Local officials from throughout Porter County have begun brainstorming for a once-in-a-decade event that will profoundly impact local government: The 2010 Census.

Representatives from towns, townships, schools and other agencies met with U.S. Census Bureau representative Suzy Barnhart on Thursday to begin working on ways to ensure that Porter County communities get accurate and complete counts in next year’s census. The meeting was arranged by Porter County Auditor Jim Kopp.

Barnhart noted that it is extremely critical that every person in every community gets counted, since the numbers affect so much, from federal funding awarded to schools to the number of liquor licenses allowed in any town.

Unless a community wants to conduct a special census at an estimated cost of $100,000, the numbers that will be gathered next year will be set in stone for the next 10 years.

“It’s really critical we get everybody counted right the first time,” Barnhart told the officials in attendance, adding: “So much of America functions on numbers.”

Among those in attendance at the initial planning meeting were several Duneland representatives: Porter Town Council President Michelle Bollinger, Burns Harbor Clerk Treasurer Jane Jordan, Jackson Township Trustee Jan Meyers, Pine Township Trustee Nancy Kolasa, and a Duneland Schools representative.

U.S. Census Bureau workers are now out in communities conducting initial field work designed to get an accurate count of housing units. Then, in mid-February of next year, the official census surveys will be sent to each household to be returned by April 1.

Census workers will then make in-person visits to households not returning the forms in an effort to get the people counted. The Census Bureau urges community leaders to form “complete count committees” to begin getting the word out to the public about the importance of participating. Each community in Porter County can apply for up to $2,999 in federal funds for their promotional efforts; in addition, the Census Bureau has hired members of the 1985 Chicago Bears team, as well as former players with Indianapolis Colts, to appear at special events to promote the Census.

The Census Bureau has a multitude of ideas for promoting the census, but is counting on local officials to implement those plans. Barnhart said that people tend not to trust the federal government. “But they trust you guys,” she said.

Some of the initial ideas that surfaced at Thursday’s planning meeting were: Secure a booth at this year’s Porter County Fair to promote Porter County participation in the census; print up census T-shirts that local officials could wear at the fair, in parades, and other events; work with radio stations and newspapers for free promotional pieces about the census; include the U.S. Census logo on local government publications; and work with schools to encourage students to urge their parents to take part in the census.

Bollinger said there are many small ways that local government can promote the census for free. For example, she said, the town of Porter’s sewer bills have the “Be Counted” tagline promoting the Census.

Jordan suggested supplying census information at upcoming school registrations, while Kolasa questioned if a census promotion could be included in Porter County’s next tax bills. Meyers suggested in-school contests in which students confirm that their family turned in their census survey, with a prize awarded to the classes turning in the most confirmations.

The local officials agreed to continue to meet on a regular basis to work collaboratively on Porter County’s census planning. Another meeting was scheduled for this Friday.

Posted 6/1/2009