Town Manager Mary Jacobs will be discussing a tool she has implemented to get community feedback. It is called "Flash Vote." We told you about it last month. She will discuss it tonight with Council in a study session that will occur after the regular council meeting.
The town started using this tool in February. It has spent $2,960 for six surveys. We've seen three. Jacobs plans to spend $4,900 for 12 surveys next year.
We question "Flash Votes" usefulness
There are three flash votes in which we have participated. Voting was open for approximately 2 days each in February, March and April. Approximately. 500 total respondents participated in each. About 83% are Oro Valley residents. The topics and results included:
- Use of water utility tools: We learned from this that almost half the respondents have used a free water utility service. Those that had primarily used the "Water Smart" online usage tool.
- Community Feedback Options: This question ran in March. It asked about participation in town meetings. 62% or respondents attend no meetings in the past year. 38% have attended at least one meeting in the past year.
- Parks, Recreation, Culture: This question ran in February. One of the three questions asked if you had attended the Farmers Market in the past year. 54% said "yes."
The results of these polls are at best interesting; but they can't be generalized to the overall Oro Valley citizen population. You can't extrapolate the results. In the past year, do you think that half the residents used a free water utility free service; or that 38% of town residents have attended a town meeting; or that more than half of the town's residents have attended the Saturday Farmer's Market at Steam Pump Ranch?
Flash vote is a non random survey tool. Participants sign up to answer vote questions. They can sign up to "flash vote" using this link. At best, "Flash Vote" results represent a sample of the thinking of those who signed up to "flash vote." Otherwise, it is of no practical use in gauging total community input.
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