Schaumburg sees praise, areas for improvement in survey results
Schaumburg officials are reviewing the results of the village's recent National Citizen Survey, focusing both on areas where residents have noted room for improvement and those in which Schaumburg is excelling based on nationwide comparisons.
"We have a lot to be proud of," Village Manager Brian Townsend told trustees at Tuesday's committee-of-the-whole meeting. "We're never done. There's always things we can do to improve the community and make things better."
The survey was sent to 1,600 randomly selected households last fall to provide statistically significant numbers with which Schaumburg can compare itself to municipalities across the country, Townsend said.
This is the third time the village has conducted the survey at two-year intervals.
Among the respondents, 93 percent rated the village an excellent or good place to live, while 91 percent said they would recommend Schaumburg to others and gave it positive ratings for its overall image, appearance and quality of life.
Schaumburg ranked second among the survey's 289 comparison communities for its shopping opportunities. Its economy scored 87 percent for quality of businesses and services and as a place to work; 86 percent on its overall health; 83 percent on its availability of quality affordable food; and 81 percent on the vibrancy of its commercial area.
Among services not provided by the village, the public library scored 96 percent; kindergarten through high school education 93 percent; health and wellness 84 percent; and recreational opportunities 80 percent.
Ninety-five percent of respondents said they feel safe in their neighborhood, while 90 percent feel safe in the Woodfield area. Overall, 95 percent feel safe with the village's fire services, while ambulance service received a score of 94 percent and fire prevention 89 percent.
Asked what they'd like to change about Schaumburg, 27 percent said taxes and affordability; 15 percent said roads and transportation infrastructure; 13 percent said quality and speed of new development; 10 percent said the overall appearance of the village, as well as traffic patterns, and 8 percent said village leadership or boundaries.
In tracking improvements in resident satisfaction with village services from 2014 to 2018, traffic signal timing went from 59 percent to 67 percent, snow removal from 64 percent to 73 percent, bus/transit services from 52 percent to 67 percent, garbage collection from 83 percent to 90 percent and street repair from 48 percent to 55 percent.
A few trustees commented that they found the resident feedback positive.
"I think it's great news," Trustee Mark Madej said. "The numbers are tremendous. Great work!"