Town Meeting Study Committee Survey 2024

Have you attended the Carlisle Town Meeting in the past?* This field is required.

Yes, almost every year I have lived here

Yes, only a few times

Yes, once

No, never

Other

Why have you never attended Carlisle town meeting in the past? Select all that apply.

I didn’t have child care

The day of the week didn’t work

I was working

I didn’t have transportation

I’m avoiding crowds/poorly ventilated spaces

Conflicted with sports/other recreational activities

I did not know it was taking place

I had another meeting

I don’t see the need to attend

Too early/too late

I didn’t know anyone else who’s going

It’s too overwhelming

I’ve heard it’s boring

It'd take too much time

Other

What’s kept you from coming to Carlisle Town Meetings more frequently? Select all that apply.

I didn’t have child care care

The day of the week didn’t work

I was working

I didn’t have transportation

I’m avoiding crowds/poorly ventilated spaces

Conflicted with sports/other recreational activities

I did not know it was taking place

I had another meeting

I don’t see the need to attend

Too early/too late

I didn’t know anyone else who’s going

It’s too overwhelming

It’s boring

It takes too much time

Other

If you could, what would you change about the Carlisle Town Meeting? Select up to four.

Shorten the length of the presentations

Shorten the length of questions and comments from the floor

Eliminate the requirement of listening to the presentation before voting

Change the order of articles, based on priorities

Change the time in the evening

Change to the weekend

Switch to electronic voting

Shorter meetings but spread over two nights

Make presentations available ahead of the meeting

I’m not sure

Other

What weekend day would you prefer the Carlisle Town Meeting be held?

I wouldn’t want to change the day to a weekend

Saturday morning

Saturday afternoon

Sunday morning

Sunday afternoon

What bothers you the most about Carlisle Town Meetings? Select up to four.

Nothing bothers me about Carlisle Town Meetings

It’s overwhelming

I’m not sure what’s going on

It’s outdated

It’s ineffective

It’s a waste of my time

It’s tedious or slow

It’s too long

I don’t want to listen to presentations I don’t care about

I don’t want to listen to all the questions from the floor

Other

Think about the last time you attended Carlisle Town Meeting, what were the most important things that made you want to attend? Select up to three.

It’s my civic duty

It’s a privilege to participate in pure democracy

To vote on a particular article

I almost always do attend Town Meeting

Someone asked me to

My friends/neighbors usually go

I want to approve how the town is managed

Other

If nothing were in your way, what would make you want to attend Town Meetings? Select up to four.

It's my civic duty

It’s a privilege to participate in pure democracy

If I wanted to vote on a particular article

If someone asked me to

If my friends/neighbors went

If I wanted to approve how the town was managed

N/A - I would never go

Other

Do people you know in Carlisle (e.g.: friends or neighbors) typically go to Town Meeting?

Yes, almost all attend

Yes, some attend

No, none attend

I’m not sure

N/A

Do people you know in Carlisle (e.g.: friends or neighbors) care whether you go to Town Meeting?

Yes

I’m not sure

Town meetings approve how tax money is divided among Carlisle’s departments and services. Which of the following types of activities and services are most important to you? Select up to four.

Zoning changes and building codes

Public health (e.g.: septic, vaccinations)

Historic preservation

Protecting open space and conservation land

Schools

Public works (e.g.: road plowing and maintenance, transfer station)

Fire department and EMT

Police

Sports and recreation

Social services (e.g.: Council on Aging, Human Services)

Affordable housing

Sustainability

Library

N/A

Other

What are easy ways for you to learn about what will be decided at Town Meeting? Select as many as apply.

Articles in the Mosquito

Friends/neighbors

Local cable TV (Minuteman Media Network)

Attending meetings

Email distribution (e.g.: City in the Woods)

Facebook

NextDoor app

Warrant book

Parents groups

Library signs and other places around town

Banners and lawn signs around town

Postcard

Other

To what extent do you agree with the following statements about why you usually attend Town Meeting? Please scroll down to answer all questions.

To what extent do you agree with the following statements about why you don't attend Town Meeting?

How long have you lived in Carlisle?

Under 1 year

1 - 2 years

3 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

11 - 15 years

16 - 20 years

21+ years

N/A

Do children under the age of 18 live in your household?

Yes

What are the ages of the children that live in your household? Select all that apply.

Under 3

3 - 12

13 - 18

How do you identify yourself?

Male

Female

Non-binary

Prefer not to say

Other

Is there anything we haven’t asked about that would help the Town Meeting Study Committee understand how to get more people to attend and/or improve the meeting itself?

Did you see the Town Meeting Informational video posted on YouTube? Select all that apply.

Yes

I don't know anything about it

N/A

What did you think of the Town Meeting Informational video? Select all that apply.

Amount of detail was just about right

Amount of detail was too much

Information was helpful to me

Information was interesting

Information was clearly presented

Video was too long

Did any of the following keep you from watching the Town Meeting Informational video? Select all that apply.

I didn’t know it was available

I didn’t have time to watch it

It seemed confusing

It seemed too long

I was not interested

Is there anything else you would like the Town Meeting Study Committee to know about what you think about the Town Meeting Informational Video?