Officials say resident outreach must improve after master‑plan survey drew 188 responses

Multiple commissioners and council members raised alarm about public engagement during the master‑plan update, saying a consultative process will fall short if it fails to capture a representative cross‑section of Eastpointe residents.

The concern centered on the survey sample size and turnout. When asked how many people responded, the project team answered, "188 residents out of the city of East Point," a consultant stated. Several elected officials responded that 188 respondents for a city the size of roughly 34,000 is insufficient and called for more direct outreach — door‑to‑door canvassing, presence at community festivals and more partnerships with neighborhood organizations.

Why it matters: commissioners said prior master‑plan recommendations were not implemented and warned the city should not repeat the same cycle: spend planning funds without achieving meaningful resident buy‑in or follow‑through. One commissioner urged integrating planning work into community events (Memorial Day, Juneteenth) and using repeated "touch points" to raise awareness.

Consultants and staff described steps they had taken — extended survey windows, outreach to churches and targeted demographic monitoring — and committed to returning with additional public meetings and disaggregated data to better identify impacted groups such as seniors. Elected officials stressed that outreach must also close the perception gap and show residents that leadership listens and acts on input.

The discussion preceded a motion recorded in support of the planning item; the session did not produce new outreach funding or a detailed revised outreach plan during this meeting.