SHANNON MORTENSON
CITY ADMINISTRATOR/CLERK-TREASURER
WARREN (1,605)

The City of Warren is a small community in the northwest corner of the state. The city has conducted two community surveys in the past 10 years.

The first survey, conducted in 2013, was part of efforts to develop a comprehensive plan for the city. The Northwest Regional Development Commission created the questions, which addressed housing, business, recreation, infrastructure, and what residents would like to see for Warren’s future.

The surveys were distributed via the United States Postal Service, the local newspaper, and Facebook, and the response rate was 9%, which was considered very good.

A surprisingly common response we received was the desire for a new indoor ice rink. The existing rink was in a building that was beginning to show signs of structural damage. Residents wanted to retain the winter activity in the community. As a result, the Warren Recreation Center opened in December 2018. The survey also showed that there was a desire for the community to have walking paths. In turn, the city has since been constructing walking paths and identifying walking routes.

The second survey was done in 2019. The questions were similar to the 2013 survey in order to compare responses. A SurveyMonkey survey was linked on the city’s Facebook page, advertised in the local newspaper, and hard copies of the survey were available at City Hall; only a few paper surveys were completed.

That time around, more open-ended questions were asked to help better understand resident demographics and gather more nuanced and in-depth responses. We received really great feedback from the open-ended questions.

One question asked, “Why did you stay in Warren, if you moved here more than 20 years ago?” Questions also asked for respondents’ age and where they get their information. City leadership has been trying to define how best to reach residents with information.

The feedback received from the 2019 survey helped city leaders understand the need to address residents’ desire for more establishments to socialize, such as coffee shops and breweries. We also learned that the community still wants more walking paths and more activities at the recreation center.

Warren will likely do another community survey in 2024-25 to pinpoint the desires of a growing community.

SHELLY SCHAFER
COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER
WOODBURY (76,990)

Woodbury has conducted a community survey biennially since 1993. While I wasn’t with the city at that time, the primary goal was to help measure the city’s performance by identifying service areas where it was succeeding and where improvements needed to be made.

The results of the survey serve as a guide to determine resident sentiment about city services, policies, and projects. The questions are centered around determining general perceptions of quality of life, identifying city issues, equity and inclusion, and community programs and amenities.

The most recent survey conducted in 2022 was contracted in partnership with Polco, a civic engagement tool. Some households were mailed a paper copy of the survey to return, and others received a link to complete the survey online. Residents who did not receive an invitation to complete the survey by mail still had an opportunity to make their voice heard via an open participation link. Those results were kept separate from the statistically valid survey, but the feedback was still appreciated and reviewed by city staff.

In 2022, a postcard was mailed to more than 3,000 Woodbury households, selected at random, notifying residents that they had been chosen to participate in the survey. Information about the survey was also featured in the City Update newsletter, on social media, and through the InTouch email notification system.

The feedback is used to determine whether the city is meeting residents’ expectations and identifying areas where improvements could be made. The survey results are also a key component of the Performance Measurement Program, which is an annual performance report presented to the City Council. Many of the performance measures are tied directly to the community survey results. In addition, the City Council references the survey to identify key issues when developing strategic initiatives every other year.

The community survey is an effective tool that helps ensure we are hearing from a wide variety of voices in the community on a regular basis. We constructed the survey questions through an equity lens to stay true to our commitment of fostering an inclusive and welcoming community. Generally, we try to keep the questions the same with each survey, so we have trend data to use from year to year. This results in reliable data that informs future strategic planning and priorities. It also helps measure success in delivering services so appropriate adjustments can be made.