[Durham INC] Durham Releases 2009 Community Satisfaction Results

Fri Feb 12 13:44:34 EST 2010

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

For Immediate Release:  February 12, 2010

Durham Releases 2009 Community Satisfaction Survey Results

Durham Residents Generally Very Satisfied with Major City Services; 

Data-Driven Methodology to Help Determine Upcoming Budget Priorities

DURHAM, N.C. - Just released results of the City of Durham's recent
citizen satisfaction survey show that overall satisfaction with the City
has generally improved since the 2007 survey, with more than 78 percent
of residents surveyed rating the City as an "excellent" or "good" place
to live and 75 percent rating the City as an "excellent" or "good" place
to work.  

The survey, conducted by an independent market research firm in the
winter of 2009, asked a random sample of Durham households about their
opinions on the delivery of major City services.  Of 1,200 sample
households within the city, 445 completed the survey for a 37 percent
response rate.  The results for the random sample of 445 households have
a 95 percent level of confidence with a precision of at least +/- 4.7
percent.

The purpose of the survey, according to City Manager Tom Bonfield, is to
help the organization better assess citizens' satisfaction with City
services and to gather input from residents about issues facing the
community.  "One of our goals is to make sound budget decisions based on
data-driven feedback from our citizens," Bonfield said.  "The results
from this survey help us determine our priorities for the community as
part of our ongoing planning process, provide guidance in making daily
management decisions, and determine our long-term strategic direction
and funding."

According to the 2009 survey results, the city had significant increases
in satisfaction and/or feelings of safety in 45 out of 58 areas
assessed, with no significant decreases in any of those areas.  Another
significant finding was that 64 percent of residents surveyed felt the
City was moving in the right direction - a 13 percent increase over the
2007 survey.

Other major findings of the survey include:  

*         Resident satisfaction with services provided by the City is
increasing.  89 percent were satisfied with the quality of fire
protection and rescue services provided by the City of Durham and 68
percent were satisfied with the quality of police protection.  Both of
these indicators are an increase in satisfaction from the 2007 survey
results, from 84 percent and 60 percent respectively.  Although only 31
percent were satisfied with maintenance of City streets and
infrastructure, this is an increase in satisfaction over the 2007 survey
by 8 percent.

*         Resident perceptions of various issues concerning the City.
69 percent were satisfied with the quality of their neighborhood and 60
percent were satisfied with the overall services provided by the City.
Although only 35 percent were satisfied with the value they receive for
their tax dollars, the level of satisfaction has increased over the 2007
survey by 6 percent.  

*         Feelings of safety.  48 percent felt very safe/safe in the
City overall, which is a 12 percent increase over the 2007 survey
results of 36 percent.  56 percent felt very safe/safe in downtown
Durham, which is a 14 percent increase over the 2007 survey.  In
addition, 80 percent felt very safe/safe walking alone in their
neighborhood during the day and 42 percent felt very safe/safe walking
alone in their neighborhood at night.  

*         City communication.  61 percent felt very satisfied/satisfied
with the availability of information about City programs and services,
and 58 percent were satisfied with the City's efforts to keep them
informed on local issues - a 16 percent satisfaction increase over the
2007 survey and one of the largest positive increases in this year's
results.  

*         Parks and recreation.  66 percent felt very
satisfied/satisfied with the cultural programming in the City, with 61
percent satisfied with the trails and greenways.  Only 37 percent were
satisfied with the City's swimming pools.

*         City maintenance.  65 percent were very satisfied/satisfied
with the condition of street signs and traffic signals, up significantly
in satisfaction levels over the 2007 survey rating of 59 percent.  Only
24 percent were very satisfied/satisfied with street maintenance and
repair, but this level of satisfaction has increased over the 2007
survey by 6 percent.  

*         Code enforcement.   51 percent were very satisfied/satisfied
with the enforcement of City codes and ordinances, up 8 percent from the
2007 survey.  42 percent were very satisfied/satisfied with the
enforcement of clean up of junk and debris on private property, an
increase of 13 percent from the 2007 survey of 29 percent.

*         City utility services.  85 percent were very
satisfied/satisfied with trash collection services, 80 percent with
curbside recycling services, 72 percent with yard waste services, 70
percent with wastewater services, and 64 percent with stormwater
services.  Trash collection services and curbside recycling services
showed a 1 percent and 2 percent decline in satisfaction, whereas yard
waste services and wastewater services showed an increase in
satisfaction of 6 percent and 5 percent respectively over the 2007
survey.  The 2009 survey was the first time residents were asked about
their satisfaction with stormwater services, so no prior year comparison
is available at this time.

The ETC Institute, a professional market research firm based in the
Kansas City area, conducted the survey on behalf of the City.  The firm
has more than 20 years of expertise in customer satisfaction, citizen
issues, and community needs assessment research and conducts similar
municipal surveys nationwide.

The results of the survey were reported to the Durham City Council
during today's budget retreat.  Full results of the survey are also
available on the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms/pdf/citizen_survey_2009.pdf
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms/pdf/citizen_survey_2009.pdf> .

About the Department of Budget and Management Services

The Department of Budget and Management Services is responsible for
preparing, implementing, and monitoring the City's annual operating
budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP).  The department also
provides operational and organizational studies as identified by the
City Council and City Manager's Office.  For more information, visit 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms/> .

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