We hand-delivered surveys on Monday, and on Thursday we picked the surveys up. We put out 7,500 surveys and got back 3,000. After the results were tabulated, the results were presented at public forums, and committees were formed around the identified priorities. One of the top items was employment, which is always a concern. Another thing was education.
Education is a priority because people are looking for greater opportunities locally.
The committees then went to work developing plans and projects to address the concerns. The group that focused on health concerns, for example, included representatives from the hospital, the county health department, and local nursing homes. They developed a comprehensive list of health resources and garnered federal grant money. The plan was part of an application as a federal 'Enterprise Community'. Salem didn't get the designation, but the plan proved effective in mobilizing residents.