“This is an amazing vote of confidence for our team at City Hall because it comes from our customers," said Mayor Robert J. Duffy. "We are grateful for the recognition, and I am pleased that the overall results of our survey are positive. But our customers also feel we need to improve in certain areas. We intend to keep working hard to make Rochester the best place in the nation to live, work and raise a family.”
The Mayor also noted that public safety, the City’s most important priority, weighed heavily on people’s minds. Nearly half of respondents indicated that they do not feel safe and that is a huge concern for the mayor and his administration. “People did have concerns about public safety and that is disheartening,” said Mayor Duffy. “But, by a nine-to-one margin, they overwhelmingly support the City’s efforts to curb violence by continuing to invest resources in public safety. People told us loud and clear that ‘Zero Tolerance’ should be a top priority. I hear them and will do everything in my power to make our community one where everybody can feel safe and be safe on any street in any neighborhood.”
Mayor Duffy and his team commissioned the study, contracting with the Rochester Research Group, to measure customer satisfaction levels in a wide variety of areas. The in-depth, scientifically valid survey gave the people the City serves a chance to offer their input about a range of issues, from their quality of life to City services and programs. The survey was an unusual move for a municipality, because the questions were posed with no realistic expectation as to the outcome and knowing that all data would be released publicly. The City will use this valuable input to focus on areas for improvement and make important budget decisions. In the coming year, the City will convene focus groups and track the results.
Some highlights of the survey include:
We asked what people thought about a number of City initiatives, including:
• 71% think re-opening Durand Beach was a good or great idea
• 94% think Clean Sweep is a good or great idea
• 86% think demolition of the city’s vacant and abandoned homes is a good or great idea
On public safety in particular, they said:
• 89% think Zero Tolerance is a good or great idea
• 77% say it should be a high priority
• 85% think hiring more police is a good or great idea
Compared to two years ago:
• 70% of residents say our city is looking cleaner
• 60% say we are better off
• 47% say they feel less safe
Our customers graded us on a number of services, including:
• Fire Department: A-
• Trash Pick-up and Recycling: B+
• Festivals: B
• Restaurants and Entertainment: B
• Parks and Recreation: B-
• Neighborhood Empowerment Teams (NET): B-
• Public Transportation: B-
• Parking: C+
• Noise: C+
• The condition and repair of the City’s streets: C+
Some other interesting findings:
• We asked people whether they had contacted City Hall over the last year. 22% (or 1 in 5) had. Asked how they would grade their service, respondents gave us a B.
• 75% of respondents said they don’t care who provides their water
• 75% think it’s very important that the City be an environmental leader
• 87% say we are paying enough attention to recreation
A summary of the City’s CSI Survey results can be obtained from the Communications Bureau by calling 428-7135 or by visiting the City’s website, cityofrochester.gov.
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