Belvedere officials ponder ways to increase engagement after scant survey response

A Belvedere survey seeking resident feedback on priorities for 2024 only received some 40 responses, leading officials to question the statistical significance of the results and express their desire to improve community engagement.

“Forty responses is pretty sad for a community of 2,000,” Planning Commission Chair Pat Carapiet said during a discussion on the survey among city councilmembers and planning commissioners at the city’s annual goal-setting retreat on March 27.

The city posted the online survey at the end of 2023, asking residents to identify their top three priorities from a list of seven: communication from city officials; traffic mitigation policies; improved planning and building processes; construction rules enforcement; improved emergency preparedness; climate action progress; and construction-cost appraisal and time-limit improvements.

About 21% of respondents, or about nine people, cited traffic as a top priority, while 20%, or eight people, identified better communication and transparency from the City Council, commissions and staff.

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