Planning commission approves distribution of Lapeer City master plan survey with revisions

The Lapeer City Planning Commission on Jan. 11 approved the distribution of a public survey to gather input for the city master plan, instructing staff to split the survey into topical sections, remove redundancy (especially in parks questions) and move transportation into its own section.

Staff described the draft approach: front‑load the first three pages (demographics, community engagement introduction and the non‑motorized network survey) across sections, then split subject matter into individual topic pages (housing, economic development, parks, environment, youth). The survey will be distributed online via SurveyMonkey with a link and QR code, printed copies will be available at city facilities, and staff will promote the survey through local channels. Staff noted some prior surveys had response rates as high as about 13 percent.

"I would have it live probably within a week's time and it usually stays open," staff told the commission when asked about rollout timing. Commissioners suggested balancing question counts across topics so respondents are not discouraged by a long parks section, and stressed outreach through the city website and local press to maximize participation. A motion to distribute the survey with the recommended revisions was made and carried; vote tally was not recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: staff will publish the revised survey online and in print, begin outreach, and report back on results at an upcoming open house scheduled for later this summer.