2019 City of Laramie Citizen Survey--Final Report

City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 WYSAC Technical Report No SRC-1902 July, 2019 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 By Michael Dorssom, M.A Associate Research Scientist Bistra Anatchkova, Ph.D., Survey Research Center Manager With the assistance of Brian Harnisch, M.B.A, Senior Research Scientist Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center University of Wyoming 1000 E University Ave, Dept 3925 Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-2189 • wysac@uwyo.edu http://wysac.uwyo.edu Citation for this document: WYSAC (2019) City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 by Dorssom M and Anatchkova, B (WYSAC Technical Report No SRC-1902) Laramie, WY: Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, University of Wyoming Short reference: WYSAC (2019), City of Laramie Community Survey © Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, 2019 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Table of Contents Executive Summary Background Methods 3.1 Survey Design and Administration 3.1.1 Questionnaire Development 3.1.2 Sample Design 3.1.3 Survey Administration 3.2 Response Rates and Margins of Error 3.3 Data Compilation and Analysis Demographics Discussion of Survey Results 12 5.1 Quality of City Services 12 5.1.1 Summary of Results for Quality of City Services 25 5.2 Interaction with City Employees 27 5.3 Perceptions of City Problems and Personal Safety 31 5.4 Residents’ Opinions of City Government and City Service Fees 35 5.5 Information Sources Used by City of Laramie Residents for City Government Activities and Their Perceived Reliability 37 5.6 City of Laramie Residents’ Priorities for City Funds Allocation 39 Breakdowns by Select Background Variables 41 6.1 Cross-tabulations by Housing Status 42 6.2 Cross-tabulations by Residence Location 43 6.3 Cross-tabulations by Length of Residence 44 6.4 Cross-tabulations by Age 46 Appendix A Detailed Survey Results 50 Appendix B Responses to the Open-Ended Question 82 Appendix C Survey Instrument 90 Appendix D Laramie Areas Map 94 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 List of Figures Figure Distribution of respondents by area, 2019 10 Figure Age of Respondents by Mode, 2019 11 Figure Housing Status by Mode, 2019 11 Figure Employment Status by Mode, 2019 11 Figure Fire fighting 12 Figure Fire prevention 12 Figure Ambulance service 13 Figure Development review/planning 13 Figure Enforcement of traffic laws 14 Figure 10 Crime prevention 14 Figure 11 Garbage collection 15 Figure 12 Landfill (dump) services 15 Figure 13 Street maintenance and repair 16 Figure 14 Street cleaning 16 Figure 15 Snow removal on major streets 17 Figure 16 Storm water drainage 17 Figure 17 Sewer services 18 Figure 18 Water quality 18 Figure 19 Reliability of water flow 19 Figure 20 Park appearance and maintenance 19 Figure 21 Recreation programs 20 Figure 22 Land use, planning and zoning 20 Figure 23 Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned vehicles, shoveling snow, junk) 21 Figure 24 Animal control 21 Figure 26 Disabled access (city facilities, parks, etc.) 23 Figure 27 Disabled access (public streets, sidewalks, etc.) 23 Figure 28 Curbside Recycling (not including green waste & glass) 24 Figure 29 Mosquito Control 24 Figure 30 City services rated by residents as excellent or good, 2019 25 Figure 31 City services rated by residents as not so good or poor, 2019 26 Figure 32 City departments of most recent interaction, 2019 27 Figure 33 Positive ratings of city departments (Excellent or Good), 2019 28 Figure 34 Positive ratings of the Police Department (Excellent or Good), by year 28 Figure 35 Positive Ratings of the Fire Department (Excellent or Good), by year 29 Figure 36 Positive Ratings of Public Works (Excellent or Good), by year 29 Figure 37 Positive Ratings of Community Development (Excellent or Good), by year 29 Figure 38 Positive Ratings of Parks and Recreation (Excellent or Good), by year 30 Figure 39 Positive Ratings of Administration (Excellent or Good), by year 30 Figure 40 Issues/topics perceived as major problems by Laramie residents, by year 32 Figure 41 Times when and locations where Laramie residents feel very safe or somewhat safe, by year 34 Figure 42 Residents’ Opinions of City Government and City Service Fees, by year 35 Figure 43 Residents’ Satisfaction with High Speed Broadband Internet Access, 2019 36 Figure 44 Currently Used Information Sources about City Government Activities 37 Figure 45 Reliability of Sources of Information about City Government Activities 38 Figure 46 Residents’ priorities for City funds allocation (high priority) 40 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Executive Summary In the fall of 2018 the City of Laramie enlisted the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) to conduct the fifth iteration of the City of Laramie Community Survey A total of 613 completed surveys were obtained (313 via web, 300 via mail) from a probability sample of Laramie residents in spring 2019 Random samples of this size yield margins of error of approximately ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level The purpose of this survey is to assess levels of City of Laramie residents’ satisfaction with services provided by the City, as well as to measure perceptions, preferences, and attitudes about various issues relevant to the residents of the City of Laramie Key findings of note are below Start and End Dates March 20, 2019 – June 4, 2019 Sample Type and Size Random sample of households as contained in the USPS DSF 2,200 Laramie households 203 returned as bad addresses 1997 valid mailing addresses Completed Surveys Total – 613 Web – 313 Mail – 300 Response Rate 613 completions (31%) Margin of error ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level • A major purpose of the survey throughout the years has been to establish satisfaction with the services provided by the City Of the 25 services rated for quality, 14 are rated as excellent or good by a least half of Laramie residents As was the case in previous iterations of the survey, fire fighting (91%), ambulance service (87%), fire prevention (85%), park appearance/maintenance (83%), and reliability of water flow (79%) are the top five rated services • Of the same 25 services, are rated as not so good or poor by at least 25% of all residents Street maintenance and repair (70%), code enforcement (47%), storm drainage (39%), development review/planning (38%), and Street cleaning (35%) are the top five lowest rated services • The top three issues perceived as a major problem by Laramie residents are bicyclists (not) following traffic laws (29%), underage alcohol offenses (28%), and driving under the influence (26%) WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 There are a number of negative linear trends in the perception of the issues as problems from 2012 to 2019 A negative trend in the percentage of residents who view an issue as a major problem should be interpreted as a positive change for the community, since these items are perceived as a significant problem by significantly fewer residents now than in 2012: Loud vehicles (16% in 2019, 20% in 2015, 22% in 2012) Speeding (13% in 2019, 15% in 2015, 18% in 2012) Unsupervised youth (3% in 2019, 7% in 2015, 8% in 2012) Public disturbances (5% in 2019, 6% in 2015, 7% in 2012) Driving under the influence (26% in 2019, 36% in 2015, 41% in 2012) • Further the survey sought to establish how safe Laramie residents feel in a number of locations in Laramie in different times of the day Laramie residents feel the safest in their own neighborhood during the day with 99% indicating they feel very safe or somewhat safe in their own neighborhood during the day Two-thirds (66%) of Laramie residents feel the same way in the Laramie greenbelts after dark, the lowest safety rating • Respondents were presented with five statements related to the City of Laramie Survey results show that the majority of Laramie residents not seem to agree with any of these statement "The City of Laramie government welcomes citizen involvement and encourages citizen participation" received the highest level of agreement with 49% who strongly agree or somewhat agree "The fee I pay the City for garbage collection and disposal is reasonably priced for the service I receive" saw no change from 2015 in agreement (47%) "The fee I pay the City for sewage collection and treatment is reasonably priced for the service I receive" saw little change from 2015 (44% of agreement in 2019) "I have a good understanding of how my taxes are spent on City services, operations and capital projects" and "the fee I pay for City water is reasonably priced for the service I receive" both registered 40% agreement • In 2019, a new question was included to see if Laramie residents are satisfied with the availability of broadband high speed internet Survey results indicate that half of Laramie residents are very or somewhat dissatisfied (50.8%) One third are very or somewhat satisfied (33.3%), while 15.9% remain neutral • Regarding the sources of information Laramie residents use about the activities of City government, survey results indicate that over two-thirds (69%) of residents use talking with friends & family as a source of information about the activities of City government, followed by newspaper articles (61%), and radio (58%) The three least used sources seem to be attending public meetings (15%), city newsletter and news flashes (12%), and TV WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 government access channel (7%) “Social Media” was added as an informational source in 2019 and is used by 38% of residents • Finally, a series of survey items sought to measure the opinions of City of Laramie residents about how the City should prioritize the allocation of available funds Two-thirds (66%) of Laramie residents place high priority on maintaining infrastructure (sewer and water distribution system, storm drains), which is the highest rated item in terms of priority Preservation of water resources (Casper Aquifer, Monolith Ranch, Water Rights) is the next highest rated item with 62% giving it high priority Street and alley maintenance are given high priority for the allocation of available funds by 61% of Laramie residents WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Background In fall 2018 the City of Laramie enlisted the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) to conduct the fifth iteration of the City of Laramie Community Survey This survey was first conducted in 2006, and again in 2008, 2012, and 2015 The purpose of this survey is to assess levels of City of Laramie residents’ satisfaction with services provided by the City, as well as to gather information on perceptions, preferences, and attitudes about various issues of importance to the City of Laramie residents The iterative nature of this survey makes it possible to follow changes over time for a number of issues Most of the items included in the survey have remained unchanged in all five iterations Methods 3.1 Survey Design and Administration 3.1.1 Questionnaire Development The questionnaire used in the latest iteration of the City of Laramie Survey is based on the questionnaires developed and used in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2015 By design, the survey is intended to gauge levels of satisfaction with City of Laramie services, as well as to gather opinions about other issues of importance to the residents of Laramie, like perceptions of safety, considerations of issues that might be major problems, preferences for the allocation of resources The ability to track change over time was of the essence, so only very few changes or additions were made, and noted in the report where appropriate After the questionnaire received final approval by City of Laramie officials, the survey instrument was formatted into an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scannable document using Teleform® software and also programmed for online survey administration 3.1.2 Sample Design The sampling frame for the survey included all households within the City of Laramie based on the following zip codes: 82070, 82072, and 82073 A probability sample of 2,200 mailable addresses from these zip codes was purchased from the Marketing Systems Group (Genesys), a leading national vendor specializing in the generation of scientific samples There was no random selection of respondents within households; any adult household member who agreed to participate could complete the survey 3.1.3 Survey Administration WYSAC began the survey mailings sequence on March 20, 2019, when a survey invite letter authored by the City Manager was mailed to every household drawn into the sample This letter contained a link and login code allowing respondents to complete the survey online About a week later a paper questionnaire accompanied by a cover letter authored by the City was sent to all who had not responded with completed surveys online The cover letter was inviting potential respondents to either complete the paper survey and mail it back in the postage paid return envelope that was included in the mailing, or respond online Approximately two weeks later, a reminder letter authored by WYSAC was sent to all households in the sample who had not yet responded with completed surveys Finally, about in another two weeks a replacement questionnaire, accompanied by a reminder letter authored by WYSAC, was sent to those households from which a completed survey had not yet been received As paper surveys were returned to WYSAC, they were scanned using WYSAC’s high volume scanners, eliminating errors that may occur from manual data entry and minimizing overall data recording errors At the same time, WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 responses to open-ended questions were carefully hand-entered and subjected to minimal editing for spelling and grammar 3.2 Response Rates and Margins of Error As mentioned above, the initial sample consisted of 2,200 addresses of households bearing City of Laramie zip codes Of these, 203 were identified as bad addresses (undeliverable mail) in the course of the four mailings, leaving a total sample of 1997 valid addresses Survey data collection closed on June 4, 2019, by which date 613 completed questionnaires were obtained, for a final response rate of 31% Of all completed surveys 313 (51%) were received online and 300 (49%) by using the paper copy Random samples of 613 yield margins of error of about plus or minus 3.93 percentage points with 95% confidence At these levels and within this margin of error, it is appropriate to state that the results presented in this report accurately reflect the opinions and preferences of all Laramie residents and thus can be generalized to the population of Laramie 3.3 Data Compilation and Analysis Once all paper questionnaires were scanned, a data set was compiled which was cleaned and properly labeled Surveys completed online were compiled into a single data set, which in turn was cleaned and properly labeled The two data sets were then merged into a single data set Variables were recoded as necessary and appropriate, and frequencies were run on all variables Missing values such as Don’t know and No answer are excluded from the valid percentage calculations On Mark all that apply items, percentage totals may exceed 100% The differences observed by survey year were tested for statistical significance using collapsed response choice categories (i.e., strongly agree and agree were collapsed into agree) The overall Pearson chi-square test was run as appropriate In all cases in which statistically significant differences were established (at the levels of p < 0.05 and p < 0.01), there is a notation in the respective tables in Appendix A In addition, for the 2019 data, items of relevance were broken down by key background variables and the findings, if statistically significant (at the p < 0.01 level), are presented in Section of this report The overall Pearson chi-square test was used for this analysis Here again collapsed response choice categories were used Demographics Presented in this section is an overview of the results for the demographic items included in the 2019 survey Demographic questions asked of Laramie residents provide checks of the representativeness of the sample obtained In 2012, a web option was added to the survey to allow respondents the option to complete the survey electronically instead of via USPS As a result of this additional mode, more young residents have completed the survey in recent iterations than in previous iterations • In 2019, 86% of those responding to the survey indicate that they live within the city limits of Laramie, compared to 88% in 2015, 90% in 2012, 88% in 2008, and 98% in 2006 This is a result of some Laramie zip codes also applying to addresses in Albany County, outside of city limits The inclusion of those who live outside of the City limits is of value, as these individuals make use of and have opinions about City of Laramie services • In 2019, 74% of respondents indicate that they own their home This is a slight increase from 2015 when 72% of those responding to the survey were homeowners Renters represented 24% of the sample in 2019, compared to 28% in 2015 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 10 • Employment status was asked as a Mark all that apply item, hence some overlap between categories (e.g., a person may be both a student and employed part-time; many other combinations possible) Forty-seven percent of respondents were full time employed Retirees account for 35% of 2019 respondents and part-time employed for 10% The number of student respondents decreased from 14% in 2015 to 10% in 2019 • Respondents were asked to indicate, using areas delineated by City officials during questionnaire development in 2006, in which general area of Laramie they live (see Appendix D, Laramie Areas Map) As expected, the distribution of survey respondents by area generally corresponds to population densities for the various areas, with South (32%) and North (26%), the areas of greatest housing density, delivering the highest percentages of respondents The Downtown/West side area had the lowest percentage at about 6% (Figure 1) Figure Distribution of respondents by area, 2019 26% 14% 9% 12% 6% 32% • About 14% of Laramie residents who responded to the survey were 25 to 34 years old (down from 16% in 2015), while another 20% were 55 to 64 years old (down from 25% in 2015) • Just over half (54%) of respondents have lived in Laramie more than 20 years Over one-third (34%) of respondents have lived in Laramie 10 years or less • The educational attainment of survey respondents is similar to previous iterations, with over a third (36%) having attained a graduate degree or higher, 28% having attained a bachelor’s degree, and 11% having attained an associate’s degree or vocational/technical degree WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 80 14 How long have you lived in Laramie? ‡◊ 2019 Frequency 2019 Valid Percent 2015 Valid Percent 2012 Valid Percent 2008 Valid Percent 2006 Valid Percent Less than years 44 7.3% 9.9% 11.1% 2.9% 3.1% – years 96 15.9% 13.9% 16.5% 7.4% 10.3% – 10 years 66 11.0% 11.7% 15.1% 10.4% 9.0% 11 – 20 years 73 12.1% 15.5% 14.7% 14.4% 17.2% More than 20 years 323 53.7% 49.1% 42.6% 64.9% 60.4% Total Valid 602 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2019 Valid Percent 2015 Valid Percent 2012 Valid Percent 2008 Valid Percent 2006 Valid Percent (No answer) Total 11 613 15 What is your age? ‡◊ 2019 Frequency 18 – 24 years 47 7.9% 8.9% 12.3% 25 – 34 years 81 13.6% 15.9% 20.8% 5.1% 8.4% 35 – 44 years 75 12.6% 12.1% 9.9% 12.6% 14.0% 45 – 54 years 70 11.8% 15.0% 16.6% 23.0% 23.1% 55 – 64 years 116 19.5% 24.6% 21.4% 28.9% 24.2% 65 – 74 years 136 22.9% 15.9% 10.7% 16.8% 14.9% 70 11.8% 7.4% 8.2% 12.1% 13.0% Total Valid 595 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% (No answer) 18 75 years or older Total 613 1.5% 2.5% WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 81 16 What is the highest degree or level of education you have attained? ‡ 2019 Frequency 12th Grade or less, no diploma High school diploma or equivalent Some college, no degree Associate's degree or vocational/technical degree Bachelor's degree Graduate degree or professional degree Total Valid (No answer) Total 2019 Valid Percent 2015 Valid Percent 2012 Valid Percent 2008 Valid Percent 2006 Valid Percent 10 1.7% 1.6% 2.2% 1.9% 2.5% 53 8.9% 6.6% 9.3% 12.0% 11.9% 86 14.4% 18.8% 18.4% 17.9% 18.3% 64 10.7% 11.2% 11.0% 8.0% 5.1% 168 28.2% 27.4% 28.6% 25.6% 25.4% 215 36.1% 34.4% 30.4% 34.6% 36.9% 596 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 17 613 17 Are there any major improvements, projects, issues, or initiatives that you would like to see the municipal government focus on? (Wording changed from previous surveys: Are there any major improvements, project, issues, or initiatives that you would like to see the City of Laramie focus on?)) See Appendix B for complete text listings Appendix B Responses to the Open-Ended Question • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (1) Keep streets in good repair (2) Water rates too high (3) Better misquote control Ice skating rink in downtown- need festive and family activities in the winter Snow Park w/activities; tubing, skating, coco stands, gas fire pit to gather w/musicians, caroling, etc A “small town” feeling is important to us We would like to see more shopping opportunities than Laramie currently offers A good medical community Quality home health care service for seniors Recreation for seniors and quality residences for seniors A quality, safe place to raise children and good quality of life and lean environment with access to open space Good people A safe community with doctors and good hospital, Places to get outside safely close by (green belt) Jobs for the grandchildren Access to services and shopping Low traffic, good schools, activities through rec center and the university The rec center pool needs a refresh and locker rooms! Access to the mountains and lake Access to the range- would rather live there than in this increasingly liberal town ADA ramps/accessibility—especially UW campus and downtown Affordability, safety, beauty Affordability, sense of community for all age groups, specific things, Eppson Center, Daily Boomerang, parks and rec., law and code enforcement, good schools, venues of all sizes for public gatherings, and the university Affordable food, housing, taxes, healthcare, recreation, retirement services Affordable housing / Low crime Affordable housing / Senior housing opportunities Safety of community Medical services Shopping opportunities – business development of small business as well as corporate Affordable housing, bring in businesses the public wants, stop over-developing in open spaces Affordable housing, safety, access to medical care Affordable housing, streets without damage, more job opportunities Affordable housing Population to stay under 60,000 people Affordable living, great sense of community, diverse businesses within Laramie, a robust economy that is sustainable and encourages growth in all areas Again—all communications and notices need to be included with building As a business owner, Laramie’s growth is important to me It would be nice if Laramie’s elected officials would think more about the city and less about reverse diagonal parking & the aquifer Time to grow! Being close to family-As long as they stay here Being safe, keeping costs down, water, etc Being we are on a fixed income it is on place we can afford to live Born and raised here Born here/23 years Navy vet Cheaper water and streets that are plowed City services, low taxes, recreational activities Clean up the junkyard eyesore entryways into Laramie- and fix roads on said entryways WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 83 Clean, safe water This should NEVER be compromised Getting UW to be a better citizen and respect this community Keeping small town atmosphere Community, size (small), outdoors, diversity, intellectual diversity Continual reinvestment in infrastructure and community service Continuing to pay the optional IC tax so we have money to put into our community so we can focus on all of our priorities and make Laramie a better place to live Can we create our own County Income Tax? Let’s it! Convenience! Cultural, intellectual diversity/richness; environmental quality; liberal educational and political and social community; quality-fair law enforcement, low crime and corruption De-fluoridation of the water, as in the city needs to this Development: bring a building supply store in, stop trying to put efforts into downtown and get with the 21st century We need employers!!! The police need to get more community friendly, they need smile and great people, people are afraid of them right now, simple manners would go a long way Dislike Laramie, the weather is awful, high wind The only way out is in a “body bag” So sorry I ever moved here Don’t send anymore surveys for me to fill out Don’t overdo trying to provide too much Beauty of place is that it’s behind the times Let folks move to Fort Collins if they need more, I prefer less Downtown Parking Economy, good infrastructure Efficient use of tax payer dollars Decent roads Employment opportunities—support of local businesses Sense of community Maintenance and improvement of the town’s environment Employment, better shopping options, more recreational activities Employment, family Ensuring landlords are honest and provide safe (up to code) and clean (proper trash disposal) housing Family here Family Fix roadways, internet infrastructure Fostering a sense of community and special events Fostering a sense of community Fresh air, good water, easy traffic (if one stays off Grand), outdoor recreational opportunities, University programs Friendly atmosphere, pure air, convenient services, first rate university, great law enforcement, recreation facilities, excellent hospital, great city and county government, clean environment Friendly environment and fun things to in town Friendly people Scenic location with good access to mountains & other recreation facilities I enjoy shopping locally because of the nice & friendly store clerks Friends & community Low cost of living Shopping & drinking within walking & biking distance Friends, better shopping, landlords really taking responsibility for properties Cleaning up Lee’s Trailer Court From our understanding, Laramie’s population is declining Then why does our city council keep approving more housing development? Let newcomers buy what is already here Chances are, they won’t stay long anyway Please keep Laramie small & western Good city service, clean and well-kept city, variety of retail businesses WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 84 Good neighborhood and clean town with good services and free of a lot of vandalism, etc Growth- Business increase Growth is good but not want Laramie turning into South College in Fort Collins It would be nice to have the code enforcement enforced instead of citizen request Growth, business expansion, clean fresh air, water, community awareness, citizen concern and involvement Have lived in Laramie for 42 years – Guess I like it here Having been born here Family members in Greenhill Cemetery, where my remains will go Besides Laramie is a great place, except for shopping Healthy downtown; strong climate for community involvement; more constrain on zoning regulation Honestly, friendlier city hall staff/clerks I am VERY concerned about the talk of closing 15th street It is already hard enough getting around campus It would make it blocks across 12 blocks long before you could get to the cemetery or get north-south It would cut the community in half Because of the Harney St viaduct I have to go out on the interstate to get to the east and south side of town! I could not, would not even try to improve Laramie! I enjoy all the programs at the university and at the Epson Center I also enjoy the beauty of the mountains (Snowy Range) and Vedauwoo I have been here all my life I think we need to get some stores, you can’t buy anything here A university town and all we got is Wal-Mart? And bars? Let’s fix potholes on Grand! Thank You! I have been in Laramie since 1949, moving here (after marriage) from Kansas Laramie is my home and I have been very happy here I have lived and traveled to many places Laramie is home! Great community, great friends, weather-ouch, but can’t control that Cleaning up S 3rd ST, paving unpaved roads, improve recycling effort I have lived here 86 years and it has changed and sadly not for the better Can’t believe how many businesses have gone out Time for Laramie to rebuild our city Sad I have lived here since 1944 Have seen a lot of growth & improvements Police & fire protection, streets & water I like it just like it is Small & personal I live in the country 20 miles west so can’t answer many of the questions I love Laramie and I moved here when I was six Don’t let it become California or New York! I love the summer weather and the low crime in this area I want to see the city grow, but in a way that is good for jobs and business and variety Paving roads should be number one, it’s expensive but the return outweighs the cost I want us to be a sage & welcoming community that encourages us to care for and support all citizens I was born in Laramie, Wyoming and left in 1969 and came back here, and trying to communicate with others about public safety the people here don’t listen? “They don’t look or listen to others or me.” I won’t be living here long-term However, I would like to see more transparency from the city (e.g Derek Collings case!) and The University of Wyoming (e.g President Nichols removal) and would like the city to utilize its public comments better (e.g don’t give tickets for people walking home or harass people causing no imminent harm) I would like more business development, like a hunting & outdoor store Our city roads are in poor condition I would like the price of vehicle registration to go down I would like to see more job opportunities here I think it’s very important to promote new business development to increase the opportunities for college students like myself WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 85 If you could make summers come sooner and stay longer, that would be great I’ll stay in Laramie I love it here! Improved infrastructure- sewer system sucks! Common sense when hiring law enforcement- taking immediate appropriate steps to rid force(s) of unacceptable & dangerous personnel Why are Derrik Collings & Dave O’Malley still patrolling and carrying weapons? Improving your “long range” planning by employing legitimate long range planners Not for two years but long range Thank you for asking Do you think it will really help? Increase tax base, i.e put food tax back in effect Increasing open space areas everywhere- pocket parks for quiet walking and sitting, using fountains and landscaping (flowers, trees, bushes, and boulders) No play equipment or bicycles Filling empty business spaces quickly and lowering the rent so that business can thrive and survive NO New York pricing! It’s a retirement city Job & family, maybe not having dangerous people in law enforcement (i.e [name withheld]) Job availability, I’d love to have a home improvement super store: Home Depot, etc., those options in Laramie are terrible Jobs, housing, good streets, businesses, good dog park, good environment, less traffic Keep Laramie the same size Maintain what we have, a small town atmosphere Growing and adding more people brings more problems If you like big towns or cities move there and be happy Keep up the good work! Keeping a good mix of services, businesses, and living standards Not letting the area get too over developed, let’s keep the “small town” feel Keeping neighborhoods livable No junk, excessive dog barking, vehicles improperly parked on streets or yards, Too many people living in a single house Keeping the small-town feeling with safety and protective services, care shown by well-kept streets, sidewalks, and green areas Kindness of people, pleasant appearance of the city & the weather Lack of health care Landlords, generally, get away with far too much! Some of the places I’ve been shown would fit in the third world—especially in the immediate vicinity of the university, a well-known problem This is a disgrace Laramie is a peaceful city Keep it as it is However, snow removal effort might be improved The downtown area could be more lively Laramie needs to be a safe community for all its inhabitants (long-term, students [UW, WyoTech, LCCC]), disabled, elderly, and children At times, the priorities listed in this questionnaire shift; and, Laramie needs to be flexible to respond to the accordingly Life time resident, pretty safe place to live, storm drainage in West Laramie! Lived here 80+ years, don’t like the proposed idea of buying expensive land east of town Living and doing business in Laramie Making a living and affordable housing Healthcare, Ivinson is a nice facility but lacks in experienced staff Laramie has continued to clean up and become more attractive but still has a ways to go Rec Center and Parks have done excellent Need to improve appearance of older parts of the city Long time friendships, size of community, friendliness of community Low income assistance – financial and physical (as in property maintenance/upkeep) because of compromised health/age Low population, recreation, cultural events Low taxes – safety – shopping opportunity – air quality – reasonable water & trash charges – clean water – reasonable building codes and permits WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 86 Maintained environmental health/beauty, increase in local retail and lowered housing costs Making sure Laramie stays a safe place to live Hire reliable law enforcement officers that make us feel safe here Pave streets in West Laramie, looks bad to visitors Medical Care, Housing More jobs, more small businesses for shipping, more hospitable for small businesses More opportunities for young people, especially after school Being a community that actively welcomes immigrants and refugees Being a community that prioritizes care for the poor More people, more activities, more business, to find people walking DT More things to that are kid friendly that are well taken care of and makes me feel safe taking my kids there Most people are friendly I feel the Police Department and the Fire Department are so great that you would have help within minutes of making a phone call Mountains and view New business Not allowing illegal drugs to become legal Allow teachers to teach math, reading, etc and not teach to pass a test Allow teacher to discipline children in their classroom Stop pushing the LGBT agenda Put drug pushers in jail The cops know who they are Outdoor recreation, good schools, vibrant downtown, safety, sense of community Paint the crosswalks! Drivers don’t stop if they see no paint Parking on streets (residential) area People, climate Cultural, education Please don’t send me any more surveys, this town is a [expletive] and I can’t wait to move out of Albany County Progressive community Recreation access Protect the Casper Aquifer for Human drinking consumption Protect the Monolith Ranch Water rights for municipal use Quit pandering to every possible business enterprise Good luck with the Pilot Hill Land Purchase and recreation project I’m sure there are council member and county commissioner members who will attempt to sabotage Protections of the Casper Aquifer should have the highest priority Small town feel, with the cultural amenities associated with a university community; easy access to high quality outdoor recreation Proximity to hunting, fishing, mountains Low Population Quality of life! Clean, safe, and many outdoor recreational opportunities Great place to raise kids, good schools, good education Quality of life, good infrastructure, security, water quality Quality of water and health care Continued events at The University of Wyoming and outdoor recreation opportunities Quality restaurants (a big lack right now) Being able to meet shopping needs without having to drive to Colorado Our grocery stores are terrible Reasonably priced senior housing – Shopping for certain items is a problem here – We seek certain items in Cheyenne o Ft Collins that we can’t get here Recreation and the Rec Center Recreation, business development, energy efficiency, and small city growth Recreational activities, affordable living Relatively safe, clean, quiet WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 87 Respect for all people as individuals Employment options/medical insurance Feeling safe with employers/job security Retails stores, paving streets, curb and gutter Safe community Safe environment and downtown vibrancy Safe housing, safe streets (both for walking and driving) and a good vision of where Laramie should/could be in the future- economically and ecologically Safe quiet and nice honest people Safe, environmentally friendly, accessible, many wide bike paths, road maintenance Safety – Parks – No marijuana Safety & good water & resources Safety (which is still excellent), greenspace (the Pilot Hill project is important!), water quality (preserving our great water source), town + UW cooperation (for great cultural events), encouraging mom & pop businesses to keep going by avoiding big chains (including have great restaurants + hardware) Safety of my family, more family friendly activities and opportunities Better elementary schools, etc Funding allocated where it’s needed, not just for the university Safety of person & property Safety, affordable recreation options, affordable shopping options, low crime rate, cleanliness Safety, cageful growth, and access to recreation Safety, convenience (shopping, education), beautiful environment Safety, education, job opportunities Safety, good law enforcement, fair taxes, crackdown on illegal drugs and underage alcohol use; less alcoholic events for university students No alcohol at sports events Safety, good water supply, open spaces, community, and outdoor activity Safety, housing costs down, more green belts Schools- apolitical teaching is an absolute must I’d like to see a charter high school Low taxes, low crime, high level of freedom for citizens Senior center, more shopping, encourage business to come to Laramie A walking path for Kiwanis Park Simple, honest answer: it is home Since moving here, I’ve been “upset” over trash along I-80 towards Cheyenne that doesn’t get picked up regularly The University of Wyoming has sponsored this site, but they don’t get it done! It is a very beautiful area… too bad! Also, many potholes in town driving Thank you for the opportunity Size (not a big city)(state of Wyoming), climate, mountains, availability of recreation, UW, programs, groceries, clean water, clean well-kept housing and neighborhoods, businesses The worst problem is snow and ice removal and enforcement of laws of removal of snow before it becomes ice causing accidents If you live in town sidewalks should be clear of snow, ice, trash (issue tickets for noncompliance) To continue the proposed changes to Third Street would be a mistake- making traffic problems worse by narrowing that street Merchants downtown need to be more responsible by snow removal for the safety of customers, even vacant buildings need to address the snow removal problem (residents as well) Residents need to be more responsible citizens Size- ease of travel- access to highway systems- safe atmosphere Sky, water, open space, air I moved out of Laramie and closed my donation business because the city now is cheap and officials only care about themselves WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 88 Small population, lots of open places to hike, affordable living costs, safe neighborhoods Laramie is the best little big city in Wyoming Small town feel with future growth Small town feel Snow shoveling, affordable housing, lower water rates, enforcement of current laws- my neighbor has numerous rentals with more than allowed number of occupants, home owners running businesses out of home, street plugged with work trucks State limits on City income limits funding options In my opinion most City funded economic development items have failed! UDC enforcement mode is quite counter-productive! Stores that are affordable Street and sidewalk maintenance Streets! The city currently and historically prevent businesses from opening and operating by its codes and regulations It would be easier to stay if more businesses were allowed to work here, so that we would have the things we need available and not have to go elsewhere The climate and bicycle access The continuation of senior service such as activities and transportation and qualified Medicare Doctors and Medicare services The downtown area is atrocious! The new dog laws that Animal Control officer enlightened me to are ridiculous! No dogs in bed of pickup? This is Wyoming No, my dogs will not be leashed at river The number one priority should be to promote a larger, sustainable, local business base The focus should be on the community as a whole, not just downtown The people and community in Laramie The people, the university, the proximity to Cheyenne and the first range, the hunting and fishing and offer outdoor activities, family The presence of the University of Wyoming A strong downtown with business, retail, and restaurants Planned development and growth Protection of water and environment The reason I moved back to Laramie and the reason I stay is for the feeling of “home”, wherever I go, people greet me with a smile All of this stuff is great But it is the community I love The sense of community, recreation and parks options, easy walking around town, downtown The shooting death by the policeman was not handled well at all There is no excuse for not having glass recycling The water prices are ridiculous! The size of the community (not too large or small) This is where I was raised The people are kinder and it is home to me Thriving community/downtown/businesses Suggestions: crack down on vehicles that park across sidewalks and people that not dismount their bikes near people on the footbridge Tired of the city council lying to the population as to where the increase in city services goes Most of the funds are misused and are not accounted for Utility affordability and cleanliness of city The recycling in Laramie is horrible! By not having options you are encouraging ruining the environment Water quality, access to mountains/outdoors Functionality of the University of Wyoming Without the UW, I would never consider living in Laramie at all We need some competitive services like lawn care Spring/fall cleaning When I first moved to Laramie, people in the neighborhood had lived here long-term and they watched out for everyone’s children and pets The WYSAC, University of Wyoming • • • City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 89 new people who have moved in are not very tolerant of the easy freedom and care we used to enjoy Some people don’t even want to say hello when we’re shoveling snow together It is just not the Wyoming way We were blessed by choosing to live in Laramie Wonderful place to raise our children Very satisfying employment When we first came, Laramie had a lot of department stores, we miss that We were not “out of town shoppers.” Winters are rough! However the beauty of summer is wonderful, temperatures are pleasant, I enjoy walking to see all the beauty Would like to know why high school kids get to take vehicles off campus during lunch hours Traffic is a mess WYSAC, University of Wyoming Appendix C Survey Instrument City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 90 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 91 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 92 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 93 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Appendix D Laramie Areas Map Areas for this map were defined by City officials, and the map was created by the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center The same map was used in the 2008, 2012, and 2015 City of Laramie survey 5e 94 ... reference: WYSAC (2019) , City of Laramie Community Survey © Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, 2019 WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Table of Contents Executive... for the allocation of available funds by 61% of Laramie residents WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 Background In fall 2018 the City of Laramie enlisted the... Negative 3% WYSAC, University of Wyoming City of Laramie Community Survey, 2019 13 In 2019 Ambulance service as provided by the City of Laramie is rated positively by 87% of Laramie residents (Figure