Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – A recent survey of citizens of the Star City reflects positively on efforts by city officials to make Presque Isle a desirable place to live and work.
Working with students and faculty at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, city officials designed a survey to determine what the city was doing right and areas that could be improved to make life better for residents of Presque Isle. Results were officially announced during a recent City Council session.
“This was an eclectic work of a number of people,” said Professor Allen Salo, whose UMPI students spent months gathering data for the survey, placed calls, gathered responses and tallied results.
“Students paired up and interviewed department heads/agencies to better understand what they do,” added Salo.
From there, students designed survey questions that were then asked of randomly-selected members of the community.
“Our original target was 250. I was a little disappointed (with fewer responses) but pleased with the overall data acquired,” said Salo. About half that number were completed.
Participants ranged in age from 18 to their 90s, according to Salo.
“Most have lived here the majority of their lives, were married and owned their own homes. About half the citizens surveyed had a high school degree or less. People from all range of incomes took part, with a median income around $40,000 – with a slight bias in terms of females being represented more than males, at 60 percent vs. 38.3 percent,” he continued.
Salo said people, as a whole, were “quite complient.”
“Most people had a positive image of Presque Isle. The overall view of the city was quite good,” he noted.
The overall image of Presque Isle being a place to raise children was quite high, according to Salo. As a place to work, the city ranked average.
“As a place to work, most considered it average. But the overall quality was above average,” said Salo, adding, “safety was considered to be above average.”
Services received from city employees, said Salo, were also considered “above average.”
“People of Presque Isle are a resource – our schools,” said Salo.
Taxes were one of the few things citizens found to their disliking.
“Taxes was one of the things displeasing people,” Salo explained to Council.
Salo said the data collected “provided much food for thought.”
“Officials can think critically about what it means,” said Salo, adding that the best use of the survey might occur with repetition in two to three years.
“This allows time to make changes to see if those changes increase or decrease public response,” said Salo.
Councilor G. Melvin Hovey asked Salo what could be extracted, as a whole, from the survey.
“Probably most of the concerns involved lack of jobs/work,” said Salo.
Salo said while jobs were a concern, there were possible “hidden gems” in the data.
“Beautification, recycling. It might be my personal bias, things I’m more conscious of lately – many (such efforts) may not make a lot of money but might have a substantial impact on local and visiting people – get them to see Presque Isle more positively,” said Salo.
Councilor Jennifer Trombley found the data quite interesting.
“While many (respondents) hadn’t visited the Presque Isle Fire Department or met with the city manager, about three-fourths had used the Forum,” said Trombley. “There’s a lot to look at here.”
City Manager Tom Stevens said plans were already under way to put together another survey for use in a few years. He said collected data would be used to determine areas the city can improve on to better serve residents in the future. For more information about survey results or city issues, contact 764-4485.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
ANSWERING A SURVEY was a small price to pay for 100 gallons of heating fuel for longtime Presque Isle resident Larette Nicknair. Here, Nicknair accepts a certificate for fuel from City Council Chairman Walt Elish. Also pictured, in front, is Professor Allen Salo. In back, from left: Harrison Kilpatrick, an UMPI student who helped on the survey; UMPI President Don Zillman; and City Manager Tom Stevens. The Citizen Satisfaction Survey was performed last fall, with questions posed to randomly selected members of the community, with all participants’ names being put into a drawing for 100 gallons of fuel.
