By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — With so many opinions being aired fromso many directions, it is hard to hear what everyone thinks. 

It is equally difficult to feel like one’s opinions matters is a sea of ideas.  

Who is listening? 

This spring, there will be a group that wants to hear what people think. 

In fact, that will be the objective of the team hired to gather information for the Town of Casco’s comprehensive plan. 

The Casco Board of Selectmen hired Greater Portland Council of Government (GPCOG) to facilitate the comprehensive plan process. The next phaseincludes a survey blitz — with surveys being physically handed out at different venues including businesses around town. That same survey will be available Online. Ditto for the results of the survey. 

Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward laid out the timeline and activities that are planned this spring as part of the comprehensive plan. 

“The more people that are involved, the more phenomenal the comp plan will be,” Ward said. “They {GPCOG} are about community involvement not just looking at the data.” 

The first method of collecting information from the public will be a survey. The survey will be provided to the public in a postcard form and that postcard will be physically handed out to the people at public places.

The survey will also be accessible Online.  

“This a totally anonymous way to answer survey questions,” Ward said.

Some of the locations that are planned for GPCOG to be handing out surveys and talking to people: Kindred Farm Bakery on its Whoopie Pie Wednesday, Chutes Bakery on a Saturday morning, the senior citizen lunch that is held at the Casco Community Center, and the Casco Village Library.

Postcard displays will also be set up around town in place like the front lobby of the community center. 

“We will put posters in any businesses that are willing to put them in common ways. We are trying to get a diverse group to come in and participate in the survey,” Ward said.

One place that brings a lot of people on any given weekend is the Casco-Naples Transfer Station and Bulky Waste Facility. However, that was ruled out.

“They will not be handing out postcards there because of safety issues,” Ward said.

Another phase of information gathering has been given the name Casco Planning Days. It goes from April 28 through May 2.

“GPCOG comes here and they stay for five days. Thursday night they kick off with a hands-on workshop, presentation and dialogue about where we are going,” he said. “That is the most crucial event.” 

On Friday and Saturday, they will do mini-workshops to bring in people who have expertise in areas. Topics will include: Social life and amenities; woods, water and open spaces; support your local economy; economic environment and social sustainability.

On Monday, GPCOG will conduct the closing session during which time they will share some of the information from the public input sessions.

“Once it [survey results] is finalized, it will be one our website. We will attach a link to our Facebook, to the Recreation Department’s Facebook, to the Fire Station’s Facebook page,” Ward said.