Sugar Grove residents want more jobs, shopping, study finds

Sugar Grove residents appreciate the quality of life in their village, but they want more cultural, shopping and employment opportunities.

They have a mild disapproval of their elected officials, but those who interacted with an employee over the last 12 months gave high marks to the staff.

These were part of the findings of a National Citizen Survey conducted for the village by the National Research Center. The results were recently released by the village.

The village mailed 1,200 surveys to randomly selected households and received 555 completed surveys for an overall response rate of 48 percent, much higher than the typical response of citizen surveys that range from 25 percent to 40 percent.

Village President Sean Michels said he was pleased to have such a good response rate.

"The survey identified key issues the village needs to work on, namely economic development," Michels said.

"We do want our residents to know that it takes time. The Economic Development Corporation is a public/private partnership working hard to attract more retail and promote commercial development in Sugar Grove."

The overall quality of life in the village was rated as good or excellent by 82 percent of respondents, and almost all said they planned to stay for the next five years.

More than 80 percent of respondents reported feeling very safe during the day in their neighborhoods, and 54 percent said they felt very safe after dark. About 34 percent said they felt very safe from property crimes and 53 percent said they felt very safe from environmental hazards.

Only 9 percent of respondents said that employment opportunities in Sugar Grove were good or excellent and 13 percent of respondents said that shopping opportunities were good or excellent.

Only 16 percent of respondents said that opportunities to attend cultural activities were excellent or good.

Less than half of respondents, or 42 percent, approved of the overall direction that Sugar Grove is taking, but 71 percent said the overall image of Sugar Grove was excellent or good.

The respondents who had been in contact with Sugar Grove employees over the last 12 months gave them high marks. Of the 62 percent of respondents who had interacted with employees, 78 percent had an overall impression that was excellent or good. Village employees were rated high for knowledge, responsiveness and courtesy.

Cleanliness, air quality and overall natural environment of the village received high marks.

The survey results can be used by village staff and elected officials for community planning, resource allocation, program improvement and policy making.

For details, visit www.sugar-grove.il.us.