Santa Monica Publishes Resident Satisfaction Survey Results
November 15, 2018 12:00 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – 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 the city with input from residents on how well the City is delivering services and helps to identify priority focus areas for residents.
“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, libraries are heartening. We also take note of the rising concerns about crime and homelessness and are focused on tackling .”
This summer, through a methodology known as Sampling (ABS), 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 and 78% responded that they are satisfied with City services overall. Trash and recycling (86%), Library Services (82%), and Water Services (82%) all scored high as specific services.
The survey also confirmed that Santa Monica is an active and vibrant community. 62% of respondents noted that 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 dealing with the regional homelessness crisis (21%), traffic services (41%), and providing homeless services (27%).
In June of 2018, the City Council approved the Framework for a Sustainable City of Wellbeing, a strategic vision for the City which organizes work around seven key outcomes: Connected and Engaged Community; Lifelong Opportunities for Personal Growth; Resilient Built and Natural Environment; A Safe Place for All; Inclusive, Affordable, and Diverse Local Economy; Physical, Mental and Environmental Health; and Reliable, Effective, and Efficient Government.
Each outcome includes metrics, which provides the structure for the City to know how well we are doing in achieving each of the outcome areas. In the spring of 2019, the City will publish a Citywide Dashboard on its website, which will include performance data.
“The Resident Satisfaction Survey gives the City a pulse on whether our service delivery is meeting expectations as well as 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 towards our sustainable city of wellbeing.”
For more information about the Resident Satisfaction Survey or to download a copy of the Executive Summary, visit www.santamonica.gov.
2018 Santa Monica Resident Satisfaction Survey
Media Contact
Miranda Iglesias
Public Information Coordinator
Miranda.Iglesias@SMGOV.NET