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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - July 31, 2007 SSCITY OF LODI INFORMAL INFORMATIONAL MEETING "SHIRTSLEEVE" SESSION CARNEGIE FORUM, 305 WEST PINE STREET TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007 An Informal Informational Meeting ("Shirtsleeve" Session) of the Lodi City Council was held Tuesday, July 31, 2007, commencing at 7:00 a.m. A. ROLL CALL Present: Council Members — Hansen, Hitchcock, Katzakian, Mounce, and Mayor Johnson Absent: Council Members — None Also Present: City Manager King, City Attorney Schwabauer, and City Clerk Johl B. TOPIC(S) B-1 "Presentation of the Results of the 2007 Lodi Citizen Survey" City Manager King briefly introduced the subject matter of the citizen survey. Thomas Miller of the National Research Center provided a PowerPoint presentation. Specific topics of discussion included, but were not limited to, survey background, primary purpose of survey, use of survey results, study methods, characteristics of residents, quality of life, community characteristics, mobility, access, safety from various problems and areas, potential problems, City services, public trust, importance of government projects, support of sales tax, support of greenbelt, conclusions, and possible next steps. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. Miller stated the median income numbers, which are less than other cities' arerages, could be reflective of the aging population because it is income that is measured, not wealth. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the 2000 numbers were used because that was the last comparable data available from the Census. He stated the 2005 numbers may be a bit higher. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the percentages in community characteristics are below the norm. In response to Council Member Hitchcock, City Manager King reviewed the various documentation and survey reports that were provided to the City Council in analyzing the survey results. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the average rate of 77 for safety in the parks during the day was below the norm, which was 80 cr above. Mr. King stated the numbers could be lower in percentile but could be a part of the norm in overall statistics based on rank ordering. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. Miller stated the survey results report and the normative report are not solely norm based and the outlined challenges were under the 22%. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the money question was not asked in relation to the greenbelt issue because policy questions rarely include the dollar aspect. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated focus groups would be identified groups brought together at a neutral location to discuss topics of concerns. He provided an example of environmental justice focus groups brought together in Sacramento. Continued July 31, 2007 In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the identified challenges are based both on norm comparisons and absolute numbers. Council Member Hansen stated, while he would like to work on all the challenges, he believes the employee responsiveness and courtesy piece can be worked on soon under City Manager direction. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated most communities rate similarly with respect to street and sidewalk conditions. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated the identified challenges are specific to the City of Lodi. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated there are approximately 180 participants in this survey. He stated the comparative database includes both this survey and other surveys. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated this survey was a sample survey and not sent to all residents. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated jurisdiction size does not necessarily determine how many surveys go out. He stated the 1,200 number is used for all jurisdictions. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Miller stated the 1,200 residents are picked anonymously utilizing data from the U.S. Postal Service and the only information obtained regarding the residents is that which they supply. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Miller stated data from the California cities is separated. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated a 30% response falls within the typical response category of 25% to 40%. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Miller stated the total general employees service question does not separate departments and includes any and all residents who have had any interaction with the City. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Miller stated he is not sure why more cities are not conducting citizen satisfaction surveys. City Manager King stated it is important to note that the quality of service provided by the City ranked 11% higher than the State and 14% higher than the federal government. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. Miller stated the theory underlying the sampling survey technique is that we will obtain the same results even if everyone was surveyed. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. King stated that, although they can review the data, it is very difficult to compare the current survey results to the previously conducted survey because the questions were untested and not standardized. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. King stated he will be working with Council Member Hitchcock and Lodi Budget/Finance Committee Member Johnson on interpreting and incorporating the survey results. W Continued July 31, 2007 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 00 In response to Rick Gerlack, Mr. Miller stated the employee responsiveness question was broadly asked and could have to do with everything from how long it took to respond to a request to how long the phone rang. He stated the responses are not specific as each department may vary in responsiveness. C. COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC ON NON -AGENDA ITEMS None. D. ADJOURNMENT No action was taken by the City Council. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 a.m. ATTEST: Randi Johl City Clerk bel CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION TM AGENDA TITLE: Presentation of the Results of the 2007 Lodi Citizen Survey MEETING DATE: July 31, 2007 PREPARED BY: City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive presentation regarding the results of the 2007 Lodi Citizen Survey. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Dr. Thomas Miller, President of the National Research Center, will present the results of the 2007 Lodi Citizen Survey. The City conducted the citizen survey as an affordable way to measure citizen satisfaction with the City's performance. The survey covered the public's attitude regarding many of the City's services and its perception of Lodi. In addition, the survey included policy questions customized to Lodi. Mr. Miller's presentation will provide the results of the survey, provide context for the survey, and explain the demographic cross tabulation and comparisons to other cities. The City Council is scheduled to formally accept the survey results at the August 15, 2007 City Council meeting. FISCAL IMPACT: Not applicable. Blair King, City KERAger APPROVED: ing, City Manager