The results of this survey are encouraging to say the least! The survey results, which were presented to the City Council during the meeting of October 28, 2008 showed that an unprecedented 97 percent of respondents agree that the city is a good place in which to live, up from a very respectable 95 percent in 2003. An outstanding 90 percent of respondents think that their neighborhood is an excellent or good place in which to raise children. More than 90 percent of those surveyed expressed overall satisfaction with city services.

As some of you may know from the newspaper or having participated in it, the City recently conducted a Community Survey to gauge satisfaction levels with city services. Six hundred phone interviews were conducted based on a random sample of registered voters. Previous community surveys were conducted in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2003.

The reason why we conduct this type of survey is to learn from residents about what we’re doing well and, more importantly, what we could be doing better. I have said time and again that East Lansing residents expect and deserve the best and as city officials and employees, it is incumbent upon us to deliver on those expectations and you can bet that we’ll continue to do just that. On that note, 81 percent of respondents said that they trust EL City government to do what we say we’ll do, up from 74 percent in 2003 and 11 percent in 1995 - we fully intend to continue to earn your vote of confidence.

I would be remiss in touting the overwhelmingly positive results of this survey without acknowledging the outstanding work of the City’s 600 permanent and part-time employees. As I said in to a group of managers this morning, our employees have certainly embraced the City’s mission statement of providing “Quality Services for a Quality Community.”

So where, you might ask, is there room for improvement? Clearly, EL residents are looking for expanded curbside recycling options. You are also looking for viable and diverse downtown retail options such that have been lacking since the demise of Jacobson’s among others. This is a void we hope to fill with significant redevelopment and investment in our downtown.

We are listening to what you have to say and in that regard, 76 percent of respondents agree that there is ample opportunity to meet with city government and participate in decisions that affect you. Furthermore, our efforts to keep city residents informed about important issues and current events met with strong approval from 91 percent of respondents. Other highlights of the survey include improved relations between students and traditional residents. More than 80 percent of you plan to remain in East Lansing for the next five years. That’s great news for our community!

Clearly, I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of this survey. However, it cannot be overstated or emphasized that our challenge as an organization is to make improvements where needed and to keep the bar high by maintaining high quality of services and standard of living to which you are entitled as residents of our city.

To read the full survey, please click on the link below.

Community Survey Highlights
Community Survey Results