2013 City SurveyMemorandum
To:
Hopkins City Council
From:
Jim Genellie
Date:
January 10, 2013
Subject:
2013 City Survey
The City will be undertaking another survey of its residents within the next few months.
The purpose of tonight's discussion is to find out if the City Council has any particular
topics that they would like the survey to address.
Attached is a copy of the 2007 survey. Staff is recommending that some of the questions
from the 2007 survey be dropped from the new survey. These items are indicated by
strikethroughs. For the most part these questions pertain to items which are no longer
relevant.
On the other hand, it is important to repeat a number of the questions in order to ascertain
whether there has been a change in how residents perceive the City.
Please review the attached survey and, if you think that there are additional questions
which should be asked, let us know at the Worksession.
1Admin MEMO.doc
DECISION RESOURCES, LTD. City of Hopkins
3128 Dean Court Residential Survey
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416 FINAL MAY 2007
1. Approximately how many years have you lived in Hopkins?
2. What do you like most, if anything, about living in Hopkins?
3. What do you think is the most serious issue facing Hopkins
today?
4. How would you rate the quality of life in Hopkins -- excellent,
good, only fair, or poor?
S. How would you rate the general sense of community among
Hopkins residents -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
6. To which of the following do you feel a closer connection to:
A) The City of Hopkins as a whole,
B) Your neighborhood, or
C) Your school district?
7. All in all, do you think things in Hopkins are generally
headed in the right direction, or do you feel things are off on
the wrong track?
I would like to read you a list of characteristics of a community.
For each one, please tell me if you think Hopkins currently has
too many or too much, too few or too little, or about the right
amount.
9. Affordable housing, defined by the Metropolitan Council as a
single family home costing less than $205,000?
10. Affordable rental units?
11. Luxury rental units?
12. Condominiums?
13. Townhouses?
14. Starter homes for young families?
15. "move up" housing?
16. Higher cost housing?
17. Senior housing?
18. Parks and open spaces?
19. Trails and bikeways?
20. Service establishments?
21. Retail shopping opportunities?
22. Entertainment establishments?
23. Dining establishments?
24. Day care opportunities?
25. How would you rate general redevelopment in the City of
Hopkins excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
IF A RATING IS GIVEN, ASK:
26. Why do you feel that way?
27. Specifically, how would you rate the redevelopment of
Downtown Hopkins -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
28. Do you support or oppose the continued redevelopment in the
City of Hopkins?
29. Are there any types of development you would like to see in
the city? (IF "YES," ASK:) What are they? (PROBE)
30. Are there any types of development you would strongly oppose?
As the City of Hopkins continues redevelopment....
31. Do you support or oppose the City providing financial
incentives to attract specific types of development? (WAIT FOR
RESPONSE) Do you feel strongly that way?
Moving on.....
Property tax revenues are divided among the City of Hopkins,
Hennepin County, and your local public school district.
32. For each dollar of the property taxes you pay, about what
percentage do you think goes to city government? (READ #1-#6)
1. TEN PERCENT OR LESS
2. 11 TO 20 PERCENT
3. 21 TO 30 PERCENT
4. 31 TO 40 PERCENT
5. 41 TO 50 PERCENT
6. OVER 50 PERCENT
2
33. Do you consider the city portion of your property taxes to be
very high, somewhat high, about average, somewhat low, or very low
in comparison with neighboring cities?
34. Would you favor or oppose an increase in YOUR city property
tax if it were needed to maintain city services at their current
level?
IF "OPPOSE," ASK:
35. What services would you be willing to see cut?
I would like to read you a list of a few city services. For
each one, please tell me whether you would rate the quality of
the service as excellent, good, only fair, or poor? (ROTATE)
EXCL GOOD FAIR POOR DK/R
36. Police protection?
37. Fire protection?
38. City planning and development?
39. Recycling and brush pick-up?
40. Storm drainage and flood control?
41. Park maintenance?
42. City -sponsored recreation programs?
43. Animal control?
Now, for the next three city services, please consider only their
job on city -maintained streets and roads. That means excluding
interstate highways, state and county roads that are taken care of
by other levels of government. Hence, Highway 169, Highway 7,
Minnetonka Boulevard, Excelsior Boulevard and Hopkins Crossroad,
should not be considered. How would you rate ....
EXCL GOOD FAIR POOR DK/R
44. City street repair and maintenance?
45. Snow plowing?
46. Street lighting?
47. When you consider the property taxes you pay and the quality
of city services you receive, how would you rate the general value
of city services
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Thinking about another topic....
52. Are there areas in Hopkins where you would not feel safe
walking alone at night?
53. Do you feel safe in your immediate neighborhood walking alone
at night?
54. How would you rate the amount of traffic enforcement by the
police in your neighborhood -- too much, about right amount or not
enough?
55. Would you support or oppose a property tax increase to hire
more police officers in the city? WAIT FOR RESPONSE) Do you feel
strongly that way?
56. Please tell me which one you consider to be the greatest
concern in Hopkins? If you feel that none of these problems are
serious in Hopkins, just say so.
57. Which do you consider to be the second major concern in the
city?
Changing topics....
58. Over the past two years, has the general condition and
appearance of properties in your neighborhood gotten worse, gotten
better, or remained about the same?
IF "WORSE,11
59. Why do you feel that way?
11
Moving on.....
The Hopkins parks system is composed of larger community parks and
smaller neighborhood parks, trails, and community athletic and
ballfields, and other recreation and leisure activity facilities.
For each facility, please tell me if you or members of your
household use that facility. Then for each one you use, please
tell me if you would rate that facility as excellent, good, only
fair, or poor?
60. Larger community parks?
61. Smaller neighborhood parks?
62. Trails?
63. Athletic and ballfields?
64. The Activity Center?
65. Depot Coffee House?
66. Pavilion?
67. The Hopkins Center for the Arts?
68. Shady Oak Beach?
IF "ONLY FAIR" OR "POOR," ASK:
69. Why did you rate the as only fair/poor?
70. In general, do you feel that existing recreational facilities
offered by the City meet the needs of you and members of your
household?
IF "NO," ASK:
71. What additional recreational facilities would you like
to see the City offer its residents?
72. Have you or members of your household participated in any
City park and recreation programs?
IF "YES," ASK:
73. Which ones?
74. Were you satisfied or dissatisfied with your experience?
75. Does the current mix of City park and recreation programming
meet the needs of your household?
IF "NO," ASK:
76. What program(s) do you feel are lacking?
77. Do you or members of your household currently leave the city
for park and recreation facilities or activities? (IF
"YES," ASK:) What would that be?
Moving on....
78. Do you leave the City of Hopkins on a regular or daily basis
to go to work?
IF "YES," ASK:
79. In what city is your job located?
80. How many minutes does it take you to get to work?
81. How would you rate the ease of getting to and from work
-- excellent, good, only fair or poor?
82. How would you rate the ease of getting from place to place
within the City of Hopkins -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
83. Have you used public transportation during the past two
years?
IF "YES," ASK:
84. How would you rate your experience -- excellent, good,
only fair or poor?
IF "NO," ASK:
85. Why haven't you used public transportation?
TLS "YES," -K_
Changing topics....
89. Other than voting, do you feel that if you wanted to, you
could have a say about the way the City of Hopkins runs things?
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90. How much do you feel you know about the work of the Mayor and
City Council -- a great deal, a fair amount, very little, or none
at all?
91. From what you know, do you approve or disapprove of the job
the Mayor and City Council are doing? And do you feel strongly
that way?
92. Could you tell me why you feel that way?
93. How much first hand contact have you had with the Hopkins
City staff -- quite a lot, some, very little or none?
94. From what you have heard or seen, how would you rate the job
performance of the Hopkins City staff - excellent, good, only
fair, or poor?
IF A JUDGMENT IS GIVEN, ASK:
95. Could you tell me why you feel that way?
96. During the past year, have you contacted mei'__ s City Hall -
the City of Hopkins?
97. On your last telephone call or visit, which Department
did you contact --
the Police Department,
Fire Department,
Public Works,
Ice Center,
Housing Office,
Park and Recreation,
Building Inspections,
Engineering,
Planning,
the Assessor's Office,
the Finance Department,
or the General Information Desk receptionist?
Thinking about your last contact with the City, for each of the
following characteristics, please rate the service as excellent,
good, only fair, or poor....
98. Waiting time for the receptionist to help you?
99. Courtesy of city staff?
100. Ease of obtaining the service you needed?
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Moving on......
102. What is your principal source of information about Hopkins
City Government and its activities?
103. How would you prefer to receive information about Hopkins
City Government and its activities?
For each of the following items, please tell me whether it is a
major source, minor source or no source at all about Hopkins news,
activities, events or city policies?
104. "The Sun -Sailor" newspaper?
Cable Television?
"Hopkins Highlights," the City's newsletter?
City mailings?
Co-workers/Neighbors?
The Star Tribune West eetien?
City's website?
Think Hopkins website?
City's Facebook page?
Connections, the Citv's electronic newsletter?
112. During the past year, did you receive the "Hopkins
Highlights," the City's monthly newsletter?
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Moving on......
102. What is your principal source of information about Hopkins
City Government and its activities?
103. How would you prefer to receive information about Hopkins
City Government and its activities?
For each of the following items, please tell me whether it is a
major source, minor source or no source at all about Hopkins news,
activities, events or city policies?
104. "The Sun -Sailor" newspaper?
Cable Television?
"Hopkins Highlights," the City's newsletter?
City mailings?
Co-workers/Neighbors?
The Star Tribune West eetien?
City's website?
Think Hopkins website?
City's Facebook page?
Connections, the Citv's electronic newsletter?
112. During the past year, did you receive the "Hopkins
Highlights," the City's monthly newsletter?
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IF "YES," ASK:
113. Do you or any members of your household regularly read
it?
114. How would you rate the format and content of the
newsletter -- is it excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
The City also publishes the "Hopkins and Minnetonka Recreation
Brochure" three times a year that discusses the offerings of the
City of Hopkins's Recreation Services.
115. Do you recall receiving this brochure?
116. Do you or any members of your household regularly read
it?
117. How would you rate the brochure's content and clarity --
is it excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
118. Does your household currently subscribe to cable television?
IF "YES," ASK:
119. How often during the past year have you watched City
Council meeting telecasts on Channel 16 -- frequently,
occasionally, rarely or never?
120. Do you currently use the Internet at home, work, both places
or neither place?
IF "HOME" OR "BOTH," ASK:
121. How do you connect to the Internet at home -- on a dial-
up modem at 28K, on a dial-up modem at 56K, DSL, T-1 line, Comcast
High Speed Internet, or some other way?
(IF "OTHER," ASK:) How?
IF #1, #2, OR #3 IN QUESTION #120, ASK:
122. Have you accessed the City's website?
IF "YES," ASK:
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123. How would you rate the city's website -- excellent,
good, only fair, or poor?
124. How often do you visit the website -- daily,
weekly, monthly, less often, or whenever needed?
125. Were you able to find what you were looking for?
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127. What information would you like to see on the City of
Hopkins' website?
Now, just a few more questions for demographic purposes....
Could you please tell me how many people in each of the following
age groups live in your household.
129. Persons 65 or over?
130. Adults under 65?
131. School -aged children and pre-schoolers?
132. Do you own or rent your present residence?
133. What is your age, please?
And now, for one final question, keeping in mind that your an-
swers are held strictly confidential.
134. Is your pre-tax yearly household income?
135. Gender
136. REGION OF CITY
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