Chelsea asks residents for input in ACE survey

The city of Chelsea is asking residents for a little feedback.

As part of the city's goal to become an Alabama Community of Excellence, the city has opened a citizen assessment survey. The survey is a way to identify strengths and weaknesses in the community, said Councilman Casey Morris, who is heading up the ACE effort.

ACE aims to provide Alabama communities with development programs and tools, according to its website, and helps communities with populations ranging from 2,000 to 18,000. ACE communities are selected based on "the level of local commitment to the ACE program and the community's capacity to support the ACE program."

There are three phases, including assessment, leadership development and strategic planning, and implementation and comprehensive planning. At the end of the three phases, the community "graduates" and is recognized at the Alabama League of Municipalities annual convention.

"There are too many benefits [from becoming an Alabama Community of Excellence] to list," Morris said, "but my hope is that when we have completed the three phases our city will be branded in such a way that every retail and residential developer will want to know what's going in in Chelsea and our citizens will be active and well informed about all things Chelsea."

Categories on the survey include leadership, planning and engagement; economic development; quality of life; affordability of housing; infrastructure and public services; and community assets and challenges, and residents are asked to mark "yes," "no" or "don't know" for statements within those categories.

The survey results will be used in a presentation to the city's ACE Team, which includes experts from education, healthcare, historic preservation, leadership development, planning, tourism and community development backgrounds. They will also assist the city in developing a vision based on our own unique sensibilities and assets, Morris said.

The survey can be found on the city's website, cityofchelsea.com, or by following this link.