While the Diamond Peak Master Plan has dominated the headlines (and the subject of a few of my columns) over the past three months, we’ve continued to talk with the community about Ordinance 7.

IVGID hosted five public forums this summer, and staff has met with a number of community groups to solicit additional feedback.

In addition, we commissioned an informal survey to gauge the community’s knowledge regarding the Ordinance. The survey was also used as an opportunity to get a general sense of the community’s satisfaction level with IVGID’s recreation services.

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The survey also demonstrates the amount of additional community dialogue needed on Ordinance 7 and beach access in particular.

OVERVIEW

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The survey was emailed to more than 1,300 recreation pass holders who had expressed interest in IVGID issues in the past, including more than 200 who had specifically asked to be kept abreast of Ordinance 7.

We also publicized the availability of the survey on our website, in the Bonanza and at numerous public functions.

Here are the characteristics of the 543 individuals who filled out the survey:

More than 50 percent of the respondents had lived in Incline Village for more than 12 years, and nearly 80 percent had lived here for at least four years.

94.8 percent of those responding are homeowners.

68.6 percent were full-time residents.

As you can see, the respondent characteristics are heavily tilted toward full-time, long-term residents who own their home.

The overall Incline Village population is about 60 percent homeowners versus 40 percent renters.

While over two-thirds of the respondents were full-time residents, less than half of our homes are occupied full-time and less than a third of our homes are occupied full time by a homeowner.

RESULTS

Regarding Ordinance 7, 54 percent felt they understood it well, with the balance having little or no knowledge of the law.

Approximately 31 percent wanted to see changes to Ordinance 7, 48 percent opposed any changes and 21 percent didn’t care or didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to render an opinion.

More than 98 percent were happy living in Incline Village/Crystal Bay.

When respondents were asked which IVGID facility they used most frequently, beaches came in first at 48 percent, followed by the Rec Center at 18 percent, and Diamond Peak and the Championship Golf Course were at 10 percent.

No other venue was above 6 percent. When asked whether or not they were satisfied with their most frequently used venue, 90.09 percent responded yes.

Respondents were also asked if they were satisfied with IVIGD as a whole (ski, golf, tennis, recreation center, public works, administration) — 80.15 percent responded yes.

OTHER QUESTIONS

The following question was also asked in relationship to IVGID venues: “Generally, Incline Village/Crystal Bay property values are higher than in surrounding communities. How much do you attribute your real estate value to IVGID recreation services?”

43.99 percent believed IVGID has attributed a lot to my property value

42.33 percent believed IVGID has attributed some to my property value

8.5 percent believed IVGID has had no influence on my property value

5.18 percent were renters and therefore the question was not applicable.

To summarize, 91 percent of the property owners believed that IVGID recreation services had attributed some or a lot to their property value.

We also asked two open ended questions. The first: “What do you like most about Incline Village/Crystal Bay?”

We received 441 responses. Most of the responses related to their satisfaction with the condition and quality of the recreation venues.

There were also plenty of responses regarding IV/CB’s quiet small-town atmosphere, its sense of community and proximity to the lake and restricted access beaches.

The second open ended question was: “Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?”

We received 265 responses, many related to protecting beach access, opposition to changes to Ordinance 7, Fourth of July activities impacting the beaches, overcrowding at the beaches, and concern that proposed changes to venues would negatively impact residents.

SUMMARY

Overall, the results of the survey demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with IVGID venues.

However, the open ended questions indicate plenty of room for us to improve our service as well.

While 80 percent and 90 percent approval ratings are a tribute to the hard work of our dedicated employees — sustaining and improving our customer ratings is always our main goal.

The survey also demonstrates the amount of additional community dialogue needed on Ordinance 7 and beach access in particular.

I will be approaching the Board of Trustees going into 2015 to get their guidance regarding the next steps in the community outreach process for reviewing Ordinance 7.

Click here to view Ordinance 7 survey results.

“GM’s Corner” is a twice-monthly column from Incline Village General Improvement Distinct General Manager Steve Pinkerton, who will discuss issues and offer updates regarding various district matters.