| AGENDA ITEM #: 1. DATE: 06/14/2021 AI #:152 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | 2021 CITIZEN SURVEY RESULTS |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Jenna Goad, Assistant to the City Manager |
OTHER PRESENTER(S):
Nick Mastronardi, CEO Polco
SUMMARY
The purpose of this work session is to provide an overview of the 2021 Community Survey results.
FISCAL IMPACT
The results of this study offer are one of many sources that could be used to help guide future budget decisions.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
The city of Goodyear regularly conducts a survey to gauge residents’ satisfaction with city services and better understand the perception of our community. The results of the survey provide the city with valuable insight about which services Goodyear residents consider the highest quality, which could be improved, and the overall level of satisfaction. In years past, City Council and management have utilized the results to make improvements to city services and/or consider new programs.
The city previously contracted with the National Research Center to administer citizen surveys in 2014, 2015, and 2018. In 2019, NRC merged with Polco, a civic engagement technology company. As a result of the merger, a number of new measures were added to the 2021 survey and the report’s contents and design have been changed from previous years.
The National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) at Polco conducts the confidential survey on the city’s behalf, using the National Community Survey (NCS) instrument which is specific to local governments, allowing Goodyear to benchmark results against over 600 communities across the country. The NCS captures residents’ opinions considering ten central facets of a community: Economy, Mobility, Community Design, Utilities, Safety, Natural Environment, Parks and Recreation, Health and Wellness, Education, Arts, and Culture, and Inclusivity and Engagement. It also allows for a limited number of custom questions.
The city previously contracted with the National Research Center to administer citizen surveys in 2014, 2015, and 2018. In 2019, NRC merged with Polco, a civic engagement technology company. As a result of the merger, a number of new measures were added to the 2021 survey and the report’s contents and design have been changed from previous years.
The National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) at Polco conducts the confidential survey on the city’s behalf, using the National Community Survey (NCS) instrument which is specific to local governments, allowing Goodyear to benchmark results against over 600 communities across the country. The NCS captures residents’ opinions considering ten central facets of a community: Economy, Mobility, Community Design, Utilities, Safety, Natural Environment, Parks and Recreation, Health and Wellness, Education, Arts, and Culture, and Inclusivity and Engagement. It also allows for a limited number of custom questions.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The response rate for the randomly selected probability sample was down compared to previous years; however, the opt-in, open participation online survey saw an increase as a result of enhanced promotion.
*Online open participation responses were weighted to reflect the demographics of the Goodyear community but are kept separate from the results from the probability sample.
A copy of the 2021 survey results are attached. These results focus on the statistical sample group and were weighted to reflect the demographic profile of adults in Goodyear. With the sample size of 606 responses, the survey data has a margin of error of +/- 4% with a 95% level of confidence. Differences of more than 5% are considered statistically significant.
While comparisons to national benchmarks are provided, it is important to note that much of the benchmark data was collected prior to the pandemic, which may impact how Goodyear’s 2021 ratings compare to other communities’ ratings from the past five years. Being rated as “higher” or “lower” than the benchmark means that Goodyear's average rating for a particular item was more than ten points different than the benchmark. If a rating was “much higher” or “much lower,” then Goodyear's average rating was more than 20 points different compared to the benchmark.
When asked how important it was for Goodyear to focus on each of the ten central facets of a community in the coming two years, overall economic health (96%), overall quality of the utility infrastructure (95%), overall feeling of safety (94%), and overall design or layout of residential and commercial areas (90%) were identified are essential or very important the most frequently.
In a custom question, residents were asked to rate how important it was for the city to enhance a series of specific programs or amenities in the coming two years, and residents prioritized internet connectivity (88%), water conservation and other sustainability programs (87%), services for seniors (75%), and child care/after school programs (74%) more frequently than regional (58%) and local public transit services (62%).
Highlights of the report as identified by Polco include:
Goodyear's economy is a strong community feature
About 9 in 10 survey participants gave high ratings to the overall economic health of Goodyear, which was higher than the national benchmark and improved from 2018 to 2021.
Residents give positive marks to mobility, yet public transportation may be an opportunity for improvement
About 8 in 10 residents positively reviewed ease of public parking, ease of travel by car, street lighting, street cleaning, and sidewalk maintenance, while three-quarters gave high marks to street repair; these assessments were outstanding and above the national benchmarks, however, residents’ assessments of the ease of travel by public transportation and bus or transit services were lower than the national benchmarks and declined from 2018 to 2021.
Natural environment may be an area to focus in the coming years
About three-quarters of residents positively rated the overall quality of the natural environment in Goodyear, which was on par with comparison communities but declined from 2018 to 2021. About 87% of respondents felt it was essential or very important for the city to enhance water conservation and other sustainability programs in the coming two years.
Residents praise community design in Goodyear
About 7 in 10 residents gave high ratings to the overall quality of new development in Goodyear; this rating was higher than the national benchmark and improved from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, assessments of the variety of housing options (68%), well-planned commercial growth (65%), code enforcement (64%), and the availability of affordable quality housing (56%) were strong and above the national averages.
| 2021 Survey | 2018 Survey | 2015 Survey | |
| Surveys mailed | 3,500 | 3,200 | 3,000 |
| Surveys delivered | 3,428 | 3,093 | 2,810 |
| Responses received | 606 | 751 | 657 |
| Response rate | 18% | 24% | 23% |
| Open participation (opt-in) online responses* | 693 | 546 | N/A |
A copy of the 2021 survey results are attached. These results focus on the statistical sample group and were weighted to reflect the demographic profile of adults in Goodyear. With the sample size of 606 responses, the survey data has a margin of error of +/- 4% with a 95% level of confidence. Differences of more than 5% are considered statistically significant.
While comparisons to national benchmarks are provided, it is important to note that much of the benchmark data was collected prior to the pandemic, which may impact how Goodyear’s 2021 ratings compare to other communities’ ratings from the past five years. Being rated as “higher” or “lower” than the benchmark means that Goodyear's average rating for a particular item was more than ten points different than the benchmark. If a rating was “much higher” or “much lower,” then Goodyear's average rating was more than 20 points different compared to the benchmark.
| 2021 Survey | 2018 Survey | 2015 Survey | |
| Rated Goodyear as an excellent or good place to live | 94% | 94% | 93% |
| Rated Goodyear as an excellent or good place to raise kids | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Rated Goodyear as an excellent or good place to retire (above benchmark) | 84% | 87% | 84% |
| Rated overall economic health as excellent or good (above benchmark) | 92% | 76% | 67% |
| Rated overall feeling of safety as excellent or good | 84% | 89% | 89% |
When asked how important it was for Goodyear to focus on each of the ten central facets of a community in the coming two years, overall economic health (96%), overall quality of the utility infrastructure (95%), overall feeling of safety (94%), and overall design or layout of residential and commercial areas (90%) were identified are essential or very important the most frequently.
In a custom question, residents were asked to rate how important it was for the city to enhance a series of specific programs or amenities in the coming two years, and residents prioritized internet connectivity (88%), water conservation and other sustainability programs (87%), services for seniors (75%), and child care/after school programs (74%) more frequently than regional (58%) and local public transit services (62%).
Highlights of the report as identified by Polco include:
Goodyear's economy is a strong community feature
About 9 in 10 survey participants gave high ratings to the overall economic health of Goodyear, which was higher than the national benchmark and improved from 2018 to 2021.
Residents give positive marks to mobility, yet public transportation may be an opportunity for improvement
About 8 in 10 residents positively reviewed ease of public parking, ease of travel by car, street lighting, street cleaning, and sidewalk maintenance, while three-quarters gave high marks to street repair; these assessments were outstanding and above the national benchmarks, however, residents’ assessments of the ease of travel by public transportation and bus or transit services were lower than the national benchmarks and declined from 2018 to 2021.
Natural environment may be an area to focus in the coming years
About three-quarters of residents positively rated the overall quality of the natural environment in Goodyear, which was on par with comparison communities but declined from 2018 to 2021. About 87% of respondents felt it was essential or very important for the city to enhance water conservation and other sustainability programs in the coming two years.
Residents praise community design in Goodyear
About 7 in 10 residents gave high ratings to the overall quality of new development in Goodyear; this rating was higher than the national benchmark and improved from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, assessments of the variety of housing options (68%), well-planned commercial growth (65%), code enforcement (64%), and the availability of affordable quality housing (56%) were strong and above the national averages.
Attachments
- Overall 2021 Community Survey Results
- Comparison by Age
- Comparisons by Area
- Comparisons by Housing Tenure
- Comparisons by Housing Type
- Comparisons by Length of Residency
- Comparisons by Presence of Children
- Comparisons by Presence of Older Adults
- Comparisons by Race
- Comparisons by Sex
- Presentation