NOCCOG: News: TUG HILL COMMUNITY SURVEY [Digital Towpath]

The NYS Tug Hill Commission has contracted with the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College in Watertown to implement a region-wide phone survey, beginning March 16, 2009, and ending March 26, 2009. In partnership with the region's five councils of government (Cooperative Tug Hill Council, Northern Oneida Council of Governments, North Shore Council of Governments, River Area Council of Governments and the Salmon River Council of Governments), the goal of the survey is to collect residents' and landowners' perceptions and opinions about a variety of issues and opportunities in the Tug Hill Region of New York State.

Respondents will be asked questions about a variety of land use, natural resource, community development, and planning topics. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes for respondents to complete. The survey is being administered by students at Jefferson Community College, similar to how the Jefferson County and Lewis County surveys have been conducted over the past several years.

Later this spring, with results of the survey in-hand, the Commission and councils of government will convene community forums throughout the Tug Hill region to share survey results with Tug Hill citizens and local officials. These forums are intended to be an opportunity for public opinion leaders and citizens to convey their thoughts and concerns about the survey results, the region in general, and how agencies, organizations, communities and individuals can work to respond. The responses of forum attendees will truth test the results for the Commission and the region's councils of government, and give them ideas on how best to move forward on the issues and needs identified. The information gathered through the survey and forums will also feed into the Commission's 2009 Strategic Planning process, and be used by councils to evaluate their own programs and priorities.

Funding for the survey is being provided by the Cooperative Tug Hill Council, Northern Oneida Council of Governments, North Shore Council of Governments, River Area Council of Governments and the Salmon River Council of Governments, the Northern New York Community Foundation, the Open Space Institute's Malcolm Gordon Fund, and the Tug Hill Commission.

More information on the Tug Hill Commission is available on their website, http://www.tughill.org/, or by calling 1-888-785-2380 toll-free in the region. More information about the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College is available on their website, http://www.sunyjefferson.edu/ccs/index.html, or by contacting the Center at 315-786-2489.