Laserfiche WebLink
zlia`? 'DATE : 1PPROVAT <br /> November 6; 1987 <br /> Mayor and Councilmembers <br /> FROM z <br /> David M. Childs, City Manager <br /> g T EM COMMUNITY SURVEY PROPOSALS <br /> As we discussed at an earlier City Council meeting, a community survey can be <br /> a- useful tool to the Council- and City staff in our efforts to: <br /> *provide services to the residents; <br /> *attempt to allocate limited financial resources; <br /> *develop long-range strategies and plans for City facilities such as <br /> streets, sewers, public buildings, major capital equipment, etc. ; <br /> *determine if there are unmet or overmet needs as a result of chang- <br /> ing age structure of .City residents. <br /> SThe use of a mail out survey (as used in the late 1970' s) or a phone survey <br /> was discussed at that time. <br /> As a result of my meetings with all three firms, I learned that the type of <br /> attitude survey and needs assessment that we would be planning would be most <br /> effective as a phone survey. <br /> RThe reasons include a higher validity of phone surveys due to a more careful <br /> cross section of respondents being covered in terms of age, sex, income <br /> status, location in the community, etc. Just as importantly, respondents to <br /> 9 mailed surveys tend to be the persons with strong opinions one way or the <br /> other, and the "average" resident is often not heard from. In addition, it <br /> appears that the experts feel that a phone survey such as we are proposing can <br /> ask more questions and, in essence, be longer than a mail survey - and thus <br /> can get us more information. <br /> a <br /> These experts also state that although the City may be able to develop a <br /> survey in house, have it delivered and picked up by Boy Scouts or something <br /> and analyzed in house for considerably less than $4,800.00, the cost to have <br /> a consultant design and undertake a mailed survey would probably not be lower <br /> than a phone survey. <br /> H <br /> Based on the factors of reliability and validity, timeliness (1 to 2 months <br /> start to finish) , and availability of staff time as well as the expertise of a <br /> consultant to be able .to generate the right questions in the right sequence, I <br /> • strongly recommend the phone survey method be considered. " <br /> 4 <br /> 5 <br /> 7 <br />