Editorial: Community survey unveiled Tuesday

Published 7:00 pm Sunday, March 5, 2017

After months of compiling data and a community survey of area residents, the results of this important analysis of our community will be revealed on Tuesday.

The public is invited to go to Dalton City Hall at 5:30 p.m. to hear what these efforts, spearheaded by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, have produced and what they say about where we stand as a community and what our prospects for the future look like.

In late summer of last year the chamber began a four-phase research and strategic planning process. The first two phases included interviews and an online survey combined with consultants who compared Greater Dalton with nine other communities with similar populations and demographics. These communities are said to be the ones we compete with for economic development projects.

Around 2,200 area residents took part in the initial phases.

Our community is being judged on several criteria, including economic health, the quality of our workforce, infrastructure and quality of life, among others.

Perhaps what will be revealed won’t be all positive. We know it shouldn’t be. This community has a lot going for it and much to be positive about, but we also know there are problems, such as the need for more diverse industry and a better-educated populace.

Tuesday’s meeting is said to be informational and will focus on the results of the interviews and survey and the evaluation of our area’s competitiveness as a place to live, work and do business.

When the assessment comes to a close in May, discussions will begin on the final phases — how to build on what we’ve learned to create a vision for the near future.

It will be interesting to hear what conclusions are revealed, and we think everyone who lives in Dalton and Whitfield County or who works here and lives elsewhere has a stake in finding out.

But what we’ll also keep an eye on is whether any of the eventual recommendations get implemented. We are ready to see some action.