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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe NCS Community Livability Report 2015 2955 Valmont Road Suite 300 777 North Capitol Street NE Suite 500 Boulder, Colorado 80301 Washington, DC 20002 n-r-c.com • 303-444-7863 icma.org • 800-745-8780 Bozeman , MT Community Livability Report 2015 The National Citizen Survey™ © 2001-2015 National Research Center, Inc. The NCS™ is presented by NRC in collaboration with ICMA. NRC is a charter member of the AAPOR Transparency Initiative, providing clear disclosure of our sound and ethical survey research practices. Contents About .............................................................................................. 1 Quality of Life in Bozeman ................................................................ 2 Community Characteristics ............................................................... 3 Governance ..................................................................................... 5 Participation .................................................................................... 7 Special Topics .................................................................................. 9 Conclusions ................................................................................... 12 1 About The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS) report is about the “livability” of Bozeman. The phrase “livable community” is used here to evoke a place that is not simply habitable , but that is desirable. It is not only where people do live, but where they want to live. Great communities are partnerships of the government, private sector, community-based organizations and residents, all geographically connected. The NCS captures residents’ opinions within the three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement). The Community Livability Report provides the opinions of a representative sample of 404 residents of the City of Bozeman. The margin of error around any reported percentage is 5% for the entire sample. The full description of methods used to garner these opinions can be found in the Technical Appendices provided under separate cover. Communities are partnerships among... Residents Community- based organizations Government Private sector 2 Quality of Life in Bozeman Almost all residents rated the quality of life in Bozeman as excellent or good. This was similar to quality of life ratings in communities nationwide (see Appendix B of the Technical Appendices provided under separate cover). Shown below are the eight facets of community. The color of each community facet summarizes how residents rated it across the three sections of the survey that represent the pillars of a community – Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation. When most ratings across the three pillars were higher than the benchmark, the color for that facet is the darkest shade; when most ratings were lower than the benchmark, the color is the lightest shade. A mix of ratings (higher and lower than the benchmar k) results in a color between the extremes. In addition to a summary of ratings, the image below includes one or more stars to indicate which community facets were the most important focus areas for the community. Residents identified Natural Environment and Economy as priorities for the Bozeman community in the coming two years. Bozeman residents gave favorable ratings to these facets of community. Ratings for Safety, Mobility, Built Environment, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement were also positive and similar to other communities. This overview of the key aspects of community quality provides a quick summary of where residents see exceptionally strong performance and where performance offers the greatest opportunity for improvement. Linking quality to importance offers community members and leaders a view into the characteristics of the community that matter most and that seem to be working best. Details that support these findings are contained in the remainder of this Livability Report, starting with the ratings for Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation and ending with results for Bozeman’s unique questions. Education and Enrichment Community Engagement Mobility Natural Environment Recreation and Wellness Built Environment Safety Economy Legend Higher than national benchmark Similar to national benchmark Lower than national benchmark Most important Excellent 45% Good 45% Fair 8% Poor 2% Overall Quality of Life The National Citizen Survey™ 3 Community Characteristics What makes a community livable, attractive and a place where people want to be? Overall quality of community life represents the natural ambience, services and amenities that make for an attractive community. How residents rate their overall quality of life is an indicator of the overall health of a community. In the case of Bozeman, 90% rated the City as an excellent or good place to live. Respondents’ ratings of Bozeman as a place to live were similar to ratings in other communities across the nation. In addition to rating the City as a place to live, respondents rated several aspects of community quality including Bozeman as a place to raise children and to retire, their neighborhood as a place to live, the overall image or reputation of Bozeman and its overall appearance. About 9 in 10 respondents gave positive ratings to Bozeman as a place to raise children and the City’s overall appearance (ratings that increased from 2007 to 2015) and more than 8 in 10 gave high marks to their neighborhoods and Bozeman’s overall image. (For more detail see the Trends over Time report under separate cover.)Ratings for Bozeman’s overall image, appearance and as a place to raise children were higher than ratings in comparison communities. A majority positively rated Bozeman as a place to retire and this ratings was similar to ratings given in other communities across the nation. Delving deeper into Community Characteristics, survey respondents rated over 40 features of the community within the eight facets of Community Livability. Ratings for Community Characteristics tended to be strong and higher than comparison communities. At least 9 in 10 residents gave positive ratings to the overall feeling of safety in Bozeman, a rating higher than the benchmarks. Almost all respondents also gave high marks to feelings of safety in their neighborhoods and in the City’s downtown/commercial area. The facet of Natural Environment was rated exceptionally well, with at least 8 in 10 residents giving excellent or good ratings to each aspect. These ratings were higher than the national benchmarks. Aspects within Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement tended to be rated highly by a majority of respondents, with the exception of the availability of affordable quality child care/preschool, which was rated positively by about 4 in 10 residents. Ratings within the facets of Mobility, Built Environment and Economy tended to be mixed. The hig hest rated aspects were the availability of paths and walking trails, public places where people want to spend time, the vibrancy of Bozeman’s downtown/commercial area and the City as a place to visit, which were given high marks by at least 8 in 10 residents and were higher than comparison communities. The lowest rated aspects in these facets were public parking, traffic flow, the availability of affordable quality housing, housing options and cost of living, which were given excellent or good ratings by less than 4 in 10 participants. Compared to 2007, ratings for traffic flow, ease of travel by car and bicycle, overall quality of new development in Bozeman, health care, K-12 education and opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities were higher in 2015, while all other ratings remained stable over time. 86% 89% 90% 82% 67% Overall image Neighborhood Place to raise children Place to retire Overall appearance Higher Similar Lower Comparison to national benchmark Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) Excellent 56% Good 34% Fair 7% Poor 3% Place to Live The National Citizen Survey™ 4 Figure 1: Aspects of Community Characteristics 86% 81% 77% 75% 86% 89% 93% 81% 93% 86% 85% 93% 91% 87% 83% 92% 75% 60% 66% 42% 83% 83% 68% 64% 70% 50% 57% 43% 59% 76% 66% 52% 64% 56% 36% 51% 76% 69% 97% 97% 18% 24% 10% 37% 39% Opportunities to volunteer Opportunities to participate in community matters Openness and acceptance Neighborliness Social events and activities COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Child care/preschool K-12 education Adult education Cultural/arts/music activities Religious or spiritual events and activities Education and enrichment opportunities EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT Fitness opportunities Recreational opportunities Food Health care Preventive health services Mental health care Health and wellness RECREATION AND WELLNESS Place to work Place to visit Employment opportunities Shopping opportunities Cost of living Business and services Vibrant downtown/commercial area Overall economic health ECONOMY Public places Housing options Affordable quality housing New development in Bozeman Overall built environment BUILT ENVIRONMENT Air quality Cleanliness Overall natural environment NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Traffic flow Public parking Travel by car Travel by public transportation Travel by bicycle Ease of walking Paths and walking trails Overall ease of travel MOBILITY Safe downtown/commercial area Safe in neighborhood Overall feeling of safety SAFETY Higher Similar Lower Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good, very/somewhat safe) Comparison to national benchmark 5 Governance How well does the government of Bozeman meet the needs and expectations of its residents? The overall quality of the services provided by Bozeman as well as the manner in which these services are provided are a key component of how residents rate their quality of life. About 4 in 5 residents gave excellent or good ratings to the overall quality of services provided by the City of Bozeman. This rating was similar to the national benchmark and increased from 2007 to 2015. About 43% participants gave favorable ratings to the services provided by the Federal Government, which was similar to the benchmark and stable over time. Survey respondents also rated various aspects of Bozeman’s leadership and governance. Close to 5 in 10 or more respondents rated the overall direction of the City, the job it does at welcoming citizen involvement, acting in the best interest of Bozeman, value of services for taxes paid, the overall confidence in City government, being honest and treating all residents fairly as excellent or good. All of these ratings were similar to other communities across the nation. Ratings for the overall direction of Bozeman and the overall cust omer service provided by City employees increased from 2007 to 2015. Over three-quarters of citizens gave high marks to the customer service provided by City employees, a rating that increased since the last iteration of the survey. Respondents evaluated over 30 individual services and amenities available in Bozeman. All aspects of Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement were rated positively by a majority of residents and were similar to ratings seen elsewhere in the nation. Most ratings within Safety received excellent or good marks by at least 6 in 10 respondents and were similar to the benchmark comparisons, with the exception of emergency preparedness, which was positively rated by about 5 in 10 residents an d was lower than ratings seen elsewhere. Measures for Mobility, Natural Environment and Built Environment tended to be similar to other communities across the U.S. and residents gave very positive scores to garbage collection, sewer services and drinking water. Items that were lower than the benchmarks included traffic signal timing, recycling and yard-waste pickup, with 6 in 10 or fewer rating these aspects as excellent or good. A majority of service ratings increased from 2007 to 2015. 54% 46% 55% 52% 53% 58% 53% 77% 43% Value of services for taxes paid Overall direction Welcoming citizen involvement Confidence in City government Acting in the best interest of Bozeman Being honest Treating all residents fairly Customer service Services provided by the Federal Government Higher Similar Lower Comparison to national benchmark Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) Excellent 17% Good 64% Fair 15% Poor 4% Overall Quality of City Services The National Citizen Survey™ 6 Figure 2: Aspects of Governance 73% 74% 93% 72% 78% 83% 89% 59% 43% 47% 38% 68% 78% 86% 66% 62% 54% 80% 91% 58% 47% 56% 60% 71% 38% 58% 63% 84% 80% 92% 94% 83% 57% 59% 38% 49% Public information COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Special events Public libraries EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT Health services Recreation centers Recreation programs City parks RECREATION AND WELLNESS Economic development ECONOMY Cable television Code enforcement Land use, planning and zoning Utility billing Power utility Sewer services Storm drainage BUILT ENVIRONMENT Open space Natural areas preservation Drinking water Yard waste pick-up Recycling Garbage collection NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Bus or transit services Traffic signal timing Sidewalk maintenance Snow removal Street lighting Street cleaning Street repair Traffic enforcement MOBILITY Emergency preparedness Animal control Fire prevention Crime prevention Ambulance/EMS Fire Police SAFETY Higher Similar Lower Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) Comparison to national benchmark 7 Participation Are the residents of Bozeman connected to the community and each other? An engaged community harnesses its most valuable resource, its residents. The connections and trust among residents, government, businesses and other organizations help to create a sense of community; a shared sense of membership, belonging and history. The overall sense of community in Bozeman received positive ratings from 68% of residents, a rating that was similar to other communities in the U.S. About 8 in 10 residents were likely to recommend living in Bozeman and planned to remain in the City for the next five years; these ratings were similar to other communities across the nation. About 4 in 10 citizens reported they had contacted a City employee, a level similar to levels reported in other communities . The survey included over 30 activities and behaviors for which respondents indicated how often they participated in or performed each, if at all. Reported levels of Participation tended to be mixed across the different facets. Within the facet of Safety, about 9 in 10 residents had not been the victim of a crime and about 8 in 10 had not reported a crime, and about 21% had stocked supplies for an emergency (a level lower than the national benchmark). Within Mobility, about 8 in 10 survey participants had walked or biked instead of driving and about 7 in 10 indicated they had carpooled instead of driving; these rates were higher than in other communities. At least 7 in 10 participants had conserved water, recycled and made their homes more energy efficient, a level that was similar to comparison communities. More residents in Bozeman reported that they worked in the City, used Bozeman’s recreation centers, attended a City-sponsored event or volunteered or participated in a club in the last 12 months than residents from comparison communities. Fewer residents reported they had participated in religious or spiritual activities and read or watched the local news than residents from other communities across the nation. 82% 82% 41% Recommend Bozeman Remain in Bozeman Contacted Bozeman employees Higher Similar Lower Percent rating positively (e.g., very/somewhat likely, yes) Comparison to national benchmark Excellent 22% Good 43% Fair 28% Poor 7% Sense of Community The National Citizen Survey™ 8 Figure 3: Aspects of Participation 45% 64% 72% 93% 73% 77% 83% 69% 80% 20% 23% 81% 90% 14% 21% 74% 76% 92% 82% 28% 98% 60% 59% 80% 73% 76% 25% 91% 82% 73% 37% 21% Voted in local elections Read or watched local news Watched a local public meeting Attended a local public meeting Done a favor for a neighbor Talked to or visited with neighbors Participated in a club Volunteered Contacted Bozeman elected officials Campaigned for an issue, cause or candidate COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Attended a City-sponsored event Participated in religious or spiritual activities Used Bozeman public libraries EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT In very good to excellent health Participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity Ate 5 portions of fruits and vegetables Visited a City park Used Bozeman recreation centers RECREATION AND WELLNESS Work in Bozeman Economy will have positive impact on income Purchased goods or services in Bozeman ECONOMY NOT under housing cost stress Did NOT observe a code violation BUILT ENVIRONMENT Recycled at home Made home more energy efficient Conserved water NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Walked or biked instead of driving Carpooled instead of driving alone Used public transportation instead of driving MOBILITY Was NOT the victim of a crime Did NOT report a crime Stocked supplies for an emergency SAFETY Higher Similar Lower Percent rating positively (e.g., yes, more than once a month, always/sometimes) Comparison to national benchmark 9 Special Topics The City of Bozeman included five questions of special interest on The NCS. The first question asked residents about their support or opposition for a property tax increase to build a new Law and Justice Center. About 6 in 10 residents indicated that they would strongly or somewhat support a property tax for the new center and abo ut one-quarter reported that they would be strongly opposed to the measure. Figure 4: New Law & Justice Center Please indicate the degree to which you would support or oppose a property tax increase to construct a new, multi-use Law & Justice Center jointly with the County that includes the Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, District and Municipal Courts, Prosecution, and Victim Services: The second question asked residents to indicate their level of support of a sales tax for various projects. A majority supported a local sales tax to fund street construction, parks facilities and equipment or reducing property taxes, while close to half supported creating a tax to invest in police facilities and equipment. Figure 5: Local Sales Tax Funding Please indicate the degree to which you would support or oppose a local sales tax on restaurants, bars, hotels, motels, and luxury retail items to help fund the following: Strongly support 19% Somewhat support 39% Somewhat oppose 19% Strongly oppose 23% 17% 23% 31% 28% 30% 37% 31% 38% 47% 60% 62% 67% Police facilities and equipment Parks facilities and equipment A property tax reduction Street construction Strongly support Somewhat support 10 The third question asked residents about their level of support for implementing a gas tax to fund City projects. A majority indicated they would strongly or somewhat support each of the potential investments. Street construction received the highest levels of support, while 6 in 10 residents indicated they would support a gas tax to fund trails, public transportation, sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Figure 6: Gas Tax Funding Please indicate the degree to which you would support or oppose a gas tax to help fund the following: The last two special interest questions were open-ended questions. The first open-ended question asked residents to identify the top three things that they value most about living in Bozeman. The verbatim responses were categorized by topic area and those topics are reported in the chart below with the percent of responses given in each category. Of the respondents who wrote in a response, the most valued characteristics of Bozeman were its sense of community/small town feel/quality of life and culture and its natural environment. Residents also placed high value on the recreational opportunities in Bozeman (for the full verbatim responses, see the Open End Report under separate cover). Figure 7: Most Valued Characteristics of Bozeman What are the top three things you value the most about living in Bozeman? Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one option. 20% 37% 30% 31% 36% 27% 35% 23% 31% 30% 26% 38% 54% 60% 61% 61% 62% 65% A reduction in street assessment fees Bicycle lanes Sidewalks Public transportation Trails Street construction Strongly support Somewhat support 1% 28% 13% 15% 20% 24% 45% 52% 57% Don't know/nothing Other Proximity to amenities/services/community events Business/economy Education Safety Recreation opportunities Natural environment Sense of community/small town feel/quality of life and culture The National Citizen Survey™ 11 The second open-ended question asked residents to describe what they would like Bozeman to be known for in the future. Of those who wrote in a response, about one-third would like Bozeman to be known as a welcoming community or a city that is community and family oriented. At least one-quarter indicated that Bozeman should be recognized for its economy, smart growth and as an affordable city while 2 in 10 would like the natural environment and outdoor opportunities to be a signature for the City. Figure 8: Future of Bozeman What would you like Bozeman to be known for in the future? 1% 23% 20% 26% 30% Don't know Other Environment/Outdoor Opportunities Economy/Smart Growth/Affordable Welcoming Community/Community and Family Oriented The National Citizen Survey™ 12 Conclusions Bozeman residents continue to enjoy a high quality of life. Almost all survey respondents rated the overall quality of life in Bozeman and the City as a place to live as excellent or good; these ratings remained stable over time and were similar to other communities. Ratings for features that enhance quality of life, such as Bozeman as a place to raise children, the overall image of the City, overall appearance and their neighborhoods as places to live were given positive ratings by at least 4 in 5 respondents. Ratings for overall appearance and Bozeman as a place to raise children increased from 2007 to 2015 and were rated higher than comparison communities. Over 8 in 10 would recommend Bozeman as a place to live and planned to remain in the community. The Economy is a positive and important feature of the community. Residents indicated that Economy is an important area for the Bozeman community to focus on in the next two years. Ratings for Economy tended to be rated similarly to other communities, but the vibrancy of the downtown/commercial area and Bozeman as a place to visit were rated higher than other communities across the nation. Almost all residents had purchased goods or services in Bozeman and over three -quarters of residents work in the City, a level higher than elsewhere. Ratings for economic development were more positive in 2015 than in 2007. The only aspect of Economy that was rated lower than other communities was cost of living. About one in ten participants described Bozeman businesses or the local economy as a valued characteristic of the community, but about one-quarter of residents indicated in their own words that the City’s Economy should be what Bozeman is known for in the future. Residents enjoy their Natural Environment and emphasize its importance. Bozeman residents indicated that Natural Environment was another important priority for the community. Most measures in this area received very high marks, including Bozeman’s overall natural environment, air quality and cleanliness; all of these ratings were higher than other communities. Services related to Natural Environment were also rated as excellent or good by a majority of respondents, although yard waste pick-up and recycling services were lower than communities across the nation. In their own words, over half of Bozeman participants described the Natural Environment as the most valued characteristic of the community and 2 in 10 would like the City of Bozeman to be known for this feature in the future. Mobility ratings have increased, but there are still opportunities for improvement. Most ratings for Mobility were generally similar to the benchmark across all three pillars and rated positively by a majority of residents. The availability of paths and walking trails were rated higher than benchmark communities and more residents reported that they had carpooled and walked or biked instead of driving than levels seen in communities across the nation. Additionally, many aspects of Mobility increased from 2007 to 2015, such as traffic enforcement, street repair, street cleaning, street lighting, snow removal, bus or transit services, traffic signal timing, ease of travel by car and bicycle and traffic flow. However, ratings for traffic flow and traffic signal timing were lower than the benchmark, as was public parking. In the special topic questions, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they would support a gas tax to improve City Mobility projects and a similar proportion would be supportive of implementing a sales tax to fund street construction.