Agenda - Council - 09/13/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Summary The National Citizen SurveyTM (The NCSTM) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The survey and its administration are standardized to assure high quality research methods and directly comparable results across The NCS communities. The NCS captures residents' opinions within the three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement). This report discusses trends over time, comparing the 2016 ratings for the City of Ramsey to its previous survey results in 2014. Additional reports and technical appendices are available under separate cover. Trend data for Ramsey represent important comparison data and should be examined for improvements or declines. Deviations from stable trends over time, especially, represent opportunities for understanding how local policies, programs or public information may have affected residents' opinions. Meaningful differences between survey years have been noted within the following tables as being "higher" or "lower" if the differences are greater than seven percentage points between the 2014 and 2016 surveys, otherwise the comparison between 2014 and 2016 are noted as being "similar." Additionally, benchmark comparisons for all survey years are presented for reference. Changes in the benchmark comparison over time can be impacted by various trends, including varying survey cycles for the individual communities that comprise the benchmarks, regional and national economic or other events, as well as emerging survey methodologies. Overall, ratings in Ramsey for 2016 generally remained stable. Of the 94 items for which comparisons were available, 84 items were rated similarly in 2014 and 2016, six items showed a decrease in ratings and four showed an increase in ratings. Notable trends over time included the following: While most ratings within the pillar of Community Characteristics remained stable from 2014 to 2016, there were several items that trended down. Ratings that decreased included: availability of paths and walking trails, availability of affordable quality child care/preschool, adult educational opportunities and opportunities to volunteer. However, ratings for overall quality of life increased as did Ramsey as place to work. Within the pillar of Governance, two changes were noted from 2014 to 2016. Ratings decreased for natural areas preservation, while ratings for traffic enforcement increased between 2014 and 2oi6. Within Participation, fewer residents in Ramsey reported that they had attended a City -sponsored event. However, more residents indicated that they had walked or biked instead of driving. 1