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-_ aA ~ ,City Manager's Office MEMORANDUM Date: February 17, 2005 To: Executive Management Team From: Terrie Monroe, 682-5412 City Manager's Office Subject: 2004 Community Survey Report 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 a draft of the 2004 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. Please note a point about the survey's methodology that demonstrates an ongoing effort to make the sample more broadly representative of the entire community. Two years ago, the sampling frame was expanded beyond just voters. This year, rather than drawing from a list, the survey employed arandom- digit dialing (RDD) approach to yield a more inclusive random sample that allows interviewers to reach residents with unlisted numbers as well as those with newer listings. The report offers a comprehensive look at the survey results. What follows are a few notable fmdings. Three of the community outcomes that were identified as being the five most important (providing good value for tax dollars spent, preventing crime, and developing job opportunities) received substantially lower ratings of performance, while another of the top five (minimizing loss of life and property due to emergencies) showed the highest performance rating of all the outcomes. Respondents felt the community did a good job of achieving certain quality-of--life outcomes. Providing access to reading and reference materials, providing parks and open space, supporting the arts, and providing recreation opportunities received high marks for performance that were close to or higher than their importance ratings. Satisfaction with the speed of growth in Eugene has increased, with more than half of respondents (55%) saying the Eugene's growth rate is just about right.