CCMIN 10192021 - Laserfiche WebLink

satisfaction levels compared to 2017, but many categories have decreased substantially since 2017, led by water quality and D.A.R.E. Mr. Bellow reported the top response as the most important thing the city can do to improve services was improve accessibility, responsiveness, and communication at 16%. Mr. Bellows summarized the survey results stating residents overwhelmingly like living in Pleasanton, although the positivity is slightly less intense than in the past which is consistent with other Bay Area cities. He reported crime is growing as a concern yet 96% of residents reported feeling safe. Housing costs are a top-of-mind concern while overdevelopment, traffic, and other growth-related concerns have diminished as a concern from 2017. He reported the water issues as areas to note. The City got good marks for its pandemic response and positive community interactions. Mayor Brown opened the public hearing. Rameshu Immadi appreciated the information for analysis and noted the Indian American population participation in the survey felt having a cricket field is important. He supports a cricket field in Pleasanton. Mayor Brown closed the public hearing. Councilmember Testa stated the responses about water reinforce the work they have been doing to improve water quality infrastructure. She noted the pandemic improved traffic but added it will likely become a higher concern again. The lack of growth and development over the past few years is reflected in the survey results but noted the new Housing Cycle will bring an extreme level of growth and development. She expressed people do not see how well the City does on budget management in part because they do such a great job. She was pleased to see the need for a crisis response team rated highly. In response to Councilmember Testa, Mr. Bellow clarified random digit dial survey pool method is now ineffective due to residents who either do not have a Pleasanton-based phone number or do not answer their phones. They now use an address-based methodology with a list matched against public and commercially-available data to find phone numbers and email addresses. He advised census data is used to set quotas for variables like gender, age, and ethnicity noting they are indifferent to the names of the respondents and only focus on addresses and demographics. Only one completed survey per person regardless of the number of contact points. In response to Councilmember Balch, Mr. Bellow reported the timing of the survey around a recall election does not influence the results. He noted the last few surveys were done a little earlier in the year but the City has other priorities, such as the pandemic, which is part of what pushed it to be a bit later in the year than usual. Councilmember Balch advised the survey is a reflection upon the dedication of staff and its leadership team. He noted staff is addressing resident needs and this is reflected in the results. He advised the responses show how the City stepped up during the pandemic. He noted crime, especially catalytic converter theft, is a known concern. He expressed pride the City recently addressed the water issues with the well rehabilitation and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) project. He advised the City has a high bar for the quality of life the results show they are meeting and noted it is an honor and pleasure to live in Pleasanton. Councilmember Arkin expressed pleasure with the high levels of satisfaction in the responses. She advised this is just one data point as they make policy decisions, citing the pandemic impacting the satisfaction levels for both parks and traffic as an example. She noted the items that resonated with her included preserving open space, protecting the environment, an emphasis on water quality, a crisis City Council Minutes Page 5 of 14 October 19,2021