AMENDED AGENDA
LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL
NOTICE: Pursuant to Lake Forest Municipal Code Section 2.04.010, Regular Meetings of the City Council are held the First and Third Tuesday of each month at the hour of 5:30 p.m. for Closed Session matters, if required. The Public Session of the meeting shall commence at 6:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible. Special Meetings are held on date and time specified on the Agenda and must be posted at least 24-hours in advance.
AGENDA ON THE INTERNET: The Agenda is available through the Internet at www.lakeforestca.gov.
AGENDA DOCUMENT REVIEW: The full packet Agenda including all back up information is available at the City Clerk's Office, 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California.
AGENDA DESCRIPTION: The Agenda descriptions are intended to give notice to members of the public of a general summary of items of business to be transacted or discussed. The listed Recommended Action represents staff’s recommendation. The City Council may take any action which it deems to be appropriate on the agenda item and is not limited in any way by the recommended action.
AGENDA ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
This meeting will be streamed through Facebook Live. Comments submitted via Facebook Live must be submitted according to the directions located on the site. The City provides the Facebook Live stream as an additional service to the public. However, the City cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted. The City is not responsible for any interrupted service. To ensure that the City Council receives your comments, you may attend the meeting in-person or submit written comments to the City Clerk prior to the meeting.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: In addition to attending in person, members of the public may access the meeting live on our website at https://www.lakeforestca.gov/en/government/meeting-agendas-and-minutes/meeting-agendas.
PUBLIC COMMENT PRIOR TO THE MEETING: Members of the public may submit email comments to [email protected]. Email comments will be uploaded to the agenda packet and made part of the official public record of the meeting and will not be read at the meeting. To ensure staff reviews all comments prior to the City Council meeting, please submit email comments no later than 5:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Members of the public may provide comments in-person at the meeting. Public comments will no longer be accepted remotely. Those wishing to provide comments in-person at the meeting will be asked to submit a request to speak to the City Clerk.
March 28, 2023 CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Strategic Planning Workshop of the City Council
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
5:30 PM
Community Center Multi-Purpose Room, 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California
Teleconference Location:
Council Member Yu will be teleconferencing from the following location:
Lobby of Hyatt Place Washington DC/National Mall, 400 E. Street SW Washington, D.C. 20024
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953(b)(3), any member of the public wishing to address the City Council directly pursuant to California Government Code Section 54954.3 may do so at each teleconference location, as listed above, at the time the item is considered.
ATTENDANCE: Robert Pequeño
Scott Voigts
Benjamin Yu
Mark Tettemer
Doug Cirbo
Debra Rose
Council Members:
Mayor Pro Tem:
Mayor:
City Manager:
City Attorney:
City Clerk:
Matthew E. Richardson
Lisa Berglund
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of our Country will be led by Mayor Cirbo.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Only for matters listed on the agenda
At this time, members of the public may address the body on matters listed on the agenda.
Comments shall be limited to three minutes per person and an overall time limit of thirty minutes for the Public Comments portion of the agenda. Speakers are requested to complete a "Request to Speak" form. The completed form is to be submitted to the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.
WORKSHOP ITEMS:
1. 2023 Lake Forest Community Satisfaction Survey
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive presentation on the results of 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey from Dr. Timothy McLarney of True North Research
2. STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE WORKSHOP
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive reports and advise staff on the Strategic Plan update.
March 28, 2023 CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
CALL TO ORDER: 5:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT:
In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, you should contact the Office of the City Clerk at (949) 461-3400.
Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and agenda back-up materials can be obtained from the Office of the City Clerk on the Friday prior to the City Council meeting. Copies of all Agendas, Staff Reports and Supporting Materials can also be found on the City’s website – https://www.lakeforestca.gov/129/Agendas.
Agenda and agenda packets, if requested, will be made available in an appropriate alternative format to persons with a disability as required by the Americans With Disabilities Act. Copies of the agenda are provided at no cost and agenda back-up materials are available at the per page copy cost.
The City of Lake Forest mailing address is Community Center Multi-Purpose Room, 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California.
Phone: (949) 461-3400. FAX (949) 461-3511
CERTIFICATION: I, Lisa Berglund, City Clerk of the City of Lake Forest, California, hereby certify that the foregoing agenda was posted for public review at City Hall on March 27, 2023.
Lisa Berglund
City Clerk
March 28, 2023 CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 3/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: Management Services
SUBJECT:
2023 Lake Forest Community Satisfaction Survey
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Receive presentation on the results of 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey from Dr. Timothy McLarney of True North Research
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Community Satisfaction Survey has been conducted on behalf of the City every two years since 1998. The City has used the services of an independent research firm to conduct this statistically significant survey which includes residents and businesses. The survey results are used as a foundation for the City’s Strategic Business Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and two-year budget.
The surveys provide a counterbalance to the City’s informal feedback tools, such as “Ask Lake Forest” and social media, by providing a more statistically reliable understanding of the community’s satisfaction, priorities, and concerns.
Moreover, each survey compares the City's performance to previous years, giving the City detailed insights into how the needs and concerns of the residents and businesses have evolved over time. Between January 3 and January 12, 2023, a total of 885 randomly selected residents who are registered to vote were surveyed by True North. Additionally, 202 businesses were surveyed.
Prospective participants were reached via phone call, email, and SMS (text messaging), and surveys were collected via telephone and online. In the Resident Survey, 88 percent of respondents said the overall quality of life in Lake Forest was “excellent” or “good,” and 82 percent said the same about the City’s efforts to provide municipal services. In the Business Survey, 80 percent of the respondents rated the business climate in Lake Forest as “excellent” or “good,” and 91 percent indicated they are satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services. Tonight, Dr. Timothy McLarney of True North Research will present the results of the 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey and trends observed (Attachment).
FISCAL IMPACT:
4 There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommendation action.
ATTACHMENTS:
2023 Lake Forest Community Satisfaction Survey
Initiated By: Jonathan Volzke, Sr. Communications and Marketing Analyst Submitted By: Brett Channing, Deputy City Manager
Approved By: Debra Rose, City Manager
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T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv List of Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Statistical Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Overview of Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Organization of Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About True North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Just the Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 General Perceptions of City & Local Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Specific Services: Resident Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Specific Services: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Business Assistance Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Business Background Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 General Perception of City & Local Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Quality of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Question 2: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rating Lake Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Question 3: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Business Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Question 2: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Ways to Improve Lake Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Question 4: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Question 3: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Aspects of Lake Forest most Beneficial To Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Question 4: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Challenges of Doing Business in Lake Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Question 5: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Overall Performance Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Question 5: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Question 6: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Specific Services: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Police Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Question 6: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Question 7: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Development Services Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Question 8: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Question 9: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Question 10: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Public Works Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Question 11: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Question 12: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Community Services Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Question 13: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Question 14: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Question 15: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 9 Table of Contents
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Question 16: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Differentiators of Opinion: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Specific Services: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Question 7: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Question 8: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Question 9: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Question 10: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Performance Needs & Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Neighborhood Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Question 17: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Organics Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 9 Question 18: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Question 19: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Question 20: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Question 21: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Bulky Item Pickup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Question 22: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Business Assistance Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Satisfaction with Communication Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Question 23: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Question 13: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Question 14: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Information Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Question 24: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Question 15: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Effectiveness of Business Communication Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Question 16: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 City Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Question 25: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Website Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Question 26: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Question 27: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Economic Development Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Question 17: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Incentives to Shop Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Question 18: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Business Background Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Reasons for Locating in Lake Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Question D3: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Growth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Question D4: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Question D5: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Relocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Question D6: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Question D7: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Background & Demographic Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Questionnaire Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Programming & Pre-Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Sample. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Recruiting and Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Margin of Error. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 10 Table of Contents
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Data Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Questionnaires & Toplines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 11 List of Tables
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L IST OF T ABLES
Table 1 Rating Lake Forest: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Table 2 Rating Lake Forest: Resident Survey by Years in Lake Forest Area & Age (Showing % Excellent or Good) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Table 3 Rating Lake Forest: Resident Survey by Overall Satisfaction & Household Income (Showing % Excellent or Good) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Table 4 Rating Lake Forest: Resident Survey by Ethnicity (Showing % Excellent or Good) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Table 5 Changes to Improve City: Resident Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Table 6 Changes to Improve Business Climate: Business Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . 21 Table 7 Importance of Police Services : Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Table 8 Satisfaction With Police Se rvices: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Table 9 Importance of Development Services: Resi dent Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . 29 Table 10 Satisfaction With Development Services: Re sident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . 30 Table 11 Satisfaction With Development Serv ices: Resident Survey by Interacted With Development Services Department in Past Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Table 12 Importance of Public Woks Services: Residen t Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Table 13 Satisfaction With Public Works Services: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . 33 Table 14 Importance of Community Services: Resident Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Table 15 Satisfaction With Community Services: Resi dent Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . 35 Table 16 Satisfaction With Services by Overall Satisfaction With City: Resident Survey . . . . . 39 Table 17 Importance of Select Services I: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Table 18 Satisfaction With Select Services I: Busine ss Services by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Table 19 Importance of Select Services II: Business Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Table 20 Satisfaction With Select Services II: Busine ss Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Table 21 Needs & Priority Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Table 22 Rating Neighborhood Issues by Study Year (Showing % Big or Moderate Problem): Resident Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Table 23 Effectiveness of Business Comm unication Methods: Business Survey by Home-Based Business, Satisfaction With Communication & Business Size in Next 12 Months (Showing % Very Effective) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Table 24 Sample Demographics: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Table 25 Sample Demographics: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 12 List of Figures
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L IST OF F IGURES
Figure 1 Map of Lake Forest Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Figure 2 Overall Quality of Life: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Figure 3 Overall Quality of Life: Resident Su rvey by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 4 Overall Quality of Life: Resident Survey by Age & Area of City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 5 Overall Quality of Life: Resident Survey by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home & Home Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 6 Rating Lake Forest: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Figure 7 Quality of Business Climate by Study Year: Bu siness Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 8 Quality of Business Climate: Busine ss Survey by Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest, Business Size in Next 12 Months & Lake Forest Resident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Figure 9 Quality of Business Climate: Busi ness Survey by Number of Employees, Employees Who Live Outside Lake Forest & Home-Based Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Figure 10 Changes to Improve City: Resident Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Figure 11 Changes to Improve Business Climate: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 12 Aspects of City Most Beneficial to Busine ss: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 13 Challenges With Doing Business in Lake Fo rest: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Figure 14 Overall Satisfaction: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Figure 15 Overall Satisfaction : Resident Survey by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Figure 16 Overall Satisfaction: Resident Survey by Age & Area of City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure 17 Overall Satisfaction: Resident Survey by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home & Home Owner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure 18 Overall Satisfaction: Business Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure 19 Overall Satisfaction: Business Survey by Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest, Business Size in the Next 12 Months & Lake Forest Resident. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Figure 20 Overall Satisfaction: Business Survey by Number of Employees, Employees Who Live Outside Lake Forest & Home-Based Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Figure 21 Importance of Police Services : Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Figure 22 Satisfaction With Police Serv ices: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Figure 23 Importance of Development Services: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Figure 24 Satisfaction With Development Services: Resi dent Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Figure 25 Interacted With Development Servic es Department in Past Year: Resident Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Figure 26 Interacted With Development Services in Past Year: Resident Survey by Age, Area of City & Home Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Figure 27 Importance of Public Work s Services: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Figure 28 Satisfaction With Public Works Services: Re sident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Figure 29 Importance of Community Services: Resident Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Figure 30 Satisfaction With Community Services: Reside nt Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Figure 31 Desire Park, Amenity, Rec Facility Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Figure 32 Desire Park, Amenity, Rec Facility Improvements by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Figure 33 Desire Park, Amenity, Rec Facility Improvements by Age & Area of City. . . . . . . . . 37 Figure 34 Desire Park, Amenity, Rec Facility Improvements by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home & Home Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Figure 35 Park, Amenity or Rec Facility Improvements Desired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Figure 36 Importance of Select Service s I: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Figure 37 Satisfaction With Select Se rvices I: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Figure 38 Importance of Select Services II: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Figure 39 Satisfaction With Select Se rvices II: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Figure 40 Service Needs: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 13 List of Figures
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Figure 41 Service Needs: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Figure 42 Rating Neighborhood Issues: Resident Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Figure 43 Rating Neighborhood issues: Resident Survey by Area of City (Showing % Big Problem). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Figure 44 Aware of Requirements to Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin . . . . . . . . . 50 Figure 45 Aware of Requirements to Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Figure 46 Aware of Requirements to Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin by Age & Area of City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Figure 47 Aware of Requirements to Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home & Live in HOA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Figure 48 Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Placed in Organic Recycling Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Figure 49 Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Pl aced in Organic Recycling Bin by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Figure 50 Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Pl aced in Organic Recycling Bin by Age & Area of City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Figure 51 Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Pl aced in Organic Recycling Bin by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home, Home Owner & Live in HOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Figure 52 Barrier or Challenge to Recycling Food Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Figure 53 Likely to Recycle Food Waste in Air-Tight Wast e Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Figure 54 Likely to Recycle Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin by Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Placed in Organic Recycling Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Figure 55 Likely to Recycle Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Figure 56 Likely to Recycle Food Waste in Air-Tigh t Waste Bin by Age & Area of City. . . . . . . 56 Figure 57 Likely to Recycle Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home, Home Owner & Live in HOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Figure 58 Awareness of Bulky Item Pickup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Figure 59 Awareness of Bulky Item Pickup Pr ogram by Years in Lake Forest Area & Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Figure 60 Awareness of Bulky Item Pickup Program by Age & Area of City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Figure 61 Awareness of Bulky Item Pickup Program by Ethnicity, Gender, Child in Home, Home Owner & Live in HOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Figure 62 Agreement With Statements: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Figure 63 Ways to Help Businesses: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Figure 64 Satisfaction With Communication: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Figure 65 Satisfaction With Communication: Resident Survey by Years in Lake Forest Area, Area of City & Overall Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Figure 66 Satisfaction With Communication: Resident Survey by Gender, Home Owner, Age & Child in Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Figure 67 Satisfaction With Communication: Resident Survey by Household Income & Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Figure 68 Satisfaction With Communic ation: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Figure 69 Satisfaction With Communication: Business Survey by Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest, Business Size in Next 12 Months & Lake Forest Resident . . . . . . . . . . 64 Figure 70 Satisfaction With Communication: Business Survey by Number of Employees, Employees Who Live Outside Lake Forest & Home-Based Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Figure 71 Specific Information Sources: Resident Surve y by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Figure 72 Information Source Categories: Resident Su rvey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Figure 73 Information Source Categories: Resident Surve y by Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Figure 74 Information Source Categories: Re sident Survey by Home Owner, Child in Home & Satisfaction With Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Figure 75 Information Source Categories: Resident Surve y by Ethnicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Figure 76 Information Sources: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 14 List of Figures
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Figure 77 Information Source Categories: Business Surve y by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Figure 78 Effectiveness of Business Communication Methods: Business Survey. . . . . . . . . . . 70 Figure 79 Visited City Website in Past Year: Resident Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Figure 80 Visited City Website in Past Year : Resident Survey by Years in Lake Forest Area & Employment Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Figure 81 Visited City Website in Past Year: Residen t Survey by Age & Area of City . . . . . . . . 72 Figure 82 Visited City Website in Past Year: Re sident Survey by Ethnicity, Child in Home, Satisfaction with Communication & Overall Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Figure 83 Able to Find Information on City’s Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Figure 84 Satisfaction With City Website: Resident Su rvey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Figure 85 Visited Economic Developm ent Website: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . 74 Figure 86 Visited Economic Development Webs ite: Business Survey by Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest, Gender, Lake Forest Resident, Home-Based Business & Business Size in Next 12 Months. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Figure 87 Opinion of City’s Job Incentivizing Residents to Shop Locally: Business Survey . . . 75 Figure 88 Opinion of City’s Job Incentivizing Residents to Shop Locally: Business Survey by Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest, Business Size in Next 12 Months & Lake Forest Resident. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Figure 89 Opinion of City’s Job Incentivizing Residents to Shop Locally: Business Survey Number of Employees, Employees Who Live Outside Lake Forest, Home-Based Business & Overall Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Figure 90 Primary Reason For Locating Business in Lake Forest: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . 77 Figure 91 Business Size in Next 12 Months: Business Survey by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Figure 92 Business Size and Square Footage Requirements in Next 12 Months:
Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Figure 93 Business Relocation in Next 12 Months: Bu siness Survey by Study Year. . . . . . . . . 79 Figure 94 Business Relocation and Area in Next 12 Months: Business Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Figure 95 Maximum Margin of Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 15 Introduction
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I NTRODUCTION
Located in the heart of South Orange County and the beautiful Saddleback Valley, the City of Lake Forest has been carefully managed to make it an ideal place for businesses to prosper and for people to live, work, and play. Incorporated in 1991, the City’s team of full-time and part- time employees provides a full suite of servic es through seven departments—City Attorney, City Manager, Development Services, Finance, Mana gement Services, Police Services, and Public Works.
As part of its commitment to provide high qua lity services and responsive local governance, the City of Lake Forest engages its residents and bu sinesses on a daily basis and receives regular feedback on issue, policy, an d performance matters. Although these informal feedback mecha- nisms are valuable sources of information for the City in that they provide timely and accurate information about the opinions of specific constituents and customers, they do not necessarily provide an accurate picture of the community as a whole. Inform al feedback mechanisms typi- cally rely on the customer to initiate the feed back, which creates a self-selection bias. The City receives feedback from only those individuals motivated enough to initiate the feedback process.
Because these individuals tend to be either very pleased or very displeased regarding a particu- lar topic, their collective opinions are not necessa rily representative of the City’s resident and business populations as a whole.
PURPOSE OF STUDY The motivation for the current st udy was to design and employ a methodology that would avoid the self-selection bias noted above and thereby provide the City with a statistically reliable understanding of the community’s satisfaction, priorities, and con- cerns as they relate to services and facilities prov ided by the City of Lake Forest. Ultimately, the survey results and analyses presented in this r eport will provide Council and staff with informa- tion that can be used to make sound, strategic de cisions in a variety of areas, including service improvements and enhancements, measuring and tracking internal performance, budgeting, policy, and planning.
To assist in this effort, the City selected True North Research to design the research plan and conduct the study. Broadly defined, the study was designed to:
• Identify key issues of concer n for residents and businesses; • Measure overall satisfaction with the City ’s efforts to provide municipal services; • Measure the importance of specific services to residents and businesses, as well as their sat- isfaction with the City’s efforts to provide each service; • Determine the effectiveness of th e City’s communication efforts; • Profile opinions regarding policy-related matters; and • Collect additional background and demographic data relevant to understanding the percep- tions, needs, and interests of residents and businesses.
This study is not the first statistically reliable resident and business ‘satisfaction’ study con- ducted for the City. Similar studies have been conducted every two years since 1998. Because of the interest in tracking the City’s performance in meeting the evolving needs of its residents and 16 Introduction
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businesses, where appropriate the results of the current study ar e compared with the results of identical questions used in the prior surveys.
STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE As discussed above, many of the figures and tables in this report present the results of questions asked in 2023 alongside the results found in the prior surveys for identical questions. In such cases, True North conducted the appropriate tests of sta- tistical significance to identify changes that lik ely reflect actual changes in public opinion from the last survey (2021) to the current survey (2023 )—as opposed to being due to chance associ- ated with independently selected samples. Differences between the two studies are identified as statistically significant if we can be 95% confident that the differences reflect an actual change in public opinion between the two studies. Statistically significant differences within response cate- gories over time are denoted by the † symbol which appears in the figure next to the appropriate response value for 2023.
OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY A full description of the methodology used for this study is included later in this report (see Methodology on page 82). In brief, a total of 885 ran- domly selected Lake Forest residents who are regi stered to vote participated in the resident sur- vey between January 3 and January 12, 2023. Surv ey participants were categorized into one of four geographic areas according to the location of their residence (see Figure 1 on the next page) as well as by Council District. The resident interviews averaged 22 minutes in length. The 18-minute survey of businesses was administered to a stratified random sample of 202 local business owners and managers between Januar y 13 and February 14, 2023. Both studies employed a mixed-methodology approach that utiliz ed multiple recruiting methods (email, text, and telephone) and multiple data collection methods (telephone and online).
ORGANIZATION OF REPORT This report is designed to me et the needs of readers who prefer a summary of the findings as well as thos e interested in the details of the results. For those who seek an overview of the findings, the sections titled Just the Facts and Conclusions are for you. They provide a summary of the most important factual findings of the survey in bullet- point format and a discussion of their implications. For the interested reader, this section is fol- lowed by a more detailed question-by-question discussion of the resu lts from the surveys by topic area (see Table of Contents), as well as a description of the methodology employed for col- lecting and analyzing the data. And, for the trul y ambitious reader, the questionnaires used in the study are contained at the back of this report, and a complete set of crosstabulations for the resident and business surveys are contained in Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS True North thanks the City of Lake Forest for the opportunity to conduct the study and for contributing valuable input during the design stage of this study. The collective experience, insight, and local knowledge provided by city representatives and staff improved the overall quality of the research presented here.
DISCLAIMER The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the authors (Dr.
Timothy McLarney and Richard Sarles) at True No rth Research, Inc. and not necessarily those of the City of Lake Forest. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors. 17 Introduction
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FIGURE 1 MAP OF LAKE FOREST STUDY AREA
EL T
ORO
RD
LAKE
FORES
T DR
JERONIMO
TOLEDO WY
ROCKFIELD BLVD
ALTON
RD
POR
TO
LA
PKWY
DR
BAKE
PKWY
PKWY
PKW
Y
RANCH
GL
ENN
RD
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ROU
TE DR
DIMEN
SION
CO
MME
RCENTR
E DR
TRABUCO RD
EL TO
RO RD
LOS
ALIS
OS BL
VD
PORT
OLA
EL
TORO RD
LA
KE
F
ORE
ST DR
BAK
E PKW
Y
INTERSTATE 5
FWY
241- FOO
THILL TRANS
PORTATION CORRIDOR
Mission ViejoIrvine
Area 4
Area 3
Area 2
Area 1
City of Lake Forest
Resident Survey Areas ¯
01 0.5
Miles
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18 Introduction
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ABOUT TRUE NORTH True North is a full-service survey research firm that is dedicated to providing public agencies with a clear understanding of the values, perceptions, priorities, and concerns of their residents and customers. Thro ugh designing and implementing scientific sur- veys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, as well as expert interpretation of the findings, True North helps its clients to move with confidence when making strategic decisions in a variety of areas—such as planning, policy evaluation, per formance management, establishing fiscal pri- orities, passing revenue measures, and developing effective public information campaigns.
During their careers, Dr. McLarney (President) and Mr. Sarles (Principal Researcher) have designed and conducted over 1,200 survey research studies for public agencies—including more than 500 studies for California municipalities and special districts. 19 Just the Facts
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J UST THE F ACTS
The following is an outline of the main factual findings from the 2023 study. For the reader’s convenience, the findings are orga nized according to the section ti tles used in the body of this report. Thus, to learn more about a particular finding and how it may compare to findings from prior surveys, simply turn to the appropriate report section.
GENERAL PERCEPTIONS OF CITY & LOCAL ISSUES
• The vast majority (88%) of residents shared favorable opinions of the quality of life in Lake Forest, with 31% reporting it is excellent and 57% stating it is good. Ten percent (10%) of residents indicated the quality of life in the City is fair, whereas 1% used poor or very poor to describe quality of life in the City.
• Lake Forest as a place to raise a family received the most favorable rating among four aspects tested (83% excellent or good). Although still positive, residents provided somewhat softer ratings for Lake Forest as a place to retire (57%), work (55%), and shop and dine (53%).
Close to one-quarter (22%) of respondents held no opinion or did not provide a rating when asked to assess Lake Forest as a place to work.
• When businesses were asked to rate the busine ss climate in Lake Forest compared with sur- rounding areas, 37% reported that it is excellent, 47% said it is good, and 14% offered that it is fair. Only 2% of businesses indicated that , when compared with neighboring areas, the business climate in the City of Lake Forest is poor or very poor. • When asked to indicate one thing city govern ment could change to improve Lake Forest, one-in-five residents surveyed indicated they were unsure of a change that would make Lake Forest a better place to live (12%) or desired no changes from the City (8%). Of the specific suggestions, the most common were attracting new restaurants and stores (12%), address- ing homelessness/poverty issues (12%), improving public safety (10%), and limiting growth and development (10%).
• When asked what the City could do to improve the business climate in Lake Forest, just over half of business managers surveyed indicated that no changes were needed (27%) or were unsure of a change that could be made (26%). Specific suggestions for improving the busi- ness climate included promoting/advertising local businesses (8%), resolving homelessness/ housing-related issues (6%), making governme nt more business friendly (5%), and reducing taxes/fees (5%).
• Approximately four-in-ten (41% of) local busine sses stated that there were no particular fea- tures of Lake Forest that benefit their business or that they could not think of any at the time of the interview. Among specific aspects mentioned, having a convenient, easily-acces- sible location within the City (18%), support from the City to businesses (8%), access to roads, freeways, and surrounding communitie s (7%), no business lic ense requirement/ease of start-up (6%), and access to other local businesses and services (5%) were mentioned most often.
• Just over three-quarters (76%) of business ma nagers surveyed said they could not think of any challenges associated with doing business in Lake Fore st. The most common specific challenges cited were traffic and parking issu es (4%), high expenses/rents/fees (4%), public safety/homelessness concerns (2%), and employees/laborer issues (2%). • Eight-in-ten residents (82%) and nine-in-ten local businesses (91%) surveyed said that, over- all, they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services. 20 Just the Facts
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SPECIFIC SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY
• Among the services provided by the Police Department, residents rated maintaining a low crime rate as the most important service (94% extremely or very important), followed by investigating criminal activity (94%) and preparing for emergencies (90%). Residents were most satisfied with the Depart ment’s efforts to provide crossing guards near schools (93% very or somewhat satisfied), prepare for emer gencies (87%), provide animal control services (86%), and provide child safety programs (85%).
• Among the services provided by the Development Services Department , residents rated inspecting buildings as the most important se rvice provided by the Department (67%), fol- lowed by issuing building permits (61%), enforcing zoning regulations (59%), and enforcing sign regulations (55%). Satisfaction rating s assigned to the four development services ranged from a low of 77% for enforcing zoning regulations to a high of 87% for inspecting buildings.
• Of all residents surveyed, just 10% had applied for a building permit, received a building inspection, requested code enfo rcement, or used any other service offered by the Develop- ment Services Department in the 12 months prior to the survey. • Among the services provided by the Public Works Department , maintaining local streets and roads was viewed as the most important service (97%), followed by garbage collection services (95%), and maintaining parks and picnic areas (91%). Residents were most satisfied with the Department’s efforts to provide garbage collection services (92%), maintain public landscapes (88%), and maintain trees (87%).
• Among the services provided by the Community Services Department, residents assigned the highest importance to addressing homelessness (90%), distantly followed by providing special events like concerts in the park and the Fourth of July Parade (69%), providing recre- ation programs for special needs children (68% ), and providing recreation and sports pro- grams for teens (68%). Residents expressed the highest levels of satisfaction with the Department’s efforts to provide recreation and sports programs for elementary school-aged children (87%), provide recreation programs for pre-school children (86%), provide recre- ation and sports programs for teens (86%), and provide recreation programs for seniors (86%).
• Thirty-eight percent (38%) of respondents indi cated that there was an additional park ame- nity or recreation facility that they would like to see added or improved within the City.
Among those respondents, providing more pick leball courts was the most frequently cited park and recreation improvement at 11%, followed by providing more/improving mainte- nance of public restrooms (9%) and adding more bike/walking trails and paths (8%).
SPECIFIC SERVICES: BUSINESS SURVEY
•A m o n g general city services provided by the City to local businesses, respondents in the business survey rated maintaining a low crime rate as the most important of the services tested (95% extremely or very important), followed by investigating criminal activity (88%), revitalizing outdated areas in the City (66%), and promoting economic development (66%).
Satisfaction was high for all services tested, but greatest with respect to the City’s efforts to providing building inspection services (92% very or somewhat satisfied), followed by pro- moting economic development (91%), enforcing traffic laws (90%), and providing building permit services (90%).
•A m o n g t h e infrastructure-related and community services provided by the City to local businesses, members of the business communit y rated maintaining local streets and roads and addressing homelessness as most importan t (each 84% extremely or very important), followed by reducing traffic congestion (73%). Regarding satisfaction, at the top of the list 21 Just the Facts
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was maintaining local streets and roads (93%), enforcing zoning regulations (93%), and pro- viding street sweeping services (92%).
NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES & ORGANICS RECYCLING
• The most commonly experienced neighborhood problem among those tested was too many vehicles associated with a single home (40% big or moderate problem), followed by illegally parked vehicles (34%) and too many people living in a single house (30%). • Approximately six-in-ten respondents (61%) were aware of the new California requirement to place food scraps in the organics recycling bin along with green wa ste, whereas one-third (33%) were unaware of it, and 6% were unsure or preferred not to answer the question. • At the ends of the spectrum, 43% percent of respondents indicated that they place 10% or less of their household’s food waste in the organics recycling bin, whereas 14% put nearly all (76% to 100%) of their food waste in it. Responses were spread evenly across the three cate- gories in between, varying from 8% to 10%. Additionally, 12% of respondents were unsure of the percentage they place in the organics recycling bin and 4% were unwilling to answer. • The 70% of respondents who did not recycle at least a quarter of their food scraps were asked to reveal the primary barrier or challenge preventing them from recycling a larger per- centage of their food waste. Close to one-fourth (24%) of respondents were unsure or indi- cated that there wasn’t anything specific standing in their wa y while 16% provided a response related to a lack of awareness (N eed information about recycling: 12%, Didn’t know about it: 5%) and 12% said that recycling food waste is too much work/waste of time. • More than six-in-ten respondents (62%) indicat ed they would be more li kely to recycle their food waste if the City provided a small air-ti ght food waste bin that could be placed on the counter or under the counter.
• Overall, 68% of residents were aware that th e City has a bulky item pickup program where residents can call in to receive free pickup of bulky trash items such as furniture.
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
• Managers were most in agreement that The pandemic hurt our business (76% strongly or somewhat agree), followed by Learning how to better market or advertise our business would make us more profitable (69%), Updating our business website would help us attract more customers (60%), and Improving the physical appearance of our store or offices would help us attract more customers (60%). Fewer than six-in-ten respondents agreed that Our business could use assistance with attracting and retaining employees (54%) and that The technology in our business needs to be updated (58%).
• When asked what the City coul d do to help their business be more successful, more than seven-in-ten business managers were not sure or could not think of anything specific (68%) or declined to answer (4%). Among the specifics mentioned, tax incentives and lower taxes/ fees topped the list at 4%, followed by promoting businesses (3%), hosting more community events (2%), addressing homeless issues (2%), enforcing traffic laws (2%), making rents/utili- ties more affordable (2%), and providing more networking opportunities (2%).
COMMUNICATION
• Overall, 75% of residents indicated that they we re either very (29%) or somewhat (46%) satis- fied with the City’s efforts to communicate with residents through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means.
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• Among local businesses, 84% of business manage rs indicated that they were satisfied with the City's efforts to communicate with Lake Forest businesses through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means.
• The single most frequently cited source of city information among residents was The Leaflet (54%), distantly followed by social media (18%), electronic newsletters (10%), one of the City’s websites (general mention, 9%), text messages from the City (9%), and the Internet in general (not a city site, 8%).
• When asked what information sources they use to find out about city news, information, and programming, members of the business community were most likely to mention The Leaflet (20%), the City’s website in general (15%), el ectronic newsletters (15%), social media sites (13%), and the Internet in general (11%).
• Overall, 61% of residents and 36% of businesses surveyed mentioned at least one of Lake Forest’s newsletters as a source of information.
• Lake Forest business managers indicated that the most effective method the City can use to communicate with their business is email (85% very or somewhat effective), followed by the City’s website (81%), electronic newsletters (78%), and newsletters and direct mail to their office (73%).
• Sixty-two percent (62%) of residents indicated th at they had visited at least one of the City’s websites in the 12 months prior to the interview.
• Just over three-quarters (76%) of website users were able to find the information they were looking for on the City's website.
• Website visitors expressed high levels of sati sfaction with the City’s websites, with 81% of residents indicating they were satisfied with the resources available on the sites. • Forty-two percent (42%) of local businesses indi cated that they had visited the City of Lake Forest’s economic development website (www.lakeforestbusiness.com). • Close to six-in-ten business managers surveyed indicated that the City does an excellent (21%) or good (37%) job incentivizing residents to shop locally. Eighteen percent (18%) rated the City’s efforts in this area as fair, 7% sa id poor or very poor, and 17% were unsure or declined to provide a rating.
BUSINESS BACKGROUND INFO
• When asked to identify the most important fact or for why they chose to locate their business in the City of Lake Forest, 23% indicated that it was close to the owner’s home, 23% men- tioned the location/accessibility of Lake Forest, 14% cited the overall quality of the City, and 6% referenced competitive lease rates/rents (6%).
• Local businesses were generally optimistic about the future, with 41% anticipating growth and 45% expecting that their business will remain about the same. Another 9% indicated that they expect their business to decrease in the coming year and 5% were unsure. • Partitioning the 41% of all businesses that anticipated growth, 8% indicated that they would require additional space, whereas the remain ing 33% did not anticipate needing additional space (28%) or were unsure (5%).
• Six percent (6%) of businesses surveyed antici pated relocating in the next year. Approxi- mately 2% expected to relocate to another community.
23 Conclusions
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C ONCLUSIONS
As noted in the Introduction, this study was designed to provid e the City of Lake Forest with a statistically reliable understanding of the opinions , priorities, and concerns of Lake Forest resi- dents and businesses. Operating from the philo sophy that you can’t manage what you don’t measure, since 1998 Lake Forest has regularl y used the survey as a community needs assess- ment and performance measurement tool. In short, the study presents an opportunity to profile residents’ and local businesses’ needs and priorities, measure how well the City is performing in meeting these needs through existing services an d facilities, and gather data on a variety of quality-of-life, issue, and policy-related matters. Mo re than just a profiling exercise, the City has been a leader in using the information gained fr om the studies to adju st and improve its ser- vices—all toward the goal of building and sustai ning a high level of community satisfaction.
Whereas subsequent sections of this report are devoted to conveying the detailed results of the surveys, in this section we attempt to ‘see the forest through the trees’ and note how the collec- tive results of the survey answer some of the key questions that motivated the research.
How well is the City per-
forming in meeting the
needs of Lake Forest res-
idents and businesses?
Lake Forest residents and businesses continue to be quite satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services and facilities, as well as the quality of life and business climate in the City. Despite the pandemic and the many changes it has compe lled for municipal operations since 2020, resident satisfaction with the City’s overall performance in 2023 remained strikingly similar to the levels recorded in 2018 (pre-pandemic) and 2021 (during the pandemic)—with no statistically significant changes. Among business respondents, the percentage satisfied was vir- tually unchanged from 2021 to 2023, and was higher (although not sta- tistically so) than 2018.
At least eight-in-ten residents (82%) and local businesses (91%) indicated that they were satisfied with the Ci ty’s overall performance in providing municipal services in 2023 and offered positive ratings (excellent or good) for the quality of life in Lake Forest (88%) and local business cli- mate (84%). This sentiment was also widespread, with overall satisfaction exceeding 75% across nearly all resident and business subgroups (see Overall Performance Rating on page 23).
The high level of satisfaction with the City’s performance in general was also mirrored in assessments of the City’s performance in providing most specific services. Among residen ts, the highest satisfaction scores were assigned to the City’s effort s to provide crossing guards near schools, provide garbage collection services, maintain public landscapes, prepare for emergencies, and maintain trees (see Specific Services: Resi- dent Survey on page 27). For all but seven of the 34 service areas tested, the City is meeting or exceeding the needs and expectations of at least 80% of its residents—and for the majori ty of services the City is meeting the needs of at least 84% of residents (see Figure 40 on page 46). 24 Conclusions
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The results of the 2023 business surv ey show a similar pattern of high satisfaction for the specific servic es tested. Businesses expressed the highest levels of satisfaction with the City’s efforts to maintain local streets and roads, enforce zoning re gulations, provide building inspec- tion services, provide street sweepi ng services, and promote economic development (see Specific Services: Business Survey on page 40). For 18 of the 19 services tested, the City is meeting or exceeding the needs and expectations of at least 82% of lo cal businesses—and for the majority of services the City is meeting the needs of at least 89% of businesses (see Figure 41 on page 47).
Where should the City
focus its efforts in the
future?
In addition to measuring the City’s current performance, a primary goal of this study is to look forward and identify opportunities to adjust ser- vices, improve facilities, and/or refine communications strategies to best meet the community’s evolving need s and expectations. Although the perceived quality of life, local busi ness climate, and resident and busi- ness satisfaction with the City are quite high, there is always room for improvement. Below we note some of the areas that present the best opportunities in this regard.
Considering respondents’ verbatim answers regarding what they feel city g o v e r n m e n t c o u l d d o t o m a k e L a k e F o r e s t a b e t t e r p l a c e t o l i v e , a n d ways to improve the business climate (see Ways to Improve Lake Forest on page 19), the list of services and their respective priority status for future attention (see Performance Needs & Priorities on page 44), and the opinions of residents generally sa tisfied with the City’s performance versus those generally dissatisfied (see Differentiators of Opinion: Resi- dent Survey on page 38), top priorities for residents include addressing homelessness, reducing traffic congestion, enforcing zoning regula- tions, maintaining and improving public safety (including maintaining a low crime rate, providing neighborhood watch programs, and investigat- ing criminal activity), providing adult recreation programs such as classes, concerts, and trips, and at tracting new restau rants and stores.
For local businesses, top priorities include addressing homelessness, revitalizing outdated areas in the City, reducing traffic congestion, main- taining a low crime rate, investigating criminal activity, and promoting and advertising businesses.
With the recommendation that the City focus on these areas, it is equally important to stress that when it come s to improving satisfaction in ser- vice areas, the appropriate strategy is often a combination of better com- munication and actual service improvements. It may be, for example, that many residents and businesses are simply not aware of the City’s ongoing infrastructure improvement ef forts, or the limits of what a city can do to address homelessness. Choosing the appropriate balance of service improvements and efforts to raise awareness on these matters 25 Conclusions
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will be a key to maintaining and improving the community’s overall satis- faction in the short- and long-term.
It is also important to keep in mind that although these areas represent opportunities to improve satisfaction, the City should not oversteer.
Indeed, the main takeaway from this study is that the City does many things very well, and emphasis should be on continuing to perform at that high level. The vast majority of residents and businesses are pleased with the City’s efforts to provid e services and programs, and have a favorable opinion of the City’s performance in most areas. The top prior- ity for the City should thus be to do what it takes to maintain the high quality of services that it currently provides.
What were the most
notable changes in the
survey results between
2021 and 2023?
The vast majority of assessments in 2023 remained consistent with the results of the most recent prior study (2021), including ratings of the overall quality of life in the City, th e Lake Forest business climate, the City’s overall performance rating, satisfaction with the City’s communi- cation efforts, as well as the satisfac tion ratings for the vast majority of specific services. There was, however, a statistically significant decline in the percentage of residents who rat ed Lake Forest as an excellent or good place to shop and dine from 2021 to 2023 (-7%).
Among specific services, statistically significant changes were found for the importance ratings assigned to eight of the 33 services presented to residents in both 2021 and 2023, and among five of the services when assessing satisfaction. Specifically, the importance assigned to providing animal control services increased the most (+8%), followed by issuing building permits (+7%), reducing traffic congestion (+6%), enforcing traf- fic laws (+6%), providing summer-specific recreation programs, such as camps (+6%), providing crossing guards near schools (+5%), providing child safety programs (+5%), and maintaining public landscapes (+4%).
Turning to residents’ satisfaction wi th specific servi ces, improvements were noted regarding the City’s effo rts to provide recreation programs for special needs children (+7%) and prepare for emergencies (+6%). Con- versely, declines were recorded for the City’s efforts to enforce traffic laws (-7%), reduce traffic congestion (-6%), and maintain parks and picnic areas (-5%).
Among businesses, there was only one statistically significant change in importance from 2021 to 2023: a 10% point increase in the importance assigned to investigating criminal activity. Regarding satisfaction, changes were recorded among four of the 18 services that were tested in both studies. Specifically, there were statistically significant declines in satisfaction with the City’s efforts to revitalize outdated areas in the City (-9%), maintain a low crime rate (-7%), provide building permit services 26 Conclusions
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(-7%), and landscape median strips and other areas of the City (-6%) among businesses from 2021 to 2023.
Are things continuing to
change with respect to
city-resident communi-
cation?
The importance of city communication with residents and local busi- nesses cannot be over-stated. Much of a city’s success is shaped by the quality of information that is exchanged in both directions, from the City to the community and from the community to the City. This study is just one example of Lake Forest’s efforts to enhance the information flow to the City to better understand the community’s concerns, perceptions, and needs. Some of Lake Forest’s many efforts to communicate with its residents and local business community include its newsletters, timely press releases, its various websites, and social media posts.
Keeping up with the challenge of communicating with residents and local businesses has been difficult for many public agencies in recent years. Against this backdrop of declin ing satisfaction with public agency communications in general, the survey results indicate the City of Lake Forest is doing an admirable job co mmunicating with its residents and businesses. Overall, 75% of residen ts and 84% of businesses said they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate through newslet- ters, the Internet, social media, and other means in 2023, both of which were statistically consistent with 2021.
Although there was a statistically significant decline in visits to city web- sites among residents from 2021 to 2023 (-9%), the percentage recorded in 2023 is consistent with 2018. The higher than average use recorded in 2021 is likely attributed to city closures that forced many operations to an online format during the pandemic. Although the overall level of satisfaction with the resources and content available on the City's web- sites remained virtually identical from 2021 to 2023, a higher percent- age of residents reporting being very satisfied than in 2021 (similar to the levels reported in 2016 and 2018). Additionally, more than three- quarters (76%) of resident website users indicated that they were able to find the information they were looking for on the City's website.
The Leaflet continues to be the most frequently cited source for Lake Forest news and information among both residents and businesses, and it enjoyed a statistically significant increase in mentions by residents (+11%), but a decline among businesses (-9%) this cycle. Residents also reported increases for electronic newsletters (+6%), Leisure Times (+3%), and the percentage who reported no t receiving information about the City of Lake Forest (+3%). At the same time, there were statistically sig- nificant decreases in the percentag e of residents who mentioned social media (-11%) and Nextdoor (-5%) as information sources for Lake Forest news, information, and programming.
27 Conclusions
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In addition to declines in mentions of The Leaflet (-9%) among busi- nesses from 2021 to 2023, other statistically significant changes included declines in general references to the City’s newsletter (-6%) and mentions of text messages from the City/Nixle (-3%), as well as an increase in responses of not sure (+7%).
The 2023 survey results reversed the significant shift in reliance on social media and websites not maintained by the City among residents of Lake Forest recorded from 2018 to 2021. The 2021 survey result was likely an artifact of the pandemic, as the 2023 results are in line with 2018 (34% mentioned a non-city website or social media in 2023 com- pared with 55% in 2021 and 35% in 2018). As noted in the conclusions of the 2021 survey, an increased reliance on information sources that are not managed by the City poses many challenges for communicating with residents.
The 2023 survey results show that th e majority of both residents and businesses rely on city sources to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information, and programming. Indeed, 61% of residents and 36% of businesses mentioned at least one of Lake Forest’s newsletters as a source of city information, 25% of both residents and businesses cited one of the City’s websites or apps, and 3% of residents and 2% of busi- nesses mentioned City Council meetings or flyers. Taken together, and after accounting for respondents who mentioned multiple sources, 72% of residents and 51% of businesses relied on city sources for information in 2023. In True North’s experience, a high level of satisfaction with a city’s communication efforts is generally associated with and likely caused by a greater reliance among city-sponsored sources of informa- tion such as newsletters, websites, and related publications. 28 General Perception of City & Local Issues
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G ENERAL P ERCEPTION OF C ITY &
L OCAL I SSUES
The opening series of questions in the residen t and business surveys was designed to gather top-of-mind perceptions about the quality of life in Lake Forest and the business climate, resi- dents’ and business managers’ satisfaction with the City’s overall performance, as well as their ideas for what city government could do to imp rove the quality of life and improve the business climate in the City.
QUALITY OF LIFE At the outset of the resident survey , respondents were asked to rate the quality of life in the City using a five-point sc ale of excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. As shown in Figure 2 below, the vast majority (88%) of respondents shared favorable opinions of the quality of life in Lake Forest, with 31% reporting it is excellent and 57% stating it is good. Ten percent (10%) of residents indicated the quality of life in the City is fair, whereas 1% used poor or very poor to describe quality of life in the City. Quality of life ratings in 2023 were statistically consistent with those reported in 2021.
Question 2: Resident Survey How would you rate the overall quality of life in Lake Forest? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor? FIGURE 2 OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Figures 3 through 5 on the next page show how ratings of the quality of life in the City varied by years of residence in Lake Forest, household in come, age of the respondent, area of the City, ethnicity, gender, presence of a child in the home, and home ownership status. Although there was some variation in opinion (e.g., residents at least 50 years of age were more likely than their younger counterparts to rate the quality of life as excellent), the most striking pattern in these figures is the relative consistency of opinion. Between 79% and 93% of respondents in every sub- group held a positive assessment of the quality of life in Lake Forest.
31.4 31.5
39.0 54.7 54.6 51.1 52.3 45.9 45.8
59.4 55.7
52.1 37.1 41.5 44.8 41.1 49.2 49.8
8.7 10.3 6.7 7.7 3.3 4.0 4.1 4.1 3.8
31.3 57.0
10.4 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004
Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Very poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
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FIGURE 3 OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE: RESIDENT SURVEY BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME FIGURE 4 OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 5 OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE: RESIDENT SURVEY BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN HOME & HOME OWNER
30.5 26.1 27.8 24.8 32.0 38.4
62.9 54.1 57.3 61.8
57.2 54.8
Excellent
25.9 28.7 33.1 33.6
Good
63.3 53.156.859.0
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents
39.4 39.5
21.5 25.2
41.8 53.7 51.8
57.1 63.4
51.5 33.1
23.924.0
Excellent
25.9 61.4 62.3
58.0Good
50.5 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents
35.1 29.0 28.0 33.5 31.3 31.3
57.0 57.3 59.9 55.0 57.2 56.5
Excellent
25.9 40.7
23.7 22.6
Good
58.2 60.761.5
46.3 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Caucasian /
White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner
% Respondents
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RATING LAKE FOREST Beginning in 2018, residents were also asked to rate the City of Lake Forest on a number of key dimensions related to quality of life—including Lake Forest as a place to raise a family and as a place to work—using the same five -point scale of excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. As shown in Figure 6, residents generally shared favorable opinions of Lake Forest in 2023 on each aspect tested, with the most positive rating provided for Lake Forest as a place to raise a family (83% excellent or good). Although still positive, residents provided somewhat softer ratings for Lake Forest as a place to retire (57%), work (55%), and shop and dine (53%). Close to one-quarter (22%) of respondents held no opinion or did not provide a rating when asked to assess Lake Forest as a place to work.
When compared with 2021, the percentage who rate d Lake Forest as an excellent or good place to shop and dine declined significantly in 2023 (see Table 1).
Question 3: Resident Survey How would you rate: _____? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor?
FIGURE 6 RATING LAKE FOREST: RESIDENT SURVEY
TABLE 1 RATING LAKE FOREST: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
Tables 2 through 4 on the next page show how the ratings for each dimension tested in Ques- tion 3 varied by years in the Lake Forest area, age, overall satisfaction with the City’s perfor- mance, household income, and et hnicity. With the exception of residents who identified their ethnicity as mixed or other, perceptions of Lake Forest as a place to raise a family were quite positive and consistent by years in Lake Fore st, age, household income, and ethnicity (ranging from 77% to 87%). More variation in ratings was found for Lake Forest as a place to shop and
39.4 19.4
14.8 14.9
43.5 37.4
40.0 38.2
10.6 21.7
17.1 34.0
4.6 5.7
1 8.0
1 4.4
1 3.4
4.5 12.3
1 22.3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Lake Forest as a place
to raise a family
Lake Forest as a place
to retire
Lake Forest as a place
to work
Lake Forest as a place
to shop and dine
Q3aQ3bQ3cQ3d
% Respondents
Excellent Good Fair Poor Very poor Not sure/Prefer not to answer 2023 2021 2018
Lake Forest as a place to retire 56.8 52.7 60.3 +4.1
Lake Forest as a place to work 54.8 52.4 54.3 +2.4
Lake Forest as a place to raise a family 82.9 84.3 85.7 -1.4 Lake Forest as a place to shop and dine 53.1 60.0 61.0 -6.9† Change in
Excellent + Good
2021 to 2023
Study Year
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
dine, with the widest gap found at the two ends of the household income spectrum (<$40K: 67%, $150K+: 46%). Examining ratings for Lake Forest as a place to work reveals higher than average ratings among respondents 18 to 29 years of age, those living in a household earning $100,000 to $149,000 a year, and Latino/Hispanics, with more than six-in-ten providing a rating of excel- lent or good.
It is noteworthy that ratings of Lake Forest as a place to retire were most positive among those who were at least 50 years of age (at or nearing retirement age and living in the City)—it was younger cohorts yet to near the point of retirement who were less positive or unsure. As expected, residents satisfied with the City’s overall performance provided much more favorable ratings for each statement when compared with dissatisfied residents, with the largest gaps found for Lake Forest as a place to raise a family (88% vs. 55%) and retire (63% vs. 25%).
TABLE 2 RATING LAKE FOREST: RESIDENT SURVEY BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & AGE (SHOWING % EXCELLENT OR GOOD)
TABLE 3 RATING LAKE FOREST: RESIDENT SURVEY BY OVERALL SATISFACTION & HOUSEHOLD INCOME (SHOWING %
EXCELLENT OR GOOD)
TABLE 4 RATING LAKE FOREST: RESIDENT SURVEY BY ETHNICITY (SHOWING % EXCELLENT OR GOOD) BUSINESS CLIMATE Respondents in the business survey were asked to rate the business climate in Lake Forest in comparison to other cities in the area, using the same five-point scale of excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. As show n in Figure 7 on the next page, most respon- dents shared a favorable opinion of Lake Forest’s business climate. Overall, 37% reported that it is excellent, 47% said it is good, and 14% offered that it is fair. Only 2% of businesses indicated that, when compared with neighb oring areas, the business climate in the City of Lake Forest is poor or very poor. Business climate ratings were statistically consistent from 2021 to 2023.
Fewer
than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14
15 or
more 18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older
Lake Forest as a place to raise a family 76.6 81.1 84.2 86.5 82.8 77.2 82.0 87.3 82.8 Lake Forest as a place to retire 55.4 59.1 48.2 58.6 47.9 51.5 43.6 60.8 73.2 Lake Forest as a place to work 51.8 57.5 47.3 56.7 63.7 50.2 47.2 59.4 51.0 Lake Forest as a place to shop and dine 56.7 49.8 53.0 52.8 51.6 47.3 45.6 55.7 60.9 Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Age
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
more
L a k e F o r e s t a s a p l a c e t o r a i s e a f a m i l y 8 8 . 15 5 . 38 4 . 77 7 . 88 3 . 67 7 . 78 4 . 48 6 . 1 L a k e F o r e s t a s a p l a c e t o r e t i r e 6 2 . 62 5 . 37 5 . 55 9 . 65 6 . 85 6 . 16 0 . 55 1 . 9 L a k e F o r e s t a s a p l a c e t o w o r k 5 8 . 53 0 . 75 6 . 95 7 . 94 5 . 75 4 . 66 2 . 85 6 . 6 L a k e F o r e s t a s a p l a c e t o s h o p a n d d i n e 5 7 . 73 2 . 06 6 . 95 8 . 85 5 . 85 8 . 76 0 . 04 5 . 8 Overall Satisfaction (Q5) Household Income (QD5)
Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic Asian
Mixed /
Other
Lake Forest as a place to raise a family 85.9 84.9 81.4 65.9 Lake Forest as a place to retire 59.7 45.4 63.5 58.5
Lake Forest as a place to work 54.1 64.3 51.4 49.2
Lake Forest as a place to shop and dine 53.4 57.2 53.4 46.2 Ethnicity (QD4)
32 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 18City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 2: Business Survey How would you rate the business climate in Lake Forest com- pared to other cities in the area? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor com- pared to other cities in the area?
FIGURE 7 QUALITY OF BUSINESS CLIMATE BY STUDY YEAR: BUSINESS SURVEY Figures 8 and 9 show how respondents’ rating of the business climate in the City was related to the number of years the business has operated in the City, anticipated business size in the next year, whether the respondent was also a Lake Forest resident, the number of individuals employed at their business, if any of their employ ees live outside the City of Lake Forest, and if the business is home-based. With the exception of respondents who anticipate their business to decrease over the next year, more than three-qu arters of respondents in each of the other sub- groups rated the business climate as excellent or good.
FIGURE 8 QUALITY OF BUSINESS CLIMATE: BUSINESS SURVEY BY YEARS OPERATING BIZ IN LAKE FOREST, BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS & LAKE FOREST RESIDENT
37.5 37.5 32.9 28.0 29.3 26.1 23.1 26.0 18.8
45.4 41.3 45.6 55.5 59.4
51.9 47.6
55.7 59.4
14.1 16.9 17.1
14.3 7.7
17.9 26.0
16.1 18.8
2.2 2.4 4.1 3.8 2.2 2.3 1.5 2.5 1.6 2.1
36.9 47.2
13.8 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004
Study Y ear
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
37.8 20.6
40.0 31.0
42.5 50.1
38.2 46.6
46.4 48.3
46.4 32.327.8
Excellent
34.5 59.1 55.2 35.1Good
49.8 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Increase Decrease About same Yes, resident Not a resident
Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest (Q1) Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4) Lake Forest Resident (QD9)
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
33 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 19City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 9 QUALITY OF BUSINESS CLIMATE: BUSINESS SURVEY BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE
OUTSIDE LAKE FOREST & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
WAYS TO IMPROVE LAKE FOREST Residents and business managers were next asked to indicate one thing city government could ch ange to improve Lake Forest. For residents, the question focused on improving the City as a place to live, now and in the future. Business man- agers were asked more specifically about ways to improve the business climate. These questions were asked in an open-ended manner, allowing respondents to mention any change that came to mind without being prompted by—o r restricted to—a list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in figures 10 and 11 on the next page.
As shown in Figure 10, one-in-five residents su rveyed indicated they we re unsure of a change that would make Lake Forest a better place to live (12%) or desired no changes from the City (8%). Of the specific suggestions, the most comm on were attracting ne w restaurants and stores (12%), addressing homelessness/poverty issues (1 2%), improving public safety (10%), and limit- ing growth and development (10%). No other si ngle improvement was mentioned by more than 6% of respondents.
With the exception of resident s placing more emphasis on ad dressing homelessness/poverty issues in 2023, responses remained relatively consistent over the past two years (see Table 5 on next page).
30.9 40.2 40.4 36.1
48.4 45.6 36.8 49.6
Excellent
40.7 33.8 34.0
44.7 Good
39.1 34.448.255.4
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
1 2 to 5 6 to 10 More than 10 None At least one Yes No
Number of Employees (QD1) Employees Outside Lake
Forest (QD2)
Home-Based Business
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
34 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 20City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 4: Resident Survey If the city government could do one thing to make Lake Forest a better place to live now and in the future, what would you like to see? FIGURE 10 CHANGES TO IMPROVE CITY: RESIDENT SURVEY
TABLE 5 CHANGES TO IMPROVE CITY: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR When asked what the City could do to improve the business climate in Lake Forest (Figure 11 on next page), just over half of business managers surveyed indicated that no changes were needed (27%) or were unsure of a change that could be made (26%). Specific suggestions for improving the business climate included promoting/advertising local businesses (8%), resolving homeless-
12.4 12.0
11.7 10.0
9.7 7.6
6.3 5.4
5.4 4.1
4.0 3.0
3.0 2.8
2.7 2.6
2.4 2.4
1.8 1.7
1.5 3.8
4.7 0 5 10 15
Not sure / Cannot think of anything
Attract new restaurants, stores
Address homeless, poverty issues
Improve public safety
Limit growth, development
No changes needed / Everything is fine
Reduce traffic congestion
Improve parks, recreation
Clean up, improve appearance, rebuild deteriorating areas Enforce traffic laws, safety
City beautification, landscape
Improve education, schools
Provide more affordable housing
More police officers, patrols
Improve, repair infrastructure
Reduce cost of living
Provide more community-focused events
Provide more entertainment, nightlife options
Address parking issues
Improve traffic light synchronization, timing
Develop more walkable shopping, dining areas
Reduce noise, pollution
Improve diversity efforts
% Respondents
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
No changes needed
/ Everything is fine
Attract new
restaurants, stores
Attract new
restaurants, stores
Limit growth,
development
Reduce traffic
congestion
No changes needed
/ Everything is fine
Improve parks,
recreation
Address homeless,
poverty issues
No changes needed
/ Everything is fine
Attract new
restaurants, stores
No changes needed
/ Everything is fine
Reduce traffic
congestion
Not sure / Cannot
think of anything
Improve public
safety
Limit growth,
development
Reduce traffic
congestion
Limit growth,
development
Improve parks,
recreation
Reduce traffic
congestion
Limit growth,
development
Improve public
safety
No changes needed
/ Everything is fine
Improve, repair
infrastructure
Limit growth,
development
Improve, repair
infrastructure
Study Year
35 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 21City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ness/housing-related issues (6%), making government more business friendly (5%), and reducing taxes/fees (5%). No other improvement was mentioned by at least 4% of respondents.
Question 3: Business Survey If the city government could do one thing to improve the busi- ness climate in Lake Forest, what would you like to see? FIGURE 11 CHANGES TO IMPROVE BUSINESS CLIMATE: BUSINESS SURVEY As shown in Table 6, four of the top five mentions by business managers remained unchanged from 2021. New in 2023 was the mention of more business-friendly government and, not sur- prisingly, addressing COVID-related concerns dropped off the list.
TABLE 6 CHANGES TO IMPROVE BUSINESS CLIMATE: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR
26.7 25.9
7.6 6.3
5.3 4.5
3.4 3.3
2.9 1.8
1.7 1.5
1.2 1.1
0.9 0.6
0.6 1.5
2.4 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
No changes / Everything is fine
Not sure / Cannot think of any
Promote, advertise local businesses
Resolve homeless, housing problem
More business-friendly government
Reduce taxes, fees
Improve safety, security of biz areas
Increase biz, networking opportunities
Provide more incentives to attract business
Provide additional community events
Reduce rent, lease fees to decrease vacancies
Improve traffic
Upgrade rundown business
Limit growth
Fewer restrictions/regulations
Improve City appearance, maintenance
Reduce signage restrictions
Improve, add parking / Address parking issues
Enforce traffic laws, safety
% Respondents
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012
No changes /
Everything is fine
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
No changes /
Everything is fine
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
No changes /
Everything is fine
Not sure / Cannot
think of any
No changes /
Everything is fine
No changes /
Everything is fine
No changes /
Everything is fine
Promote, advertise
local businesses
Promote, advertise
local businesses
Promote, advertise
local businesses
Increase biz,
networking
opportunities
Increase biz,
networking
opportunities
Increase biz,
networking
opportunities
Resolve homeless,
housing problem
COVID-related
concerns, help for
businesses
Improve, add
parking
Fewer restrictions/
regulations
Improve, add
parking
Reduce signage
restirctions
More business-
friendly
government
Resolve homeless,
housing problem Reduce taxes, fees Reduce signage
restirctions
Prefer not to
answer Reduce taxes, fees
Study Year
36 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 22City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASPECTS OF LAKE FOREST MOST BENEFICIAL TO BUSINESS All businesses were next asked if there was a particular aspect or feat ure of Lake Forest that is beneficial to their business. This question was also posed in an open-ended manner, allowing respondents to men- tion any aspect without being prompted by, or limited to, a list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 12.
Question 4: Business Survey is there a particular aspect or feature of Lake Forest that is ben- eficial to your business?
FIGURE 12 ASPECTS OF CITY MOST BENEFICIAL TO BUSINESS: BUSINESS SURVEY Mentioned by approximately four-in-ten business managers surveyed, the most common response was that there were no particular features of Lake Forest that benefit their business, or that they could not think of any at the time of the interview (41%). Among specific aspects men- tioned, having a convenient, easily-accessible location within the City (18%), support from the City to businesses (8%), access to roads, freewa ys, and surrounding communities (7%), no busi- ness license requirement/ease of start-up (6%), and access to other local businesses and services (5%) were mentioned most often.
CHALLENGES OF DOING BUSINESS IN LAKE FOREST All business managers were next asked in an open-ended manner if there were any particular challenges associated with doing business in Lake Forest. Verbatim responses were recorded and later grouped into the cat- egories shown in Figure 13 on the next page. Ju st over three-quarters (76%) of business manag- ers surveyed said they could not think of any challenges associated with doing business in Lake Forest. The most common specific challenges ci ted were traffic and pa rking issues (4%), high expenses/rents/fees (4%), publ ic safety/homelessness concer ns (2%), and employees/laborer
41.1 17.8
7.8 7.0
6.3 5.2
2.9 2.7
2.6 2.3
1.8 1.7
1.5 1.5
0.6 2.3
1.7 0 1 02 03 04 05 0
Not sure / No particular aspect
Good location, convenient access for customers
Support from City to businesses
Access to roads, freeways, surrounding communities
No business license / Ease of startup
Access to other local business, services
Growth in business, residential areas
Public safety, low crime rate
Good balance, mixture of residential and businesses
Sense of community / Family-oriented City
Cleanliness, beauty of City
Parks and recreational areas
Higher end clients, higher income families
Business friendly area, climate, customers
Easy access to online information, advertising
Environment, climate, weather
Low, affordable rent
% Respondents
37 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 23City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
issues (2%). No other specific challenge was mentioned by more than 2% of business managers surveyed.
Question 5: Business Survey Are there any particular challenges associated with doing busi- ness in Lake Forest?
FIGURE 13 CHALLENGES WITH DOING BUSINESS IN LAKE FOREST: BUSINESS SURVEY OVERALL PERFORMANCE RATING Both residents and businesses were asked to rate the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide municipal services. Because this question does not reference a specific program, facility, or se rvice and requested that the respondent consider the City’s performance in general, the findin gs of this question may be regarded as an overall performance rating for the City.
Figure 14 on the next page presents the results of this question for the resident survey for 2023 and for prior surveys dating back to 2000, wher eas Figure 18 on page 25 presents the corre- sponding results for the business survey. In both cases, the vast majority of respondents said they were satisfied with the City of Lake Forest ’s efforts to provide municipal services. Specifi- cally, 82% of residents and 91% of local businesses indicated that they were satisfied in this respect in 2023.
Despite the pandemic and the many changes it has compelled for municipal operations since 2020, resident satisfaction with the City’s overall performance in 2023 remained strikingly simi- lar to the levels recorded in 2018 and 2021—with no statistically significant changes. Among business respondents, the percentage satisfied was virtually unchanged from 2021 to 2023.
75.5 4.0
3.8 2.3
2.0 1.7
1.2 1.2
0.9 0.6
0.6 0.6
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 0
Not sure / Cannot think of any
Traffic, parking issues
High expenses, rents, fees
Safety of area, homelessness
Employee, laborer issues
Population, demographic concerns
Location, accessibility
Improving sales, attracting customers
Advertisement restrictions
Too many regulations
Business competition
Lack of support from City
% Respondents
38 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 24City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 5: Resident Survey Generally speaking, are you satisfie d or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide city services? FIGURE 14 OVERALL SATISFACTION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Figures 15 through 17 display how overall satisfaction with the City’s performance in providing municipal services varied by key resident traits . Figures 19 and 20 on page 26 present similar information for the business community. Overall satisfaction was consistently high (75%+) across resident subgroups, with the ex ception of a dip among those 30 to 39 years of age. With the exception of respondents who an ticipated their business to decre ase over the next year (68%), overall satisfaction among Lake Forest businesses was consistently high across subgroups, rang- ing from a low of 87% to a high of 97%.
FIGURE 15 OVERALL SATISFACTION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME
32.0 32.9
41.2 57.4 63.2 57.0 60.8 56.0 56.3 49.5 44.7
48.8 47.3
39.8 32.7
31.4 34.0 31.1 35.0 36.5
39.3 44.2
6.3 0.5 4.0 2.5 5.5 4.04.3
1.7 1.4 0.8 1.8 1.3 3.3 2.73.8 3.2 2.5 4.4
31.9 50.3
3.6 9.0 10.1 9.5
2.4 5.42.3 2.6 3.7
1.7 3.55.67.96.3 5.9 1.95.6
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Prefer not to
answer
Not sure
Very
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
satisfied
Very
satisfied
37.3 30.9 24.3 25.2
35.7 35.9
52.5 53.1
52.5 51.4
49.8 48.1
Ver y
satisfied
38.7 29.9 24.3 31.2
Smwt
satisfied
43.7 51.061.250.6
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents
39 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 25City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 16 OVERALL SATISFACTION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 17 OVERALL SATISFACTION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN HOME & HOME OWNER Question 6: Business Survey Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide city services? FIGURE 18 OVERALL SATISFACTION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR
37.9 34.8
21.9 29.7
40.8 50.5
49.6 55.7
50.8 45.8
Ver y
satisfied
28.2 26.6 25.5
36.5 Smwt
satisfied
59.5 45.0
54.444.8
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents
37.5 29.0 29.7 33.4 29.7 33.4
50.9 50.0 49.2
50.6 49.2
50.6 34.029.431.3
Ver y
satisfied
33.9 47.4 51.0 50.6
Smwt
satisfied
50.9 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Caucasian /
White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner
% Respondents
58.1 60.8
53.9 60.9 56.5 63.0
49.0 48.0 51.5
41.5 39.5
32.7 27.8
33.2 25.9 35.2 26.5
38.3 38.5
38.5 41.5 48.5
3.0 2.8 5.2 5.3
2.9 4.7 1.8 6.0 1.5
8.5 6.0
0.3 1.1 3.1 2.9 3.0
3.0 2.0 3.0 4.5 3.04.4 5.1 5.5 4.7 6.4 2.4 2.8 7.9 5.5 5.5 4.0 3.0
58.6 32.5
4.1 1.5 3.1
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Very
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
satisfied
Very satisfied
40 General Perception of City & Local Issues
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 26City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 19 OVERALL SATISFACTION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY YEARS OPERATING BIZ IN LAKE FOREST, BUSINESS SIZE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS & LAKE FOREST RESIDENT
FIGURE 20 OVERALL SATISFACTION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE OUTSIDE
LAKE FOREST & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
62.3 48.6
60.6 54.3
63.7 30.5
19.3 36.7
35.4 30.8
64.661.6
44.6 Ver y
satisfied
59.3 50.5
31.2 22.7
Smwt
satisfied
36.3 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Increase Decrease About same Yes, resident Not a resident
Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest (Q1) Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4) Lake Forest Resident (QD9)
% Respondents
50.7 64.2
50.0 60.7
39.2 27.7
37.1 31.4
Ver y
satisfied
55.0 58.8
43.6 79.1
Smwt
satisfied
31.7 8.9
48.2 36.6
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
1 2 to 5 6 to 10 More than 10 None At least one Yes No
Number of Employees (QD1) Employees Outside Lake
Forest (QD2)
Home-Based Business
% Respondents
41 Specific Services: Resident Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 27
City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S PECIFIC S ERVICES : R ESIDENT
S URVEY
Whereas Question 5 of the resident survey addressed the City of Lake Forest’s overall perfor- mance, the next series of questions aske d respondents to rate the importance of specific ser- vices offered by the City, as well as their level of satisfaction with efforts to provide these services. For each service, respondents were as ked if they thought a service was extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. Respondents were then asked about their satisfaction with these same services. To minimize respondent fatigue that can occur with lengthy lists in a survey, the servic es were divided by department. Within department lists, the order of the items was randomized to avoid a systematic position bias. Because the list of services presented to residents was somewhat different than that presented to businesses, the results are displayed separately for the two gr oups. This section of the report presents the results for the resident survey; results for the business survey are discussed in the next section.
POLICE SERVICES Figure 21 presents the services provided by the Police Department sorted in order of importance according to the percentage of respondents who rated a service as at least very important. Overall, residents rated maintaining a low crime rate as the most impor- tant service (94% extremely or very important), followed by investigating criminal activity (94%) and preparing for emergencies (90%). At the other end of the spectrum, providing animal control services (62%) was viewed as less important. Table 7 on the next page displays the percentage of respondents who viewed each service as extremely or very important from 2021 to 2023, as well as the difference between the two studies. There were statistically significant increases in the level of importance placed on half of the polic e services during this period, with the largest found for providing animal control services (+8%).
Question 6: Resident Survey Now, I'm going to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forest's Police Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 21 IMPORTANCE OF POLICE SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY
78.5 71.3
55.3 45.4
43.7 40.3
37.8 30.0
15.7 22.2
34.4 34.8
33.2 33.7
31.6 32.3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintaining a low crime rate
Investigating criminal activity
Preparing for emergencies
Providing child safety programs
Providing crossing guards near schools
Enforcing traffic laws
Providing neighborhood watch programs
Providing animal control services
Q6eQ6bQ6fQ6cQ6gQ6dQ6aQ6h
% Respondents
Extremely important Very important
42 Specific Services: Resident Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 28City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE 7 IMPORTANCE OF POLICE SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
Turning to the satisfaction component, Figure 22 sorts the same list of services according to the percentage of respondents who said they were either very or so mewhat satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide the service. To allow for an apples-to-apples comparison of the satisfaction rat- ings, only respondents who provided an opinion (either satisfied or dissatisfied) are included in Figure 22—those who did not have an opinion we re removed from this analysis. The percentage who held an opinion for each service is shown to the right of the service label in brackets. Thus, for example, among the 80% of respondents who expressed an opinion about the Department’s efforts to provide crossing guards near schools, 57% were very satisfied and 36% were somewhat satisfied. This reporting convention is followed for all departments for the resident and business surveys.
Question 7: Resident Survey For the same list of services I just read, I'd like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide the service. Are you sat- isfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 22 SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY Satisfaction was high for all police services tested. Overall, respondents were most satisfied with the Department’s efforts to provide crossing guards near schools (93% very or somewhat satis- fied), prepare for emergencies (87%), provide animal control services (86%), and provide child safety programs (85%). Table 8 on the next page shows how the 2023 results compare with the 2021 study and reveals there was a statistically significant increase in satisfaction with efforts to prepare for emergencies (+6%) and a decline in satisfaction with enforcing traffic laws (-7%). 2023 2021 2018
Providing animal control services 62.3 54.2 52.8 +8.1†
Enforcing traffic laws 73.9 67.9 72.3 +6.0†
Providing crossing guards near schools 76.9 71.8 73.1 +5.1† Providing child safety programs 80.2 75.6 72.6 +4.6†
Providing neighborhood watch programs 69.3 68.0 64.4 +1.4 Preparing for emergencies 89.8 90.0 86.7 -0.2
Maintaining a low crime rate 94.2 94.6 95.9 -0.4
Investigating criminal activity 93.5 94.6 93.9 -1.0
Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
Study Year
57.2 39.6
33.0 34.1
37.2 33.0
29.3 24.8
35.9 47.8
52.6 51.1
45.1 46.7
50.2 52.3
3.8 10.5
10.1 14.3
14.0 18.0
10.6 12.4
4.8 5.3
6.5 6.0
4.2 4.3
2 3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Provide crossing guards near schools [80%]
Prepare for emergencies [75%]
Provide animal control services [71%]
Provide child safety programs [63%]
Maintain a low crime rate [90%]
Investigate criminal activity [75%]
Enforce traffic laws [87%]
Provide neighborhood watch programs [67%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 43 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TABLE 8 SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT Figure 23 presents the services provided by the Development Services Department sorted by order of importance according to the percent- age of residents who rated a service as at least very important. Overall, residents rated inspect- ing buildings as the most important service provided by the Department (67%), followed by issuing building permits (61%), enforcing zoning regulations (59%), and enforcing sign regula- tions (55%). When compared with 2021, there was a statistically significant increase in the per- ceived importance of issuing building permits (+7%, see Table 9).
Question 8: Resident Survey Now, I'm going to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forest's Development Services Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 23 IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 9 IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies. 2023 2021 2018
Prepare for emergencies 87.4 81.3 84.3 +6.1†
Investigate criminal activity 79.7 77.2 85.5 +2.5
Provide neighborhood watch programs 77.1 75.3 81.6 +1.8 Maintain a low crime rate 82.3 82.1 86.7 +0.2
Provide animal control services 85.6 86.0 87.0 -0.4
Provide crossing guards near schools 93.1 96.1 94.6 -3.0 Provide child safety programs 85.2 88.5 91.4 -3.3
Enforce traffic laws 79.5 86.5 82.9 -7.0†
Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
31.9 26.9
28.3 24.3
35.0 34.4
30.6 30.9
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Inspecting buildings
Issuing building permits
Enforcing zoning regulations
Enforcing sign regulations
Q8bQ8aQ8cQ8d
% Respondents
Extremely important Very important
2023 2021 2018
Issuing building permits 61.3 54.7 57.9 +6.6†
Inspecting buildings 66.9 62.5 67.2 +4.4
Enforcing sign regulations 55.2 51.3 50.4 +3.9
Enforcing zoning regulations 58.9 58.8 59.3 +0.2
Study Year Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
44 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Figure 24 presents residents’ satisfaction with the same list of services provided by the Develop- ment Services Department. Satisfaction rati ngs assigned to the four development services ranged from a low of 77% for enforcing zoning regulations to a high of 87% for inspecting build- ings. There were no statistically significant changes between the 2021 and 2023 studies (see Table 10). Table 11 displays satisfaction amon g residents who reported that they had (or had not) personally used services offered by the De partment in the past year. Satisfaction with enforcing zoning regulations was the biggest differentiator between the two groups.
Question 9: Resident Survey Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion?
FIGURE 24 SATISFACTION WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 10 SATISFACTION WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR TABLE 11 SATISFACTION WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY INTERACTED WITH DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN PAST YEAR
Whereas most departments in the City that directly serve the public primarily interact with resi- dents, customers of the Development Services D epartment are, for the most part, businesses.
One question of interest to the study was whether a respondent had interacted with the Develop- ment Services Department during the past year. As shown in Figure 25 on the next page, just 10% of residents surveyed indicated that they ha d interacted with the Department during the 12 months prior to the survey in 2023, which is statistically comparable to the finding from 2021.
29.2 28.8
21.2 23.9
57.9 52.9
59.2 52.8
9.7 12.2
13.5 6.0
15.8 3
7.5 6.0
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Inspect buildings [46%]
Issue building permits [50%]
Enforce sign regulations [50%]
Enforce zoning regulations [47%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 2023 2021 2018
Inspect buildings 87.1 86.1 86.6 +1.0
Issue building permits 81.8 81.2 76.0 +0.6
Enforce zoning regulations 76.6 79.1 73.9 -2.5
Enforce sign regulations 80.4 83.6 85.6 -3.1
Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
Yes No
Issue building permits 83.3 82.4 +0.8
Inspect buildings 88.8 88.0 +0.8
Enforce sign regulations 76.1 78.3 -2.2
Enforce zoning regulations 73.3 82.5 -9.3
Interacted With Development Difference in
Satisfaction
45 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 10: Resident Survey In the past year, have you applied for a building permit, received a building inspection, requested code en forcement, or used any of the other services offered by Lake Forest's Development Services Department? FIGURE 25 INTERACTED WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR When compared with their respective counterpar ts, interaction with the Development Services Department over the past year was most frequently reported by residents at least 40 years of age and home owners (see Figure 26).
FIGURE 26 INTERACTED WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AGE, AREA OF CITY &
HOME OWNER
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Figure 27 on the next page presents the importance that residents assigned to ten services provided by the Public Works Department, sorted in order of importance. Overall, maintaining local streets and roads was viewed as the most important ser- vice (97%), followed by garbage collection services (95%), and maintaining parks and picnic areas (91%). When compared with 2021, there were statistically significant increases in the perceived
10.6 14.4 11.9 8.1 9.7 10.2 7.5 11.4
89.4 85.6 88.1 91.9 90.3 89.8 92.5 88.6
9.6 90.4
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006
Study Y ear
% Respondents
No interaction
with dept
Yes, had
interaction with
dept
10.8 11.2
10.4 8.2
9.8 12.6
4.24.7 7.1
11.4 12.5
0 5
10 15
20 18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Yes No Age Area of City Home Owner
% Respondents That Used Dev Services
Department Services in Past Year
46 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
importance of two services: reducing traffic congestion (+6%) and maintaining public landscapes (+4%) (see Table 12).
Question 11: Resident Survey Next, I'd like to ask about several services provided by the Pub- lic Works Department. For each of the following, please tell me whether the service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 27 IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 12 IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC WOKS SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
Figure 28 on the next page presents the levels of satisfaction with the same list of ten services provided by the Public Works D epartment. Residents were most satisfied with the Department’s efforts to provide garbage collection services (92%), maintain public landscapes (88%), and main- tain trees (87%). Table 13 on the next page shows how the measured sa tisfaction with Public Works services differed between the 2021 and 202 3 surveys, with two statistically significant declines (reduce traffic congestion: -6% and main tain parks and picnic areas: -5%) during this period.
67.2 61.2
56.4 59.4
48.3 45.3
47.9 43.4
36.8 48.1
30.2 34.0
34.7 29.8
36.1 39.0
35.9 35.1
40.5 29.1
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintaining local streets and roads
Garbage collection services
Maintaining parks and picnic areas
Reducing traffic congestion
Preventing storm-water pollution
Maintaining public landscapes
Maintaining trees
Recycling services
Street sweeping
Providing bike paths and pedestrian facilities
Q11eQ11iQ11gQ11dQ11cQ11hQ11bQ11jQ11aQ11f
% Respondents
Extremely important Very important
2023 2021 2018
Reducing traffic congestion 89.2 82.8 86.5 +6.4†
Maintaining public landscapes 84.3 80.1 75.6 +4.3†
Street sweeping 77.3 73.5 68.5 +3.8
Maintaining local streets and roads 97.3 93.9 95.2 +3.4 Maintaining parks and picnic areas 91.1 88.8 85.9 +2.3
Maintaining trees 83.8 82.7 79.6 +1.0
Providing garbage collection services 95.2 94.7 93.1 +0.5 Preventing storm-water pollution 84.4 84.4 81.9 +0.1
Providing recycling services 78.6 81.4 74.2 -2.8
Providing bike paths and pedestrian facilities 77.2 80.3 72.5 -3.2 Study Year Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 12: Resident Survey Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion?
FIGURE 28 SATISFACTION WITH PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 13 SATISFACTION WITH PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT In a format identical to that used in questions 6, 8, and 11, Question 13 asked residents to in dicate the level of importance they associated with services provided by the Community Services Department. Figure 29 on the next page pres- ents each of the services tested, sorted by order of importance.
Residents assigned the highest importance to addressing homelessness (90%), distantly followed by providing special events like concerts in the park and the Fourth of July Parade (69%), provid- ing recreation programs for special needs childr en (68%), and providing recreation and sports programs for teens (68%). Comparatively, providing adult sports programs (48%) was viewed as less important. There was one statistically significant change from 2021 to 2023 among the 12 community services, a 6 percentag e point increase in the impor tance of providing summer-spe- cific recreation programs, such as camps (see Table 14 on next page).
54.6 40.2
39.2 43.3
43.9 38.7
36.8 31.4
33.9 19.8
36.9 47.8
48.2 43.2
42.5 46.3
46.8 50.6
47.9 44.1
5.3 8.1
9.1 10.9
11.3 14
11.4 24.8
9.2 10.4
3.8 3.3
5.2 4.1
4.3 3.6
3.9 3
6.9 11.3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Provide garbage collection services [95%]
Maintain public landscapes [96%]
Maintain trees [95%]
Provide street sweeping services [90%]
Maintain parks and picnic areas [95%]
Provide recycling services [90%]
Provide bike paths and pedestrian facilities [91%]
Prevent storm-water pollution [72%]
Maintain local streets and roads [97%]
Reduce traffic congestion [93%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 2023 2021 2018
Provide street sweeping services 86.5 83.4 86.4 +3.1
Provide recycling services 84.9 83.2 89.0 +1.7
Maintain trees 87.4 87.9 88.0 -0.6
Maintain local streets and roads 81.8 83.5 83.7 -1.7
Provide garbage collection services 91.6 93.4 96.8 -1.9 Maintain public landscapes 88.1 91.0 88.4 -2.9
Provide bike paths and pedestrian facilities 83.6 87.0 84.6 -3.5 Prevent storm-water pollution 82.0 86.0 88.2 -4.0
Maintain parks and picnic areas 86.3 91.2 89.5 -4.8†
Reduce traffic congestion 63.9 70.2 57.2 -6.3†
Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
48 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 13: Resident Survey Next I'd like to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forest's Community Services Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 29 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 14 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
When asked about their satisfaction with the same list of services (Figure 30 on the next page), at least three-quarters of residents who held an opinion indicated that they were satisfied with 11 of the 12 services tested. Residents expressed the highest levels of satisfaction with the Department’s efforts to provide recreation and sports programs for elementary school-aged chil- dren (87%), provide recreation programs for pre-school children (86%), provide recreation and sports programs for teens (86%), and provide recreation programs for seniors (86%). Residents
73.5 39.8
40.8 39.7
36.2 35.3
36.2 32.3
33.0 29.9
30.8 25.6
16.1 29.2
27.2 28.2
28.9 27.0
26.0 27.8
26.6 25.5
23.0 22.3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Addressing homelessness
Providing special events, concerts in the park, Fourth of July Parade Providing recreation programs for special needs children Providing recreation and sports programs for teens
Providing rec, sports programs for elementary school-aged children Prov iding summer-specific recreation programs such as camps Providing after school recreation programs
Providing recreation programs for seniors
Providing recreation programs for families
Providing adult rec programs such as classes, concerts, trips Providing recreation programs for pre-school children
Providing adult sports programs
Q13lQ13iQ13jQ13dQ13cQ13kQ13aQ13gQ13hQ13eQ13bQ13f
% Respondents
Extrem ely important Very important
2023 2021 2018
Providing summer-specific rec programs 62.3 56.6 54.8 +5.7† Providing adult rec programs 55.4 50.6 46.2 +4.8
Providing special events like concerts in the park 68.9 65.2 62.9 +3.7 Providing adult sports programs 47.8 45.1 37.4 +2.8
Providing recreation programs for families 59.6 57.2 55.0 +2.4 Providing after school recreation programs 62.2 60.3 60.0 +1.9 Providing rec, sports for elementary children 65.1 63.9 64.3 +1.3 Providing rec, sports for teens 67.9 66.8 68.2 +1.1
Providing recreation programs for preschoolers 53.7 52.6 49.6 +1.1 Providing recreation programs for seniors 60.1 60.3 59.1 -0.2 Providing rec programs for special needs children 68.1 70.7 70.6 -2.7 Addressing homelessness 89.6 N/A N/A N/A
Study Year Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
49 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
were notably less satisfied with the Department ’s efforts to address homelessness (52%). When compared with the 2021 results, there was a statistically significant increase in satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide recreation programs for special needs children (+7%, see Table 15).
Question 14: Resident Survey Now I'd like to know how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide each of the se rvices. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 30 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY TABLE 15 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
New to the 2023 survey, respondents were asked whether there were any park amenities or rec- reation facilities that they would like to see ad ded or improved within the City. As shown in Fig- ure 31 on the next page, 38% of respondents answ ered Question 15 in the affirmative, whereas 26% did not desire any additions or improvem ents, 34% were unsure, and 2% preferred not to answer.
35.3 29.3
35.4 33.7
31.7 37.6
34.4 29.6
27.5 28.3
28.3 14.3
51.7 57.1
50.3 51.9
53.4 46.9
50.0 53.0
55.0 52.3
50.7 37.2
10.1 9.3
11.2 12.2
11.3 3
12 14.7
13.7 16.7
29.0 10.9
10.2 5.8
4.3 19.5
5.7 4.6
4.3 3.3
3.5 3
4.3 3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Provide rec, sports programs for elementary school-aged children [57%] Provide recreation programs for pre-school children [50%] Provide recreation and sports programs for teens [55%]
Provide recreation programs for seniors [54%]
Provide summer-specific recreation programs such as camps [53%] Provide special events like concerts in park, Fourth of July Parade [75%] Provide after school recreation programs [56%]
Provide recreation programs for special needs children [46%] Provide recreation programs for families [56%]
Provide adult sports programs [56%]
Provide adult rec programs such as classes, concerts and trips [58%] Address homelessness [77%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Som ewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 2023 2021 2018
Provide rec programs for special needs children 82.6 75.2 85.0 +7.4† Provide adult sports programs 80.5 76.5 75.6 +4.1
Provide recreation programs for seniors 85.6 81.9 84.2 +3.7 Provide recreation programs for preschoolers 86.4 82.9 88.0 +3.5 Provide rec, sports for teens 85.6 82.3 82.1 +3.3
Provide summer-specific rec programs 85.2 83.6 86.1 +1.5 Provide after school recreation programs 84.4 83.4 85.0 +1.0 Provide rec, sports for elementary children 87.0 86.1 89.0 +0.9 Providing special events like concerts in the park 84.5 83.7 88.4 +0.8 Provide recreation programs for families 82.5 81.8 80.9 +0.8 Provide adult rec programs 79.0 80.5 76.5 -1.5
Address homelessness 51.5 N/A N/A N/A
Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
50 Specific Services: Resident Survey
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 15: Resident Survey Is there a park amenity or recr eation facility you would like to see added or improved in the City of Lake Forest?
FIGURE 31 DESIRE PARK, AMENITY, REC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS Compared with their subgroup counterparts, re sidents with a household income of $60,000 to $79,999 or $100,000 or more, those 30 to 39 years of age, residents of Area 2, those who described their ethnic background as mixed/othe r, and respondents with a child in the home were more likely to indicate a desire for a park amenity or recreation facility improvement (fig- ures 32-34).
FIGURE 32 DESIRE PARK, AMENITY, REC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Prefer not to
answer
1.7 Not sure
34.4 Desire park
amenity, rec
facility
improvements
37.5 Do not desire
park amenity,
rec facility
improvements
26.3 22.1
28.5 38.7
30.3 38.7
40.939.6
35.1 37.7
34.3 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
Fewer
than 5
5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or
mo re
Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents Who Desire Park, Amenity,
Rec Facility Improvements
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 33 DESIRE PARK, AMENITY, REC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 34 DESIRE PARK, AMENITY, REC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN HOME & HOME OWNER
Respondents who indicated that they had an intere st in an additional park amenity or recreation f a c i l i t y i n Q u e s t i o n 1 6 w e r e n e x t a s k e d t o b r i efly describe it. This qu estion was posed in an open-ended manner, allowing respondents to me ntion any item without being prompted by, or limited to, a list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 35 on the next page.
Among the specific responses, providing more pickleball courts was the most frequently cited park and recreation improvement at 11%, followed by providing more/improving maintenance of public restrooms (9%), adding more bike/walking trails and paths (8%), additional lighting at parks/courts (7%), providing a public pool (6%), and improving public safety at/near parks and recreation facilities (6%). Eight percent (8%) of the respondents who indicated a desire for a park and recreation improvement could not provide any specific suggestions when asked.
26.3 27.4
44.6 38.2 38.940.3
49.8 33.8
39.2 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents Who Desire Park, Amenity,
Rec Facility Improvements
39.5 33.5
46.5 33.3
39.5 34.035.8
39.3 39.9
46.9 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
Caucasian /
White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner
% Respondents Who Desire Park, Amenity,
Rec Facility Improvements
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 16: Resident Survey Please briefly describe the one park amenity or recreation facil- ity you would most like to see added or improved in the City of Lake Forest.
FIGURE 35 PARK, AMENITY OR REC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS DESIRED DIFFERENTIATORS OF OPINION: RESIDENT SURVEY For the interested reader, Table 16 on the next page displays how the level of satisfaction with each specific service tested in questions 7, 9, 12, and 14 varied according to residents’ overall performance ratings for the City (see Overall Performance Rating on page 23). The table divides residents who were satisfied with the City’s overall performance into one group and those dissa tisfied into a second group.
Also displayed is the difference between the tw o groups in terms of the percentage who indi- cated they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide each service tested (far right column).
For convenience, the services are sorted by that difference, with the greatest differentiators of opinion near the top of the table.
When compared with their counterparts, those who were satisfied with the City’s overall perfor- mance in providing city services were also more likely to express satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide every service tested. That said, the greatest specific differentiators of opinion between satisfied and dissatisfied residents were found with respect to the City’s efforts to main- tain a low crime rate, provide neighborhood watch programs, investigate criminal activity, and provide animal control services.
11.4 8.9
8.2 8.1
6.7 6.4
6.2 5.3
5.3 5.0
5.0 3.3
3.2 3.1
3.0 2.4
2.4 2.2
1.9 1.9
1.6 1.6
5.1 4.2
0 5 10 15
Provide more pickle ball courts
Provide, improve public restrooms, maintenance
Provide, add more bike, walking trails, paths
Not sure / Nothing comes to mind
Prov ide more lighting at parks, courts
Provide a public pool
Improve public safety at, near parks, rec facilities
Update, improve parks in general
Provide more tennis, racquetball courts
Provide, maintain playgrounds, swings
Provide water pads, play areas, an aquatic facility
Provide, improve dog park, dog waste bags
Provide, improve sports fields
Provide, improve basketball courts
Provide BBQ, picnic areas, shades
Add more parks, sports, nature, open space areas
Provide more events, outdoor activities for all ages
Provide drinking water fountains
Provide frisbee, golf course
Improve Lake Forest Sports Park
Provide workout, exercise equipment
Improve Heroes Park
Improv e Cherry Park
Improve Foothill Ranch Park
% Respondents Who Desire Park, Amenity, Rec Facility Improvements 53 Specific Services: Resident Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 39City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
At the other end of the spectrum, there was much less difference between the two resident groups regarding their satisfaction with the Ci ty’s efforts to provide crossing guards near schools, recycling services, and bike paths and pedestrian facilities.
TABLE 16 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES BY OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH CITY: RESIDENT SURVEY Very or somewhat
satisfied
Very or somewhat
dissatisfied
Maintain a low crime rate 88.4 36.4 52.0
Provide neighborhood watch programs 83.7 32.0 51.7
Investigate criminal activity 86.2 39.0 47.2
Provide animal control services 91.6 49.5 42.0
Inspect buildings 91.8 51.6 40.2
Maintain local streets and roads 86.6 46.5 40.1
Enforce sign regulations 86.1 46.1 40.0
Address homelessness 56.7 17.8 38.9
Enforce zoning regulations 82.1 43.3 38.8
Reduce traffic congestion 69.0 30.8 38.2
Provide recreation programs for special needs children 87.8 50.3 37.5 Prepare for emergencies 92.1 54.7 37.4
Provide summer-specific recreation programs such as camps 89.2 54.2 35.0 Enforce traffic laws 84.1 49.5 34.6
Prevent storm-water pollution 86.8 52.2 34.5
Provide child safety programs 89.2 54.7 34.4
Provide recreation programs for seniors 90.5 56.9 33.6
Provide adult rec programs such as classes, concerts, trips 84.0 50.5 33.5 Provide street sweeping services 90.7 57.9 32.8
Provide adult sports programs 84.8 52.6 32.2
Provide after school recreation programs 88.6 57.0 31.6 Issue building permits 84.9 55.0 30.0
Provide recreation programs for families 86.9 57.7 29.2 Provide recreation and sports programs for teens 89.5 60.4 29.1 Maintain public landscapes 91.9 62.9 29.1
Provide rec, sports programs for elementary children 90.8 62.5 28.3 Maintain trees 90.8 62.5 28.3
Maintain parks and picnic areas 90.4 62.7 27.6
Provide special events like concerts in park 87.6 63.4 24.2 Provide recreation programs for pre-school children 89.4 67.6 21.8 Provide garbage collection services 94.7 73.8 20.9
Provide bike paths and pedestrian facilities 86.3 68.1 18.3 Provide recycling services 87.5 70.7 16.8
Provide crossing guards near schools 95.5 79.2 16.3
Satisfaction With Difference Between
Groups For Each
Service
% Respondents Satisfied With Each Service
54 Specific Services: Business Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 40
City of Lake Forest
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S PECIFIC S ERVICES : B USINESS S URVEY
Participants in the business survey were also aske d to rate the importance of specific services offered by the City of Lake Forest, as well as indicate their level of satisfaction with the City’s cur- rent efforts to provide each se rvice. Although some services appear in both the resident and business surveys (e.g., maintaining a low crime rate), the list of services tested with the business community was appropriately tailored to the audience and included services not tested with res- idents, such as providing business networking events and business consulting services. Because the list tested with the business community was considerably shorter than that used in the resi- dent survey, the following figures present the results for services that span several departments.
Figure 36 provides the importance ratings assigned to each of the services tested in the first list, which can be loosely categorized as general city services. Overall, the business community rated maintaining a low crime rate as the most important of the services tested (95% extremely or very important), followed by investigating criminal activity (88%), revitalizing outdated areas in the City (66%), and promoting economic developmen t (66%). At the other end of the spectrum, respondents generally viewed the City providing employee hiring or training services (28%) as much less important. Table 17 on the next page presents the change in importance assigned to each item tested in 2021 and 2023. During this period, there was only one statistically signifi- cant change: a 10% point increase in the importance assigned to investigating criminal activity.
Question 7: Business Survey Now, I'm going to ask you about a number of specific services provided by the City of Lake Forest. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to your business, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 36 IMPORTANCE OF SELECT SERVICES I: BUSINESS SURVEY
58.7 54.4
23.4 28.8
24.1 22.0
11.7 12.4
13.1 17.5
11.7 9.0
36.6 33.9
42.8 36.9
38.5 30.2
27.3 26.6
25.8 21.3
26.1 17.3
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintaining a low crime rate
Investigating criminal activity
Revitalizing out-dated areas in the City
Promoting economic development
Enforcing traffic laws
Providing building permit services
Providing business networking events
Providing free business consulting services
Providing building inspection services
Providing business watch programs
Providing business education events
Providing hiring or employee training services
Q7dQ7bQ7hQ7gQ7cQ7eQ7jQ7kQ7fQ7aQ7iQ7l
% Respondents
Extrem ely im portant Very important
55 Specific Services: Business Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 41City of Lake Forest
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TABLE 17 IMPORTANCE OF SELECT SERVICES I: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
When asked about satisfaction with the same list of services, the bu siness community was largely satisfied with every service tested (see Figure 37). At the top of the list was providing building inspection services (92% very or somewhat satisfied), followed by promoting economic development (91%), enforcing traffic laws (90%), and providing building permit services (90%).
Among the 12 services tested, there were statistically significant declines in satisfaction with the City’s efforts to revitalize outdated areas in the City (-9%), maintain a low crime rate (-7%), and provide building permit services (-7%) from 2021 to 2023 (see Table 18 on next page).
Question 8: Business Survey For the same list of services I just read, I'd like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide the service. Are you sat- isfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 37 SATISFACTION WITH SELECT SERVICES I: BUSINESS SURVEY 2023 2021 2018
Investigating criminal activity 88.3 78.4 85.2 +9.9†
Revitalizing outdated areas in the City 66.2 61.7 71.8 +4.6 Providing building permit services 52.2 48.6 60.7 +3.6
Enforcing traffic laws 62.6 59.2 65.1 +3.4
Maintaining a low crime rate 95.2 92.1 92.9 +3.1
Providing business education events 37.7 35.8 45.4 +1.9 Providing building inspection services 38.9 40.8 55.6 -2.0 Providing hiring or employee training services 26.4 31.7 31.9 -5.3 Providing free business consulting services 38.9 44.5 43.0 -5.6 Promoting economic development 65.7 71.6 75.9 -5.8
Providing business watch programs 38.8 45.0 49.8 -6.2
Providing business networking events 39.0 46.4 47.0 -7.4 Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
Study Year
37.3 36.2
46.8 49.7
36.3 36.2
29.5 27.3
42.6 36.4
47.8 31.9
54.7 54.3
43.1 40.0
52.5 52.5
58.7 60.6
43.5 49.6
37.5 50.9
6.0 5.9
6.6 10.8
2 2
11.7 10.3
8.4 11.3
10.7 12.3
10.0 10.9
3.5 3.9
4.0 5.9
3.5 2
1 1
1 0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Provide building inspection services [57%]
Promote economic development [74%]
Enforce traffic laws [84%]
Provide building permit services [61%]
Provide business networking events [63%]
Provide business education events [57%]
Provide business watch programs [52%]
Provide hiring or employee training services [46%]
Investigate criminal activity [76%]
Provide free business consulting services [52%]
Maintain a low crime rate [87%]
Revitalize out-dated areas in the City [73%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Som ewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 56 Specific Services: Business Survey
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 42City of Lake Forest
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TABLE 18 SATISFACTION WITH SELECT SERVICES I: BUSINESS SERVICES BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
The second list of services presented to busine ss managers, shown in Fi gure 38, relates mostly to maintaining and improving the City’s infrastructure. When asked to rate the importance they assign to each of these serv ices, members of the business community rated maintaining local streets and roads and addressing homelessness as most important (each 84% extremely or very important), followed by reducing traffic congesti on (73%). As shown in Table 19 on the next page, there were no statistically significant ch anges in the perceived imp ortance of the services between 2021 and 2023.
Question 9: Business Survey Now, I'm going to ask you about a number of specific services provided by the City of Lake Forest. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to your business, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
FIGURE 38 IMPORTANCE OF SELECT SERVICES II: BUSINESS SURVEY 2023 2021 2018
Provide business networking events 88.8 87.3 87.8 +1.5
Provide hiring or employee training services 87.8 86.4 90.9 +1.4 Provide building inspection services 92.0 91.3 96.4 +0.7 Provide business watch programs 88.3 87.7 94.5 +0.6
Promote economic development 90.5 90.8 89.5 -0.2
Enforce traffic laws 89.9 92.2 92.2 -2.3
Investigate criminal activity 86.1 89.3 93.1 -3.2
Provide free business consulting services 86.0 89.5 90.4 -3.5 Provide business education events 88.7 93.3 93.8 -4.6
Provide building permit services 89.7 96.2 95.1 -6.5†
Maintain a low crime rate 85.3 92.0 91.1 -6.7†
Revitalize outdated areas in the City 82.8 91.5 84.8 -8.8† Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
38.1 48.6
33.6 22.1
18.0 17.8
14.1 46.2
35.2 39.1
43.5 41.7
37.8 34.2
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintaining local streets and roads
Addressing homelessness
Reducing traffic congestion
Landscaping median strips and other areas of the City
Street sweeping
Enforcing zoning regulations
Enforcing sign regulations
Q9eQ9gQ9dQ9fQ9cQ9aQ9b
% Respondents
Extremely important Very important
57 Specific Services: Business Survey
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TABLE 19 IMPORTANCE OF SELECT SERVICES II: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Figure 39 presents the overall levels of satisfaction for the same list of infrastructure and com- munity services tested in the previous question. Satisfaction was greatest with respect to the City’s efforts to maintain local streets and roads (93%), enforce zoning regulations (93%), and provide street sweeping services (92%). Although still positive, the business community was less satisfied with efforts to address homelessness (69%). As shown in Table 20, there was a statisti- cally significant decline in satisfaction with the City’s efforts to landscape median strips and other areas of the City between 2021 and 2023.
Question 10: Business Survey Turning to your satisfaction wi th these same services, would you say that you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _ ____, or do you not have an opinion?
FIGURE 39 SATISFACTION WITH SELECT SERVICES II: BUSINESS SURVEY TABLE 20 SATISFACTION WITH SELECT SERVICES II: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies. 2023 2021 2018
Reducing traffic congestion 72.7 68.1 74.3 +4.6
Enforcing zoning regulations 55.6 53.4 56.5 +2.2
Enforcing sign regulations 48.3 46.8 51.8 +1.5
Maintaining local streets and roads 84.4 83.3 83.7 +1.1 Landscaping median strips and other areas of the City 65.6 65.7 56.1 -0.1 Street sweeping 59.7 64.2 59.8 -4.5
Addressing homelessness 83.8 N/A N/A N/A
Change in
Extremely + Very
Important
2021 to 2023
Study Year
48.6 41.8
49.3 47.0
35.8 28.5
23.8 44.6
51.2 42.3
43.2 53.7
55.2 45.5
5.2 5.2
6.2 12.2
2 7.4
8.1 17.5
2 13.2
4.2 2
2 2
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintain local streets and roads [90%]
Enforce zoning regulations [62%]
Provide street sweeping services [80%]
Landscape median strips and other areas of the City [87%] Enforce sign regulations [72%]
Reduce traffic congestion [84%]
Address homelessness [78%]
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 2023 2021 2018
Reduce traffic congestion 83.6 83.5 80.7 +0.1
Enforce zoning regulations 92.9 93.0 89.1 -0.1
Provide street sweeping services 91.6 93.1 94.6 -1.5
Maintain local streets and roads 93.2 95.7 95.7 -2.5
Enforce sign regulations 89.5 92.6 90.9 -3.1
Landscape median strips and other areas of the City 90.2 95.9 96.4 -5.7† Address homelessness 69.3 N/A N/A N/A
Change in
Satisfaction
2021 to 2023
Study Year
58 Performance Needs & Priorities
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P ERFORMANCE N EEDS & P RIORITIES
With a measure of the importance of a service to respondents as well as a measure of satisfac- tion with the City’s efforts to provide the service, True North is able to examine the relationship between these two dimensions and identify service areas where the City has the greatest oppor- tunities to improve overall satisfaction—as well as identify for which services the City is meeting, and even exceeding, the vast majority of residents’ and businesses’ needs.
Rather than rely on averages to conduct this analysis, True North has developed an individual- ized approach to identifying priorities. This appr oach is built on the recognition that opinions will vary from resident to resident (and busi ness to business) and that understanding this varia- tion is required for assessing how well the City is meeting the needs of its constituents. 1 Table 21 on the next page presents a grid based on th e importance and satisfac tion scales. The hori- zontal axis corresponds to the four importance options, and the vertical scale corresponds to the four satisfaction options. The 16 cells within the grid are grouped into one of following six categories based on how well the City is meeting, or not meeting, needs for a particular service.
Exceeding Needs The City is exceeding a respondent’s needs if a respondent is satisfied and the level of expressed satisfaction is higher than the importance the respondent assigned to the service.
Meeting Needs, Moder-
ately
The City is moderately meeting a re spondent’s needs if the respondent is satisfied and the level of satisfaction is commensurate with the level of importance assigned to the service.
Meeting Needs, Margin-
ally
The City is marginally meeting a respondent’s needs if the respondent is satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide the service, but their level of satisfaction is lower than the level of importance assigned to the service.
Not Meeting Needs, Mar-
ginally
The City is marginally not meeting a respondent’s needs if the respon- dent is somewhat dissatisfied, but the service is also viewed as just somewhat or not too important.
Not Meeting Needs, Mod-
erately
The City is moderately not meeting a respondent’s needs if a) a respon- dent is very dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to provide the service, but the service is viewed just somewhat or not too important, or b) a respon- dent is somewhat dissatisfied and th e service is viewed as very impor- tant.
Not Meeting Needs,
Severely
The City is severely not meeting a respondent’s needs if a) a respondent is dissatisfied and the service is view ed as extremely important, or b) a respondent is very dissatisfied and the service is viewed as very impor- tant.
1. Any tool that relies solely on the opinions of the average respondent will provide a limited and occasionally dis- torted picture of how well an agency is performing. The simple fact is that a City is not comprised of average resi- dents or business managers—it is comprised of unique in dividuals who vary in their opinions of the City’s performance in different service areas. Thus, although the arithmetic average of these individuals’ opinions is a use- ful statistic, it does not capture the variation in opinions that occurs among residents, and it is this variation that is critical for truly assessing how well the City is meeting the needs of its constituents. 59 Performance Needs & Priorities
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TABLE 21 NEEDS & PRIORITY MATRIX
Using this framework, True North categorized ea ch respondent individually for each of the ser- vices tested in the study. Thus, for example, a respondent who indicated that reducing traffic congestion was somewhat important and they were very satisfied with the City’s efforts in this service area would be categorized in the exceeding needs group for this service. The same respondent may be grouped in the marginally not meeting needs group for another service— e.g., enforcing zoning regulation s—if they were somewhat dissati sfied with the City’s efforts to provide the service, but the service was viewed as only somewhat important.
Figure 40 on the following page presents each of the 34 services tested among residents, along with the percentage of respondents who were gr ouped into each of the six possible categories.
Figure 41 on page 47 provides the same inform ation for the 19 services tested among the busi- ness community. For ease of interpretation, the co lor-coding in both figures is consistent with that presented in Table 21 above. Thus, for example, in the service area of addressing homeless- ness, the City is exceeding the needs of 1% of residents, moderately meeting the needs of 17% of residents, marginally meeting the needs of 33% of residents, marginally not meeting the needs of 2% of residents, moderately not meeting the needs of 5% of residents, and severely not meet- ing the needs of 41% of residents.
For the majority of services tested, the City is meeting the needs of at least 84% of residents and 89% of businesses. Operating from the management philosophy that, all other things being equal, the City should focus on improving those services that have the highest percentage of res- idents and businesses for wh ich the City is currently not meeting their needs, the services have been sorted in order of priority in figures 40 and 41. Addressing homelessness is the top priority for improvement among residents, followed by reducing traffic congestion, enforcing zoning regulations, providing neighborhood watch prog rams, and providing adult recreation programs such as classes, concerts, and trips. Among bu sinesses, addressing ho melessness, revitalizing outdated areas in the City, reducing traffic congestion, maintaining a low crime rate, and investi- gating criminal activity topped the list.
Not too
important
Somewhat
important
Very
important
Extremely
important
Very satisfied Exceeding needs Exceeding needs Meeting needs, moderately
Meeting needs,
moderately
Somewhat satisfied Exceeding needs Meeting needs,
moderately
Meeting needs,
marginally
Meeting needs,
marginally
Somewhat dissatisfied Not meeting
needs, marginally
Not meeting
needs, marginally
Not meeting
needs, moderately
Not meeting
needs, severely
Very dissatisfied Not meeting
needs, moderately
Not meeting
needs, moderately
Not meeting
needs, severely
Not meeting
needs, severely
Importance
Satisfaction
60 Performance Needs & Priorities
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FIGURE 40 SERVICE NEEDS: RESIDENT SURVEY
8 1
5 5
6 5
2 11
12 7
4 9
5 6
8 8
7 6
7 2
4 1
6 7
9 2
10 8
5 6
3 1
57 56
45 41
43 40
44 46
47 36
38 43
39 36
44 41
40 43
38 36
37 34
34 40
35 42
34 32
39 34
38 22
17 28
34 38
44 39
42 38
31 37
39 35
36 40
37 45
35 35
36 34
39 39
43 44
47 36
39 29
44 38
32 39
33 38
33 1
1 3
1 2
4 0
2 5
4 4
0 2
6 2
6 1
2 2
2 4
4 4
4 4
5 4
5 3
3 5
6 1
6 3
4 4
6 3
6 6
7 3
7 5
8 7
9 11
8 7
8 8
8 9
9 8
10 13
11 8
16 10
15 9
11 10
17 13
9 14
15 28
41 3
9 0
1 3
1 2
1 3
3 0
3 1
1 1
0 1
3 1
3 4
3 2
3 3
9 5
6 9
8 0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Providing crossing guards near schools
Garbage collection services
Maintaining public landscapes
Preparing for emergencies
Maintaining trees
Inspecting buildings
Prov iding rec, sports for elementary school-aged children Street sweeping
Maintaining parks and picnic areas
Prov iding recreation programs for pre-school children
Providing animal control services
Providing recreation programs for seniors
Providing recreation and sports programs for teens
Providing summer-specific rec programs such as camps
Providing child safety programs
Recycling services
Providing special events, concerts in the park
Providing after school recreation programs
Providing bike paths and pedestrian facilities
Providing recreation programs for special needs children Providing recreation programs for families
Maintaining a low crime rate
Preventing storm-water pollution
Maintaining local streets and roads
Issuing building permits
Enforcing sign regulations
Providing adult sports programs
Investigating criminal activity
Enforcing traffic laws
Providing adult rec programs such as classes, concerts
Providing neighborhood watch programs
Enforcing zoning regulations
Reducing traffic congestion
Addressing homelessness
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Exceeding needs
Meeting needs
mo derately
Meeting needs
marginally
Not meeting needs
marginally
Not meeting needs
mo derately
Not meeting needs
severely
61 Performance Needs & Priorities
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FIGURE 41 SERVICE NEEDS: BUSINESS SURVEY
7 18
26 10
16 17
23 17
24 24
28 21
3 1
13 8
5 47
43 41
51 45
49 44
48 39
40 44
44 44
45 48
24 39
23 39
31 25
25 35
26 29
25 28
32 21
20 17
22 38
36 47
35 42
1 1
2 2
3 2
4 5
4 6
2 3
3 5
5 4
1 5
2 3
4 0
2 3
4 7
10 11
8 10
24 17
16 3
3 2
3 1
5 4
5 2
1 4
7 4
4 4
4 1
1 4
6 5
2 1
3 3
4 0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Maintaining local streets and roads
Enforcing zoning regulations
Providing building inspection services
Street sweeping
Promoting economic development
Providing building permit services
Landscaping median strips and other areas of the City
Enforcing traffic laws
Enforcing sign regulations
Providing business watch programs
Providing business networking events
Providing business education events
Providing hiring or employee training services
Providing free business consulting services
Investigating criminal activity
Maintaining a low crime rate
Reducing traffic congestion
Revitalizing outdated areas in the City
Addressing homelessness
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Exceeding needs
Meeting needs
mo derately
Meeting needs
marginallyNot meeting needs
marginallyNot meeting needs
mo deratelyNot meeting needs
severely
62 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
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City of Lake Forest
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N EIGHBORHOOD I SSUES & O RGANICS
R ECYCLING
To allow the City to track its performance over time, most of the questions included in the 2021 survey were continued from prior surveys. To keep the survey dy namic, however, each cycle the surveys are also modified to include questions on salient topics and/or to help inform particular policy or planning issues of interest at the time. For the 2023 survey of residents, these new questions addressed recycling food scraps in the organics recycling bin.
NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES Research has shown that fear of crime and perceptions of safety can be influenced by factors that—a lthough they are not directly related to crime—when present in a community are suggestive of an unsafe environment. Graffiti, unkempt yards, and excessive noise, for example, are problems that can lead a resident to feel that their neighborhood is not safe. These and other issues—such as recreational vehicles being parked on streets and illegal parking—can also negatively impact property values and the perceived quality of life in an area.
The 2023 survey presented residents with each of the issues shown along the bottom of Figure 42 and asked—for each—whether th e issue is a big problem, moderate problem, small problem, or not a problem in their neighborhood. Among re sidents overall, too many vehicles associated with a single home (40% big or moderate problem) was the most commonly perceived neighbor- hood problem, followed by illegally parked vehicles (34%) and too many people living in a single house (30%). Among the eight issues tested, gara ges that have been converted to living spaces was seen as less of a problem (20%), but also ha d the highest percentage of not sure responses (14%).
Question 17: Resident Survey As I read the following issues, please indicate whether each issue is a big problem, a moderate problem, a small problem, or not a problem in your neighbor- hood.
FIGURE 42 RATING NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES: RESIDENT SURVEY
20.9 16.5 15.6 10.9 11.6 12.2 12.7 11.0
18.8 17.7 14.8
16.0 14.5 13.8 12.0
8.7 15.5 21.8 22.7 24.9
19.5 14.2
47.3 46.0 45.7
49.1 52.4
5.6 7.8 9.9 3.9 5.2 3.4 6.8
13.6 17.8
20.3 44.2
34.5 40.2
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Too many
vehicles for a
single home
Illegally parked
vehicles
Too many
people living in
one house
Graffiti Landscapes
and buildings
not being
properly
maintained
Excessive
noise
Recreational
vehicles parked
on the street for
more than 72
hours at a time
Garages that
have been
conver ted to
living spaces
Q17 Rating neighborhood issues . . .
% Respondents
N ot sure/Prefer not
to answer
Not a pr oblem
Small problem
Moderate problem
Big pr oblem
63 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
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When compared with the 2021 survey findings, there were no statistically significant changes (Table 22).
TABLE 22 RATING NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES BY STUDY YEAR (SHOWING % BIG OR MODERATE PROBLEM): RESIDENT SURVEY
Figure 43 demonstrates that although each of th e issues tested in Question 17 were rated as a big problem by some residents in every area of the City, those liv ing in Area 2 were more likely than their respective counterparts to perceive these issues as big problems in their neighbor- hood. This was especially true for too many people living in one house, too many vehicles for a single home, illegally parked vehicles, and graffiti.
FIGURE 43 RATING NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AREA OF CITY (SHOWING % BIG PROBLEM) ORGANICS RECYCLING New to the 2023 survey, residen ts were informed that new Cali- fornia state regulations require organic waste to be diverted from landfills and recycled as com- post and other renewable energy products to help limit greenhouse gases and combat climate change. As shown in Figure 44 on the next page, approximatel y six-in-ten respondents (61%) were aware of the new requirement to place food scraps in the organics recycling bin along with green waste, whereas one-third (33%) were unaware of it, and 6% were unsure or preferred not to answer the question.
Figures 45-47 show how awareness of the new f ood scrap recycling requirement varied by key demographic subgroups. In general, the highest le vels of awareness were reported by residents who have lived in the city for 10 to 14 years, those with a household income under $40,000 a 2023 2021 2008 2006
Landscapes and buildings not being properly maintained 26.1 22.6 18.1 15.2 +3.5 Too many people living in one house 30.4 27.9 28.6 N/A +2.5 Illegally parked vehicles 34.2 31.9 28.9 N/A +2.3
Graffiti 27.0 26.4 19.3 14.3 +0.5
Excessive noise 26.0 26.5 21.3 25.1 -0.5
Too many vehicles for a single home 39.7 40.9 42.2 N/A -1.2 Recreational vehicles parked on the street for more than 72 hours at a time 24.7 26.0 17.9 25.5 -1.4 Garages that have been converted to living spaces 19.7 21.9 18.4 15.5 -2.2 Change in
Big + Moderate
2021 to 2023
Study Year
10 12
18 10
23 15
21 31
20 26
31 17
8 13
8 13 12
18 20
11 7
13 9 9 8
10 16
7 11
9 11 13
0 10
20 30
40 Graffiti Rec vehicles
parked on st 72+
hrs at a time
Landscapes,
buildings not
being properly
maintained
To o many peo ple
living in one
house
Excessive noise Illegally parked
vehicles
To o many
vehicles for a
single home
Garages that have
been converted
to living spaces
% Big Problem
One Tw o Three Four
64 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 50City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
year, residents 65 years and older, and female respondents. Conversely, respondents with a household income between $40,000 and $79,999, those 18 to 29 years of age, Area 2 residents, and Asian respondents reported much lower than average awareness.
Question 18: Resident Survey Organic waste such as green waste and food scraps creates greenhouse gas as it decomposes in the landfill. To help combat climate change, new California state regulations require organic waste to be dive rted from the landfill and recycled as compost and other renewable energy products. The City provides an organics recycling bin to residents to discard food and yard waste. Prior to taking this survey, were you aware of the new requirement to place food scraps in the organics recycling bin?
FIGURE 44 AWARE OF REQUIREMENTS TO PLACE FOOD SCRAPS IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN FIGURE 45 AWARE OF REQUIREMENTS TO PLACE FOOD SCRAPS IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST
AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Not aware of
requirement to
place food
scraps in
organic
recycling bin
33.1 Aw are of
requirement to
place food
scraps in
organic
recycling bin
61.0 Not sure
4.8 Prefer not to
answer
1.1 74.5
47.1 52.8
65.6 63.9 61.2
55.7 59.9
71.4 61.8
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
more
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents That Are Aware of Requirement t
Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin
65 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 51City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 46 AWARE OF REQUIREMENTS TO PLACE FOOD SCRAPS IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 47 AWARE OF REQUIREMENTS TO PLACE FOOD SCRAPS IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY ETHNICITY, GENDER,
CHILD IN HOME & LIVE IN HOA
All respondents were next asked to approximate the percentage of their household's total food waste that they place in the organics recycling bin. At the two extremes, 43% percent of respon- dents indicated that they place 10% or less of their household’s food waste in the organics recy- cling bin, whereas 14% put nearly all (76% to 100%) of their food waste in it. Responses were spread evenly across the three categories in betw een, varying from 8% to 10%. Additionally, 12% of respondents were unsure of the percentage th ey place in the organics recycling bin and 4% were unwilling to answer. In total, 30% of respondents recycled more than a quarter of their food scraps (Figure 48 on next page).
68.1 63.6
54.1 59.7
66.5 60.661.659.8
53.8 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents That Are Aware of Requirement to
Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin
58.5 65.5
58.8 62.7 61.5 60.2 62.3
58.658.4
54.1 61.964.0
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner Live in HOA (QD3) % Respondents That Are Aware of Requirement to
Place Food Scraps in Organic Recycling Bin
66 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 52City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Among those who provided an opinion, respondents with a household income less than $40,000, those 18 to 29 years of age or 65 years and older, Area 1 and Area 4 residents, and those without a child in the home were the most lik ely to report placing nearly all (76% or more) of their food scraps in the organics recycling bin (figures 49-51).
Question 19: Resident Survey Approximately what percentage of your household's total food waste do you currently place in the organics recycling bin? If unsure, estimate.
FIGURE 48 PERCENTAGE OF HSLD FOOD WASTE PLACED IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN FIGURE 49 PERCENTAGE OF HSLD FOOD WASTE PLACED IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME
51%-75%
8.5 76%-100%
13.9 26%-50%
7.9 11%-25%
10.40-10%
43.1 Not sure
12.2 Prefer not to
answer
4.0 12.7 13.5 19.77.5
7.6 13.2 8.0
8.68.1 6.1
2.7 10.6 22.1 5.512.6
13.7 14.6
12.0 14.4
8.0 17.2
14.8 9.4
59.5 48.3
57.9 28.0
70.4 64.2
46.2 41.5
56.8 4.5
13.0 15.3 15.8
29.7 17.5
7.6 24.1
3.58.5 14.2
3.3 7.4
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 Less than
$40K
$40K to $59K $60K to $79K $80K to $99K $100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
0-10%
11%-25%
26%-50%
51%-75%
76%-100%
67 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 53City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 50 PERCENTAGE OF HSLD FOOD WASTE PLACED IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 51 PERCENTAGE OF HSLD FOOD WASTE PLACED IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN
HOME, HOME OWNER & LIVE IN HOA
The 70% of respondents who did not recycle at least a quarter of their food scraps were asked to reveal the primary barrier or ch allenge preventing them from recycling a larger percentage of their food waste. Close to one-fourth (24%) of respondents were unsure or indicated that there wasn’t anything specific standing in their way, while 16% provided a response related to a lack of awareness (Need information about recycling: 12%, Didn’t know about it: 5%) and 12% said that recycling food waste is too much work/waste of time (Figure 52 on the next page).
Other responses cited by at least 5% of respondents included recycling bins or bags not provided (9%), that food waste smells bad (7%), it attracts insects or rodents (7%), and that their household does not have a lot of food waste to recycle (7%).
15.1 10.5
22.0 10.0 7.9 14.1
11.6 6.88.6 8.5
7.8 8.4
9.5 11.6
3.1 14.0 17.6 12.8
14.3 13.2 14.0
12.5 10.1
43.0 59.1 53.9 55.7
45.0 49.1 48.4 55.9 49.5
23.320.8
9.7 12.7 15.3 22.0
17.3 7.77.29.5
7.6 7.4
15.8 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
0-10%
11%-25%
26%-50%
51%-75%
76%-100%
10.3 20.0 16.6 16.7 16.7 17.2
8.7 10.9
14.2 8.1 11.8 7.2 9.3 12.57.5
14.5 7.8 8.9
9.9 8.7 10.7
10.3 12.9
7.0 21.0
5.9 10.5 14.0 12.6
12.2 13.4
10.4 13.1 9.7
49.8 58.3
49.6 47.2 53.2 50.8 54.0 49.8 49.5 54.9 51.7 50.3
16.417.614.017.417.4 16.9
8.3 7.9
14.810.8
9.1 9.310.88.9
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner Live in HOA (QD3) % Respondents Who Provided Opinion
0-10%
11%-25%
26%-50%
51%-75%
76%-100%
68 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 54City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question 20: Resident Survey What is the primary barrier or challenge to recycling a larger percentage of your food waste?
FIGURE 52 BARRIER OR CHALLENGE TO RECYCLING FOOD WASTE All respondents were next asked whether they would be more likely to recycle their food waste if the City provided a small air-tight food waste bin that could be placed on the counter or under the counter.
Question 21: Resident Survey If the City provided a small air- tight food waste bin that could be placed on the counter or under the counter, would you be more likely to recycle your food waste?
FIGURE 53 LIKELY TO RECYCLE FOOD WASTE IN AIR-TIGHT WASTE BIN More than six-in-ten respondents (62%)
answered Question 21 in the affirmative
and indicated they would be more likely to
recycle food waste if provided with a small
air-tight bin. The remainder of respon-
dents indicated that a city-provided air
tight bin would not impact their behavior
(26%), were unsure (11%), or declined to
state (1%).
23.7 11.8
11.5 9.2
7.3 6.8
6.6 4.8
4.2 3.7
2.5 2.4
2.0 1.9
1.5 0.6
3.8 2.5
0 5 10 15 20 25
Not sure / No problem
Too much work, waste of time
Need information about recycling
No recycling bin, bags provided
Smells, bad odor
Attracts insects, rodents
Do not have a lot of food waste
Didn’t know about it
I compost most of it
N o space fo r i t, to o many bi ns, bi g bi n
Forget to do it, not used to it
Live in condo or appartment, no bin or instructions provided Garbage disposal is more convenient
Not being able to put it in plastic bags, container
Storing it until pick up time
Messy, dirty
Food waste does not impact climate change
Not necessary
% Respondents Using Ogranics R ecycling Bin for <51% of Food Waste Prefer not to
answer
0.9 Not sure
11.3 More llikely to
recycle food
waste in air-
tight waste bin
62.3 Not more
likely to
recycle food
waste in air-
tight waste bin
25.5 69
Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 55City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Figure 54 shows respondents’ likelihood of recycling food waste if provided with a small air-tight food waste bin broken down by the percentage of food wast e that their household currently places with the organics. As sh own in the figure, responses were quite consistent across those who provided a response, ranging from 62% among those who recycle 10% or less of their food waste to 68% among those who already recycle nearly all of it. Those unsure of how much food waste their household currently recycles were more in line with the lower end of the range, with 60% indicating they would be inclined to recycle more if provided with a small air-tight bin by the City.
FIGURE 54 LIKELY TO RECYCLE FOOD WASTE IN AIR-TIGHT WASTE BIN BY PERCENTAGE OF HSLD FOOD WASTE PLACED
IN ORGANIC RECYCLING BIN
Figures 55 to 57 on the next page show increase d likelihood of recycling food waste if provided with a small airtight bin that could be placed on the counter or under the counter by demo- graphic subgroups of respondents. Of particular note is the strong, inverse relationship between age and likelihood of recycling, such that those 18 to 29 years of age were the most likely and those 65 years and older the least likely to recycl e food waste if provided with a small air-tight bin for the counter. Latino/Hispanic and Asian respondents also indica ted much higher than average likelihood of recycling if provided a bin than respondents in other ethnic groups.
67.7 60.162.3 65.1 62.9 65.7
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
0-10% 11%-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100% Not sure
Percentage of Hsld Food Waste Placed in Organic Recycling Bin (Q19) % Respondents That Are More Likely to Recycle
Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin
70 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 56City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 55 LIKELY TO RECYCLE FOOD WASTE IN AIR-TIGHT WASTE BIN BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME
FIGURE 56 LIKELY TO RECYCLE FOOD WASTE IN AIR-TIGHT WASTE BIN BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 57 LIKELY TO RECYCLE FOOD WASTE IN AIR-TIGHT WASTE BIN BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN HOME, HOME
OWNER & LIVE IN HOA
63.2 68.7
64.8 59.8 60.6
66.4 57.259.8
68.769.0
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents That Are More Likely to Recycle
Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin
47.5 63.7 61.5 64.5
58.6 76.8
67.4 64.7
60.0 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents That Are More Likely to Recycle
Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin
60.4 64.9 67.2
61.0 60.0
66.6 62.1
66.2 56.7
72.8 76.5
57.6 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Ye s No Yes No Ye s No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner Live in HOA (QD3) % Respondents That Are More Likely to Recycle
Food Waste in Air-Tight Waste Bin
71 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 57City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BULKY ITEM PICKUP The final question in this section of the resident survey asked respondents if, prior to taking the survey, they were aware that the City has a bulky item pickup program where residents can call in to receive free pickup of bulky trash items such as furniture.
Overall, 68% of residents were aware of the bulky item pickup program, whereas 28% were not, and 3% were unsure or declined to state (Figure 58).
Question 22: Resident Survey Prior to taking this survey, were you aware that the City has a bulky item pickup program, where residents can call in to receive free pickup of bulky trash items such as furniture.
FIGURE 58 AWARENESS OF BULKY ITEM PICKUP PROGRAM
Examining awareness by subgroups reveals that newer residents (less than 5 years), households with an income less than $40,000, residents 18 to 29 years of age, and those with a mixed/other or Asian ethnicity were the least likely to indi cate awareness of the bu lky item pickup program (figures 59-61).
FIGURE 59 AWARENESS OF BULKY ITEM PICKUP PROGRAM BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & HOUSEHOLD INCOME Not aware of
bulky item
pickup
program
28.4 Aw are of bulky
item pickup
program
68.4 Not sure
2.9 Prefer not to
answer
0.4 56.0
69.0 62.1 62.1 64.2
75.173.173.1
67.1 56.9
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Household Income (QD5)
% Respondents That Are Aware of
Bulky Item Pickup Program
e Bin
72 Neighborhood Issues & Organics Recycling
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 58City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 60 AWARENESS OF BULKY ITEM PICKUP PROGRAM BY AGE & AREA OF CITY FIGURE 61 AWARENESS OF BULKY ITEM PICKUP PROGRAM BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, CHILD IN HOME, HOME OWNER &
LIVE IN HOA
77.2 68.1 67.0 68.9 68.9
51.4 67.9 71.6 71.1
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents That Are Aware of
Bulky Item Pickup Program
e Bin
67.0 70.9 73.8
65.6 70.3
64.8 70.2
64.8 73.5 70.6
56.1 47.1
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Male Female Yes No Yes No Yes No
Ethnicity (QD4) Gender Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner Live in HOA (QD3) % Respondents That Are Aware of
Bulky Item Pickup Program
e Bin
73 Business Assistance Programs
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 59
City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B USINESS A SSISTANCE P ROGRAMS
The City of Lake Forest received a limited am ount of federal funds to help local businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic. New to the 2023 survey, business managers were asked to detail their level of agreement with a va riety of statements to help the City understand what improvements and programs businesses think would help them be more successful.
As shown in Figure 62, managers were most in agreement that The pandemic hurt our business (76% strongly or somewhat agree), followed by Learning how to better market or advertise our business would make us more profitable (69%), Updating our business website would help us attract more customers (60%), and Improving the physical appearance of our store or offices would help us attract more customers (60%). Fewer than six-in-ten respondents agreed that Our business could use assistance with attracting and retaining employees (54%) and that The tech- nology in our business needs to be updated (58%).
Question 11: Business Survey The City of Lake Forest received a limited amount of federal funds to help local businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic. The City wants to understand what improvements or programs businesses think would help them be more success- ful. As I read the following statements, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
FIGURE 62 AGREEMENT WITH STATEMENTS: BUSINESS SURVEY
As a follow-up, all business managers were next asked what the City could do to help their busi- ness be more successful. This question was posed in an open-ended manner, allowing respon- dents to mention any aspect wi thout being prompted by, or lim ited to, a list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Fig- ure 63 on the next page.
More than seven-in-ten business managers were not sure or could not think of anything specific (68%) or declined to answer (4%) when asked wh at the City could do to help their business be more successful. Among the specifics mentioned, tax incentives and lower taxes/fees topped the list at 4%, followed by promoting businesses (3%), hosting more community events (2%),
27.0 18.6
28.9 27.1
29.5 46.2
26.6 39.3
31.3 33.2
39.2 29.7
16.7 16.3
12.7 13.1
13.3 10.3
11.9 9.2
7.1 4.6
15.1 12.5 11.6
6.4 15.4
15.2 15.5
16.4 0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Our business could use assistance with attracting and retaining employees The technology in our business needs to be updated
Improving the physical appearance of our store or offices would help us attract more customers
Updating our business website would help us attract more customers Learning how to better market or advertise our business would make us more profitable
The pandemic hurt our business
Q11f Q11d Q11e Q11b Q11c Q11a
% Respondents
Strongly agree Sm wt agree Sm wt disagree Strongly disagree Not sure 74 Business Assistance Programs
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 60City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
addressing homeless issues (2%), enforcing traffic laws (2%), making rents/utilities more afford- able (2%), and providing more networking opportunities (2%).
Question 12: Business Survey Is there anything the City could do to help your business be more successful?
FIGURE 63 WAYS TO HELP BUSINESSES: BUSINESS SURVEY
68.0 3.5
2.6 2.4
2.0 2.0
2.0 2.0
1.7 1.2
1.1 0.6
6.0 4.4
1.5 0.9
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 0
Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific
Tax incentives, lower taxes, fees
Promote businesses
Provide additional community events
Address homeless issue
Enforce traffic laws
Affordable rent, utilities
Provide more networking opportunities
Address city safety issue
Provide more resources, support
Financial aid, funding
Reduce traffic congestion
Fewer signage restrictions
M aintain city cleanliness, beautification
Other (unique responses)
Prefer not to answer
% Respondents
75 Communication
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 61
City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C OMMUNICATION
The importance of city communication with residents and local businesses cannot be over- stated. Much of a city’s success is shaped by the quality of information that is exchanged in both directions, from the City to the community and from the community to the City. This study is just one example of Lake Forest’s efforts to enhance the information flow to the City to better under- stand the community’s concerns, perceptions, and needs. Some of Lake Forest’s many efforts to communicate with its residents and local business community include its newsletters, timely press releases, its various websites, and social media posts. In this section of the report, we present the results of several communication-re lated questions from the resident and business surveys.
SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION EFFORTS Residents and businesses were asked to report their overall satisfaction with the City’s efforts to communicate with them through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means. Overall, 75% of residents indi- cated that they were either very (29%) or somewhat (46%) satisfied with the City’s communication efforts. Although there was a statistically significant increase in the percentage somewhat dissat- isfied and a decrease in unsure responses from 2021 to 2023, the overall percentage of those satisfied with the City’s communication efforts remained statistically consistent (see Figure 64).
Question 23: Resident Survey Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to com- municate with residents through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means? FIGURE 64 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
With the exception of one subgroup, at least si x-in-ten residents in each demographic segment were satisfied with the City’s communication efforts (see figures 65 through 67 on the following pages). As might be expected, residents dissatisf ied with the City’s overall performance also tended to be much less satisfied with the City ’s communication efforts when compared with those generally satisfied with the City (82% vs. 49%).
31.8 37.5 34.5
43.8 51.5 57.8 51.3 47.7 51.0 50.0 45.0
47.4 41.4
38.5 38.3 29.1
27.8 33.9
33.1 34.8 35.8
34.7 9.7 9.0
12.8 8.1 6.7
6.6 7.0 9.8
9.8 7.3
10.7 3.5 4.1 7.3 3.8 5.5 3.3 2.7 5.6 5.0 5.67.6 7.9 7.0 7.2 4.5 3.8 0.8 2.0 4.0
29.4 46.0
15.4†
3.84.3 4.8† 6.1
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Very dissatisfied
Som ewhat
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
satisfied
Very satisfied
76 Communication
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 62City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 65 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA, AREA OF CITY &
OVERALL SATISFACTION
FIGURE 66 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY GENDER, HOME OWNER, AGE & CHILD IN HOME
27.9 27.7 31.3 29.2 32.6
12.9 50.7
42.1 45.3 46.4
49.5 35.8
Ver y
sat
28.2 23.3
35.9 31.1
Smwt
sat
44.5 45.2
45.2 50.2
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more One Two Three Four Satisfied Dissatisfied Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Area of City Overall Satisfaction (Q5) % Respondents
34.6 24.4 24.1 30.5 31.4 25.2 31.5
41.0 44.7 47.7
48.5 46.8
48.1 45.1
30.828.628.5
Ver y
sat
32.3 48.6 47.8 42.6
Smwt
sat
43.7 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Male Female Yes No 18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older Yes No Gender Home Owner Age Child in Home (QD2)
% Respondents
77 Communication
True North Research, Inc. © 2023 63City of Lake Forest
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURE 67 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: RESIDENT SURVEY BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME & ETHNICITY Among local businesses, 84% of business manage rs surveyed in 2023 indicated that they were satisfied with the City's efforts to communicate with Lake Forest businesses through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and ot her means, 9% said they were dissatisfied, and 8% were unsure (see Figure 68). Satisfaction with the City’s communication efforts among business managers in 2023 was statistically consistent with 2021. For the interested reader, figures 69 and 70 on the next page show how satisfaction varied across several business subgroups.
Question 13: Business Survey Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to com- municate with Lake Forest businesses through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means?
FIGURE 68 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR
33.5 30.9 27.9 34.7 28.7 31.9
43.5 49.4 49.9 38.7 45.5
30.9 26.8
19.1 28.5
Ver y
sat
33.7 40.9
44.8 47.2
Smwt
sat
47.4 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Less than
$40K
$40K to
$59K
$60K to
$79K
$80K to
$99K
$100K to
$149K
$150K or
mo re
Caucasian /
White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Household Income (QD5) Ethnicity (QD4)
% Respondents
42.5 53.8
43.6 51.4 47.1 48.7
38.3 31.5
39.2 36.0 29.5
41.1 31.0
32.1 37.0
37.1 35.5
39.2 41.5
40.2 35.5 42.0
4.7 5.9
7.9 6.6 9.8 8.1
8.9 13.5 6.5
11.0 11.5
2.9 3.6 4.4
4.0 1.1 2.3 4.7
4.7 3.5 5.0 12.5 8.0
8.1 4.9
12.4 3.9 3.7 3.0 8.9 10.0 9.0 5.0 9.0
39.6 43.9
5.6 8.0
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Very
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
satisfied
Very satisfied
78 Communication
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FIGURE 69 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY YEARS OPERATING BIZ IN LAKE FOREST, BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS & LAKE FOREST RESIDENT
FIGURE 70 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION: BUSINESS SURVEY BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE
OUTSIDE LAKE FOREST & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Among business managers who were dissatisfied with the City’s communication efforts, Ques- tion 14 asked if there was a particular reason for their dissatisfaction. Because so few respon- dents were dissatisfied with communication and provided a reason for their dissatisfaction, the specific verbatim responses are shown below. Ma ny respondents mentioned that they do not recall receiving information from the City as the reason for their dissatisfaction.
Question 14: Business Survey Is there a particular reason why you are dissatisfied with the City's efforts to communicate with local businesses? Please be specific. • Every time I try to sell my product my services it was always something. • Feel it is not so impactful.
• I don't get any communication from the city like a newsletter. • I don't receive any newsletters or emails.
49.6 42.1
32.6 36.9 42.9
40.8 19.3
49.4 47.0 41.1
Ver y
satisfied
42.6 24.6
42.0 45.6
Smwt
satisfied
40.0 38.640.0
64.3 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Increase Decrease About same Yes, resident Not a resident
Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest (Q1) Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4) Lake Forest Resident (QD9)
% Respondents
33.5 44.2 46.8
37.9 41.8
42.4 33.9 46.4
46.441.838.2
Ver y
satisfied
39.7 45.3
48.6 44.7
Smwt
satisfied
32.9 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
1 2 to 5 6 to 10 More than 10 None At least one Yes No
Number of Employees (QD1) Employees Outside Lake
Forest (QD2)
Home-Based Business
% Respondents
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• I don't think that I see that much coming from the city in regard to business resources. • I have never been communicated with, so no one or anyone has ever reached out to me. • I haven't gotten many notifications or communications from them. • It is hard to deal with or navigate the Lake Forest website. • There are two things. It is the government webs ite. There are no resources. This applies for a business permit. The second one is COVID. You can't find anything in the government website, and it doesn't provide any resources.
• They are not helping on social media.
• Unfamiliar with some services listed in this survey.
• Way too much incessant emails!
INFORMATION SOURCES Residents and businesses were next asked to indicate the sources they use to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information, and programming. This question was asked in an open-e nded format and respondents were allowed to report up to two sources of information. Thus, the percentages shown in the following figures reflect the percent- age of residents and business managers who mentioned a given information source and will sum to more than 100.
Question 24: Resident Survey What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information, and programming?
FIGURE 71 SPECIFIC INFORMATION SOURCES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
9.4 8.8
8.2 6.8
6.1 3.2
3.1 4.1
5.1†
7.2†
7.3†
9.6†
18.0†
53.7†
6.3 4.9
8.9 8.9
5.6 12.5
4.4 10.6
2.3 7.5
2.0 11.0
42.8 8.6
3.3 28.8
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
The Leaflet - City Newsletter
Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram
E-newsletter - electronic newsletter
City Website (not specific)
Text Messages from City / Nixle
Internet, not a City site
Leisure Times - included in the Leaflet
Nextdoor
Lake Forest Patch - the Patch
Friends / Other People
Orange County Register (paper)
Do Not receive Information about City
Main City Web Page
Not sure
City Newsletter - no mention of Leaflet
or Leisure T im es
% Respondents
2023
2021
80 Communication
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As presented in Figure 71 on the prior page, the single most frequently cited source of city infor- mation among residents in 2023 was The Leaflet (54%), distantly followed by social media (18%), electronic newsletters (10%), one of the City’s websites (general mention, 9%), text messages from the City (9%), and the Internet in general (not a city site, 8%). From 2021 to 2023, there were statistically significant increases in The Leaflet (+11%), electronic newsletters (+6%), Leisure Times (+3%), and the percentage who reported not receiving information about the City of Lake Forest (+3%). At the same time, there were statistically significant decreases in the percentage of respondents who mentioned social media (-11%) and Nextdoor (-5%) as information sources for Lake Forest news, information, and programming.
To summarize the wide variety of information sources mentioned and more easily compare the results between years and demographic subgroups, Figure 72 provides the responses to this question with specific source s grouped into larger meaningful categories. Because survey respondents were allowed to mention multiple sour ces, the percentages in this figure represent the percentage of residents who mentioned at least one source that fits within each category. As shown in the figure, 61% of residents surveyed in 2023 mentioned at least one of Lake Forest’s newsletters as a source of city information, 34% mentioned a non-city website or social media, and 25% cited one of the City’s websites or apps . Compared with 2021, statistically significant changes in use were apparent for city newsletters (up 13%) and non-city websites or social media (down 21%).
FIGURE 72 INFORMATION SOURCE CATEGORIES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
Figures 73 through 75 on the following pages present the information source categories by age, home ownership status, presence of a child in the home, satisfaction with the City’s communica- tion efforts, and ethnicity. For ease of inte rpretation, the bars representing city-sponsored sources are displayed in shades of green and non- city sources in shades of orange. One of the key patterns in the figures is that—when balanc ed against the other sources—residents 50 years
10.3 8.4
7.1 28.3
61.1†
34.2†
24.7 3.2
1.8 55.0
48.3 9.5
10.5 1.6
3.5 5.4
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 0
City newsletters
Non-City websites,
social media
City websites, apps
Other sources
Not sure / Do not
receive info
Newspapers
City Council meetings,
flyers
Radio or TV
% Respondents
2023
2021
81 Communication
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
and older, home owners, those currently satisfi ed with the City’s communication efforts, and respondents identifying as either Caucasian or Latino/Hispanic were more likely to rely on city newsletters when compared with their respective counterparts.
FIGURE 73 INFORMATION SOURCE CATEGORIES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AGE FIGURE 74 INFORMATION SOURCE CATEGORIES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY HOME OWNER, CHILD IN HOME & SATISFACTION
WITH COMMUNICATION
38 60
57 69
73 33
45 21
30 26
26 20
12 8
16 9
9 8
7 4
4 13
7 3
2 2
3 0
0 1
3 3
19 4
9 8
4 42
30 27
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older
Age
% Respondents
City newsletters
Non-City websites, social media
City websites, apps
Other sources
Newspapers
City Council meetings, flyers
Radio or T V
Not sure / Do not receive info
67 51
62 61
69 37
32 37
47 28
19 28
23 26
22 10
11 12
10 10
11 7
8 5
8 8
4 3
4 3
3 4
1 1
3 1
2 1
3 8
9 7
9 5
18 31
31 40
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 Yes No Yes No Satisfied Dis-satisfied
Home Owner Child in Home (QD2) Satisfaction With Communication (Q23)
% Respondents
City newsletters
Non-City websites, social media
City websites, apps
Other sources
Newspapers
City Council meetings, flyers
Radio or T V
Not sure / Do not receive info
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FIGURE 75 INFORMATION SOURCE CATEGORIES: RESIDENT SURVEY BY ETHNICITY As shown in Figure 76 on the next page, when asked what information sources they rely on for Lake Forest news, information, and progra mming, members of the business community were most likely to mention The Leaflet (20%), the City’s website in general (15%), electronic newslet- ters (15%), social media sites (13%), and the Internet in general (11%). Statistically significant changes from the 2021 study included declines in mentions of The Leaflet (-9%), general refer- ences to the City’s newsletter (-6%), and text me ssages from the City/Nixle (-3%), as well as an increase in responses of not sure (+7%).
In the same manner described for the resident surv ey, Figure 77 on the next page provides the responses to this question among business mana gers, with specific sources grouped into larger meaningful categories. Because respondents were allowed to mention multiple sources, the per- centages in the figure represent the percentage of businesses that mentioned at least one source within each category. As shown in the figure, 36% of businesses surveyed in 2023 mentioned at least one of Lake Forest’s newsletters as a sour ce of information, significantly lower than the finding from 2021 (-14%). Twenty-seven percent (27%) of business managers mentioned a non- city website or social media, an d 25% cited one of the City’s websites or apps. There was also a statistically significant increase in the percentage of respondents who were unsure of their infor- mation sources or who indicated that they do not receive information about Lake Forest from 2021 to 2023 (+9%) and a decline in the percentage who mentioned newspapers, radio, and tele- vision as sources (-10%).
63 63
57 52
33 40
26 18
26 28
10 14
9 8
7 2
8 18
4 1
4 3
2 1
3 3
8 6
9 5
42 31
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic Asian Mixed / Other Ethnicity (QD4)
% Respondents
City newsletters
No n-City w e bsites, so cial me dia
City websites, apps
Other sources
Newspapers
City Council meetings, flyers
Radio or T V
Not sure / Do not receive info
83 Communication
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Question 15: Business Survey What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information, and programming?
FIGURE 76 INFORMATION SOURCES: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
FIGURE 77 INFORMATION SOURCE CATEGORIES: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
15.4 14.8
28.6 13.7
13.9 13.5
14.5 4.8
10.7 9.3
6.7 1.5
3.5 0.0
2.6 2.4
3.0 3.7
1.6 3.0
10.3†
20.0†
11.4 4.6
2.1 1.7
1.1 5.2†
6.9 12.7
1.7 0.9
2.0 3.4
3.6 0.6†
3.9 0.6
0.6 3.6
2.0 2.4
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
The Leaflet
City website (general)
Electronic newsletter
Social Media / Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Internet (not a city site)
Not sure
Do not receive info
City newsletter (general)
Orange County Register
Nextdoor
Main city web page
Lake Forest Shop & Dine App
City Council meetings
Lake Forest Patch, The Patch
Economic Development website
Television
Friends / Other people
Leisure Times
Text Messages from City/Nixle
Radio
Saddleback Valley News
% Respondents
2023
2021
27.3 49.8
31.9 24.4
8.5 13.4
17.6 5.2
35.5†
24.6 17.8†
2.2 17.3
7.7†
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 0
City newsletters
Non-City websites,
social media
City websites, apps
Not sure / Do not
receive info
Other sources
Newspapers, radio, or
TV
City Council
meetings, flyers
% Respondents
2023
2021
84 Communication
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EFFECTIVENESS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION METHODS The next communi- cation-related question presented local businesse s with each of the methods shown on the left of Figure 78 and asked if each would be an effective way for the City to communicate with them.
Overall, respondents indicated that the most effective method was email (85% very or somewhat effective), followed by the City’s website (81%), electronic newsletters (78%), and newsletters and direct mail to their office (73%). Comparatively, Public Access Television (33%), automated phone calls (34%), and Twitter (39%) were rated as the least effective methods.
Question 16: Business Survey As I read the following ways that the City of Lake Forest can communicate with local businesses, I'd like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the City to communicate with your business.
FIGURE 78 EFFECTIVENESS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION METHODS: BUSINESS SURVEY For the interested reader, Table 23 on the next pa ge displays how the percentage of local busi- nesses that rated each method of communication as very effective differed by home-based busi- ness, satisfaction with the City’s communicatio n efforts, and anticipated business size in the next year.
51.2 42.7
41.3 29.9
25.4 24.0
20.0 19.2
9.9 11.5
9.4 9.6
34.2 38.5
36.8 42.6
41.2 40.9
37.1 36.6
35.4 27.2
25.0 23.1
0 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0 1 0 0
Email
City website
Electronic Newsletters
Newsletters and other materials mailed directly to your business My Lake Forest smart phone app
Town hall and community meetings
Facebook
A Blog on the City’s website
Advertisements in local papers
Twitter
Automated phone calls
Public Access Television
Q16aQ16fQ16bQ16hQ16eQ16jQ16dQ16gQ16kQ16cQ16iQ16l
% Respondents
Very effective Somewhat effective
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TABLE 23 EFFECTIVENESS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION METHODS: BUSINESS SURVEY BY HOME-BASED BUSINESS, SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION & BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) CITY WEBSITES The City of Lake Forest has been a leader among municipalities in develop- ing websites tailored to different subgroups in the community. It is naturally of interest to specif- ically measure use of the City’s websites and opinions regarding the content of the sites. Figure 79 shows that the percentage of residents who visited one of the City’s websites has grown sub- stantially since the 18% recorded in 2000, with 62% indicating they visited one or more of the City’s websites in 2023. Although there was a statistically significant decline in visits to city web- sites from 2021 to 2023 (-9%), the percentage re corded in 2023 is consistent with 2018. The higher than average use recorded in 2021 is likel y attributed to city closures that forced many operations to an online format during the coronavirus pandemic. Figures 80 to 82 show how use of the City’s websites in the past year varied by key resident subgroups.
Question 25: Resident Survey In the past year, have you visited one or more of the websites maintained by the City of Lake Forest?
FIGURE 79 VISITED CITY WEBSITE IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023studies.
Yes No Satisfied Dissatisfied Increase Decrease About same Email 53.2 50.7 53.3 68.4 55.4 57.9 50.5
City website 41.9 42.9 45.1 38.4 44.9 55.0 41.8
Electronic Newsletters 32.3 43.6 46.0 30.8 44.4 45.0 41.2 Newsletters and other materials mailed directly to your business 35.5 28.6 31.6 41.4 31.9 25.7 30.2 My Lake Forest smart phone app 24.2 25.7 26.2 37.6 34.6 19.3 20.5 Town hall and community meetings 25.8 23.6 25.2 27.8 31.8 12.9 20.7 Facebook 25.8 18.6 18.7 51.9 27.7 19.3 14.8
A Blog on the City’s website 30.6 16.4 20.9 21.1 21.9 29.3 15.6 Twitter 14.5 10.7 12.4 13.5 11.6 25.7 9.8
Advertisements in local papers 9.7 10.0 10.8 10.5 13.6 6.4 8.4 Public Access Television 8.1 10.0 11.1 3.8 12.8 6.4 7.2 Automated phone calls 12.9 8.6 9.8 14.3 15.2 0.0 6.5
Home-Based Business Satisfaction With
Communication (Q13) Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4)
71.0 61.0 56.7 51.8
60.7 54.4 49.0 44.6 43.8
29.0 18.4
22.0 35.5 38.1 46.4
38.6 43.3 48.9 54.6 55.3
69.8 79.1
7.1 3.5 5.2 1.7 0.8 2.3 2.1 0.7 1.0 1.3 2.4
61.9†
28.2†
9.9 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Prefer not to
answer
Did not visit
website in
past year
Visited
website in
past year
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FIGURE 80 VISITED CITY WEBSITE IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY YEARS IN LAKE FOREST AREA & EMPLOYMENT STATUS
FIGURE 81 VISITED CITY WEBSITE IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY AGE & AREA OF CITY
64.2 71.6
63.9 56.4 53.9
60.7 73.6
63.6 57.9
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Fewer than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Full time Part time Home-
maker
Retired Other
Years in Lake Forest Area (Q1) Employment Status (QD1)
% Respondents That Visited City
Website in Past Year
58.9 62.0 62.2 63.2 59.8
53.7 73.8
64.1 61.2
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
18 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 to 64 65 or older One Two Three Four Age Area of City
% Respondents That Visited City
Website in Past Year
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FIGURE 82 VISITED CITY WEBSITE IN PAST YEAR: RESIDENT SURVEY BY ETHNICITY, CHILD IN HOME, SATISFACTION
WITH COMMUNICATION & OVERALL SATISFACTION
WEBSITE CONTENT New to the 2023 resident survey, re spondents who had visited a city website in the past year were asked whether they were able to find the information they were looking for on the site. Just ov er three-quarters (76%) of webs ite users answered Question 26 in the affirmative, whereas 15% indicated that they were unable to find the desired information on a city website and 9% were unsure or declined to state (Figure 83).
Question 26: Resident Survey Were you able to find the information you were looking for on the City's website?
FIGURE 83 ABLE TO FIND INFORMATION ON CITY’S WEBSITE
Visitors to the City’s websites were next asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the resources and content available on the sites—the results of which are shown in Figure 84 on the next page. Overall, visitors expressed high levels of satisfaction with the City’s websites, with 81% of residents indicating th ey were satisfied with the re sources available on the sites.
73.2 56.5
63.6 59.0
65.2 57.1
63.3 61.762.9
67.6 54.0 51.6
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Caucasian
/ White
Latino /
Hispanic
Asian Mixed /
Other
Yes No Yes No Satisfied Dis-
satisfied
Satisfied Dis-
satisfied
Ethnicity (QD4) Child in Home (QD2) Home Owner Satisfaction With Communication (Q23)
Overall Satisfaction
(Q5)
% Respondents That Visited City
Website in Past Year
Prefer not to
answer
0.5 Not sure
8.3 Able to find
desired info on
City website
76.0 Unable to find
desired info on
City website
15.2 88
Communication
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Although the overall level of satisfaction remained virtually identical from 2021 to 2023, respon- dents reported a stronger degree of satisfaction in 2023, with a higher percentage of respon- dents reporting being very satisfied than in 2021 (similar to the levels reported in 2016 and 2018).
Question 27: Resident Survey Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the resources and content available on the City's web sites?
FIGURE 84 SATISFACTION WITH CITY WEBSITE: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE First asked in 2010, Question 17 of the business survey asked respondents whether they had ever visited the City’s economic development web- site at www.lakeforestbusiness.com.
Question 17: Business Survey Have you ever visited the City's economic development website at www.lakeforestbusiness.com?
FIGURE 85 VISITED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR
23.8 33.5 32.4
47.2 51.6 53.5
45.4 33.3 36.0 38.5
58.0 49.1 47.3
40.4 39.1 32.4
40.5 48.0 48.0 41.0
11.4 10.2 11.7
8.7 3.7
6.7 7.4 11.3 9.1
8.5 3.6 4.2
2.4 3.1
0.0 1.4 3.0 2.9
5.1 6.7 4.4 4.3 1.4 2.4 7.4 5.4 4.4 4.0 6.8
30.5†
50.2†
10.8 2.11.2†
4.6 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002
Study Y ear
% Respondents Who Visited City Website
Not sure
Very
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
dissatisfied
Som ewhat
satisfied
Very satisfied
43.5 42.4 41.1 41.7 34.8
22.1 56.5 57.6 58.9 58.3 65.2
77.9 42.4
57.6 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010
Study Year
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
Did not visit
economic
developm ent
website
Visited
economic
developm ent
website
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As shown in Figure 85 on the previous page, 42% of local businesses in 2023 indicated that they had visited the site, which is comparable to th e values recorded since 2016. Figure 86 presents the findings of this question by select business subgroups.
FIGURE 86 VISITED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE: BUSINESS SURVEY BY YEARS OPERATING BIZ IN LAKE FOREST, GENDER, LAKE FOREST RESIDENT, HOME-BASED BUSINESS & BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS INCENTIVES TO SHOP LOCAL New to the 2023 study, partic ipants in the business sur- vey were next asked whether they thought the City of Lake Forest does an excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor job of incentivizing residents to shop locally.
Question 18: Business Survey Would you say the City of Lake Forest does an excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor job of incentivizing residents to shop locally? FIGURE 87 OPINION OF CITY’S JOB INCENTIVIZING RESIDENTS TO SHOP LOCALLY: BUSINESS SURVEY Close to six-in-ten business managers surveyed indicated that the City does an excellent (21%) or good (37%) job incentivizing residents to shop locally. Eighteen percent (18%) rated the City’s efforts in this area as fair, 7% said poor or very poor, and 17% were unsure or declined to
provide a rating (Figure 87).
Compared with their counterparts, businesses with more
than ten employees, those op erating in the City between 10 and 14 years, and business managers who were satis-
fied with the City’s overall performance were much more likely (among those who provided an opinion) to rate the City as excellent or good in incentivizing residents to shop locally (figures 88-89 on next page).
37.3 51.9
48.3 37.4
55.0 39.3
52.9 55.0
30.9 41.9
49.5 43.5
39.3 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
Less than
5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Male Female Yes,
resid ent
Not a
resid ent
Yes N o Increase Decrease About
same
Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest (Q1) Gender Lake Forest Resident (QD9)
Home-Based Business Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4)
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion &
Visited Economic Development Website
Prefer not to
answer
5.0 Good
37.1 Excellent
21.1 Fair
18.2 Poor
5.5 Not sure
11.9 Very poor
1.1 90
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FIGURE 88 OPINION OF CITY’S JOB INCENTIVIZING RESIDENTS TO SHOP LOCALLY: BUSINESS SURVEY BY YEARS OPERATING BIZ IN LAKE FOREST, BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS & LAKE FOREST RESIDENT FIGURE 89 OPINION OF CITY’S JOB INCENTIVIZING RESIDENTS TO SHOP LOCALLY: BUSINESS SURVEY NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE OUTSIDE LAKE FOREST, HOME-BASED BUSINESS & OVERALL SATISFACTION
27.9 34.6
21.6 31.4
19.4 45.0 39.4
44.4 39.8
48.9 Excellent
26.6 26.2
13.2 29.8
Good
41.0 39.3
62.443.4
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Increase Decrease About same Yes, resident Not a resident
Years Operating Biz in Lake Forest (Q1) Biz Size in Next 12 Months (QD4) Lake Forest Resident (QD9)
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
36.7 23.6 29.6 24.3 27.4
37.3 46.9 38.9 46.1 46.1
21.524.528.132.2Excellent
21.2 40.5
16.7 65.0
Good
52.7 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
1 2 to 5 6 to 10 More than
10 None At least
one
Yes No Satisfied Dissatisfied
Number of Employees (QD1) Employees Outside Lake
Forest (QD2)
Home-Based Business Overall Satisfaction (Q6)
% Respondents Who Provided Opinion
91 Business Background Info
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City of Lake Forest
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B USINESS B ACKGROUND I NFO
At the conclusion of the business survey, respon dents were asked several questions about their businesses—including their reasons for locating in Lake Forest, as well as expectations regard- ing future growth, space requirements, and possible relocation.
REASONS FOR LOCATING IN LAKE FOREST When asked to identify the most impor- tant factor for why they chose to locate their bu siness in the City of Lake Forest, 23% indicated that it was close to the owner’s home, and an additional 23% me ntioned the location/accessibil- ity of Lake Forest. The overall quality of the City (14%) and competitive lease rates/rents (6%) were also mentioned by more than 5% of businesses.
Question D3: Business Survey What would you say is the most important factor for why you chose to locate your business in the City of Lake Forest? FIGURE 90 PRIMARY REASON FOR LOCATING BUSINESS IN LAKE FOREST: BUSINESS SURVEY GROWTH The next question in this series ask ed local businesses whether—in the next 12 months—they anticipate that their business will increase, decrease, or stay about the same. The results to this question for 2 023 and prior studies are shown in Figure 91 on the next page.
Local businesses were generally optimistic about the future, with 41% anticipating growth and 45% expecting that their busine ss will remain about the same. Another 9% indicated that they expect their business to decrease in the coming year and 5% were unsure. Compared with 2021, business managers were more likely to indicate stability, with a statistically significant increase in the percentage who felt business would stay the same (+11%) and a decrease in the percent- age who were unsure (-6%).
23.3 22.5
13.6 6.4
4.4 3.4
3.4 1.1
0.9 9.0
6.6 0.6
4.7 0 5 10 15 20 25
Close to owner’s home
Location / accessibility
Overall quality of the City
Competitive lease rates / building rents
Close to clients / customers
Quality business parks
Proximity to freeways / transportation corridors
Streamlined processes to locate, expand biz in Lake Forest Quality of housing stock
Local amenities (dining / shopping)
Other factor
Not sure
Prefer not to answer
% Respondents
92 Business Background Info
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Question D4: Business Survey In the next 12 months, do you think your business will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?
FIGURE 91 BUSINESS SIZE IN NEXT 12 MONTHS: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the 2021 and 2023 studies.
Partitioning the 41% of all businesses that anticipated growth (see Figure 92), 8% indicated that they would require additional space, whereas the remaining 33% did not anticipate needing addi- tional space (28%) or were unsure (5%).
Question D5: Business Survey To accommodate the growth in your business, will you require additional square footage or a larger building?
FIGURE 92 BUSINESS SIZE AND SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENTS IN NEXT 12 MONTHS: BUSINESS SURVEY
46.2 56.5 52.4 58.6 54.9 59.8
42.1 65.5 70.5
57.5 63.5
7.8 4.0 5.4
3.0 4.5 1.7
15.3 1.0
4.0 8.5
5.5 34.8
36.5 36.3
36.9 39.3 35.5 37.5
30.0 23.0
29.5 27.0
11.2 3.0 5.9 1.5 1.3 3.0 5.1 3.5 2.5 4.5 4.0
40.7 8.9
45.3†
5.1†
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Stay about the
same
Decrease
Increase
Increase
40.7 Do not
require
additional
space
27.8 DK/NA
5.3 Stay about
the same
45.3 Requir e
additional
space
7.6 Decrease
8.9 DK/NA
5.1 93
Business Background Info
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RELOCATION The final substantive questions in th e business survey asked respondents whether they anticipate relocating their business in the next year and, if yes, whether they are planning to relocate within Lake Forest or to another community. Figure 93 shows that the per- centage of businesses that anticipate relocating was 6% in the 2023 survey (statistically consis- tent with 2021). The 6% of businesses that anticipated relocating in the next year breaks down to 2% expecting to relocate within Lake Forest, 2% to another community, and 2% unsure (see Fig- ure 94).
Question D6: Business Survey In the next 12 months, do you think your business will relo- cate?
FIGURE 93 BUSINESS RELOCATION IN NEXT 12 MONTHS: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Question D7: Business Survey Will you be relocating your business within Lake Forest or to another community?
FIGURE 94 BUSINESS RELOCATION AND AREA IN NEXT 12 MONTHS: BUSINESS SURVEY
10.2 6.8 7.9 11.2 8.4 9.6 6.8 8.0 11.0 14.5 12.0
77.6 89.5 82.2 83.6 89.4 81.1 86.6 84.5 85.0 74.0 81.0
12.1 3.7 9.9 5.2 2.2 9.4 6.6 7.5 4.0 11.5 7.0
5.5 82.7
11.7 0
10 20
30 40
50 60
70 80
90 100
2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Study Y ear
% Respondents
Not sure
Biz will not
relocate
Yes, biz will
relocate
Within Lake
Forest
2.4 Biz will not
relocate
82.7 Other
community
1.5 DK/NA
11.7 Biz will
relocate
5.5 DK/NA
1.7 94
Background & Demographic Info
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B ACKGROUND & D EMOGRAPHIC I NFO
Table 24 presents the key demographic and back ground information that was collected during the survey of residents. Some information was gathered during the interview, whereas other information was available from the voter file. Because of the probability-based sampling method- ology used in this study, the results shown in the table are representative of registered voters in the City of Lake Forest. The primary motivati on for collecting the ba ckground and demographic information was to provide a better insight into how the results of the substantive questions of the survey vary by demographic characteristics.
TABLE 24 SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHICS: RESIDENT SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Study Year 2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 Total Respondents 885 612 478 704 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 QD1 Employment status
Employed full-time 62.1 54.5 57.8 50.8 49.7 56.5 51.2 54.6 58.5 N/A N/A Employed part-time 6.1 9.4 7.5 11.1 9.4 10.6 9.1 13.7 11.0 N/A N/A Student 3.4 3.4 5.9 5.1 4.0 5.5 3.6 2.6 3.7 N/A N/A
Homemaker 2.6 5.0 5.2 4.6 9.0 3.2 5.0 8.4 7.9 N/A N/A
Retired 21.2 19.4 18.8 23.4 20.0 18.1 19.2 13.6 16.0 N/A N/A In-between jobs 1.2 4.9 2.2 2.5 4.3 4.7 9.0 6.0 1.9 N/A N/A Prefer not to answer 3.2 3.4 2.6 2.5 3.6 1.5 2.9 0.9 1.1 N/A N/A QD2 Child in home
Yes 32.1 34.1 36.4 37.7 36.0 38.7 43.9 41.3 43.4 44.5 44.8 No 66.1 62.6 61.6 61.0 60.3 59.8 54.0 58.5 56.4 55.0 54.3 Prefer not to answer 1.8 3.3 2.0 1.3 3.7 1.5 2.1 0.2 0.2 0.5 1.0 QD3 Live in HOA
Yes 76.9 72.9 73.9 70.4 68.8 73.8 75.6 74.8 73.3 72.8 73.3 No 21.3 23.8 24.7 28.0 26.9 24.5 22.2 24.4 25.6 26.0 25.3 Prefer not to answer 1.8 3.4 1.4 1.6 4.3 1.7 2.2 0.8 1.1 1.3 1.5 Ethnicity (QD4)
Caucasian / White 54.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Latino / Hispanic 18.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Asian 16.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Mixed / Other 6.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Prefer not to answer 4.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A QD5 Household income
Under $40K 5.3 6.5 7.9 8.8 9.6 10.7 10.6 8.1 7.0 9.5 11.5 $40K to $59K 8.6 11.9 10.1 10.7 12.0 13.7 11.8 10.1 10.3 14.8 15.3 $60K to $79K 9.2 9.6 13.4 11.4 10.2 10.1 13.4 13.9 16.8 21.0 12.8 $80K to $99K 13.0 10.8 16.1 11.8 11.9 12.7 15.8 15.9 10.7 13.3 17.0 $100K or more 54.0 49.2 41.6 43.3 35.6 39.9 36.0 36.6 42.4 31.3 29.3 Not sure / Prefer not to answer 10.0 12.0 10.8 14.0 20.8 12.9 12.5 15.4 12.9 10.3 14.3 QD8 Gender
Male 48.9 48.4 51.6 46.8 46.1 47.7 47.7 47.7 47.5 49.8 49.3 Female 45.7 47.5 46.5 52.0 53.9 52.3 52.3 52.3 52.5 50.3 50.8 Prefer not to answer 5.4 4.2 1.9 1.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A S1 Party
Democrat 37.2 33.1 30.5 32.4 30.3 28.0 26.7 26.9 25.5 28.3 26.5 Republican 35.1 37.8 37.1 41.9 38.8 44.8 49.6 50.2 52.5 50.3 54.8 Other 5.3 6.5 6.0 4.8 3.9 3.5 4.9 4.4 5.1 4.3 4.8
DTS 22.4 22.6 26.4 21.0 27.0 23.6 18.8 18.5 17.0 17.3 14.0 S2 Age
18 to 29 18.3 17.6 16.3 16.3 14.8 15.3 11.1 13.4 13.4 14.5 14.8 30 to 39 17.0 16.8 15.9 13.7 13.9 15.2 15.3 17.2 16.9 20.8 22.8 40 to 49 15.9 15.6 15.8 15.5 19.6 21.1 23.9 25.9 26.9 28.8 26.5 50 to 64 26.9 28.0 31.3 31.3 32.5 31.5 32.2 28.6 29.9 23.8 23.5 65 and older 21.9 22.0 20.7 23.2 19.1 16.9 17.5 14.9 13.0 12.3 12.3 S6 Home Owner
Yes 64.5 63.8 65.1 68.4 70.3 69.5 79.9 72.0 75.3 66.5 N/A No 35.5 36.2 34.9 31.6 29.7 30.5 20.1 28.0 24.7 33.5 N/A 95 Background & Demographic Info
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Table 25 provides information that was collected from local businesses during the 2023 survey, along with the results to similar questions asked in prior surveys (where applicable). The infor- mation presented in the table was gathered duri ng the survey or from the City’s database of local businesses.
TABLE 25 SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHICS: BUSINESS SURVEY BY STUDY YEAR Study Year 2023 2021 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Total Respondents 202 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 Number of employees (QD1)
1 22.5 26.2 23.1 23.6 21.3 14.2 20.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 to 5 32.0 32.7 30.2 32.4 38.3 34.9 37.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6 to 10 18.0 13.0 14.8 19.4 17.2 17.0 12.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A More than 10 19.2 23.2 22.2 20.2 19.9 31.7 26.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Prefer not to answer 8.3 4.9 9.7 4.4 3.3 2.2 2.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of employees who live outside Lake Forest (QD2)
None 26.6 26.6 21.1 24.3 28.6 15.1 27.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1 9.9 8.5 16.9 12.5 16.7 15.5 11.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2 to 5 31.0 30.1 21.2 26.8 24.2 29.3 28.3 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6 to 10 9.8 9.9 17.2 13.5 13.9 14.6 10.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A More than 10 14.1 16.3 12.8 14.4 14.0 20.7 19.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Prefer not to answer 8.5 8.5 10.9 8.5 2.7 4.8 3.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Resident of Lake Forest (QD9)
Yes 46.5 43.3 49.8 53.3 44.7 34.2 47.2 34.5 30.5 23.5 42.5 N/A No 52.3 54.8 49.7 46.7 54.1 65.8 52.8 63.5 68.5 76.5 55.0 N/A Prefer not to answer 1.2 1.9 0.5 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 2.5 N/A Gender (S1)
Male 61.0 63.9 61.1 65.4 58.8 58.1 64.1 58.0 58.0 57.0 68.0 71.0 Female 34.0 34.0 36.3 34.0 41.2 41.9 35.9 42.0 42.0 43.0 32.0 29.0 Prefer not to answer 5.0 2.1 2.6 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Home-Based Business (S2)
Yes 19.8 25.8 26.0 28.4 29.0 15.0 27.3 15.0 12.5 12.5 13.0 N/A No 80.2 74.2 74.0 71.6 71.0 85.0 72.7 85.0 87.5 87.5 87.0 N/A 96 Methodology
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M ETHODOLOGY
The following sections outline the methodology used in the study, as well as the motivation for using certain techniques.
QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPMENT Dr. McLarney of True North Research worked closely with the City of Lake Forest to develop resident and business survey questionnaires that covered the topics of interest and avoided the many po ssible sources of systematic measurement error, including position-order effects, wording effects, response-category effects, scaling effects, and priming. Several questions included multiple indivi dual items. Because asking the items in a set order can lead to a systematic position bias in responses, the items were asked in a random order for each respondent.
Some questions asked in this study were presen ted only to a subset of respondents. For exam- ple, only respondents who had visited one of the Ci ty of Lake Forest’s websites in the past year were asked about their satisfaction with the resources available on the sites. The questionnaires included with this report (see Questionnaires & Toplines on page 85) identify the skip patterns used during the interview to ensure that each respondent received the appropriate questions.
PROGRAMMING & PRE-TEST Prior to fielding the surveys, the questionnaires were CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone In terviewing) programmed to assist interviewers when conduct- ing the interviews, as well as web programmed to allow online participation. The CATI and web programs navigate skip patterns, randomize the appropriate question items, and alert the inter- viewer or respondent to certain types of keypun ching mistakes should they occur. The integrity of the questionnaires was pre-tested internally by True North and also by dialing into random homes and businesses in the Lake Forest area prior to formally beginning the surveys.
SAMPLE The resident survey was conducted using a sample of individuals drawn from the universe of registered voters in the City. Consis tent with the profile of this universe, the sample was stratified by age, gender, and location within the City, and clusters were created to represent specific profiles on these attributes. Individuals were then randomly selected based on their pro- file into an appropriate cluster. This method ensures that if a person of a particular profile refused to participate in the study, they were replaced by an individual with a similar profile.
For the business survey, 202 business owners or managers completed the interview, represent- ing a total of approximately 5,150 companies that appear in the City’s business database with viable contact information. Because of the la rge percentage of home-based businesses in the City, the sample was not drawn in a strictly proportional manner. A total of 62 interviews were collected among home-based businesses, with the remaining 140 interviews drawn proportion- ately from non home-based businesses stratified according to their location within the City.
RECRUITING AND DATA COLLECTION The survey followed a mixed-method design that employed multiple recruiting methods (email, text, and phone) and multiple data collection methods (phone and online). Phone interviews av eraged 22 minutes in length for the resident survey and were conducted duri ng weekday evenings (5:30PM to 9PM) and on weekends (10AM to 5PM). It is standard practice not to call du ring the day on weekdays because most working adults are unavailable and thus calling during those hours would likely bias the sample. 97 Methodology
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Residents recruited via email and text were a ssigned a unique passcode to ensure that only those who received an invitation could access th e online survey site, an d that each individual could complete the survey only one time. During the data collection period, an email reminder notice was also sent to encourage participatio n among those who had ye t to take the survey.
Administered between January 3 and January 12, 2023, a total of 885 residents completed the survey.
In a manner similar to that described above, the business survey also employed multiple recruit- ing (email, text, and phone) and data collection methods (phone and online). The 18-minute sur- vey of businesses was administered to a stratifi ed random sample of 202 local business owners and managers between January 13 and February 14, 2023.
MARGIN OF ERROR By using stratified samples and monitoring the sample characteristics as data collection proceeded, True North ensured the samples were representative of registered voters and business managers in the City of Lake Forest. The results of the surveys can thus be used to estimate the opinions of all registered voters and businesses in the City. Because not every voter and business in the City participated, however, the results have what is known as a statistical margin of error due to sampling. The margin of error refers to the difference between what was found, for example, in the survey of 885 voters for a partic ular question and what would have been found if all 53,053 voters in Lake Forest had been surveyed.
For example, in estimating the percentage of registered voters who have visited one or more of the City of Lake Forest’s websites in the past year (Question 25 of the resident survey), the mar- gin of error can be calculated if one knows the si ze of the population, the size of the sample, a desired confidence level, and th e distribution of responses to the question. The appropriate equation for estimating the margin of error, in this case, is shown below:
where is the proportion of voters who have vi sited a City of Lake Forest website in the past year (0.62 for 62% in this example), is the population size of all registered voters (53,053), is the sample size that received the question (885), and is the upper point for the t-distri- bution with degrees of freedom (1.96 for a 95% confidence interval). Solving the equation using these values reveals a margin of error of ± 3.2%. This means that with 62% of resident sur- vey respondents indicating they visited a City of Lake Forest website in the past year, we can be 95% confident that the actual per centage of all registered voters who visited a city website dur- ing that period is between 59% and 65%.
Figure 95 on the next page presents the margin of error equation as a graph, plotting sample sizes along the bottom axis. There are two lines represented in the graph, which partially over- lap—one for the resident survey and one for the business survey. As shown in the figure, the maximum margin of error in the resident survey for questions answered by all 885 registered voters is ± 3.3%, and the maximum margin of error for questions answered by all 202 business managers is ± 6.8%.
pˆ t Nn–
N--------------
pˆ 1 pˆ–
n 1–----------------------
pˆ
N n
t 2
n 1–
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FIGURE 95 MAXIMUM MARGIN OF ERROR
Within this report, figures and tables show ho w responses to certain questions varied by sub- groups such as years living in Lake Forest, ag e of the respondent, and location of household.
Figure 95 above is thus useful for understand ing how the maximum margin of error for a per- centage estimate will grow as the number of indi viduals asked a question (or within a particular subgroup) shrinks. Because the margin of error grows exponentially as sample size decreases, the reader should use caution when generalizing and interpreting results for small subgroups.
DATA PROCESSING Data processing consisted of checking the data for errors or inconsis- tencies, coding and recoding responses, catego rizing verbatim responses, and preparing fre- quency analyses and crosstabulat ions. Where appropriate, tests of statistical significance were conducted to evaluate whether a change in responses between 2021 and 2023 was large enough to be considered statistically significant.
ROUNDING Numbers that end in 0.5 or higher are rounded up to the nearest whole num- ber, whereas numbers that end in 0.4 or lower are rounded down to the nearest whole number.
These same rounding rules are also applied, when needed, to arrive at numbers that include a decimal place in constructing figures and tables. Occasionally, these rounding rules lead to small discrepancies in the first decimal place when co mparing tables and charts for a given question.
Due to rounding, some figures and narrative include numbers that add to more than or less than 100%.
Sam ple of 885
Voters
± 3.3%
Sample of 202
Businesses
± 6.8%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Sample Size (Number of Respondents)
Margin of Error
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Q UESTIONNAIRES & T OPLINES
RESIDENT SURVEY
Copyright © 2023 True North Research, Inc. Page 1
City of Lake Forest
Voter Survey
Final Toplines (n=885)
January 2023
Section 1: Introduction to Study
Hello, may I please speak to _____. Hi, my name is _____ and Im calling from TNR on behalf of the City of Lake Forest. The City is conducting a survey of residents about important issues in Lake Forest and we would like to get your opinions.
If needed: This is a survey about important issues in Lake Forest Im NOT trying to sell anything and I wont ask for a donation.
If needed: Your answers will be confidential. The City will be provided with a summary of all survey responses, not individual responses.
If needed: The survey should take around 15 minutes to complete.
If needed: If now is not a convenient time, can you let me know a better time so I can call back?
Section 2: General Perception of City & Local Issues
Id like to begin by asking you a few questions about what it is like to live in the City of Lake Forest.
Q1 First, how long have you lived in the Lake Forest area? 1 Less than 5 years 22%
2 5 years to less than 10 years 20%
3 10 years to less than 15 years 11%
4 15 or more years 47%
99 Not sure/Prefer not to answer 0%
Q2 How would you rate the overall quality of life in Lake Forest? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor?
1 Excellent 31%
2 Good 57%
3 Fair 10%
4 Poor 1%
5 Very poor 1%
98 Not sure 0%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
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City of Lake Forest Resident Satisfaction Survey January 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 2
Q3 How would you rate: _____? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? Randomize A-D
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
Not Sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Lake Forest as a place to raise a family 39% 44% 11% 1% 1% 3% 1% B Lake Forest as a place to retire 19% 37% 22% 6% 3% 11% 1% C Lake Forest as a place to work 15% 40% 17% 5% 1% 19% 3% D Lake Forest as a place to shop and dine 15% 38% 34% 8% 4% 0% 0% Q4
If the city government could do one thing to make Lake Forest a better place to live now and in the future, what would you like to see? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Attract new restaurants, stores 12%
Address homeless, poverty issues 12%
Not sure / Cannot think of anything 12%
Improve public safety 10%
Limit growth, development 10%
No changes needed / Everything is fine 8%
Reduce traffic congestion 6%
Clean up, improve appearance, rebuild
deteriorating areas 5%
Improve parks, recreation 5%
Enforce traffic laws, safety 5%
Improve education, schools 4%
Provide more affordable housing 4%
City beautification, landscape 4%
Improve, repair infrastructure 3%
Provide more community-focused events 3%
Provide more entertainment, nightlife
options 3%
Reduce cost of living 3%
More police officers, patrols 3%
Address parking issues 2%
Improve traffic light synchronization, timing 2%
Improve diversity efforts 2%
Develop more walkable shopping, dining
areas 2%
Reduce noise, pollution 2%
101
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City of Lake Forest Resident Satisfaction Survey January 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 3
Q5
Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide city services? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 32%
2 Somewhat satisfied 50%
3 Somewhat dissatisfied 9%
4 Very dissatisfied 2%
98 Not sure 6%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
Section 3: Police Department
Q6
Now, Im going to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forests Police Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
Heres the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important?
Randomize
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Providing neighborhood watch programs 38% 32% 23% 5% 2% 1% B Investigating criminal activity 71% 22% 4% 1% 1% 1%
C Providing child safety programs 45% 35% 11% 4% 4% 1%
D Enforcing traffic laws 40% 34% 19% 5% 1% 1%
E Maintaining a low crime rate 78% 16% 3% 1% 1% 1%
F Preparing for emergencies 55% 34% 8% 0% 1% 1%
G Providing crossing guards near schools 44% 33% 15% 5% 2% 1% H Providing animal control services 30% 32% 29% 6% 1% 1% Q7
For the same list of services I just read, Id like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide the service.
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Citys efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Provide neighborhood watch programs 17% 35% 12% 3% 32% 1% B Investigate criminal activity 25% 35% 11% 5% 24% 1%
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City of Lake Forest Resident Satisfaction Survey January 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 4
C Provide child safety programs 22% 32% 7% 3% 34% 2%
D Enforce traffic laws 25% 44% 12% 6% 12% 1%
E Maintain a low crime rate 33% 40% 11% 5% 9% 1%
F Prepare for emergencies 30% 36% 8% 2% 24% 1%
G Provide crossing guards near schools 46% 29% 3% 2% 19% 2% H Provide animal control services 23% 37% 7% 3% 28% 1%
Section 4: Development Services
Q8
Now, Im going to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forests Development Services Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
Heres the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important?
Randomize
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Issuing building permits 27% 34% 20% 8% 10% 1%
B Inspecting buildings 32% 35% 19% 5% 9% 1%
C Enforcing zoning regulations 28% 31% 23% 7% 10% 1%
D Enforcing sign regulations 24% 31% 25% 10% 9% 1%
Q9
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Citys efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Issue building permits 14% 27% 6% 3% 48% 2%
B Inspect buildings 13% 27% 4% 1% 52% 2%
C Enforce zoning regulations 11% 25% 7% 4% 51% 2%
D Enforce sign regulations 11% 30% 7% 3% 48% 2%
Q10
In the past year, have you applied for a building permit, received a building inspection, requested code enforcement, or used any of the other services offered by Lake Forests Development Services Department?
1 Yes 10%
2 No 86%
98 Not sure 1%
99 Prefer not to answer 3%
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Section 5: Public Works Department
Q11
Next, Id like to ask about several services provided by the Public Works Department.
For each of the following, please tell me whether the service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
Heres the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important?
Randomize
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Street sweeping 37% 40% 18% 4% 0% 0%
B Maintaining trees 48% 36% 15% 0% 0% 0%
C Preventing storm-water pollution 48% 36% 12% 2% 1% 0% D Reducing traffic congestion 59% 30% 9% 2% 0% 0%
E Maintaining local streets and roads 67% 30% 3% 0% 0% 0% F Providing bike paths and pedestrian facilities 48% 29% 20% 3% 0% 0% G Maintaining parks and picnic areas 56% 35% 9% 0% 0% 0% H Maintaining public landscapes 45% 39% 14% 1% 0% 0%
I Garbage collection services 61% 34% 4% 0% 0% 0%
J Recycling services 43% 35% 17% 4% 0% 0%
Q12
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Citys efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Provide street sweeping services 39% 39% 8% 4% 10% 0% B Maintain trees 37% 46% 9% 3% 4% 0%
C Prevent storm-water pollution 23% 37% 10% 3% 27% 0%
D Reduce traffic congestion 18% 41% 23% 11% 6% 0%
E Maintain local streets and roads 33% 47% 11% 7% 3% 0% F Provide bike paths and pedestrian facilities 33% 42% 10% 5% 9% 0% G Maintain parks and picnic areas 42% 40% 10% 3% 5% 0%
H Maintain public landscapes 39% 46% 8% 4% 4% 0%
I Provide garbage collection services 52% 35% 5% 3% 4% 0% J Provide recycling services 35% 42% 10% 4% 10% 0%
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Section 6: Community Services Department
Q13
Next Id like to ask you about a number of services provided by the City of Lake Forests Community Services Department. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
Heres the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important?
Read in Order
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Providing after school recreation programs 36% 26% 21% 8% 7% 2% B Providing recreation programs for pre-school
children 31% 23% 22% 14% 9% 2%
C Providing recreation and sports programs
for elementary school-aged children 36% 29% 18% 7% 8% 2% D Providing recreation and sports programs
for teens 40% 28% 16% 7% 7% 2%
E Providing adult recreation programs such as
classes, concerts and trips 30% 26% 29% 9% 4% 1%
F Providing adult sports programs 26% 22% 32% 14% 5% 1% G Providing recreation programs for seniors 32% 28% 25% 8% 5% 2% H Providing recreation programs for families 33% 27% 25% 9% 5% 2% I Providing special events like concerts in the
park and the Fourth of July Parade 40% 29% 19% 7% 3% 1% J Providing recreation programs for special
needs children 41% 27% 18% 8% 4% 2%
K Providing summer-specific recreation
programs such as camps 35% 27% 21% 10% 5% 2%
L Addressing homelessness 74% 16% 6% 3% 1% 0%
Q14
Now Id like to know how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide each of the services.
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Citys efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer. If satisfied or dissatisfied, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Provide after school recreation programs 19% 28% 6% 2% 41% 3% B Provide recreation programs for pre-school
children 15% 29% 5% 2% 47% 3%
C Provide recreation and sports programs for
elementary school-aged children 20% 30% 6% 2% 40% 3%
D Provide recreation and sports programs for
teens 19% 28% 6% 2% 42% 3%
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E Provide adult recreation programs such as
classes, concerts and trips 16% 29% 10% 2% 40% 2%
F Provide adult sports programs 16% 29% 8% 3% 41% 3%
G Provide recreation programs for seniors 18% 28% 6% 2% 44% 2% H Provide recreation programs for families 15% 31% 8% 2% 41% 3% I Provide special events like concerts in the
park and the Fourth of July Parade 28% 35% 9% 2% 23% 2% J Provide recreation programs for special
needs children 13% 24% 5% 3% 51% 3%
K Provide summer-specific recreation
programs such as camps 17% 28% 5% 2% 44% 3%
L Address homelessness 11% 29% 22% 15% 21% 2%
Q15 Is there a park amenity or recreation facility you would like to see added or improved in the City of Lake Forest?
1 Yes 38% Ask Q16
2 No 26% Skip to Q17
98 Not sure 34% Skip to Q17
99 Prefer not to answer 2% Skip to Q17
Q16
Please briefly describe the one park amenity or recreation facility you would most like to see added or improved in the City of Lake Forest. Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Provide more pickle ball courts 11%
Provide, improve restrooms, maintenance 9%
Provide, add more bike, walking trails, paths 8%
Not sure / Nothing comes to mind 8%
Provide more lighting at parks, courts 7%
Provide a public pool 6%
Improve public safety at, near parks, rec
facilities 6%
Provide, improve dog park, dog waste bags 5%
Provide more tennis, racquetball courts 5%
Provide water pads, play areas, an aquatic
facility 5%
Provide, maintain playgrounds, swings 5%
Update, improve parks in general 5%
Provide, improve sports fields 4%
Provide, improve basketball courts 3%
Provide BBQ, picnic areas, shades 3%
Add more parks, sports, nature, open space
areas 3%
Provide more events, outdoor activities for
all ages 3%
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Improve Heroes Park 2%
Improve Cherry Park 2%
Provide drinking water fountains 2%
Provide workout, exercise equipment 2%
Improve Lake Forest Sports Park 2%
Improve Foothill Ranch Park 2%
Provide frisbee golf course 2%
Section 7: Neighborhood Issues & Organic Recycling
Q17 As I read the following issues, please indicate whether each issue is a big problem, a moderate problem, a small problem, or not a problem in your neighborhood.
Randomize
Big Problem
Moderate
Problem
Small
Problem
Not a
Problem
Not Sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Graffiti 11% 16% 22% 47% 4% 0%
B Recreational vehicles parked on the street
for more than 72 hours at a time 13% 12% 20% 49% 6% 0%
C Landscapes and buildings not being properly
maintained 12% 14% 23% 46% 5% 0%
D Too many people living in one house 16% 15% 16% 44% 9% 1% E Excessive noise 12% 14% 25% 46% 3% 0%
F Illegally parked vehicles 17% 18% 18% 40% 7% 0%
G Too many vehicles for a single home 21% 19% 20% 34% 5% 0% H Garages that have been converted to living
spaces 11% 9% 14% 52% 13% 1%
Q18
Organic waste such as green waste and food scraps creates greenhouse gas as it decomposes in the landfill. To help combat climate change, new California state regulations require organic waste to be diverted from the landfill and recycled as compost and other renewable energy products. The City provides an organics recycling bin to residents to discard food and yard waste.
Prior to taking this survey, were you aware of the new requirement to place food scraps in the organics recycling bin?
1 Yes 61%
2 No 33%
98 Not sure 5%
99 Prefer not to answer 1%
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Q19 Approximately what percentage of your households total food waste do you currently place in the organics recycling bin? If unsure, ask them to estimate. 1 0-10% 43% Ask Q20
2 11%-25% 10% Ask Q20
3 26%-50% 8% Ask Q20
4 51%-75% 9% Skip to Q21
5 76%-100% 14% Skip to Q21
98 Not sure 12% Skip to Q21
99 Prefer not to answer 4% Skip to Q21
Q20 What is the primary barrier or challenge to recycling a larger percentage of your food waste? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Not sure / No problem 24%
Too much work, waste of time 12%
Need information about recycling 12%
No recycling bin, bags provided 9%
Smells, bad odor 7%
Attracts insects, rodents 7%
Do not have a lot of food waste 7%
Didnt know about it 5%
No space for it, too many bins, big bin 4%
Forget to do it, not used to it 4%
I compost most of it 4%
Garbage disposal is more convenient 3%
Live in condo or apartment, no bin or
instructions provided 3%
Messy, dirty 2%
Storing it until pick up time 2%
Not being able to put it in plastic bags,
container 2%
Not necessary 1%
Food waste does not impact climate change 1%
Q21 If the City provided a small air-tight food waste bin that could be placed on the counter or under the counter, would you be more likely to recycle your food waste? 1 Yes 62%
2 No 25%
98 Not sure 11%
99 Prefer not to answer 1%
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Q22
Prior to taking this survey, were you aware that the City has a bulky item pickup program, where residents can call in to receive free pickup of bulky trash items such as furniture.
1 Yes 68%
2 No 28%
98 Not sure 3%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
Section 8: City-Resident Communication
Q23
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Citys efforts to communicate with residents through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means? Get answer, then ask:
Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 29%
2 Somewhat satisfied 46%
3 Somewhat dissatisfied 15%
4 Very dissatisfied 4%
98 Not sure 5%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
Q24
What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information and programming? Dont read list. Record up to first 2 responses.
If they say Internet or web, probe to see if a City website and if yes which one.
City Sources
1 The Leaflet City Newsletter 54%
2 Leisure Times included in the Leaflet 7%
3 City Newsletter no mention of Leaflet
or Leisure Times 3%
4 E-newsletter electronic newsletter 10%
5 City Council Meetings 2%
6 Lake Forest Shop & Dine App 2%
7 My Lake Forest Smartphone App 2%
8 Text Messages from City/Nixle 9%
9 City of Lake Forest Alexa Skill 0%
10 City Website (not specific) 9%
11 Skatepark site (Etnies) 0%
12 Main City Web Page 5%
13 Economic Development Website 0%
14 Flyers at City Facilities 1%
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Newspaper, Radio, & TV
15 Saddleback Valley News (paper) 1%
16 Orange County Register (paper) 6%
17 Los Angeles Times (paper) 1%
18 Radio 1%
19 Television 1%
Internet & Social Media
20 Internet, not a City site 8%
21 Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram 18%
22 Lake Forest Patch the Patch 7%
23 Nextdoor 7%
24 Friends / Other People 6%
25 Other 4%
26 Do Not Receive Information about City 5%
98 Not sure 3%
99 Prefer not to answer 1%
Q25 In the past year, have you visited one or more of the websites maintained by the City of Lake Forest?
1 Yes 62% Ask Q26
2 No 28% Skip to D1
98 Not sure/No opinion 9% Skip to D1
99 Prefer not to answer 1% Skip to D1
Q26 Were you able to find the information you were looking for on the Citys website? 1 Yes 76%
2 No 15%
98 Not sure/No opinion 8%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
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Q27
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the resources and content available on the Citys web sites? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)?
1 Very satisfied 31%
2 Somewhat satisfied 50%
3 Somewhat dissatisfied 11%
4 Very dissatisfied 1%
98 Not sure 6%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
Section 9: Background & Demographics
Thank you so much for your participation. I have just a few background questions for statistical purposes.
D1
Which of the following best describes your employment status? Would you say you are employed full-time, part-time, a student, a homemaker, retired, or are you in-between jobs right now?
1 Employed full-time 62%
2 Employed part-time 6%
3 Student 3%
4 Homemaker 3%
5 Retired 21%
6 In-between jobs 1%
98 Not sure 0%
99 Prefer not to answer 3%
D2 Do you currently have any children under the age of 18 living in your home? 1 Yes 32%
2 No 66%
99 Prefer not to answer 2%
D3 Some residents live in Homeowners Associations and some do not. Do you live in a Homeowners Association?
1 Yes 77%
2 No 21%
99 Prefer not to answer 2%
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D4 What ethnic group do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to? Read list if respondent hesitates
1 Caucasian/White 54%
2 Latino/Hispanic 18%
3 African-American/Black 2%
4 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0%
5 Asian -- Korean, Japanese, Chinese,
Vietnamese, Filipino or other Asian 16%
6 Pacific Islander 0%
7 Mixed Heritage 4%
98 Other 1%
99 Prefer not to answer 5%
D5
This last question is for statistical purposes only. As I read the following income categories, please stop me when I reach the category that best represents your households total annual income before taxes.
1 Under $40,000 5%
2 $40,000 to $59,999 9%
3 $60,000 to $79,999 9%
4 $80,000 to $99,999 13%
5 $100,000 to $149,999 20%
6 $150,000 or more 34%
98 Not sure 1%
99 Prefer not to answer 9%
Thank you for participating! This survey was conducted for the City of Lake Forest.
Section 10: Post-Interview & Sample Items
D6 Gender
1 Male 49%
2 Female 46%
3 Prefer not to answer 5%
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S1 Party
1 Democrat 37%
2 Republican 35%
3 Other 5%
4 DTS 22%
S2 Age
1 18 to 29 18%
2 30 to 39 17%
3 40 to 49 16%
4 50 to 64 27%
5 65 or older 22%
S3 Home Owner
Yes 64%
No 36%
S4 Area of City
1 One 20%
2 Two 20%
3 Three 36%
4 Four 24%
S5 Council District
1 One 23%
2 Two 17%
3 Three 20%
4 Four 21%
5 Five 18%
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BUSINESS SURVEY
Copyright © 2023 True North Research, Inc. Page 1
City of Lake Forest
Business Survey
Final Toplines (n= 202)
February 2023
Section 1: Introduction to Study
Hello, may I please speak to _____. Hi, my name is _____ and I’m calling from TNR on behalf of the City of Lake Forest. The City is conducting a short survey on issues of importance to businesses in Lake Forest and would like to get your opinions.
If needed: This is a survey about important business issues in Lake Forest – I’m NOT trying to sell anything and I won’t ask for a donation.
If needed: The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete.
If needed: If now is not a convenient time, can you let me know a better time so I can call back, or you can take the survey online at <<insert URL>> and enter <<PIN>>.
Section 2: Business Climate
I’d like to begin by asking you a few questions about what it is like to conduct business in the City of Lake Forest.
Q1 First, how long has your business operated in Lake Forest? 1 Less than 5 years 27%
2 5 years to less than 10 years 18%
3 10 years to less than 15 years 16%
4 15 or more years 37%
99 Not sure/Prefer not to answer 2%
Q2
How would you rate the business climate in Lake Forest compared to other cities in the area? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor compared to other cities in the area?
1 Excellent 35%
2 Good 45%
3 Fair 13%
4 Poor 2%
5 Very poor 0%
98 Not sure 4%
99 Prefer not to answer 2%
Q3
If the city government could do one thing to improve the business climate in Lake Forest, what would you like to see? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
No changes needed / Everything is fine 27%
Not sure / Cannot think any 26%
Promote, advertise local businesses 8%
Resolve homeless, housing problem 6%
More business-friendly government 5%
Reduce taxes, fees 4%
Increase biz, networking opportunities 3%
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Improve safety, security of biz areas 3%
Provide more incentives to attract business 3%
Reduce rent, lease fees to decrease
vacancies 2%
Provide additional community events 2%
Improve traffic 2%
Improve, add parking / Address parking
issues 1%
Reduce signage restrictions 1%
Upgrade rundown business 1%
Fewer restrictions/regulations 1%
Improve City appearance, maintenance 1%
Limit growth 1%
Enforce traffic laws, safety 1%
Q4
Is there a particular aspect or feature of Lake Forest that is beneficial to your business? If yes, ask: Please describe the aspects of Lake Forest that most benefit your business.
Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Not sure / No particular aspect 41%
Good location, convenient access for
customers 18%
Support from City to businesses 8%
Access to roads, freeways, surrounding
communities 7%
No business license / Ease of startup 6%
Access to other local business, services 5%
Public safety, low crime rate 3%
Growth in business, residential areas 3%
Good balance, mixture of residential and
businesses 3%
Sense of community / Family-oriented City 2%
Cleanliness, beauty of City 2%
Parks and recreational areas 2%
Higher end clients, higher income families 2%
Business friendly area, climate, customers 2%
Easy access to online information,
advertising 1%
Environment, climate, weather 1%
Low, affordable rent 1%
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Q5
Are there any particular challenges associated with doing business in Lake Forest? If yes, ask: Please briefly describe the particular challenges associated with doing business in Lake Forest. Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Not sure / Cannot think of any 76%
High expenses, rents, fees 4%
Traffic, parking issues 4%
Population, demographic concerns 2%
Employee, laborer issues 2%
Safety of area, homelessness 2%
Too many regulations 1%
Location, accessibility 1%
Advertisement restrictions 1%
Business competition 1%
Improving sales, attracting customers 1%
Lack of support from City 1%
Section 3: City Services
Q6
Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide city services? (get answer, then ask): Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 59%
2 Somewhat satisfied 33%
3 Somewhat dissatisfied 4%
4 Very dissatisfied 0%
98 Not sure 4%
99 Prefer not to answer 1%
Q7
Now, I’m going to ask you about a number of specific services provided by the City of Lake Forest. For the following list of services, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to your business, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. Here’s the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important? Randomize
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Providing business watch programs 17% 21% 33% 20% 6% 2% B Investigating criminal activity 54% 34% 8% 2% 1% 1%
C Enforcing traffic laws 24% 38% 27% 10% 0% 1%
D Maintaining a low crime rate 59% 37% 3% 1% 0% 1%
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E Providing building permit services 22% 30% 27% 17% 2% 1% F Providing building inspection services 13% 26% 31% 25% 4% 1% G Promoting economic development 29% 37% 23% 10% 1% 1%
H Revitalizing out-dated areas in the City 23% 43% 23% 8% 0% 2% I Providing business education events 12% 26% 36% 25% 0% 1% J Providing business networking events 12% 27% 33% 27% 0% 1% K Providing free business consulting services 12% 27% 32% 27% 1% 1% L Providing hiring or employee training
services 9% 17% 29% 41% 2% 1%
Q8
For the same list of services I just read, I’d like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City of Lake Forest is doing to provide the service.
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? (Get answer. If ‘satisfied’ or ‘dissatisfied’, then ask): Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Provide business watch programs 15% 31% 6% 0% 46% 2%
B Investigate criminal activity 32% 33% 8% 3% 23% 1%
C Enforce traffic laws 39% 36% 6% 3% 14% 2%
D Maintain a low crime rate 42% 33% 9% 4% 11% 1%
E Provide building permit services 30% 24% 5% 1% 37% 2% F Provide building inspection services 21% 31% 3% 1% 41% 2% G Promote economic development 27% 40% 4% 3% 23% 3%
H Revitalize out-dated areas in the City 23% 37% 8% 4% 24% 2% I Provide business education events 21% 30% 6% 0% 41% 2% J Provide business networking events 23% 33% 6% 1% 36% 1% K Provide free business consulting services 19% 26% 6% 1% 45% 2% L Provide hiring or employee training services 12% 28% 5% 1% 53% 2% Q9
Now I’m going to ask you about another series of specific services provided by the City.
Again, please tell me whether each service is extremely important to your business, very important, somewhat important, or not too important.
Here’s the (first/next) one: _____. Do you think this service is extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important?
Randomize
Extremely
Important
Very
Important
Somewhat
Important
Not too
Important
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Enforcing zoning regulations 18% 38% 25% 14% 4% 1%
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B Enforcing sign regulations 14% 34% 31% 18% 3% 1%
C Street sweeping 18% 42% 31% 7% 1% 1%
D Reducing traffic congestion 34% 39% 18% 8% 1% 1%
E Maintaining local streets and roads 38% 46% 10% 4% 1% 1% F Landscaping median strips and other areas
of the City 22% 44% 25% 8% 1% 1%
G Addressing homelessness 49% 35% 9% 6% 1% 1%
Q10
Turning to your satisfaction with these same services, would you say that you are satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? (Get answer. If ‘satisfied’ or ‘dissatisfied’, then ask): Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize
Very
Satisfied
Somewhat
Satisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Not sure
Prefer not to
answer
A Enforce zoning regulations 26% 32% 3% 1% 37% 1%
B Enforce sign regulations 26% 39% 6% 2% 27% 1%
C Provide street sweeping services 39% 34% 5% 2% 19% 1% D Reduce traffic congestion 24% 47% 10% 4% 15% 1%
E Maintain local streets and roads 44% 40% 5% 1% 10% 1% F Landscape median strips and other areas of
the City 41% 38% 6% 2% 13% 1%
G Addressing homelessness 19% 36% 14% 10% 21% 1%
Section 4: Business Assistance Programs
Q11
The City of Lake Forest received a limited amount of federal funds to help local businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic. The City wants to understand what improvements or programs businesses think would help them be more successful.
As I read the following statements, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
Here is the (first/next) one: ____. Do you agree or disagree? Get answer, then ask: Would that be strongly (agree/disagree) or somewhat (agree/disagree)? Read item A first, then randomize B-F
Strongly
Agree
Somewhat
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Not Sure
Prefer not to
answer
A The pandemic hurt our business 46% 30% 13% 6% 2% 3%
B Updating our business website would help
us attract more customers 27% 33% 15% 15% 5% 5%
C
Learning how to better market or advertise
our business would make us more
profitable
29% 39% 13% 12% 4% 3%
D The technology in our business needs to be 19% 39% 16% 15% 6% 5% 118
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updated
E
Improving the physical appearance of our
store or offices would help us attract more
customers
29% 31% 13% 15% 6% 5%
F Our business could use assistance with
attracting and retaining employees 27% 27% 17% 16% 9% 5% Q12
Is there anything the City could do to help your business be more successful? If yes, ask: Please describe the most important thing the City could do to help your business.
Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below.
Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific 68%
Tax incentives, lower taxes, fees 4%
Promote businesses 3%
Address homeless issue 2%
Address city safety issue 2%
Enforce traffic laws 2%
Affordable rent, utilities 2%
Provide additional community events 2%
Provide more networking opportunities 2%
Maintain city cleanliness, beautification 1%
Fewer signage restrictions 1%
Provide more resources, support 1%
Financial aid, funding 1%
Reduce traffic congestion 1%
Other (unique responses) 6%
Section 5: City- Business Communication
Q13
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with Lake Forest businesses through newsletters, the Internet, social media, and other means? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)?
1 Very satisfied 40% Skip to Q15
2 Somewhat satisfied 44% Skip to Q15
3 Somewhat dissatisfied 6% Ask Q14
4 Very dissatisfied 3% Ask Q14
98 Not sure 7% Skip to Q15
99 Prefer not to answer 1% Skip to Q15
Q14
Is there a particular reason why you are dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with local businesses? Please be specific. Substantive verbatim responses provided below.
Every time I try to sell my product my services it was always something say.
Feel it is not so impactful.
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I don't get any communication from the city like a newsletter.
I don't receive any newsletters or emails.
I don't think that I see that much coming from the city in regard to business resources.
I have never been communicated with, so no one or anyone has ever reached out to me.
I haven't gotten many notifications or communications from them.
It is hard to deal with or navigate the Lake Forest website.
There are two things. It is the government website. There are no resources. This applies for a business permit. The second one is COVID. You can't find anything in the government website, and it doesn't provide any resources.
They are not helping on social media.
Unfamiliar with some services listed in this survey.
Way too much incessant emails!
Q15
What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Forest news, information and programming? Don’t read list. Record up to first 2 responses.
If they say Internet or web, probe to see if a City website and – if yes – which one.
City Sources
1 The Leaflet – City Newsletter 20%
2 Leisure Times – included in the Leaflet 1%
3 City Newsletter – no mention of Leaflet
or Leisure Times 5%
4 E-newsletter – electronic newsletter 15%
5 City Council Meetings 2%
6 Lake Forest Shop & Dine App 3%
7 My Lake Forest Smartphone App 0%
8 Text Messages from City/Nixle 1%
9 City of Lake Forest Alexa Skill 0%
10 City Website (not specific) 15%
11 Skatepark site (Etnies) 0%
12 Main City Web Page 4%
13 Economic Development Website 2%
14 Flyers at City Facilities 0%
Newspaper, Radio, & TV
15 Saddleback Valley News (paper) 1%
16 Orange County Register (paper) 5%
17 Los Angeles Times (paper) 0%
18 Radio 1%
19 Television 2%
Internet & Social Media
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20 Internet, not a City site 11%
21 Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram 13%
22 Lake Forest Patch – the Patch 2%
23 Nextdoor 4%
24 Friends / Other People 1%
25 Other 12%
26 Do Not Receive Information about City 7%
98 Not sure 10%
99 Prefer not to answer 3%
Q16
As I read the following ways that the City of Lake Forest can communicate with local businesses, I’d like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the City to communicate with your business.
Randomize
Very
Somewhat
Not at all
Not sure /
Prefer not
to answer
A Email 51% 34% 10% 5%
B Electronic Newsletters 41% 37% 17% 5%
C Twitter 11% 27% 52% 10%
D Facebook 20% 37% 34% 9%
E
The My Lake Forest smart phone
application that allows you to communicate
with the City, report issues, and receive
updates
25% 41% 22% 12%
F City website 43% 39% 13% 6%
G A Blog on the City’s website 19% 37% 36% 8%
H Newsletters and other materials mailed
directly to your business 30% 43% 22% 6%
I Automated phone calls 9% 25% 58% 8%
J Town hall and community meetings 24% 41% 28% 7%
K Advertisements in local papers 10% 35% 47% 8%
L Public Access Television 10% 23% 56% 11%
Q17 Have you ever visited the City’s economic development website at www.lakeforestbusiness.com?
1 Yes 41%
2 No 56%
99 Prefer not to answer 4%
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Q18 Would you say the City of Lake Forest does an excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor job of incentivizing residents to shop locally?
1 Excellent 21%
2 Good 37%
3 Fair 18%
4 Poor 6%
5 Very poor 1%
98 Not sure 12%
99 Prefer not to answer 5%
Section 6: Background & Demographics
Thank you so much for your participation. I have just a few background questions for statistical purposes.
D1 How many people are currently employed at your worksite in Lake Forest? 1 22%
2 to 5 32%
6 to 10 18%
More than 10 19%
Prefer not to answer 8%
D2 Approximately how many of these employees live outside of Lake Forest? None 27%
1 10%
2 to 5 31%
6 to 10 10%
More than 10 14%
Prefer not to answer 9%
D3 What would you say is the most important factor for why you chose to locate your business in the City of Lake Forest? Do not read list record first response 1 Competitive lease rates/building rents 6%
2 Quality business parks 3%
3 Proximity to freeways/transportation
corridors 3%
4 Quality of housing stock 1%
5 Overall quality of the City 14%
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6 Local amenities (dining/shopping) 1%
7 Close to clients/customers 4%
8 Close to owners home 23%
9 Streamlined processes to locate or
expand a business in Lake Forest 1%
10 Location/accessibility 23%
12 Other 9%
98 Not sure 7%
99 Prefer not to answer 5%
D4 In the next 12 months, do you think your business will increase, decrease or stay about the same?
1 Increase 41% Ask D5
2 Decrease 9% Skip to D6
3 Stay about the same 45% Skip to D6
98 Not sure 2% Skip to D6
99 Prefer not to answer 4% Skip to D6
D5 To accommodate the growth in your business, will you require additional square footage or a larger building?
1 Yes 19%
2 No 68%
98 Not sure 13%
99 Prefer not to answer 0%
D6 In the next 12 months, do you think your business will relocate? 1 Yes 6% Ask D7
2 No 83% Skip to D9
98 Not sure 8% Skip to D9
99 Prefer not to answer 4% Skip to D9
D7 Will you be relocating your business within Lake Forest or to another community? 1 Lake Forest 43% Skip to D9
2 Another community 26% Ask D8
98 Not sure 31% Skip to D9
99 Prefer not to answer 0% Skip to D9
D8 Is there a particular reason why your business is leaving Lake Forest? If yes, ask: Please describe the reason.
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D9 Last question for you. Are you a resident of Lake Forest? 1 Yes 46%
2 No 52%
99 Prefer not to answer 1%
Thank you for participating! This survey was conducted for the City of Lake Forest.
Section 7: Post- Interview & Sample Items
D10 Gender
1 Male 61%
2 Female 34%
99 Prefer not to answer 5%
S2 Home-Based Business
1 Yes 20%
2 No 80%
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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 3/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
SUBJECT:
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE WORKSHOP
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Receive reports and advise staff on the Strategic Plan update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of tonight’s workshop is to gather City Council input regarding the City’s strategic goals and priorities to update the City’s Strategic Business Plan (“Strategic Plan”) (Attachment). Staff and consultants will provide an overview of City demographics, economic trends, current community satisfaction, and upcoming City Council decisions. In preparation for this Strategic Planning Workshop, City Commissioners were invited to participate in the Joint Commissions Workshop held on February 28, 2023. At that Joint Commissioners Workshop, Commissioners had the opportunity to add to the list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats recorded by the Mr. Bill Kelly (Kelly Associates Management Group LLC) during his individual interviews of City Council Members.
The Strategies within the City’s Strategic Plan require updates. Tonight, the City Council will have the opportunity to review the results of the SWOT exercise and direct staff to make updates (add, delete, or adjust) to the Strategies listed in the Strategic Plan. This input will guide the formulation of projects and programs for the next iteration of the Strategic Plan.
BACKGROUND:
In 1999, the City adopted its first Five-Year Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan provides policy direction regarding the vision and mission of the organization in addition to the short and long-term programs and projects that support these efforts. The City updates the Strategic Plan every two years to ensure programs and projects listed in the document remain consistent with City Council and community priorities. The Strategic Plan also allows the City to project its 125
2 5
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revenues and expenditures over the period covered by the plan, ensuring continued strong financial footing.
In October 2020, the City Council voted to adopt the Financial Management and Budgetary Policy. The new policy transitions the City to a two-year Operating Budget. This approach addresses long-range financial planning and allows the City to forecast two years of operating expenditures which are aligned with the City’s strategic goals. On June 15, 2021, the City Council adopted its first seven- year Strategic Plan (Attachment). This current Strategic Plan covers Fiscal Years 2021-22 through 2027-28. Table 1 and Graphic 1 below describe the City’s Strategic Plan and budget adoption process visually.
Table 1: Financial Planning and Budget Development Activities Timeframe Activity
Biennial Resident and Business Survey data collection
begins. New City Council and Commissioner orientation.
Staff prepare budget requests and other related materials.
Resident and Business Satisfaction Survey is published.
Winter 2022-23
Consultant Interviews City Councilmembers and Facilitates Joint Commissions Workshop.
Staff and Consultants present findings of Biennial Resident and Business Survey, Joint Commissions SWOT Analysis,
and review Economic and Demographic Trends at City
Council Workshop.
City Council adopts the Financial Documents, including
Resolution Adopting Fiscal Year 2021-22 appropriations.
Spring 2023
City Council adopts updated Strategic Plan.
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Graphic 1: Budget Development Process
Goal-Setting Input and Workshops
As demonstrated, community input regarding goal setting is important to this process. To assist with gathering community and stakeholder input, the City hired a professional facilitator, Mr. Bill Kelly of Kelly Associates Management Group.
Mr. Kelly has held interviews with each member of the City Council; has assisted in designing, planning, and facilitating a public strategic planning workshop with the City’s Commissioners; and will provide guidance in the update of the City’s Strategic Plan. A retired long-time City Manager and university professor, Mr.
Kelly has extensive experience with issues facing Southern California cities. Mr.
Kelly has assisted other cities such as Whittier, Stanton, and Signal Hill, working closely with elected officials and staff.
At the Joint Commissions meeting facilitated by Mr. Kelly on February 28, 2023, each Commissioner had the opportunity to identify the city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (“SWOT”). The information gathered through the Joint Commissions Workshop and City Council Member interviews will assist the City Council in identifying meaningful goals for the ensuing two years. With the facilitative assistance of Mr. Kelly, the City Council can use the information gathered from the SWOT exercise to update the Strategies listed in the Strategic Plan. From there, staff will propose Initiatives that align with the Strategies agreed upon by the City Council and facilitate progress towards the major goals of the Strategic Plan.
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DISCUSSION:
The next step in the Strategic Plan Update process is for the City Council to update the Strategies component of the document. The Strategic Plan includes three goals for the City:
(1) Our livable city is well planned, attractive, and safe; (2) Our connected city is engaged, informed, and technologically current; and, (3) Our healthy city is sustainable, well-run, with committed people.
Each of these goals includes “Priority Areas.” From there, the City Council establishes “Strategies” to satisfy community priorities. Staff then propose “Initiatives,” which are projects that align with a Strategy. Finally, on a quarterly basis, staff provide updates to the City Council and community as Initiatives are completed.
The input gathered through the SWOT portion of the Joint Commissions Workshop and City Council interviews is provided in Table 2 below. The City Council responses are provided in regular text, while the Commissioner responses are italicized.
Table 2: SWOT Results
Strengths Weaknesses
▪Strong and effective conservative
fiscal management.
▪Diverse skill sets found in City Staff
and Council members (i.e., highly
experienced backgrounds in
Business, Public Utilities, Political
Organizations, Financial
competencies, Governance,
Planning).
▪High satisfaction from residents for
the quality of life they enjoy from
sound management of community
resources.
▪Measurement of metrics for
achievement confirming success.
▪Utilization of legal and other
resources with responsive
compliance to agencies as needed.
▪Very competent staff and
outstanding leadership.
▪Functional and civil City Council.
▪Fiscally responsible.
▪Ability to render actions to issues in
a more timely manner. CIP
projects, repairs, etc.
▪Greater participation in political
organizations such as ACC-OC,
SCAG, League of Cities
commissions, State assembly and
Congressional relationships.
▪Potential loss of quality personnel
to retirement and migration of labor
resources to other agencies without
an active plan to support a
succession plan.
▪Not immune to Sacramento’s poor
policies.
▪High cost of living.
▪Not far from becoming a
"maintenance City."
▪Improve non-management staff
comp/retention.
▪More local control, especially
quality of life issues.
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Strengths Weaknesses
▪Our location.
▪Building counter moves permits
quickly.
▪Fiscal strength – Reserves equal to
3x annual budget, no debt.
▪Contract city.
▪More potential for economic
development/tax revenue.
▪Council is politically balanced.
▪Good survey results.
▪Minimal number of
resident/business complaints.
▪Extremely safe City.
▪Parks and outdoor space.
▪New Civic Center campus.
▪Recreation programs and facilities
(i.e., special events, seniors, skate
park, and sports park).
▪Diversification of businesses
(hotels/dinner restaurants).
▪Improve overall quality of life (no
entertainment).
▪Need to anticipate issues, get out
in front.
▪Food/Restaurants not reflective of
the community.
▪High cost of utilities (i.e.,
gas/electricity/water) and no control
over them.
▪Traffic on main arterials and long
lines of cars at signals, particularly
El Toro - 5 Freeway interchange.
Opportunities Threats
▪Mixed Use development projects to
address affordable housing
consistent with current culture.
▪Transitioning to a maintenance City
versus a development focus.
▪Economic development to continue
our business-friendly emphasis.
▪New technologies with choices for
residents with competitive pricing.
Internet access.
▪Grants.
▪Transform old buildings into new
trending businesses.
▪Potential areas for
revitalization/development.
▪Spur hospitality sector.
▪Improve diversity by observing
“lunar new year event.”
▪Improve public safety with more
technology.
▪Explore uses for vacant City land.
▪Improve areas of the City with
landscaped streets and medians.
▪State of CA intervention to reduce
local control.
▪Marijuana dispensaries setting up
business in defiance of our
ordinances and the expense of
combating ongoing issue.
▪Homelessness mitigation, legal
issues and secondary impacts.
▪SB 1383 mulch requirements.
▪Sober Living Homes mitigation.
▪Letting Political agendas interfere
with the way Lake Forest does
business (CCA'S).
▪Large Warehouses.
▪Sheriff’s contract.
▪Crime spilling over from the north.
▪State mandates with negative
impacts.
▪Severe decline of school-aged
families.
▪Unaffordable housing.
▪Attracting/retaining good staff.
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Strengths Weaknesses
▪Ability to spend excess reserves on
capital projects.
▪Location of Elementary School in
Meadows development.
▪Potential for a medical hub in
commercial/industrial areas (i.e.,
medical supplies manufacturing).
▪City’s mixed-use plan has the
ability to draw in entertainment.
▪Using technology to enhance and
monitor traffic hot spots/problem
areas.
▪Address “smaller” public safety
concerns (i.e. porch pirates,
catalytic converter thefts).
▪Ability to implement smaller traffic
improvement projects with large
implications (i.e. right turn pockets,
extended left turn lanes).
▪Expand recreation programs based
on trails and facilities (i.e. biking
and cultural arts – opera/plays).
▪Study bringing public safety (Police
& Fire) in house based on cost-
benefit analysis.
▪Recreation programs for home-
schooled kids, which are increasing
yearly.
▪Increased truck and commercial
traffic.
▪Decline in school aged children.
▪Losing retail establishments.
▪Increased “smaller” crimes (i.e.
porch pirates, catalytic converter
thefts).
▪Quality of public safety provided
being impacted by aging equipment
and low staff numbers due to hiring
challenges.
▪Aging infrastructure throughout the
community.
The City Council may consider the results of this SWOT exercise when determining updates to the City’s Strategies. The City’s current Strategies are provided in Table 3 below.
Table 3: Strategic Plan Strategies
Goal A: Our livable city is well planned, attractive, and safe Priority Area 1. Well planned: Purposeful direction in land use and transportation planning create a community future generations will value.
Strategy (a) Prioritize initiatives to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility, and manage on-street parking.
Strategy (b) Prioritize initiatives to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility, and manage on-street parking.
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Goal A: Our livable city is well planned, attractive, and safe Strategy (c) Develop and implement initiatives that leverage changes in retail shopping preferences, telecommuting, and technology.
Strategy (d) Ensure that economic and housing initiatives provide opportunities for all residents.
Strategy (e) Strategically accommodate State mandates to ensure the highest level of local control, community involvement, and organizational effectiveness.
Strategy (f) Maintain business attraction services to bring new retail stores to the city.
Strategy (g) Develop and implement initiatives to address negative economic impacts caused by COVID-19.
Priority Area 2. Attractive: Investment and maintenance in public facilities, infrastructure, and natural resources enhances visual character of the City and supports quality neighborhoods.
Strategy (a) Enhance the City's overall visual character, maintain City assets, and proactively reinvest in Lake Forest.
Strategy (b) Consistently invest in the City's park system.
Strategy (c) Evaluate future options for the City's infrastructure and utility resources.
Strategy (d) Provide civic and recreational opportunities appealing to community demographics.
Priority Area 3. Safe: Excellent public safety efforts maintain a family-friendly environment and high quality of life.
Strategy (a) Maintain a low crime rate in a cost-effective manner.
Strategy (b) Maintain public safety by engaging community members.
Strategy (c) Develop comprehensive emergency management strategies that prepare the City to respond effectively to unpredictable events.
Goal B: Our connected city is engaged, informed, and technologically current.
Priority Area 1. Engaged: Outreach, creative events, and programs inspire connection and engagement between the community and City government.
Strategy (a) Maintain a communications and marketing strategy, including two- way communication that enhances community engagement.
Strategy (b) Reinvigorate civic life in the post-COVID-19 environment via special events and programs.
Strategy (c) Ensure that the City's decision-making process remains accessible to all residents.
Priority Area 2. Informed: Transparency about decision-making and government performance cultivates public trust.
Strategy (a) Develop programs to expand access to City government.
Strategy (b) Involve the public in measuring the quality and effectiveness in services delivered by the City.
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Goal B: Our connected city is engaged, informed, and technologically current.
Priority Area 3. Technologically Current: Innovative technologies enhance organizational efficiency and help our community.
Strategy (a) Enhance efficiencies and services through technology.
Goal C: Our healthy city government is sustainable and well-run with committed people.
Priority Area 1. Sustainable: Responsible financial policies and prudent decisions provide short-term fiscal stability and long-term financial health.
Strategy (a) Implement Financial Management and Budgetary Policy to maintain the financial integrity of the city.
Strategy (b) Operate according to policy on cost recovery.
Strategy (c) Analyze major programs to identify potential cost savings and manage future costs.
Priority Area 2. Well-Run: Good governance and professional management support the City’s ability to serve the needs of the community.
Strategy (a) Continuously improve our effectiveness in procuring and managing financially sustainable contract services.
Strategy (b) Implement modern workplace policies that cultivate an effective, efficient workforce.
Priority Area 3. Committed People: Talented staff and contractors are vital assets to our organization and essential to effective and efficient City operations.
Strategy (a) Professionally develop and retain staff to match skills with organizational and community needs.
Strategy (b) Continuously assess the optimal staffing levels required to provide in-demand services to residents and businesses.
Preparing for the Strategic Planning Workshop
The Strategic Planning Workshop is designed to present the contributions of Commissioners and the information gathered in preparation for the Strategic Plan Update. The City Council Strategic Planning Workshop shall incorporate the following structure:
▪Purpose and Overview
▪Community Satisfaction Survey Presentation
▪Economic Update and Demographic Trends (provided by Ken Hira of Kosmont Companies)
▪Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Exercise ▪Feedback from City Council
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Upon concluding the SWOT exercise, Mr. Kelly will lead the City Council through a guided activity to make adjustments to the Strategies in the Strategic Plan.
Staff will use the information gathered from this exercise to make adjustments to Strategies and propose new Initiatives for City Council consideration. The City Council will have the opportunity to approve or edit staff’s recommendations during the presentation of the proposed 2023-2025 Operating Budget later this year.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS:
Strategic Business Plan (2021-22 through 2027-28)
Initiated By: Sean McGovern, Assistant to the City Manager Submitted By: Sean McGovern, Assistant to the City Manager Approved By: Debra Rose, City Manager
133
ATTACHMENT
134
²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁ
FY 2021-22 through FY 2027-28
135
ׂ
City Council
ªȌƦƵȲɈꢀ§ƵȱɐƵȁȌ²ƧȌɈɈꢀßȌǞǐɈȺ
Mayor Pro TemMayor
District 5District 3
wƊȲDzꢀÀƵɈɈƵǿƵȲ yƵƵDzǞꢀwȌƊɈƊɹƵƮǞ (Ȍɐǐꢀ!ǞȲƦȌ
Council Member
District 1
Council Member Council Member
District 4 District 2
136
!ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁ׃
Table of Contents
City Map 4
5 6
A Message f rom the City Managerꢀ
Executive Summary
Missionꢀ& VǞȺǞȌȁ
Goals and Priority Areas
Goal A: Our livable city is well planned, attractive, and safe.
9 10
Goal B: Our connected city is engaged, informed, and
technologically current.
11 Goal C: Our healthy city government is sustainable
and well-run with committed people.
12 Implementation Matrix
Goal A: Our livable city is well planned, attractive, and safe.
13 14
Goal B: Our connected city is engaged, informed, and
technologically current.
22 26Goal C: Our healthy city government is sustainable and well-run with committed people.
137
ׄ
City Map
138
!ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׅ
A Message f rom the City Manager
On behalf of the Lake Forest City Council and City staff, it is my privilege to present the City of Lake Forest’s Strategic Business Plan for Fiscal Years 2021-22 through 2027-28.
ȺꢀǶƵƊƮƵȲȺǘǞȯﺓꢀɈǘƵꢀȯǶƊȁꢀƵȺɈƊƦǶǞȺǘƵȺꢀƊꢀƧǶƵƊȲꢀǿǞȺȺǞȌȁꢀƊȁƮꢀɨǞȺǞȌȁꢀ ꢀɯƵƊȲȺﺥꢀ
The plan is focused on three clear long-range goals:
• A livable city that is well planned, attractive, and safe. • A city that is engaged, informed, and technologically current. • A city government that is fiscally sustainable and well-run with committedstaff.
Implementing this Strategic Plan enables the City to build on past efforts and respond effectively to the needs of its citizens well into the future. ɨƵȲꢀɈǘƵꢀȁƵɮɈꢀseven ɯƵƊȲȺﺓꢀȁƵɩꢀȲƵȺǞƮƵȁɈǞƊǶꢀȁƵǞǐǘƦȌȲǘȌȌƮȺꢀɩǞǶǶꢀƦƵꢀƧȌǿȯǶƵɈƵƮ,ꢀƊȁƮꢀɈǘƵꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀ ǿƊǞȁɈƵȁƊȁƧƵꢀƧǞɈɯﺥꢀÀǘǞȺꢀɩǞǶǶꢀȲƵȱɐǞȲƵꢀƊꢀ
ƧȌȁɈǞȁɐƵƮꢀǏȌƧɐȺꢀȌȁꢀȺɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀǞȁɨƵȺɈǿƵȁɈȺꢀǞȁꢀǞȁǏȲƊȺɈȲɐƧɈɐȲƵꢀƊȁƮꢀȌɈǘƵȲꢀǿɐȁǞƧǞȯƊǶꢀ ȺƵȲɨǞƧƵȺꢀɈǘƊɈꢀȌȁǶɯꢀɈǘƵꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀƧƊȁꢀȯȲȌɨǞƮƵꢀɈȌꢀƵȁȺɐȲƵꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀƧȌȁɈǞȁɐƵȺꢀɈȌꢀƦƵꢀƊꢀƦƵƊɐɈǞǏɐǶꢀ ƊȁƮꢀǏǞȁƊȁƧǞƊǶǶɯꢀȺɐȺɈƊǞȁƊƦǶƵꢀƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯﺥ
I want to thank you for your ongoing trust and support. We are proud to serve you! Respectfully,
Debra Rose
139
Lake Forest City Hall
Executive Summary
The City of Lake Forest has a long tradition of planning for the community’s future. The City Council and staff developed this new Seven-Year Strategic Plan to set forth the direction of the City government’s work. City Council members, City Commissioners, and City staff were engaged to develop this plan.
Input to the plan was gathered through the City’s biennial Resident & Business Survey, interviews with the City Council, and a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (“SWOT”) exercise facilitated by Mr. William Kelly of Kelly Associates Management group.
The result is a plan containing the City’s vision, mission, goals, strategies, and the implementation plan. Each of the three broad goals contains three priority areas and a set of programs and projects, which are the means to achieve the goals. Some programs and projects can be implemented without new resources while others will require additional budgetary or staff resources. Implementation of the Strategic Plan will occur through the budget process, work planning within City departments, and through the City Manager.
In addition to a biannual update of the Strategic Plan, the City Manager will provide quarterly reports to the City Council and community on progress made on the Strategic Plan. The City Manager also may provide interim updates on specific projects and strategies as needed.
140
!ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׇ
Clear Long
Range Goals Achievable
Priorities
Effective
Day-to-Day
Operations
141
Mission
To deliver innovative, high-quality municipal services in a cost-effective manner.
Vision
To be a safeꢀand ǏǞȁƊȁƧǞƊǶǶɯꢀsustainable
communityꢀɈǘƊɈꢀƧƵǶƵƦȲƊɈƵȺꢀǞɈȺꢀǏȌȲƵȺɈȺﺓꢀƧȲƵƵDzȺﺓꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ȁƊɈɐȲƊǶꢀƊǿƵȁǞɈǞƵȺﺥ
El Toro Park
142
Veterans Park
Goals and Priority Areas
JȌƊǶȺ §ȲǞȌȲǞɈɯꢀꢁȲƵƊȺ
ׁﺥ Well-plannedꢀﻭꢀPurposeful direction in land use and transportation planning create a community future generations will value.
Goal Aׂﺥ AttractiveꢀﻭꢀInvestment and maintenance in public facilities, infrastructure, and natural resources enhances community aesthetics and supports quality neighborhoods.
ɐȲꢀǶǞɨƊƦǶƵꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀǞȺꢀ
ȯǶƊȁȁƵƮﺓꢀ
ƊɈɈȲƊƧɈǞɨƵﺓꢀƊȁƮꢀȺƊǏƵﺥ׃ ﺥ SafeꢀﻭꢀExcellent public safety efforts maintain a family-friendly environment and high-quality of life.
ׁﺥ InformedꢀﻭꢀTransparency about decision making and government performance cultivates public trust.
Goal B
ɐȲꢀƧȌȁȁƵƧɈƵƮꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀǞȺꢀ
ƵȁǐƊǐƵƮﺓꢀǞȁǏȌȲǿƵƮﺓꢀ
ƊȁƮꢀɈƵƧǘȁȌǶȌǐǞƧƊǶǶɯꢀ
ƧɐȲȲƵȁɈﺥ
ׂﺥ EngagedꢀﻭꢀOutreach, creative events, and programs inspire connection and participation between residents, businesses, and City government. ׃ﺥ Technologically CurrentꢀﻭꢀInnovative technologies provide an efficient means for the public to remain engaged and access public information. ׁﺥ SustainableꢀﻭꢀResponsible financial policies and prudent decisions provide short-term fiscal stability and long-term financial health.Goal C ɐȲꢀǘƵƊǶɈǘɯꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀׂﺥ Well-runꢀﻭꢀGood governance and professional management supports ǐȌɨƵȲȁǿƵȁɈꢀǞȺꢀ the City’s ability to serve the needs of the community. ٌ
ȲɐȁꢀɩǞɈǘꢀƧȌǿǿǞɈɈƵƮꢀ
ȯƵȌȯǶƵﺥ
׃ﺥ Committed PeopleꢀﻭꢀTalented, ethical staff and contractors are vital assets to our organization and essential to effective and efficient City operations.
143
ׁ׀
Goal A
Our livable City is well-planned, attractive, and safe. §ȲǞȌȲǞɈɯꢀꢁȲƵƊȺ ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƵȺ
Ɗﻑ Prioritize initiatives to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility, and manage on-street parking.
Ʀﻑ Develop and implement initiatives that leverage changes in retail shopping preferences, telecommuting, and technology.
Well-plannedꢀ
§ɐȲȯȌȺƵǏɐǶꢀƮǞȲƵƧɈǞȌȁꢀ
ǞȁꢀǶƊȁƮꢀɐȺƵꢀƊȁƮꢀ
Ƨﻑ Ensure economic and housing initiatives provide opportunities for all residents.
Ʈﻑ Strategically accomodate State mandates to ensure the highest level of local control, community involvement, and organizational effectiveness.
ɈȲƊȁȺȯȌȲɈƊɈǞȌȁꢀȯǶƊȁȁǞȁǐꢀ
ƧȲƵƊɈƵꢀƊꢀƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯꢀǏɐɈɐȲƵꢀ
ǐƵȁƵȲƊɈǞȌȁȺꢀɩǞǶǶꢀɨƊǶɐƵﺥ
Ƶﻑ Maintain business attraction services to bring new retail stores to the City.
Ǐﻑ Develop and implement initiatives to address negative economic impacts caused by COVID-19.
Attractive ƊﻑEnhance the City’s overall visual character, maintain City assets, and proactively reinvest in southwest Lake Forest.XȁɨƵȺɈǿƵȁɈꢀƊȁƮꢀ ǿƊǞȁɈƵȁƊȁƧƵꢀǞȁꢀȯɐƦǶǞƧꢀ
ǏƊƧǞǶǞɈǞƵȺﺓꢀǞȁǏȲƊȺɈȲɐƧɈɐȲƵﺓꢀ
ƊȁƮꢀȁƊɈɐȲƊǶꢀȲƵȺȌɐȲƧƵȺꢀ
ƵȁǘƊȁƧƵȺꢀɨǞȺɐƊǶꢀƧǘƊȲƊƧɈƵȲꢀ
ȌǏꢀɈǘƵꢀƧǞɈɯꢀƊȁƮꢀȺɐȯȯȌȲɈȺꢀ
ȱɐƊǶǞɈɯꢀȁƵǞǐǘƦȌȲǘȌȌƮȺﺥ
Ʀﻑ Consistently invest in the City’s park system.
Ƨﻑ Evaluate future options for the City’s infrastructure and utility resources.
Ʈﻑ Provide civic and recreational opportunities appealing to community demographics.
Safe Ɗﻑ Maintain a low crime rate in a cost-effective manner. 0ɮƧƵǶǶƵȁɈꢀȯɐƦǶǞƧꢀȺƊǏƵɈɯꢀ
ٌ
ǏȲǞƵȁƮǶɯꢀƵȁɨǞȲȌȁǿƵȁɈꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ǘǞǐǘ ȱɐƊǶǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀǶǞǏƵﺥ
Ʀﻑ Maintain public safety by engaging community members.
Ƨﻑ Develop comprehensive emergency management strategies that prepare the City to respond effectively to unpredictable events. 144
Lake Forest Civic Center
Goal B
Our connected City is engaged, informed, and technologically current. §ȲǞȌȲǞɈɯꢀꢁȲƵƊȺ ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƵȺ
Engaged Ɗﻑ Maintain a communications and marketing strategy, including two-way communication that enhances community engagement.ɐɈȲƵƊƧǘﺓꢀƧȲƵƊɈǞɨƵꢀ ƵɨƵȁɈȺﺓꢀƊȁƮꢀȯȲȌǐȲƊǿȺꢀ
ǞȁȺȯǞȲƵꢀƧȌȁȁƵƧɈǞȌȁꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ƵȁǐƊǐƵǿƵȁɈꢀƦƵɈɩƵƵȁꢀ
ɈǘƵꢀƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯꢀƊȁƮꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀ
ǐȌɨƵȲȁǿƵȁɈﺥ
Ʀﻑ Reinvigorate civic life in the post-COVID-19 environment via special events and programs.
Ƨﻑ Ensure that the City’s decision making process remains accesible to all residents.
Informed Ɗﻑ Develop programs to expand access to City government.
ÀȲƊȁȺȯƊȲƵȁƧɯꢀƊƦȌɐɈꢀ
ƮƵƧǞȺǞȌȁꢀǿƊDzǞȁǐꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ǐȌɨƵȲȁǿƵȁɈꢀȯƵȲǏȌȲǿƊȁƧƵꢀ
ƧɐǶɈǞɨƊɈƵȺꢀȯɐƦǶǞƧꢀɈȲɐȺɈﺥ
Ʀﻑ Involve the public in measuring the quality and effectiveness in services delivered by the city.
Technologically
Current
Ɗﻑ 0ȁǘƊȁƧƵꢀƵǏǏǞƧǞƵȁƧǞƵȺꢀƊȁƮꢀȺƵȲɨǞƧƵȺꢀɈǘȲȌɐǐǘꢀɈƵƧǘȁȌǶȌǐɯﺥꢀ XȁȁȌɨƊɈǞɨƵꢀɈƵƧǘȁȌǶȌǐǞƵȺꢀ
ƵȁǘƊȁƧƵꢀȌȲǐƊȁǞɹƊɈǞȌȁƊǶꢀ
ƵǏǏǞƧǞƵȁƧɯꢀƊȁƮꢀǘƵǶȯꢀȌɐȲꢀ
ƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯﺥ
145
Baker Ranch Community Park
Goal C
Our healthy City government is sustainable and well-run with committed people.
§ȲǞȌȲǞɈɯꢀꢁȲƵƊȺ ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƵȺ
Sustainable
ªƵȺȯȌȁȺǞƦǶƵꢀǏǞȁƊȁƧǞƊǶꢀ
ȯȌǶǞƧǞƵȺꢀƊȁƮꢀȯȲɐƮƵȁɈꢀ
Ɗﻑ Implement Financial Management and Budgetary Policy to maintain the financial integrity of the City.
Ʀﻑ Operate according to policy on cost recovery.
ٌ
ɈƵȲǿꢀǏǞȺƧƊǶꢀȺɈƊƦǞǶǞɈɯꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ɈƵȲǿꢀǏǞȁƊȁƧǞƊǶꢀǘƵƊǶɈǘﺥ
Ƨﻑ Analyze major programs to identify potential cost savings and manage future costs.
Well-Run
Ɗﻑ Continuously improve our effectiveness in procuring andJȌȌƮꢀǐȌɨƵȲȁƊȁƧƵꢀƊȁƮꢀ ȯȲȌǏƵȺȺǞȌȁƊǶꢀǿƊȁƊǐƵǿƵȁɈꢀ
ȺꢀƊƦǞǶǞɈɯꢀ
ɈȌꢀȺƵȲɨƵꢀɈǘƵꢀȁƵƵƮȺꢀȌǏꢀɈǘƵꢀ
ƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯﺥ
managing financially sustainable contract services.
Ʀﻑ Implement modern workplace policies that cultivate an effective, efficient workforce.
Committed People
Ɗﻑ Professionally develop and retain staff to match skills with ÀƊǶƵȁɈƵƮꢀȺɈƊǏǏꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ƧȌȁɈȲƊƧɈȌȲȺꢀƊȲƵꢀɨǞɈƊǶꢀƊȺȺƵɈȺꢀ
ɈȌꢀȌɐȲꢀȌȲǐƊȁǞɹƊɈǞȌȁꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ƵȺȺƵȁɈǞƊǶꢀɈȌꢀƵǏǏƵƧɈǞɨƵꢀƊȁƮꢀ
ƵǏǏǞƧǞƵȁɈꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀȌȯƵȲƊɈǞȌȁȺﺥ
organizational and community needs.
Ʀﻑ Continuously assess the optimal staffing levels required to provide in-demand services to residents and businesses. 146
!ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׁ׃
ׂ׀ׁׂׂٌ׀ׂꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ§ǶƊȁ
Implementation Matrix
147
ׁׄ! ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׁׅ
Goal A Our livable City is well-planned, attractive, and safe.
Priority Area 1 - Well-Planned: Purposeful direction in land use and transportation planning create a community future generations will value.
Strategy (a): Prioritize initiatives to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility, and manage on-street parking.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date Complete infrastructure projects that increase mobility and reduce congestion with Local IȌȲƵȺɈꢀÀȲƊȁȺȯȌȲɈƊɈǞȌȁꢀMitigation ـmIÀwﻑꢀǏundsꢀpaid for by developments. ²§ﺡׁ
Lake Forest
Transportation
Mitigation
Program
- Lake Forest Rd & Rancho Pkwy (LFTM) (# ꢀPW 2020-06)
- El Toro Rd & Portola Pkwy/Santa Margarita Pkwy (LFTM) (# PW 2019-03) - Bake Pkwy & Irvine Blvd/Trabuco Rd (LFTM) (# PW 2019-02) - Bake Pkwy & Jeronimo Rd (LFTM) (# PW 2020-04) Public
Works $8,948,400 LFTM/NITM FY 2021-22 - FY 2025-26
- Lake Forest Dr & Jeronimo Rd (LFTM) (# PW 2020-03)
- Lake Forest Dr & Rockfield Blvd (LFTM) (# PW 2019-06)
- Los Alisos & Rockfield (LFTM) (# PW 2022-11)
- Lake Forest Dr & I-5 (LFTM/NITM) (# PW 2028-10)
- Bake Pkwy & Rockfield - not within City-limits (LFTM) (# PW 2028-11) ²§ﺡꢀ
wƵƊƮȌɩȺ
TraǏǏǞƧ
Meadows
Traffic
Improvement
Funds
Use Meadows Traffic Improvement Funds (MTIF) to manage impacts related to the Meadows development. Public
Works $2,475,000
$5,025,000
FY 2022-23 - FY 2023-24
FY 2022-23 - FY 2023-24
FY 2021-22 - FY 2025-26
Mitigation
Program
- Bake Pkwy/Baffin Bay Intersection Improvements (# PW 2020-19) - Bake Pkwy/Toledo Way Intersection Improvements (# PW 2020-18) Utilize developer-funded Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan (FCPP) to make various transpȌȲɈƊɈǞȌȁ improvements that reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.²§ﺡ׃ Foothill
Circulation
Phasing Plan
Public
Works FCCP- Los Alisos Blvd/Muirlands Blvd Intersection Improvements (# PW 2019-07) - Jeronimo Rd Widening at El Toro Rd (# PW 2019-08)
- El Toro Rd Raised Medians from Jeronimo Rd to Trabuco Rd (# PW 2020-07) Projects which increase mobility and implement new approaches to traffic circulation. ²§ﺡׄ
New Traffic
Circulation/
Mobility Projects
Public
Works
General Fund/
CDBG/M2/SB1
- Protective Permissive Left Turn Project (# PW 2023-03) $1,415,000- Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS) (# PW 2023-0ׂ) Increase Bike Lanes in Lake Forest (# PW 2020-05B)
- Trabuco Rd Ascension Cemetery Left Turn Holding Pocket (# PW 2025-02) Utilize grants and other transpȌrɈation funds to complete traffic signal ²§ﺡׅsynchronization projects that provide more efficient traffic flow. Gas Tax, AQMD, and
Grants
Public
Works
Traffic Signal $525,000 FY 2021-22 - FY 2023-24
FY 2021-22 - FY 2027-28
- Alton Pkwy (# PW 2020-16)
- Portola Pkwy (# PW 2020-15)
- Rockfield Blvd (# PW 2023-04)
Synchronization
Measure M2 Fair
²§ﺡ׆ׂ
Maintain “Good”
Pavement Condition
of the City’s Roads
Construct pavement rehabilitation projects to repair and maintain the quality of the roads (# PW 2021-05A/B, # PW 2022-05A/B, # PW 2023-05A/B, # PW 2024-05A/B, # PW 2025-05A/B, # PW 2026-05A/B, # PW 2027-05A/B, # PW 2027ٌ8-05A/B).
Public
Works
Shareꢀ/ Gas Tax - Road
$28,000,000
Maintenance
Rehabilitation Account
/ Gas Tax / City Road
Infrastructure Fund
148
ׁ׆! ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׇׁ
Strategy (a): Prioritize initiatives to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility, and manage on-street parking.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡ׃׆
Arterial Median
Improvement
Project
Installation of raised hardscaped medians would improve traffic safety. These locations include Trabuco Rd north of El Toro Rd, and on Rockfield Blvd south of Lake Forest Dr (# PW 2022-02).
Public
Works $225,000 General Fund FY 2023-24
²§ﺡ׆
Permit Parking
Software
²§ﺡׇ
General Plan
Public
Works
Mobile app to efficiently administer and enforce permit parking while improving resident experience for annual renewal and guest passes. $10,000 $75,000
Gas Tax FY 2022-23
FY 2021-22
(ƵɨƵǶȌȯꢀ ƊȁƮꢀ ǞǿȯǶƵǿƵȁɈꢀ ȯȲȌǐȲƊǿȺꢀ ɈȌꢀ ȯȲȌǿȌɈƵꢀ ƵȁƵȲǐɯꢀ ƧȌȁȺƵȲɨƊɈǞȌȁꢀ Ǟȁꢀ ƧȌȁȺɈȲɐƧɈǞȌȁꢀ ƊȁƮꢀɈȲƊȁȺȯȌȲɈƊɈǞȌȁꢀȯȲȌǯƵƧɈȺﺥꢀꢀ§ȲȌƧɐȲƵꢀƊꢀƧȌȁȺɐǶɈƊȁɈꢀɈȌꢀƊȺȺǞȺɈꢀɩǞɈǘꢀǞǿȯǶƵǿƵȁɈǞȁǐꢀƵȁƵȲǐɯꢀ Community
Development General Fund
Implementation ƧȌȁȺƵȲɨƊɈǞȌȁꢀƊȁƮꢀȯȌǶǶɐɈǞȌȁꢀȲƵƮɐƧɈǞȌȁꢀȺɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƵȺﺥ Strategy (b): Develop and implement initiatives that leverage changes in retail shopping preferences, telecommuting, and technology.
²§ﺡ
Mixed-Use
Zoning
Community
Development
General Fund
(Reimbursed through
LEAP Grant)
Prepare objective design standards and development requirements to implement the Mixed-Use land designations included in the General Plan Update 2040. $120,000 $94,000
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
Strategy (c): Ensure that economic and housing initiatives provide opportunitiesꢀ for all residents.
²§ﺡׁ׀
Housing Element
Update
Utilize grant funding to update required General Plan Element that provides analysis of housing needs and identifies sites to accommodate housing for all residents regardless of income (RHNA).
Community
Development
General Fund
(Reimbursed through
LEAP Grant)
Strategy (d): Strategically accommodate State mandates to ensure the highest level of local control, community involvement, and organizational effectiveness. ²§ﺡׁׁPublic
Works/
Management
Services
Develop SB 1383 compliant program. Provide organic waste collection for all residents and businesses, establish edible food recovery program, conduct public outreach and education, adopt an organics diversion ordinance with enforceable mechanisms, and adopt procurement policy that includes the use of recycled organics materials.
Mandatory
Food Waste &
Commercial
Recycling
$15,000
$3,000
General Fund FY 2021-22
²§ﺡׁׂ
Mountain View
Affordable Housing
Project
Management
Services/
Develop public engagement plan related to the National CORE affordable housing development. General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
On-going
City Manager
²§ﺡׁ׃
Housing
Mandates
Community
Development
Staff
Resources
ÇȯƮƊɈƵꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀȌȲƮǞȁƊȁƧƵȺﺓꢀȲƵǐɐǶƊɈǞȌȁȺﺓꢀƊȁƮꢀȯȲȌǐȲƊǿȺꢀɈȌꢀƧȌǿȯǶɯꢀɩǞɈǘꢀ²ɈƊɈƵꢀǿƊȁƮƊɈƵȺꢀ ǞȁꢀƊꢀǿƊȁȁƵȲꢀɈǘƊɈꢀƦƵȺɈꢀȲƵǏǶƵƧɈȺꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀɨƊǶɐƵȺﺥꢀ
Strategy (e): Maintain business attraction services to bring new retail stores to the city. ²§ﺡ׆ׄ
Retail Attraction
Economic
Development
Work with City consultant(s) to retain and enhance business attraction services. $20,000 General Fund FY 2021-22 149
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Strategy (f): Develop and implement initiatives to address negative economic impacts caused by COVID-19.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡ׆ׅ
Restaurant
Recovery
Economic
Development
Staff
Resources
General Fund/
FY ׂ׀ꢀﯞꢀIæׂ׀ׂׂׂٌ׃Develop funding program to assist restaurants with economic recovery. TBD ²§ﺡ׆׆Economic
Development
Staff
Resources
Facilitate outdoor dining through local zoning and programs that support and promote open-air, take-out, and delivery options. General Fund FY 2021-22Open for Business Campaign
Priority Area 2 - Attractive: Investment and maintenance in public facilities, infrastructure, and natural resources enhances visual character of the City and supports quality neighborhoods.
Strategy (a): Enhance the City’s overall visual character, maintain City assets, and proactively reinvest in Lake Forest.
²§ﺡׁׄPublic
Works
Create new street name sign design and replace street signs citywide, beginning in southwest Lake Forest (# PW 2021-06 and # PW 2022-06). TBD/$300k $70,000
General Fund
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2023-24
FY 2021-22
FY 2022-23
Citywide Street
Sign Refresh
²§ﺡׁׅ
Southwest
Lake Forest
Neighborhood
Task Force
²§ﺡׁ׆
Noise Ordinance
Update
City Manager/
Community
Development/
Public Works
Interdepartmental task force to address neighborhood concerns identified in the January 2021 Community Satisfaction Study.
Community
Development
Develop and implement noise mitigation strategies to protect residents from excessive exposure to noise. $75,000
Strategy (b): Consistently invest in the City’s park system. ²§ﺡׇׁPublic
Works
ParkReactivate Arbor Mini Parks through new uses, perimeter fencing, and new landscape $820,000 FY 2021-22Arbor Mini Parks (# PW 2019-17). Development Fund Complete various significant maintenance or enhancement projects to retain the highꢀ quality of the City’s park facilities.
²§ﺡׁ
Park
Enhancements
Public
Works
General Fund/
CDBG/Prop 68
- Playground Resurfacing Projects (# PW 2021-08)
- Heroes Park Electrical Repairs and LED/Efficiency Upgrades (# PW 2022-08) - El Toro Lodge Pole Fencing Repairs (# PW 2021-09)
- Park Gazebo Repair & Replacement (# PW 2022-09)
- Replace synthetic fields installed in 2014 at the Lake Forest Sports Park (# PW 2024-02) $2,220,000 FY 2021-22 - FY 2024-25
²§ﺡׁPublic
Works
Neighborhood Renovate Lake Forest Park and the Nature Park based upon a community input process $600,000 General Fund FY 2024-25Park Renovations (# PW 2023-06). - Phase 3
150
ׂ׀
Strategy (c): Evaluate future options for the City’s infrastructure and utility resources. !ǞɈɯꢀȌǏꢀmƊDzƵꢀIȌȲƵȺɈꢀﮮꢀ²ɈȲƊɈƵǐǞƧꢀ ɐȺǞȁƵȺȺꢀ§ǶƊȁׁׂ
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡׂ׀Public
Works
Assess Efficiency Comprehensively assess lighting at City facilities to determine if LED retrofitting can $565,000
$20,500
General Fund FY 2023-24Updates to
Lighting Citywide
provide cost savings and increase light coverage.
²§ﺡׁׂCity Manager/
Economic
Implement the City’s CCA Community Engagement Plan to help determine the City’s interest in pursuing CCA.
Community Choice
Aggregation General Fund FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
Community
Engagement Project Development
²§ﺡProcure consultant to conduct feasibility study related to a City-led broadband initiative. City Manager $85,000 (est.) GeneTraBlDFund/
Broadband
Feasibility Study
Strategy (d): Provide civic and recreational opportunities appealing to community demographics.
²§ﺡׂׂManagement TBD
TBD
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
Craft Show and
Art Fair
Transform Community Center into boutique for crafts by Lake Forest artists and crafters.
Identify emerging recreation, sports, and activities that interest the community, such as Services
²§ﺡׂ׃Management
Services
Offer Recreation that
Reflects the Interests pickleball tournaments.
of the Community
Priority Area 3 - Safe: Excellent public safety efforts maintain a family-friendly environment and high quality of life.
Strategy (a): Maintain a low crime rate in a cost-effective manner. ²§ﺡׂׄ
Increase Law
Enforcement Contract
by Adding Two
Add two full-service deputies to the City’s contract with OCSD (first year City Manager Police Services
$800,000 General Fund TBAcosts: $800,000, on going costs: $600,000.ꢀ Deputy Sheriffs
²§ﺡׂׅ
Lake Forest
Geofence
Expand the use of the City’s Automatic License Plate Reader System Cameras by adding cameras at major arterial intersections or high traffic areas near city borders. $80,000 $0
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2022-2023
²§ﺡׂ׆Continue public education initiatives to maintain a low crime rate in the City such as ²ɈƊɯꢀSafe Lake Forest, a series of community seminars to educate residents on Management
Services
“Stay Safe Lake FY 2021-22 & FY 2022-23
Forest” Campaign crime prevention/safety.
Strategy (b): Maintain public safety by engaging community members. ²§ﺡׇׂStaffIncrease participation and effectiveness of the neighborhood watch program. Police Services Police Services
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
Neighborhood
Watch Resources
²§ﺡׂ
Business Watch
Staff
Resources
Work in conjunction with OCSD to bolster/enhance OCSD’s business watch program for Lake Forest.
²§ﺡׂ
Revamp Lake
Forest Leadership
Academy
Launch an updated version of the Lake Forest Leadership Academy that includes modules for neighborhood watch, business watch, and homelessness. Management Services $3,000 General Fund FY 2021-22
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Strategy (c): Develop comprehensive emergency management strategies that prepare the City to respond effectively to unpredictable events.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡ׀׃
Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan
²§ﺡ׃ׁ
City AM
1690 Radio
Community
Development
Identify risks and vulnerability associated with natural disasters and develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future hazards. $75,000 $3,000
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2022-23
On-going
FY 2021-22
Management
Services
Establish AM radio station to communicate with residents during wildfires or other emergency events. Emphasis on emergency preparedness.
²§ﺡ׃ׂ
Comprehensive
Emergency
Procure consultant services to produce a new, comprehensive emergency management plan.
General Fund/
TBD
Management
Services $250,000
Management Plan
Goal B Our connected city is engaged, informed, andtechnologically current.
Priority Area 1 - Engaged: Outreach, creative events, and programs inspire connection and engagement between the community and City government.
Strategy (a): Maintain a communications and marketing strategy, including two-way communication that enhances community engagement.
Initiative Lead Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date FY 2021-22
#/Title Department
²§ﺡ׃׃
Explore Emerging
Technology
to Increase
Communication
Management
Services
Staff
Resources
Explore the use of new technologies to communicate with residents and businesses to encourage two-way connectivity. General Fund
General Fund²§ﺡ׃ׄ
New Website
Management
Services $65,000 FY 2021-22Launch new City website.
Strategy (b): Reinvigorate civic life in the post-COVID-19 environment via special events and programs.
²§ﺡ׃ׅ
2021 4th of July
Fireworks Show &
Summer Concert
Series
Bring the community together to celebrate the 4th of July with a concert and fireworks show and reinstitute the City’s summer concert series.
Management
Services $154,000 General Fund FY 2021-22
²§ﺡ׆׃Management
Services
Engage the community with a storytelling festival, author presentations for all ages, and reading contests. $5,000
TBD
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
Literature and
Culture
²§ﺡ׃ׇ
Lake Forest Sports
Park Tournaments
Management
Services
Increase number of tournaments from 11 to 24 annually.
²§ﺡ׃Train graduates of CERT basic class to lead CERT program and launch Lake Forest amateur radio operators biꢀmonthly meeting.
Management
Services
Resident-Led $500 General Fund FY 2021-22Emergency
Preparedness
152
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Strategy (c): 0ȁȺɐȲƵꢀɈǘƊɈꢀɈǘƵꢀ!ȺꢀƮƵƧǞȺǞȌȁꢀǿƊDzǞȁǐꢀȯȲȌƧƵȺȺꢀȲƵǿƊǞȁȺꢀƊƧƧƵȺȺǞƦǶƵꢀɈȌꢀƊǶǶꢀ ȲƵȺǞƮƵȁɈȺﺥꢀ
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡ׃Expand and preserve access to City Hall by analyzing how Census data may impact resident communication, increase disability accommodations, and provide other services to ensure broad community participation.
City Clerk TBD General Fund
General Fund
FY 2023-24
FY 2021-22
Accessibility
Enhancements
²§ﺡׄ׀Launch Lake Forest TV and develop content to increase opportunities for residents to learn about the City’s decision-making processes.
Management
Services $2,000
$1,000
Lake Forest TV
²§ﺡׁׄ
Performing Arts
Advisory Committee
²§ﺡׂׄ
Redistricting
Management
Services
Form an advisory committee to the Community Services Commission to build upon the use ȌǏꢀthe City’s Performing Arts Center. General Fund General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22City Clerk $70,000Engage the community in the redistricting process based upon 2020 US Census.
Priority Area 2 - Informed: ÀȲƊȁȺȯƊȲƵȁƧɯꢀƊƦȌɐɈꢀƮƵƧǞȺǞȌȁꢀǿƊDzǞȁǐꢀƊȁƮꢀꢀ ǐȌɨƵȲȁǿƵȁɈꢀȯƵȲǏȌȲǿƊȁƧƵꢀƧɐǶɈǞɨƊɈƵȺꢀȯɐƦǶǞƧꢀɈȲɐȺɈﺥ
Strategy (a): (ƵɨƵǶȌȯꢀȯȲȌǐȲƊǿȺꢀɈȌꢀƵɮȯƊȁƮꢀƊƧƧƵȺȺꢀɈȌꢀ!ǞɈɯꢀǐȌɨƵȲȁǿƵȁɈﺥ ²§ﺡׄ׃
Broadcast City
Commission
Meetings on LFTV
Management
Services
Broadcast all commission meetings on LFTV, enabling all residents to view proceedings on COX ch. 851. $3,900
TBD
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2021-22
²§ﺡׄׄ
Expand “Pop Up”
City Hall
Management
Services
Transition from ad hoc “Pop Up City Hall” events to a regularly scheduled “Pop Up City Hall” allowing for promotion via the Leaflet.
Strategy (b): Involve the public in measuring the quality and effectiveness in services delivered by the city.
²§ﺡׅׄManagement
Services
Continue biennial Community Satisfaction Study and utilize new technology to perform ad hoc surveys as needed. $48,900
$1,200
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2022-23
FY 2022-23
Measure Quality of
Services and Programs
²§ﺡׄ׆Develop a graduate/continuing studies version of the Lake Forest Citizens’ Leadership Management Services
Lake Forest Leadership Academy with an increased focus on important issues and to maintain resident Academy -
Graduate Course “goodwill ambassadors.”
Priority Area 3. Technologically Current: Innovative technologies enhance organizational efficiency and help our community.
Strategy (a): Enhance efficiencies and services through technology. ²§ﺡׇׄGeneral
Fund/TBD
The City will procure a consultant to conduct an inventory and condition Finance
Finance
$300,000
$450,000
$100,000
FY 2022-23
FY 2022-23
FY 2022-23
Asset Inventory & Ǟȁǐꢀassessment of city owned assets in develop an Asset Management Plan.
Management System
²§ﺡׄ
Financial
Management System services.
Procure and implement a financial management system (ERP) to modernize financial practices and provide opportunities for resident self-service access to City General
Fund/TBD
²§ﺡׄ
City Clerk General FundDocument Imaging Procure a new document retention system to increase public access to City records. and Storage System
153
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Goal C c
O
o
u
m
r h
m
e
i
a
t
t
l
e
th
d
y
p
c
e
it
o
y
p
g
le
o
.
vernment is
sustainable and well-run with
Priority Area 1 - Sustainable: Responsible financial policies and prudent decisions provide short-term fiscal stability and long-term financial health.
Strategy (a): Implement Financial Management and Budgetary Policy to maintain the financial integrity of the city.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date ²§ﺡׅ׀City Manager/
Finance
StaffDevelop a strategy or policy with Audit Committee for determining how to appropriate one-time revenues (development fees, stimulus funds, etc.). General Fund FY 2021-22 FY 2021-22
Strategy for “One
Time” Revenue Resources
²§ﺡׁׅ
General Fund
Risk Reserve
Policy Update
Staff
Resources
Update the City’s risk-based reserves policy to reflect long-term strategic planning goals. Finance
Finance
General Fund
Strategy (b): Operate according to policy on cost recovery. ²§ﺡׂׅ
Biennial Fee
Study
Conduct a comparative analysis of City of Lake Forest fees vs fees chargeƮ for similar services Ǟȁ nearby communities. $49,500 General Fund FY 2020-21 - FY 2024-25 FY 2021-22, On-going
Strategy (c): Analyze major programs to identify potential cost savings and manage future costs.
²§ﺡׅ׃Staff
Resources
Implement “1% Annually review certain services that obligate at least 1% of General Fund budget.
Review”
City Manager General Fund
Priority Area 2 - Well-Run: JȌȌƮꢀǐȌɨƵȲȁƊȁƧƵꢀƊȁƮꢀȯȲȌǏƵȺȺǞȌȁƊǶꢀǿƊȁƊǐƵǿƵȁɈꢀ ȺɐȯȯȌȲɈꢀɈǘƵꢀ!ȺꢀƊƦǞǶǞɈɯꢀɈȌꢀȺƵȲɨƵꢀɈǘƵꢀȁƵƵƮȺꢀȌǏꢀɈǘƵꢀƧȌǿǿɐȁǞɈɯﺥ Strategy (a): Continuously improve our effectiveness in procuring and managing financially sustainable contract services.
²§ﺡׅׄ
Comprehensive StaffUpdate the City’s Purchasing Policies and increase staff training to accurately identify contract scope to match services needed. Improve procurement document strategy.
City Manager
City Clerk
General Fund
General Fund
FY 2021-22
FY 2024-25
Update to
Purchasing Policies
Resources
²§ﺡׅׅ
Modernize
Document
Modernize the City’s document retention policies. Emphasize storage of electronic records over hard copies to preserve physical space. Update retention timelines. TBD Retention Policies
Strategy (b): Implement modern workplace policies that cultivate an effective, efficient workforce.
²§ﺡׅ׆Management
Services
StaffDevelop and implement policies that preserve the City’s ability to effectively manage services provided by contract staff. General Fund
General Fund
FY 2022-23Contract Staffing
Policy Resources
²§ﺡׇׅ
Implement
!ǞɈɯꢀwƊȁƊǐƵȲﺵꢀ
wƊȁƊǐƵǿƵȁɈꢀ
²ƵȲɨǞƧƵȺ
Develop and implement a policy to facilitate telecommuting for select job TBD FY 202ׁ2ׂTelecommuting classifications. Policy will include performance measurement framework.
Policy
154
28 City of Lake Forest | Strategic Business Plan 29
Priority Area 3ꢀ- Committed People: Talented staff and contractors are vital assets to our organization and essential to effective and efficient City operations.
Strategy (a): Professionally develop and retain staff to match skills with organizational and community needs.
Initiative
#/Title
Lead
Department
Budget
ImpactInitiative/Project Description Fund Estimated Completion Date SP#58
Lake Forest Management
Services
Develop programs related to employee retention, including “stay” interviews, “ladder” promotion opportunities, and an employee satisfaction survey. $5,000 General Fund FY 2021-22 FY 2020-21
FY 2022-23
Employee
Retention Program
SP#59
Join Team Lake
Forest
SP#60
Develop
Lake Forest
Succession Plan
Management
Services
Staff
Resources
Market Lake Forest as a top notch employer, emphasizing modern facilities, innovate public sector compensation system, and succession planning. General Fund General FundManagement
Services
Staff
Resources
Human resources to develop a comprehensive succession plan that includes training, academy courses, job shadowing, etc.
Strategy (b): Continuously assess the optimal staffing levels required to provide in- demand services to residents and businesses.
SP#61 Human Resources to implement a biennial classification and compensation study to (a) assess the staffing needs of the organization and (b) meet those staffing needs with competitive compensation plans.
Management $30,000 (for
Services full study)
Biennial
General Fund FY 2022-23 & FY 2024-25Classification and
Compensation Plan
155