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Main Street Advisory Board vets draft downtown business sentiment survey, leans toward January launch
Summary
Staff presented a draft 7–13 question business sentiment survey designed as a benchmark for downtown Buda; board members pressed for clearer timing, definitions of “customer traffic,” and added options (staffing, marketing). Staff said results will return to the board and a follow-up programmatic survey will follow in 3–6 months.
Lisa, the Main Street staff member who presented the draft, described the survey as a short, branching instrument intended to establish a baseline for downtown businesses: “So from there, this survey contains 7 to 13 questions, and it is based on how someone answers,” she said.
The board and staff discussed several changes to improve benchmarking and response quality. Members urged clarifying the comparison period (the draft currently reads “compared to 2023”), defining “customer traffic” (foot traffic versus orders or online sales), and adding response options for staffing and marketing challenges. The presenter said the Texas Historical Commission recommended the broader benchmarking approach and that the survey would be paired with targeted follow-up questions later.
Timing was a key point of debate. Staff initially planned a November rollout but, after board feedback about seasonality and benchmarking, proposed moving the launch to January to capture a clearer calendar-year baseline. Board members also endorsed a second, programmatic survey three to six months after the first to probe use and effectiveness of specific downtown programs.
Staff committed to returning the compiled results and any staff recommendations to the Main Street Advisory Board before any programmatic action. “Our goal is to get 60 and above percent” participation, the presenter said, describing an active in-person follow-up strategy to reach businesses.
Next steps: staff will incorporate edits (clarify timeframes, define traffic metrics, add staffing/marketing items and a ranking option for multiple challenges), coordinate timing with committee meetings, and return a revised draft and summary of outreach plans to the board.
