The City of Newton has recently enrolled in the National Citizen Survey, a scientific study used to measure resident opinion across eight indicators of community livability: safety, mobility, natural environment, built environment, economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.
The survey will be mailed to 1,200 randomly selected Newton households between April 21 and May 5. In order to hear from a diverse group of residents, the adult 18 years or older in the household who most recently had a birthday should complete the survey. Survey responses are completely anonymous, and the survey may be completed either by mailing the survey in or by completing the survey online. Instructions for completing and submitting the survey will be included with the survey instrument in the mail.
The survey will be used to help the City of Newton in updating Newton’s Future: A Comprehensive Plan, adopted in October 2012. 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. It also provides a guide for decision-making so that the decisions we make today do not jeopardize our vision for the future. The comprehensive plan needs to be evaluated and updated every two years so that the city continues to work toward achieving the goals that reflect the vision of the community.
The NCS is being conducted by the National Research Center Inc., a leader in the field of public sector research and evaluation. The NCS was among the first scientific surveys to gather resident opinion on a range of community issues, and has been used by more than 350 communities in 48 states.
For more information, contact Natalie Umsted at (641) 791-0859 or natalieu@newtongov.org.