Elgin wants to know what residents think

The city of Elgin plans to conduct a survey of a small but statistically accurate sample of 500 residents to get detailed feedback about the services it provides.

The cost of the $25,750 survey will be split equally between the city and the Elgin Community Network, a group that is mostly funded by the city. ECN offered to contribute some of its funds because the survey will provide much needed data for neighborhood initiatives, City Manager Sean Stegall said.

The survey, to be conducted by Kansas-based ETC Institute, will be "scientific in every sense of the word," Stegall said, ensuring it will represent viewpoints from all cross-sections of Elgin residents.

Such surveys should be conducted every three to five years, but Elgin last did so in 2007, Stegall said.

A split city council vote put the stop to a survey that would have cost nearly $40,000 in 2013. This time, Councilman John Prigge cast the only dissenting vote at the committee of the whole meeting Wednesday night.

Several council members pointed out they often hear only from a small minority of residents who take the extra step of reaching out to them. The city has an estimated 110,000 residents.

"Our job is to make sure this is the best city it can be and we need feedback to do that," Councilwoman Carol Rauschenberger said. "Sometimes the squeaky wheel is what influences us."

The survey is critical for setting benchmarks and moving forward, Councilwoman Tish Powell said. "We have to own up to our strengths and our weaknesses, because that is how we improve," she said.

"When we give residents the opportunity to reach out to us (and) not pressure by a phone call, not pressured by face-to-face and they get the time to respond, I think we get the true feelings of residents," Councilwoman Rose Martinez said.

The survey questions will be developed by city staff and members of the city's strategic plan advisory commission; the Enhancing Elgin committee will test a draft of the survey, which will be up to six pages and take about 15 minutes.

Households selected for the survey will get a 30-second phone message, followed by a mailed survey with a postage-paid return envelope and a letter in English and Spanish explaining the survey can also be taken online. There will be follow-up calls to ensure responses, which will remain anonymous.

"I am going to support this to see how it goes," said Councilman Terry Gavin, who last time was among the "no" votes.

Elgin Director of Communications Kristine Rogowski said the survey will be followed by a nonscientific, supplemental survey open to all residents and administered by city staff members. The goal of the second survey will be to delve into any topics that might need additional clarification, she said.

The process should be completed by late October or early November so the results can be incorporated into 2016 budget planning, she said.

ETC has worked on residents' surveys in more than 200 cities in 38 states, including Aurora, Naperville, San Antonio and San Francisco.