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OFFICIAL 2019 SURVEY OF MILLCREEK CITY RESIDENTS CITIZENS SURVEY MILLCREEK ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 1. Overall, Millcreek residents report a high quality of life, approve of current elected officials, and believe the city is headed in the right direction. 2. Residents of Millcreek consider the city safe and family friendly. Residents also appreciate the City’s location and proximity to downtown Salt Lake and the mountains. 3. Respondents rank surface maintenance of city streets and roads as the city service most in need of improvement. 4. 2/3 of respondents believe Millcreek should prioritize new city improvement projects rather than maintain the city’s current state. Over half of respondents believe Millcreek is growing at an appropriate pace. 5. The activities Millcreek residents participate in most frequently–both in and outside of the city–are shopping and eating out in restaurants. 6. ¾ of residents support the current City Center Master Plan. Residents are particularly supportive of the City’s plan to incorporate citizen input throughout the project. 7. Support for the plan is highest among residents who have lived in Millcreek for 5 years or less. FINDINGS TO REMEMBER ---PAGE BREAK--- SURVEY METHODOLOGY SAMPLING, MODE, & MARGIN OF ERROR § 633 residents within the boundaries of Millcreek City participated in this survey. Residents were randomly selected to participate via email and address-based sampling. § Data have been weighted to reflect population statistics from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey to ensure that the sample is representative of the City as a whole, specifically in regards to age, race, gender, and home ownership. § Self-administered online interviews via emailed and mailed invitations conducted July 10-August 4, 2019. § Margin of error +-3.8 percentage points ---PAGE BREAK--- GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Respondents are relatively evenly distributed across council districts. With the exception of District 1, all districts have more than 150 respondents. Each of the four districts have sufficient representation from which to make statistical estimations. ---PAGE BREAK--- HEALTH OF THE CITY QUALITY OF LIFE, DIRECTION, & PERCEPTIONS ---PAGE BREAK--- AVERAGE QUALITY OF LIFE IS HIGH More than half of residents rate their overall quality of life in the City above 75 on a 0-100 scale. Q All things considered, on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being very low and 100 being very high, how would you rate your overall quality of life in Millcreek? Average: 79 ---PAGE BREAK--- MILLCREEK: A SAFE AND QUIET COMMUNITY The most common word used to describe Millcreek is “home.” In addition, Millcreek is often thought of as safe, peaceful, quiet, nice, clean. Q What one word or phrase comes to your mind when you think of Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- MILLCREEK HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Nearly 90% of Millcreek residents believe the city is headed in the right direction. Q Overall, would you say the City of Millcreek is headed in the right direction or the wrong direction? ---PAGE BREAK--- SATISFACTION HIGH ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS Consistent across all districts, the vast majority of Millcreek residents believe Millcreek is headed in the right direction. District 2 has the highest percentage of residents who believe the city may be headed in the wrong direction . However, this only applies to 15% of the population. Q Overall, would you say the City of Millcreek is headed in the right direction or the wrong direction? ---PAGE BREAK--- APPROVAL HIGH FOR LOCAL OFFICIALS Q Do you approve or disapprove of how the Millcreek Mayor and City Council are handling their jobs? The vast majority of Millcreek residents report approving of the the way the current mayor and City Council are handling their jobs. Only 11% disapprove. ---PAGE BREAK--- APPROVAL HIGH ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS Consistent across all districts, the majority of Millcreek residents report approving of the the way the current mayor and City Council are handling their jobs. Approval for elected officials is highest in District 3, where 21% of residents strongly approve of their elected officials. Q Do you approve or disapprove of how the Millcreek Mayor and City Council are handling their jobs? ---PAGE BREAK--- MAJORITY WOULD RECOMMEND MILLCREEK 92% of respondents say they are at least somewhat likely to recommend Millcreek to friends and family, the majority of which claim they are very likely. By comparison, less than 10% report being unlikely to recommend Millcreek. Q How likely are you to recommend the City of Millcreek to friends and family as a good place to live? ---PAGE BREAK--- GOOD VALUE FOR TAX DOLLAR A majority of respondents rate the service they receive for their tax dollar as good. Less than 10% of respondents rate the service as poor. Q In general, how do you rate the service you receive from Millcreek for your tax dollar? ---PAGE BREAK--- GOOD VALUE FOR TAXES IN ALL DISTRICTS Across all districts, the majority of respondents rate the service they receive for their tax dollar as good or excellent. Residents of District 2 are more likely to rate their tax dollar value as only “fair” or “poor” than are residents from other districts. Q In general, how do you rate the service you receive from Millcreek for your tax dollar? ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS LOVE MILLCREEK'S LOCATION When asked to identify the aspect they like most about living in Millcreek, residents often cite the city’s location and proximity to downtown Salt Lake and to the mountains. In addition, residents enjoy Millcreek’s friendly atmosphere. Q What do you like most about living in Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- MILLCREEK: SAFE AND FAMILY FRIENDLY A majority of respondents agree with each of the positive statements regarding life in Millcreek. Almost half of Millcreek residents strongly agree that Millcreek is a great place to raise a family. By contrast, less than 1/5 strongly agree that Millcreek provides all of the services and businesses that they want, indicating some room for improvement in these areas. Q To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- MILLCREEK BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT A majority of residents in each of the four districts agree that Millcreek provides all of the businesses that they want. However, less than 1/5 in each of the districts strongly agree with this statement. Residents of District 1 are most likely to report being satisfied with the businesses available in the city, while residents of District 2 are the least likely. Q To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about Millcreek? – Millcreek has all the kinds of businesses I want it to have ---PAGE BREAK--- MILLCREEK CITY SERVICE RATINGS Millcreek residents express the most satisfaction with services such as fire and emergency services, garbage collection, and culinary water. By contrast, residents are least satisfied with city maintenance including street lighting, sidewalk and road maintenance. In addition, residents report low satisfaction scores for city code enforcement and zoning services. Q Millcreek provides several services to its residents. Some are provided directly by the city, and some are provided by districts or agencies that the city works with. Please rate each of the following services using a 0 to 100 scale with 0 meaning you are completely dissatisfied and 100 meaning you are completely satisfied. If you are unfamiliar with a service, select Not applicable. Average Rating ---PAGE BREAK--- 3:1 RESIDENTS SAY THE CITY IS IMPROVING 38% of respondents report that Millcreek is at least somewhat better today than it was prior to its incorporation with Salt Lake. An almost equal proportion believe that it is “about the same,” while only 12% believe it is worse. 15% have not been in Millcreek long enough to have an opinion. Q Millcreek residents voted to incorporate in 2015. Prior to its incorporation Millcreek was an unincorporated township of Salt Lake County. How would you rate the City of Millcreek today compared to before its incorporation? Would you say it is… 38% TOTAL BETTER ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS PREFER EMAIL COMMUNICATION The majority of Millcreek residents currently receive information about the city via printed newsletter. However, when asked which method they prefer, 34% say they prefer email communication. 37% would still prefer a printed newsletter. Email and printed newsletter are by far the most preferred and commonly used methods of receiving information about the city. Q From which source do you currently receive most of your information about the City of Millcreek? From which source would you prefer to receive most of your information about the City of Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- CURRENT COMMUNICATION BY AGE Across all age groups, current channels for receiving information from the city are relatively even. A smaller proportion of those in the youngest age group (18-35) receive their news via printed newsletter and a larger proportion of residents 75 years or older receive their news via email. Q From which source do you currently receive most of your information about the City of Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- PREFERRED COMMUNICATION BY AGE When it comes to preferred methods for receiving information from the city, age groups tend to vary quite a bit. A larger proportion of younger residents prefer digital means of communication such as email, social media, text messages, and the city website. Older residents tend to prefer receiving news via printed newsletter. Q From which source would you prefer to receive most of your information about the City of Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: CITY RESPONSE Nearly 1/3 of respondents report having contacted a Millcreek city office during the past year. Of those who have contacted the city, 55% report being satisfied with the city’s response. 35% report being either somewhat or extremely dissatisfied. Many of those dissatisfied express frustration with the amount of time it takes to receive a response and for concerns to be addressed. Q During the past year have you contacted any Millcreek office to seek service, information, or to file a complaint? Q Were you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s response? ---PAGE BREAK--- GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT RESIDENT PRIORITIES & THE CITY CENTER MASTER PLAN ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS SATISFIED WITH GROWTH RATE In general, residents of Millcreek are satisfied with the city’s current growth rate. Over half report that Millcreek is growing at an appropriate pace. 26% believe that Millcreek is growing a bit too quickly and 13% say that it is growing much too quickly. Less than 10% believe the city is growing too slowly. Q Thinking about the growth along the Wasatch Front, which of the following statements best reflects how you feel about the pace at which Millcreek is growing? ---PAGE BREAK--- CITY SHOULD PRIORITIZE NEW PROJECTS Nearly 3/4 of respondents believe that the Millcreek city government should focus on city improvement projects rather than on projects that maintain the the status quo. Q Which of the following statements is closer to your opinion on Millcreek government priorities? • Millcreek government should be solely focused on new projects that make Millcreek a better place to live • Millcreek government should be solely focused on projects that maintain the City as it is today ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS WANT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS When asked to identify the most important issues currently facing Millcreek, residents most frequently cite roads and road maintenance. In addition, residents frequently mention taxes and other expenses. Several residents are concerned with crime. Q In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing Millcreek today? ---PAGE BREAK--- FUTURE CONCERNS CENTER ON GROWTH When asked to identify the most important issues facing Millcreek during the next few years, residents frequently express concern over future growth and development. In addition, residents frequently mention taxes, road maintenance, and housing as areas of concern. Q In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing Millcreek in the next 3-5 years? ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS EAT AND SHOP IN MILLCREEK 59% of respondents shop in Millcreek at least weekly. 33% eat in a Millcreek restaurant at least weekly. By contrast, residents rarely participate in cultural events and civic activities in the city. Q How often do you or your family members do each of the following activities in Millcreek? ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS SHOP OUTSIDE OF MILLCREEK Similar to activities within Millcreek, residents frequently travel outside of Millcreek to shop and eat in restaurants. Residents participate in cultural activities outside of the city more frequently than they do cultural activities within the city. Q How often do you or your family members do each of the following activities outside of Millcreek ---PAGE BREAK--- DEMAND FOR RESTAURANTS & CITY CENTER When asked to identify businesses they would like to see in Millcreek, residents frequently indicate that they would like more affordable restaurant options. In addition, residents would like more grocery store options including Trader Joe’s. Several residents also express interest in having a local movie theater and in having a form of community center or downtown area. Q What kinds of businesses would you like to see in Millcreek that aren’t currently available? ---PAGE BREAK--- ¾ ARE IN SUPPORT OF CITY CENTER PLAN Half of respondents say they are aware of the Millcreek City Center Master Plan. Based on their understanding of the plan after reading a brief description, nearly ¾ are in support. Of those who were aware of the plan, many had learned of it from reading the city newsletter or weekly email. Q Have you recently seen, read, or heard anything about the Millcreek City Center Master Plan? Q Based on this description and any other information you may have heard about the proposed Millcreek City Center, would you say you support or oppose the City’s current plan? ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS APPROVE OF FUNDING PLAN After learning that the City Center plan will be funded by existing sales tax revenue and will not increase resident taxes, just over 3/4 of respondents say they are more likely to support the plan. Q The development of Mill Park, the public park at the center of the Millcreek City Center, will be funded by a $20 million revenue bond. This type of bond is secured by the City’s existing sales tax revenue and paid for by the new development. This means the development will not affect Millcreek residents’ property or sales tax rates. ---PAGE BREAK--- WIDE SUPPORT FOR RESIDENT INPUT After learning that the city plans to gather resident feedback, over ¾ of respondents indicate that they are more likely to support the plan. 46% indicate that they are much more likely to support the plan. Q As the Millcreek City Center plan continues to progress, the City will continue to gather feedback and opinions from residents across Millcreek to make sure residents’ ideas and concerns are addressed at every stage of the project. ---PAGE BREAK--- RESIDENTS SUPPORT CITY VISION After learning that the City Center plan would give the city more control over how the city center area is developed, nearly 3/4 of respondents indicate that they are more likely to support the plan. Q Several developers have already expressed interest in the area that is under consideration for the Millcreek City Center and there are mixed-use development projects already underway in the neighborhood. The proposed City Center would give the City more control over how the area is developed, ensuring that it meets the goals and priorities residents expressed during the City’s General Plan visioning process. ---PAGE BREAK--- BALANCED MIX IMPROVES PERCEPTIONS After learning that the City Center plan involves finding an appropriate mix of housing, commercial, and public spaces to support the character of surrounding areas, 2/3 of respondents say they are more likely to support the plan. Q Significant public outreach, including two walking tours and three open houses, helped inform City officials about residents’ priorities for development of a City Center. In developing the current plan, the City addressed concerns of longtime residents by finding the appropriate mix of housing, commercial, and public spaces to support the character of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. ---PAGE BREAK--- 1/3 OPPOSE REDEVELOPMENT OF LAND After learning that the City Center plan involves purchasing and redeveloping privately owned land, just over 1/3 of respondents say they are more likely to support the plan. Conversely, just under 1/3 say they are more likely to oppose the plan. Q The development of Mill Park, the public park at the center of the Millcreek City Center, will require the City to purchase and redevelop land that is currently privately owned, including some existing business and residential properties. ---PAGE BREAK--- PERCEPTION REMAINS CONSTANT When asked again to rate the level of their approval for the City Center Master Plan after reading more information about it, overall approval for the plan remains relatively unchanged. There is a slight increase in the percentage of respondents who indicate that they strongly support the plan. Q Taking into consideration the information presented to you and any other information you may have heard about the proposed Millcreek City Center, would you say you support or oppose the City’s current plan? 71% TOTAL SUPPORT 74% TOTAL SUPPORT ---PAGE BREAK--- 1/3 OPPOSITION IN HIGHEST INCOME BRACKET When considering only those who report being either somewhat or strongly opposed to the City Center Master Plan, a plurality (31%) fall into the top income bracket. Nearly half (49%) of those who oppose the plan earn at least $100,000 per year. Q Taking into consideration the information presented to you and any other information you may have heard about the proposed Millcreek City Center, would you say you support or oppose the City’s current plan? *N=103 ---PAGE BREAK--- SUPPORT HIGHEST AMONG NEW RESIDENTS Residents who have lived in Millcreek for 5 years or less are the most likely to indicate that they either somewhat or strongly support the City Center Master Plan. Residents who have lived in Millcreek for more than 10 years are less likely to support the plan and those who have lived in the city for over 20 years are most likely to oppose the plan. Q Taking into consideration the information presented to you and any other information you may have heard about the proposed Millcreek City Center, would you say you support or oppose the City’s current plan? ---PAGE BREAK--- Kyrene Gibb, Scott Riding, & Kelly Patterson, Ph.D. y2analytics.com I (801) 406-7877 ---PAGE BREAK--- DEMOGRAPHICS Respondents are older than average residents, with an average age of 50. Over half of the respondents have lived in Millcreek for more than 10 years. Most are college-educated. Respondents are distributed across all income brackets. Age Education Income Average: 50 Time Lived in Millcreek Estimated median income according to US Census = $61,888 Estimated population high school graduate or higher according to US Census = 94.5% Bachelor’s degree or higher = 47.2% Estimated adult median age according to US Census = 37 ---PAGE BREAK--- DEMOGRAPHICS The response rate from women was higher than it was for men. Approximating the demographics of the City as a whole, the vast majority of respondents indicate that they are white/Caucasian, with 4% Asian heritage and 4% Hispanic/Latin heritage. 2/3 of respondents are married and a majority are homeowners. Male 47% Female 52% Gender Race Marital Status Home Owners Rent 23% Own 72% Estimated female population according to US Census = 51% Estimated owner-occupied housing rate according to US Census = 61% Estimated white population according to US Census = 83% Hispanic / Latino = 9% Estimated married population according to US Census = 48%