The City of Medicine Hat will conduct a survey with residents this month to gauge satisfaction levels with city services, to be compared with results of feedback from two years ago.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
The city will take the temperature of Hatters on how city services are performing in a second community satisfaction survey this month.
Results of the telephone and online poll done in May will be judged against similar questions put to the community two years ago, and which showed Hatters are generally satisfied with municipal operations.
In 2022, about 95 per cent of Hatters said the quality of life in Medicine Hat was very good or good, but only one in 10 said life had improved over the recent past. It outlined the economy, social problems and utility costs as concerns.
Parks and garbage collection rated highly on a satisfaction metric (both scored 96 per cent), ahead of communications (76 per cent), traffic (73 per cent) and transit (67 per cent).
Those results create a base against which current results will be evaluated, administrators told council’s corporate services committee last month.
The new phone survey will be conducted by Ipsos from May 6-26. Any resident wishing to take part can fill out a similar online survey starting May 8.
The phone survey will also require a spread of 35 per cent landlines and 65 per cent cellphones.
General topics include quality of life, local issues, importance of and satisfaction with city services, communications and customer service, as well as council, administration and municipal operations.
The survey will also query respondents about their view of value for taxes, and balancing taxation and service levels.
Mingle at Towne Square
City officials are planning to hold a “Municipal Mingle” in two weeks to provide an open house event for residents to learn more about city projects and priorities.
The early evening event is set to take place May 15 from 4-7 p.m. at Towne Square on First Street downtown.
The event follows a similar open house held at the Esplanade, with officials from major city departments on hand to discuss projects and field questions.
“We are excited to host another community engagement event at a new venue with the addition of local food trucks,” said Colleen Graham, the city’s communications manager.
Specific topics will include work on the Community Well-Being Plan, the utility department’s food waste collection pilot program and water conservation in light of expected drought.
More information can be found at shapeyourcity.medicinehat.ca.
