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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8B - Taxpayer Survey "" DATE: STAFF AGENDA REPORT ~ , 88 ~ FRANK BOYLES, CITY MANAG~ CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ~-PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT A CITIZEN SERVICE SATISFACTION SURVEY FEBRUARY 20, 1996 AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: SUBJECT: BACKGROUND: The tactical plan of the City's Strategic Plan and the 1996 Draft Goals and Objectives articulate the City's intent to conduct a scientific survey to receive feedback on the services it provides. This agenda item presents a proposal for conducting such a survey. DISCUSSION: Excluding the City's sewer and water funds, Prior Lake is a $5.5 million organization providing services to our taxpayers and others working in or visiting our community. Traditionally, local government services have been provided without systematically soliciting user feedback about those services. Instead, user feedback has been received through occasional written or oral communications to councilmembers or staff persons. In. the 1980's and 1990's, many developing metropolitan area municipalities concluded that it would be far better to receive feedback about the services they provide in a systematized and scientific fashion. Consequently, many growing communities like Lakeville and Eagan began conducting periodic citizen surveys. While the surveys differ in their specific content by municipality, they have some similarities. All of the surveys were intended to receive feedback on the types of services already delivered by the community. The surveys have "tracking questions" designed to determine over time the degree to which resident perceptions change about certain city service programs. Questions are also included to assess to what extent 16200 fS.5~k Ave. S.E., Prior Lake. Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER .i...- " of the survey is to help the staff and council better understand how the public views the services we deliver. With the survey data we can modify our services to better meet taxpayer desires. In addition to this short term budget information the survey can also help us to know data for our long range plans for parks or water system improvements. The cost of this survey method is greater than other less formal techniques. The additional cost assures that the responses will be representative of the entire population and not just those with strong pro or con beliefs. Survey accuracy is assured by using scientific random sampling techniques and trained data gatherers. Care must be taken so that the questions do not imply that the City will do something that we cannot or do not wish to. To prevent this, a great deal of time is spent on preparing the questions. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Authorize an allocation of up to $15,000 from the contingency fund to conduct a Citizen Service Satisfaction Survey, as set forth in the attached proposal. 2. Defer the matter for further information. RECOMMENDATION: Alternate #1. A number of critical questions lay before the City of Prior Lake. Those questions can be addressed in the survey to provide the staff and City Council with the perspective of our growing community. As a service organization of $5.5 million, per year we should be concerned about receiving systematic feedback from those who consume our services. We have not conducted any form of survey for numerous years. Dr. Bill Morris, of Decision Resources, will be present at the meeting to make a brief presentation and respond to any questions the council may have about the survey and its benefits or methodology. AGN0205A.DOC ACTION REQUIRED: Motion and a second to authorize the Mayor and City Manager to enter into a contract with Decision Resources, Inc. to provide a Citizen Service Satisfaction Survey as set forth in this report and the Decision Resources proposal of January 12, 1996. Attachment AGN0205A.DOC ... Decision .. Resources Ltd. January 12, 1996 Mr. Frank Boyles City Manager City of Prior Lake City Hall 4629 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372 Dear Mr. Boyles: Decision Resources, Ltd., is pleased to present this survey research proposal to the City ofPrlor Lake. Much of this proposal is based upon our earlier conversation with you and members of your staff. This prospectus is organized in three parts: a discussion of the goals of the research; a potential design and schedule; and, estimated project costs. As you will see, I am certain that DRL can provide the City of Prior Lake with the information it seeks in both a cost-effective and timely manner. GOALS OF TIffi RESEARCH: The survey would assess the attitudes and needs of Prior Lake residents on four separate, but interrelated, issues: 1. Evaluation of Current Service Levels. How satisfied are residents with current city services? Are there any services which are rated as duplicative or unsatisfactory? Are there any services which residents feel should be newly offered or augmented? How much would residents be willing to pay to cover the cost of new and/or expanded services? Are there any services which citizens feel should be dropped or curtailed? 2. Image of the City. How do residents view Prior Lake? Why did they move there? Have things changed for the better or the worse? What types of policies should be pursued in order to keep the city "special"? What alternative futures do residents most prefer? Is there an existing consensus about the future, or the possibility of crystallizing a consensus? 3128 Dean Court · Minneapolis. Minnesota 55416 · (612) 920.0337 . Fax (612) 92~166 ,. . . ' 3. Future Development and Redevelopment. What types of development do residents most welcome? What types would they most oppose? Is there an "optimal mix" for development efforts? What should be the priorities? What are residential opinions about the development of a Downtown Area? What policies do citizens feel the city should follow for future growth and/or stability? 4. Park and Recreation Facilities. How do residents view current park and recreation facilities? What types offacilities would residents like to see develop or expanded? Would residents support a park bond referendum? Ifso, what should be the parameters of the proposal? 5. Changing City Demographics. Does the current population profile suggest policy strategies for city government? Among newer residents, what characteristics of the city attracted them to settle? Does the composition of the households in the city suggest the need for specific types of programs? The survey questionnaire would contain a series of items aimed at exploring each of these topics, as well as any other concerns of the City Council and City Staff In addition to providing an excellent gauge of residential attitudes at the present time, the responses would also provide a benchmark for any future research, either updating this study or examining specific topics, such as residential mobility and economic development. One of the strengths of our company is the ability to realistically and accurately project current attitudes and opinions into the future. Because of the many different types of cities we have worked with, and several Metropolitan Area-wide studies we have completed recently, we are able to derive implications about the shape offuture decades for a community. As you may know, suburbs follow a pronounced "life cycle" -- DRL has worked with municipalities at all stages of this cycle. Consequently, we are able to anticipate probable change, and its effect on residential needs and perceptions, based upon the present. DESIGN AND SCHEDULE OF THE RESEARCH: Decision Resources, Ltd., proposes to conduct a telephone survey of 400 randomly selected households in Prior Lake. A sample of this size would provide results projectable to the entire city within:f:: 5.0 percent in 95 out of 100 cases. The sample is also of sufficient size to permit the city to be divided into a maximum of four zones for more detailed analysis. To insure the integrity of the sample, DRL places the most exacting sampling standards in the industry on our procedures. Before an alternate household is substituted for a designated target, at least ten tries are made to contact the initial household. The telephone calls take place during various times on weekday evenings and during the weekend. Our interviewers are also instructed to seek convenient appointments with interviewees, cutting our in-process refusal rate to less than five percent on average. An unbiased selection process is also used to identify the adult member of the household to be interviewed. To validate the completed sample, the latest United States Census and Metropolitan Council updated population characteristics are utilized as ~ ,. . ... a standard of comparison. The questionnaire would be administered by DRL trained and supervised personnel. The Company is proud of the fact that the average length of employment of the DRL interviewers is four years; the employment stability of our phoners is unique in the industry and provides our clients with the most sophisticated and proven interviewers available in the region. The computer analysis will be obtained from the DRL remote job entry facility to the University of Minnesota VAX system as well as our in-house C-MENTOR Statistical Analysis System, in- suring both access to the most current statistical analysis programs and confidentiality of the data set. The City of Prior Lake will be presented with two bound copies of the final report highlighting all the major findings of the study. DRL will also speak to any major differences from and simil- arities with other recently completed suburban residential attitudes studies undertaken for high- growth areas. A volume of all computer generated cross tabulations and other multivariate statistical techniques will also be included to provide the "raw" data required for further secondary analyses. In addition, the findings will be presented by me at any meetings or work sessions specified by the City. The components of the project and the proposed time schedule is outlined below: 1. Planning meeting with City Council, City Staff: and/or relevant citizens committees, to establish the topics to be covered in the survey. Based on these topic concepts, DRL would word specific, neutral questions. This activity to be completed within three weeks oftbe initiation of the contract. 2. Structuring of questions and final approval of the survey instrument. These activities to be completed within four weeks of the initiation of the contract. 3. Final determination of the field dates for interviewing. 4. Pre-testing and, if needed, approval of resulting revisions. This activity to be completed by the second day of field work. 5. Completion ofall fieldwork within a two week period. 6. Computer analysis and preparation of written report. All analytical analysis and commentary will be available within SIX WEEKS after completion of the field work. 7. Meeting with the City Council, City Staffand/or citizen committees in either a work session or formal presentation to explain and discuss the results of the study. The final discussion and strategy session can be arranged at a time convenient for the City Council members and/or City Staff after delivery of the report. DRL personnel are also willing to attend a reasonable number of additional meetings for dissemination of the data to the public, city boards, or other organizations. On-going telephone consultation about any part of the study, analysis, or implications is also included. PROJECT COSTS: A sixty question unit, 400 household random sample of the City of Prior Lake would cost $7,500.00. Each additional question unit beyond the initial sixty would be $150.00. Recent city studies have cost between $7,500.00 and $15,500, depending on the goals of the project and the breadth of the research. Included in this cost are two bound copies of the written analysis, one volume ofcrosstabs and related statistical tests, an executive summary of the highlights of the study, and a reasonable number of presentations and work sessions. The cost of any study is driven by the number of question units contained on the survey instrument. DRL counts each question as one or less "units." For example, a series often queries soliciting respondents to evaluate various city services would not count as "ten" units. More likely, it would be counted as three or four, depending upon the response required of the interviewee. Similarly, open-ended questions, or unaided response questions requiring top-of- the-mind reactions, also count as one unit. Hence, the final number of questions is usually considerably greater than the number of question units. As company policy, DRL requires one-half of the cost prior to the commencement offield work; the remainder is due upon delivery of the final written report. Unless otherwise arranged, DRL invoices clients at the time of the approval of the survey instrument. I hope this proposal sufficiently covers all the information you require. For your possible interest, I have enclosed some information about Decisions Resources, Ltd., and several recent news- paper accounts of our activities. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact either Diane Traxler or me. Sincerely, 1JJ William D. Morris, Ph.D. President