Department
DATE: January 11, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
(List all relevant/responsive staff
persons)
LaShonda White, Interim Director of Community Services
Patrick Seals, Associate Administrative Analyst
Thomas Omolo, Management Analyst
Irene Lozano, Executive Assistant to the City Manager
Subject:
(This will appear on the agenda)
2021 Community Survey Results
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The survey costs did not exceed the approved budget of $25,000, which was funded from the City Manager’s
approved FY 2021-2022 budget (01131013 400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
(List all dates items were heard or
council action took place)
Click or tap here to enter text.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond recently distributed its eigth
community survey through the Polco/National Research
Center's Citizen Survey program. City staff will present the 2021 survey results, as well as compare key findings to the City’s prior survey results.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
(This will appear on the agenda)
RECEIVE a presentation and report on the City of
Richmond's 2021 Community Survey results; and
PROVIDE direction to staff as appropriate – City
Manager’s Office (LaShonda White 510-620-6512). This
item was continued from the December 21, 2021,
meeting.
DISCUSSION:
AGENDA
REPORT
The City of Richmond has enrolled in the Polco/National Research Center’s (NRC) National Citizen Survey (NCS) biennially since 2007. The NCS is a collaborative effort between the NRC, a public research firm focused on public sector information needs, and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). NRC has a benchmark database which holds hundreds of thousands of resident opinions – making it the largest of its kind in the United States. A few years ago, NRC merged with Polco, an online community engagement polling platform, to give public sector organizations the data they need to make more informed decisions.
The methodology used by the NRC, which is described in detail starting on page 3 in the “Methods” section of the 2021 Richmond Community Survey Report of Results allows for the survey results to be scientifically valid and representative of the City of Richmond. Per NRC, the most common measure of statistical validity is a margin of error, which is used to create confidence intervals (Attachment 1). These are invoked when you conduct a survey with a random sample of residents, which was used for Phase I of Richmond’s Community Survey.
There are two key parts to this: the margin of error and the level of confidence.
The margin of error is dependent on the number of responses you get to your survey; as the number of respondents increases, the margin of error goes down. The level of confidence indicates how confident you are that the true rating, if the whole population were surveyed, would be within your margin of error.
Results from Richmond’s Community Survey will:
Help inform fiscal year 2022-2023 budget spending priorities; Assess the quality of community life and services provided to residents; Track residents’ perceptions of service quality, community amenities, and public safety over time;
Help make informed decisions about how to allocate resources; Assess support for local policies;
Gather information on residents’ use of services; and Compare results from previous years to measure changes over time.
The results from surveys conducted between 2007 and 2021 can be found on the City’s website at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/1871/Community-Surveys.
This staff report highlights some of the information found in the Survey Report (Attachment 1).
The report is also provided online via Tableau and the link is included on the City’s survey website.
2021 Survey Instrument
The City of Richmond recently distributed its eigth community survey through the Polco/National Research Center's (NRC) Citizen Survey program. While City staff awaits the survey results every two years in hopes that the results will help identify resident priorities and concerns, we must also keep in mind the enviornment in which the 2021 survey data was collected. The survey was administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of challenge for many local governments, businesses, and community members. Richmond’s diverse working-class residents suffered greatly due to COVID-19 in terms of displacement, health impacts, and financial instability, and the pandemic exasperated existing racial, workforce, and economic disparities in Richmond. Understanding this context is important as we review, analyze, and discuss the 2021 Richmond Community Survey results.
The 2021 Community Survey consisted of three types of questions: (1) questions that are standard across all NRC surveys (allows for comparisons between jurisdictions that use NRC’s survey tool), (2) demographic-related questions, and (3) unique policy questions developed by the City of Richmond (Attachment 2). The 2021 survey instrument closely resembled the past surveys in format and content which enabled NRC to compare survey results from multiple years. In 2020, NRC refreshed the NCS survey template; however, overall, most of Richmond’s trends will be preserved as the vast majority of survey questions have remained. Some questions have been rearranged/restructured in the new survey instrument. NRC removed items that often did not produce helpful or actionable data which allowed room (both literally and figuratively) for new, more relevant questions on the survey. For example, NRC removed some of the participation-type questions (e.g., conserving water) to enable them to add more questions related to public trust, equity and inclusion, and community livability. They also increased the font size to make the survey more readable, especially for our aging population.
Random Sample Survey – Phase I (Scientifically Valid Survey)
NRC mailed surveys to 8,200 randomly selected and geographically dispersed Richmond households. Each household received three mailings (1 initial postcard and 2 letters from the City Manager which included the survey with self- addressed and postage-paid envelopes).
These methods provided a reminder for residents and gave them more than one chance to participate in the survey. Approximately 2 percent of the 8,200 mailed invitations or surveys were returned because the household address was vacant or the postal service was unable to deliver the survey. Of the remaining 8,070 households that received the invitations to participate, 453 completed the survey, providing an overall response rate of 6%, with a margin of error of +/-
4.6% around any reported percentage for all respondents.
When reading the survey reports, it is important to understand the concept of “margin of error.” The margin of error is a measure of the precision of the results. A larger number of completed surveys yields a smaller (more precise) margin of error, while a smaller number of surveys yields a larger margin of error. With the 4.6 percent margin of error, one may conclude that when 60 percent of survey respondents report that a particular service is or “good” or “excellent,” somewhere between 54.4 - 64.6 percent of all residents are likely to feel that way.
With previous surveys, certain demographic groups, such as renters, low-income residents, young people, people of color, and those that speak English as a second language, are less likely than their counterparts to respond to surveys. In an effort to address these issues and provide more opportunities for participation in these neighborhoods, City staff asked NRC to oversample households in mainly central and south Richmond. While our attempt to increase response rates in some of our neighborhoods that have historically not responded well to the Community Survey was laudable, it was not as successful as staff would have hoped for. In addition, the lower-than-expected level of digital engagement from residents also resulted in a response rate this year that was lower than previous years. While we still received a sufficient number of returned surveys to achieve statistical validity, going forward, Polco/NRC will recommend that Richmond send out paper surveys to all households in future years in order to increase the response rate and help close the “digital divide” for less digitally connected households.
Survey results were weighted so that the demographic profile of respondents was representative of the demographic profile of adults in Richmond. The results for this portion of the Survey are included in the first 75 pages of the report (Attachment 1).
Open Participation Survey – Phase II (Available to ALL Richmond Residents)
In addition to the random, mail-in survey (random sample survey), the City also provided an opportunity for ALL Richmond residents to participate in an “open participation” survey via an identical, opt-in, on-line survey (web survey). The open participation survey was open to all city residents and became available on October 1, 2021. The open participation survey was identical to the probability sample survey with two small updates; it included a map at the beginning asking where the respondent lives and a question about where they heard about the survey. The open participation survey was open to all city residents and became available on October 1st, 2021. The survey remained open for three weeks and there were 418 responses.
Results from the open participation survey data begins on page 76 of the Survey report (Attachment 1).
The open participation survey data were not collected through a random sample and therefore, a level of confidence in the representativeness of the sample cannot be estimated. However, to reduce bias where possible, these data were statistically weighted to match the demographic characteristics of the 2010 Census and 2017 American Community Survey estimates for adults in the City of Richmond.
Survey Outreach
In an effort to receive the maximum amount of participation from those selected to complete the survey and those that self-selected to complete the survey, the survey was available in English and Spanish.
The City Manager’s Office lead community outreach efforts to ensure that as many residents as possible received information about and completed the 2021 Community Survey. Staff ensured that a wide variety of avenues were exhausted and as many stakeholders were engaged in order to reach as many Richmond residents as possible. Between July and October, City staff engaged with various stakeholders to gain support in disseminating information about the community survey through the means listed below. Community outreach efforts include, but were not limited to the following:
Digital Outreach:
City of Richmond email distribution lists
Community-based Organizations (via ECIA and Dept of Children & Youth) Neighborhood Council Listserv
Boards and Commissons
Business Association Leaders
City Manager’s Weekly Report
KCRT
City Website
City Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Twitter) Hard-Copy Distribution (Flyers/Notices):
City Hall Postings
Community Centers
Fire Stations
Non-Profit Partners
Local Events
In addition, staff helped residents over the phone with verbal instructions and additional assistance in both accessing and filling out the survey. Upon resident request, staff also mailed out hard copies of the survey.
Understanding the Survey Results
There is an immense amount of information that is included in the survey reports. Any survey question can be analyzed alone but could also be disaggregated by a number of demographic markers or by neighborhood groupings. The results can be looked at just for 2021 or they can be compared to Richmond’s past survey results and/or to other jurisdictions that have participated in NRC’s survey. This agenda report provides a limited analysis of the vast results and highlights some of the findings that staff believes is noteworthy.
Polco/NRC 2021 Survey Results Highlights
Safety is a focus area for Richmond.
While about 9 in 10 indicated that this was an important area of focus for the City in the next two years; these relative quality and importance ratings indicate that the facet of safety is a top priority for residents.About three-quarters of residents reported feeling safe in their neighborhood during the day, while roughly 4 in 10 felt safe in the downtown/commercial area, from property crime, and from violent crime. Regarding safety-related services, about two-thirds of residents gave favorable scores to fire services and 6 in 10 were pleased with ambulance/EMS.
Economy is also an area of opportunity for the City.
Nearly 9 in 10 rated it as essential or very important, indicating that this is also an important area of focus for Richmond. When thinking about city issues to address, roughly 8 in 10 thought it was essential or very important for the City to pursue developing job training opportunities, improving downtown Richmond, and increasing economic development activities.
Government performance ratings and resident engagement have declined over time.
About one-third of Richmond residents positively rated the quality of the services provided by the City of Richmond, the overall customer service provided by Richmond employees, and public information services. Further, about 4 in 10 residents or fewer positively rated opportunities to volunteer, to participate in community matters, and to participate in social events and activities it is important to note that closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may have had an impact on these scores.
Trends
NRC provides results from all surveys since 2007 and highlights differences (lower, similar or higher) in survey results between 2019 and 2021. While it is important to see changes in results from the 2019 survey to the 2021 survey, we should also look at how City of Richmond’s results have changed from when the 1st survey was conducted in 2007. The data contain the trends over time for the City of Richmond. The tables and charts below highlight a few of the survey results that exemplify the above- mentioned trends.
Increase in ratings between 2007 and 2021:
The percentage of residents that rated the community characteristics listed below in a positive way increased between 2007 to 2021, although we saw a decline between 2019 (or earlier) and 2021.
Table: Community Characteristics Comparison - 2007 to 2021
Community Characteristics (rating service as
either “good” or “excellent”)
2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021
Overall quality of life 17% 18% 21% 30% 31% 32% 38 % 32% Overall image 4% 6% 6% 6% 8% 14%
Place to live 20% 25 32% 36% 41% 47% 47% 39%
Neighborhood 50% 50% 59% 53% 57% 62% 65% 62%
Place to raise children 9% 12% 13% 14% 19% 24% 26% 26%
Place to retire 15% 18% 17% 27% 28% 32% 31% 24%
Overall appearance 8% 14% 18% 18% 17% 15% 17% 12%
In 2007, 20 percent of residents gave a positive rating to “Richmond as a place to live,” which is in comparison to a 39 percent rating received in 2021 (table and chart below). The rating for the “Remaining in Richmond for the Next 5 Years” increased between 2015 and 2021 from 53 percent to 75 percent respectively (chart below). These positive changes can be attributable, in part, to the hard work and dedication of the Richmond City Council, staff and the community in working together to improve and create programs, policies and spaces that have a positive impact on how residents feel about where they live, work, and play.
Additional data points regarding safety reflect longitudinal growth across several other metrics.
More specifically, the rating for “Your neighborood as place to live” has shown an upward trend of approximately 10 percentage points from 2007 at 20 percent to 2021 at 39 percent. Also, the feeling of safety rating in “Richmond’s downtown/commercial area during the day” has shown marked growth from 25 percent to 43 percent from 2007 to 2021, respectively.
Furthermore, the ratings related to enviornment and health for “Air Quality in the Richmond Community” and “Availability of afforadabe health care” have both shown upward trends from 2007 to present. The ratings for those surveyed for “Air Quality” showed an improvement of 10 percent or a jump from 20 percent to 30 percent while the “Availability of Health Care” showed a 14 percent jump from 25 percent to 39 percent. Again, this growth identifies clearly laudable metrics and indicate the impact that effective partnership and efforts produce among the Richmond residents.
Top Issues to Address in Next Two Years
In a policy question created by City staff, residents were asked how important specific issues are for the City to address within the next two (2) years. The majority of the options provided in this question have remained constant since the 2011 survey. However, staff does add new issues to the list based on topics being discussed by elected officials, staff and/or residents. The list below shows the top areas that residents stated were either “essential” or “very important” for the city to address.
Top Issues 2021
Reducing crime and disorder 88
Improving the financial stability of the City 84
Providing quality affordable housing 80
Addressing blighted properties 80
Improving environmental quality 79
Increasig economic development activities 79
Reducing crime remains the number one top issue. Crime reduction strategies are not solely the responsibility of the Richmond Police Department. In fact, staff believes that the collective effort between a number of City departments - Police, Fire, Community Services (Library, Recreation and Employment and Training), and Office of Neighborhood Safety - play a role reducing crime and improving public safety.
The lowest priorities in 2021 were upgrading existing and developing more athletic fields (52%), increasing transportation options (i.e. car/bike share, shuttles) (52%), and preserving historic buildings (52%).
Additional Analysis
The 2021 survey results can be further analyzed by dissagregating the data based on demogrphic and geographic markers and comparing Richmond’s results to other jurisdictions.
Demographic and Geographic Comparisons: For responses based on demographic and geographic subgroups, the margin of error increases because the sample size for the subgroup is smaller. It is harder to extrapolate the survey responses from residents from any given neighborhood to the larger Richmond community due to the large and varying margin of errors for each neighborhood. However, staff believes that the findings are still interesting and informative and can provide a starting point for future discussions about resident perceptions.
Benchmark Comparisons: While City staff find the most value in analyzing changes in Richmond’s survey results from year to year, Polco/NRC provides results from other jurisdictions that have also participated in the National Citizen Survey. The City of Richmond’s ratings are often “lower” or “much lower” than the national benchmark but it is important to note that Richmond’s survey data was collected during the COVID pandemic and that much of the benchmark data was collected prior to the pandemic. This may impact how your City's 2021 ratings compare to other communities’ ratings from the past five years. Analyzing national benchmark results might provide the City with opportunities to discuss promising practices, programs and policies with other jurisdictions that have received higher and more favorable ratings from its residents in specific areas.
Concluding Thoughts and Next Steps
The 2021 community survey results contain an immense amount of information that should be explored. Additional analysis can and should be done with the results presented in these reports.
To help maximize the use of the survey results, the following next steps can be taken:
Post survey results, reports and presentations on the City’s website so that they are readily accessible
Include specific survey results into annual department performance measures and in the City’s Five-Year Strategic Business Plan
Presentations to senior staff, city departments, neighborhood councils and outside organizations to discuss results, ways to increase results in 2021, partnerships, etc. Include relevant results in the City’s Health in all Policies reports, Racial Equity Action Plan, and Department of Children and Youth Community Needs Assessment reports. Conduct further analysis based on geographic and demographic information to help gain a better understanding of how differing populations in Richmond rate City services or answered specific survey questions. This information might help target resources, programming, policies and information so that distribution of limited resources is done in an equitable manner.
Based on the NRC’s new relationship with Polco, the City has unlimited access to posting questions on the Polco platform as part of the new pricing structure so staff will be able to provide survey results on specific and relevant questions to Council. Research the option to have staff from the National Research Center make a presentation to City Council and/or host a special meeting with City staff and other appropriate stakeholders to delve deeper into the 2021 survey results. This option would be at an added cost to the City but could provide elected officials and others with an opportunity to meet with a NRC representative to facilitate this interactive workshop, delve deeper into how the City of Richmond can use our survey data, and help develop strategy and offer recommendations.
Richmond has made many significant changes in policies and programs that have positively
impacted the lives of Richmond residents. The City should celebrate its accomplishments, while at the same time continuing to work with residents, community-based organizations and other agencies to change or create services and systems to better meet the needs of Richmond residents.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – 2021 Richmond Community Survey Report of Results Attachment 2 – 2021 Richmond National Community Survey Instrument
(insert date of meeting)