The Village of Bellaire may be finally turning the corner to move in the right direction. Businesses are coming to town, and staying.
And while most of those are in the food industry—detailed recently in a LedeNews.com feature—positive news is in short supply these days and the town can build off a positive business climate that sees the community support locally owned businesses.
The village, in cooperation with the Belmont County Community Improvement Corporation, sought to do just that, partnering to find out just what Bellaire residents and non-residents alike want to see from their town going forward.
Pre-pandemic, CIC Executive Director Crystal Lorimor approached village council about holding public meetings to solicit opinions on what people would like to see in the vision for Bellaire going forward.
Those meetings naturally were nixed thanks to pandemic restrictions, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise—a rarity when it comes to the pandemic.
The CIC opted to shift away from in-person meetings to an online survey, the Bellaire Community Survey found here, that anyone can easily take. The initial response was strong.
“The first two days alone we had 186 responses,” Lorimor noted. “It’s been out a few weeks and the deadline to fill it out is April 16. That’s when we’ll close the survey.
“But we’ve had a big response. I don’t know the exact number yet, but it’s continued after that initial surge.”
Greater Flexibility
Online participation in this survey allows for greater flexibility as well as increased participation.
If the village and CIC in conjunction host a town hall meeting, or even multiple, then the number of people able to participate is limited by numerous factors: time allotted, the time each person takes to speak, people’s availability because of work, size of the room (even without pandemic restrictions) and even willingness to speak public.
Face it, not everyone wants to get up in front of a large group of people and give their opinion. But nearly everyone does have an opinion. This is your chance to share that.
“People get busy and even if they could have made the meeting, not everybody will get a chance to give their opinion. It’s a time issue,” Lorimor said. “So, the survey gives them a chance to participate and helps us keep in focus what we’re looking for.
“There’s also a chance to give feedback.”
Lorimor also pointed out at the end of the survey, there’s a link where you can mark your desire to be kept in the loop how the survey turns out and any steps going forward from the survey.
And just timing, people are busy, and then, in that time frame, not everybody has a chance to give their opinion, just a time issue, so the survey gives them a chance, helps us keep in focused to what we’re looking for, chance for feedback, also, if you did it, at the end, there’s a link, where if they want to stay in the loop, want to volunteer, go to another link and fill out info, response from those have been incredible
What are some of the questions?
There are the usual biographical-style questions: Do you live in Bellaire, what’s your age range, do you work in Bellaire.
But most questions are geared toward things in town you’d like to see receiver greater attention or emphasis, how important those are to you, and, if your idea isn’t listed, there’s a spot to fill in the blank and expand on your thoughts.
There are also images, some simulated, some from other cities—Wheeling’s waterfront for example—on whether you’d like to see something similar come to Bellaire.
In working with Bellaire businesses and residents, Lorimor knows there are plenty of great ideas circulating. This is a chance to put them to paper.
“The people have lots of great ideas and I’m hearing more and more of them and they seem very similar,” Lorimor said. “So, the survey really is their chance to put their ideas to paper and help form a vision plan for their community.”
First the Survey, Then What?
When the survey ends a week from Friday, the CIC and village will have collected loads of invaluable data and opinions.
But then what? What’s that next step?
Once we get our answers, if the steering committee determines that clarification, or additional detail is needed, there could be a second-round survey,” Lorimor said. “We could do that to pull additional info or to really hone-in on one area that we want to target.
“But the end result is to get the community vision, in black and white, and also to provide the village with a list of resources, say grants, to help make that vision a reality.”
Lorimor noted that when applying for large grants, those issuing the funds want concrete examples that there’s community buy-in for particular projects. Does it fit the strategic plan?
For instance, say Bellaire wants to significantly upgrade the recreational and entertainment capabilities of its waterfront. It seeks a grant for just said purpose.
Now, if the results of this survey show that not only do Bellaire residents want these amenities in town, but also that folks living outside Bellaire not only want it, but will visit the village frequently because of it, it becomes a major data point to help the village be awarded targeted grant funding.
“It will help the village prepare and give it things it can reference as the leaders move forward applying for grants,” Lorimor noted.
It gives the citizens a voice in helping the village move forward, and continue to turn things around in the All-American town.
