(BLOOMINGTON) – Early next month, the City of Bloomington will ask residents to participate in the 2019 Bloomington Community Survey. This is the second community-wide, scientific survey of Bloomington residents, and is again being administered by National Research Center, Inc. (NRC).
Like the first survey, conducted in 2017, this survey will gauge residents’ perceptions of the quality and value of City services and current conditions in the community. Against the baseline established in 2017, the new results will provide data for use in comparison with peer cities, help inform decision-making, and help identify relevant shifts in public perceptions of city services and conditions.
The Bloomington Community Survey will be the subject of a Town Hall discussion streaming live on Facebook today (January 23) at noon. Community members are invited to follow the conversation with Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton, Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen, and Director of Public Engagement Mary Catherine Carmichael at https://www.facebook.com/cityofbloomington/, where viewers may submit questions to the group.
“A scientific city survey is a uniquely reliable way of gathering public input,” said Hamilton. “This randomized approach is valuable because it gives voice to residents across the spectrum of our community, seeking to be as inclusive as possible regardless of political viewpoint, economic status, or other attributes. Having this periodic check-in on our residents’ views helps more closely align government decisions with residents’ needs.”
During the first week of February, a random and scientific sample of 3,000 households will be mailed invitations to participate in the survey. Their confidential responses will be weighted, analyzed, and published on the city’s open data portal B-Clear. Residents who do not participate in the randomized study have the option of completing the survey online. The results of residents who opt in will be collected, analyzed and published in a separate data set.
The 2017 survey captured the responses of 595 households from a similar representative sample of 3,000 randomly selected residents. An additional 1,435 residents completed an opt-in survey online. The results of the 2017 report are available at https://bloomington.in.gov/communitysurvey or by request at City Hall. The 2019 survey results will be presented in a public meeting this spring and will reside alongside 2017 results as a full report and on the City’s open data portal B-Clear.
NRC is survey research and evaluation firm focusing on the information requirements of the public sector, including local governments, non-profit agencies, and foundations.
