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A question about questions

AMBROSE CLANCY PHOTO | The  Town Board wrestled with putting together a survey Tuesday. From left, Councilwoman Chris Lewis, Councilman Paul Shepherd, Supervisor Jim Dougherty and Councilman Ed Brown.
AMBROSE CLANCY PHOTO | The Town Board wrestled with putting together a survey Tuesday. From left, Councilwoman Chris Lewis, Councilman Paul Shepherd, Supervisor Jim Dougherty and Councilman Ed Brown.

If you have a questionnaire, who writes the questions?

At the Town Board work session Tuesday, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said he had received a suggestion from Councilman Peter Reich, who was absent on medical leave, that the town send a questionnaire to all post office box holders asking their opinions on all aspects of the deer and tick issue, including, “4-posters, neutering,” and extended hunting seasons.

The town’s Deer and Tick committee could come up with questions, Mr. Dougherty said.

Councilman Paul Shepherd thought it was an idea worth considering. “We’ll get a sense of what people are thinking,” he said.
But Police Chief Jim Read, who runs the town’s deer management program, said the committee wasn’t the proper place to sort out questions.

“We could spend months talking about questions we’d fill out,” the chief said.

His suggested the Town Board design the questionnaire. “Ultimately you’re the one’s who will have to deal with it” when it comes to funding programs, he said

Mr. Shepherd said that the committee could offer suggestions on questions. “I’m just afraid it will die up here,” he added, indicating himself and his colleagues.

There was discussion on the best method of distributing a questionnaire, with Councilman Ed Brown concerned that a mailing can cost $1,500 or more. A better way, he said, might be to use Channel 22 to point people toward the town’s website for an online survey.

Chief Read suggested Mr. Brown and Mr. Dougherty bring up the matter at the next meeting of the Deer & Tick Committee, Wednesday, June 4.