High Desert survey enters its second phase

Released one month ago, a study of the High Desert region is a deep dive into what the region’s residents think about their community and how it can be improved. Now, those who put it together have to make sure it reaches officials in the public and private sectors.

Last month, Joseph Brady, president of The Bradco Cos. in Victorville, unveiled Keys to a Better Tomorrow: The High Desert Survey, an analysis of the High Desert he first considered about five years ago.

Brady, one of the most successful commercial real estate brokers in the Victor Valley, wanted to know if High Desert residents believed their community was a good place to live, and in what areas it could be improved.

To find out, he recruited John Husing, Inland Empire economist, and Barbara Sirotnik, director of the Institute of Applied Research & Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino, to conduct the study.

That took the pair three months, with Husing and Sirotnik spending much of their time sending out and evaluating questionnaires and setting up a website, www.highdesertsurvey.com.

Now comes the hard part. Brady and his fellow movers and shakers in the High Desert must make certain that the study’s findings are put into practice. 

The report is very specific regarding crime, transportation, homelessness, law enforcement, medical services, quality of life, and other areas. It would be pointless to place it on the shelf and forget about it, as has happened with so many similar studies.

“After the (Nov. 3) election we’re going to start working on ways to implement the report,” said Brady, who revealed the report’s findings Oct. 4 during a two-and-a-half-hour livestream event. “We’re going to try to identify 30 or 40 primary stakeholders and work from there, mostly through social media.

Brady, a member of the board of trustees at Victor Valley College, said members of his ad-hoc group will meet with that academic body to discuss converting the survey into action. 

When he first pitched the survey to researchers at Cal State San Bernardino, Brady was told he would be lucky to get 2,000 people to respond. 

Instead, the survey got more than 13,000 responses, including 2,500 people who gave their name or email address so they could be of more assistance once the report was complete.

Such an enthusiastic response is one sign the report is likely to have an impact, because it shows High Desert residents care about their region and want to see it improved, according to Brady.

During the livestream, Brady quipped that the report could have been called “I Like Living in the High Desert but…”  Fifty-five percent of those surveyed called the High Desert a “very good” or “fairly good” place to live.  

Respondents also gave the High Desert credit for its clean air and space and for being a good place to raise a family.

Crime, homelessness, and sanitation were listed as major concerns. Seventy percent of those questioned said they believe they could be the victim of a serious crime, and 26 percent said they would like to see more law enforcement in the Victor Valley to improve response times.

Eleven percent said crime has “increased and is out of control” during the past few years, 11 percent also said homelessness and panhandling are “significant issues.” Six percent called drugs and gangs “serious problems.”

Traffic was also a major concern. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed called driving Cajon Pass stressful, only 22 percent called the High Desert’s transportation system excellent or good and only 16 percent called the region’s roads acceptable.

Because crime was probably the top concern among High Desert residents, Husing recommended that cities place a one-cent sales tax on their ballots, specifically to raise money for law enforcement.

Victorville and Apple Valley have measures on Tuesday’s ballot that, if passed, would raise their sales taxes, and 60 percent of Barstow’s voters passed Measure Q two years ago. Measure Q, a one-cent sales tax increase, is expected to raise $7 million for law enforcement and public safety.

As for the traffic on Interstate 15, an issue frequently cited by survey respondents, Husing suggested that the proposed high-speed train between Apple Valley and Las Vegas which would include a Rancho Cucamonga spur –  is probably the best way to lessen that problem.

The survey is getting “positive feedback” from the High Desert business community, and there’s reason to believe that much of the report’s findings can be made public policy, said John Ohanian, director of development with the Terre Verde Group LLC, a real estate investment group in Calimesa.

“I think putting together a small group of stakeholders to get the word out is a good approach,” Ohanian said. “I also like Husing’s idea of creating an economic partnership for the High Desert like the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. That would help get some businesses up here, which we need to do.”

Promotion of the survey will kick into gear once the election is over, said JJ Borja, principal, and chief executive officer of Klete LLC, a marketing agency in Victorville.

Borja has developed one idea to promote the survey: 26 three-to-five-minute videos on various findings in the survey, that his company will produce and post on social media – Youtube, Facebook, Instagram – during the next year.

After that, each video will be updated and the process will start over. The survey is creating some conversation within the High Desert business community, and the short videos are a good way to keep that “buzz” going while introducing the survey to people who haven’t heard of it, according to Borja.

“We’re being drowned out now, but after the election, things will pick up,” said Borja, a Victorville native. “The main thing is to keep the conversation going. There are ways to market the High Desert. Yes, it’s hot, but Palm Springs is hot and people go there.”

One thing is certain. Too much time, effort, and money have been put into the survey to let it languish.

“Our company alone invested $35,000 to get that survey done,” Ohanian said. “We aren’t going to let it sit on the shelf.”