See RECEIVE a presentation and report from the National Research Center on the City's 2011 Community Survey results - City Manager's Office (Bill Lindsay 620-6512).

The City of Richmond recently distributed its third community survey through the National Research Center's (NRC) Citizen Survey program. NRC staff will present the 2011 survey
results, as well as compare key findings to the city’s 2007 and 2009 survey results.

In 2007, the City of Richmond enrolled in the National Research Center’s (NRC) National Citizen Survey (NCS) program in order to conduct a resident survey to help the City Council set
spending priorities and to set a benchmark of city service delivery. Since NRC recommended that the city conduct a survey biennially, the city enrolled in the program again in 2009 and in
2011. The NCS is a collaborative effort between the NRC (a public research firm focused on public sector information needs) and the International City/County Management Association
(ICMA). Elected officials and city staff will be able to use the survey results as a tool to:

• Assess the quality of community life and services provided to residents;
• Track residents’ perceptions of service quality, community amenities, and public safety;
• Help make informed decisions about how to allocate resources;
• Assess support for local policies;
• Gather information on residents’ use of services; and
• Compare results from 2007 and 2009 to measure changes over time.

The results from 2007, 2009 and 2011 surveys can be found on the City’s website at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=1871.

The 2011 survey closely resembles the 2007 and 2009 survey in format and content which enabled NRC to compare survey results from previous years. The city developed five (5) policy questions to enhance the 2011 survey. Similarly to 2007 and 2009, in 2011, NRC mailed out surveys to 3,000 randomly selected and geographically dispersed Richmond households (each household received four separate mailers regarding the survey). City staff publicized the survey via neighborhood council meetings and newsletters, the City Manager’s weekly report, local newspapers, the City’s internet site and KCRT. A total of 500 residents completed the survey for a 17% response rate with a +/- 4% margin of error (compared to a 21% response rate in 2007 and a 20% response rate in 2009).

The 2011 survey results are contained in four separate reports:

1) A comprehensive report of local results that includes the survey background, methods, and analysis of local responses presented in tables and graphs (Attachment 1);
2) A report analyzing responses based on demographic questions relating to number of years living in Richmond, ethnicity, race and age (Attachment 2);
3) A report analyzing survey responses based on geographic areas (Attachment 3); and 4) A comparison report of local results to other jurisdictions with median annual household
incomes from $20,000 to $44,000, as well as to all jurisdictions in the database (Attachment 4).

The 2011 survey results are broken out into 8 focus areas, many of which align with the City’s General Plan elements and 5-year Strategic Business Plan areas.

• Community Quality
• Community Design
• Public Safety
• Environmental Sustainability
• Recreation and Wellness
• Community Inclusiveness
• Civic Engagement
• Public Trust

Regarding community characteristics, residents’ opinions concerning a variety of services showed a marked improvement. Although the city still ranks low in comparison to other jurisdictions with similar annual incomes, trends in resident opinions increased when comparing results from 2007 and 2009 to 2011.