Last week I asked:
What should our #1 priority be as a city?
1. Cutting the city budget (0%)
2. Protecting our natural resources (12.5%)
3. Attracting companies with good-paying jobs to locate here (43.8%)
4. Implementing water and sewage city-wide (12,5%)
5. Getting a hospital to build in North Port (31%)
Some of the opinions expressed on Facebook and via email and phone included:
- To me sewage is the highest priority especially in the oldest part of the city. Once those septic tanks start the fail the EPA is not going to give the city a choice, which is part of the reason Port Charlotte is putting in sewers now. Unfortunately, most of the households in that area cannot afford to tie into the new sewers the way the city is charging them now. We need to allow water and sewer to be part of the land to allow a 30 year payback for the hookups. If they would allow the water and sewer updates to be part of the property then when a person sells the property it is picked up by the new owner and payed back over 30 years.
- Having sewers and water throughout the city would be an inducement for new business to relocate into the city.
- After sewers more jobs and a hospital follow. A hospital will come, but not as fast as we would like.
- I would add the economy, if that is what you meant by " Attracting companies with good-paying jobs to locate here'. No money coming in no budget, no protecting environment, no water and sewer, no hospital. It's all about the economy and jobs. When that is strong the rest can follow.
- Considering the current sate of affairs with the virus, my age, and the distance to Sarasota Memorial, getting a hospital to build in North Port is a priority for me.
- I would hope all things listed could be worked on simultaneously.
