In order to gain knowledge of the community’s feeling on the livability of Newton, the city is conducting a Community Attitude Survey, available now through Feb. 28. The survey also serves to update Newton’s Future: A Comprehensive Plan and help the city better understand the needs and desires of its citizens.
The survey is anonymous and is reported in a group form. It is available at www.surveyshare.com/t/Newton, on the city's website www.newtongov.org, the Get to Know Newton website www.gettoknownewton.com and on the city's Facebook page as well as in paper form in the Get to Know Newton magazine available at city hall.
“This is the first step in looking to update our comprehensive plan for 2016. We encourage all citizens to go Online and take the survey,” senior analyst Natalie Umsted said.
The survey covers several topics including the safety, mobility, natural environment, built environment, economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment and community engagement of the city. It also touches on several areas of Newton, including the downtown, parks, shopping opportunities and employment districts.
In a separate section, the survey asks participants to rate the level of importance the participant feels the city should dedicate resources to during the next five years. A few of those items include neighborhood or downtown aesthetics, parks, open space or hike/bike trails, recruitment of industry, retail or restaurants, historic preservation and workforce development.
More specifically, over the next two years, it asks where the city should focus in the community with options such as the overall feeling of safety in Newton, the quality of the natural environment, the overall “built environment” including the design, buildings, parks and transportation systems, health and wellness opportunities, the economic health and the sense of community.
Every two years, the city works to update the comprehensive plan, which was adopted in October of 2012. It was last updated in October 2014, and the community attitude survey is the beginning of updating it in 2016.
“A community’s comprehensive plan serves multiple purposes. First, it provides an essential legal basis for land use regulations. Secondly, it presents a unified and compelling vision for Newton’s future and sets forth actions to fulfill that vision,” Umsted said.
For more information or questions about the survey contact Umsted at 641-791-0859 or natalieu@newtongov.org.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com