Politics & Government

Survey: Clayton Residents Generally Satisfied With City Services

The speed of retail development, safety in public parks and water drainage also received attention from survey respondents.

Clayton residents sampled in a recent satisfaction survey indicated they're generally pleased with the city's services and quality of life.

The survey, now in its third year, has yielded consistently high marks. ETC Institute, the Olathe, KS-based company that conducted the survey, released the results this month.

The company started the survey program in 1999 "to help community leaders in Kansas and Missouri use statistically valid community survey data as a tool for making better decisions," the study states.

Among the findings, as detailed in a news release from the city:

  • 96 percent who had an opinion said city's quality of life is good or excellent
  • 94 percent who had an opinion said they are satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of public safety services
  • 92 percent who had an opinion are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of the city's services

A total of 1,800 randomly selected households received the survey, 412 of which completed it. The results have a 95 percent level of confidence and precision of at least plus or minus 4.7 percent, the study states.

Clayton residents sampled generally responded more positively than residents of other communities in the region and nation, the release states. For example, 91 percent of those sampled in Clayton said they feel safe in their neighborhoods, compared to 75 percent of those in other regional cities and 68 percent nationwide.

The data saw few significant changes between 2011 and 2010, the study states.

"The city plans to conduct citizen surveys annually to maintain the mutual recognition between city staff and the community it serves," the release states.

Water and drainage
Ninety percent of those who expressed an opinion said they were satisfied with the clarity and taste of their residential tap water, and 86 percent were pleased with their water pressure. The water issue of most concern to residents: Drainage of rain water from neighboring properties. Just 59 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with that water issue.

Communication between city and residents
In the area of communication, 75 percent of people who expressed an opinion said they were satisfied with Clayton's efforts to keep residents informed, and 82 percent were satisfied with information available about the city's programs and services. They were least satisfied (41 percent) with the quality of the city's cable TV channel.

Transportation
In the area of transportation, 84 percent of residents expressed satisfaction with the ease of travel between home and work (84 percent) and from home to school (81 percent), while just 47 percent said they were satisfied with the availability of parking in the city's business district.

Parks priorities
Residents who gave an opinion (43 percent) said the city's parks department should focus on prioritizing "the feeling of safety in city parks," ranking it above other possible initiatives such as new bike trails (39 percent), expanding green space (27 percent) and making improvements to neighborhood parks (24 percent).

Pace of economic development
Of those who responded, 56 percent said retail development in the city is moving either much too slow or too slow. By contrast, 78 percent said single-family residential development is moving at a pace that is just right.

Balancing the budgets
The most popular recommendation for balancing the budget, out of a list of options, was increasing the city's sales tax by a 1/2 cent, with 48 percent saying they would be very supportive or supportive of such an idea. A slightly lower percentage, 45 percent, said they would support increasing the property tax by 12 cents, followed by 33 percent who said they would be very supportive or supportive of paying a $15 trash bill each month. Only 22 percent supported the idea of a reduction in service levels.

Living in Clayton
More than 60 percent of the respondents said they have lived in Clayton for at least 11 years. About a fifth of respondents had lived in the city for fewer than five years.


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