By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph city officials are asking residents for their input on the direction they would like to see the city head in during a community survey.
City Manager Mike Schumacher says about 4,000 surveys have been put out to community members to their opinions on the city's services
"We need to ask our customers what they want, and then we need to deliver on what they want, so when that survey comes back that is going to guide the organization," Schumacher tells KFEQ News. "So, let's say they want additional code enforcement for example, well that means we need to invest in code enforcement, we need to look at how we're doing it, are we doing it the best we can?"
Schumacher says the survey will provide the data needed for data driven decision making, being able to go all the way down to particular parts of town
"Let's say in one census tract everyone is really unhappy with the police department, and they don't feel safe for whatever reason, well we know we need to focus in that census track and figure out what's going on," Schumacher explains. "So, it breaks it down on multiple levels and it completely removes the loud voice, if you will."
Schumacher says the survey features several questions, and the answers to those questions will help choose the top three priorities for the city.
"Maybe code enforcement is number one, maybe it's streets, maybe it's abandoned buildings, it will prioritize exactly what we need to focus on and then those top three issues will drive the organization," Schumacher says. "That doesn't mean there isn't a fourth or a fifth one that's sitting over there that we're going to fold in at some level, but they will tell us these are the top three things we think you need to be working on."
Along with the mailed-out surveys, any resident can also access the survey online by visiting the city website.
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