CCP 03-10-1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I Decision Resources, LId. f' February, /997 I percent reported contacting City Administration/City CounciL Exceptionally strong ninety-one percent positive ratings characterized "waiting time for the Information Desk to respond" and "courtesy of the Information Desk operator." Eighty-seven percent felt similarly about the I "courtesy of the Department staff' and seventy-nine percent highly rated the "efficiency of the Department staff." I The only service area which posted a significant negative rating, at seventeen percent, was the "ease of reaching a Department staff member who could help." In reviewing marginal comments, residents expressed more concern about actually reaching a staff member, rather than I being connected with an inappropriate or incorrect staff member. While the City of Arden Hills may wish to consider ways to streamline the efficiency of telephone call transfer process from the Information Desk to the relevant Department, the key problem appeared to be inherent in any I organization with a small-sized staff. I City Tax Climate: Ie Arden Hills residents were "fiscal moderates" with respect to local government. By a forty-eight percent to thirty-eight percent split, they supported a property tax increase to maintain city services at their current level; opposition had dropped six percent since the 1990 study. Thirty- I one percent reported their current property taxes as either "relatively high" or "excessively high," an eleven percent decrease since the benchmark survey; sixty-seven percent viewed them as "about average" or "comparatively low." Even though the City's tax rate has remained relatively I stable during the past few years, thirty-seven percent felt it had increased and thirteen percent were unsure. The median estimate of the City's share of the property tax was sixteen percent, three percent higher than the current rate. Residents, then, continued to be in an "cautious" mood I with respect to their taxes, and would require proponents to justify any proposals to raise them. I City Services: City services were, however, viewed by eighty-three percent as "excellent" or "good" values for I the property taxes paid; this level represented a nine percent increase since the 1990 study. In fact, city services evaluations were moderately positive, with a few notable exceptions. Police protection, fire protection, sanitary sewer, storm water management and water quality, snow I plowing, and summer park maintenance scored approval ratings of eighty percent or higher. Animal control and street sweeping topped seventy percent approval marks. City street repair I and maintenance, winter park maintenance, and enforcement of selected city codes received approval ratings of over sixty percent. Planning and zoning regulations were viewed favorably by fifty-six percent. On average, city service approval ratings were seven percent lower than the f' Page 4 I