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CITY OF WOODBURY, MINNESOTA

Office of City Administrator

Council Workshop Letter No. 13-21

January 16, 2013

TO:	The Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM:	Clinton P. Gridley, City Administrator
SUBJECT:	2013 Community Survey

SUMMARY

The City of Woodbury has been conducting a community survey on a biennial basis since 1999. The community survey is used as a tool to measure resident opinion on the quality of city services and to receive input on relevant issues. The results of the survey are also used as a performance measurement tool and provide an instrument for helping the city determine future courses of action. 

The statistically valid survey will consist of telephone interviews of 400 randomly selected Woodbury residents.  In general, random samples such as this yield results that are accurate within +/- five percent in 95 out of 100 cases. Decision Resources will present their findings to the City Council at the April 3, 2013 workshop meeting. Decision Resources will begin contacting residents for the survey in February and it is expected that the process will take approximately three weeks to complete.

RECOMMENDATION

City staff is recommending that the City Council review the draft 2013 community survey and make suggestions for the final product. Since the survey will need further refinements after the Council Workshop, it is requested that Council authorize staff to complete the revision process and proceed with the survey.

BUDGET IMPACT

The final cost of the 2013 community survey will depend on the final number of questions that Council desires to include in the survey. The total cost for the 2011 community was $23,000 for 153 questions. The city currently has a total of $24,500 budgeted to cover the costs of the 2013 survey ($12,250 in the 2012 and $12,250 in the 2013 budgets).

PUBLIC PROCESS

January 16, 2013         City Council consideration of survey questions

April 3, 2013               Results of survey will be presented at Council Workshop

BACKGROUND

Decision Resources has been used to conduct all of Woodbury’s community surveys in the past. Using Decision Resources for each survey provides for consistency and allows us to compare our historical data. 

Written By:	Mary Van Milligen, Assistant to the City Administrator
Approved Through:	Clint Gridley, City Administrator
Attachments:	2013 Draft Community Survey with red line changes 2013 Draft Community Survey without red lined changes