HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Wes Bucher to Jeff Davis 8/4/89 City
of CCarmel
Wesley G. Bucher
DIRECTOR• DEPT.OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Dorothy J.Hancock
MAYOR
August 4, 1989
Mr. Jeff Davis
President, Carmel/Clay Plan Commission
R.R. 1, Box 199A
Carmel, IN 46032
Dear Jeff,
Given the feelings and thoughts expressed at the Comprehensive Plan review
meeting on Tuesday night, I believe there are some understandings that should be
discussed and reached by all of us involved. In that light, I think it is essential that
the members of the Comprehensive Plan Committee realize the following:
1) The STEERING COMMITTEE, against my stated objections, did not put
the survey in a priority, therefore it was deleted from the project and the
scope of work AND THE BUDGET for this project.
2) Since I felt it was important that we get this kind of random sample
opinion, I VOLUNTEERED to continue to work to get it accomplished.
•
3) The work that I have done on this project is as follows:
A) Used the goals and objectives that were agreed upon
B) Reviewed questions that were asked at various meetings
C) Looked at other community sample surveys
D) Wrote a sample survey for submittal for prices
E) Located a sponsor willing to pay for this project
F) Met with, reviewed the questions, and received estimates from
several polling firms
There are two points that, after cutting through all the complaints and
accusations, seem important. The first is that the survey is not done or compiled yet.
I will take responsibility for that, and the main reason was that in "E" above, I have
had to make a change in the source of funding, and that has tremendously complicated
my ability to proceed with the work until a funding source was obtained. In addition,
40 EAST MAIN STREET CARMEL,INDIANA 46032 317/844-6433
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I have other responsibilities and since this is NOT part of the scope of work by staff,
I have not been able to devote as much time to this as needed. It has been delayed
longer than I wish it would have.
Second, I told the committee several times that the document is not the type
of thing that 5, 10 or 20 people can sit around saying, "I like this question, change that
word, ask this etc. There is reason for the questions not to be put out to the press
and public prior to the actual survey because of a bias that could be created on the
survey. I promised to furnish the committee with a copy of the text prior to the
survey being done in the field. I will do that.
It now appears that some members of the committee and the public are
obviously confused as to the objectives and goals for this project that were outlined in
the beginning. So now the survey becomes the focal point of getting opinions and
knowing what people want. The committee, in my estimation, made those choices in
the beginning as well as making a choice to delete the survey from the project because
few placed a priority on it when determining the scope of work.
At this point I plan to furnish as complete a document as possible to the
committee prior to your meeting on Tuesday the 8th. THAT IS AS FAR AS I WILL
GO WITH IT. I will turn it over to the committee to take from that point on. The
Steering Committee can then determine a course of action on the survey. Between the
members and the public that were present Tuesday night, it sounds like there would
be a tremendous group of experts that could be put together to carry on with this
effort. They can see that it gets reviewed, modified, funded and finished. Frankly, I
believe that any further role I play in this project should be limited.
I feel that if I were to continue to be involved, a few members would be
suspect of the document because of some personal feelings or attempt to find some
reason to critize the results or dispute them. MOST IMPORTANT, THE SURVEY
RESULTS SHOULD BE TREATED WITH THE DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE
THEY DESERVE and should not be affected by someone's personal feelings.
Personally, I would hope that the Steering Committee would understand that my
attempts to do this project were done so with a conviction that it was necessary,
needed and would prove valuable. At least now the members seem excited about the
survey.
If you should like to discuss this with me prior to the meeting, I will be happy
to talk with you about it.
ly
4.1:1" ,.1/es Bucher
CC: Comp. Plan Steering Committee
HNTB, Joanne Greene