HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7568 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7568
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December 3, 1991
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Subject: STRATEGY FOR ASSESSING CITIZEN PRIORITIES
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At the most recent City Council retreat, a discussion was held concerning the merits of a
multi-faceted citizen participation process which might be undertaken to help shape the future
direction of this community. While no consensus was reached at the retreat, it was agreed
that staff would report back to Council with a recommended plan of action related to this
concept.
Staff now proposes a strategy for assessing citizen priorities that, while still comprehensive,
Is less elaborate and ambitious than the approach outlined at the retreat. The staff
recommends that the City perform a thorough survey of citizen opinions on a variety of topics.
Such a survey might cover items like the degree of satisfaction with specific City,services and
facilities, opinions about major problems facing the community, attitudes about taxation and
user fees, and priorities for the future of Fort Worth. The results of this effort should be
Invaluable to the City Council as policy makers in such areas as budgeting, capital
improvement programming, and long-range planning.
It is envisioned that the strategy for assessing citizen priorities be composed of several
elements:
a.) Telephone Survey - a scientifically sound, random telephone survey of Fort
Worth citizens. The telephone survey, as the most statistically reliable aspect of
the strategy, would be the core element of the overall effort.
W Focus Groups - a variety of focus group discussions could be arranged to add a
qualitative dimension to the data collected in the telephone survey. Focus group
members can be chosen on a random basis, but there might be persuasive
reasons for selecting groups that represent distinct interests in the community
(e.g.,Hispanics,African-Americans,women, elderly,business leaders,high school
students, etc.).
c.) District Meetings - public forums in each City Council district arranged at the
direction of the respective Councllmembers.
d.) Town Hall Meetings - a city-wide meeting open to all citizens for the purpose of
discussing concerns,identifying priorities for action, and shaping a vision for the
future.
e.) Newspaper Balloting - the Star-Tele ram has indicated a willingness to
participate in this process by printing mail-in forms in the newspaper for citizens
to express opinions and suggest solutions to problems.
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The information gathered through these five vehicles should have both quantitative and
qualitative validity. The telephone survey,being random in nature,will reflect"average"citizen
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS ---
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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7568
Page 2 of 2
December 3, 1991
4�svar¢ To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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rex� Subject: STRATEGY FOR ASSESSING CITIZEN PRIORITIES
viewpoints. The focus group can target important decision-makers. and/or the relatively
neglected groups in the community. Finally, the district public forums, town hall, and
newspaper balloting elements will be open to any citizen who has an interest in voicing an
opinion.
Staff, at this point, has not attempted to formulate a timetable for the implementation of this
recommended strategy. However, since the most immediate utility of the survey results will
likely be in making budget decisions, it is strongly urged that the effort be completed in time
for use in the upcoming budget process.
Virtually all aspects of the outlined strategy can be managed by City staff and citizen
volunteers. The lone exception is the telephone survey which requires special expertise to
administer correctly. Certain local universities and several for-profit organizations likely
possess the capability of handling the survey and would propose on such a project. If the
Council directs the staff to proceed with the strategy recommended in this report, a request
for proposals should be developed immediately.
Beyond the benefits already identified, a program for assessing citizen opinion and priorities
like that described in this report would be valuable for two other reasons. First, if the effort
Is repeated over time, the City will learn how its performance is perceived to change over time.
The community can in essence give the City government a periodic "report card" and elected
officials will have a tool for gauging the effectiveness of initiatives undertaken to correct
Identified problems.
The second reason is more intangible, but perhaps more important. An effort to identify the
true priorities of our citizens will demonstrate to the general public that the City government
does care what citizens think and will listen to what they have to say. It is, therefore, likely
that citizen trust and confidence in the City government will be enhanced. The value of that
outcome, if achieved, is difficult to over-estimate.
Should the Council decide to pursue the recommended strategy for assessing citizen priorities,
the staff'will initiate the appropriate actions.
CWT.9-. t
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David Ivory
City Manager
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ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS