City to conduct quality-of-life survey
Lexington’s city council wants to know what residents think, and it’s willing to pay to find out.
The council will spend $11,000 to analyze how people feel about the local quality of life. The survey will ask questions about downtown economic development, curbside recycling and public transportation, among other topics.
City Manager Jon Ellestad said that residents have not been surveyed about their quality of life for almost eight years. The last survey was put together and reviewed by local officials.
“It’s been way too long,” Ellestad said. “I’d like to do a survey every three to four years.”
The city’s general fund will pay for the survey, which will be sent to a random sample of 1200 community members.
The city has hired National Research Center Inc. in Boulder, Colo., to conduct the survey. Ellestad says that the survey will give the city information about citizens’ opinions on governmental services. Ellestad said the research firm will provide a higher-quality data analysis.
City Councilwoman Mimi Elrod agrees, especially, she said, because the company will compare Lexington’s results to the results of similar-sized cities.
“I think it’s good to have somebody who does surveys all the time do it,” she said.“People are concerned about downtown development. They want more going on downtown.”
Eileen Brower moved to Lexington seven years ago when her husband accepted a job at Virginia Military Institute. She says that Lexington’s empty business sites detract from the city’s charm.
“Often it’s the outsiders who have great interest in keeping the town the best it can be because we have recently invested in our property,” Brower said. “I think if you have good zoning and good public officials even if the investor or the business is an outsider you will still have a voice.”
Nevertheless, Ellestad said that the survey is not specific to downtown development.
“We’re trying to hit a whole range of services we provide,” he said.
One new service the city says it plans to institute is curbside recycling. The Rockbridge County Landfill will close in 2012, according to Rockbridge County Recycling Coordinator Kimberly Thompson. The city currently spends $23 for every ton of trash dumped at the landfill. Thompson has said that more than half of what goes into the landfill could be recycled.
Norman Jones, who moved to Lexington eight years ago to live in the Kendal retirement community, thinks that a curbside recycling program is necessary to improve the quality of life in Lexington.
“It will save the need to invest in an additional landfill,” Jones said.
The survey will also ask residents how they feel about public transportation in the area. Rockbridge Area Transportation System members are working to find a way to bring transportation to people who cannot afford it. RATS board member Sue Van Leer says that the latest concept is to set up a corps of volunteers that will serve as drivers on a regular route.
“I think [the lack of public transportation is] a definite minus for living in Lexington for a real substantive population,” Van Leer said.
According to Brower, the transportation issue affects even those who have cars.
“If you’re talking about life quality, those who have money are not exempt,” said Brower.
Jones also said that Lexington’s lack of public transportation is a weakness.
“I have a car, but I’m also 80-something, so I don’t like driving much at night anymore,” he said.
Brower said that despite issues of downtown development, recycling and transportation, she and her husband enjoy Lexington’s high standard of living.
“I’m very happy with the quality of life, but improvement is always possible,” she said.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd