• I do wish this group of volunteers had published minutes from their meetings where they formulated the survey. Since an Albemarle County staff member, Planning Commissioner, and Supervisor were on the committee, is anything FOIA-able?
• Has the Board of Supervisors given any indication that they will accept the results of this survey?
• Some background.

via email:*

Dear Crozetians,

I’m writing to ask your help in an important community driven effort that will help shape the future of Crozet.   As you may have read, there is a volunteer committee that consists of Crozet Community Association president Tim Tolson; retired planning commissioner Tom Loach (and new/current CCAC member);  current planning commissioner Jennie More; White Hall Supervisor Ann Mallek; Tom Guterbock, the director of U.Va’s Center for Survey Research; Shawn Bird, a political polling expert; Crozet Board of Trade president Mike Marshall; and county senior planner Elaine Echols. Other interested Crozet citizens have also attended meetings.  This committee has been developing a survey on Crozet growth issues for presentation to the public in May.

The committee has prepared a scientifically valid survey with neutral questions. Some 2,000 households inside the Crozet Growth Area and another 1,000 in nearby areas will be sent letters asking them to participate in the online survey. The goal is to get at least 500 households from this random representative sample to respond, with the heavy majority being from inside the growth area.

The same survey will also be available to anyone in the public online or in a paper form published in the Crozet Gazette and also available at Crozet Library. But these responses, while valid and sought after, will be analyzed and reported separately.

The committee has made diligent efforts to be thrifty about the cost of the effort. The expense, including sample purchase, comes down to less than $2 per invitation for the 3,000 letters and follow-up postcards should the letter not get the needed 500 participants.

 

The Crozet Board of Trade is undertaking to raise $6,000 to cover the cost of the survey. We believe this information is worth getting. The results will be publicly available.

 

The Board of Trade is a civic nonprofit that traditionally has raised funds for Crozet’s Independence Day fireworks show. We also raised the funds to create the Crozet Historic District. Your contribution is tax deductible and will be acknowledged.

 

This is a worthy cause. I hope you will send a contribution made out to the Crozet Board of Trade to P.O. Box 261, Crozet, Va. 22932. You can also donate online at this address: http://crozetcommunity.org/2017/04/donate-survey (Please note that 3% of your donation is kept by Network for Good as its fee.)

 

Thank you for supporting your hometown and believing that our caring can make its future prosperous and bright.

 

Sincerely,

Michael Marshall, President, Crozet Board of Trade

The Crozet Board of Trade is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.

One more thought: this survey has been put forth as being “unchallengeable” by the organizers. “With a scientific survey we have unchallengeable results that will be valuable for many purposes.” – Mike Marshall, via email 11/19/2016. 

If they are “unchallengeable” results, are they saying that they are infallible as well?

*edited to add links to CCAC story about Tom Loach and link to CCA.