Tag: survey

Opinion: Bloomington’s next community survey needs some work

A couple of weeks ago, the city of Bloomington released the results from this year’s community survey.

The response rate for Bloomington’s community survey has dropped by about 40 percent from 2017 to 2023.

The survey has been conducted every two years for the city of Bloomington by the same firm—Polco/National Research Center. That’s now four surveys worth of data that can be tapped for trends.

Based on the city’s online financial records, Polco/NRC has been paid a total of $82,590 for the work, starting in 2017.

Surveys were conducted in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

Democratic Party primary winner Kerry Thomson, who is unopposed this fall, will almost certainly be he next mayor of Bloomington, starting in 2024.

I think it would make sense to repeat the same kind of survey in 2025. Continuing to ask some of the same basic questions every two years, using the same methodology, would add to a longer-term understanding of how Bloomington’s community attitudes are changing.

But I hope that the Thomson administration will not wait until 2025 to start thinking about that year’s survey.

There are two areas where I think improvements could be made: the number of respondents; and the quality of the non-standard questions. Continue reading “Opinion: Bloomington’s next community survey needs some work” →

Jail committee tries to turn page on infighting: “Talking more is always a good antidote to talking less or talking crosswise.”

Community justice response committee (Feb. 6, 2023)
From left: Monroe County circuit court judges Kara Krothe and Catherine Stafford and deputy prosecutor April Wilson.
County councilors Jennifer Crossley and Peter Iversen. Community justice response committee (Feb. 6, 2023).

This Monday marked the first meeting of Monroe County’s community justice response committee (CJRC) after the membership was revised by county commissioners—to include all three commissioners, reduce the number of judges from four to two, but not add any representatives from Bloomington city government.

The previous couple of meetings had been contentious.

And much of the friction centered on the makeup of the group, which is supposed to be responding to the work of two consultants, released to the county government more than 18 months ago.

The meetings were contentious enough to prompt a rebuke of the committee from various quarters. Friction between the judicial and the executive branch surfaced about how input is treated from different people at the table, and how information is shared.

That friction surfaced at a previous meeting when county commissioner Lee Jones told circuit court judge Catherine Stafford, “I’m sorry, Catherine, would you please stop interrupting me.”

This Monday, it was Stafford who was asked by committee co-chair county commissioner Penny Githens to get the meeting started with some remarks.

The way Githens cued up Stafford’s speaking turn made it plain she wanted to start a new chapter: “I was chatting with my friend judge Stafford recently, and I was going to ask her if she would start the meeting off with just a few brief sentences.”

Stafford responded by alluding to some of the rocky terrain the committee had traversed: “I think that talking more is always a good antidote to talking less, or talking crosswise.” Continue reading “Jail committee tries to turn page on infighting: “Talking more is always a good antidote to talking less or talking crosswise.”” →