Hartland Township residents surveyed about their community values had favorable feelings regarding much of the municipality’s priorities.

Cobalt Community Research conducted the Hartland Township Citizen Engagement and Priority Assessment with a random sample of 1,500 residents drawn from voter records. William Saintamour, Executive Director at Cobalt Community Research, presented the assessment’s findings at a meeting of the township’s Board of Trustees Tuesday. The goal of the survey was to help township officials better understand the community’s values so that they can plan and communicate accordingly. Saintamour told the Board at their meeting that the bottom line of the assessment is that the township has a strong performance and exceeds state, regional and national benchmarks in many dimensions.

Saintamour said compared to results from years past, he saw the most movement in residents’ responses to local roads. Results show that many of those surveyed feel that there has been a decrease in quality and want that issued addressed. There were also low benchmark scores compared to those at the regional, state and national level regarding the area’s transportation options. Respondents were not satisfied with the municipality’s bicycle and foot traffic space, and traffic-free congestion. There was also a trend in responses to the area’s restaurant options, with citizens wanting more variety like craft breweries and less fast food.

As for what residents feel the township is doing well, results show that ratings for police services have improved over 2015. There were also positive ratings for the township’s school district and parks and recreation. The assessment found that many of the residents surveyed supported the idea of a fire and road millage. There was also a strong interest in tightening zoning regulations for properties in disrepair.

Saintamour did applaud the township for its communication with residents, noting that the township’s newsletter and online presence helps establish trust in government to build a solid relationship between community members and their local leaders. The survey results can be viewed at the link below. (DK)