Montana MacLachlan
The Associated Students of the University of California, Santa Barbara released a survey to the student body regarding the current state of Isla Vista on Oct. 27.
The “AS Strategic Plan” intends to gather feedback from the entire IV community to create a clear vision for its future.
The plan is directed by the AS Office of the President and has been in progress for over six months. According to AS President Ali Guthy, the project will be passed to the Office of the External Vice President Local Affairs following the election of a new EVPLA.
“Over the summer, I asked auditors to analyze how much money AS spends in IV, in order to understand how we could allocate it more efficiently in a way that would benefit the community,” said Guthy.
AS spends nearly half-a-million dollars a year on programming and personnel in IV, according to the audit.
“[AS] has been doing what we think is best for IV, but we want input from the entire community on how they think money should be spent in the place where they live,” said Guthy.
The survey also intends to gather information for the establishment of a five year plan outlining the future of IV. It address questions regarding safety, infrastructure, community resources, and access to quality food.
Plans have been circulating regarding a building called “The Nest,” which would be constructed in the current location of Dublin’s and Precious Slut. The AS Strategic Plan was not created with the Nest in mind, however, Guthy said it could be a vehicle for future student-run establishments in IV.
Once the survey data is collected, the ASOP intends to release a summary of the results and schedule an open community forum to discuss the issues that were identified as priorities.
According to Guthy, the goal of the survey is to establish continuity between the transition of AS officers and ensure money is spent in a way that most effectively impacts the community.
“Every AS Officer comes in with a different plan, so it is essentially a roadmap for the next five years that can be handed down and create a concrete vision for what people want to see in IV,” Guthy said.
AS used the same method of survey planning last year to remodel their internal structure and project future goals for the Association.