2011 Citizen Survey Quick Facts

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Related: View the 2007 Citizen Survey

Introduction

The City of Lawrence conducted a Citizen Survey in spring 2011 to assess satisfaction with the quality of city services and gather input about priorities for the community.  The survey was part of ongoing efforts to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services the city provides.

Facts about the 2011 Citizen Survey

The survey was sent to 2,500 households in Lawrence.  Residents were also given the opportunity to respond to the survey by phone. 1,307 surveys were returned for a 52 percent completion rate.  The results for a random sample of 1,307 households have a 95 percent level of confidence with a precision of at least +/- 2.7 percent.  In other words, if the survey was conducted 100 times, ninety-five times the results would be the same or within 2.7 percent.

The City of Lawrence completed the last citizen survey in 2007.  In both 2007 and 2011, the vendor, ETC Institute, completed the survey.  ETC is a firm with twenty-five years of experience and more than 300 clients. ETC’s client base affords the opportunity to compare/contrast information with other cities in the KC region and also provides an opportunity to compare Lawrence’s survey results with municipalities on a national level.

composite satisfaction

Overall Satisfaction

Overall, the city received generally positive marks from citizens.  According to ETC’s analysis of the composite satisfaction index, the City of Lawrence improved by five points from 2007 to 2011 in the 14 major categories of city services that were assessed in each citizen survey.

While Lawrence’s Composite Customer Satisfaction Index improved, the U.S. average declined by 5 points, and the Kansas City average declined by 4 points.  According to ETC, city leaders in Lawrence are to be commended for their efforts to sustain high levels of service during a period in which national and regional attitudes toward local government have generally become more negative.

When rating City services overall, residents rated several areas received very high.

  • 93 percent satisfied with fire and emergency medical services (90 percent in 2007)
  • 85 percent satisfied with trash and yard waste services (86 percent in 2007)
  • 83 percent satisfied with quality of police services (79 percent in 2007)
  • 81 percent satisfied with parks and recreation services (85 percent in 2007)
  • 74 percent satisfied with water and wastewater services (73 percent in 2007)
  • 88 percent of respondents who had contacted the city with a question, problem or complaint responded that employees were courteous and polite

Respondents indicated significant increases in satisfaction from 2007 to 2011 in the following areas:

  • Beautification of downtown Lawrence
  • Feeling of safety in Downtown Lawrence after dark
  • Efforts of the city to prepare against emergencies
  • Flow of traffic and congestion management

Respondents indicated significant decreases in satisfaction from 2007 to 2011 in the following areas:

  • Hours that businesses in Downtown Lawrence are open
  • Types of retail/entertainment establishments in Downtown Lawrence
  • Snow removal on neighborhood streets
  • Availability of information about parks and recreation programs

What services do residents utilize the most?

Residents were asked to report if they used the following City services in the past twelve months.

  • Visited a city park – 86 percent
  • Visited City Library- 72 percent
  • Visited Recreation Facility – 72 percent
  • Assisted by Police – 35 percent
  • Used Public Transit – 19 percent
  • Assisted by Fire Medical services – 18 percent

What does the citizen survey tell us about our priorities?

For the past several years, the Lawrence City Commission has set goals that prioritize the use of public funds and assist departments in planning and coordinating city projects, programs and services.  The Lawrence City Commission’s top priorities are listed below.

Priority: Enhancement and maintenance of infrastructure

curve

Street maintenance continues to be a priority for the Lawrence community.  In the 2011 citizen survey, 69 percent of respondents listed the maintenance of streets, sidewalks and infrastructure as a top priority.  Forty-six percent (46 percent) of residents listed flow of traffic and congestion management as a top priority.
The survey shows that citizen priorities parallel the City Commission’s goals and current city initiatives.  Street maintenance is a top priority within the city.  The city continues to add resources to street maintenance by utilizing funds from both property taxes and the 2008 voter-approved infrastructure sales tax.  The city’s internal pavement condition index (PCI), which has been in use since 2006, shows that the city is making progress toward improving the overall condition of Lawrence’s streets.   Average annual PCI data shows that street conditions are increasing in ratings each year.

perception

Priority: Expand and strengthen the economic development base of the community

Residents’ perceptions of the city’s efforts to promote economic development in Lawrence rose from 32 percent in 2007 to 36 percent in 2011.  incubator Respondents rated the overall quality of new development in Lawrence at 31 percent (30 percent in 2007). Twenty-one percent (21 percent) of respondents listed quality of planning and developmental services as a top priority for the community in the next two years.

Priority: Public safety responsibilities

Lawrence residents’ generally feel safe in their neighborhoods during the day (94 percent).  Ninety-one percent 91 percent of respondents feel safe walking in downtown Lawrence during the day and 86 percent felt safe in city parks during the day.  Respondents felt least safe in city parks after dark (30 percent).
Trends from 2007 to 2011 show that residents’ perceptions of safety in Lawrence have not changed drastically in the past four years, however, notable increases in perceptions of safety after dark in public areas are shown in the 2011 survey results.

Priority: Continued improvements to the quality of life in Lawrence

Quality of life has multiple definitions and is defined by the inherent value a person places on a service, program or amenity offered by the community in which they live.  Eighty-two percent (82 percent) of respondents were satisfied with the quality of life in Lawrence in 2011, versus 84 percent in 2007.  However, factors that contribute to quality of life measurements increased or stayed the same from2007 to 2011.

Eighty-seven percent (87 percent) of those surveyed were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the livability of their neighborhoods.

Only 5 percent of those surveyed were dissatisfied with the quality of life in Lawrence. Lawrence’s overall satisfaction rates exceed both national and regional levels.

The overall satisfaction with the quality of city services increased from 72 percent in 2007 to 76 percent in 2011.

Customer Service

Forty-one percent (41 percent) of residents reported contacting the City with a question, problem, or complaint in the past twelve months.

Of those who had contact with the City, the majority were satisfied with the customer service they received.

  • 88 percent said City employees were courteous and polite (87 percent in 2007)
  • 87 percent said City employees were professional (87 percent In 2007)
  • 79 percent said City employees were responsive (74 percent in 2007)

Public Safety Services

fire

Most residents reported satisfaction with public safety services.

  • 79 percent satisfied with the professionalism of police officers
  • 75 percent satisfied with how quickly police officers respond to emergencies
  • 92 percent satisfied with the professionalism of E.M.S. personnel
  • 91 percent satisfied with the quality of fire services
  • 88 percent satisfied with the Fire Medical response time

Parks and Recreation

pool

Residents were also satisfied with a number of parks and recreation services.

  • 88 percent satisfied with appearance and cleanliness of parks
  • 81 percent satisfied with condition of equipment at parks
  • 78 percent satisfied with cleanliness of public areas in the city
  • 78 percent satisfied with the variety of recreation programs available

Maintenance & Public Works

Residents reported mixed feelings about public works services.

  • 74 percent satisfied with snow removal on major city streets
  • 49 percent satisfied with removal of snow on neighborhood streets
  • 51 percent satisfied with the condition of sidewalks in neighborhoods
  • 44 percent satisfied with the condition of streets in neighborhoods
  • 40 percent satisfied with the condition of major city streets
  • 29 percent satisfied with the timeliness of  street maintenance repairs

Water & Wastewater

Residents reported satisfaction in a number of areas related to water and wastewater services.

  • 90 percent satisfied with reliability of water service
  • 83 percent satisfied with water pressure in their home
  • 77 percent satisfied with clarity of drinking water

*Taste and smell of drinking water was indicated as an area of emphasis over the next two years.

Solid Waste Disposal

Residents reported high satisfaction with solid waste services.

  • 93 percent satisfied with residential trash collection
  • 88 percent satisfied with yard waste collection
  • 57 percent satisfied with city drop-off recycling sites

Transportation

Residents were less satisfied with transportation related services.

  • 55 percent satisfied with ease of north/south travel
  • 54 percent satisfied with availability of pedestrian paths
  • 36 percent satisfied with ease of east/west travel
  • 50 percent of residents are satisfied with the quality of the city’s public transportation system

More Information

For more information, visit lawrenceks.org or contact the City Manager’s Office at cityhall@lawrenceks.org or (785) 832-3400.