PORT ANGELES — Hello, this is your city manager.
That, or a similar greeting, is what more than 40 newcomers to Port Angeles heard over the telephone during the past two weeks when they found City Manager Kent Myers on the other end.
The purpose of the calls?
To survey new residents on why they moved to Port Angeles.
“I just thought by interviewing some of our new residents, it could give us a better idea what we need to market to continue to grow,” Myers said on Friday.
A total of 43 people were interviewed, who were located mainly by scanning the list of new utility customers, the city manager said.
“Everybody was really responsive,” Myers said. “Nobody turned me down as far as providing information.”
In terms of what attracted them to Port Angeles, the most common response, with a total of 18, was the area’s natural beauty.
Second was the friendly community, followed in a close third by a desire to move closer to family.
The fourth most common reason for relocating was a new employment opportunity. With 11 responses, that was tied with a desire to live in a rural community.
Myers also asked the new residents what, if anything, made them hesitant to move to Port Angeles.
Limited employment opportunities were the highest on the list, with five responses.
Limited shopping and distance from an urban area received four responses, lack of social network for young adults had three, and two people said the climate and cost of utilities were reasons to reconsider moving here.
Myers said he doesn’t have any specific plans for the informal survey, other than use it as a means to better understand the positive and negative attributes of Port Angeles.
__________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.