Press Release

AUGUSTA, Maine – A new, online survey is allowing Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) customers to comment on how well they are being helped by the state planning agency.

The survey, which is available on the LURC website, will be used to determine trends in customer needs and areas in which service can be improved, according to LURC officials.

“We are using the new survey to understand better what, for a majority of people, is the perception of the Land Use Regulation Commission and also what we can work on in terms of better serving our customers,” Scott Rollins, LURC Permitting & Compliance Division manager, said. “Our goal is to provide professional, knowledgeable and useful service in an efficient manner to everyone who contacts us.”

Established by the Maine Legislature in 1971, LURC acts as the planning and zoning authority for the state’s unorganized area consisting of townships that have no local form of government. LURC also serves certain towns and plantations that choose not to administer land use at the local level. LURC’s jurisdiction covers more than 10.4 million acres consisting of almost half of the land area in the state. The area is mostly the northern area of Maine but also includes portions of the western mountains, Downeast, and coastal islands, such as Matinicus and Monhegan. The commission is supported by a staff under the Maine Department of Conservation.

The agency regularly issues building, development, and other types of permits and manages compliance issues for Maine residents, Rollins explained. In the past, LURC staff have mailed out survey cards for every third customer contact and have used these to determine the quality of service, he said.

“That doesn’t hit everybody, such as somebody who goes to a hearing or a meeting,” the division manager said.

In contrast, the new online survey will allow all customers to respond and comment on how they were treated or if their expectations were met, Rollins said. “Maybe somebody called us and got good customer service from one of our staff and wanted us to know that or they want to tell us ways we can improve,” he said. “The new survey allows that.”

The survey has been online since the beginning of October and already has received a number of responses, Rollins said. The online format is more cost effective than using the mail-in cards; it is a “green” way of doing business and saves paper; and it is allows for more immediate response, Rollins noted. The mail-in cards still will be used for the time being, he said.

The online survey takes about five to 10 minutes to complete, and it also allows the customer to answer anonymously. The survey, however, allows only one response per computer to limit spamming, but it will be updated every three months, starting quarterly for January, April, July and October. That will allow repeat LURC customers to send in other evaluations, Rollins pointed out.

The division manager designed the questions and format for the survey, which is set in two parts. The first part focuses on customer service with a rating interaction. LURC customers can rate the quality of their interaction with commission staff and add comments about how well the agency is meeting its mission and goals, Rollins said.

The second part of the survey focuses on the type of interaction that the customer had with the agency, whether it was attendance at a LURC meeting, visiting the LURC website, a permit application or a compliance/enforcement matter. The comments provided by customers will allow staff to know whether the information they are providing is both clear and accessible, the division manager said.

Rollins said the survey comments will be reviewed regularly and shared with LURC staff. The results also will be reported to the seven LURC commissioners, “so they can also see how we are doing,” he said.

The division manager said the new online survey is an important outreach tool for the state agency and part of a larger informational effort that also includes open-house educational meetings held around the state.

“We take our responsibility to the people of Maine very seriously and want to serve them as best we can,” Rollins stressed. “Our hope is that all the people we serve will use the online survey and let us know how we doing.”

For more information about the Land Use Regulation Commission and a link to the survey go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/lurc/

For the online LURC survey, go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PKzClcs5LTsuLlJe7Y8bNg3d3d