Special committee assembled to make survey calls
At least 100 Uniontown residents will receive a phone call Monday night from someone they might know asking questions like how often they visit downtown and what changes they would like to see happen there. Members of a process committee that have volunteered to help city council with a downtown economic revitalization project are gathering Monday at 7 p.m. in the First National Bank on West Main Street to make the calls.
Council members, other city officials, business owners and residents comprise the 16-person committee.
Their results of the seven-question phone survey will be added to the heap of other information city officials will attempt to gather for a Virginia firm that is planning the project.
Committee members met Wednesday night to discuss the “grunt work” they are being asked to do for HyettPalma, the planning firm the city is paying $35,000 for the “Blueprint for Pennsylvania’s Downtowns” project.
HyettPalma explained what it wants the committee to do in a 41-page “start-up kit.”
Some committee members initially seemed a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work.
“It looks like we’re here to do the grunt work, which we don’t have time to do,” said Larry Bush.
Bob Junk, of Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, who is organizing committee’s efforts, said all the information sought in the start-up kit has to be mailed to HyettPalma before June 7, which is when its representatives will arrive in town and spend the week conducting a number of meetings aimed at determining the best way to revive the downtown business district.
HyettPalma wants the committee to call 100 residents, distribute an eight-question written survey to all business in the central business district and collect the completed copies and make arrangement for its issue sessions, focus group meetings and a community visions meeting.
In addition, the firm has asked for copies of previous market and planning studies, demographic and social-economic data projections, the city’s zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan, a list of existing business organizations or associations and their by-laws and programs, the number of people who work downtown, number of tourists, the number of residents living downtown and a five-year history of retail sales tax revenue receipts for downtown itemized by business type if possible.
It also wants a number of maps. One would show what floors businesses are located on, vacant first floor spaces and locations of vacant parcels.
Other maps would depict all public parking, the boundary of the central business district, streets, the historical district and Keystone Opportunity Zones.
Junk said the committee is responsible only for the phone and business surveys, but admitted that it will be a lot of work.
“This was a concern of mine. I told them this is a lot of work for this small committee,” Junk said. “We collect the data and send it to them.”
“I’m trying to figure out what we get for our $35,000,” said Steve Neubauer.
Solicitor Daniel Webster said the city is paying for HyettPalma’s advice about identifying businesses that might open in town and finding a way to attracting them. He also encouraged the 14 people who attended the meeting to participate in conducting the phone interviews.
“They’ll give us a way to attract businesses. That’s what we’re buying,” Webster said. “Let’s come down here, make the calls and have some fun. We’ll have coffee. That’s what we’re paying for – good advice.”
Bush said it might take two nights to contact 100 people and he wished someone from HyettPalma had explained how much time committee members would have to devote to the project so they could decide if they had enough time to give.
Mark Rafail, chairman of the Downtown Business District Authority, said he works days and nights, and serves on the boards of four agencies.
“I don’t have the time,” Rafail said. He suggested hiring a telemarketing firm to make the calls.
City Councilman Gary Crozier said he is enthused about the project and is willing to help those who can’t make many calls.
Councilman Joseph Giachetti said residents would be more willing to respond if the calls came from a city official or business owners. “It would show we mean it,” he said.
John Oris, chairman of the Uniontown Redevelopment Authority, said if 10 or more people make the calls, the mission will be easily accomplished.
Crozier said he spoke to officials in Warsaw, Ind., a city were HyettPalma completed a downtown revitalization project.
“I asked if they would do it again, they said, in a heartbeat,” Crozier said. He said the people he talked to said the project brought over 100 businesses, including a large plant, to that town.