Selectmen Consider Scope Of Survey On Fairfield Hills

By Jan Howard

The Board of Selectmen heard a presentation during its meeting Monday by Patrick McGloin, project manager for the University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research and Analysis, in which he outlined the scope of work of a public opinion survey that would be nonpartisan and objective and address changes the selectmen recently made to the Fairfield Hills Master Plan.

“We made modifications to the plan,” First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said. “We want to know if people agree with the changes we made.”

While Selectman Joe Bojnowski voiced the hope that the survey could be accomplished for less than the $12,500 originally proposed, it appeared that might not be possible because certain costs are fixed, according to Mr McGloin.

Mr Bojnowski noted that he remained committed to a survey of the plan that would be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Selectman Bill Brimmer, who had originally opposed the survey and then backed a more targeted approach at less cost, said that after hearing the presentation, “It makes a lot of sense.”

Mr Rosenthal said, “We want to make it as scientifically valid as we can.”

A survey had been proposed following the rejection of the master plan in August. In December, members of the Board of Selectmen decided to look at the plan to see what modifications they could make to it before making a decision on whether a survey should be conducted to gauge public sentiment on the plan and possible changes.

Last month, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to adopt changes to the Fairfield Hills Master Plan and agreed to a professional survey that would sample resident’s comments on the changes.

The changes included: 1) Charge an architect/contractor with performing a complete study of the cost effectiveness of renovating Shelton House versus building a new town hall on the Shelton House site, and keeping the same architectural style; 2) Demolish Plymouth Hall and Stamford Hall; 3) Do not initially demolish the single-family homes pending results of survey; and 4) Provide for the opportunity for relocation of police and/or fire facility to the Fairfield Hills campus.

Mr McGloin described UConn’s Center for Survey Research and Analysis as a “full service survey shop” that does a “myriad of projects every year” for academic, governmental, political, and economic entities and nonprofit groups. The center, he said, “helps communities understand issues they are facing.”

He said the center would not take suggestions regarding questions to be asked because they may not be methodically sound, but would incorporate concepts. He noted they would want to gather as much information as they could in formulating questions.

Questions would not be printed in advance because that would make the survey useless, he said. “The survey has to reflect the population and get people on equal footing.”

He said 400 residents aged 18 or over would be contacted after being selected randomly. Questions would be asked in a scientific, nonpartisan way, and results would be scientifically sound.

“We make it sound conversational,” Mr McGloin said of the interview.

He said 400 interviews would be a sufficient number to provide reliable data for analysis. All calls would be made from the UConn campus so that all interviewers would be asking questions the same way. Interviews would take from 12 to 15 minutes each.

“You would get what you need in 12 to 15 minutes,” he said. “People will cooperate.

“Our job is to put questions in a good form to give reliable answers,” Mr McGloin said. He said the interview would include an introduction, demographic questions, age and gender as well as questions regarding the master plan changes.

“Our goal is to give you the information you need to make decisions,” he said.

He said there are three rules in survey research: what you want to know, who do you ask, and what do you want to do with the information.

Mr McGloin explained that interviewers include current full-time students, former students, and people from the community who receive supervision and training for the center’s projects.

The survey would begin with a press kickoff that would make residents aware they might receive a call regarding the master plan changes.

Resident Ruby Johnson and other members of The Friends of Fairfield Hills presented information to the Board of Selectmen and asked questions of Mr McGloin.