Jackson sending out surveys about city services

Some Jackson residents soon will receive a community survey designed to measure satisfaction with city services and areas that could use improvement.

The survey should begin appearing in mailboxes soon, according to a news release from public-works director Rodney Bollinger.

Administered by mail, internet and phone to a random sample of Jackson's population, the survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Survey participants can fill out the paper survey and return it or fill out the online form.

Responses will remain anonymous. The identity of participants will not be attached to survey responses, according to the release.

"Data from the survey will provide the board of aldermen and city staff with vital information on citizen satisfaction in a variety of service areas," Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs said. "The results will provide information that can be used in daily management decisions, in prioritizing future budget allocations and in developing future long-range strategic plans."

ETC Institute of Olathe, Kansas, is administering the survey. ETC specializes in surveys for local governmental organizations across the United States.

Survey questions will ask residents about their needs for community services, including police, fire, community development, parks and recreation, transportation and public works, according to the release.

ETC will compile survey results and present a report to the city in June. The information will be shared with residents, aldermen and city staff at public meetings, on social media and on the city's website.

In a Jan. 30 letter to Hahs, ETC senior project manager Jason Morado gave three tasks for the survey project.

The first task -- designing the survey and preparing the sampling plan -- has been completed. City officials received the survey's final draft during a study session April 3.

The second task is administering the survey. ETC will send surveys -- one per household -- to randomly selected households in Jackson and the surrounding area.

Seven days after the surveys are mailed, ETC will follow up with recipients by phone or email, according to the letter.

The sample should be representative of Jackson's demographics, the letter said.

The third task is analysis and a final report, with charts and graphs showing results, analysis comparing results to other communities of Jackson's general profile, tabular data and importance-satisfaction analysis identifying areas of greatest opportunity for enhancement.

In addition, raw data will be provided to the city in an Excel spreadsheet, the letter states.

At the March 6 meeting, the board of aldermen accepted ETC's proposal and approved $15,770 to pay ETC for the survey.

Bollinger said the city decided to conduct a survey for several reasons.

"The city of Jackson has not conducted a random survey of its citizens in the past, but it has previously done various surveys on a volunteer basis and through monthly utility bills," Bollinger said in an email Tuesday. "This year, we have contracted with ETC Institute to conduct a survey after checking their references based on conducting surveys in over 800 cities across the United States.

"One key reference was their relationship with Perryville and the two surveys conducted for them in 2010 and 2015," Bollinger added.

Bollinger echoed Hahs' statement about the survey's intent, adding, "Further, it will assist elected and appointed officials in determining effective strategies for providing the best services possible and establishing priorities."

Those priorities include a new police station, expansion of retail sales, traffic-flow improvements, a new pool or aquatic center, curbside recycling, historic building preservation, passing a use tax and improvements to water, sewer and electric utilities.

The survey asks participants to rank these priorities and suggest how to pay for them, Bollinger said.

"It also includes a retail section," Bollinger said in the email. "Direct responses from future customers can be a strong selling tool to interest businesses in coming to Jackson."

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address: 101 Court St., Jackson, Mo.