As the Ames Visioning Survey recently closed to the public, the city of Ames staff reported that nearly 5,200 people completed the survey. This number greatly exceeded the city’s goal of 3,000.

“We are elated that so many people took the time not only to complete the survey, but to share their thoughts on what they value about Ames,” Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda said. “The response rate exceeds our expectations, and the data will be invaluable as we move forward on a developing community vision.”

The data from the online survey will be analyzed and presented to the Ames City Council in a workshop at 7 p.m. April 19 at Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. The workshop is open to the public.

The survey was created to help the city of Ames learn how to create and promote a community vision. With this survey, Ames residents were able to express their opinions about Ames and share what they value about the community. Also, it allowed the city of Ames to get a consensus on what needs to change within the community.

The vision statement that the Ames City Council will develop will help provide guidance for residents, business owners, schools and students in making plans for the future. The company Brand Endeavor was hired to help the council with this project.

The final opportunity for community participation in the visioning project will be at noon May 24 at City Hall and 7 p.m. May 25 at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave.