No beer and wine question after all

Talk about it

Some Woodbury residents will be called this week as part of a survey the city does every other year.

The may also notice that it doesn’t include a question about beer and wine sales at the Bielenberg Sports Center.

City officials decided against the idea that was brought up at the January workshop, citing policy and operational details that would need to be worked out first.

“The problem is that the survey question needs to brief and to the point,” City Administrator Clint Gridley said. “The nuances and details of such an allowance would be difficult to adequately explain in the survey question.”

He added that the question cannot be sufficiently framed with hours, location in the building, design, financial impact and policies of the operator.

If the survey question is not done right, the city might not get an accurate pulse from the public, Gridley said.

“This is simply not one of those items that a survey is an effective way to educate public policy-making,” he explained.

City officials use the survey for comparison data to previous years as well as get new information to help them implement necessary changes.

Surveyors from Decision Resources randomly call 400 residents to ask the 150 question, including ones about taxes, municipal services, public safety and recreational opportunities.

The Bielenberg Sports Center is set to undergo a remodel and expansion this spring. The City Council will meet with a restaurant vendor this month who will present a full concept for food service when the renovated center opens next year.

“We can always choose other methods to sample opinion if this proposal merits further consideration,” Gridley said.

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