HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-14-001 - Compass Kitchener Community Survey Results
REPORT TO:
Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
February 3, 2014
SUBMITTED BY:
Laurie Majcher, Manager, Strategy & Business Planning
519-741-2200 Ext. 7817
PREPARED BY:
Laurie Majcher, Manager, Strategy & Business Planning
519-741-2200 Ext. 7817
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
N/A
DATE OF REPORT:
January 22, 2014
REPORT NO.:
CAO-14-001
SUBJECT:
Compass Kitchener Community Survey Results
RECOMMENDATION:
For discussion.
BACKGROUND:
In preparation for the next term of Council, the process of engaging the community, city staff
and members of council in setting the direction of the City for 2015 – 2018 is starting to get
underway. There are four phases to the City of Kitchener’s strategic planning process that will
unfold over the next 18 months, including: Phase 1 - Community Assessment, Phase 2 -
Environmental Scan, Phase 3 - Strategic Options, and Phase 4 - Confirmation of Direction. This
process is expected to result in an innovative and practical strategic plan for the City of
Kitchener that is valued by the community, achievable by the organization, and politically
relevant for City Council. Once the plan is approved, work will begin to ensure the business
plans across the organization fully support the achievement of the strategic goals and they will
continue to be monitored to manage progress on approved strategies. A summary chart
showing the key activities, deliverables and timelines for each phase of the process is included
in Appendix A: 2015-2018 Strategic Planning Roadmap.
REPORT:
In keeping with their mandate, Compass Kitchener has engaged a statistically representative
sample of the community in a survey to capture an objective citizen perspective on the priorities
for the future. Environics Research Group has been retained by the City to work with the
advisory committee in the design of the survey questions, execute the survey and report on the
results.
A telephone survey of 1,002 citizens, including 100 cell phone surveys, was completed between
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November 26 and December 10 of 2013. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus
3.1% at a 95% confidence level. The sample for this survey matches the statistics Canada
profile for the City of Kitchener on key demographic variables and the results can be considered
representative of the general population. The results of the survey provide a current pulse on
the community as well as important insights for the development of a strategic plan that will
align with the views, opinions and wants of residents.
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Theron Kramer, Chair of Compass Kitchener and Darren Karasiuk, Vice President of Municipal
Affairs for Environics and Project Director for the project have been invited to provide a
presentation on the survey results to the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee and
respond to questions from members of Council. The final report on results is attached in
Appendix B: Kitchener Community Engagement Research, Environics, January 2014.
Highlights of the results include:
Kitchener Residents feel they enjoy a good quality of life in the city. Green space,
friendly neighbours and access to amenities are the most appealing aspects of living in
the city and key determinants of a vital neighbourhood.
Satisfaction with the City of Kitchener government is high but the data has indicated a
decline since 2009 and 2005. The City government is generally seen as being on the
right track but this has also declined since 2009.
Most residents believe that they get good value for their tax dollar. A majority believe
that service levels should be maintained by keeping tax increases in-line with inflation.
Residents are satisfied with the City’s efforts to ensure residents are engaged and active
in decision-making but they expect the city to come up with new ways of doing this,
primarily online.
When residents are asked unaided to name the most important issues facing their city,
the most common response is transportation issues but unemployment, development,
traffic congestion, and taxes are also important.
Accountability, economic development and the environment lead the way for strategic
plan priorities. While accountability is considered a top priority by the greatest number of
residents, a lack of accountability or distrust of local government does not appear
elsewhere in the survey, indicating it is not necessarily a problem but maybe more of an
overarching ideal that must be taken into consideration when reaching other goals.
Drilling down into specific areas of focus within the broader strategic themes, residents
view on the top priorities for the City include road maintenance and improved road
safety, preserving natural areas, building infrastructure to support growth, downtown
safety and parking, supporting arts and culture events and providing recreational
programs for children.
Using the insights gained from the survey, a series of engagement events will be planned within
the community to hold conversations on strategic themes, why they are important and what
might be expected of the City by the end of 2018. With staff support, Compass Kitchener will
prepare a report for Council in June summarizing the key findings from this phase of the
process and recommending Community Priorities and Strategic Directions for the City’s next
strategic plan.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The work of Integrated Planning and the Strategic Planning Process is aligned with the following
Strategic Priorities: Leadership & Engagement - Promote informed decisions that last;
Organizational Governance - Integrated Strategy and Action; A Culture of Inclusion - People
Support What They Help Create; Culture of Accountability - We All Own This Plan, and We’re
Clear.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no new financial implications associated with this body of work.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
Consult and inform – The Compass Kitchener Community Survey was designed to consult with
a representative sample of the population to better understand their views on City priorities for
the years to come, their views on taxation, quality of life in Kitchener, the biggest issues facing
the community as well as those things residents find most appealing about the City. The
purpose of this report is to inform Council and the public about the results of that process and
the next steps in the development of the City’s next strategic plan.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Jeff Willmer, Chief Administrative Officer
Appendices:
A. 2015-2018 Strategic Planning Roadmap
B. Kitchener Community Engagement Research, Environics, January 2014.
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AppendixA
2015-2018StrategicPlanningRoadmap
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KitchenerCommunityEngagementResearch
AppendixB
EnvironicsJanuary2014
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