CCP 03-10-1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Decision Resources, Lid February, 1997 - current suburban norm. Fairly high disapproval levels were also encountered: city street repair and maintenance, planning and zoning regulations, and enforcement of selected city codes eamed negative ratings in excess of twenty percent. The generally lower ratings of city services may be the cause of concerns expressed in other parts of the survey; but, in any case, the City may wish to re-examine the latter three services for effectiveness and responsiveness. When asked for the reason for low city service ratings, slow response was a key negative for snow plowing. Lack of code enforcement was also a substantial complaint, while the need for increased police patrolling troubled a moderate number of residents. ~ - In reviewing a list of possible service expansions, three received majority support: snow plowing of city trails, construction of additional city trails, and park redevelopment. Increased lighting, I landscaping, and trails along Highway 96 was more polarizing: forty-eight percent support it, while thirty-six percent opposed it. When service expansion supporters were reminding that additional dollars for funding these service expansion would be required, support become I somewhat more tepid: sixty percent remained unchanged in their opinions, but seventeen percent became opponents and twenty-one percent wanted to know about costs before renewing their earlier commitments. Ie Only twenty-three percent were aware the City of Arden Hills offered senior citizens discounts I on sewer and water bills, However, seventy-one percent favored the continuation of this discount program. I Fifty percent reported observing or participating in a situation where a member of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department was present in an official capacity. Eighty-eight percent of these participant-observers thought the police handled the situation in a "good" or "excellent" manner. I But only seventy-four percent also felt the police responded promptly to the calL Changing emphasis somewhat, sixty-nine percent of the residents felt the amount of police patrolling in their neighborhood was "about right;" twenty-one percent -- well below the current suburban I norm __ labeled it "not enough." Overall, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department obtains solid evaluations from Arden Hills citizens. But, part of the satisfaction may have resulted from the lack of concern about crime in the community: only sixteen percent felt it was "very serious" or I "somewhat serious." Only thirteen percent of the sample reported being involved in or observing a situation where the I Lake Johanna Volunteer Fire Department was present in an official capacity. Virtually all of them rated the handling of the situation by the fire fighters as either "excellent" or "good," and I ninety-eight percent felt they responded promptly. In general, like the Sheriff's Department, the Lake Johanna Volunteer Fire Department continued to possess the overwhelming endorsement of the citizenry. t' Page 5 I