Time is running out to participate in the Westport Island Comprehensive Plan survey. The survey, which is intended to get the Westport Island community’s opinions and desires for the town’s future, will close at the end of the month, Aug. 31. Don’t miss out on your chance to help shape the island’s planning for the future. Take a few minutes to fill out the survey today!

The easiest way to participate in the survey is to complete it online, and you can save a stamp at the same time! It’s easy to do. Type http://wvfd.me/cps into your computer’s browser or smart phone’s search bar and you’ll get taken to the survey, hosted on Survey Monkey.  You can also find the link on the town website. If you would rather submit your responses on paper, you can pick up a copy of the survey at the Town Office.

Maine state statutes have established requirements for municipal Comprehensive Plans. The state requires Comprehensive Plans to be updated every 10 years or so, to reflect changes in demographics and conditions. Without a current plan, a town is not eligible for certain state-funded grants and other benefits. Westport Island’s last comprehensive plan was developed in 2002, so it is time that it be refreshed to reflect current conditions on the island and the desires of current community members for Westport Island’s future.

A key part of the planning process is the participation of the public in the shaping of the Vision, the analyses, and the specific recommendations that will comprise the Plan. The first step for Westport Island’s public participation is a survey, a set of questions that the Comprehensive Planning Committee hopes will help it understand how the community would like to see Westport Island develop over the next 20-30 years. These questions should take only about 10-15 minutes to answer.

Some key points about the survey:

• The Committee wants responses from all adults, persons 18 or over, in a household, and the online survey makes this easy.
• The whole Westport Island “community” should participate: those who have a strong interest in Westport Island, not just those currently living on the island or registered to vote there. Year-round residents, summer residents, part-time residents or guests, and people who live elsewhere but work on Westport Island, are all encourages to share their opinions.
• While complete surveys are best, partial ones are okay. If you don’t want to answer a question you can skip it. When completing online, if you can’t finish on the first sitting, you can log back in to complete it.
• Additional copies of the survey are also available at the Town Office.

There will be a public hearing in September to review a draft Vision Statement before the Committee submits it for a vote as part of the November election.

For any questions, please email the Comprehensive Planning Committee at  westportislandcomp@gmail.com.