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Survey progress: 239 started, 234 completed; staff weighs mail vs. digital outreach
Summary
City staff reported 239 respondents started the community satisfaction survey and 234 completed it; two rounds of postcards cost about $1,200 and staff said cost per returned survey is roughly $5.02 this year.
City staff reported progress and costs for the city’s annual community satisfaction survey during the commission’s March 19 meeting.
David said 239 people had entered at least one answer and 234 had completed the survey as of the meeting. He told commissioners the online mailing approach this year used two rounds of postcards to groups of about 1,500 each and that those mailings cost about $1,200. David reported a planned online wrap-up date of Monday, March 31 and said he expects a survey report drafted by Mark McAvoy for presentation to city council in April.
David summarized how this year’s outreach compared with the previous year: last year the city sent an initial stamped mailing to about 660 people with follow-up stamped envelopes and a postcard, at a total mailing cost of about $3,500. This year’s approach expanded the sample by mailing two rounds of postcards to roughly 1,500 people each. David said, “$5.02 is what I said. That is $5.02 per return survey this year,” and he reported the per-return cost is lower than the prior year’s approach.
Commissioners discussed options to raise response rates, including offering a physical paper option at City Hall or the library and targeted outreach to demographics that might not respond electronically. Staff said one possible next step is to examine response demographics when final results are available and consider a targeted third mailing only if it would change the results materially.
No policy or budget changes were made at the meeting; commissioners asked that final results be shared if calendar timing allows.
