Abbotsford has commissioned another Angus Reid telephone survey to see what voters know and feel about the proposed Stave Lake water supply and treatment centre project.
City manager Frank Pizzuto said the poll is currently underway, and like the one run in August, will canvas 300 random Abbotsford homes.
“We set the benchmark and now we want to see if there has been any progress, or what people are thinking at this stage,” said Pizzuto.
He explained the questions being asked are “much the same” as the first poll so the data can be compared.
The city has been running an information campaign promoting the Stave Lake project – which would see the city enter into a 25-year public-private partnership (P3) to design, build, finance and operate a new water treatment plant.
“We want to see what people are thinking after there have been some significant initiatives to educate people on this situation.”
Pizzuto said the results of the polling will be made public as soon as they become available, as early as the week of Nov. 7. “Whether they are positive or negative, we will release them.”
Water the focus of meetings
More than 7,000 Abbotsford residents participated in the first mayor’s telephone town hall held on Oct. 27, according to information released by the city.
The event, which was designed to answer public questions about the proposed Stave Lake water project, allowed 47 questions to be answered during the 85-minute event.
A second telephone meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 9 beginning at 7 p.m.
All residents with a listed phone number will be contacted by telephone and invited to join the discussion.
On Oct. 28, about 150 people came out to meet municipal candidates from Mission and Abbotsford, and watch a recent documentary called Water Makes Money, as part of a candidates meeting co-sponsored by Water Watch Mission-Abbotsford.
Residents had the opportunity to ask the 20 candidates in attendance about their position on the Stave Lake P3 water project.