Researcher Offers Survey Of Residents’ Needs & Opinions

By John Voket

A Newtown resident and partner in a regional marketing and research firm has received preliminary blessing from the Board of Selectmen after offering to conduct a balanced and comprehensive survey of town residents. Paul Lundquist, senior vice president of the Waterbury-based Harrison Group, Inc, and Intellisponse, Inc, said he was inspired to offer the services of his company after reviewing the results of at least two surveys that were conducted in the community in recent years.

Mr Lundquist has also appeared recently at several budget hearings and other public meetings, and has spoken about his concerns about a need for long-term planning beyond the five-year capital improvement plan that town leaders use as a guide for municipal spending for major projects.

Since last summer, selectmen have been considering a long-term strategic planning committee comprised of 12–20 residents from a variety of professions and civic backgrounds to overlay some ideas about municipal planning and spending from five to more than 20 years into the future.

During intermittent discussions about the committee, selectmen have suggested its membership encompass leaders from local community groups, service organizations, emergency services, as well as representatives from town departments, including Parks & Recreation, the Board of Education, the Planning & Zoning Commission, land use offices, the police department, the Board of Finance, and Legislative Council.

While selectmen have held off formally implementing the panel until they could speak with at least one other municipal leader whose town has such a committee, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he wants to move on forming the panel, in part due to public outcry for a strategic planning body.

After meeting privately with Mr Rosenthal earlier Monday, Mr Lundquist made his pitch to the full board Monday evening.

“I was the last individual to stand and offer comments at the special Legislative Council meeting at the middle school back on February 7,” Mr Lundquist told the selectmen. “At that time I proposed that I, along with my firm, the Harrison Group, would be willing and interested to conduct research — on a pro bono basis — to better understand the true beliefs and perspectives of the residents of Newtown.”

Mr Lundquist said he believes there is an emerging need to take the pulse of the community across a number of issues.

“Although that meeting had a stated focus on Fairfield Hills and the new town hall, it was clear from most folks that a number of additional issues were in play when discussing the priorities of the town,” he continued. “I’m offering a broad-based research initiative that will address a range of issues.”

Preliminarily, the Harrison Group would design questions soliciting responses about several key issues, including , but not limited to:

*Residents’ general perspective on their quality of life in Newtown

*Their use of town resources for their family’s recreation and leisure time

*Their view of what Fairfield Hills should provide for the town

*Their opinion of how commercial and residential development is impacting the town and how it should be planned for

*Their views on the quality of education in Newtown — both academic quality as well as its physical infrastructure

*A self-assessment of how well residents understand and participate in the local political process

*And their personal take on funding priorities across a variety of current and future town departments and services

“The details captured within these topics would provide invaluable insight to aid in the development of a longer-term strategy for town planning purposes,” Mr Lundquist said. “I anticipate it will extremely insightful for town leaders and residents alike, to understand what the perspective of the community is across these important issues facing Newtown.”

Mr Lundquist said results from his company’s research could possibly uncover latent needs and desires of community members regarding town expenditures, education, future development, or even a simple need for clear, concise information.

Mr Lundquist said he hopes to solicit feedback from individuals and organizations to best formulate the line of questioning, including speaking with members of the Legislative Council, Parks and Rec, The Newtown Bee, as well as members of special interest groups like WeCAN, Friends of Fairfield Hills, InsideNewtown, the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, Roots for Newtown, Newtown Youth and Family Services, and others.

“My plan is to complete this research independent of any official government body or interest group. But my thought was always to reach out to individuals across many of these types of groups in order to get input and help shape survey content from a number of perspectives,” Mr Lundquist told the selectmen.

“In essence, I’m offering a contemporary, up-to-date perspective on a host of issues facing the town, ahead of the selectmen’s efforts to seat a new long-term planning committee,” he added. “The results from this research can provide an excellent foundation and start-point for this new planning effort from an independent, unaffiliated source.”

Selectman William Brimmer, Jr., asked how Mr Lundquist would determine which residents to survey. Mr Lundquist said he hoped the survey would be promoted through The Bee, and would be offered online, as well as providing paper copies that could be completed at the local library and other public locations.

Selectman Joseph Bojnowski wanted to know how a poll taken primarily on the Internet could provide a truly balanced opinion representing average Newtown residents, and what analytical systems would be run to ensure integrity of the results.

Mr Lundquist said the survey results, which could be available in as little as eight weeks, would be weighted appropriately so the final sample was truly reflective of the “average” Newtown respondent.

“We would use the necessary technology and tools to rule out results from any persons or groups trying to use the survey to recruit a certain perspective in the results,” Mr Lundquist said.

In a follow-up interview following the selectmen’s meeting, Mr Lundquist told The Bee that the idea of conducting in-depth research in Newtown grew out of a very common experience.

“I was talking with friends in town about a number of issues relating to Newtown, and collectively we realized we knew very little,” he said. “I guess I belong to the ‘raising young kids’ demographic that has the effect of either inhibiting your ability to pay attention, or compelling you to dive in deep to become very involved. Unfortunately, I think the first group is far larger.”

Mr Lundquist said he was left with a fear that one day he would finally get around to paying attention, only to discover that planning, development, and resource priorities in town would be nothing like what he hoped or thought they would be.