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Home My WebLink AboutA038 - Discussion on 2026 Resident Satisfaction SurveyTo:Mayor John Haila and City Councilmembers From:Susan Gwiasda, Communications and Outreach Manager Date:March 10, 2026 Subject:Discussion of additional questions for the 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey Item No. 38 MEMO The City of Ames is again working with Iowa State University’s Institute for Design Research and Outreach to produce, distribute, and analyze the 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey. This will be the 44th year of the survey. Each year, a small amount of space is reserved for current issue/policy questions to be added. Most policy questions require some explanation before any question can be asked. Due to the space necessary to set up the question, typically only a few additional questions fit in the survey. The Council is welcome to suggest topics, but please note there is no obligation to add to the survey. For the 2025 survey, the Council made these changes: Added a question to the survey asking residents to prioritize investment for human services. Removed a question related to the health of the survey taker. Added an additional response to the section on "Preferences for City Communication" to include “Other” with a write in option. Added a question to the survey under the "Sense of Community" section that asks if the respondents or someone the respondent finds their language to be a barrier to participation in the community. Moved to add a question about indoor/outdoor aquatic centers under Parks and Recreation Added a question regarding Board and Commission participation Earlier this year, the Ames Human Relations Chairperson requested a question be included on the 2026 survey to help identify possible discrimination, which the Commission believes may be underreported. The question the Commission is requested is: Administration 515.239.5105 main 515.239.5142 fax 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org 1 In the past 12 months, have you felt treated unfairly in Ames because of race, national origin, color, marital status, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity? Yes/No. If yes, please select all that apply. ATTACHMENT(S): Ames Survey 2025.pdf Administration 515.239.5105 main 515.239.5142 fax 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org 2 1 Instructions: Please respond to each question with your own opinions and practices. This is usually done by circling a number, checking a box, or filling in a blank. An opportunity is also provided for you to add written comments. A. Please rate the following Parks and Recreation features.Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Don’t Use 1. Overall quality of trails 2. Overall quality of parks 3. Overall quality of recreational facilities (e.g. Homewood Golf Course, Gymnasium, etc.) 4. Variety of playground equipment in the parks 5. Number of restrooms in the parks 6. Overall quality of shelters and picnic amenities 7. Overall quality of recreational programming 8. Variety of recreational programming offered 9. Overall quality of wooded/natural areas 10. Overall quality of indoor aquatics 11. Overall quality of outdoor aquatics Comments on Parks and Recreation ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ B. Please rate the following Ames Public Library features.Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Don’t Use 1. Meeting/study rooms 2. Internet/computer services 3. Building accessibility 4. Customer service 5. Programs (Storytime, book discussions, lectures) 6. Variety of materials available (books, media, online resources) 7. Bookmobile services 8. Page One – the library newsletter 9. Asking questions of library staff by phone or email 10. Use of library online resources 11. Wait time for requests/holds 12. Availability of seating 13. Welcoming atmosphere 43rd Annual Resident Satisfaction Survey Spring 2025 3 2 C. Do you use the Ames Public Library as often as you would like to use it? 1. Yes 2. No C1. If NO, for what reasons do you not use the library as often as you would like? (Circle ALL that apply.) 1. Transportation is a problem 2. I get materials from other sources 3. I don’t have time 4. Other (please specify) ________________________ Comments on Ames Public Library ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ D. How DISSATISFIED or SATISFIED are you with the following Fire Department activities? Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied Don’t Know 1. Emergency response time 2. Emergency medical responses 3. Extinguishing fires 4. Fire prevention activities and community outreach Comments on Fire Department _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ames Police Department E. Have you had an interaction with the Ames Police Department in the last 12 months related to an investigation, traffic, accident, etc.? 1. Yes 2. No F. Have you had an interaction with the Ames Police Department at an outreach event? 1. Yes F1. If YES, which event(s)? (Circle ALL that apply.) 2. No 1. National Night Out 2. Shop with a Cop 3. Donuts in the Park 4. Coffee with Cops 5. Citizen Police Academy 6. Cop on Top 7. Carving with Cops 8. Training or Education Program 9. Other (please specify) ____________________ G. Thinking about priorities for law enforcement, what three things should be emphasized? (Please select 3 items.) 1. Animal Control and Sheltering 2. Business District Patrolling 3. Traffic Enforcement in High Accident Areas 4. Residential Patrolling 5. Safety Programming & Training (Active Shooter, SCAMS, Alcohol regulations, etc.) 6. Parking Regulations 7. Retail Alcohol Monitoring/Enforcement 8. Police Outreach 4 3 Comments on Ames Police Department ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ H. Please rate how DISSATISFIED or SATISFIED you are with the City’s response after issues are reported regarding the following Nuisance Ordinances. Enforcement of: Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied Don’t Know 1. Over-occupancy in rental property 2. Noise limits 3. Front yard parking on residential properties 4. Yard upkeep (overgrown vegetation) 5. Dangerous structures (dilapidated, unsecured, holes, collapsing) 6. Outdoor storage on property (junk cars, tires, furniture, garbage) I. Have you ever reported a concern to the City of Ames about any of these issues? 1. Yes I1. If YES, were you satisfied with the results? 1. Yes 2. No 2. No Comments on Nuisance Ordinances ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ J. Please rate the quality of the following Street Maintenance features.Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Don’t Use 1. Maintenance of bike path system (on street lanes & paths) 2. Appearance of medians and parkways 3. Condition of streets in your neighborhood 4. Ice control at intersections 5. Snow plowing in your neighborhood 6. Snow plowing on major streets 7. Street sweeping in business areas 8. Street sweeping in your neighborhood 9. Surface condition of major streets K. How OFTEN is the coordination between Traffic Signals effective? (Circle ONE response.) 1. Rarely effective 2. Sometimes effective 3. Often effective 4. Almost always effective 5. Don’t know 5 4 Comments on Traffic Signals __________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ L. Does Ames Electric Services provide electricity to your home? 1. Yes 2. No L1. If NO, skip to Question P. 3. Don’t Know M. In the last 12 months, have you:Yes No 1. Experienced a power outage in your home? 2. Experienced a power surge that affected your electronics? N. Please rate how DISSATISFIED or SATISFIED you are with following aspects of Ames Electric Services. Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied Does Not Apply 1. Being informed of progress restoring services 2. Ease of reporting an outage 3. Response of employees 4. Time to restore service 5. Electric rates 6. Quality of power O. Ames Electric Services offers SunSmart Ames, a community solar farm project in Ames. Ames Electric Services customers may purchase shares of the project at $240 per “Power Pack” and receive a monthly credit on their bills for 20 years. (More information at www.CityOfAmes.org/Solar). Are you participating? 1. Yes 2. No O1. If NO, why not? (Circle ALL that apply.) 1. Too expensive 2. No interested in renewable energy 3. Short-term stay in Ames 4. Other (please specify) ________________________ Comments on Ames Electric Services _________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6 5 P. In the last 12 months, how many times have you had any of the following Drinking Water Service problems? Never 1–2 3–6 7 or More Does Not Apply 1. Disagreeable taste or odor 2. Hard water 3. Rust 4. Sediment or cloudy appearance 5. Soft water 6. Too little pressure 7. Too much pressure Comments on Drinking Water Services ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Q. Please rate your SATISFACTION with the following aspects of Ames Water & Pollution Control Department Services. Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied Does Not Apply 1. Water rates 2. Water quality 3. Sewer rates R. In the last 12 months, have you experienced a sanitary sewer backup into your basement/home? 1. Yes R1. If YES, did you report the problem to the city? 2. No 1. Yes 2. No R2. If YES, how satisfied were you with the response? 1. Very dissatisfied 2. Somewhat dissatisfied 3. Somewhat satisfied 4. Very satisfied S. In the last 12 months, has storm water flooded onto your property from a city street? 1. Yes S1. If YES, did you report the problem to the city? 2. No 1. Yes 2. No S2. If YES, how satisfied were you with the response? 1. Very dissatisfied 2. Somewhat dissatisfied 3. Somewhat satisfied 4. Very satisfied Comments on Ames Water & Pollution Control Department Services ______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7 6 CyRide is the community-wide transit system serving both Iowa State University (ISU) and Ames. It is funded through the City of Ames (from property taxes), ISU Administration (from the general fund), and ISU students (from student fees). Eliminating the fare to ride CyRide is one way to encourage Ames residents to use public transit. T. On average, how many times per week do members of your household ride CyRide? 1. __________ times per week 2. No one in my household rides CyRide U. If you do not currently use CyRide, what would make you consider using these services? (Circle ALL that apply.) 1. Service was provided to more areas of Ames 2. Service was offered on my route longer during the day (earlier or later times) 3. Service was more frequent on routes near me 4. The fare when boarding the bus was lower 5. The fare when boarding the bus was at no cost 6. Nothing 7. Other (specify) _____________________________________________________________ Comments on CyRide _______________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Next, please provide your overall opinions about your use of city services. A. Please rate how DISSATISFIED or SATISFIED you are with following aspects of City of Ames Services? Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied Don’t Know 1. Law enforcement services 2. Fire and rescue services 3. Electric services 4. Drinking water system 5. Sewer system 6. Public nuisance enforcement (e.g., noise, over- occupancy, yard upkeep) 7. Parks and recreation services 8. Library services 9. CyRide bus services Comments on City of Ames Services __________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 7 Programs and Services A. Programs and services listed in the following table are paid with local option sales taxes or property taxes. In 2025– 2026, the City of Ames will spend the following amounts on providing services. In your opinion, should LESS, the SAME, or MORE funding be allocated to these areas? (Mark ONE response for each program or service.) 2025–2026 Approximate Tax Funding Should the City spend...? Less Same More 1. Arts programs (Public Art & COTA) $ 298,978 2. Fire protection $ 6,907,726 3. Human service agency funding (ASSET)$ 2,020,807 4. Law enforcement $ 12,082,884 5. Ames Animal Shelter & Animal Control $ 796,763 6. Ames Public Library $ 5,420,555 7. Land use planning (both current and long term)$ 1,152,104 8. Parks and amenities $ 1,751,347 9. Recreation opportunities $ 1,361,795 10. CyRide (public transit)$ 2,227,370 11. Other (please specify ________________________)--------------- Comments _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Analysis on Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) Funding A. Please indicate if you have used any of the following human services. In your opinion, should LESS, the SAME, or MORE funding be alloted to the following human services under ASSET? (Mark ONE response for each program or service.) ASSET funded services Have you used this service?Should the City spend...? Yes No Less Same More Mental health and substance use disorder needs: 1. Community-based & outpatient mental health services 2. Outpatient mental health/substance abuse emergency services or crisis intervention services 3. Awareness & education about suicide prevention & services 4. Substance-use prevention and treatment Basic needs: 5. Housing and emergency sheltering 6. Housing cost-assistance programs including utility assistance 7. Food assistance for nutritious perishables and staples 9 8 ASSET funded services Have you used this service?Should the City spend...? Yes No Less Same More 8. Quality childcare assistance programs, including daycare and licensed in-home facilities 9. Medical and dental services 10. Financial literacy and education programs 11. Transportation programs 12. Legal assistance 13. Disaster response Youth development services and activities: 14. Skill development and enhancement 15. Summer enrichment/prevention of loss of learning B. Using the item number from Question A, which human services (items 1 to 15) should be the… a. Highest priority? _______ b. Second highest priority? _______ c. Third highest priority? _______ C. The City Council has approved a five-year Capital Improvements Plan that defines more than $458 million in projects. How UNIMPORTANT or IMPORTANT is it that the following projects are included in the Capital Improvements Plan? Very Unimportant Somewhat Unimportant Somewhat Important Very Important Don’t Know 1. Improvements to existing parks 2. Improvements to existing recreational facilities (e.g. aquatic center, auditorium, etc.) 3. Off-street bike facilities (commuter) improvements 4. Greenway trails (recreational) improvements 5. Reconstructing existing streets 6. Stormwater drainage improvements 7. Traffic flow improvements 8. Energy-efficient upgrades to municipal buildings 9. Sustainable solutions incorporated to the above projects 10. Other (please specify) ________________________ D. Using the item number from Question D, which category (items 1 to 10) should be the… a. Highest priority? _______ b. Second highest priority? _______ c. Third highest priority? _______ E. The city property tax levy for the next year is $10.30 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. This means that the city portion of the property tax on a $100,000 home in Ames is about $489 after rollback. Given your spending preferences, what should be the adjustment in property taxes next year? (Circle ONE response.) 1. Substantial decrease 4. Modest increase 2. Modest decrease 5. Substantial increase 3. No change 10 9 Residential preferences for City communications A. Which of the following sources of information do you use and how helpful are they? Not Helpful Somewhat Helpful Very Helpful Don’t Use 1. City of Ames website (www.CityOfAmes.org) 2. Ames Television/Cable TV 12 3. Ames Tribune newspaper 4. Iowa State Daily newspaper 5. Des Moines Register newspaper 6. KASI/KCCQ radio 7. KHOI Community Radio 8. CitySide - utility bill insert 9. Facebook − City of Ames 10. Instagram − City of Ames 11. X/Twitter − City of Ames 12. Threads − City of Ames 13. Nextdoor − City of Ames 14. LinkedIn − City of Ames 15. Other (Please specify) __________________ B. How would you prefer to learn about construction projects, programs, and meetings in your area? (Please select top three.) 1. Hard-copy letter 4. Radio 7. Social media 9. City of Ames app 2. Door hanger 5. Newspaper 8. Text 10. Other (specify) ___________________3. Website 6. E-mail C. Would you use a City of Ames app that supplied information about City news, construction, projects, programs, & meetings? 1. Yes 2. No The next section asks for your overall comments and ratings. A. Please rate the overall quality of services you receive from the City of Ames. (Check ONE) Very Poor Poor Good Very Good B. On what other issue(s) do you think the City should focus its attention? _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ C. What’s the best thing about living in Ames? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 10 Sustainability A. Are you familiar with the City’s Climate Action Plan accepted by City Council in June 2023? 1. Yes 2. No B. Please select the three most important climate action steps for Ames: 1. Increase wind and solar generation as part of Electric Services renewable energy portfolio 5. Retrofit municipal/City buildings 2. Waste-to-energy improvements/reducing waste emissions 6. Electrify the municipal fleet (non CyRide) 3. Net zero and net zero-ready (NZR) new construction 7. Create a Mayor’s climate action plan leadership task force 4. Retrofit existing buildings 8. Other ___________________________________________ C. Which of the following do you think is the biggest reason to commit to environmental sustainability? (Please choose one.) 1. To provide a sustainable environment for future generations 2. For a better quality of life 3. To stabilize or reduce the cost of food and utilities, etc. 4. Environmental sustainability isn’t important to me 5. Other _____________________________________________ Sense of Community (personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement, levels of safety, and shared values and norms) A. How many of your neighbors do you know? 1. None of them 4. Most of them 2. A few of them 5. All of them 3. About half of them B. How strong is the sense of community in your neighborhood? 1. Not at all strong 4. Very strong 2. Not so strong 5. Extremely strong 3. Somewhat strong C. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following community involvement statements. Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree Don’t Know 1. Issues facing my community are important to me 2. I am knowledgeable about the issues facing my community 3. I am engaged in addressing the issues facing my community 4. I currently support nonprofit organization(s) with financial contributions 5. I currently volunteer on a Board or Commission of an Ames organization 6. I currently volunteer for a nonprofit organization serving Ames 7. I served or considered serving on a City Board or Commision 8. Language barriers make it difficult to be involved in the community 12 11 D. Considering your experiences over the past 12 months, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree Don’t Know 1. I feel valued as an individual in the Ames community. 2. I feel I belong in this town. 3. Ames has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, & inclusion. 4. I am treated with respect in this town. 5. I feel Ames is a place where I could perform up to my full potential. 6. I found one or more organizations in this community where I feel I belong. E. What, if anything, could be done to enhance your sense of belonging as an Ames resident? _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In this last section, please tell us about yourself so that we will know if we have reached a representative sample of Ames residents. A. How many years have you lived in Ames? __________ B. What is your age? __________ years C. What is your gender? 1. Male 3. Non-binary/third gender 5. Prefer not to answer 2. Female 4. Prefer to self-describe ______________ D. What is your race? 1. White 4. Asian 7. Prefer not to answer 2. African American/Black 5. Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 3. American Indian/Alaska Native 6. Other __________________________ E. Are you Hispanic or Latino? 1. Yes ________ 2. No 3. Prefer not to answer F. What is your highest level of formal education? 1. Less than high school diploma 4. Undergraduate degree 2. High school diploma or GED 5. Some graduate work 3. Some college 6. Graduate degree G. Are you currently a full-time student at Iowa State University? 1. Yes ________ 2. No H. What is your current employment status? (Circle ALL that apply.) 1. Employed full time 3. Retired 5. Not employed 2. Employed part time 4. Full-time homemaker 6. Other _______________________ 13 12 I. Do you RENT or OWN your home? 1. Rent I1. For what reasons do you rent? (Circle ALL that apply.) 2. Own 3. Other (specify) ________________ 1. Short-term stay in Ames 2. Little or no upkeep 3. More security 4. Lack of adequate income 5. Other (please specify) ____________________ J. Income level is requested in order to understand how household needs differ based upon income. Circle the number for the category that best estimates your 2024 total household income (before taxes). 1. Under $25,000 3. $50,000–74,999 5. $100,000–124,999 7. $150,000–$199,999 2. $25,000–49,999 4. $75,000–99,999 6. $125,000–$149,999 8. $200,000 or more K. In which part of Ames do you live? (Circle ONE.) 1. Northwest (North side of Lincoln Way and streets to the north; west side of Grand Avenue and streets to the west). 2. Northeast (North side of Lincoln Way and streets to the north, east side of Grand Avenue and streets to the east) 3. Southwest (South side of Lincoln Way and streets to the south; west side of University Boulevard and streets to the west). 4. Southeast (South side of Lincoln Way and streets to the south; east side of University Boulevard and streets to the east). L. We would appreciate any additional comments you would like to provide: _________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for contributing your time and making a difference in your community! Return your questionnaire in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope OR deliver it to City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. 14