MADRAS, OR -- A Citizen Input Survey is now arriving in mailboxes in and around Madras, to help city officials learn how residents feel about living there. Sara Puddy, the city's Administrative Manager, says it's about knowing what's working, what's not working, and what priorities they should have in the future. "Before we, as a staff, and our elected officials can really, truly prioritize our Master Plans and our goal-setting, we want to know from the people that pay into our budget, what matters most to them. So, it's perception-based. It's a feelings-based survey."
Puddy says nearly 5,000 three-page surveys were mailed throughout the 97741 zip code, and she hopes to get at least 1,000 completed and returned. Spanish versions are available by calling City Hall, and the survey is available online.
Puddy says this is a first for Madras, and she thinks it will really help those who live in the City feel heard, "We gather community and citizen input in a lot of different ways. This will help us better understand, what is the priority of the community? That helps us, as a staff, and as our elected officials, when we're budgeting, when we're writing grants to leverage what little bit of resources we do have, to make this the most livable, growing, thriving Community possible."
The survey covers a variety of topics including safety perceptions, how residents feel about using the Downtown corridor, and whether or not the City is adequately responsive in emergencies, infrastructure failings, and other issues.
Madras community members have a month to respond and Puddy tells KBND News, "What we're trying to communicate, to the Community, is the City has established a platform for Community members to be 'heard,' and we're using taxpayer dollars to set up that platform, so please take advantage of that opportunity, and let your voices be heard, because we're going to listen and we want to hear what you have to say."
