The Resident Survey Results Are In

February 11, 2019 3:08 PM
by Tim Dodd

This article originally appeared in the February edition of Seascape. 

The City of Santa Monica recently published the results of its Resident Satisfaction Survey. This survey, conducted biennially since 1998 (the last survey was conducted in 2015), provides input from residents on how well the City is delivering services, and helps identify priority focus areas.

“Santa Monica’s unique quality of life is supported by consistently delivering excellent services to our residents,” said City Manager Rick Cole. “The excellent satisfaction ratings for our vital services such as fire response, water supply, trash collection, and libraries are heartening. We also take note of the rising concerns about crime and homelessness and are focused on tackling those head-on.”

This past summer, a random sample of residents received a letter inviting them to participate in the survey. Residents who received a letter then answered survey questions electronically or over the phone.

87% of residents who responded rated Santa Monica as a “pretty good” or “excellent” place to live, and 78% responded they are satisfied with City services overall. As far as specific services, Trash and Recycling (86%), Library Services (82%), and Water Services (82%) all scored high.

The survey also confirmed that Santa Monica is an active and vibrant community. 62% of respondents noted they volunteer for a community/charitable organization at least once per month. Attendance at City-sponsored events is also high, with 61% of respondents participating in events at the Pier (including the Twilight Concert Series), and 15% participating in the COAST Open Streets Festival.

Residents, through the survey, also identified areas of improvement, all of which the City is currently working to improve. These include addressing the traffic services (41%), providing homeless services (27%), and regional homelessness crisis (21%).

The Resident Satisfaction Survey gives the City a pulse on whether our service delivery is meeting expectations, as well as providing vital information on areas that require adjustment,” said Tim Dodd, Santa Monica’s Chief Performance Officer. “This important data informs our performance management program, which is designed to help us focus resources on programs and services that contribute toward our sustainable City of wellbeing.”

For more information about the Resident Satisfaction Survey or to download a copy of the Executive Summary, visit santamonica.gov.

Authored By

Tim Dodd
Chief Performance Officer