To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Kristin Read, Assistant Town Manager
Title
Update: 2025 Community Survey Process
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
In every odd-numbered year since 2011, the Town has completed resident and business surveys to gauge these groups’ perceptions about Town services and issues. The same firm, now known as ReconMR, has conducted these surveys on the Town’s behalf since 2015. Using the same vendor provides consistency and allows the Town to best trend its performance year over year.
Staff will soon begin working with ReconMR to prepare for the 2025 community survey. In February, staff and the consultant will present draft resident and business surveys for Council feedback. If any Councilmembers wish for a more detailed review of past and planned survey practices, staff recommends they request an individual meeting ahead of this discussion.
Current planning calls for the surveys to be finalized soon after the Council discussion so they can be administered from late February/early March to early May. That schedule will allow for a review of survey results with Council in May or June. This timing purposefully provides the results well ahead of the Town’s annual budget process so that any priorities that emerge can be evaluated and prioritized.
Discussion
Conducting community surveys is a common practice within Douglas County. The County has surveyed residents at least every other year since 2006, and our neighboring communities of Lone Tree and Parker also survey their communities every few years.
The Town’s survey provides a scientific way to gauge sentiments within the community. It asks for opinions about Town services, quality of life, key community issues and more. Data collected is compared to that from past years, and movements in opinions are explored. The results can show where service delivery is perceived to be lacking or where issues may be emerging - through cross-tabulations by a number of demographics including election districts - and where educational campaigns should be targeted.
Since the Town has used the same survey vendor since 2015, staff this year issued a request for proposals from firms interested in conducting the surveys on the Town’s behalf. Thirteen firms responded to the RFP, and after a review of their proposals, staff recommends continuing our relationship with ReconMR for the 2025 survey.
The approach to administering the survey will be the same as in 2023. The Town’s contract with ReconMR allows for continuous survey/engagement over a three-month period, conducted in three “waves.” Each wave will consist of a 10- to 12-minute survey. Over the course of the three waves, every household in Castle Rock will be invited by mail to participate in the scientific survey, which will have password-protected access. ReconMR will complete follow-ups by phone as necessary to ensure a respondent pool that demographically reflects the Town’s population.
The methodology for this year’s business survey is planned to remain the same as in the past. Every Town-licensed business located within Castle Rock will be invited to participate in a roughly 10-minute survey. Town staff will work with community partners from the Castle Rock Chamber and Economic Development Council in determining what questions are best to recommend for the business survey.
Staff looks forward to discussing the survey drafts with Council next month and is available between now and then for more detailed conversations as desired. The 2023 resident and business surveys are attached (Attachment A) for Council’s reference as consideration of this item begins.
Budget Impact
The Town’s contract with ReconMR is for up to $62,995. The Town Manager’s Office 2025 budget includes $75,000 for this project. With the cost of printing and mailing postcards to every household, we expect the project total will slightly exceed that amount, but the anticipated difference can be accommodated within existing appropriations. The cost includes a nominal $10 incentive for the first 250 households to complete more than one survey “wave.”
Attachments
Attachment A: 2023 resident and business survey questions