Don't Throw Out the Mayor's Postcard

About 1,500 Urbandale residents this week received a postcard from Mayor Robert Andeweg letting them know they'll be asked how well city government is doing.

If you got the postcard but are thinking of pitching the citizen survey when it comes to you in about a week, think again.

The survey results in the past have been a powerful factor in city decisions to change or improve city services. Services that get less than high praise have been targeted for change in the past.

For example, in the 2009 survey, residents who had been been served by the city's firefighters and emergency medical teams said response times should be quicker.

As a result, the City applied for a fire and emergency response grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that helped pay for 10 additional firefighters and EMTs, said Assistant City Manager John Konior.

Citizens were less than happy with city dogcatchers and the city pound facility, so Police Chief Ross McCarty changed the way his department handles animal control, contracting with West Des Moines animal control officers.

Residents who receive the survey have a powerful opportunity to influence change in city government. In the past, surveys have polled citizens on topics ranging from how safe they feel in Urbandale to the availability of bus service. 

This is the sixth citizen survey Urbandale has conducted since 1999. The city initially conducted its own survey, but it now hires an independent agency to handle the survey every two years. 

Urbandale residents are selected to participate randomly and receive the survey by mail. This year, the number of surveys will be equally divided by residents living east of Interstate 80/35 and those living west of the interstate, said Konior. 

The postcards notifying residents that they had been selected to participate in the survey went out in the mail on Monday, said Konior. Selected residents will receive their survey in about a week, he said.  

The citizen surveys are confidential and residents mail the completed survey directly to the firm conducting the survey so city officials never know who responded or what their responses were. 

“That is truly to allow people to feel confident in taking the survey,” said Konior.

Survey results will be presented on the city’s website in December. Results of previous year's surveys also are available on the website.