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Phone Surveys On FFHTo Begin Monday

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Phone Surveys On FFH

To Begin Monday

 

By John Voket

If it’s UConn on the phone, it’s a safe bet they’re not calling to discuss basketball. But University of Connecticut students from the Center for Survey, Research & Analysis (CSRA) may be calling to get your opinion on an issue that has become a political football: the future use of Fairfield Hills.

Residents may recall the contention between incumbent Selectmen and First Selectman challenger William Sheluck, Jr, whose opposition to the proposal became a major platform in his campaign. A referendum vote on a proposed master plan for the abandoned former state hospital went down to narrow defeat last August.

Mr Sheluck’s candidacy subsequently went down to defeat in the November election.

And the future use of Fairfield Hills still hangs in the balance.

According to First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, the Planning and Zoning Commission will not endorse any significant improvements, demolition or development on the parcel until the town has submitted an approved Master Plan for its use. And Mr Rosenthal and other town leaders want to submit a master plan that conforms as much as possible to the wishes of town taxpayers and voters.

The solution was to contract UConn to randomly select and engage 400 residents over age 18 in a ten-minute survey on the subject. Those calls will be made beginning Monday, July 26, between the hours of 5:30 and 9 pm, and are expected to take about two weeks to complete, according to Patrick McGloin, project manager for the CSRA.

“Based on the way we are provided with Newtown phone numbers, everyone in the community has an equal chance to receive a random call,” said Mr McGloin.

And if you don’t feel up to speed on the issue, or you have no real opinion on the future use of Fairfield Hills, it is still beneficial to complete the survey.

“We want to achieve an understanding about how everyone feels, so those who don’t feel engaged with the issue can still be a valuable contributor to the overall results,” Mr McGloin said.

Mr Rosenthal echoed that sentiment.

“If you really want a true indication of the taxpayers’ points of view, it’s important to survey even those people who aren’t very familiar with the issue,” Mr Rosenthal said.

In referring to the failed referendum, Mr Rosenthal said, “That vote proves we had about 1,200 people who were opposed to the master plan (as it was proposed in 2003), and 1,100 who weren’t — the rest presumably had no strong view on the subject, or they were away during the referendum.

“Either way, this survey is a good way to get a potential read on those who may not have come out to vote,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr McGloin said the CSRA performs hundreds of similar surveys each year for municipalities and other organizations. He said the town paid a discounted fee for the service, which includes the formulation of data once the phone surveys are complete, and the production of a final report to the town on the results.

Mr Rosenthal hopes qualified residents who are called will make the time to complete the survey, or offer the CSRA an alternate call back time when they can.

“All 400 (respondents) are taxpayers, and one way or another, they will all have some investment in the property,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Callers for the survey team who get no answer may call the same numbers back up to four times, McGloin said. But they will not engage residents under the age of 18 or those identifying themselves as nonresidents. They will not provide call back numbers or leave messages on voicemail, McGloin said.

The Center for Survey Research & Analysis at the University of Connecticut is a nonpartisan, nonprofit survey research facility dedicated to the study of public opinion. According to McGloin, CSRA is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in the field of public opinion research.

The mission of the Center for Survey Research and Analysis is to advance the role of public opinion in both policy-making and social science scholarship, he said.

The scope of CSRA projects ranges from national and international studies of public opinion and public policy to local community-based surveys.

CSRA is headquartered on the main campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and has a branch office in Stamford.

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