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Signal Mountain survey: residents prioritize safety, utilities and roads
Summary
Town staff presented results of a 977‑response resident survey showing public safety, utilities/infrastructure and roads/sidewalks as top priorities; the survey revealed high satisfaction with police and fire and lower satisfaction with growth and planning.
Chelsea Bridal, the town’s community development director, told the Signal Mountain Town Council on March 9 that the town received 977 responses to a citizen survey and that 93% of those responses were from town residents. "We received a total of 977 responses," Bridal said during a presentation to the council.
Bridal said the majority of respondents were between 40 and 54 years old and that 33% have lived on Signal Mountain more than 20 years. When asked which services matter most, residents ranked public safety (police, fire and EMS) first, utilities and infrastructure second, and roads and sidewalks third. Parks and recreation and environmental initiatives ranked lower in funding priority responses.
The survey also asked about satisfaction with town services. Bridal said police and fire received very high satisfaction ratings, while growth and planning scored lowest. Open‑ended responses highlighted recurring concerns: 167 mentions of leaf/brush or trash pickup, 101 mentions of sidewalks/crosswalks/bike lanes, 79 mentions of roads and potholes and 77 mentions of development and growth policy.
Bridal said the town will post the presentation and raw survey data online. Mayor Elizabeth Baker and other council members encouraged residents who want to be more informed to tune into the council’s strategic planning session on Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m., and noted that the survey results will inform that planning work.
The presentation included a summary of communication preferences: email, the town website and social media were the most preferred channels for receiving town updates. Bridal said 64% of respondents opted in to receive town emails going forward and the town will use that list to increase direct communications.
