(Spirit Lake)– Preliminary results from a survey on what should be done about the Dickinson county courthouse are somewhat inconclusive…with one exception. 68 percent of the respondents support the courthouse remaining on the current site. But they’re fairly evenly split over what option should be taken when it comes to a building.
The board of supervisors met this (Tues.) morning via speaker phone with Vern Ryan of Iowa State University/CD Dial, which is conducting the survey. He says the least acceptable option so far is the “split-site” concept. Only 12 percent of respondents found it acceptable. For the other options, the rate of acceptance ranges from a low of about one-in-every-four to tear down the existing building and build on the present site, to a high of about two-in-every-five to move everything to another site. 49 percent of the respondents gave historic preservation of the original courthouse a low priority. And only a quarter of the respondents preferred remodeling the existing facilities and adding new ones as necessary on the present site.
There’s also a wide discrepancy among respondents on how much should be spent on a courthouse project. 25 percent said they didn’t know; 24 percent said no more than six million dollars; 16 percent no more than four million; 11 percent no more than eight million; 10 percent said no more than 10 million; seven percent said no more than two million dollars; and another seven percent stated other amounts.
Ryan emphasized the fact the results so far are very preliminary. He says 387 of 600 randomly sent surveys have been returned so far…and more are still coming in. Ryan says the 69 percent return rate means the survey has a very high level of confidence.
Ryan added most respondents to the survey live in five different zip codes in Dickinson county, and that there was heavy zip code affect on answers, indicating the ongoing difference in opinion on the issue among people living in different areas of the county.
Ryan says the return of the surveys will be shut off around Christmas. A final report on the results will be drafted in early January. Following that, Ryan says he’ll travel to Dickinson county to put on a public meeting to present the final results. He says that will probably be in late January.
