Branson/Tri-Lakes News: City surveys businesses, citizens

In at least one area of the findings, there’s no surprise: Seven out of 10 Branson businesses say traffic flow is among the top three service priorities they’d like to see city officials address during the next two years. Next is city streets and infrastructure maintenance, selected by half the respondents, followed by more effective communication with the public, chosen by four out of 10.

Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley said the 2008 Community Survey – conducted in March and April by the ETC Institute of Olathe, Kan., and presented to the city’s Board of Aldermen and staff in May – will help officials with strategic planning and budgeting for the fiscal year starting in October.

“It’s a customer satisfaction survey,” said Chris Tatham, ETC Institute vice president and chief operating officer, who coordinated the project for the city. “Typically, city aldermen or department heads take a look at the survey to see how they can adjust planning to meet the expectations of the citizens.”

According to Branson Public Information Director Jerry Adams, the city paid ETC Institute $13,000 to conduct the survey, to which 215 businesses and 568 residents responded.

According to the research firm’s report:

• Eighty-four percent of the businesses surveyed rated the city of Branson as an excellent or good place to visit, while 92 percent of Branson residents rated their hometown as an excellent or a good place to live.

• Fire service was given a satisfied or very satisfied rating by 91 percent of the businesses survey; 90 percent of residents are very satisfied or satisfied.

• Eighty percent of the businesses were satisfied with the quality of police service; 78 percent of the citizens said they were satisfied.

• Businesses also rated their satisfaction with city parks, recreation programs and facilities higher than residents at 80 percent versus 74 percent.

Citizens also named traffic flow management and city street maintenance as well as the quality of police services among their top priorities in the next two years. Presley said she was pleased to learn that “there’s not much of a disconnect between what the businesses and citizens think of our community.”

Adams said the most comparable comprehensive survey conducted by the city was the 20/20 Common Thread focus group in 1996.

ETC Institute’s final reports for the residential and business 2008 Community Survey is available at www.cityofbranson.org. Click on “Citizens Survey Results” from the “Resident” section of the homepage.

Branson Businesses Say…

Other business findings in ETC Institute’s survey:

• Forty-five percent of the businesses surveyed indicated that they did not anticipate changing the location of their business, expanding their business, downsizing their business, or closing their business in the next 12 months.

• Twenty-six percent of the businesses surveyed indicated that they plan on expanding their business sometime in the next 12 months.

• Eighty-four percent of the businesses surveyed rated the city of Branson as an “excellent” or a “good” place to retire.

• Sixty-nine percent of the businesses surveyed rated the city of Branson as an “excellent” or a “good” place to work.

Next Up

ETC Institute, the research firm that conducted Branson’s business and citizen survey, will conduct a similar survey for the city of Springfield in August or September, according to Chris Tatham, vice president and chief operating officer. The firm specializes in surveys for government organizations.