Printed surveys were mailed to randomly selected homes and an online invitation was mailed to all businesses. The company conducting the survey, NRC, will use this data to produce a report projecting how often services are used, and how residents and businesses rate the performance of those services. The final report was delivered to Council summer 2012. Find more: cityofcape.org

1. Cape Girardeau
Citizen Survey and
Business Survey Results
2012

2. 2
Survey Background
• Citizens’ and business owners’ and managers’
input on:
▫ Quality of life in the city
▫ Service delivery
▫ City government performance
▫ Priorities for City government
• First survey of this type conducted by the City
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

3. 3
Survey methods
Citizen Sur vey Business Sur vey
• Survey packets mailed to 1,800 • Invitations mailed to 1,193
households businesses
▫ Option to complete online ▫ Online only response
▫ Split evenly among 6 Wards • 273 business owners and
• 565 residents completed the managers completed the survey
survey ▫ Response rate of 24%
▫ Weighted to reflect the ▫ Margin of error ±6%
population profile
▫ Response rate of 33%
▫ Margin of error of ±4%
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

4. 4
Highlights
• High quality of life for residents and business
owners and managers
• Excellent employment, educational and volunteer
opportunities
• Parks and recreation a strength of the City
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

5. Quality of Life

6. 6
Overall Quality of Life in Cape Girardeau
Citizen Sur vey Business Sur vey
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

7. 7
Citizens’ Commitment to the Community
Recommend living in Cape
Remain in Cape Girardeau for
Girardeau to someone who
the next five years
asks
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

8. 8
Aspects of Quality of Life
Place to raise children 70%
Percent rating as “excellent” or “good”
Neighborhood as a place to live 67% Citizens
Place to work 65%
Place to work 85%
Place to do business 79% Businesses
Relationship between business and government 55%
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

9. 9
Characteristics of Cape Girardeau
Opportunities to
Percent of citizens rating as “excellent” or “good”
participate in Ease of car
Opportunities to Educational
religious or travel in Cape
volunteer opportunities
spiritual events Girardeau
and activities
Highest
82% 78% rated 73% 65%
Availability of Ease of air
Ease of bus
affordable travel to and Employment
travel in Cape
quality child from Cape opportunities
Girardeau
care Girardeau
Lowest
43% 40% rated 35% 24%

10. 10
Characteristics of Cape Girardeau
Percent of businesses rating as “excellent” or “good”
Overall quality of
Ease of car Overall image or
Educational business and
travel in Cape reputation of
opportunities service
Girardeau Cape Girardeau
establishments
Highest
81% 76% rated 73% 73%
Ease of air
Ease of bus Amount of
travel to and Employment
travel in Cape public parking
from Cape opportunities
Girardeau downtown
Girardeau
Lowest
43% 42% rated 31% 19%

11. 11
Potential Problems Needing Attention
Higher rated problems Lower rated problems
57% 28%
50% 26%
42% 23%
38% 21%
Percent of citizens responding “major attention”
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

12. Quality of Services

13. 13
Overall Quality of Services
Citizen Sur vey Business Sur vey
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

14. 14
City Services
Emergency
Percent of citizens rating as “excellent” or “good”
medical service
Fire protection Public library
provided by City parks
services services
Cape Girardeau
Fire Department
Highest
92% 91% rated 83% 82%
Code
Services to Street repair enforcement
Bus or transit
low-income and (weeds,
services
people maintenance abandoned
buildings, etc.)
Lowest
40% 38% rated 35% 39%

15. 15
City Services
Percent of businesses rating as “excellent” or “good”
Emergency
medical service Fire prevention
Fire protection
provided by programs and Police services
services
Cape Girardeau education
Fire Department
Highest
93% 93% rated 82% 80%
Code
enforcement Street repair
Bus or transit Economic
(weeds, and
services development
abandoned maintenance
buildings, etc.)
Lowest
40% 39% rated 38% 37%

16. 16
Key Driver Analysis
• Relationship between residents’ ratings of
individual services and overall quality of services
• Drivers can be a window into improving overall
ratings
• Cape Girardeau drivers:
▫ Public schools
▫ Police services
▫ City communications
▫ Street lighting
▫ Emergency preparedness
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

17. Community Design
Recr
Planning Animal
Youth
Storm
Sewer
services
services
drainage
Recycling
and zoning control
Below
City
Benchmark
olice Code
Civic Engagement Street park
rvices enforcement repair Libra
Fire Cable
Economic City Snow
ion services television
development
communication removal Recrea
raffic Sidewalk Traffic signal progra
Legend
Similar to
Key Driver
Benchmark
rcement maintenance timing Aquatic fa
utility
water
Power
Senior
services Street Street
Garbage
Drinking
collection
Community Inclusiveness
lighting cleaning
Environmental Sustainability
Above
Benchmark
Overall Quality of City of Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau 2012 Action Chart™
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.
17

18. Government Performance

19. 19
Citizen Ratings of City Government
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

20. 20
Citizen Contact with City Employees
Have you had any in-person,
phone or email contact
with an employee of
the City of Cape
Girardeau within
the last 12 months?
Did you feel
your question
or issue was
resolved?
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

21. 21
Priorities for Government
Economic Beautification,
Road
development, upkeep of
Crime and safety maintenance/
Percent selecting as top 1 or 2 priority
business and job landscape and
traffic
retention buildings
32% 25% Citizens 25% 23%
Economic Beautification,
Road Government
development, upkeep of
maintenance/ efficiency and
business and landscape and
traffic taxes
job retention buildings
45% 19% Businesses 18% 14%

22. 22
Businesses’ Perceptions of Growth Rates
Too Slow About right Too Fast
43% 53% 5%
Population
45% 49% 6%
Retail
78% 23%
Jobs Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

23. 23
Businesses’ Perceptions of Managing
Growth
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

24. Benchmark Comparisons

25. 25
About NRC’s Benchmarks
• Database of resident perspectives gathered in
citizen surveys from approximately 500
jurisdictions including cities and counties
• Normative comparison for 260 services
representing the opinions of over 30 million
Americans
• Comparisons made to most recent surveys
conducted within the jurisdictions
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

26. 26
Cape Girardeau’s Benchmarks
Two custom sets of comparisons
• Communities across the nation • Communities in the State of
with populations between Missouri
30,000 and 50,000 ▫ 20 communities included
▫ 76 communities included ▫ 40 comparisons available
▫ 99 comparisons available
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

27. 27
Benchmark Summary: Population 30,000
to 50,000
Strengths Areas for improvement
• Quality and use of city parks and • Traffic law enforcement
recreation centers and facilities • Ease of bus travel
• Recycling services • Code enforcement
• Volunteer opportunities and • Openness and acceptance of
rates of volunteerism the community toward people of
• Employment opportunities diverse backgrounds
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

28. 28
Benchmark Summary: Missouri
Communities
Strengths Areas for improvement
• City parks and • Crime prevention
• Recreation centers and facilities • Safety in neighborhood and
• Recycling services downtown
• Drinking water • Cleanliness
• Street sweeping and cleaning
Prepared by National Research Center, Inc.

29. Thank you!
2955 Valmont Rd., Ste 300
Boulder, CO 80301
303-444-7863 • nrc@n-r-c.com
www.n-r-c.com