Council position to be reestablished in wake of survey findings
AN INVERCARGILL city council position will be reestablished after business owners had their say about the value of the city centre coordinator role.
A survey launched by the Invercargill City Council to gauge the value of the role showed 92.59% of CBD business owners wanted the position to remain.
The coordinator had acted as a liaison between retailers and the council, as well as organising and promoting events in the city centre.
The value of the role was reviewed after former council staff member Kari Graber resigned from the position in September, causing an outcry from business owners who believed it was vital.
The survey, which drew 341 responses from business owners, employees, and Invercargill residents, showed an overall 78.14% of respondents wanted council to continue the role.
Survey questions focused on requirements of the role, as well as specific events planned and promoted by the coordinator.
‘‘In every category, more respondents considered the service/event provided to be valuable or extremely valuable than the number who considered it of no value,’’ council communications manager Eirwen Harris Mitchell said.
‘‘Overall, the survey results indicate that CBD business owners, employees and members of the public value the city centre coordinator role and activities, and believe council should continue with the role,’’ she said.