Take the Poll and Let Your Voice Be Heard on How to Make Ramona Better

Committee for a Better Ramona is moving ahead with a new poll, expected to go up on its Web site in about one week.

The poll will ask for opinions on shopping in Ramona, such as: Do you shop in Ramona? If not, why not? What can be done to improve or increase interest in shopping locally?

“I have a ‘Shop in Ramona’ sign on my car and here I am, going down to Poway,” CFBR president Bob Krysak admitted. “The question I have is, ‘Whose fault is it? The businesses, or ours?’ ”

He came up with the answer, “Both!”

While the CFBR members at the June 8 meeting agreed the lack of parking in the downtown area of Ramona is one reason why residents are going to other communities to shop, they also agreed the high price of gasoline should be a good reason for customers to stay in town.

Krysak raised the question, “How do we keep money in town and who needs to do what?”

Polling the residents will be the first step. After the results are compiled, the next step will be involving business owners.

“We have to start with the fact we do not have jobs in Ramona,” Krysak said. “Most people who live in Ramona work down the hill. Not only do they work down the hill, but they go right past CostCo on their way home.”

He suggested that bringing in new industries to Ramona offering more employment opportunities would be one solution to the shopping problem. Another suggestion was for the businesses to stay open longer hours to accommodate people working down the hill who are not in town during the normal 8 to 5 hours of business.

“I’d like to find out what the community really believes,” Krysak said, adding that one way to do this will be, “having a poll and also having a suggestion box (for) what can make Ramona more attractive to you.”

In other business, discussion ensued on videotaping local meetings, such as the water district, school district and planning group, and making the video available to air on the CFBR Web site. The committee agreed to look into the feasibility of videotaping meetings.

The public forum on evacuation held May 16 by the local Sheriff's Department  at the was videotaped and will be posted on the Web site once it is edited.

Krysak remarked on how well attended the forum was and the positive impression it made on county staff and other officials who spoke on the evacuation issues.

“I think it went very well in terms of letting them know they have the attention of Ramona,” Krysak said. “The impact was there. They know we’re serious.”

Bob Hailey, CFBR vice president and also vice president of Ramona Community Planning Group, has been meeting with County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and a select group of people since the forum.

“I think there was enough (people there) that Dianne’s eyes were opened a little bit that we do not have a central point that’s going to be the decision-making body,” Hailey said of a possible emergency situation that calls for residents to evacuate their homes.

There will be another follow-up meeting with Jacob on Aug. 4. Hailey said he did not know if that meeting will be for the public or if it will again be the small group meeting with the supervisor.

CFBR members also discussed ways to increase the number of local residents registering on the Web site. Krysak wants to initiate a door-to-door campaign to solicit new members. Another suggestion is to set up tables outside the grocery stores in town.

There also will be a booth at the annual Fourth of July celebration at There will be an opportunity drawing at that time for a one-week stay at a time-share in .

The next CFBR meeting begins at 6 p.m. on July 13 at .