“Independence Goes Green? knows people are interested in preserving natural green spaces in the township.
Now the citizens? group wants to know if they’re willing to pay for it.
Jim Reed, Tom Pytel and other members raised $10,000 to conduct an official poll of the public on a new millage for preservation in Independence Township.
‘It should be taking place sometime in the next week,? said Reed.
TeleOpinion, a Virginia company will conduct the telephone poll. Reed said they chose a telephone poll because going door-to-door would have ‘cost the township a fortune.?
‘This company has been recommended by the Trust for Public Lands and the Nature Conservancy, so we figured they were a very reputable firm,? he said. ‘Several other conservancies and preservation groups have done similar polls and worked well.?
The poll will be about 30 questions.
‘They expect to interview 400 people, but obviously they are going to have to call a lot more than that to get 400 interviews. A lot of the questions are trying to ascertain people’s attitudes about preserving open space, what we can do with it, and how they feel about a millage,? said Reed. ‘We’re sure hoping we get a positive response from this poll because if we do, we feel we have the township board’s assurance that they’ll put it on the ballot in November.?
People are upset about taxes, but Reed said things have slowed down enough for them to ‘regroup? and start looking for land that can be preserved.
‘Of course, if we raise the millage, we have opportunity of matching funds from the Michigan National Trust Fund,? he said. ‘For every dollar that we raise, we can probably find another dollar or two to match it.?
The original plan was to put 0.6 mills on the ballot, to generate around $1 million a year for 10 years, beginning Dec. 1, 2008, he said.
‘Jim did most of the work once we got the money ? we had a lot of interest in donations of the money to get the poll, so I thought it went pretty well because I thought that would be the major hurdle,? said Pytel.
He said he was ‘thankful and grateful? to all the people who helped out.
‘What happens from here on out is up to the polling company and up to the folks that respond to the poll,? said Pytel. ‘It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.?
Pytel said they originally wanted 60 percent support by the public, but looking at it now he sees that goal as ‘very optimistic.?
‘If we could get 50 (percent) that would be really good. If we do, then we start to spend money and try and get the message out of what’s going to be on the ballot and how it will actually increase property values as well as helping to preserve space.?
A veterinarian, Pytel said many people are interested in dog parks.
‘Everyone drives to that dog park over at Clarkston Road and Baldwin Road,? he said.
Overall, Pytel said he was ‘pleased? by the response he got from both Land Conservancy members and non-members to raise money for the poll.
‘How well it will turn into votes during a time like this I don’t know, but the thing Jim and I started out with was ‘at least someone had to try? and since we’ve tried I think at least we both still feel better (that we) tried something.?