Agenda - Council Work Session - 07/28/2020

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A mailed survey to every household is costly, and an online option in lieu of a mailed survey would not be comparable to past year results, would have a lower response rate, and would have problems with self selection bias. Staff recommends continuing with the mailed random sample survey. Other Background Information: • National Research Center (NRC). This organization is based out of Colorado and is backed by the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA). The NRC conducts a standardized survey known as the National Citizen Survey (NCS). This survey holds value in that it was created by cities, for cities. By using/ implementing the NCS across the Country for several years, the NRC now has a vast inventory of comparable/ trend data for cities to utilize (nationally, regionally, and locally). • The standardized NCS (Nation Citizen Survey) also has efficiencies. This surveying alternative is much more cost effective than a custom survey (about half the price). However, maintaining this efficiency means the NCS (and NRC) are fairly inflexible to major alterations to their base survey. The NCS does allow for custom questions. • Lastly, because the NCS is a standardized survey, NCS reporting capabilities are tried and true; and professional. If the City decided to move away from the NCS, reporting capabilities would diminish. • In Ramsey, the survey will be sent to 1,700 address and will be statistically significant (+/-5% margin for error). NRC expects 300- 450 responses (sample size). The response rate in 2018 was 29%. Vendor takes care of mailings (multiple, including reminders). Raw results would be collected and refined by vendor (customizable). Relevant comparable data and reporting provided by vendor. This service includes return postage, envelopes, and printing costs. Funding Source: The amount of $17,000 was budgeted in 2020 for a resident survey. Furthermore, the City participates in the State of Minnesota's "City/County Performance Measurement" (CPM) program. Annually, the State provides about $3,500 to the City of Ramsey for performance measurement related costs (which include the Ramsey citizen survey). In summary, the City has about $20,500 in funding budgeted for a resident survey in 2020. Staff estimates the survey will fall at or below the budgeted amount. Recommendation: NA Action: Provide input regarding questions and process for the 2020 Citizen Survey. 2018 Survey Results 2014-2018 Trends over time 2018 Livability Report 2018 Dashboard 2018 Technical Appendix Q15-19 sample Timeline 2020 Survey Pricing Attachments Form Review Inbox Reviewed By Date Kurt Ulrich Kurt Ulrich 06/18/2020 04:18 PM Kurt Ulrich Kurt Ulrich 07/23/2020 04:43 PM Form Started By: Colleen Lasher Started On: 06/17/2020 07:16 PM Final Approval Date: 07/23/2020