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Longmont staff overhauls resident survey, aims for June launch and broader representation
Summary
City staff say the biennial satisfaction survey will move to a digital‑first approach this summer with clearer plain‑language questions, targeted sampling and mid‑survey checks to boost representation of younger and underserved residents.
City staff told the Longmont council at its retreat that the biennial community satisfaction survey, run in‑house in 2024, will be updated and relaunched this summer with a sharper focus on participation and data quality.
"We're planning to launch this summer, so early June," Linari, the city’s manager of data and analytics, said when describing the timetable for the survey. Staff said the 2024 in‑house effort showed the city could replicate consultant results while gaining better control of data; the 2025 iteration will emphasize a digital‑first strategy, clearer questions for trend comparability and targeted outreach to under‑represented groups.
Anna, who led the content review, told the council the team is trimming the instrument to keep it a sentiment analysis rather than a long transactional questionnaire and is applying a plain‑language and equity lens (including early translation) to avoid misleading items. Council members pressed staff to build mid‑survey checks so the outreach team can adjust tactics (for example, taking iPads to community events or shortening the instrument at public tables) if early responses skew too old or unrepresentative.
Staff also described sampling work that compares respondent demographics to Census benchmarks and plans for purposive outreach to groups that historically under‑respond — renters, younger adults and multilingual households — to improve representativeness.
Next steps: staff will return with a detailed outreach and sampling plan; results are scheduled to be presented in the fall. Council members asked to be briefed mid‑field so tactics can change while the survey is running.
