Happy April Fountain!  I hope the warmer weather and beginning of Spring has you doing well and getting ready for a great summer ahead.  I wanted to take some time this month to discuss some of the recent citizen feedback surveys we have had out there.  Using surveys has turned out to be a great way to get really valuable input from our community, without taking a lot of time from your busy schedules.  

Our first survey we hosted in the month of March was a street funding voter opinion survey.  Now closed to further input, this survey asked residents of fountain about whether they would approve a potential ballot measure to join the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) and an accompanying 1% sales tax increase that would go to funding an increase in road maintenance resources and PPRTA approved street projects.   The survey was very successful, with over 700 residents providing responses!  The results of that survey can be found on our city website, www.fountaincolorado.org, and we have also shared that information through our city Facebook page.  

Our second survey is a grant funded study of potential recreation options in the Olde Town (Downtown) area of Fountain.  The city owns some property near the railroad tracks that was the site of the infamous 1888 rail car explosion that changed the early history of Fountain.  We are asking for the community’s feedback on options to develop that property, and potentially others in the area, into a pedestrian recreation corridor in the Olde Town District.   This survey is open and available for your feedback!  You can find it at the top of our city website and also on our city Facebook page.

The results of these surveys will certainly help inform City Councils decisions in the future of how to best support and provide the infrastructure and services the community wants, and I thank you again for your time in taking them!  While citizens are encouraged and invited to come to any of our City Council Meetings or other public forums to share their views, I again understand that getting time away from a full schedule of work, family and other personal commitments can be challenging, so taking a quick public survey is a great way to make your voice heard without taking too much of your time!  Of course, you can also always contact your City Council members directly, their contact information is available on the city website or by calling City Hall at 719-322-2000, and I can always be reached at [email protected].