For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 15, 2009

Contact: Cassie Willis
Phone: 319-286-5055
2009 Citizen Satisfaction Survey Results Presented

At last night's weekly meeting, the Cedar Rapids City Council reviewed the results of its 2009 Citizen Satisfaction Survey. Conducted in July and August, the survey highlights key findings regarding the quality of city services, performance of programs and services and quality of life in Cedar Rapids.

Perception of City Services

According to the survey results, 88 percent of residents say the quality of service provided by City employees "meets" or "exceeds" their expectations. Over one-third of residents surveyed say the City's communications with the public doesn't meet expectations.

Perception of Quality of Life

The majority of residents report that the quality of life in Cedar Rapids "meets" or "exceeds" their expectations. In fact, our city is considered a good place to raise children but there are opportunities for improvement as a place to retire.

Resource Allocation Analysis

The survey revealed a number of areas that contribute significantly to residents' overall perception of quality of life. Survey analysis showed seven key areas where the City should both maintain and increase its resources to improve citizens' perception of quality of life:

Sense of community
Support of public art
Quality of natural environment
Air quality
Recognizing and supporting diversity
Availability of recreation programs for children and youth
Availability of and access to preschool education

In addition, there are six key areas to consider allocating additional resources:

Extent to which city has a strategic vision
Extent to which prevailing wage rates support a reasonable lifestyle
Amount of property crime
Extent to which city is working to build a strong and diverse economy
Extent to which city engages in sustainability and environmental initiatives
Promotion of environmental stewardship

Notably, a clear relationship exists between the extent to which residents are aware that the City has a strategic vision and whether residents feel the city is headed in the right direction. Researchers noted that a significant opportunity exists for the City to more effectively communicate its vision.

This biennial survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation of Seattle, Washington. This scientific survey is based on a representative sample of the population of Cedar Rapids. The survey yields a level of error of plus or minus four percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. The inclusion of cell phones in the survey insured a more representative sample. Of the more than 600 telephone interviews, 53 surveys were conducted via cell phone, with 33 of those representing cell phone-only households.

To view the results, visit the City Manager page on our Web site: http://www.cedar-rapids.org/citymanager/BiennialCitizenSatisfactionSurvey.asp.



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