Eyes on the prize

Gunnison County a finalist for Voice of the People mobility award

Each fall, the National Research Center Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association recognize communities that “embody the spirit of The National Citizen Survey and display a commitment to best practices in moving their communities forward.”

It is in this vein that the “Voice of the People” awards are given to select communities across the country. This year, Gunnison County has been nominated for the Excellence in Mobility award.
“It’s amazing just to be nominated,” said Linda Nienhauser, director of finance for Gunnison County. “We all fell out of our chairs when we heard about it.”
There are two sets of Voice of the People awards: Service Excellence and Transformation, the latter a most-improved sort of prize. Recipients of the latter must show service quality-ratings significantly higher than those from their last survey, and larger than improvements shown in all other eligible jurisdictions.
The Excellence in Mobility award is based on survey answers that reflect citizens’ views on mass transit, roads, trails, traffic and other areas related to transportation. Gunnison County will also throw in for a Transformation award in The Build Environment. “The built environment includes things like housing, water and sewer,” said Nienhauser.
National Citizen Surveys measure eight key areas of livability: safety, community engagement, mobility, natural environment, built environment, economy, recreation and wellness, and education and enrichment.
It is these areas that make up the sub-categories for the Excellence and Transformation awards, respectively. “Winners in the past have been big cities in California,” said Nienhauser. In 2013, honorees ranged in size from small, like Ashland, Ore., to big, like Laguna Beach and Cerritos, Calif. To qualify, communities must land in the top 10 percent among more than 500 jurisdictions in the NRC database of citizen surveys.