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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVail Community Survey 2012 Report_FINAL (4) Prepared for: Town of Vail Prepared by: RRC Associates, Inc. 4940 Pearl East Circle, Ste 103 Boulder, CO 80301 303/449 -6558 www.rrcassoc.com Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 Final Report May 2012 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates CONTENTS Contents AN OVERVIEW OF RESULTS ...................................................................................................................... 1 A Demographic Profile of Respondents ..................................................................................................... 2 Evaluations of Topics of Policy and Broad Community Interest ................................................................. 4 An Evaluation of Town of Vail Departments and Services ......................................................................... 7 Selected Takeaways from the 2012 Community Survey ........................................................................... 8 A REPORT OF SURVEY FINDINGS ........................................................................................................... 10 Community Priorities ................................................................................................................................ 13 Environmental Issues .............................................................................................................................. 17 Events Ratings ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Taxes and Fees ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Parking Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 23 RATINGS OF SATISFACTION —DEPARTMENTS ..................................................................................... 27 Community Development ........................................................................................................................ 27 Public Works ............................................................................................................................................ 30 Bus Service ............................................................................................................................................. 32 Fire Services ............................................................................................................................................ 36 Police Services ........................................................................................................................................ 37 Library ...................................................................................................................................................... 40 SOURCES OF LOCAL INFORMA TION ...................................................................................................... 44 THE IMPACTS OF I -70 ............................................................................................................................... 47 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 1 AN OVERVIEW OF RESUL TS This summary provides an overview of selected survey results as well as an identification of some of the major themes and findings that emerged from the 201 2 Community Survey . The 2012 Town of Vail Community Survey used methods virtually identical to those used in 2010, the last time a survey was fielded by the Town of Vail . Once again, the survey resulted in extensive open -ended comments as well as statistical measures of many topics that are of interest to the community. The comments are excerpted in the body of the report, an d are also presented verbatim in the attachments with no editing, punctuation or spelling correction. In 201 2 the surveys were fielded using t hree techniques. The primary method of distribution was through a postcard mailed to all identified postal addresses, including both boxes and home delivery, as well as to all identified part -time residents that own property in the Town . The postcard contained an invitation to complete the survey on -line using one of two unique passwords provided on the cards. Also, residents that had a password but requested (by telephone) to complete the survey using a paper form were provided a survey . Together these two response methods resulted in 412 completed surveys . TheseAsurveysAareAreferredAtoAinAtheAreportAasAtheA“RandomALink”Asurveys,AATheyArepresentA responses that were randomly obtained from residents, both year -round and part -time, throug h the controlled version of the survey. Survey invitation postcards arrived in Vail mailboxes during the early part of the week of March 26, 2012. The survey was closed at midnight on April 24. InAaddition.AanA“OpenALinkASurvey”AwasAadvertisedA as avail able for completion on April 16. This was timed to be about two weeks after the initial postcard mailing. Through various ads, the public was invited to complete the survey on -line but without a password. This effort resulted in 265 responses. Response s from this group are generally similar to those obtained from the Random Link group, i.e., the group that answered the survey invitation using a password, but t hroughout much of this report the discussion focuses on the Random Link (or Invitation Web/Pape r)AversionAofAtheAsurveyAresponsesAbecauseAthisAgroupArepresentsAtheA“random”Asample.AmostA comparable to the phone surveys conducted in the past. Together, the three survey methods resulted in 677 completed ; this represents a broad community -wide response and provides an effective tool for understanding current local sentiment. The overall response was up from the 528 surveys completed in 2010. The 201 2 Community Survey is one of a number of public outreach efforts conducted by the Town. The survey resu lts are considered a tool for gathering input rather than a vote or a referendum on the many civic issues that are explored. The survey results have been dissected in various ways to identify dominant themes and messages and these findings are explored in the full report that follows. The presentation in the final report is organized into two major areas of discussion. First, survey demographics are presented and issues and topic s of community importance are explored. Then, ratings of Town departments a nd services are presented. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 2 A Demographic Profile of Respondents The survey contained a number of demographic questions that are used to understand input from residents. For example, much of the survey analysis presented in this report is based on overall responses to the Random Link version of the survey. However, as noted abo ve, in some instances results from all respondents are presented in merged tables. Where graphs are based on the merged results, a notation of the sample source is provided. Where is your residence within the Town of Vail located? Random Link Open Link Overall East Vail 25% 24% 25% West Vail (north of I 70) 17% 13% 16% Potato Patch, Sandstone 14% 15% 14% Intermountain 8% 9% 8% Vail Village 8% 8% 8% Other 5% 8% 6% Buffehr Creek, Lionsridge, the Valley 6% 5% 5% Lionshead 6% 2% 5% Matterhorn, Glen Lyon 4% 4% 4% Booth Falls and Bald Mountain Road areas 2% 6% 3% Vail Commons/Safeway area 2% 4% 3% Golf Course 3% 2% Booth Creek/Aspen Lane 1% 0% Not a resident of the town of Vail 1% 0% n= 286 124 413 Do you own or rent your residence? Random Link Open Link Overall Own 87% 74% 82% Rent 12% 25% 17% Other 1% 2% 1% n= 346 215 560 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 3 How long have you lived within the town of Vail (or owned property if a non resident)? Random Link Open Link Overall Less than 1 year 3% 5% 4% 1 -5 years 13% 14% 13% 6 -15 years 25% 22% 24% More than 15 years 52% 35% 46% Not applicable 8% 24% 14% n= 354 209 563 Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Overall Year -round resident (11+ months/year) 53% 71% 60% Part -time resident 37% 11% 28% Employed in the town of Vail but don ’t live there 6% 16% 10% Get mail in the town but don ’t live or work there 2% 1% 2% Non -resident owner of business/commercial property 1% 1% n= 354 211 565 (IF RESIDENT) Do you own or operate a business within the town of Vail? Random Link Open Link Overall No 84% 85% 85% Yes 16% 15% 15% n= 280 171 451 Are you a registered voter in Vail? Random Link Open Link Overall Yes 51% 50% 51% No 49% 50% 49% n= 338 205 543 Which of these categories best describes your household status? Random Link Open Link Overall Empty -nester, children no longer at home 32% 25% 30% Couple, no children 24% 28% 26% Household with children living at home 24% 20% 23% Single, no children 19% 27% 22% n= 352 209 561 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 4 Gender Random Link Open Link Overall Female 48% 57% 51% Male 52% 43% 49% n= 347 210 558 Which of the following best describes your employment status? Random Link Open Link Overall Work 8 months or more a year in the local area (Vail Valley) 41% 62% 49% Not employed: retired 21% 12% 18% Currently employed outside of the local area (work on Front Range, out of state, etc.) 22% 10% 17% Other 6% 7% 7% Work 7 or fewer months a year in the local area (Vail Valley ) 6% 4% 5% Not employed: homemaker 3% 2% 3% Not employed: unemployed and/or looking for work 1% 3% 2% n= 355 214 568 Evaluations of Topics of Policy and Broad Community Interest The survey contained a number of questions that were designed to provide input on policy -related topics that are of interest to the community. The following sections of this report summarize the topics that were probed. Community Priorities . R espondents were asked to evalu ate nine priorit y topics based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “notAaApriority”AandA5AaA“highApriority,”AA This question was similar but not identical to a 2010 question on town priorities . The averaged results are summarized below. Table 1 Priorities f or Town Focus 2012 2010 Budget & capital management 4.4 4.4 Economic vitality 4.3 4.4 Actions to improve Vail as a well -rounded community 4.2 4.0 Transportation needs 4.2 4.1 Guest relations and customer service 4.1 4.3 Parking 4.0 4.5 Environmental sustainability 3.8 3.5 Focus on housing for service workers 3.5 Not Asked Focus on housing for middle income workers 3.5 Not Asked Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 5 Based on a comparison of the ratings this year to 2010 , a first conclusion is that all of the topics evaluated are considered priorities by a large segment of residents, with the relatively lower rated housing categories still receiving over 55% rating as a priority, a 4 or 5 on the five -point scale. Budget an d capital management and economic vitality were rated a priority by over 80 % of respondents. Another main conclusion is that parking has fallen off the top; it was the dominant issue in the last study with an average priority rating of 4.5. T his year th e comparable rating is 4.0. Another strong shift is that the topic of environmental sustainability is rated a significantly higher priority than in 2010, although it is still rated relatively lower than most of the other categories. In a follow -u p ques tion.ArespondentsAwereAaskedAaboutAtheA“o ne area from the list that is your highest priority,”AATheAmostAidentifiedApriorit ies w ere: “ ctionsAtoAimproveAVail’sAappealAasAaAwell -rounded community (a great place to live, work and play),”AidentifiedAbyA33%Ao f respondents. NextAmostAidentifiedAwereAtwoAeconomicAissues.A“EconomicAvitality”A(15%)AandA“BudgetAandA capitalAmanagement”A(13%),AA It is interesting that while a majority rated the economic issues slightly higher when averaged on the five -point scale, the ideaAofAimprovingAVail’sAoverallAappealA as a well -rounded community is resonating with many at this time. But, economic management and fiscal considerations are also widely supported , andAifAresponsesAonAtheseAtwoAcategoriesAareAsummedAtheyAareAcloseAtoAtheAfigureAobtainedAbyA“well - roundedAcommunity”A(28%AcomparedAtoA32%), Right Direction/Wrong Track ? AquestionAthatAhasAbeenAtrackedAforAoverAaAdecadeAasked.A“Would you say that thing s in the T own of Vail are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten offAonAtheAwrongAtrack?” About 70% ofArespondentsAsaidAtheATOVAisAgoingAinAtheA“rightAdirection”A comparedAtoA18%A“gottenAoffAonAtheAwrongAtrack,”AATh oseAsayingA“r ightAdirection”Aare up significantly fromAtheAfindingsAinA2010A(58%A“rightA direction” andA28%A“wrongAtrack”), and are identical to the level achieved in 2005 . The responses on this question were probed in various ways. Open -ended comments were sorted by “rightAdirection”AandA “onAtheAwrongAtrack”A and these results are presented in the main body of the report. When residents were asked to explain their responses concerning th is question several themes emerged. Among those that expressed the town is headedAinAtheA“rightAdirection.”AmultipleArespondentsAidentifiedA the following: Supportive of the upgrades that have occurred in the Village and Lionshead. They mentioned the facelifts and new buildings, and renewal of dated structures. OneAsaid.A“ llAth e construction cranesAareAgoneAandAtheAtownAfeelsAvibrant,” A number believe Vail has successfully weathered economic challenges and they credit Council andAstaffAforAsomeAofAtheAsuccess,AACommentsAincluded.A“TheArecessionAwasAwellAmanaged.AtheA ‘rebirthAof Vail’AisAessentiallyAcomplete.AandAoverallAweAareApositionedAextremelyAwellAforAtheA future,”AA notherAsaid.A“TownAofficialsAandAstaffAcontinueAtoAoperateAaAfiscallyAsensitiveAlocalA Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 6 government.” A year -roundAresidentAnoted.A“TOVAhasAdoneAaAveryAniceAjobAw ith capital projects, communicationsAandAgeneralAcommunityAleadership,” Decision -makingAwasAalsoAcited,AA“ThereAisAaAlotAofAthoughtAputAintoAtheAdecisionsAofAtheATownAofA Vail,” TheAuseAofAconferenceAcenterAfundsAtoA“getAthingsAdone”AwasAalsoAmentionedAmultipleAtimes,AA CommentsAdifferAamongAthoseAthatAsaidAtheAtownAisAonAtheA“wrongAtrack;”A Concerns were expressed about the proposal to develop the Vail Municipal site with a part ner. These residents identified considerations such as the structuring of the deal, and that there might be better locations for a new Town Hall. Some residents cite parking as an issue, saying there is not enough parking and that this shortage negatively impacts the experience of guests and locals alike. Further, the cost of parking was identified by some. A change in character was identified in various ways. Comments included “VailAhasAlostAaAsenseA ofAcommunity,AAItAisAnowAtrulyAaAresortAtown,” The si ze, scale and character of the new buildings were criticized by some . In contrast to those that feel the town is on the right track because of new buildings and progress, others said the town is headed in the wrong direction and identify the results of re development as the problem. “WayAoverbuilding”AandA“WeAhaveAsoldAourAsoulsAforAcash”AareAexamplesAofAcommentsAfromAthisA smaller group who say the town is on the wrong track . Sense of Community . A boutAhalfAtheArespondentsAindicatedAVail’sA“senseAofAcommu nity”AstayedAtheA same , withA18%AsayingAitA“improved”A(upAfromA9%AinA2010),AA boutA16%AsaidAitAhadA“gottenAworse”A(downA fromA26%AinA2010),AALikeAtheAratingsAofA“rightA direction ”AandA“wrongAtrack”AthisAquestionAsuggestsAthatA there is substantial support for the general direction of Vail at this time. In a related question, the relationship between taxes and town services found a majority of respondents (61%, up from 56% in 2010 ) indicating satisfaction with the current level of taxes and the services provided by the town. About 15% percent said they pay too much for the services. One in ten respondents said they would be willing to pay more taxes to get more services, while 6% said they would be willing to accept service reductions if it means lower taxes, down from 10% in 2010. Clearly, economic concerns have eased somewhat but there is a call for careful management and there is a segment of residents that still believe they pay too much. Environmental Issues . There is general satisfaction (about 50 to 55%) with the amount of emphasis placed on environmental issues . Questions addressed the overall attention to forest health, enforcement of the dead tree removal ordinance, addressing energy consumption and Gore Creek water quality. More people sai dAthere’sA“tooAlittleAemphasis”A (30 -38%).AthanA“tooAmuch”A (4 -16%). In new questions, residents were asked about a plastic bag initiative, and emphasis on zero waste. A ban on plastic bags in grocery stores received divided support with about 37% calli ngAitAaA“priority”A(4AorA Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 7 5 on the five -pointAscale)AbutA37%AratingAitAaA“1”AorA“notAaApriority”AonAtheARandomALinkAversionAofAtheA survey. Results suggest that this topic is a higher priority with year -round than with part -time residents. Events . The s urvey contained a series of questions concerning events in Vail. Overall, most respondents, both year -round and part -time, believe events have a positive town -wide economic impact (about 90% rate events a 4 or 5 on the five -point scale). Most also believ e there are the right number of events (81%), withAaboutA8%AsayingAthereAareA“tooAmany,”AATheAoverallA“qualityAofAevents”AwasAalsoAratedA high (about 85% rating them 4 or 5). The lowest rated aspect of events, in terms of satisfaction, was parking. About 11%AsaidAtheyAwereA“notAatAallAsatisfied”A(“1”AonAtheAfive -point scale), but 32% rated parking satisfaction a 4 or 5 during events. Cell Phone Service . Another new question this year addressed cell phone service in town. While 44% ratedAtheirAserviceA“E xcellent/veryAgood”A(4 -5 on the five -pointAscale)AaboutA13%AcalledAitA“poor”A(aA1)A and 12% rated it a 2 on the five -point scale. Clearly, this is an issue for a segment of the community. Results were probed by parts of town and the areas most likely to r ateA“poor”A(allAwithAoverA20%AcallingA service a 1) included Booth Falls and Bald Mountain Road areas; Buffehr Creek, Lionsridge and the Valley; and Vail Village. The Impacts of I -70 . TheAsurveyAcontainedAaAquestionAconcerningApotentialA“bigAideas”AforAaddressingA the impacts of I -70 as it passes through Vail. Based on a list of alternative actions, most residents indicated they had an opinion (92%).AbutAideasAvariedAwidely,AATheAmostAidentifiedAactionAwas.A“LiveAwithA theAcondition.AincreasingAenforcementAandAspeedAlimits”A(38%),AABeyondAthisAfinding.AthereAwasAlittleA consensus , with all of the choices receiving between 20 and 30% of responses on the multiple choice question. The diversity of opinions was further supported by the broad ranging open -ended comments that were received on this question. An Evaluation of Town of Vail Departments and Services The survey contained a number of questi ons designed to evaluate services provided by the Town. In most cases the wording of these questions is identical to past surveys, permitting comparisons over time. Taken together, these ratings serve as a form of community report card. In general, the ratings of the Town services were positive this year. They were unchanged or up slightly in a number of categories. As in past years, ratings were examined by year -round and part -time resident responses. Overall, the groups are similar in their rating s, but part -time residents rate most categories slightly higher. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 8 Consistent with the themes that are described above, most categories of ratings were up or unchanged. InAratingAtheirAsatisfactionAwithAaAvarietyAofAmunicipalAservicesAwithA5AbeingA“veryA satisfied.”AtheAhighestA scores were given to the following categories: Table 2 Highest -Rated Town Services 2012 2010 Courtesy and helpfulness of firefighters and fire prevention staff 4.5 4.5 Snow removal on roads 4.5 4.3 Response times to basic medical emergencies 4.4 4.4 Cleanliness of the pedestrian villages 4.4 4.4 Friendliness/courtesy of library staff 4.4 4.4 Overall feeling of safety and security 4.4 4.3 Dependability of bus service 4.4 4.3 Frequency of town shuttle 4.4 4.2 Overall park maintenance 4.3 4.3 Bus driver courtesy 4.3 4.1 Cleanliness of buses 4.3 4.1 Friendliness and courteous of Public Works employees 4.2 4.1 Library story hour 4.1 4.3 Road and street maintenance 4.1 4.0 Cleanliness of public restrooms 4.1 4.0 Library website 4.0 4.1 Fire safety, awareness and education programs provided 3.7 4.0 Relatively lower rated services included: parking fees/pricing structure (average 2.7), parking availability during Ford Park events (3.1), late night bus service -ECO Regional Transit (3.1), and building permit inspections (3.1). The ratings of t own departments and services also resulted in a large number of open -ended comments. These results are provided in the A ttachments and have been provided to Town departments for further evaluation. Selected Takeaways from the 201 2 Community Survey Key observations from the 2012 results include the following as summarized by the RRC team. TheAoverallA“mood”AofAtheA t own is very favorable, measured across a number of questions. The “rightAdirection”AmeasureAisAupAsharply.AtoAaA level that matched the previous high recorded in 2005. The sense of community also showed improvement and the open -ended comments provide indications of the sources of the improvement. Residents like t he fiscal responsibility they feel Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 9 the Town has shown, and they also point to special events as a positive. Events like Farmers Market have reinforced the feeling of community and provided a place to gather and enjoy summer weekends. Additionally, the en d of construction is also applauded (note: this is as of the survey timeframe). Again, the positive statistical results, coupled with many positives expressed in the open -ended comments, suggest a feeling of community support and a positive direction for Vail. Parking continues to be a source of complaint by some but public tolerance for parking seems to have improved based on both the statistical measures and the open -ended comments. It is unclear how much of the difference is attributable to few peak days with Frontage Road parking during the 2011/12 season. Parking is especially identified by those unsatisfied with the general direction of the t own. The Council -identified priorities are generally the right priorities according to a number of respondents. The survey listed the four primary focus areas that Council will be addressing in the future : I mprove economic vitality Grow a balanced community (address the current and desired demographics for the town) Improve the quality of the experience Develop future leadership Open -ended comments on these Goals and Initiatives were generally very positive and supportive. ThereAwasAparticularAsupportAbyAsomeAforAtheAemphasisAonA“leadership ,”AA Additionally, the survey measured priority areas and the single dominant statement was in supportAofA“ ctionsAtoAimproveAVail’sAappealAasAaAwell -rounded community.” Economic planning, budgeting and fiscal caution are also applauded in the comments an d supported in the statistical evaluation. However, the overriding message is that all of the priorities identified by the Council, and tested in the survey, are of relatively high importance to a majority in the community – all received over 55% calling them a 4 or 5 on the five -point scale. While housing has diminished as the dominant issue that it was five or so years ago, it is still an importantAconsideration,AATheAsurveyAaskedAaboutAhousingAforAbothA“middleAincomeAworkers”A andA“serviceAworkers,”AAB oth were identified as important , receiving an identical average rating ofA3,5,AAHowever.AhousingAforAmiddleAincomeAworkersAwasAidentifiedAasAtheA“mostAimportant”A priority for 8% of respondents, compared to 4% identifying service worker housing. Clearly, the results suggest support for broadening housing efforts to include a larger segment of workers in the Town. TheAsurveyAquestionsAthatAevaluateAtheAratingsAofATownAservicesA(theAoverallA“reportAcard”)A represent generally positive evaluations. Further, t he over all community disposition towards services and individual departments as reflected in the comments is mostly positive and constructive. Where changes in ratings from past surveys are evident, for the most part they show improvement. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 10 A REPORT OF SURVEY FINDINGS Vail’sA“SenseAofADirection ,”AARespondentsAwereAaskedAwhetherAtheyAfeltAtheATownAofAVailAisAgoingAinAtheA “rightAdirection”AorAheadingAonAtheA“wrongAtrack,”AAThisAquestionAhasAbeenAusedAasAoneAofAtheAfirstA questions in the community survey for a period dating back to 2003. This year the results are among the most positive ever recorded and they show a sharp reversal from 2010. As shown below, these results are consistently favorable across both versions of the survey, the Random Link and the Open Link responses. Further, w hile y ear -round resident and p art -time resident responses are not identical (part - time are generally a little higher), both segments were very positive as measured by the 2012 version of the survey. Table 3 Would you say that things in the town of Vail are going i n the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track? A Note on How to Read These Tables: Tables like the one below are used throughout this report. They present a summary of su rvey results from two groups of respondents: By version of the survey that was used, and by whether they are year -round, part -time , residents, etc. For this question, results are broken out by those that feel things are going in the “right direction,” on “the wrong track” or t hey “don’t know.” The first column summarizes responses from all participants summed together. Then, each subsequent column represents responses from a particular segment or subgroup of participants. Each column sums to 100 percent. Throughout much of this report the discussion focuses on the Random Link (or Invitation Web/Paper ) version of the s urvey resp onses because this group represents the “random” sample, most comparable to the phone surveys conducted in the past. The columns under “Which of the following best describes you?” include all respondents to the survey not just the Random Link responses. H owever, these columns do not sum to 677 (the overall “n”) because a number of respondents did not answer the question concerning “Which best describes you?” a question placed near the end of the survey. Would you say that things in the town of Vail are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track? Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part - time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Right direction 70% 70% 71% 67% 74% 73% 75% 75% Wrong track 17% 18% 15% 20% 16% 16% Don ’t know 13% 13% 14% 13% 11% 11% 25% 25% n = 677 412 265 338 154 55 10 5 The open -ended comments provide a dditional input concerning the improved ratings of the direction of Vail as measured this year. Generally, comments were quite favorable in a number of categories with particular mention of the conclusion of construction (note: this was as of the survey timeframe). “ llA the construction cranes are gone and the t ownAfeelsAvibrant”AsaidAoneAyear -round resident. There were also a number of f avorableAcommentsAconcerningAtownAmanagementAwithAwordsAlikeA“progressive”AandA Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 11 “fiscallyAsensitive”AusedAinAtheAcomments,AAFurther.AtheAuseAofAconferenceAcenterAfundsAtoA“getAthingsA done”AwasAalsoAmentionedAmultipleAtimes,AA While parking has diminished a s the single most important issue (see later sections of this report), likely in part the result of lower peak skier visits and less powder days that tend to exacerbate parking issues , this problem was still noted by a number of the respondents that feel V ailAisAheadedAinAtheA“wrongA direction .”AA lsoAmentionedAw ere concerns with the Vail Valley Medical Center ’s involvement in redevelopment of the Vail Municipal site, as well as with “highAendAdevelopment,”A For a compl ete list of comments click here: (VIEW COMMENTS ). Some of the favorable and negative comments this year are presented below : Why do you feel the T own of Vail is going in the right direction, or has gotten off on the wrong track? Survey: Email / Resident Type: Year -round / Direction: Right Track All the construction cranes are gone and the town feels v ibrant. All the improvements in Lionshead and around town really give Vail a much needed facelift and people feel good about coming to a place they see continually improving. Business is good, people are here, the highway is crowded. Contin u ed Capital Upgrades C ouncil is spending $$ to upgrade facilities at Ford Park and the golf course C urbed development and well maintained Despite the economic situation, the TOV has thrived. D evelopment seems to be picking up. Essential services continue to be handled with priority to other goals. (capital improvements etc.) Events, maintenance, etc. Finances are in good order, good long term planning Financially secure, taking advantage of opp o rtunities with the medical center. Generally cogni za nt of the national economy and the effects on our local economy but still aware that we need to plan sensitively for the future. G ood job Good leadership from Town Council Growth has continued in the correct direction; however, there is still many improvements we need to look at as a community. I am very pleased with Prop 1 funds being spent to upgrade current facilities: the VNC/golf course, Ford Amphitheatre, and the Dobson Ice are n a. I am also pleased to see upgrades at the library. I believe the town is well managed fiscally, and I feel the leaders have paid attention to the changes in the resort economy and responded appropriately by bringing the right events. I enjoy the activities that the TOV has helped plan. Also, I believe the upkeep of the town, such as the roads, has been done in a satisfactory manner. I feel very lucky to live in Vail. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 12 Why do you feel the T own of Vail is going in the right direction, or has gotten off on the wrong track? Survey: Email / Resident Type: Year -Round / Direction: Wrong Track Instead of focusing on making the experience better, both the Town and Vail Resorts are focusing on 'more' and 'bigger'. It is dangerous to ski Vail mountain and buildings like Solaris and Vail Plaza are too large, out of character and offer no charm. Lost its charm. Big buildings, big bucks, big business, no style. M arketing district is a waste of money Need to keep the town SMALL. That is what is attractive about it. Upgrading buildings is one thing, but don't need the sprawling Denver effect. O ver incentivi z ing projects, selling town land rather than leasing it, not paying enough attention to big environmental issues including carrying capacity (sustainability is more than education and recycling) P arking Parking is just a mess, the whole Ever V ail proposal, seems like moving lot of different directions at one time. Sale of town land without voter approval S elling land to the hospital, l and which is not easy to come by. S pending public funds for the wrong things The 'community' is no longer its residents, but those of us who live in Vail fulltime, regularly conscripted to remind the managers, council and mayor of their fiduciary responsibility to protect our assets, which wrongly seem to be identified as developers, paying guests and c orporations. These are not assets, but paying dividends if we ALWAYS invest in community. The focus has been and is on luring the rich tourist - there is nothing for locals. We need a rec center like Avon or at minimum Singletree Rec Center. The present economic philosophy and end results of said philosophy are out of touch. Sense of Community . Respondents were asked whether they feel the sense of community in the Town of Vail has improved, gotten worse or stayed the same over the past two years. This question has been asked over many years and, as shown below, there is a sharp improvement in the percentage saying Vail has gotten better, up to 18% this year, from a low of 9% in 2010 and similar to the 17% obtained in 2005. The percentageAofAresponsesAsayingAVailAhasA“gottenAworse”A was at 16%, down substantially from the 2010 figure of 26%. This finding is consistent with the results from theA“rightAdirection”Aquestion described above. There is considerable support for the over all efforts of the Town and the open -ended comments further reinforce the positives. Residents are saying things like: Do you have any comments or suggestions regarding the sense of community within the town? Survey: Email / Resident Type: Year -Round / Direction: Worse The response from the town around the support of Red Sandstone was wonderful in regards to the Town Council . . . I believe that schools bring community. They bring children to a community so people leave their houses, hang out in the street and meet their neighbors. Without children, people drive into their garage and never enter their neighborhood. When this question is examined by y ear -round residen ts , p art -time or those employed in the town, there are some differences. Not s urprisingly, part -time residents are especially likely to report they have “noAopinion”A(2 2 percent); this indicates that a significant segment of the part -time residents are not involved in “senseAofAcommunity,”AA Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 13 Interestingly, the responses from the gr oupAthatAisAincludedAinA“other.”AwhichAisAmadeAupAofATownA employees, non -resident business owners and those that are employed in the t own but live elsewhere , the responses were relatively positive with an overall average of 30 % of Open Link respondents say ing the sense of communityAhadA“improved”AandAjustA 1 2 % saying it had “gotten worse.” Table 4 Sense of Community Over the past two years has the sense of community within the town improved, gotten worse or stayed the same? Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year - round resident (11+ months/ year) Part - time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commer - cial property Improved 20% 18% 23% 19% 16% 30% 25% Gotten worse 16% 16% 16% 19% 15% 12% Stayed the same 50% 50% 49% 55% 46% 49% 38% 50% Don ’t know/no opinion 15% 16% 13% 7% 22% 9% 38% 50% A follow -upAquestionAfurtherAprobedAtheAresponsesAonA“senseAofAcommunity”AbyAallowingArespondentsAtoA elaborate. Again, these responses may be obtained by clicking here: (VIEW COMME NTS ). Community Priorities The survey included a set of questions designed to probe community issues and priorities . These were based on topics that the Vail Council ha s identified as important. The wording of the question was as follows: “The Vail Town Council and staff value community input to understand your priorities. For each area listed below, indicate the level of priority you believe is appropriate. (Use a 1 to 5 scale where 1=Not a Priority and 5=High Priority).” As summarized below, all of the topics are considered to have some priority with very few responses in the 1 or 2 category (“notAaApriority”)A on the five -point scale . Overall, at least 54% of respondents considered all categories to be priorities. The four categories that were m ost identified based upon the percentage of respondents giving them a 4 or 5 (“h igh p riority ”) included : Budget and capital management – 86% Economic v itality – 85% Transportation needs – 8 0 % ctionsAtoAimproveAVail’sAappealAasAaAwell -rounded community (a great place to live, work and play) – 80% Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 14 Figure 1. Community Issues : Indicate the level of priority you believe is appropriate (Random Link) Highest Priority . When respondents were asked to select one area from the list that would be thei r “highestApriority ,”AtheA topicA“ ctionsAtoAimproveAVail’sAappealAasAaAwell -rounded community (a great placeAtoAlive.AworkAandAplay)”AwasAselectedAtwiceAasAoftenAasAanyAotherAcategoryA(33%).AcompareAtoA “EconomicAvitality”A(15%).AselectedAnextAmostAoften,AA TheAnotionAofA“aAwell -roundedAcommunity”AseemsA to resonate with a large segment of citizens, both year -round and part -time residents. The topic of housing was addres sed in two separate categories: Focus on housing for middle income workers in vital support roles (e.g. future development of Chamonix property in West Vail) - 8% Focus on housing for service workers (e.g. redevelopment of Timber Ridge) - 4 % The results suggest somewhat greater support for emphasis on middle income workers than service workers at this time. Taken together, these two categories represent 1 2 % placing housing in the upper Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 15 tier of priorities. However, these results are very diff erent from those obtained in 2008 when housing issues were identified in a number of ways as the highest priority of many in Vail. Comparing the results from this question to a similar but not identical question in 2010, there are pronounced differences. Parking was most frequently identified as the top priority at that time with 25% of respondents identifyingAit.AcomparedAtoA11%AcallingAitAtopApriorityAthisAyear,AA“EconomicAvitality”A received similar ratings at 15% this year, 17% in 2010. While parking remains a concern, economic issuesAandAtheAideaAofAVailApursuingAactionsAtoAimproveAVail’sAappealAasAaAwell -rounded community have taken on greater priority at this time. Figure 2. Community Issues : Indicate the level of priority you believe is appropriate (Random Link) Percent responding “High Priority” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 16 A follow -upAquestionAidentifiedAtheAVailATownACouncil’sALongATermAGoalsAandAInitiativesAforA2012AthroughA 2022 : Improve economic vitality Grow a balanced community (address the curre nt and desired demographics for the town) Improve the quality of the experience Develop future leadership The surveyAthenAaskedAforA“commentsAorAsuggestions”Acon cerning these priorities in an open -ended format. A few respondents expressed the opinion tha tA“theseAareAallAimportant,”AATheseA and other comments suggest that th e identified Council priorities are relevant in the minds of residents. Based on the comments, both year -round and p art -time , r esidents seem to understand and generally support these priorities. There were a number of very specific comments and suggestions on priorities that were identified in this question. For a summary of comments click here : (VIEW C OMMENTS). Do you have any specific comments or suggestions for the Council regarding the Long -term Goals and Initiatives for 2012 through 2022? Survey: Email / Resident Type: Year -Round People who retire naturally want to come here. To sustain a communi t y there must be a way to bring people in for services off season. The Steadman Clinic has done a good job of that which creates jobs. Other than that it is a tourist based town. Priority should be a more balanced community P romoting summer & summer events Put in more parking solves 99% of the above Reduce the noise of I -70 The more housing for the 'middle income' workers like myself is a big goal. We are trying to buy a house but even in the current market finding something affordable is tough. T he quality of the experience for whom. . .local resident, part -time local resident, or visitor? The Town should not engage in ownership of 'affordable housing'. That is the responsibility of the private sector, save for the Town utilizing incentives, tax breaks, etc., to encourage the private sector to provide employee housing.. These are all great. Develop Future Leadership should be first! Do you have any specific comments or suggestions for the Council regarding the Long -term Goals and Initiatives for 2012 through 2022? Survey: Open Link / Resident Type: Year -Round  The council needs to address environmental programs. For such a nice community, we are living in the stone age of environmental programs and it is obvious to the average citizen that the town council does not value the environment. The future of Vail falls in the summer for everyone. To build V ail is to build its summers and make it a year round sort of multi set of resorts that prof i t the city as well as the resort. Bringing people to the city for events from all over. Once built, it would promote growth through every bus i ness across E agle C oun ty. The Key word is BALANCED. We have enough hotels and beds in town! Let ’s focus on creating a great community ---- The VVF has cut funds on free music (and quality free music) and other 'LOCAL' based events.....The town should step in and create more free cultural events for locals - this creates a balanced demographic . Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 17 Environmental Issues The survey containedAseveralAquestionsAthatArelateAtoAVail’s environmental policies. As summarized below.AwhileAaboutAhalfAofArespondentsAthinkAtheATown’sAeffortsAaddressingAenvironmentalA issues are “aboutAright.”AmoreArespondentsAbelieveAeffortsAareAmuchAtooAlittleAorAtooAlittleA(1AandA2AonAtheA five -point scale) than believe the efforts are “tooAmuch”A(4AorA5AonAtheAscale),AA Comparing responses in 2012 to 2010, y ear -round residents are significantly more likely to support giving more attention to the threat of wildfire from beetle -killed trees and the en forcement of the dead tree removal ordinance this year than two years ago. However, again, most respondents feel current effortsAareA“aboutAright,”AA For example, 14 percent of y ear -round residents said the threat of wildfire gets too little attention, com pared to 7% in 2010. Similarly, 14% said enforcement of tree removal deserves more attention, compared to 8% in 2010. Figure 3. Rate the amount of emphasis that is being placed on the following e nvironmental c oncerns (All Respondents) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 18 The re sults also provide indications that the opinions of y ear -round and p art -time residents are similar but not identical. In general, y ear -round residents are particularly likely to believe the t own should place more emphasis on dealing with the beetle kill i ssue. Responses are similar on Gore Creek water quality and addressing energy consumption . The survey results permit the constituencies that place greatest priority on these types of actions to be identified and measured . Emphasis on z ero w aste and a p l astic b ag i nitiative were evaluated for the first time in 2012. The survey responses indicate that zero waste is a higher priority as measured by both the Random Link and the Open Link survey respondents. For example, on the Random Link, 60 % of all respondents rated zero wasteAaA“highApriority”A(4AorA5AonAtheA five -point scale). This compares to 44 % rating the plastic bag initiativeAasA“highApriority,”AA It is not abl e that there were about 3 7 % of total Random Link respondents that said the pl asticAbagAinitiativeAwasA“notAaApriority”A(1AonAtheA five -point scale). In other words , on this issue the community is already divided with relatively few in the middle. As summarized below, responses from both the y ear -round and p art -time respondents we re somewhat similar on these questions although y ear -round residents are especially likely to consider both efforts to beAaA“highApriority”A(5AonAtheA five -point scale). Figure 4. Level of priority you would like to see placed on the following (All Respondents) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 19 Events Ratings TheAstrongAmajorityAofArespondentsAsayAeventsAcreateAaApositiveAexperienceAinAVail,AAOnAtheAquestion.A“InA general.AhowAwouldAyouAdescribeAtheAexperienceAthatAeventsAcreateAforAyouAandAyourAguests?”AaboutA 85% of both perm anent and part -time residents rate the experience positively, a 4 or 5 on a five -point scale. The survey asked a follow -up open -ended question on events and the comments were numerous. Generally, they offered support for events but there are a number of specific suggestions that can be taken into account as events are evaluated. As with many of t he topics addressed in the survey, there are conflicting opinions with some saying the events are out of balance and others saying they represent “theArightAmix,”AA (VIEW COMMENTS ) Do you have any comments on your response concerning events? Survey: Email / Resident Type:Part -Time / Response: 5 -Positive I would like to see events kept family oriented and minimal expense for participants. I'm tired of smelling pot at EVERY event that I bring my family to. I don't have a problem with people using marijuana, but I don't think that the police should look the other way when 1/6 to 1/4 of the attendees at an event are smoking pot AT THE EVENT. Keep up the efforts! Let them continue if economically viable. Love the summer concerts Love them. The town and Vail Resorts do a fantastic job. More evening concerts on the weekend at the Ford Amphitheater for people in their mid 30s+ These are KEY differentiators for Va il and personally one of the reasons I chose Vail as a place to purchase a residence. There is so much to do and such diversity of activities. They are fun and world class at the same time. Wonderful! To achieve the goal is to make Vail attractive to a wide range of people. Vail events are great, really give a reason to come up to the mountains. Vibrant, energetic, q u ality. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 20 Similarly.AaboutA80%AofArespondentsAbelieveAtheA“economicAimpact”AofA t own -wide events is positive (50% “veryA positive”AandA3 8% a 4 on the five -point scale). As shown, about 3 % of y ear -round and no p art - time residents rate the economic impacts of events negatively. Figure 5. What do you believe is the town -wide economic impact of events in Vail? (All Respondents) A series of additional questions examined other aspects of events. While most respondents feel that VailAhasA“aboutAtheArightAnumberAofAevents”A(81%).A12%AfeelAthereAareA“tooAfew”AandA 8 % (8% y ear -round and 4% p art -time) say there are too m any. Clearly, there is broad support for the overall approach to events in Vail at this time. More specific questions considered event quality, access, parking availability and Frontage Road express bus access during summer events. In general, residents are satisfied, particular lyAwithA“eventAquality”A where 83 % rated their satisfaction a 4 orA5A(“veryAsatisfied”). As shown below, there is room for improvement in access to events, particularly parking. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 21 Figure 6. Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of town -wide events (All Respondents) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 22 The survey also asked respondents to identify their three favorite events in Vail. Not surprisingly, the large events dominate in the totals. Overall, the most identified events included in rank order : Bravo, Fourth of July, Teva Games, Farmers Market and Taste of Vail. Many of the smaller events have strong supportAasA“topAthreeAfavorites”AandAevenAifAtheyAareAnotAasAprominentAasAtheAmostAidentifiedAevents.A they are still important to segments of the p art -time and y ear -round res idents. However, there is support for a wide variety of different events, a strong indication of the appeal of having a number of different events over the year. Table 5 What is your favorite event in Vail ? Responses Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival 1 5.0% Teva Games 14.1% Fourth of July 7.6% Concerts at Ford Amphitheater 6.5% Vail Farmers Market 6.5% Taste of Vail 6.3% Ski Season 4.0% Vail International Dance Festival 3.6% Street Beat Concerts 3.2% Concert Series 2.9% Spring Back to Vail 2.9% Free Concert Series 2.3% Birds of Prey World Cup Race 2.1% Holidaze 2.1% Oktoberfest 1.9% Hot Summer Nights 1.5% Vail Film Festival 1.5% Jazz Festival 1.3% Pro Challenge Bike Race 1.3% Other Events Mentioned 13.5% There were a large number of comments regarding events. While most are positive, there are some suggestions for specific areas of improvement in events that should be noted. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Taxes and Fees The survey asked about satisfaction with taxes and fees as they relate to services that are provided by the Town. Most respondents (61% Random Link and 54% Open Link) are satisfied with the current level of taxes and services. This compares to 56% on the Random Link survey in 201 0 . Additionally, 10 % of respondentsAinA2012AindicatedA“IAamAwillingAtoApayAmoreAtaxesAtoAgetAmoreAservices ” compared to 6% in 201 0 . And 6 % said they are willing to accept service reductions for lower taxes, down from 10% in 2010. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 23 Taken together, these responses provide additional documentation that the overall support and confidence in Town of Vail programs is positive at this time. The survey asked specifically about services people would be willi ng to pay more to obtain. There were a large number of suggestions but no single program or service stood out as lacking. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Comparing responses on this question betw een y ear -round residents and p art -time residents, y ear - round residents are about equally likely to say they pay too much (16% compared to 17% of p art -time residents). However, it is notable that the percentage of p art -time residents that say they are payi ng “tooAmuch”AhasAgoneAdownAfromA24%AinA2010AtoA17%AinA2012,AAThisAisAindicativeAofAtheAmoreApositiveA sentiment of this segment of respondents identifiedAinAthisAyear’sAsurvey . The p art -time residents are particularly likely to mention the completion of c onstruction and the overall favorable economic direction of Vail in their comments ; results suggest that these feelings have translated into fewer p art - time respondents saying they are paying too much. Figure 7. Which statement describes your op inion about the relationship between taxes/fees and the services that are provided by the town ? (All Respondents) Parking Issues Parking Pass/Value Card Ratings . About 2 4% of respondents this year indicated that they own a Parking Pass or Value Card , down slightly from the reported 26% in 2010. Of those that have passes the most identified is the Value Card, held by 68 %, and the Blue Pass ( 2 0 %). These results are very si milar to those measured in 20 10 and 2007 . Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 24 Respondents were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their Parking Pass or Value Card on a scaleAofA“1 -NotAatAallASatisfied”AtoA“5 -VeryASatisfied,”AATheAmeanAratingAthisAyearAwasA 3.7, up from 3.4 in 2010 and from 3.3 in 2007 and 3.0 in 2005. However, as in the past, the responses varied significantly by type of pass owned. Results indicate the following average ratings for the different passes in rank order of satisfaction: Table 6 Please rate your satisfaction with your parking pass 2012 2010 Gold Pass 5 .0 4.7 Blue Pass 4.3 4.1 Green Pass 3.7 3.7 Pink Pass 4.5 3.6 Value Pass 3.5 2.9 Preferred Parking Locations . The survey asked respondents where they prefer to park for shopping, work and skiing, and why . About half of all respondents favor the Village Structure for shopping (69%), followed by Lionshead (14%). ForAworkAmostApeopleAciteA“other”A(52%)AandAitAisAusuallyAprivateAparkingA that they report using. For skiing, the Village is preferred by 35%, compared to 23% favoring Lionshead a nd about 3% mentioning Cascade. Together, the North Frontage Road, Donovan Park accounted for onlyA3%,AA“Other”AareasAwereAmentionedAbyA37%AofArespondents:AtheseAusuallyAwereAprivateAspaces, Various aspects of parking ratings were evaluated. The format of these questions was unchanged from 2010 and the results may be compared . As shown below, parking fees are the most negatively rated aspect of parking services by y ear -round and p art -time residents alike. Also, it should be noted that parking during summer events was identified as a relative problem. While summer parking av ailability is the most positively rated item , these ratings have been trending downward in recent surveys. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 25 Table 7 Please rate your satisfaction with parking services Satisfaction with Public Parking Services Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year - round resident (11+ months/ year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Overall parking fees/pricing structure 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 21% 20% 22% 21% 19% 20% 14% 25% 2 26% 27% 24% 25% 26% 30% 29% 25% 3 26% 26% 27% 25% 24% 32% 43% 25% 4 17% 17% 17% 18% 22% 7% 14% 5 VERY SATISFIED 10% 10% 11% 11% 9% 11% 25% Average 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.8 Booth attendant courtesy 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 2% 2% 2% 2 6% 7% 6% 6% 3% 7% 14% 25% 3 23% 22% 25% 23% 21% 28% 29% 25% 4 35% 39% 27% 34% 39% 28% 57% 5 VERY SATISFIED 35% 31% 40% 35% 35% 37% 50% Average 3.9 3.9 4 3.9 4 4 3.4 3.8 Parking structure cleanliness 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 3% 2% 3% 2% 4% 2 12% 12% 14% 13% 12% 7% 13% 3 27% 30% 22% 28% 23% 29% 38% 4 36% 34% 39% 33% 40% 40% 25% 75% 5 VERY SATISFIED 22% 21% 23% 22% 23% 20% 25% 25% Average 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 4.3 Parking availability during winter periods 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 12% 11% 13% 15% 8% 7% 2 19% 22% 13% 16% 24% 9% 40% 25% 3 26% 25% 29% 25% 31% 28% 4 28% 27% 29% 27% 28% 33% 60% 25% 5 VERY SATISFIED 15% 14% 16% 16% 9% 23% 50% Average 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.2 4 Parking availability during summer periods 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 2% 1% 2 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 10% 3 15% 17% 12% 16% 13% 12% 4 30% 30% 29% 25% 37% 34% 63% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 49% 47% 52% 52% 44% 44% 38% 50% Average 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.4 4.5 Parking availability during Ford Park events 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 10% 10% 9% 11% 6% 8% 14% 2 18% 20% 14% 15% 19% 27% 14% 3 32% 30% 36% 32% 38% 22% 50% 4 24% 24% 24% 23% 25% 24% 57% 5 VERY SATISFIED 16% 16% 17% 18% 12% 19% 14% 50% Average 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.4 4 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 26 Figure 8. Please rate your satisfaction with public parking services in Vail (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 27 Any comments on your satisfaction with public parking services in Vail? Survey: Email / Resident Type: Year -Round Build some more parking! Charge year round Clean and wash and paint the parking structures more frequently. Concern: 1. High parking fees discourage skier -visits and decrease overall TOV revenue. 2. High parking fees actually decrease the Town's revenue. Politicians: 'Don't be so selfish, Town -centered, and gr eedy!' Costs too high for all day events I refuse to pay for parking! I usually use the structures off season and off hours. I know everyone complains about parking fees, but they should see the fees people pay in metro areas. They should also understand that some of our high -end guests now pay for parking in the glitzy hotels in which they stay If Ford park parking is full, notify drivers before they reach entrance to Vail Village parking structure. If we have more parking, we have less open space. The pricing is high - but it does drive people to use alternative transport. If you are a Vail resident you should get a discount on parking when you exit by showing your ID because sometimes you have to park in the structure and $25 is really steep. To view all comments click here: (VIEW COMMENTS ) RATINGS OF SATISFACT ION —DEPARTMENTS Community Development The Community Development Department was used by 2 1 % of respondents, down slightly from the 2 3% reported in 20 10 and 26% in 20 07. As summarized in the graphs below, the ratings of Community Development are based on that segment of the community that has used the services of the department. Ratings have sh own som e decline s from 2010 but gains over years prior to 2010. In general.AaboutAhalfAtheArespondentsArateAtheAdepartmentAaA4AorA5A(“Satisfied”AorA“VeryASatisfied”). As in past survey s , the b uilding p ermit review process remains a relative source of wea kness. In a new question.AtheA“TimelinessAofAresponseA(toAtelephoneAcalls.Ainspections.Aquestion/inquiries.AplanAreview.A etc,”AwasAasked,AAResultsAshowAaboutA49%ArateAserviceAaA4 or 5 and 24% call it a 1 or 2. Similar to past years, the p art -time residents that used the services of Community Development tended to be slightly to significantly more negative toward the services. This finding may merit some attention in that only a small proportion of p art -time residents typically use the ser vices but this is an area of relative negativity toward the Town. The open -ended comments provide additional insights on the ratings. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 28 Figure 9. Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the Community Development Department (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 29 Table 8 Please rate your satisfaction with Community Development Department Community Development Department Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Availability of information (e g , public records) 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 5% 5% 5% 4% 13% 2 5% 8% 4% 4% 3 34% 36% 32% 40% 26% 17% 50% 4 29% 28% 31% 24% 35% 50% 100% 5 VERY SATISFIED 26% 23% 31% 28% 22% 33% 50% Average 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.5 4.2 4 4 Overall service and efficiency 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 8% 8% 8% 7% 19% 2 15% 15% 14% 15% 19% 3 20% 26% 10% 24% 7% 14% 4 30% 28% 34% 25% 37% 43% 100% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 27% 23% 34% 29% 19% 43% 50% Average 3.5 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.2 4.3 4 4.5 Timeliness of response (to telephone calls, inspections, questions/inquiries, plan review, etc ) 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 7% 9% 5% 8% 4% 2 16% 15% 17% 18% 8% 14% 3 22% 26% 16% 21% 36% 50% 4 24% 24% 23% 21% 20% 43% 100% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 31% 26% 38% 33% 32% 43% Average 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.7 4.1 4 3.5 Building permit review and inspections 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 12% 15% 5% 7% 33% 2 19% 14% 28% 24% 14% 3 21% 32% 3% 22% 19% 25% 4 23% 23% 23% 18% 24% 50% 100% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 25% 16% 40% 29% 10% 25% 50% Average 3.3 3.1 3.6 3.4 2.6 4 4 4.5 Courtesy and attitude/helpfulness 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 7% 10% 2% 5% 16% 2 4% 10% 4% 14% 3 26% 32% 16% 26% 28% 100% 50% 4 25% 26% 22% 22% 28% 43% 5 VERY SATISFIED 38% 31% 49% 42% 28% 43% 50% Average 3.8 3.7 4.1 3.9 3.5 4.1 3 4 Knowledge/ ability to answer questions 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 2% 2% 1% 8% 2 7% 5% 10% 7% 8% 3 26% 31% 17% 26% 32% 17% 4 34% 35% 33% 33% 24% 50% 100% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 31% 26% 38% 33% 28% 33% 50% Average 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.6 4.2 4 4.5 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 30 Public Works Ratings for Public Works remained high this year, ranging from an average of 4.5 for “snowAremoval”A andA4,4AforA“cleanliness of the pedestrian villages .” to 4.0 for “appearance and condition of T own -owned buildings ,” At least 7 3 % of r espondents rated each Public Works service a 4 or 5 - “VeryASatisfied.”AupA from 71 % in 20 10 and 63% in 20 07. The average rating for snow removal was up 0 .1 point with the percent of Random Link respondents rating snow removal very satisfactory (a 4 or 5) at 90 % - up slightly from 2010 (86%). Again this year th e lowest -rated aspect of Public Works was “appearanceAofATown - ownedAbuildings:”Ath e lowest rated category in 2007, as well. The high ratings of all aspects of public works delivery remain notable , with little evidence of dissatisfaction in any aspect of these operations. Figure 10. Rate your satisfaction with Public Works services in the Town of Vail (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 31 Table 9 Please rate your satisfaction with Public Works Public Works Services Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Snow removal on roads 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 0% 1% 0% 0% 2 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 3 8% 9% 8% 9% 7% 7% 25% 4 31% 29% 34% 32% 26% 31% 71% 25% 5 VERY SATISFIED 59% 60% 58% 58% 65% 62% 29% 50% Average 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.3 4.3 Road and s treet maintenance by the Town of Vail (potholes, sweeping, drainage, etc ) 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 2% 2% 3% 0% 2% 2 4% 4% 3% 6% 1% 3 16% 15% 16% 17% 15% 5% 13% 4 42% 43% 40% 39% 44% 55% 75% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 37% 36% 38% 36% 40% 39% 13% 50% Average 4.1 4.1 4.1 4 4.2 4.3 4 4.5 Overall pa rk maintenance 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 2 2% 1% 2% 3% 3 11% 12% 8% 12% 10% 7% 25% 4 38% 40% 35% 36% 41% 42% 71% 5 VERY SATISFIED 49% 46% 53% 49% 49% 51% 29% 75% Average 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 Appearance and condition of Town -owned buildings 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 2 5% 4% 6% 6% 3% 2% 3 22% 22% 21% 26% 16% 18% 13% 4 41% 44% 36% 38% 45% 48% 50% 75% 5 VERY SATISFIED 31% 29% 35% 29% 35% 32% 38% 25% Average 4 4 4 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.3 Friendliness and courteous attitude of Public Works employees 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 0% 2% 1% 1% 2 2% 2% 1% 2% 2% 3 18% 19% 16% 17% 20% 17% 20% 25% 4 32% 36% 27% 31% 37% 26% 60% 25% 5 VERY SATISFIED 47% 43% 54% 49% 40% 57% 20% 50% Average 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.1 4.4 4 4.3 Cleanliness of pedestrian villages 2 2% 0% 4% 3% 2% 3 9% 10% 6% 10% 6% 7% 4 35% 37% 32% 33% 35% 38% 63% 25% 5 VERY SATISFIED 55% 52% 58% 54% 59% 53% 38% 75% Average 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.8 Cleanlines s of public restrooms 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 2 3% 3% 4% 3% 4% 5% 3 16% 18% 12% 19% 14% 10% 4 40% 41% 39% 39% 40% 33% 63% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 40% 37% 45% 38% 42% 50% 38% 33% Average 4.1 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.4 4.3 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 32 Bus Servi ce Respondents remain largely satisfied with Town of Vail bus service, with over 8 4% of respondents rating dependability o f bus service, frequency of in -t own shuttle, driver courtesy and cleanliness of buses a 4 or 5 – “VeryASatisfied,”AACrowdingAonAbuses is a relative area of weakness with only 5 2 % saying they are “very/somewhatAsatisfied.”A up slightly from 47% in 2010. The late night bus service of the t own is rated better than the ECO Regional Transit (5 5 % satisfied compared to 3 2 %), but these both remain areas of relative weakness. Figure 11. Please rate your satisfaction with bus service (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 33 As illustrated in the past, t he neighborhood location of the survey respondent within Vail is closely associated with the ratings of local buses. Shown below, there is a wide spread in average ratings by neighborhood (that is, the distance between the highest and lowest points on the vertical axis). For example, crowding on the buses is not identified as a problem from respondents that live in the Booth Creek area , where the ratings of satisfaction are high; the ratings are lowest , or least satisfactory, from Intermountain residents , and there are significant differences of opinion indicated by the wide range of responses. In contrast, the f requency of i n -t own s huttles is rated high by all respondents and there is relative agreement (a nar row spread) on this question. Figure 12. Please rate your satisfaction with bus service By Neighborhood (All Respondents) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 34 Table 1 0 Please rate your satisfaction with bus service Satisfaction with Bus Service Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Frequency of in -town shuttle 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 2% 2% 0% 2 2% 3% 1% 2% 1% 2% 3 11% 12% 9% 12% 9% 14% 13% 4 31% 30% 32% 32% 29% 33% 38% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 55% 55% 55% 53% 60% 50% 50% 50% Average 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.3 4.4 4.5 Frequency of outlying service 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 2% 4% 3% 4% 4% 2 9% 10% 7% 9% 7% 8% 3 21% 23% 19% 19% 23% 32% 33% 4 31% 32% 30% 32% 30% 28% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 35% 32% 40% 37% 35% 28% 100% Average 3.9 3.8 4 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 5 Bus driver courtesy 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 2% 2 3% 3% 2% 4% 1% 3 11% 12% 8% 13% 9% 5% 4 33% 32% 34% 34% 29% 37% 50% 33% 5 VERY SATISFIED 53% 52% 54% 48% 60% 56% 50% 67% Average 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.7 Dependabil ity of bus service 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 0% 0% 1% 1% 2 2% 2% 3% 2% 2% 2% 3 11% 12% 9% 12% 8% 12% 25% 4 29% 29% 29% 30% 29% 20% 25% 33% 5 VERY SATISFIED 57% 57% 59% 55% 60% 66% 50% 67% Average 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.3 4.7 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 35 Table 10 (cont.) Please rate your satisfaction with bus service Satisfaction with Bus Service Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Cleanliness of buses 2 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 3 11% 11% 12% 14% 6% 12% 13% 4 35% 38% 29% 33% 40% 33% 25% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 51% 48% 56% 50% 52% 53% 63% 50% Average 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5 Level of crowding on buses 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 5% 5% 6% 6% 6% 2 12% 14% 9% 11% 17% 10% 3 29% 29% 28% 30% 29% 27% 25% 4 36% 37% 36% 36% 32% 46% 38% 100% 5 VERY SATISFIED 18% 15% 22% 18% 16% 17% 38% Average 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.7 4.1 4 Late night bus service - Town of Vail 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 4% 5% 3% 5% 3% 2 11% 12% 10% 15% 6% 6% 3 28% 28% 28% 27% 29% 44% 4 28% 30% 25% 29% 27% 25% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 28% 25% 34% 24% 35% 25% 33% 100% Average 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.7 4.3 5 Late night bus service - ECO Regional Transit 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 16% 14% 19% 22% 3% 17% 2 15% 21% 7% 15% 16% 17% 3 34% 33% 35% 32% 40% 39% 4 15% 12% 19% 16% 10% 17% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 21% 21% 20% 16% 31% 11% 50% 100% Average 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.5 2.9 4.5 5 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 36 Fire Services About 15 percent of respondents indicated that they had used fire services within the past 12 months, identical to 2010 and down from the 22 percent reported in 2007. As in the past, ratings of fire services are based on th e relatively small part of the community that used services. Fire services continue to be rated relatively high compared to most other departments and services provided by the Town. Courtesy and helpfulness and r esponse times are rated especially favorab ly (about 90% 4 or 5). As shown below, p lan check times and f ire safety awareness receive relatively lower ratings but overall responses are favorable. The f ire safety, awareness and education ratings are pulled down slightly by a large segment that rate s these services a 3 (38%) and not by a large number calling these services a 1 or 2. There were no 1 ratings and 8% of responses were a 2. The open -ended comments concerning the Fire Department are found by clicking here. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Figure 13. Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of Fire Services in the Town of Vail (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 37 Table 11 Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of Fire Services in the T own of Vail Public Safety Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year - round resident (11+ months/ year) Part -time resident Employed in the town of Vail but don't live there Non - resident owner of business/ commerci al property Response times to basic medical emergencies and fires 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 3% 3% 3 7% 9% 9% 4 31% 31% 35% 31% 11% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 59% 58% 65% 56% 89% 50% Average 4.5 4.4 4.7 4.4 4.9 4.5 . Courtesy and helpfulness of firefighters and fire prevention staff 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 2% 2% 2 1% 1% 6% 3 5% 7% 7% 4 22% 21% 25% 24% 6% 33% 5 VERY SATISFIED 70% 68% 75% 67% 88% 67% 100% Average 4.6 4.5 4.8 4.5 4.8 4.7 5 Timely plan -check and fire inspection systems on remodeled or new construction 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 4% 7% 4% 10% 2 4% 2% 7% 4% 10% 3 15% 19% 7% 16% 10% 100% 4 28% 31% 22% 36% 10% 17% 5 VERY SATISFIED 49% 41% 63% 40% 60% 83% Average 4.1 4 4.4 4 4 4.8 3 Fire safety, awareness and education programs provided 2 5% 8% 4% 25% 3 25% 38% 27% 40% 4 31% 27% 41% 38% 10% 100% 5 VERY SATISFIED 38% 27% 59% 31% 50% 75% Average 4 3.7 4.6 4 4.1 4.3 4 Police Services Police service ratings were similar to 2010 and mostly up from 2007 and 2005. In the categories of feeling of safety and security (with 8 5 % “very/somewhatAsatisfied”)AandAqualityAofAserviceA(78 %), the strong majority of Vail residents are satisfied with the police services they are receiving. Ratings remain similar in 2012 for the t hree new questions that were added in 2010 to explore new as pects of policing services. As illustrated on the graph below, managing parking and traffic control issues is a source of relative dissatisfaction with 64% satisfied , but this is up from 58 % in 2010. Appropriate presence of police on foot/vehicle patrol and crime prevention also received relatively lower marks , but this category was also up with 7 2 % satisfaction ratings . Open -ended comments provide some additional insight into the police ratings. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 38 Figure 14. Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of Police Services in the T own of Vail (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 3 9 Table 12 Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of Police Services in the T own of Vail Police Services Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year - round resident (11+ months/ year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Overall feeling of safety and security 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 0% 0% 1% 1% 2 2% 1% 4% 3% 0% 5% 3 12% 13% 9% 14% 9% 9% 33% 4 32% 33% 30% 31% 35% 27% 71% 33% 5 VERY SATISFIED 54% 53% 56% 51% 55% 59% 29% 33% Average 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.4 4.3 4 Appropriate presence of police on foot/vehicle patrol 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 3% 4% 4% 2% 5% 2 5% 6% 4% 6% 4% 5% 3 20% 20% 20% 23% 16% 19% 13% 4 33% 33% 34% 32% 38% 33% 50% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 39% 39% 38% 36% 41% 38% 38% 33% Average 4 4 4 3.9 4.1 4 4.3 4.3 Friendliness and approachability of Vail police department employees 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 2% 4% 3% 1% 5% 2 7% 7% 8% 10% 3% 7% 3 15% 16% 14% 14% 17% 17% 25% 33% 4 28% 28% 30% 27% 32% 32% 25% 33% 5 VERY SATISFIED 46% 47% 45% 46% 48% 39% 50% 33% Average 4.1 4.1 4 4 4.2 3.9 4.3 4 Overall quality of service 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 3% 3% 3% 1% 7% 2 3% 2% 4% 4% 1% 2% 3 16% 17% 15% 18% 18% 10% 4 36% 34% 40% 36% 33% 40% 50% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 42% 44% 39% 39% 47% 40% 50% 33% Average 4.1 4.1 4.1 4 4.3 4 4.5 4.3 Crime prevention 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 3% 3% 2% 4% 3% 2 6% 5% 9% 8% 3% 3% 3 20% 22% 15% 20% 22% 15% 17% 100% 4 34% 32% 38% 31% 36% 48% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 37% 38% 36% 37% 39% 33% 17% Average 4 4 4 3.9 4.1 4.1 4 3 Managing parking and traffic control issues 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 7% 6% 7% 9% 3% 5% 2 9% 9% 10% 11% 8% 7% 3 21% 21% 22% 22% 22% 17% 29% 4 34% 35% 32% 30% 41% 32% 43% 67% 5 VERY SATISFIED 29% 29% 29% 27% 27% 39% 29% 33% Average 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.9 4 4.3 Visibility of police foot/vehicle patrol 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 4% 4% 5% 5% 3% 5% 2 8% 7% 10% 9% 7% 5% 3 22% 25% 18% 22% 24% 19% 13% 50% 4 32% 31% 33% 31% 31% 36% 50% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 33% 33% 34% 32% 35% 36% 38% Average 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.3 3.5 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 40 Library Library ratings were generally positive and comparable to past years. About 6 3 % of respondents report holding a library card . Differences are evident in card -holding among y ear -round residents (71%) and p art -time residents (52%). WhileAmostArespondentsAreportAthatAitAisAtheA“materialsA(includingAbooks.A magazines.AaudioACD’sAandADVD’s)”AthatAbringAthemAtoAtheA l ibrary (90%), the technology including computers (15%) and wireless access (10%) are also import ant,AAChildren’sAhourA(11%)AandAprogramsAforA adults/families (9%) are also rated as important by about one in 10 respondents . T he friendliness of staff is rated particularly well this year , at an all -time high of 87%. The Library Collection, a primary reason for using the Vail Library, was rated favorably at 80%, unchanged from 2010. Databases (a new question in 2010 ) showed significant decline (to 6 8 % satisfied down from 8 0 % in 2010), and several other areas of evaluation also deserve attention becaus e of apparent declines in ratings (summer reading program, the website and the story hour). The open -ended comments provide additional insight on the l ibrary, with specific praise, criticism and suggestions for improvements. AfirstAquestionAasked.A“Wh at do you like best about your experiences at the library ?”AAThisAquestionAyieldedAmanyAfavorableAcomments,AATheAstaffAcanAuseAthisAinputAtoAidentifyA the attributes and services that are most valued by constituents, both y ear -round and p art -time. (VIEW COMMENTS ) Additionally, the survey asked about other comments. This question yielded some specific insights , including the lack of knowledge of some aspects of the library such as t heAnewA“app,”AA (VIEW COMMENTS ) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 41 Figure 15. Please rate your satisfaction with the following at the library (Random Link) Percent responding “Very Satisfied ” (4 or 5) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 42 Table 13 Please rate your satisfaction with the following at the librar y Satisfaction with Library Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Library collection (including magazines, books, audio and visual media) 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 0% 1% 1% 2% 2 1% 2% 1% 2% 3 16% 18% 12% 15% 17% 17% 100% 4 39% 41% 36% 43% 32% 25% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 43% 39% 50% 41% 46% 58% 50% Average 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.4 4.5 3 Library St ory Hour 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 2 2% 1% 4% 2% 11% 3 23% 26% 19% 28% 22% 4 30% 33% 25% 29% 29% 22% 33% 100% 5 VERY SATISFIED 44% 38% 52% 39% 49% 67% 67% Average 4.1 4.1 4.3 4 4.3 4.4 4.7 4 Summer Rea ding Program 2 2% 2% 3% 3% 3 31% 31% 31% 32% 31% 33% 4 35% 37% 32% 37% 31% 33% 100% 5 VERY SATISFIED 32% 30% 35% 28% 38% 33% 100% Average 4 3.9 4 3.9 4.1 4 4 5 Databases 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 2 1% 1% 1% 3 28% 30% 25% 30% 25% 15% 100% 4 36% 35% 37% 36% 37% 38% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 35% 32% 38% 32% 38% 46% 50% Average 4 4 4.1 4 4.1 4.3 4.5 3 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 43 Table 1 3 (cont.) Satisfaction with Library Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year -round resident (11+ months/year) Part -time resident Employed in the town of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Friendliness/ courtesy of library staff 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 1% 4% 3% 4% 2 3% 2% 4% 3% 1% 11% 3 9% 10% 8% 10% 11% 4 25% 27% 23% 27% 22% 19% 33% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 60% 60% 61% 56% 66% 67% 67% 50% Average 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.5 4.3 4.7 4.5 Library news releases 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 2% 1% 2% 2% 2 2% 3% 1% 3% 3 26% 28% 24% 27% 26% 25% 50% 4 36% 38% 34% 35% 38% 60% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 34% 31% 39% 33% 36% 40% 25% 50% Average 4 3.9 4 3.9 4.1 4.4 4 4 Library website 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2 1% 1% 1% 3 31% 33% 27% 34% 26% 23% 17% 4 33% 33% 33% 31% 31% 54% 50% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 35% 34% 37% 34% 41% 23% 33% 50% Average 4 4 4 4 4.1 4 4.2 4.5 Library mobile app 1 NOT AT ALL SATISFIED 1% 2% 2% 2 5% 4% 7% 4% 25% 100% 3 51% 53% 48% 54% 61% 25% 4 20% 18% 25% 20% 9% 50% 50% 5 VERY SATISFIED 22% 23% 20% 20% 30% 50% Average 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.3 4.5 2 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 44 SOURCES OF LOCAL INF ORMATION Respondents were once again asked a bout how they receive information about the Town. Newspapers were highest rated with 84% citing this source. Online sources were also important (54%), followed by television (23%) and radio (9 %). As summarized below, the differences in sources of information between y ear -round and p art -time residents are evident. While both groups are generally similar, y ear -round residents are especially likely to cite the newspaper, whil e p art -time residents are especially apt to identify online sources and television,AAClearly.AtheseAresultsAhaveAimplicationsAforAVail’sAmediaAstrategies,A Table 1 4 How do you typically receive information about the Town of Vail that may be of interest to you? (Random Link Respondents) 2012 Newspaper 84% Online 54 Television 23 Other 11 Radio 9 When the information sources used are viewed by resident type, the findings are as follows: Table 15 How do you typically receive information about the Town of Vail that may be of interest to you? (Overall Sample – Year -Round vs. Part -Time Residents) Year -Round Part -Time Newspaper 87% 79% Online 56 65 Television 20 29 Other 11 13 Radio 10 7 The data show that there are differences in use of media sources by age group. Newspaper and television use increase with age and social media use decreases with age. Table 16 How do you typically receive information about the Town of Vail that may be of interest to you? (Overall Sample – By Age Group) 18 -34 35 -44 45 -54 55 -64 65 or older Newspaper 77% 82% 81% 84% 92% Online 72 59 63 59 50 Television 11 18 20 25 27 Other 10 7 14 9 5 Radio 10 7 14 9 5 Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 45 boutAoneAinAfiveArespondentsAsayAtheyAsubscribeAtoA“e -services”AprovidedAbyAtheATown,AAThisAfigureAisA higher among y ear -round residents (28%) than p art -time (20%). Notably, about 250 survey respondents indicatedAtheyAwantedAtoAbeAaddedAtoAtheATown’sAemai l list, a side benefit of the survey process. Satisfaction levels with the e -services are high – 82% are satisfied, 4 or 5 on the five -point scale. The survey suggests that citizens, and especially p art -time residents, are especially likely to be subscri bing to news releases and special event information (60% or more). These e -services are an especially good way to reach the entire community , both year -round and part -time. Another question concerning communications evaluated cell phone service in the To wn. About one in four (2 5 %) of Random Link respondents report poor service (1 or 2 on the five -point scale). About half are in the positiv e category (4 or 5) with 24 % rating service a 5 . The reported ratings of phone access a re generally similar between y ear -round and p art -time residents. Virtually all respondents (99%) i ndicated they have a cell phone. Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 46 The ratings of cell phone service vary significantly by part of Town as shown by the graph below. Relative problems are most evident in the three areas shown on the left side of the graph: Booth Falls and Bald Mountain Road areas; Buffehr Creek, Lionsridge, and the Valley ; and Vail Village. Figure 16. How would you rate cell phone service at your residence or business in town? (All Respondents) There were a number of comments on cell phone service issues. In general, they reflect considerable frustration among residents, both y ear -round and p art -time alike. The service from AT&T was called out specifically in a number of the comments and there were numerous requests to attend to this problem. The comments may be found by clicking here. (VIEW COMMENTS ) 22% 18% 27% 0% 13%11%12%13% 10%9% 0% 5% 2% 17% 26% 13% 0% 16% 11% 12% 5%9% 7% 35% 7% 7% 2.82 2.90 2.98 3.00 3.16 3.22 3.38 3.41 3.44 3.46 3.55 3.86 3.92 2 3 4 5 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Bu f f e h r C r e e k , L i o n s r i d g e , t h e V a l l e y Bo o t h F a l l s a n d B a l d M o u n t a i n R o a d a r e a s Va i l V i l l a g e Bo o t h C r e e k / A s p e n L a n e Ea s t V a i l Va i l C o m m o n s / S a f e w a y a r e a Ot h e r Ma t t e r h o r n , G l e n L y o n We s t V a i l ( n o r t h o f I 7 0 ) Li o n s h e a d Go l f C o u r s e Po t a t o P a t c h , S a n d s t o n e In t e r m o u n t a i n Percent Responding "2" Percent Responding "1" Average Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 47 THE IMPACTS OF I -70 The survey contained a new question designed to gather some feedback on the impacts of I -70 and some preferences in terms of alternative actions. The question included some background information, followed by a specific set of actions. The wording was as follows: As you may be aw are, a “big idea” has been periodically suggested that would attempt to address the impacts of I -70 as it passes through Vail. Recognizing that this idea has received no serious study to date and that any efforts to deal with the impacts will take many ye ars, and would likely involve major costs (including the potential for a property tax increase), please provide some initial input to local decision makers. To eliminate or reduce traffic noise from I -70, which of the following long -term solutions do you suppor t for exploratory consideration? (Check all that apply) Extensive sound wa lls to contain Interstate noise Covering portions of I -70 (also known as “cut and cover” solution) A combination o f sound walls and covering I -70 Relocating I -70 in a tunnel , removing it altogether from the community Live with the condition, increas ing enforcement of speed limits No opinion The survey found that most r espondents had an opinion (92%) about the choices for dealing with I -70 . Interestingly, the responses from y ear -round and p art -time residents and on the Random Link and Open LinkAversionsAofAtheAsurveyAwereAsimilar,AATheAmostAidentifiedAactionAwasA“LiveAwithAtheAcondition.A increasing enforcement of speed limits ” (38%). There is little consensus on which other specific solutions should be pursued, with all of the choices receiving support of between 20 and 30% on the multiple choice question. The diversity of opinions on this topic suggests that for any particular action to emerge as a priority with broad suppo rt, considerable additional study will be needed. This conclusion is further borne out by the open -ended comments . (VIEW COMMENTS ) Town of Vail Community Survey 2012 RRC Associates 48 Figure 17. To eliminate or reduce traffic noi se from I -70, which of the following long -term solutions do you support for exploratory consideration? (All Respondents) Table 17 I -70 Solutions To eliminate or reduce traffic noise from I -70, which of the following longer -term solutions do you support for exploratory consideration? Total All Sources Survey Version Which of the following best describes you? Random Link Open Link Year - round resident (11+ months/ year) Part - time resident Employed in the T own of Vail but don't live there Get mail in the town but don't live or work there Non - resident owner of business/ commercial property Live with the cond i tion, increasing enforcement of speed limits 37% 38% 37% 36% 40% 40% 25% 50% A combination of sound walls and covering I -70 29% 30% 29% 30% 32% 21% 38% 25% Covering portions of I -70 (also known as cut and cover solution) 28% 28% 27% 29% 25% 30% 38% Extensive sound walls to contain Interstate noise 23% 21% 27% 24% 27% 19% Relocating I -70 in a tunnel, removing it altogether from the community 23% 27% 18% 25% 25% 12% 13% No opinion 8% 8% 10% 8% 7% 12% 13% 25% 1 Community Survey 2012 SUMMARY OF RESULTS: RANDOM LINK First, a few questions about the general state of Vail… 1. Would you say that things in the town of Vail are going in the right direction, or have th ey pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track? 2012 (n=412) 2010 (n=521) 2007 (n=397) 2005 (n=404) 70% 58% 58% 70% Right direction 18 28 30 19 Wrong track 13 14 12 10 Don’t know In a few words, why do you feel that way?_____________________________________________________________________ (Please attach an additional sheet of paper with your comments if needed on any survey question.) 2. Over the past two years h as the sense of community within the town impr oved, gotten worse or stayed the same? 2012 (n=411) 2010 (n=369) 2007 (n=400) 2005 (n=404) 18% 9% 14% 17% Improved 16 26 36 21 Gotten worse 50 54 45 53 Stayed the same 16 11 5 8 Don’t know/no opinion Do you have any comments or suggestions on your response?_____________________________________________________ 2 COMMUNITY ISSUES 3. The Vail Town Council and staff value co mmunity input to help unders tand your priorities. For each area listed below, indicate the level of priority you beli eve is appropriate. (Use a 1 to 5 scale wh ere 1=Not a Priority, 3=Somewhat, 5=High Priority.) The Vail Town Council’s Long-Term Goals and Initiati ves for 2012 through 2022 focus on four primary areas: • Improve economic vitality • Grow a balanced community (address the cu rrent and desired demographics for the town) • Improve the quality of the experience • Develop future leadership Do you have any specific comments or s uggestions for the Council regarding these goals? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3 EVENTS Vail has developed a wide variety of events in all seasons that have become part of our community culture. Our events now include concerts, festivals, athl etic events and other activities. 4. In general, how would you describe the experience that events in Vail create for you and your guests? VERY VERY NEGATIVE NEUTRAL POSITIVE mean n 2 2 12 27 57 4.4 379 Do you have any comments on y our response concerning events? _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What are your three favorite events in Vail? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 6. Please rate your satisfaction with th e following aspects of town-wide events. Quantity of events – are there: 12% Too few events 81 About the right number 8 Too many events n=353 NOT AT ALL VERY SATISFIED SATISFIED mean n The overall quality of events in Vail 1% 3 13 46 36 4.1 355 Ease of access to event venues (Ford Park Fields, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail Village, Lionshead, Dobson Arena) 4 11 25 34 26 3.7 364 Parking availability during special events 12 24 33 21 11 3.0 349 Frontage Road express bus to transport event-goers between Lionshead, Vail Village and Ford Park in the summer 6 7 26 29 32 3.7 283 How do you typically access events in Vail? 30% Public transportation 26 Walking or cycling 44 Driving n=366 Do you have any further comments on event s in Vail?_____________________________________________________ 7. What do you believe is the town-wid e economic impact of events in Vail? VERY VERY NEGATIVE NEUTRAL POSITIVE mean n 0% 2 9 38 50 4.4 352 FEES AND TAXES 8. Which statement below best describes your opinion about the relationship between taxes/fees and the services that are provided by the Town of Vail? 61% I am satisfied with the current level of taxes and services 10 I am willing to pay more taxes to get more services 15 I feel that I pay too much for the services I receive 6 I am willing to accept service reductions if it means lower taxes 8 I have no opinion n=371 (If satisfied or willing to pay more) Are there specific types of services, programs or amenities you would like to see expanded or improved?____________________________ ____________________________________ 4 THE ENVIRONMENT 9. Please rate the amount of emphasis that is being placed on the following in Vail. (Use a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means “Much Too Little Emphasis” and 5 means “Far Too Much Emphasis.”) MUCH TOO ABOUT FAR TOO LITTLE RIGHT MUCH mean n Overall attention to the threat of wildfire from beetle-killed trees through forest management such as cutting and removing trees, and forest regeneration 15% 27 54 3 1 2.5 330 Enforcement of the dead tree removal ordinance to address the beetle infestation 17 26 51 4 1 2.4 304 Addressing energy consumption 5 25 53 8 8 2.9 300 Gore Creek water quality 11 27 55 6 1 2.6 286 10. Please indicate the level of priority you would like to see placed on the following: NOT A HIGH PRIORITY NEUTRAL PRIORITY mean n Emphasis on “zero waste” (composting/recycling, etc.) at community events 12% 10 21 29 29 3.5 357 A plastic bag initiative to ban the bags in grocery stores (restrictions would apply at 2 grocery stores and shoppers could bring their own bags and/or would have an option to purchase a paper bag for 20 cents) 37 9 17 16 21 2.8 362 Any comments on your res ponses to Ques tions 9 and 10?______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ TOWN SERVICES The Community Development Department provides planning, design review, envi ronmental programs, and building and restaurant inspection services. 11. Have you used the services of the Community D evelopment Department within the past 12 months? 21% Yes 79 No (GO TO Q. 14) n=360 12. (IF YES) How did you access their services? (Check all that apply) n=76 23% Website 43 Telephone 62 Walk in to office 19 Attend a meeting 12 Other:______________________________________ 5 13. Please rate your satisfaction with the followi ng aspects of the Community Development Department. Any comments on your response?_____________________________________________________________________ 6 The Public Works Department provides ma intenance of public areas including parks, buildings, roads and village areas. 14. Rate your satisfaction with Public Works services in the Town of Vail: Any comments on your response?____________________________________________________________________ 7 Public Safety 15. Have you utilized Vail Fire for any service, inspect ion or emergency within the past 12 months? n=354 15% Yes 85 No (GO TO Q. 17) 16. Please rate your satisfaction with the followi ng aspects of Fire Services in the town of Vail. Any comments on your response?_____________________________________________________________________ 8 17. Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of Police Services in the town of Vail. Any comments on your response?______________________________________________________________________ 9 Parking and Bus Service 18. When you visit Vail Village/Lionshead, what is y our first choice for parking for the following purposes? (Check one only for each, as applicable) FOR SHOPPING FOR WORK FOR SKIING I PREFER I PREFER I PREFER Lionshead Parking Structure 14% 18% 23% Vail Village Parking Structure 69 28 35 Cascade Area 1 3 North Frontage Road in West Vail (Safeway area) 4 2 2 Donovan Park 1 1 Other: ______________________ 12 52 37 n=341 258 320 19. Why do you prefer that location to enter the mountain for skiing ? n=325 3% Variety of shops and restaurants 9 Overall experience 13 Ski lockers 20 Shorter walking distance 28 Gets to parts of the mountain I prefer to ski 28 Other: _________________________ 20. Do you own a parking pass or value card this season? 76% No (GO TO Q. 22) 24 Yes: 4% Gold pass 20 Blue pass 4 Green pass 4 Pink pass 68 Value card 21. How satisfied are you with the benefits of your pass this year? NOT AT ALL VERY SATISFIED SATISFIED mean n= 5% 8 29 25 33 3.7 80 Any comments on your response?______________________________________________________________________ 10 22. Please rate your satisfaction wi th public parking services in Vail. Any comments on your response?_______________________________________________________________________ 23. How many times per month do you use TOV bus service? 15.3 times per month in winter, n=330 7.7 times in summer, n=309 Are there any specific concerns or consider ations that reduce your use of bus services? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 24. Please rate your satisfaction with bus service. Any comments on your response?________________________________________________________________ Library Services The Vail Public Library offers access to info rmation resources of many types to serve the needs of Vail's guests, residents, businesses and schools. 25. Do you hold a library card in the Town of Vail? n=356 63% Yes 37 No 26. What typically brings you to the library? (Check the two most important categories) n=257 90% Materials (books, magazines, audio CDs, DVDs) 15 Computers 10 Wireless access 11 Children’s story hours/programs 9 Programs for adults/families 27. How frequently do you use the library? 2.5 times per month, n=304 12 28. What do you like best about y our experiences at the lib rary?___________________________________________________ 29. Please rate your satisfaction with the following: Any comments on your response?___________________________________________________________________________ 13 SOURCES OF LOCAL INFORMATION 30. How do you receive information about the Town of Vail that may be of interest to you? (Check all that apply) n=348 54% Online 84 Newspaper 9 Radio 23 Television 11 Other 31. Do you subscribe to e-services pr ovided by the Town of Vail? n=61 81% No (GO TO Q. 33) 19 Yes (which ones?) 62% Special event info 63 News releases 23 Sales tax info 26 Library updates 17 Art in Public Places 29 Community Development Department updates 33 Meeting agendas 10 Twitter 5 Other__________________________________________ 32. How satisfied are you with the e-ser vices provided by the Town of Vail? NOT AT ALL VERY SATISFIED SATISFIED mean n 2% 2 14 40 42 4.2 61 33. As you may be aware, a “big idea” has been periodically suggested that woul d attempt to address the impacts of I-70 as it passes through Vail. Recognizing that th is idea has received no serious study to date and that any efforts to deal with the impacts will take many years, a nd would likely involve major costs (inc luding the potential for a property tax increase), please provide some initial input to local decision makers. To eliminate or reduce traffic noise from I-70, which of th e following long-term solutions do you support for exploratory consideration? (Check all that apply) n=349 21% Extensive sound walls to contain Interstate noise 28 Covering portions of I-70 (also known as “cut and cover” solution) 30 A combination of sound walls and covering I-70 27 Relocating I-70 in a tunnel, removing it altogether from the community 38 Live with the condition, increas ing enforcement of speed limits 8 No opinion Do you have any additional co mments on this topic? __________________________________________________________ Please provide the following demographic in formation. Remember that all res ponses remain strictly confidential and are reported only in group format. 34. What is the ZIP code of y our primary r esidence? _________________________________ 35. Which of the following best describes you? n=354 53% Year-round resident (11+ months/year) 37 Part-time resident (what is t he ZIP Code of your primary residence? ___________________) 6 Employed in the town of Vail but don’t live there 2 Get mail in the town but don’t live or work there 1 Non-resident owner of business/commercial property 14 36. Which of the following best descr ibes your employment status? n=355 41% Work 8 months or more a year in the local area (Vail Valley) 6 Work 7 or fewer months a year in the local area (Vail Valley) 22 Currently employed outside of the local area (work on Front Range, out of state, etc.) 21 Not employed: retired 1 Not employed: unemployed and/or looking for work 3 Not employed: homemaker 6 Other:____________________________________________________ 37. Is your residence (either year-round or seasonal) within the town of Vail? n=354 82% Yes 18 No If yes, where? n=289 25% East Vail 2 Booth Falls and Bald Mountain Road areas Booth Creek/Aspen Lane 3 Golf Course 8 Vail Village 6 Lionshead 14 Potato Patch, Sandstone 6 Buffehr Creek, Lionsridge, the Valley 2 Vail Commons/Safeway area 17 West Vail (north of I-70) 4 Matterhorn, Glen Lyon 8 Intermountain Not a resident of the town of Vail 5 Other______________________________ 38. Do you own or rent your residence? n=346 87% Own 12 Rent 1 Other (s pecify)_________________________________________ 39. How would you rate cell phone service at your residence or business in town? POOR AVERAGE EXCELLENT mean n 13% 12 29 21 23 3.3 343 OR 1% Service not available Don’t have a cell phone Any comments on your response?__________________________________________________________________________ 40. How long have you lived within the town of Vail (or owned property if a non-resident)? n=280 3% Less than 1 year 13 1-5 years 25 6-15 years 52 More than 15 years 8 Not applicable 41. (IF RESIDENT) Do you own or operate a business within the town of Vail? 16% Yes 84 No n=280 42. Are you a registered voter in Vail? 51% Yes 49 No n=338 43. Which of these categories best describes your household status? n=352 19% Single, no children 24 Couple, no children 24 Household with children living at home 32 Empty-nester, children no longer at home 44. Are you: n=347 52% Male 48 Female 45. In what year were you born? Average age=55.6, n=330 THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR CONTINUING EVALUATION PROGRAM. If you would like to receive updates and information fr om the Town of Vail, please in clude your email address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________