Winter 2011
Last autumn we sent out a survey to all BIA members for views on a number of topics. Response was reasonably good. We heard from just under half of our 100+ members. Generally what the responders said was: keep up the good work and stay focused on environmental issues.
Ninety percent said BIA should engage in public advocacy on issues affecting life on Beaver Island. Among topics listed for such advocacy, those most favored were environment/ecology and recreation, followed by road maintenance/improvement and township taxes and governance. A strong majority also favor more Association advocacy for concerns of nonresident property owners.
A similarly strong majority favored Association involvement in Island projects not only in an advocacy role but as organizer or participant. Among choices for such involvement, highest response was for collecting/removing junk vehicles, followed closely by sustainable energy and extending the Donegal Bay bike path.
The predominant sentiment was that the Association should be nonpolitical, but one-third of those responding to this question believed we should get involved in township consolidation. We were encouraged that 80% indicated they would participate in future BIA-sponsored invasive species projects, and by near-unanimous willingness to pay higher dues ($30 to $50/year) to seed BIA projects.
Almost 90% of responders think BIA should present summer educational programs; suggested topics include the environment, ecology, energy conservation, logging, trails, economic development and taxes. There also was sentiment for including such programs in the BIA Annual Meeting, but fewer than half said that would make them more likely to attend.
Annual meeting attendance has declined over the past few years, and there were numerous comments about inability to attend due to time constraints and competing interests in the summer. With this in mind we asked if members' interests would be satisfied by an open summer Board meeting instead of an annual membership meeting; two-thirds of responders said yes, so we probably will propose a bylaw amendment to that effect at this summer‟s Annual Meeting.
Consistent with these survey results, articles in this issue of Island Currents address several areas of interest: planning for environmental protection and economic growth, BI taxes, invasive species and wildlife, sustainable energy. Exactly what to do in these areas will be a matter of continuing Board discussion and planning, for which we welcome all members' input.
-Paul Glendon
