By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

July 18, 2017

An annual citizen’s satisfaction survey presented to City Council on Thursday, July 13 shows a mixed perception of several key City services.

A total of 4,399 surveys were completed by Kansas City, Missouri households, good enough for a roughly 1.5% margin of error.

“Our 9,000 sample size is massively larger than almost every other City that we’re talking to,” said Kate Bender, a Deputy Performance Officer in the City Manager’s Office. “A margin of error of 5% is what you’ll find on most national polls.”

Police, solid waste pick-up and airport services saw significant decreases from the 2015-2016 survey results. Police services satisfaction dropped from 48% to 43% satisfied in the category of “visibility of police in neighborhoods,” and from 45% to 39% in “efforts to prevent crime.” Every Council district saw a decrease, with the 2nd District (7%), 5th District (8%) and 6th District (7%) seeing the most notable drop-offs.

Trash collection satisfaction dropped from 80% in 2016 to 69% in 2017, while satisfaction with airport concessions fell from 45% in 2015-2016 to 40% in 2016-2017.

On the positive side, KCMO residents reported an increase in satisfaction when it came to Kansas City’s public transportation system. In 2016, residents were 39% satisfied and 24% dissatisfied with the city’s transportation services. In 2017, though, public transportation satisfaction increased to 44%, while dissatisfaction fell to 21%. One bright spot was the KC Streetcar line: between May 1, 2016 and May 1, 2017, 34% of those surveyed said that they had ridden the streetcar.

Residents also reported a 2% satisfaction bump in each of the following three categories: animal shelter operations, enforcement of animal code, and customer service from animal control. Kansas City voters approved $14 million in General Obligation Bond funds in April 2017 that will help the City construct a brand-new 60,000 square-foot animal shelter in Swope Park.

Neighborhood Services was another bright spot for Kansas City residents, as those surveyed reported an increase in satisfaction in the boarding up (+2.1%) and demolition (+2.6%) of vacant structures. Between 2005 and 2016-2017, residents have reported a 9.5% increase in satisfaction with the clean-up of trash and debris on vacant properties, an 8.4% increase in satisfaction with the mowing and cutting of weeds on private property, and a 5.5% increase in satisfaction with the exterior maintenance of residential properties.

The City took proactive steps to address Kansas City’s vacant structures last summer, when it set aside $10 million for a two-year dangerous buildings demolition project. Since June of 2016, when the program began, more than 280 structures have been demolished.