Late last year the Selectboard sponsored a direct survey of voters — asking what they like and don’t like about the town and local government, and what they believe Bennington needs to secure its future.
In what the board considers merely the first such outreach effort, 530 voters answered the Bennington Citizen Survey questions.
When the raw numbers were first posted in January, Selectboard Chairman Thomas Jacobs said some of the responses represented “close to a vote of ‘no confidence’ in our leadership right now.”
During a forum Monday that focused on the survey results, Jacobs said a principal goal of the survey and the discussions is to ensure the future of the town and its viability in attracting businesses and new residents, especially young families.
“Really, the purpose is to share the present and the anticipated hope for the future of our town,” he said, “and how we can all work together and make this more viable than it is today.”
In one example, a pie chart showed the percentages that were satisfied with town governance (37 percent), dissatisfied (36 percent) and in need of more information (27 percent).
“This is kind of a digital scorecard,” Keane said of the survey responses, which he emphasized will provide the board with a base from which to measure improvement, or the lack of it, through future surveys and public meetings.
The survey also included information on those who responded, such as age, number of years living in town and family income. Included as well were charts rating each municipal service; rating the downtown — which got low scores from many for entertainment, nightlife, retail variety and “vibrancy” — and a chart breaking down the shopping habits of residents.
The general concerns expressed in a separate comments section broke down into broad categories, such as the need for good-paying employment, economic development, and attracting and retaining residents in the 25 to 45 age range; the cost of real estate; and a desire to improve public education, provide more programs for youth, improve the appearance of the downtown and boost the effectiveness of town government.
During the discussion Monday, several residents and other board members chipped in some more specific needs or suggestions. These include trying to more effectively promote the town as a destination based on clearly identifiable attributes, such as its Colonial era history and the Battle of Bennington.
Also mentioned was a need for better promotion of connections between the downtown and the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail network, especially via a new access trail stepping off close to Main Street; taking advantage of the bus terminal in promoting the downtown and attracting visitors; creating connections and providing information for snowmobile riders to visit restaurants; providing downtown public restrooms; and adding or enhancing hiking or biking trails and recreational facilities, such as an outdoor swimming pool or skating rink, for youth.
Resident Al Bashevkin urged an effort to join the “aging in place” movement underway in other areas and states, which promotes a variety of strategies for communities to allow seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible. He suggested inviting speakers to Bennington to discuss how the concept can benefit a town and improve the quality of life for a growing population of elderly residents.
Improving public education was seen as highly important by some survey respondents, including one woman who said she is considering moving to another community once her children reach school age. “I cannot emphasize enough how critical it is you address the problems with public education in this town,” she said.
One problem, Jacobs said, is that improving education involves measurable outcomes for local schools, and usually funding. “We can’t just say we have great public schools,” he said.
He and others noted that, at the same time, many voter comments sent the clear message that taxes are already too high and must be lowered.
Acknowledging the many challenges, Jacobs and Keane said Bennington is not alone among many other communities in the Northeast and nationally facing similar issues and problems.
“And there is a lot going on here,” Jacobs said, adding that positive announcements are likely in the coming months concerning the downtown, improvement of hiking and other trails, and recreational opportunities for youth.
The major economic news locally has focused on a proposed project by the Bennington Redevelopment Group LLC to purchase and refurbish several buildings around the former Putnam Hotel at the Four Corners intersection. The group — which includes the hospital’s parent corporation and local colleges — has proposed a multifaceted project costing in the $50 million range, using a combination of private money, grants and historic preservation and other tax credits.
The group has not sought any funding from the town, said board member Donald Campbell, who added that public-private partnerships are key to increasing growth and employment and expanding the town’s tax base.
That path is a must, he said, since many survey respondents are saying, “Lower my property taxes.”
Concerning the survey, Keane said the first one has set a baseline to measure future improvement and provided some ideas on how to expand and better promote future surveys.
The survey report can be viewed here.