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Sustainability commission to refine public survey, seek staff liaison and plan November council briefing
Summary
Commissioners agreed to refine a public sustainability survey in August, aim for distribution in September and analysis in October, and to ask the chair to check with the city attorney about acceptable ways to collect member inputs before the August meeting; they also discussed recruiting for upcoming vacancies and the need for a city staff liaison.
Heather Phelps presented draft survey materials and suggested the commission adapt an Appleton survey as a starting point. Phelps said she would circulate two sample documents for commissioners to review and recommended keeping the survey concise to maximize response rates.
Members discussed opening messaging and definitions: several commissioners suggested a short (two–three sentence) introductory statement explaining why the city is asking for input and referencing the city’s existing Path to a Sustainable Stevens Point goals, including the city's 2024 resolution on a carbon‑neutral goal by 2050. Commissioners debated whether to start the survey with questions about climate impacts to prime respondents, and agreed that a succinct purpose statement and links to background materials would help respondents understand the context.
The group weighed question formats, generally favoring mostly multiple‑choice questions with one open comment field at the end to capture novel ideas. Members discussed outreach and hosting options (city web page, SurveyMonkey/Qualtrics/Google Forms) and suggested distributing paper copies at community sites such as the senior center or including the survey link in city mailings to reach underrepresented populations.
On timing and process, the commission agreed to refine survey questions ahead of the August 6 meeting, with a target distribution in September and time to analyze results before an October meeting; commissioners proposed presenting survey results and recommendations to the city council on or about Nov. 16. Members asked the chair to check with the city attorney about whether individual commissioners could submit draft question suggestions by email without creating a walking quorum; the chair agreed to report back to the group.
The meeting also covered internal commission organization: the chair reported an alternate member resigned after election to the Portage County Board and said three member terms will expire in December; members discussed recruiting and the possibility of amending the commission ordinance to designate a non‑voting city staff liaison to support agendas, minutes and department coordination. Several members said staff support would make the commission more effective in carrying out outreach and projects.
Why it matters: A carefully designed survey and a clear staff liaison will shape public outreach, ensure legal compliance with open‑meeting rules and allow the commission to assemble a coherent package of recommendations for the city council in November.
What’s next: Commissioners will refine the survey for discussion on Aug. 6, the chair will check with the city attorney about permissible workflows for collecting suggestions, and staff liaison options will be explored during budget planning this summer.
