Community Satisfaction Survey

The City has proactively sought community feedback through a community satisfaction survey intended to provide local government officials with a complete and affordable understanding of the public's sense of satisfaction and expectations.

In 2003, the City conducted a citizen satisfaction survey using Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, and Associates at a cost of $37,000. In 2011 and 2014, the City conducted a satisfaction survey using the National Research Center at a cost of approximately $18,000 each. The National Community Survey is a randomized survey mailed to 1,500 homes that typically provides a margin of error of plus or minus 5%.

In May 2017, the City Council directed staff to proceed with a survey format that includes the benchmark National Community Survey combined with two additional pages of custom survey questions. City Council provided additional direction on the type of custom questions they would like to include in October 2017, authorized the survey in February 2018, and received the results in July 2018. The 2018 survey cost $23,985.

In 2019, National Research Center merged with the Polco online survey platform. This change offers participants the option to respond online, along with a more cost-effective way to conduct the survey. The 2021 survey costs $24,080, plus the $1,500 presentation, and includes:

• Standard benchmark survey, 9 custom questions, and one open-ended question.
• Postcard invitations were mailed to up to 1,500 randomly selected addresses.
• Paper surveys were mailed to 1,200 households.
• Demographic, geographic, and custom benchmark comparison to like communities.
• In-person presentation of results.

On February 16, 2021, the Council approved conducting the National Research Center at Polco survey including the addition of nine special topic questions and one open-ended question. The survey was conducted in March and April of 2021.

The results will be summarized in a presentation by Polco CEO Nick Mastronardi at the City Council's September 7, 2021, meeting. The Council will receive the report on the results of the 2021 survey and provide direction.

For questions please email us at Coronado or call 619-522-7335.