8.2. SR 05-16-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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/j {Elk REQUEST FOR ACTION .~,,_. River TO ITEM NUMBER Ci Council 8.2• AGENDA SECTION MEETING DATE PREPARED BY Worksession May 16, 2011 Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager Annie Deckert, Marketing and Business Develo went Assistant ITEM DESCRIPTION REVIEWED B)/ Authorize Staff to Enter into a Contract with Chandlerthinks to Execute 2011 Scientific Survey as Described REVIEWED BY ACTION REQUESTED Approval to coordinate with Chandlerthinks on a survey to be developed, distributed, and analyzed to better understand the needs of the residents and how they use city services, receive city information, and what they want out of city government. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Identified in the visioning process worksheet are two goals: "Innovation: Develop neu~ pyngrams and services to meet the needs of the community", and "Community Development.• Enhance and expand community involvement and public participation" as well as a number of tasks (A1, A6, B2, B3, B5, B7 directly) that rely on a better understanding of City residents, and how they use, receive, and want city information and services. Completing a scientific survey is necessary to allow staff to obtain an accurate representation of the voice of the community and gain a better understanding of the needs of our residents in several key areas related to the provision of services. This information will ultimately be used to form and communicate recommendations for the Council's use. For example, there are currently several methods the city communicates with the public, including newsletters, social media (Facebook, Twitter), press releases, and direct email (Constant Contact). A scientifically composed and completed survey will_illustrate how residents receive information and how they would like to receive information. Results may suggest the elimination of an existing communication method (i.e., newsletter mailing) or the allocation of resources toward one specific method. In this example, if a survey found that most residents dispose of a newsletter without reading, the newsletter resources could be used in more effective methods. Staff has discussed completing this survey in house. A survey includes unbiased questions, a sample of sufficient size to gain statistically significant results, and analysis of the data to infer meaning. Staff's biggest challenge is the creation of the questions and the analysis. Staff has spoken to branding consultant Chandlerthinks to solicit feedback regarding the timing and successful execution of this survey considering the branding process which is currently underway. Chandlerthinks has suggested a survey, electronically distributed, could provide meaningful insight for $4,000, in addition to assisting and strengthening the brand. As a comparison, the cities of Shoreview and Roseview complete a survey every 3 years, with a cost around $24,000. N:\Public Bodies\Ciry Council\Coundl RCA\Agenda Packet\05-16-2011\Request for Action Council survey 5-16-11.docx