Community survey results

On November 19 at the Senior Center, Shurie Scheel from Thrive, an economic development organization in Thermopolis, and members of Assessment to Action (A-to-A) presented the results of the recent community survey.

Scheel described some of the questions they were asking about making progress in the community. These questions included, “What is the big overarching problem in your community, and what do you think are the causes of that? And then what is one thing that you guys could do that would sort of help drive the ball forward in a meaningful way?”

Scheel added, “But one of the main issues was that we don’t work together. We’re all sort of siloed within organizations. So, like the town works on the town things and the county works on the county things, and the state park is over there doing their thing and economic development doing their thing. And we don’t really communicate with each other. There’s really no cohesive vision.”

From this Scheel said that their group’s goal is to create a community wide strategic plan. A-to-A’s members come from different entities in the community and they are looking for additional community members to volunteer to come together to start addressing different focus areas to help create the strategic plan.

A-to-A member, Kim Bartlett, presented six different areas that they were seeking for volunteers. They are: Economic Development and Employment Opportunities; Education and Workforce Development; Youth Programs and Childcare; Housing and Commercial Redevelopment; Recreation and Cultural Facilities; and Public Services and Infrastructure.

Scheel presented the results to the meeting’s participants. They received 416 responses, which is a high number statistically, garnering a 95% accuracy based upon the sample size. Scheel said that they were hoping for about 200 results, but this turnout was encouraging to them.

The age of respondents were: over 65 years (46.9%), 50-65 years (25.1%), 40-49 years (12.4%), 25-39 years (12%), under 18 years (1.9%).

How would you rate the overall quality of life in Hot Springs County? Excellent (9.2%), Very Good (45.3%), Good (34%), Fair (9.9%), Poor (1.7%).

How long have you lived in Hot Springs County? More than 20 years (44.1%), 10-20 years (26.5%), 6-10 years (10.4%), 1-5 years (16.9%), Less than 1 year (2.2%).

Regarding a weighted scoring of the personal priority of community life, the first was Quality of Life, then Safety and Security, Availability of Healthcare, Economic Opportunities, Recreation Facilities, and least was Climate Resiliency.

Concerning what barriers prevent you from participating more in community activities, the highest result was Unawareness of Events, the second was Lack of Time, the third was Lack of Interest.

Regarding the top strengths in our community, the first results were Safe Neighborhoods, second was Effective Public Services, third was Vibrant Cultural and Recreational Activities, fourth was High Quality Education and School, and the last was a Strong Local Economy.

For the areas you believe should be priorities in the strategic plan, the highest ranking was Economic, second was Education, third was Healthcare Services, fourth Recreational, fifth Public Safety, sixth Arts & Culture, seventh Climate Resiliency.

Regarding the primary factors contributing to the shortage of housing in Hot Springs County, the highest ranking was High Construction Costs, second Number of Vacation Rentals, thirds, Lack of Contractors, fourth Low Income Housing Fund Shortage, fifth Limited Available Land, sixth Lack of Developers, and seventh Stringent Zoning Laws.

The survey also asked: How do you feel local businesses are supported and promoted by the community? Very well (11.3%), Well (51.1%), Neutral (28.2%), Poorly (8.2%), Very Poorly (1.2%).

Additionally, the survey asked: What is the main source of community information? Newspaper (40.5%), Social Media (38.3%), Word of Mouth (14.2%), Other (3.1%), Flyers/Bulletin Boards (2.7%), Radio (1.2%).

Also, the survey asked: How effective are local current communications channels at keeping you informed? (newsletters, social media, community meetings, etc). Neutral (57.5%), Effective (25.7%), Ineffective (16.8%).

The final question was: What are the most significant challenges or areas for improvement in Hot Springs County? The following are from highest to lowest: Employment Opportunities, Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Workforce Development, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Recreational and Cultural Opportunities, Childcare/Daycare, Public Transportation, Public Safety, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Climate Resiliency.