Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[srkruzich]

If you want Elk County to survive take care of our own.  Most all of the business in the county are ran by people that grew up here. Batson's, Cookson's, Lanning's, Toot's, PEP, Mills Feed, Double-C, Crooked Creek, County Wide Trash, Mc Donald Propane and plenty more. Not to mention the farm families, school and county employees. And a lot of them are into the 2nd and 3rd generations of that family running the business. The county is led by people from here.  Very rarely does someone from out of town come in and start a business.  Would it be great if we could entice a new business to come in and set up shop, sure.  But it just doesn't happen too often.  Never has.  If we want to stay alive we need to take care of ourselves and our kids. 

I agree the property taxes are a major problem.  And infrastructure is too.  But cutting activities for kids is not beneficial to gaining or retaining young families in our community. 

One of the things folks don't realize is that there are individuals that are growing a business as we speak that has the potential to provide jobs in the future.  It just takes time to grow it.  I am speaking of myself and another family in elk county that are working together to build it up.  Its just one idea we have and are attempting to survive the economic times as well as the weather patterns. 
We've started apiaries and hope to have in the next 5 years a income producing venture that will grow exponentially and eventually turning into a honey packing house.  Once we get over 2000 hives we'll be forced to hire people to help.  Theres no way to handle that many hives effectively without hiring and it doesn't stop there. 

There is also another part of it, growing and selling bees to other apiaries around the country.  Right now the middle of the US is vacant of any bee breeders around. Everyone orders from east coast, west coast or Texas.  So We are in the middle and ripe for a supplier of bees to many apiaries in Missouri, neb, Oklahoma, and on and on.

On top of that, honey packing houses.  It would be a hell of a business to open up one in this county.  Its central and there are many apiaries that sell their honey in bulk but it goes out of state instead of here. Why?  All you need is a receiving place, a extractor for local hives, and a packing  machine.  Quite frankly one could set one up for less than 200,000 dollars.  Honey comes in in barrels and goes out in jars to places like wally world or dillons. ect. ect. ect. 

Simple business like that would provide quite a few jobs. It would also bring in tax revenue. Doesn't need hundreds of acres to operate and doesn't suck up a lot of resources to do.

The other idea has been presented before, why not start up a meat processing plant.  Doesn't hve to be big.  You have beef, goat, sheep, all kinds of animals here that could supply the local areas with fine product. Don't think that wouldn't be successful!   

I hear all the time how highly educated the elk county kids are.  So if they are all that and then some then why not high tech industry. Bring in a computer company, techs company, techs manufacturing company.  There are many companies that would do so if they had possible talent they could train.  AND being high techs it would not require things like a rail road coming through.

Tourism is nice but it has its limitations.   What about working with those folks that are growing business's.  Advise, support them with experience, Put some of those grant acquisitions to good use in helping small guys to get much needed cash influx to grow it to the point it supports itself.    Right now i can go on-line and i can go search for grants and run into every roadblock known to man getting the grants.  Wouldn't a county with experience at getting such a grant do more by helping to get them and to act as the dispersing agent to these small start-ups do more to ensure the county's survival?

Just a few ideas here.

[Ross]

mt, you make some good points about government spending and no one disagrees, yes there is wasteful spending but more so at the higher levels than local.

Those problems start at the local levels of goveernment and need to be corrected first. And that is what this thread is about.

Our commisioners and other county leaders have a very small budget in the grand scheme of things.  

That is quite correct. However, when county commissioners can not determine who they are to serve and by that I mean when a county commissioner can not distinguish between jobs something is wrong. What other private company is allowed to recieve funds from the Elk County Recretion Fund?
NONE
Only Elk Konnected, LLC.
Why?
Because it's founder is a County Commissioner?
2 out of three County Commissioners represent Elk Konnected so when a vote is taken at the Commissioners meeting those two can pass anything they want for Elk Konnected, LLC.
How is Elk konnected, LLC's controlling or County Government going to improve out image?

Unlike the national government who spends a couple million dollars without even blinking an eye.  The reason our taxes are so high is because we have a low population, the taxes are spread out between fewer people.  How do we lower taxes?  Let's bring in more people.

How are Elk Konnected, LLC's lollipops at taxpayers expense going to bring in more people?
Where do you have homes for these people you plan to bring in?
Where are the jobs for these people if you bring them in?

Since we don't have an overabundance of job openings with our current local businesses, we are going to have to encourage entrepreneurs.  Our best chance of drawing those people and keeping them here is to start local.

Elk Konnected is looking long term.  EK is not just providing these activities to the children so everyone will have something to do this weekend.  They are helping to improve the communities image of itself

How is manipulation by a circle of chairs and a trained professional facilitator to control so called Community Conversations and having the Sheriff's Deputies at these so call Conversations improving our County's image?
How is taking money form county coffers by a private company and using it to promote iiself helping the County image?
Why isn't that money provided to the various communities for their use with in their festivals, etc?
What community does Elk Konnect, LLC a private company have?
I know of several communitties within Elk County, but I don't know of or can't find an Elk Konnected, Community on the map?
Oh wait a minute you are talking a fantasy community, right? Now, that has got to be real good for Elk County's image?

and hopefully instilling into the children a sense of hometown pride; so they won't graduate from High School and say "I'm getting the he** out of this place" like so many of them are currently doing.

So this sounds like an attempt to control the children with lollipops. Did you ever leave Elk County?
Many kids in my towns and cities want to grow up, stretch their wings and fly. For many reasons, perhaps they are sick of the hick life, country living, perhaps to travel or even to serve their country. As they mature, they may return. Ii returned to Kansas, but I did not return to my home town. The community image and all the lollipops in the world will not change that.
Or is it just another attempt to capitalize on the children of Elk County?

EK wants them to realize that this is the kind of place they want to raise their kids when they have them.  If my husband and I were not from here, there would not have been much that would drawn us to this area.  But because we already knew some of it's benefits,  we were drawn back, it just felt right.  That is what EK is trying to accomplish.   EK is not just comfortable to sit back and complain about everything that is wrong.  We see the declining population as our community's eventual demise and we feel a strong need to turn it around.  Why is that so wrong to some people?  

So you did leave Elk County, why did you leave? Was it to go to college? Was it to get a job so you could by your store?
Kids are going to leave for their own personal reasons as well.
Either it is there for each individual person or it is not, Elk Konnected, LLC  can not put it there for them.
Or is it just another attempt to capitalize on the children of Elk County?

Since, you want to talk national on this thread, what can Elk Konnected, LLC do about the national financial crisis?
That's what I thought, so let's keep it local, shall we?

[Ross]

Ross & Patriot -
I don't understand.  We provided a public forum for you to ask these questions and you chose not too.  Yet you continue to bash us on this medium. WHY? 

We, not me, provided you a very public forum through The Elk County Forum we invited you to Communicate right here and it has taken you months to respond.

But, first you respond with your little tiny meeting being represented by a non-Elk County Citizen, your lawyer, your Sheriff and Deputies. I informed you, I would attend but would not interact. I did exactly what I said I would do. I don't happen to see that out of Elk Konnected, LLC.

I don't especially appreciate totally controlled atmospheres, utilizing intimidation.

I do believe you are twisting things  a bit. You do that quite a bit with words and terminology in my personal opinion.
But if you believe asking questions of Elk Konnected, LLC or our County Commissioner bashing, then bashing it is?

Try answering these question's:

Why should a privately owned company have access to County Funds to promote themselves?
Do you not recognize advertising?

As County Commissioner will you permit othe privately owned company's and business' access to the same funds?

Why did you as County Commissioner write a letter to Elk Konnected, LLC praising yourself?
As Ciounty Commissioner you represent me and every citizen in Elk County, right?
Have you recieved consent from the citizens of Elk County to represent them with praising Elk Konnected, LLC or using our  County to represent that other private company Public Squares Communities, LLC ----- your other employer?

You are Elk Konnected aren't you?
You have claimed to be the founding member, haven't you?
Aren't you also the founder of ECCEF?

And will you tell me that you see no conflit of interest in any of this?


In my opinion the lack of definitive answers regarding Elk Konnected, LLC reflects the reality that nobody knows anything about who owns them or who the admitted members are or the admitted members are ashamed of being admitted members? It would be nice to have some clarification.

" There are always individuals or very, very small groups of individuals who try to distort facts by subjectively using them out of context, or in the case of imperical data, changing parameters of a statistical analysis so the numbers will fit a predetermined outcome with no names to support the data.

When these individuals try to hide behind a cloak of anonymity, then others must ask why ? "

Why did Elk Konnected, LLC fail at it's only attempt of running it's business, the Wellness Center?

If Elk Konnected, LLC can't run a business how can they possibly save Elk County from it's self?


Have we become an Infantile Society, eager only to be coddled, burped and entertained, with noise masquerading as music, and nicks and bruises as deep cuts and real wounds and lollipops as good deeds and to believe everything someone says to us ??

[mtcookson]

The constant petty posts about EK and complaints about providing fun and entertainment for the young people have made us have second thoughts about building there.

At the cost of tax payers who have no say in it while at the very same time are being told it is being paid with tax money... if you have any issue with people bringing that up... I simply have no words.

mt, you make some good points about government spending and no one disagrees, yes there is wasteful spending but more so at the higher levels than local.  Our commisioners and other county leaders have a very small budget in the grand scheme of things.  They are much more mindful and cautionary in their spending because the budget is small enough that they know where every dime is being spent. Unlike the national government who spends a couple million dollars without even blinking an eye.

I disagree. If they are handing money out to private companies/individuals/etc. they are not being cautionary. If they would run the county based on how the founders envisioned the U.S. running, as per the constitution, they would limit their spending to only the necessities that keep the county running. Private companies and individuals then keep more of their money so that they can invest/spend it on whatever they want and need.

When the county taxes too much and hands out money on things that aren't necessary it is wasteful and businesses and individuals can no longer spend/invest as much.

The reason our taxes are so high is because we have a low population, the taxes are spread out between fewer people.

That isn't correct. Yes, a lower population means the county will not have as much revenue as a larger county but at the same time they don't need as much revenue as a larger county to operate. If high population meant lower taxes Sedgwick county should have one of the lowest property taxes in Kansas but, based off of Sedgwick county's vehicle property tax estimator, it does not. They are lower than Elk's taxes but they are not the lowest.

Using Sedgwick's calculator the top 3 lowest property tax of the counties they have listed all have populations under 8,000. The following two lowest counties have populations of 21,604 and 22,952. The highest, being nearly double of the last two, has a population of 21,607. Elk County is even higher than the highest on that list (using my motorcycle as an example Labette, being the highest, is 153.69. Elk is right over $190. Morris is the lowest at $37.00 with a population of 5,923).

As an example, If I were to register all of my vehicles in Morris county I would save nearly $1,000 a year.

How do we lower taxes?  Let's bring in more people.

More people will mean more revenue but, as stated above, is not needed to lower taxes. Making the county cut spending and only spend money on what it needs to operate is how we lower taxes.

Since we don't have an overabundance of job openings with our current local businesses, we are going to have to encourage entrepreneurs.  Our best chance of drawing those people and keeping them here is to start local.  Elk Konnected is looking long term.  EK is not just providing these activities to the children so everyone will have something to do this weekend.  They are helping to improve the communities image of itself and hopefully instilling into the children a sense of hometown pride; so they won't graduate from High School and say "I'm getting the he** out of this place" like so many of them are currently doing.

Encouraging entrepreneurs is always a good thing but children's activities and "looking good" will not have near the effect that a lower tax burden would. Businesses must have money to run. If they can't make money, they won't survive. If their costs are lower elsewhere than they are here, I doubt any amount of children's activities and good looks would ever attract a business to come here. It just would not make any business sense at all to do it.

As far as high school students wanting to get out of here, again... children's activities and good looks are no incentive to bring them back. They have to go out to either get a job or go to college then get a job. If there are no job opportunities here or its too expensive to start a business here, there is no reason to come back besides simply liking this area or family and friends.

EK wants them to realize that this is the kind of place they want to raise their kids when they have them.  If my husband and I were not from here, there would not have been much that would drawn us to this area.  But because we already knew some of it's benefits,  we were drawn back, it just felt right.  That is what EK is trying to accomplish.   EK is not just comfortable to sit back and complain about everything that is wrong.  We see the declining population as our community's eventual demise and we feel a strong need to turn it around.  Why is that so wrong to some people?

Nothing wrong with trying to improve the county... unless its being done wrong, and that's exactly how I see it being done right now. Like I've said, the county is doing things that historically and currently do not work.

I agree the property taxes are a major problem.  And infrastructure is too.  But cutting activities for kids is not beneficial to gaining or retaining young families in our community.

At the cost of taking more money from those families and other families who don't even have children... I completely disagree.

Its simple. If you want activities for children ask the people for DONATIONS. Do NOT use tax money to do the activities, it will only hurt the population and its potential in the long run... as we can clearly tell both now and from history.

[Ross]

The constant petty posts about EK and complaints about providing fun and entertainment for the young people have made us have second thoughts about building there.

The constant use of our children to make Elk Konnected, LLC appear as doing good is far worse. That they may be using our children for the company's gain in popularity and using them to advertise for Elk Konnected, LLC a private company, don't you find that a bit more disturbing?
As far as your comment about concerned citizens as a cause not to move here that is lame to say the least. A person would think a concerned citizenship would be a plus.

So much for your boost for Elk Konnected.

And repition is the same tool Elk Konnected, LLC uses, but it's not good for anyone else to use, is that what you are saying?

[Ross]

Ross & Patriot -
Again if you don't like Elk Konnected – let's hear your plan....

I have not heard your plan yet, what is it?
Please be specific.
Please, Don't use the kids for some future event twenty years from now.

If you really believe lollipops are the trick, let the individual communities keep their idenity and let them use the recreational funds to  promote their own communities and provide for the children.

How is your interference in the individual communities helping the county?
How is Elk Konnected mimicing what the communities have been doing, ie, Longton and Elk Valley's Community Service in cleaning up the town?

If Howard didn't from West Elk perhaps that was because West Elk is not in the City Limits of Howard,  don't you suppose?

But, lets please hear your plan in detail.

Instead of just saying superior schools explain just what you mean by that and how you plan to change it. Would it be that you don't think we have good teachers or is it staff. What is inferior about our schools?

[L Hendricks]

1) One of the reasons I have not read or posted on the forum personally is because of the amount of time and energy it takes to read the post and then post honest facts.  Plus it seems that facts keep getting repeated, but they aren't the answers people are wanting.

2) I agree with Frank Winn - I wonder when people google "Elk Co" and they come across the Forum - does it entice them to move here or scare them away?

3) Ross & Patriot - you have both been at public meetings and yet you will not have a one on one conversation with me and ask these questions to my face and allow us to have civil dialogue .... why not? 

Questions - with my attempt to answer.

A) Why should a privately owned company have access to County Funds to promote themselves?Elk Konnected is one of several organization that has used money from the Parks and Recreation fund which is not a property tax, but a liquor tax and come from the sale of liquor at private club (of which Elk County has one - Flint Oak) Over the past 6 years, money has been paid to City of Howard - Fireworks, City of Longton - Fireworks and Park improvement, Elk Co 4-H - Firework, Elk Co Rodeo assn - Firework, Howard Chamber of Commerce - Jackson Park, Elk Co Junior Jam - Basketball equipment, Longton Summer Ball - Ball equipment, Grenola Comm. Building - Improvements, Howard Ball Club - Ball Equipment and Elk Konnected.

B) Do you not recognize advertising?  This concern was aired last night and the steering committee heard it.  I now see why there is a perception issue and I will try to have that addressed at our next steering committee meeting.

C)As County Commissioner will you permit othe privately owned company's and business' access to the same funds? None of the money requested from the Parks & Rec fund has gone to Elk Konnected LLC.  According to the records supplied to me by the County Treasurer as of 6.23.11, the Parks fund reimbursed Richard Fish for the purchase of outdoor movie equipment and David Whetstone for the purchase of soccer equipment & pitch hit and Run equipment or ECCEF for soccer equipment. Again the way the statue is written moneys in Parks & Recreation special funds shall be under the direction and control of the board of county commissioners. Moneys in the special parks and recreation fund may be expended only for the purchase, establishment, maintenance or expansion of park and recreational services, programs and facilities.

D)Why did you as County Commissioner write a letter to Elk Konnected, LLC praising yourself?The letter you are referring to was written to Elk Konnected and printed in the Kansas Country Living.  I was paid by Public Square Communities to write that letter.  I think it is important to recognize the progress that has been made to date.

E)As County Commissioner you represent me and every citizen in Elk County, right?

I do, however I am elected from District 2 of Elk County.

D)Have you received consent from the citizens of Elk County to represent them with praising Elk Konnected, LLC or using our  County to represent that other private company Public Squares Communities, LLC ----- your other employer?

I don't see where I have to get the consent of the citizens.  Are you saying every time I am asked to speak or write about Elk Konnected, the county, my real estate job, my husband and my business - I need to get the permission of the Elk County voters - how do I go about doing that - holding an election at the taxpayer's cost - really?

E) You are Elk Konnected aren't you? You have claimed to be the founding member, haven't you? 

I have been on the steering committee since 2007.  Yes I was one of the founding members.  I am not Elk Konnected - I am a member of the steering committee.

D)Aren't you also the founder of ECCEF? 

I was asked to serve on ECCEF from its conception.  Have not served on its board since I believe May or June 2005.

E)And will you tell me that you see no conflit of interest in any of this?

No I do not.  I am on Elk Konnected Steering committee and have not been on ECCEF since 2005.  Elk Konnected did not start using ECCEF until 2007.


F) In my opinion the lack of definitive answers regarding Elk Konnected, LLC reflects the reality that nobody knows anything about who owns them or who the admitted members are or the admitted members are ashamed of being admitted members? It would be nice to have some clarification.

What other questions do you have regarding Elk Konnected LLC


G) Why did Elk Konnected, LLC fail at it's only attempt of running it's business, the Wellness Center?  One of the original goals of Elk Konnected in 2007 that came from the citizens of Elk County and Severy area was "Community Wellness: create the infrastructure for a community wellness and enrichment network".  The Wellness team tried it and due to lack of membership closed the doors.  However a family in Howard have since purchased the equipment and are dedicated to keeping the wellness center open.  So is this a failure or did we pass it on to private industry?


H) If Elk Konnected, LLC can't run a business how can they possibly save Elk County from it's self?  The five original goals of Elk Konnected in 2007 were more about quality of life.  These goals came about through interviewing 58 civic minded individuals from all four sectors (Business, Education, Human Services, and Government), it came from 140 surveys, then that information was presented at an open community conversation.  126 people chose to spend two hours talking about the future of their community, then they nominated 51 "visionaries" to develop their goals and vision.  These 51 visionaries took the information from the community conversation and sifted it down to 5 goals and our vision.  At that time, lower taxes, job development, smaller government were not the forefront of what people wanted for our community.  We never intended to be in business.  It would have been nice if the wellness center could have been self sustaining.  However the committee also decided not to ask for more donations to keep it running.

[kshillbillys]

As I said, it is a long term plan.  The children that have partaken in the activities are only "5 or six" years older than they were when we started; not really enough time to see if we are growing any entrepreneurs quit yet.  

Entrepreneurs? What have they learned? That you can go to Longton and play on a waterslide during the free fair? That you can go to Moline for Crazy Days and climb a rock wall? That you can go to Grenola's Oktoberfest and ride a mechanical bull? That you can spend a couple of hours on a few Saturday mornings in one of the towns and learn to play soccer? You want them to come back to this county someday after getting an education and invest in this county, but all you are showing them is how to have fun and FUN is not an incentive to invest money into a county with NO other things going for it. Is it just an indoctrination of everyone's children that can attend an EK sponsored program without mentioning that Elk County is the one that put the money up. You say you can drop out of Public Squares at anytime. Why don't you? You would have more money by not paying for their "advice," according to your meeting last night over $15,000 has been given to Public Squares. You can do a lot of good things with $15,000! Money that you pay an "outside" program could have been used for Elk County's children that you care so much about! That's a helluva lot of money paid out to not expect any return from it. Maybe, you could've even used that money to pay for your own security instead of involving a Sheriff and two deputies. We have no problem with the Sheriff and/or his deputies attending an EK event, just NOT on the TAXPAYER'S DIME! It was nice to see 3 county Sheriff pickups stationed at different points. It was nice to see Doug, Danny and the other guy at a PEACEFUL PUBLIC MEETING with full battle gear and bullet proof vests on. It was also nice to hear from one of them that the east side of the county was safe because I was at this meeting. Way to go for defamation of character on the county's dime! I'm so glad that I still had my tape recorder on at the time!

It was stated last night by Julie Englebrecht that Elk Konnected DID NOT sponsor the Lawrence Arts Event; This statement was made after Liz Hendricks corrected her that EK DID NOT sponsor it. According to EK's Facebook Page: Elk Konnected  Students that are wanting to attend the Summer Art Program at the Lawrence Art Center please return the registration form to Jennifer Brummel as soon as possible. If you are unable to get it in by tomorrow please call Jennifer at 620-205-8514.---If Elk Konnected DID NOT sponsor this event, WHY is it on ELK KONNECTED'S FACEBOOK PAGE? What else are they taking credit for that they DID NOT do? And why is it that one of EK's most prominent starter members is the person who was at the school handing out the permission slips?

It was stated that they became an LLC because there "was not enough time to file Non Profit Tax Exempt status with the IRS." Are you now Non-Profit? I'm only asking because why was EK in such a rush that they couldn't simply wait and take the time to file the paperwork? Was someone else going to come in and take EK away from you all? Where are you getting your profits from if you are a For Profit company? Have you spent all of the grant money that was received for the Day Camps after buying snacks and dollar store toys and paying high school kids to "volunteer" or is there money leftover from that that would be considered "profit?" (By the way, PAYING for VOLUNTEER work is NOT a good life lesson!)

Does Jennifer Brummel's mileage reimbursement come out of her $10,000 salary for Youth Development/Elk Konnected? Also does that $10,000 salary cover the updating of the Elk Konnected Facebook page at various times throughout the week? Or is that "volunteer work" being done on County time as is suggested by the times of the updates. It would seem that Ms. Brummel spends more time doing Elk Konnected work than her County duties, as stated in the job description.

According to Andrea Arbuckle, "If it wasn't for EK, there wouldn't be an event happening. WE are the ones doing it." Longton has had a Free Fair for years. Moline has had Crazy Days for years. Grenola has had Oktoberfest for years. Howard's had the Elk River Festival for years. Does EK get to take credit for EVERYTHING? Credit was even tried to be taken for the Community Cleanup Days that EK "sponsored"...one of which is an annual event for the school kids in Longton. I am glad they are not taking credit for that now and have given credit to "taking from what Longton does." Instead of grant money being given to EK for various events throughout the county, how about the grant money is just given to EACH CITY so EACH CITY can decide what to do to make their event more joyful? Then there would be NO NEED for EK and nothing for all of us to gripe about!

"We are Unprofessional Volunteers...Ignorant Volunteers...."---Not all of you are "unprofessional volunteers"---Liz Hendricks is a paid Community and Operations Facilitator FOR Public Squares Communities. Does that mean we now know WHO steers the Steering Committee? If i'm wrong, I don't have an answer to that question that has been asked here many, many times so I guess I'll have to just write it down in my "parking lot" section to come back and visit it later. ---The Hillbillys, Robert and Jennifer Walker

[Mom70x7]

1) One of the reasons I have not read or posted on the forum personally is because of the amount of time and energy it takes to read the post and then post honest facts.  Plus it seems that facts keep getting repeated, but they aren't the answers people are wanting.

2) I agree with Frank Winn - I wonder when people google "Elk Co" and they come across the Forum - does it entice them to move here or scare them away?

3) Ross & Patriot - you have both been at public meetings and yet you will not have a one on one conversation with me and ask these questions to my face and allow us to have civil dialogue .... why not? 

Questions - with my attempt to answer.
. . . .

Again - well said - thanks!

[srkruzich]

I'm not jumping on ya just do not see how the one section i responded to was even allowed.  Its tainted data and should have never been used as a data sampling of the wish's of the county residents.  There are no controls on it. There is nothing to ensure that its a true sampling.

H) If Elk Konnected, LLC can't run a business how can they possibly save Elk County from it's self?  The five original goals of Elk Konnected in 2007 were more about quality of life.  These goals came about through interviewing 58 civic minded individuals from all four sectors (Business, Education, Human Services, and Government), it came from 140 surveys, then that information was presented at an open community conversation.  126 people chose to spend two hours talking about the future of their community, then they nominated 51 "visionaries" to develop their goals and vision.  These 51 visionaries took the information from the community conversation and sifted it down to 5 goals and our vision.  At that time, lower taxes, job development, smaller government were not the forefront of what people wanted for our community.  We never intended to be in business.  It would have been nice if the wellness center could have been self sustaining.  However the committee also decided not to ask for more donations to keep it running.

140 people aka surveys out of 2882 people in the county.  that amounts to 4.8577377% of the population. Thats without the 400 or so based on school records. That really doesn't qualify as a sampling of the county as a whole.

By my calculations 140 was far short of the needed surveys to get a accurate reading of random sampling of the county.  

#1 - How many survey respondents do you need?

Specify your desired error level and population size below and click calculate. The numbers next to each confidence level indicate how many people need to complete your survey to achieve the specified error level.
How much error are you willing to tolerate?
If you are not sure, try somewhere between 3% and 6%
        %
How many people are in your population? 2482 at 5% error

   
245        90% Confidence
333          95% Confidence
524          99% Confidence


#2 - How many people do you need to send the survey to?

How many people need to complete the survey?  524
From Calculator #1 above
        
What is your estimated response rate?   50%
What % of people do you expect to complete the survey? 524
        %
        Send the survey to people 1048


#3 - How accurate are your survey results?

How many people are in your population?  2842
        
How many people completed your survey?  524
        
        
Error Level
90% Confidence         3.2%
95% Confidence         3.8%
99% Confidence         3.5%


This would give a true consensus on what was important to the county.  140 is not enough to sample what is the main concerns of the county.  Secondly it should be randomly picked out on who to mail to not handed out in a store, or in the meeting.  If any of the companies i worked for did that it would be considered tainted data.  They required a true sampling. Sure handing it out at meetings and to friends and at the stores ect is easier but its deceptive as folks that tend to agree with each other tend to give to other folks that agree with their views.  

What you have here with only 140 surveys is a super minority.

EVEN IF you take half of these figures and only mail to households, you still end up with only 8% of the population +- 5% which is still not representative of the county.  25% would be and 30 would be even better.  Shoot mail one to every voter and if 50% respond you got a 50% concensus.  But only 4% +- 5% thats not even fair.  

You want a quality of life for elk county, increase jobs, decrease taxes, attract business to the county. Thats where quality of life goes up. When it comes, you end up with all these things as a byproduct.  Shoot, i've  lived in small towns for most my life.  And parks and rec was obviously a portion of the county budget but i'll tell ya, the taxpayers in most of the counties i lived in never footed the bill for new equipment, new ball park, new pools and new this that and the other. The business's that were courted and brought into the counties gave the parks and facilities as a gift to the community.  They tend to do that when they feel part of the community as they grow and profit.