2020.10.26 Council Agenda Item 5

This project was last discussed by the Council on October 14, 2020 (item 6).

The purpose of this agenda item is to provide regular project updates. Even though no Council action is anticipated, public comment will be taken.

Background

In 2019 the Town Council expressed strong interest in updating the 2013 Comprehensive Plan to lay a solid basis for any future land use decisions. Prior to commencing this work, the Council decided to first undertake a robust public process to identify the Town’s “vision and values” to help inform the comprehensive plan update process. The Town has engaged consultant Future iQ to assist with this effort.

The four phases of work from Future iQ are:

• Phase 1 - Project Background Research (September-December 2020)
  • Initial planning and schedule
  • Background Research/key data review
  • Benchmark Report (This report will provide an up-to-date community profile in conjunction with nationwide community comparisons across common dimensions)
• Phase 2 - Future Scenario speculation including focus groups and Think-Tank (October 2020 - March 2021)
  • Community Survey
  • Data visualization platform
  • Future Driver virtual focus groups 
  • Falmouth Future Think-Tank
  • Scenarios of the Future Report
• Phase 3 - Broader Community Engagement (March -May 2021)
  • Community vision engagement sessions
  • Vision survey, data collection and analysis
  • Future Summit
• Phase 4 - Final Report (May-June 2021)
  • Draft and finalize Falmouth Community Vision and Values Statement Report
  • Presentation of the Falmouth Community Vision and Values Statement Report

Community Outreach

A project web portal was launched on October 16 providing initial community input opportunities. Messages announcing this portal have been distributed through various Town communication channels.

Outreach will also be conducted to various community organizations in Falmouth to make them aware of this project and encourage participation in the upcoming community survey. Attached is a draft list of organizations to be contacted by Town staff (contact information is being updated). In addition, a postcard will be mailed to all Falmouth households announcing the community survey.

Community Survey

The project portal is currently taking survey question suggestions from the public (“What key questions do you think should be included in the Community Survey?”). As of October 22, 1:44 PM, fifty-three comments were contributed.

Future iQ has organized these initial suggestions thematically. Council and public input will be taken on this work, as well as the example standard survey questions that Future iQ has used with other communities . Feedback on both documents will be used to help develop a draft Falmouth survey instrument that will be reviewed on November 9. These documents will be updated on an ongoing basis. 

Current Schedule (note: this is subject to change)

• October 26, 2020: 
  • Town Council meeting - initial review of, and public comment on, survey question suggestions made by the public and example survey. This work is just the beginning of the community outreach. Additional input on survey question suggestions will be taken through the end of October.
• End October 2020: 
  • Preparation of Benchmark Report
• November 2-5, 2020:
  • Community Survey questions prepared
• November 9, 2020:
  • Town Council meeting - public comment on final draft survey questions
• November-December 2020: 
  • Community Survey open to the public (runs for 4 weeks)
• November-December 2020: 
  • Virtual Future Driver Focus groups held 
• December 2020:
  • Pause - reassessment point #1
• January 2021
  • Falmouth Future Think Tank held (virtual or in person)

The summary of the project, the consultant's scope of work, example survey from Future iQ, thematic summary of survey suggestions made to date by the public through the project portal, verbatim survey suggestions made by the public to date, and draft list of community groups that will be contacted are attached.