Survey will allow residents to rate conditions in city

Don't like the direction the city is headed? Or maybe you think everything is on the right track.

Either way, Cape Girardeau's Vision 2020 Community Relations Council is giving 2,600 randomly selected residents the opportunity to share their opinions in the form of a 47-question survey that was sent by mail Friday.

The survey is similar to one done in 1994 and is intended to measure the needs and opinions of the community.

"We hope everyone who receives a survey will fill it out and send it back to us," said Cape Girardeau city manager Michael Miller. "Surveys like this are important because you get an accurate picture of how people feel about their city. We will use the results to evaluate our departments and determine how we can provide even better services to our citizens."

The survey includes questions about the rate of the city's growth, confidence in the city government, the quality of education and health care among other things. It also asks for residents to check off five future projects, of 13 listed, that they feel are important.

A group of Southeast Missouri State University students will compile the results and provide a written analysis comparing residents' attitudes today versus 1994.

Results from the survey will be distributed to the city government, education providers, business organizations and health-service providers.

Assistant city manager Walter Denton said the 2020 council is hoping for a 20 percent return of the surveys, which would be 520. Denton said a 30 percent return would be exceptional and 15 percent would be average.

The survey cost the city $2,000, Denton said. The deadline for returning the survey is Tuesday.