Elgin residents like city's direction but see weak spots

Elgin residents who were surveyed this year say they are happy with the city and the direction it's headed.

But they also say they have some concerns about safety, street maintenance and loud stereos, according to a report released this week.

"It is clear that Elgin residents are proud of their city and see it as an increasingly desirable place to live," the report says. "At the same time, the research has clearly identified some areas where additional improvements can be made."

The report was compiled from the responses of 514 residents surveyed in January by Idaho-based Northwest Research Group.

Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said Elgin is a good place to live -- roughly the same score as the city received on its 2002 survey.

Eighty-one percent said the city's reputation has improved during the past five years. And 93 percent said they are pleased with the direction the city is heading -- up from 67 percent in 2002, city officials said.

"I think that's really, really significant," city spokeswoman Sue Olafson said. "We're very excited. We have some issues we clearly need to work through. But I think we can."

Yet residents in Elgin's central and eastern areas tended to give the city lower marks than those living out west.

And residents throughout the city said Elgin has serious problems with crime, gangs, street maintenance and snow removal.

For instance, 73 percent of those surveyed said the city is a safer community than it was five years ago, but only 43 percent gave the city a good rating on violent crime.

"This is contrary to the reported improvement in crime statistics," Olafson said. "But that is their perception. That's enormously important for us."

The city's police, fire, parks and garbage collection all received favorable scores, with more than three-quarters of those surveyed approving of the city services.

But only 48 percent of respondents said the city was good at street repair and maintenance. And only 54 percent approved of the city's snow removal service.

"We expected that," Olafson said of the low marks. "We knew there were issues, mistakes made. But we're starting to address it."

Elgin City Council members plan to discuss the survey results at 6 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.