By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A St. Joseph City Council member hopes a survey of city residents gives the council a better idea of what is important to St. Joseph residents.
District Two Councilmember, Jason Eslinger, says the survey seeks to get good idea of what a cross section of St. Joseph residents see as important.
“Hopefully, we find out exactly what the city wants,” Eslinger tells KFEQmmunity. “Instead of us guessing every time and saying, ‘Well, we think the city wants this or we want this.’ At least now this way we’ll have numbers. Is it a pool? Is it affordable trash service? Is it roads? What does the city want?”
A professional marketing business drafted the survey sent to 4,000 residents in St. Joseph. There are sections of the survey that allows residents to write comments or suggestions.
Eslinger says he’s hopeful the survey results do point toward the priorities of city residents, but also goes a bit deeper.
“Well, I think the priorities are a start. Obviously, we want to say, okay, are the streets the priority of the citizens or the pool; you know, what is this?” Eslinger says. “But I think also just to be able to understand what our citizens want out of us as the leaders and, also, as the community as a whole.”
Eslinger says he understands some might express skepticism over whether the city council will really act on the survey results.
“I think it’s tough to respond to somebody like that. Until they can see what you’re really going to do these surveys, it’s kind of tough,” according to Eslinger. “So, hopefully, when we get these surveys back, we’re able to put these naysayers to rest and do what the public wants.”
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