes) or individual sections. Staff said the survey portal will run from an immediate rollout through January to avoid holiday season low participation and that they hope to reach a broad sample (the stated goal is about 500 responses). Paper copies will be available at libraries and other county locations to accommodate residents without internet access; staff will also provide a short two‑minute tutorial video on how to access the survey.
Supervisors asked about demographic capture (age bands, district, resident vs. nonresident status and landowner status) to help interpret results; staff confirmed basic demographics and a respondent‑type question are included. Board members also raised bot‑submission and repeat‑submission concerns; staff discussed technical mitigations, the tradeoffs of IP‑based limits and steps to identify abnormal response patterns for validation.
Staff emphasized the survey’s role in informing the comprehensive plan and capital improvement priorities: responses about parks, recreation and agricultural/forestry interests will guide future priorities. Supervisors recommended adding questionnaire items and demographic bands to support later targeted follow‑up.
What’s next: staff will launch the survey, provide the board with access to the portal and notify the board when the performance/dashboard is available for review.
