2006 Community Survey Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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(.,,_~~, MEMORANDUM Date: January 11, 2007 To: Mayor Piercy and City Council From: Terrie Monroe, 682-5412 City Manager's Office Subject: 2006 Community Survey Report City Manager's Office City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541)682-5010 (541) 682-5414 FAX www.ci.eugene.or.us Attached for your review is the 2006 Community Survey report. The annual survey tracks residents' ~~ perceptions about the community and the City of Eugene using a set of core questions that are fielded each year as well as a subset of questions that are asked in alternating years. In odd-numbered years, the survey asks about residents' usage of specific City services and their opinions about the quality of those services. In even-numbered years, the survey asks residents about the importance of community outcomes such as providing good value for tax dollars spent, preventing crime or supporting the arts, and captures their opinions about the community's performance in achieving those outcomes. The survey's findings about community perceptions and priorities have traditionally provided background information for the City Council's goal-setting activities. The report offers a comprehensive look at the survey results. What follows are a few notable fmdings. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of a range of community outcomes and their perception of the community's performance in achieving those outcomes. Preventing crime, minimizing loss of life and property due to emergencies, and providing good value for tax dollars spent were the outcomes respondents found most important, each rating 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is not important and 5 is very important. Following closely was supporting youth and child development with a 4.5 rating, and protecting the environment, developing job opportunities, and providing safe buildings. and infrastructure with 4.4. The outcome that respondents perceived the community did the best job of achieving-was providing. access to reading materials, which received a 4.2 rating on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent, followed by providing parks and open space with 4.0 and supporting the arts with 3.9. Minimizing loss of life and property due to emergencies, protecting the environment, providing safe buildings and infrastructure, providing an efficient transportation system, and providing recreation opportunities all rated 3.8. The greatest gaps between perceived importance and performance were providing good value for tax dollars spent and developing job opportunities, with a difference of 1.5, followed by preventing crime with a gap of l .4.