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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 02 Community Satisfaction Survey Report 2023 Page 1 of 2 REPORT TO MEASURE Z CITIZEN COMMITTEE To:Honorable Members of the Committee From:Jason Simpson, City Manager Prepared by:Shannon Buckley, Assistant City Manager Date:May 31, 2023 Subject:2023 Community Satisfaction Survey Report Recommendation Receive and file the 2023 Community Opinion Survey by True North Research, Inc. Background On December 8, 2022, the City entered into an agreement with True North Research to conduct a Community Opinion Survey. The survey aimed to understand residents’ satisfaction, priorities, and concerns related to services and facilities provided by the City. On February 6, 2023, the Measure Z Citizen Committee approved the proposed survey with some requested revisions. Upon consultation with True North Research, only one revision was made. The change is as follows: •Section 7 The City of Lake Elsinore has the financial resources to provide additional funding for some of the services, programs, and projects residents desire. Because these funds are limited, however, the City must set priorities. Discussion True North began collecting data on February 21, and the survey was conducted through mailed invitations, emailed invitations, texts, and phone calls. A total of 699 residents participated in the survey. The survey was designed to: •Profile residents’ perceptions of the quality of life in Lake Elsinore. •Identify aspects of the City that residents most want to preserve, as well as specific changes that would improve the quality of life in Lake Elsinore. 2023 Community Satisfaction Survey Report Page 2 of 2 •Measure residents’ overall satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services and their satisfaction with various specific services. •Gather opinions on public safety, homelessness, and future funding priorities. •Profile the sources residents rely upon for information about Lake Elsinore news, events, and programs, as well as their preferred means of receiving communications from the City. •Collect additional background and demographic data relevant to understanding residents’ perceptions, needs, and interests. •Develop and complete an oral presentation to the City Council of the essential findings and recommendations. Overall, the community was generally satisfied with the City and its services, with 60% indicating they were either very or somewhat satisfied with its efforts to provide municipal services, and 54% were satisfied with the quality of life. These numbers are down slightly from the previous survey conducted in 2016. True North will present a brief overview of the firm’s key findings and recommendations from the survey. A full Community Opinion Survey Summary Report of the results is also attached in Exhibit A. Ultimately, the City and staff will use the survey results and analysis presented in the Summary Report to make sound, strategic decisions in various areas, including prioritization, planning, performance measurement, policymaking, community engagement, and budgeting. The City plans to conduct regular surveys every few years to set measurable benchmarks, establish long- term strategic goals, and assess progress toward accomplishing these goals. Fiscal Impact There is no fiscal impact. Attachments Attachment 1 - 2023 Community Opinion Survey Report THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Table of ContentsiCity of Lake Elsinore True North Research, Inc. © 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T ABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii List of Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview of Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Year-to-Year Comparisons & Statistical Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Organization of Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 About True North. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Key Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Quality of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Overall Quality of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Question 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 What Should We Preserve? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Question 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 What Should We Change? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Question 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 City Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Overall Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Question 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Specific Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Question 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Differentiators of Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Public Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 How Safe is Lake Elsinore as a Place to Live?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Question 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Safety in Specific Scenarios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Question 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Homelessness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Has the Amount of Homeless People Changed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Question 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Support for Strategies to Address Homelessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Question 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Funding Priorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Question 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Satisfaction with City-Resident Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Question 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Information Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Question 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 City Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Question 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Communication Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Question 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Background & Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Questionnaire Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Programming, Pre-Test & Language Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Sample, Recruiting & Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Margin of Error due to Sampling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Table of ContentsiiCity of Lake Elsinore True North Research, Inc. © 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Processing & Weighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Rounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Questionnaire & Toplines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 List of TablesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 iiiCity of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L IST OF TABLES Table 1 Overall Rating of Lake Elsinore by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Table 2 Overall Rating of Lake Elsinore by Age (Showing % Excellent & Good) . . . . . . . . . . 11 Table 3 Overall Rating of Lake Elsinore by Years in Lake Elsinore, Child in Hsld & Home Ownership Status (Showing % Excellent & Good) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Table 4 Overall Rating of Lake Elsinore by Ethnicity & Gender (Showing % Excellent & Good) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Table 5 Like Most About Lake Elsinore, Want to Preserved by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Table 6 One Change to Improve City by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Table 7 Satisfaction With Services by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Table 8 Satisfaction With Services by Overall Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Table 9 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness by Opinion of Homeless Population in Past 3 Years & Overall Satisfaction (Showing % Strongly & Somewhat). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Table 10 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness by Age (Showing % Strongly & Somewhat). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Table 11 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness by Years in Lake Elsinore & Home Ownership Status (Showing % Strongly & Somewhat). . . . . . 27 Table 12 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness by Ethnicity (Showing % Strongly & Somewhat). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Table 13 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness by Opinion of City Safety, Child in Hsld & Gender (Showing % Strongly & Somewhat). . . . . . . . . . 27 Table 14 Spending Priorities by Age & Overall Satisfaction (Showing % High Priority) . . . . . . 29 Table 15 Spending Priorities by Years in Lake Elsinore, Child in Hsld & Home Ownership Status (Showing % High Priority). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Table 16 Spending Priorities by Ethnicity & Gender (Showing % High Priority). . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Table 17 City Information Sources by Study Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Table 18 Effectiveness of City-Resident Communication by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Table 19 Effectiveness of City-Resident Communication by Age & Overall Satisfaction (Showing % Very Effective). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Table 20 Effectiveness of City-Resident Communication by Ethnicity & Satisfaction With Communication (Showing % Very Effective) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Table 21 Demographics of Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 List of FiguresTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 ivCity of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L IST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Overall Rating of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 2 Like Most About Lake Elsinore, Want to Preserved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Figure 3 One Change to Improve City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 4 Overall Satisfaction by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Figure 5 Overall Satisfaction by Age & Years in Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Figure 6 Overall Satisfaction by Frequency of Hsld Lake Use, Child in Hsld, Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months & City Website Visit in Past 12 Months16 Figure 7 Overall Satisfaction by Ethnicity, Home Ownership Status & Gender . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Figure 8 Satisfaction With Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Figure 9 Opinion of City Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Figure 10 Opinion of City Safety by Age & Years in Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 11 Opinion of City Safety by Overall Satisfaction, Frequency of Hsld Lake Use, Child in Hsld & Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months21 Figure 12 Opinion of City Safety by Ethnicity, Home Ownership Status & Gender . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 13 Safety Ratings by Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 14 Safety Ratings by Scenario by Age & Overall Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Figure 15 Safety Ratings by Scenario by Years in Lake Elsinore, Child in Hsld & Home Ownership Status23 Figure 16 Safety Ratings by Scenario by Ethnicity & Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Figure 17 Opinion of Homeless Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Figure 18 Opinion of Homeless Population by Age & Years in Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Figure 19 Opinion of Homeless Population by Overall Satisfaction, Frequency of Hsld Lake Use, Child in Hsld & Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months25 Figure 20 Opinion of Homeless Population by Ethnicity, Home Ownership Status & Gender . 25 Figure 21 Support of Several Strategies for Addressing Homelessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Figure 22 Spending Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Figure 23 Satisfaction With Communication by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Figure 24 Satisfaction With Communication by Age & Years in Lake Elsinore. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Figure 25 Satisfaction With Communication by Frequency of Hsld Lake Use, Child in Hsld, Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months & Overall Satisfaction31 Figure 26 Satisfaction With Communication by Ethnicity, Home Ownership Status & Gender. 31 Figure 27 City Information Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Figure 28 City Website Visit in Past 12 Months by Study Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Figure 29 City Website Visit in Past 12 Months by Age & Years in Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . 34 Figure 30 City Website Visit in Past 12 Months by Frequency of Hsld Lake Use, Chid in Hsld, Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months & Satisfaction With Communication34 Figure 31 City Website Visit in Past 12 Months by Ethnicity, Home Ownership Status, Gender & Overall Satisfaction34 Figure 32 Effectiveness of City-Resident Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Figure 33 Maximum Margin of Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 IntroductionTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 1City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I NTRODUCTION Nestled against the beautiful Ortega Mountains, the City of Lake Elsinore was founded in 1883, incorporated as a general law city in 1888, and is currently home to an estimated 71,615 resi- dents.1 With a historic downtown area, multiple parks and recreation amenities, and southern California’s largest natural freshwater lake, the City’s vision is to be the ultimate destination where residents and visitors can live, work, play, build futures, and fulfill dreams. As part of its commitment to provide high quality services and responsive local governance, the City of Lake Elsinore engages its residents on a daily basis and receives regular feedback on issue, policy, and performance matters. Although these informal feedback mechanisms are valu- able sources of information for the City in that they provide timely and accurate information about the opinions of specific residents, they do not necessarily provide an accurate picture of the community as a whole. Informal feedback mechanisms typically rely on the resident to initi- ate the feedback, which creates a self-selection bias. The City receives feedback from only those residents motivated enough to initiate the feedback process. Because these residents tend to be those who are either very pleased or very displeased regarding a particular topic, their collective opinions are not necessarily representative of the City’s resident population as a whole. PURPOSE OF STUDY The motivation for the current study was to design and employ a methodology that would avoid the self-selection bias noted above and provide the City with a statistically reliable understanding of its residents’ satisfaction, priorities, and concerns as they relate to services and facilities provided by the City. Ultimately, the survey results and analyses presented in this report will provide Council and staff with information that can be used to make sound, strategic decisions in a variety of areas, including service improvements and enhance- ments, measuring and tracking internal performance, budgeting, policy, and planning. To assist in this effort, the City selected True North Research to design the research plan and conduct the study. Broadly defined, the study was designed to: • Profile residents’ perceptions of the quality of life in Lake Elsinore. • Identify aspects of the City that residents most want to preserve, as well as specific changes that would improve the quality of life in Lake Elsinore. • Measure residents’ overall satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services, and their satisfaction with a variety of specific services. • Gather opinions on select topics including public safety, homelessness, and future funding priorities. • Profile the sources residents rely upon for information about Lake Elsinore news, events, and programs, as well as their preferred means of receiving communications from the City. • Collect additional background and demographic data relevant to understanding residents’ perceptions, needs, and interests. 1. Source: State of California, Department of Finance, E-1City/County Population Estimates, January 2022. IntroductionTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 2City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY A full description of the methodology used for this study is included later in this report (see Methodology on page 38). In brief, the survey was administered to a random sample of 699 adults who reside within the City of Lake Elsinore. The survey followed a mixed-method design that employed multiple recruiting methods (email, text, and phone) and multiple data collection methods (phone and online). Administered in English and Spanish between February 21 and February 26, 2023, the average interview lasted 18 min- utes. YEAR-TO-YEAR COMPARISONS & STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE This is not the first statistically reliable community survey conducted for the City of Lake Elsinore. A similar study was conducted by True North for the City in 2016. Because of the interest in tracking the City’s performance over time, many figures and tables in this report present the results of ques- tions asked in 2023 alongside the results found in the 2016 survey for identical questions. In such cases, True North conducted the appropriate tests of statistical significance to identify changes that likely reflect actual changes in public opinion between the prior survey (2016) and the current survey (2023)—as opposed to being due to chance associated with independently selected samples. Differences between the two studies are identified as statistically significant if we can be 95% confident that the differences reflect an actual change in public opinion between the two studies. Statistically significant differences within response categories over time are denoted by the † symbol which appears in the figure next to the appropriate response value for 2023. ORGANIZATION OF REPORT This report is designed to meet the needs of readers who prefer a summary of the findings as well as those who are interested in the details of the results. For those who seek an overview of the findings, the section titled Key Findings is for you. It pro- vides a summary of the most important factual findings of the survey in a Question & Answer for- mat. For the interested reader, this section is followed by a more detailed question-by-question discussion of the results from the survey by topic area (see Table of Contents), as well as a description of the methodology employed for collecting and analyzing the data. And, for the truly ambitious reader, the questionnaire used for the interviews is contained at the back of this report (see Questionnaire & Toplines on page 41), and a complete set of crosstabulations for the survey results is contained in Appendix A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS True North thanks the City of Lake Elsinore for the opportunity to conduct the study and for contributing valuable input during the design stage of this study. The collective experience, insight, and local knowledge provided by city representatives and staff improved the overall quality of the research presented here. DISCLAIMER The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the authors (Dr. Timothy McLarney and Richard Sarles) at True North and not necessarily those of the City of Lake Elsinore. Any errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors. ABOUT TRUE NORTH True North is a full-service survey research firm that is dedicated to providing public agencies with a clear understanding of the values, perceptions, priorities, and concerns of their residents and customers. Through designing and implementing scientific sur- veys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews, as well as expert interpretation of the findings, IntroductionTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 3City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . True North helps its clients to move with confidence when making strategic decisions in a variety of areas—such as planning, policy evaluation, performance management, establishing fiscal pri- orities, passing revenue measures, and developing effective public information campaigns. During their careers, Dr. McLarney (President) and Mr. Sarles (Principal Researcher) have designed and conducted over 1,200 survey research studies for public agencies—including more than 400 studies for California municipalities and special districts. Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 4City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K EY FINDINGS As noted in the Introduction, this study was designed to provide the City of Lake Elsinore with a statistically reliable understanding of its residents’ opinions, satisfaction, and priorities as they relate to services, facilities, and policies provided by the City. As such, the findings of this study can provide the City with information needed to make sound, strategic decisions in a variety of areas including performance management, planning, establishing budget priorities, and commu- nity engagement. Whereas subsequent sections of this report are devoted to conveying the detailed results of the survey, in this section we attempt to ‘see the forest through the trees’ and note how the survey results answer key questions that motivated the research. The following conclusions are based on True North’s interpretations of the results, as well as the firm’s experience conducting similar studies for government agencies throughout the State. Have residents’ opin- ions been impacted by the pandemic? The past few years leading up to the 2023 Community Opinion Survey were punctuated by difficult and dramatic events in Lake Elsinore. The coronavirus pandemic that arrived in early 2020 has taken lives, threat- ened livelihoods, and forced dramatic changes in the way residents live, work, socialize, and play. Non-essential businesses were shuttered for weeks or months at a time to curb the spread of COVID-19, and the City’s operations were also adjusted to protect public health and adhere to State and County guidelines. Services that could be effectively moved to an online format were able to continue in that form, whereas other programs and services were modified, curtailed, or canceled to protect the safety of the public and city employees. Many city facilities were also closed periodically to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including City Hall. Of course, the pandemic was not the only challenge during this period. The killing of George Floyd in May 2020 during an arrest in Minneapolis sparked outrage, prompted thousands of protests across the nation, and prompted a national discussion about structural racism and calls for social justice reforms. On the economic front, inflation reached a 40-year high in 2022, supply chain issues and product shortages from COVID closures persisted, the stock market declined significantly, and both the cost of housing and the cost of borrowing for a mortgage trended upward. Environmental factors have also conspired to make this a diffi- cult period, as severe drought, heat waves, and wild fires impacted many aspects of our lives, such as the cost of utilities, the availability and cost of home insurance, and the quality of the air we breathe. These events form the backdrop necessary for understanding and inter- preting the results of the 2023 Community Opinion Survey. Although the majority of Lake Elsinore residents continue to have positive opinions of the overall quality of life in the City and are satisfied with the City’s over- all performance in providing municipal services, many of the metrics Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 5City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tracked in the survey were understandably lower in 2023 when com- pared to the 2016 survey. How well is the City per- forming in meeting the needs of Lake Elsinore residents? Lake Elsinore residents continue to be generally satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services and facilities. Indeed, six-in-ten Lake Elsinore residents (60%) indicated they were either very (13%) or somewhat (47%) satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal ser- vices (down from 65% in 2016). Approximately three-in-ten (29%) were very or somewhat dissatisfied, whereas the remaining 11% were unsure or did not provide a response. The majority of residents were also satisfied with 12 of the 19 specific services when asked to comment on the City’s performance in each area, with the highest satisfaction scores assigned to the City’s efforts to pro- vide fire protection, prevention, and emergency medical services (81% very or somewhat satisfied), provide special events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks show and summer nights in the park (80%), provide parks, sports fields, and recreation facilities (78%), provide police services (71%), and provide for diversity and inclusion within city events, services, programs, and policies (70%). Satisfaction with specific services trended downward from 2016 to 2023, with statistically significant declines in resident satisfaction recorded for 10 of the 14 services tested in both studies. The largest declines were evidenced for maintaining a low crime rate (-19%) and promoting eco- nomic development to stimulate the local economy (-13%). How do residents rate Lake Elsinore as a place to live, work, and raise a family? The majority (54%) of residents shared positive views of the quality of life in Lake Elsinore, with 9% describing it as excellent and 46% rating it as good (-8% from 2016). Positive assessments of the quality of life in Lake Elsinore varied across subgroups, ranging between 46% and 73%. Most notable was the strong, positive relationship between favorable assess- ments of the overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore and age, such that rat- ings of excellent and good increased as the age of the respondent increased. Residents expressed nuanced opinions about Lake Elsinore when asked to rate the City as a place to raise a family, work, shop and dine, and retire. As a place to raise a family, residents were generally positive— with close to the majority (46%) using excellent or good to describe Lake Elsinore in this regard (-12% from 2016). Residents expressed somewhat softer opinions (34%) regarding Lake Elsinore as a place to retire (-13% from 2016), while just 18% used excellent or good to describe Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine and work (although it should be noted that an additional 18% of respondents held no opinion or did not provide a rating for Lake Elsinore as a place to work). Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 6City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where should the City focus its efforts in the future? In addition to measuring the City’s current performance, a key goal of this study is to look forward and identify opportunities to adjust ser- vices, improve facilities, and/or refine communications strategies to best meet the community’s evolving needs and expectations. Although resi- dents are generally satisfied with the City’s performance, there is always room for improvement. Below we note some of the areas that present the best opportunities in this regard. Considering respondents’ verbatim answers regarding what they most want to preserve about Lake Elsinore in the future (see What Should We Preserve? on page 11), what city government could do to make Lake Elsinore a better place to live (see What Should We Change? on page 13), the list of services and their respective satisfaction levels (see Specific Services on page 17), and the greatest differentiators in opinion for the specific services between satisfied and dissatisfied residents (see Differ- entiators of Opinion on page 18), the topics of addressing homelessness and poverty-related issues, protecting the lake’s appearance/environ- mental health/cleanliness, jobs creation, economic development, and public safety stood out in the survey as being key areas of opportunity and interest for Lake Elsinore residents. Additional opportunities for aligning the City’s future investments with residents’ priorities were also found in the survey (see Funding Priorities on page 28). When asked to prioritize among a long list of potential proj- ects and programs that could receive additional funding in the future, residents were most supportive of providing quick responses to 911 emergencies (93% high or medium priority), addressing homelessness (91%), and fixing streets and repairing potholes (90%). It is worth noting that nine of the eleven projects tested were viewed as at least a medium priority by three-quarters of residents, and the majority of residents con- sidered eight of those projects a high priority. With the recommendation that the City focus on these areas, it is equally important to stress that when it comes to improving satisfaction in ser- vice areas, the appropriate strategy is often a combination of better com- munication and actual service improvements. It may be, for example, that many residents are simply not aware of the City’s ongoing infra- structure improvement efforts or the limits of what a city can do to address homelessness. Choosing the appropriate balance of actual ser- vice improvements and efforts to raise awareness on these matters will be a key to maintaining and improving the community’s overall satisfac- tion in the short- and long-term. Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 7City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Do residents perceive homelessness to be a growing problem in Lake Elsinore, and which strategies do they sup- port for addressing homelessness? The results of the survey make it clear that homelessness is a top-of- mind concern for many Lake Elsinore residents, and it is an issue that has grown in importance since the last survey in 2016. When asked in an open-ended manner what change the City could make to improve the quality of life in Lake Elsinore, addressing homelessness/ poverty-related issues was the most common response in 2023 (21%), followed by providing more high-end restaurants and shops (18%), improving public safety (15%), improving infrastructure, streets, and roads (9%), and improving the environmental condition and cleanliness of the lake (8%). When the same question was asked of residents in 2016, the corresponding percentage of respondents who mentioned addressing homelessness/poverty was just 9%. Additionally, when pre- sented with a list of 19 specific services, residents expressed the lowest levels of satisfaction with the City’s efforts to address homelessness (27% very or somewhat satisfied), and they also considered addressing homelessness to be a top priority for additional funding (91% high or medium priority). The increased saliency of homelessness as an issue is a direct reflection of what most residents perceive to be a growing problem in the City. When asked whether they thought the amount of homeless people in Lake Elsinore had increased, decreased, or stayed about the same during the prior three year period, close to half (45%) of respondents indicated the number had increased, whereas a third (33%) perceived it to be about the same. Fifteen percent (15%) felt that the homeless population in Lake Elsinore has decreased during this period, while an additional 8% were unsure or preferred to not answer the question. The majority of residents indicated support for each of the eight strate- gies presented that could be used to address homelessness in the City. Residents expressed the most widespread support for providing funding for mental health services (85% strongly or somewhat support), enhanc- ing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep (85%), joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters (85%), and providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction (81%). Moreover, between 55% and 64% of respondents indicated they strongly supported each of those four strategies to address homelessness. How well is the City com- municating with Lake Elsinore residents, and what are some of the main challenges? The importance of city communication with residents cannot be over- stated. Much of a city’s success is shaped by the quality of information that is exchanged in both directions, from the City to the community and from the community to the City. This study is just one example of Lake Elsinore’s efforts to enhance the information flow to the City to better understand the community’s concerns, perceptions, and needs. Some of Lake Elsinore’s many efforts to communicate with its residents include Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 8City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . its YouTube channel, newsletters, emails, timely press releases, social media, and its website. Keeping up with the challenge of communicating with residents has been difficult for many public agencies in recent years. As the number of information sources and channels available to the public have dramati- cally increased, so too has the diversity in where residents regularly turn for their information. Not only have entirely new channels arisen to become mainstream and nearly ubiquitous (e.g., social media), within these channels there exists a proliferation of alternative services. To add to the challenge, residents’ preferences for information sources are also dynamic, subject to change as new services are made available while oth- ers may fade in popularity, making thorough, effective communication a moving target for public agencies. The present survey provides positive news with respect to city-resident communication. Residents’ satisfaction with the City’s efforts to commu- nicate with them improved significantly from 2016 to 2023 (+11% over- all), driven by an increase in the percentage somewhat satisfied (+13%) and declines in the percentage somewhat dissatisfied (-7%) and very dis- satisfied (-5%). Overall, 68% of respondents indicated they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with residents through the media, the Internet, television, social media, and other means, whereas 23% were dissatisfied and 9% were unsure or unwilling to answer the ques- tion. The most frequently-cited source for Lake Elsinore news, events, and programming was by far social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (54%), followed by the City’s website (28%), the Patch (20%), the Internet in general (19%), email notices from the City (15%), and Nextdoor (15%). From 2016 to 2023, social media remained the top source of local information, while the City’s website and the Internet in general also retained their top-five status during this period. Moving into the top group in 2023 were the Patch and email notices from the City. Looking forward, the 2023 survey does provide some guidance as to the most effective ways that the City can communicate with residents, as well as how preferred methods of communication may vary based on fac- tors such as age, ethnicity, and satisfaction with the City’s performance (see Communication Preferences on page 35). Overall, respondents indicated that email and a smart phone application were the most effective methods (each 86% very or somewhat effective), followed by the City’s website (82%) and text messages (80%). From 2016 to 2023, statistically significant increases were recorded for Insta- gram (+20%), Twitter (+13%), electronic newsletters (+6%), and email (+5%) as effective ways for the City to communicate with residents, Key FindingsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 9City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . whereas declines were noted for materials mailed directly to households (-9%) and the City’s website (-5%). It is important to recognize that the challenges associated with city-resi- dent communication will continue to change (and may continue to grow) as secondary sources proliferate and technology changes. To stay ahead of the curve, Lake Elsinore, like other cities, should periodically conduct a careful review of its communications strategies and budget to ensure that both are evolving accordingly. Quality of LifeTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 10City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q UALITY OF LIFE The opening series of questions in the survey was designed to assess residents’ top of mind per- ceptions about the quality of life in Lake Elsinore, what they would most like to preserve about the City, as well as ways to improve the quality of life—now and in the future. OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE At the outset of the interview, respondents were asked to rate the City of Lake Elsinore on a number of key dimensions—including overall quality of life, as a place to raise a family, and as a place to work—using a five-point scale of excellent, good, fair, poor, or very poor. As shown in Figure 1 below, residents provided the most positive ratings for the overall quality of life in the City (54% excellent or good) and Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family (46%). The ratings of Lake Elsinore as a place to retire were somewhat softer (34%), whereas just 18% used excellent or good to describe Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine and as a place to work. It should be noted that an additional 18% of respondents held no opinion or did not provide a rating for Lake Elsinore as a place to work. Table 1 displays the percentage of respondents who rated each dimension as excellent or good in 2016 and 2023, and shows that there were statistically significant declines in three of the four areas assessed in both surveys. Question 2 How would you rate: _____? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? FIGURE 1 OVERALL RATING OF LAKE ELSINORE TABLE 1 OVERALL RATING OF LAKE ELSINORE BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. 8.5 10.2 9.2 45.6 35.4 24.9 14.7 14.5 37.8 36.1 31.4 35.8 21.7 0 3 13.6 3.1 26.7 14.6 10.8 6.6 25.5 17.5 1 4 11.4 18.6 8.5 17.8 0 102030405060708090100 The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family Lake Elsinore as a place to retire Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine Lake Elsinore as a place to workQ2aQ2bQ2cQ2eQ2d % Respondents Excellent Good Fair Poor Very poor Not sure 2023 2016 Lake Elsinore as a place to work 17.6 21.7 -4.1 The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore 54.1 62.0 -7.9† Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family 45.5 57.5 -12.0† Lake Elsinore as a place to retire 34.2 46.7 -12.5† Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine 18.3 N/A N/A Study Year Change in % Excellent + Good 2016 to 2023 Quality of LifeTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 11City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tables 2-4 show how ratings of excellent or good for each dimension varied by age, years in Lake Elsinore, presence of a child in the home, home ownership status, ethnicity, and gender. Of note is the strong, positive relationship between favorable assessments of the overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore and age, such that ratings increased as the age of the respondent increased. Addi- tionally, residents who have lived in Lake Elsinore at least ten years, home owners, African-Amer- ican/Black respondents, and men were more likely to provide a positive rating for the quality of life than their subgroup counterparts. Other standouts include higher than average ratings for Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family among residents 45 to 54 years of age and 65 and older, home owners, and African-American/ Black and Asian respondents. As might be expected, residents 65 years and older were more likely to rate Lake Elsinore as an excellent or good place to retire than their younger counter- parts. Residents 18 to 24 years of age, renters, and long-time residents (15 years or more) pro- vided higher than average ratings for Lake Elsinore as a place to work, while long-time residents also provided high ratings for Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine. TABLE 2 OVERALL RATING OF LAKE ELSINORE BY AGE (SHOWING % EXCELLENT & GOOD) TABLE 3 OVERALL RATING OF LAKE ELSINORE BY YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE, CHILD IN HSLD & HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS (SHOWING % EXCELLENT & GOOD) TABLE 4 OVERALL RATING OF LAKE ELSINORE BY ETHNICITY & GENDER (SHOWING % EXCELLENT & GOOD) WHAT SHOULD WE PRESERVE? The next question in this series asked residents to iden- tify what they value most about Lake Elsinore that should be preserved in the future. This ques- tion was posed in an open-ended manner, thereby allowing residents to mention any aspect or attribute that came to mind without being prompted by—or restricted to—a particular list of options. True North later reviewed the verbatim responses and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 2 on the next page. Approximately one-in-five respondents (22%) was unsure or unable to offer a specific aspect of Lake Elsinore that the city government should make sure to preserve in the future. Among the 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore 46.0 48.5 53.0 57.7 61.5 63.6 Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family 40.6 38.6 45.7 53.3 46.0 51.0 Lake Elsinore as a place to retire 39.7 27.9 24.4 34.8 40.8 51.3 Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine 27.0 17.8 14.1 14.8 21.2 23.1 Lake Elsinore as a place to work 39.1 17.0 12.1 13.3 16.6 19.5 Age (QD2) Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Yes No Own Rent The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore 50.6 50.6 55.7 59.8 52.6 56.8 56.7 48.2 Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family 44.2 42.6 47.4 48.4 47.5 44.5 48.0 37.8 Lake Elsinore as a place to retire 31.9 31.8 33.8 38.9 30.2 38.4 34.0 32.5 Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine 18.6 15.3 12.9 24.4 15.9 21.1 18.5 18.7 Lake Elsinore as a place to work 17.3 12.0 16.1 24.1 16.3 19.3 15.1 23.2 Home Ownership Status (QD6)Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1) Child in Hsld (QD3) Caucasian/ White Latino/ Hispanic African- American/ Black Asian Mixed/ Other Male Female The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore 55.5 50.6 73.2 55.6 56.7 57.5 52.7 Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family 39.5 46.3 65.2 54.5 45.7 46.9 45.3 Lake Elsinore as a place to retire 28.2 38.4 41.6 40.8 25.5 36.6 33.4 Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine 17.3 20.0 26.0 22.8 6.7 19.0 18.9 Lake Elsinore as a place to work 18.9 19.7 17.1 5.4 13.6 20.2 15.8 Ethnicity (QD8) Gender Quality of LifeTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 12City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . specific suggestions that were offered, protecting the lake’s appearance/environmental health/ cleanliness (24%) was the most common, followed by preserving land and open spaces (15%), preserving parks, recreation areas, and trails (10%), and maintaining public safety and the police station (7%). Question 3 What do you like most about Lake Elsinore that the city government should make sure to preserve in the future? FIGURE 2 LIKE MOST ABOUT LAKE ELSINORE, WANT TO PRESERVED TABLE 5 LIKE MOST ABOUT LAKE ELSINORE, WANT TO PRESERVED BY STUDY YEAR Table 5 presents the top five responses to this question in 2016 and 2023. Protecting the lake’s appearance/envi- ronmental health/cleanliness topped the list in both stud- ies. Overall, four of the top five most-liked attributes remained the same during this period (although the order shifted somewhat). 23.8 22.3 14.7 9.9 6.8 6.3 6.1 5.7 4.1 3.3 3.0 2.8 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.6 2.8 3.8 0 5 10 15 20 25 Lake appearance, environmental preservation, cleanliness Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific Open spaces, preservation of land Parks, rec areas, trails Police station, public safety Events, activities, extreme sports Family-oriented, quiet, friendly community Small town feeling Main Street, downtown area Restaurants, shopping Low population, not overcrowded Preserve Storm Stadium Infrastructure Address homelessness Motocross track and skydive Low Traffic City development, progression Low taxes, cost of living, balanced budget Historical places, landmarks, churches Affordable housing, home prices % Respondents 2023 2016 Lake appearance, environmental preservation, cleanliness Lake appearance, environmental preservation, cleanliness Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific Open spaces, preservation of land Parks, rec areas, trails Parks, rec areas, trails Family-oriented, quiet, friendly community Police station, public safety Open spaces, preservation of land Study Year Quality of LifeTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 13City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WHAT SHOULD WE CHANGE? In an open-ended manner similar to that described above for Question 3, all respondents were also asked to indicate the one thing that city government could change to make Lake Elsinore a better place to live. True North reviewed the verbatim responses to Question 4 and grouped them into the categories shown in Figure 3 below. Overall, the most common responses to this question were to address homelessness and pov- erty-related issues in the City (21%), provide more high-end restaurants and shops (18%), improve public safety (15%), improve infrastructure, streets, and roads (9%), and improve the environmental condition and cleanliness of the lake (8%). Question 4 If the city government could change one thing to make Lake Elsinore a better place to live, what change would you like to see? FIGURE 3 ONE CHANGE TO IMPROVE CITY Table 6 on the next page provides the top five responses to Question 4 by study year and reveals that four desired changes remained in the top five from 2016 to 2023. Addressing homelessness and poverty-related issues (previously in sixth place) moved into the top spot in 2023. 21.4 18.2 14.6 8.5 8.1 6.9 6.7 6.5 5.3 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.1 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8 3.7 4.6 1.8 0 5 10 15 20 25 Address homelessness, poverty issues Provide more high-end restaurants, shops Improve public safety Improve infrastructure, street, roads Improve lake environmental preservation, water cleanliness Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific Bring business to vacant buildings, outlet mall Beautify City, cleanliness, landscaping Improve economy, jobs Reduce traffic congestion Increase police presence, provide own police Provide sidewalks, bike paths Reduce taxes, fees Improve schools, education Provide affordable housing Limit growth, development Improve, enforce regulations, codes Improve city planning Enforce traffic laws Provide more entertainment, events Improve parks, recreation trails Provide more street lighting No changes needed / Everything is okay Improve activities, programs for youth, families Provide more nightlife entertainment % Respondents Quality of LifeTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 14City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TABLE 6 ONE CHANGE TO IMPROVE CITY BY STUDY YEAR 2023 2016 Address homelessness, poverty issues Improve lake environmental preservation, water cleanliness Provide more high-end restaurants, shops Improve infrastructure, street, roads Improve public safety Provide more high-end restaurants, shops Improve infrastructure, street, roads Improve public safety Improve lake environmental preservation, water cleanliness Improve economy, jobs Study Year City ServicesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 15City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C ITY SERVICES After measuring respondents’ perceptions about the quality of life in Lake Elsinore, what they like most about the City, and what they would like to see changed, the survey next turned to assessing their opinions about the City’s performance in providing municipal services. OVERALL SATISFACTION The first question in this series asked respondents to indicate if, overall, they were satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Elsinore is doing to pro- vide city services. Because this question does not reference a specific program, facility, or service and requested that the respondent consider the City’s performance in general, the findings of this question may be regarded as an overall performance rating for the City. As shown in Figure 4, six-in-ten Lake Elsinore residents (60%) indicated they were either very (13%) or somewhat (47%) satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services. Approxi- mately three-in-ten (29%) were very or somewhat dissatisfied, whereas the remaining 11% were unsure or did not provide a response. Satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide municipal services trended downward from 2016 to 2023, driven by a statistically significant decline in the percentage very satisfied (-7%). Question 5 Next, I would like to ask a series of questions about services provided by the City of Lake Elsinore. Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Elsinore is doing to provide city services? FIGURE 4 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. Figures 5-7 on the next page display the percentage of respondents who were satisfied with the City’s performance by a variety of demographic subgroups. Among those with an opinion, satis- faction with the City’s performance was fairly consistent across subgroups, ranging between 63% and 76%. 19.3 46.1 16.6 9.9 7.6 10.5 9.6 12.8† 47.1 19.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2023 2016% RespondentsPrefer not to answer Not sure Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied City ServicesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 16City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 5 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY AGE & YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE FIGURE 6 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY FREQUENCY OF HSLD LAKE USE, CHILD IN HSLD, HSLD REC USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS & CITY WEBSITE VISIT IN PAST 12 MONTHS FIGURE 7 OVERALL SATISFACTION BY ETHNICITY, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS & GENDER 11.1 18.7 17.8 11.0 18.0 12.2 57.8 47.3 49.7 51.7 54.6 55.2 Very satisfied 10.5 17.9 15.0 13.9 Smwt satisfied 61.0 49.2 57.248.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Age (QD2) Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1)% Respondents Who Provided Opinion16.8 16.2 13.1 16.2 12.9 54.8 56.8 49.5 48.7 55.7 12.313.116.2 Very satisfied 16.2 57.1 49.5 50.9 Smwt satisfied 54.2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 At least 1x per month Less than 1x per month Not in past six months Yes No Yes No Yes No Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) Child in Hsld (QD3) Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4) City Website Visit in Past 12 Months (Q14)% Respondents Who Provided Opinion9.0 15.4 13.2 18.2 11.0 66.8 51.0 57.4 54.1 51.6 Very satisfied 14.3 15.9 16.8 9.5 Smwt satisfied 53.0 53.8 55.851.3 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic African- American / Black Asian Mixed / Other Own Rent Male Female Ethnicity (QD8) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Gender% Respondents Who Provided Opinion City ServicesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 17City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPECIFIC SERVICES Whereas Question 5 addressed the City’s overall performance in pro- viding municipal services, Question 6 asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide each of the specific services shown in Figure 8. For comparison purposes between the services, only respondents who held an opinion (either satisfied or dissatisfied) are included in the figure. Those who did not have an opinion were removed from this analysis. The percentage of respondents who provided an opinion (either satisfied or dissatisfied) is presented in brackets beside the service label in the figure, while the bars represent the answers of those with an opinion. Thus, for example, of the 91% of respondents who expressed an opinion regarding the City’s efforts to provide fire protection, prevention, and emergency medical ser- vices, 32% indicated they were very satisfied and 49% offered that they were somewhat satisfied. At the top of the list, respondents were most satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide fire pro- tection, prevention, and emergency medical services (81% very or somewhat satisfied), followed by provide special events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks show and summer nights in the park (80%), provide parks, sports fields, and recreation facilities (78%), provide police services (71%), and provide for diversity and inclusion within city events, services, programs, and policies (70%). At the other end of the spectrum, respondents were generally less satisfied with the City’s efforts to address homelessness (27%) and promote jobs development in the City (37%). Question 6 For each of the services I read, I'd like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City is doing to provide the service. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? FIGURE 8 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES Satisfaction trended downward from 2016 to 2023, with statistically significant declines in resi- dent satisfaction for 10 of the services tested in both studies (see Table 7 on next page). The largest declines were evidenced for maintaining a low crime rate (-19%) and promoting economic development to stimulate the local economy (-13%). 32.2 33.1 29.6 24.0 24.5 22.5 19.5 18.6 17.9 14.8 13.9 13.7 10.5 11.5 9.9 10.5 11.1 8.1 7.5 49.2 46.7 48.5 47.4 45.8 45.6 45.7 45.3 42.3 39.0 37.6 37.3 35.4 34.2 35.3 33.5 30.6 28.9 19.0 10.3 15.4 14.9 15.4 17.7 18.1 20.1 23.5 28.6 26.3 29.6 29.1 30.6 33.8 29.5 8.3 4.8 7.0 13.2 12.0 12.5 25.5 28.0 25.2 26.9 27.7 29.1 44.1 22.8 27.8 26.6 26.0 17.0 18.3 22.0 23.0 13.8 14.7 0 102030405060708090100 Provide fire protection, prevention and emergency medical services [91%] Provide special events, such as 4th of July fireworks show, summer nights in park [90%] Provide parks, sports fields and recreation facilities [97%] Provide police services [94%] Provide for diversity, inclusion within City events, services, programs, policies [71%] Remove graffiti [93%] Keep public buildings, parks and facilities clean and attractive [97%] Prepare the City for emergencies [75%] Provide a variety of recreation programs for all ages [80%] Promote Lake Elsinore as a recreational destination [89%] Clean up litter, trash that people dump along streets, sidewalks, public areas [98%] Maintain local streets and roads [99%] Manage traffic congestion on city streets [99%] Manage and maintain the Lake and city beaches [91%] Facilitate the development of affordable housing [78%] Maintain a low crime rate [95%] Promote economic development to stimulate the local economy [87%] Promote jobs development in the city [81%] Address homelessness [93%] % Respondents Who Provided Opinion Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied City ServicesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 18City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TABLE 7 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. DIFFERENTIATORS OF OPINION Table 8 on the next page displays how the level of sat- isfaction with each specific service tested in Question 6 varied according to residents’ overall performance ratings for the City (see Overall Satisfaction on page 15). The table divides resi- dents who were satisfied with the City’s overall performance into one group and those dissatis- fied into a second group. Also displayed is the difference between the two groups in terms of the percentage who indicated they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to provide each service tested in Question 6 (far right column). For convenience, the services are sorted by that differ- ence, with the greatest differentiators of opinion near the top of the table. When compared with their counterparts, residents satisfied with the City’s overall performance in providing city services were also more likely to express satisfaction with the City’s efforts to provide each of the services tested in Question 6. That said, the greatest specific differentiators of opinion between satisfied and dissatisfied residents were found with respect to the City’s efforts to prepare the City for emergencies, promote economic development to stimulate the local economy, and keep public buildings, parks, and facilities clean and attractive. At the other end of the spectrum, there was much less difference between the two resident groups regarding their satisfaction with the City’s efforts address homelessness, manage traffic congestion on city streets, and provide special events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks show and summer nights in the park. 2023 2016 Maintain local streets and roads 51.0 54.2 -3.1 Manage traffic congestion on city streets 45.9 49.2 -3.3 Provide special events, such as 4th of July fireworks show, summer nights in park 79.8 83.7 -4.0 Manage and maintain the Lake and city beaches 45.7 50.3 -4.6 Provide parks, sports fields and recreation facilities 78.1 84.3 -6.2† Provide police services 71.4 78.4 -6.9† Provide fire protection, prevention and emergency medical services 81.5 89.5 -8.0† Keep public buildings, parks and facilities clean and attractive 65.2 73.8 -8.6† Promote jobs development in the City 37.1 47.0 -9.9† Prepare the City for emergencies 64.0 74.5 -10.5† Provide a variety of recreation programs for all ages 60.1 71.4 -11.2† Promote Lake Elsinore as a recreational destination 53.9 65.4 -11.5† Promote economic development to stimulate the local economy 41.7 54.7 -13.0† Maintain a low crime rate 44.0 62.9 -19.0† Provide for diversity and inclusion within city events, services, programs, policies 70.3 N/A N/A Remove graffiti 68.2 N/A N/A Clean up litter, trash that people dump along streets, sidewalks, public areas 51.5 N/A N/A Facilitate the development of affordable housing 45.2 N/A N/A Address homelessness 26.5 N/A N/A Study Year Change in Satisfaction 2016 to 2023 City ServicesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 19City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TABLE 8 SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES BY OVERALL SATISFACTION Very or somewhat satisfied Very or somewhat dissatisfied Prepare the City for emergencies 79.8 34.3 45.5 Promote economic development to stimulate the local economy 57.0 14.3 42.7 Keep public buildings, parks and facilities clean and attractive 79.7 39.1 40.5 Clean up litter, trash that people dump along streets, sidewalks, public areas 65.2 25.5 39.8 Maintain a low crime rate 56.9 18.8 38.1 Promote Lake Elsinore as a recreational destination 66.7 29.1 37.6 Maintain local streets and roads 63.2 25.7 37.5 Promote jobs development in the City 51.2 13.8 37.5 Provide for diversity, inclusion within city events, services, programs, policies 82.4 46.7 35.7 Provide a variety of recreation programs for all ages 73.6 38.1 35.5 Provide police services 83.0 48.3 34.7 Provide parks, sports fields and recreation facilities 89.3 54.8 34.5 Manage and maintain the Lake and city beaches 57.9 24.0 33.8 Remove graffiti 79.5 47.2 32.3 Facilitate the development of affordable housing 57.7 25.5 32.1 Provide fire protection, prevention and emergency medical services 91.9 60.8 31.1 Provide special events, such as 4th of July fireworks show, summer nights in park 88.6 60.3 28.3 Manage traffic congestion on city streets 56.2 28.7 27.5 Address homelessness 35.3 11.8 23.5 Satisfaction With City's Overall Performance (Q5) Difference Between Groups For Each Service % Respondents Satisfied With Each Service Public SafetyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 20City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P UBLIC SAFETY Ensuring the personal safety of residents is the most basic function of local government. It is important to keep in mind, of course, that public safety is as much a matter of perceptions as it is a matter of reality. Regardless of actual crime statistics, if residents don’t feel safe then they will not enjoy the many cultural, recreational, and shopping opportunities available in the City of Lake Elsinore that will enhance their quality of life. Accordingly, the 2023 survey included ques- tions related to how safe residents feel in a variety of situations. HOW SAFE IS LAKE ELSINORE AS A PLACE TO LIVE? The first question in this series asked respondents to rate the overall safety of Lake Elsinore as a place to live. Approxi- mately two-thirds (66%) of residents rated Lake Elsinore as either a very safe (12%) or somewhat safe (54%) place to live, with the remainder viewing the City as somewhat unsafe (27%), very unsafe (6%), or were unsure (1%). Question 7 Overall, how safe is Lake Elsinore as a place to live? Would you say it is very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe? FIGURE 9 OPINION OF CITY SAFETY Figures 10-12 on the next page show how residents’ assessments of safety within Lake Elsinore varied across subgroups. With the exception of the subgroup of residents who were dissatisfied with the job the City is doing to provide services in general, the majority of respondents in every subgroup rated Lake Elsinore as a safe place to live (ranging from 58% to 81%). Compared with their subgroup counterparts, residents 18 to 24 years of age, those satisfied with the job the City is doing to provide services, those whose household had used the lake, city beaches, or other recreational amenities along Lake Elsinore within the past six months, African-American and Asian respondents, and men were the most likely to rate the City as safe. Very unsafe 6.1 Somewhat safe 54.0 Very safe 11.9 Not sure/Prefer not to answer 0.6 Somewhat unsafe 27.4 Public SafetyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 21City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 10 OPINION OF CITY SAFETY BY AGE & YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE FIGURE 11 OPINION OF CITY SAFETY BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, FREQUENCY OF HSLD LAKE USE, CHILD IN HSLD & HSLD REC USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS FIGURE 12 OPINION OF CITY SAFETY BY ETHNICITY, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS & GENDER 7.3 19.0 13.9 9.9 13.3 11.1 51.1 46.5 49.5 57.2 52.5 56.2 17.3 7.09.7 Very safe 16.0 58.4 60.5 45.6 Smwt safe 59.0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Age (QD2) Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1)% Respondents7.9 11.5 13.2 17.1 7.9 55.8 55.3 52.3 52.0 55.8 Very safe 17.9 2.4 9.8 18.9 Smwt safe 61.7 50.9 57.6 35.8 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Satisfied Dissatisfied At least 1x per month Less than 1x per month Not in past six months Yes No Yes No Overall Satisfaction (Q5) Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) Child in Hsld (QD3) Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4)% Respondents6.9 11.7 12.1 15.0 9.0 65.2 52.4 56.2 55.3 53.2 8.3 30.8 12.0 Very safe 8.3 54.0 47.6 72.6Smwt safe 51.1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic African- American / Black Asian Mixed / Other Own Rent Male Female Ethnicity (QD8) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Gender% Respondents Public SafetyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 22City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAFETY IN SPECIFIC SCENARIOS Whereas Question 7 asked respondents to rate the overall safety of Lake Elsinore as a place to live, Question 8 presented the five specific scenarios listed to the left of Figure 13 and asked residents to describe how safe they feel in each scenario using the scale shown at the top of the figure. Residents’ perceived safety varied depending on the scenario. Residents indicated that they felt safest driving on local streets (78% very or somewhat safe), followed by visiting local parks and open space areas (67%), walking across streets or intersections (61%), and walking in their neigh- borhood after dark (59%). Comparatively, residents felt less safe walking in commercial areas of the CIty after dark (40%). The percentage of residents who felt very safe in each scenario ranged from a low of 9% when walking in commercial areas after dark to a high or 27% when driving on local streets. Figures 14 to 16 show how feelings of safety in each scenario varied by age, overall satisfaction with the City’s performance, years in Lake Elsinore, presence of a child in the house- hold, home ownership status, ethnicity, and gender. Question 8 When you are: ______, would you say that you feel very safe, somewhat safe, some- what unsafe, or very unsafe? FIGURE 13 SAFETY RATINGS BY SCENARIO FIGURE 14 SAFETY RATINGS BY SCENARIO BY AGE & OVERALL SATISFACTION 26.7 19.2 16.8 20.1 51.8 47.3 43.9 39.1 31.4 15.3 23.8 25.0 26.3 33.58.5 21.5 5.7 8.0 11.7 12.9 2 3 2 1 5 0 102030405060708090100 Driving on local streets Visiting local parks and open space areas Walking across streets or intersections Walking in your neighborhood after dark Walking in commercial areas of the City after darkQ8dQ8cQ8eQ8aQ8b % Respondents Very safe Somewhat safe Somewhat unsafe Very unsafe Not sure 81 79 76 85 72 80 89 58 68 63 67 66 67 73 77 43 72 53 54 67 57 70 74 37 62 51 60 67 57 56 71 3739 33 40 48 33 48 49 23 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Satisfied Dissatisfied Age (QD2) Overall Satisfaction (Q5)% Respondents Who Feel Very or Somewhat SafeDriving on local streets Visiting local parks and open space areas Walking across streets or intersections Walking in your neighborhood after dark Walking in commercial areas of City after dark Public SafetyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 23City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 15 SAFETY RATINGS BY SCENARIO BY YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE, CHILD IN HSLD & HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS FIGURE 16 SAFETY RATINGS BY SCENARIO BY ETHNICITY & GENDER 78 79 75 81 76 81 77 82 64 63 71 70 65 68 65 66 54 63 62 64 56 64 58 67 59 58 64 57 60 58 61 53 37 39 43 42 38 41 39 39 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Yes No Own Rent Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1) Child in Hsld (QD3) Home Ownership Status (QD6)% Respondents Who Feel Very or Somewhat SafeDriving on local streets Visiting local parks and open space areas Walking across streets or intersections Walking in your neighborhood after dark Walking in commercial areas of City after dark 76 79 85 74 80 79 78 65 63 91 80 67 70 636257 81 70 51 68 56 61 54 75 71 60 67 52 31 44 60 50 32 48 32 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian/White Latino/Hispanic African- American/Black Asian Mixed/Other Male Female Ethnicity (QD8) Gender% Respondents Who Feel Very or Somewhat SafeDriving on local streets Visiting local parks and open space areas Walking across streets or intersections Walking in your neighborhood after dark Walking in commercial areas of City after dark HomelessnessTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 24City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H OMELESSNESS Homelessness is especially visible in California, as more than two-thirds of California’s homeless are unsheltered—living in parks, along streets, or other areas not meant for habitation. The rate of unsheltered homeless in California is the highest in the nation.2 Like many cities in California, the City of Lake Elsinore has witnessed an apparent increase in its homeless population during the past several years, and residents have expressed a growing concern with homelessness and related issues (see One Change to Improve City by Study Year on page 14). Recognizing that this was likely to be a topic of interest for residents this cycle, the 2023 survey included several ques- tions to profile residents’ perceptions and opinions as they relate to homelessness in Lake Elsinore. HAS THE AMOUNT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE CHANGED? The first question in this series simply asked respondents whether, over the past three years, they perceive that the amount of homeless people in Lake Elsinore has decreased, stayed about the same, or increased. As shown in Figure 17 below, 45% of respondents perceived that the amount of homeless in the City of Lake Elsinore has increased during the past three years, whereas 33% perceived it to be about the same. Fifteen percent (15%) felt that the homeless population in Lake Elsinore has decreased during this period, while an additional 8% were unsure or preferred to not answer the question. Question 9 Next I have a few questions about homelessness in Lake Elsinore. Over the past three years, would you say the amount of homeless people you have observed in Lake Elsinore has decreased, stayed about the same, or increased? FIGURE 17 OPINION OF HOMELESS POPULATION Figures 18-20 show how the percentage of respon- dents who perceived the number of homeless in Lake Elsinore to have increased during the past three years varied across a demographic sub- groups of residents. Overall, respondents between 25 and 64 years of age, those who have lived in the City for at least 15 years, residents dissatisfied with the City’s overall performance in providing municipal services, households who use the lake at least once a month, those with children in the home, and those identifying their ethnicity as Latino/Hispanic or mixed/other were the most likely to indicate that the homeless population in the City has increased during the last three years. 2. Source: A Snapshot of Homelessness in California, Public Policy Institute of California (February 2019). Increased 44.9 Prefer not to answer 0.7 Decreased 14.8 Stayed about the same 32.6 Not sure 7.0 HomelessnessTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 25City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 18 OPINION OF HOMELESS POPULATION BY AGE & YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE FIGURE 19 OPINION OF HOMELESS POPULATION BY OVERALL SATISFACTION, FREQUENCY OF HSLD LAKE USE, CHILD IN HSLD & HSLD REC USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS FIGURE 20 OPINION OF HOMELESS POPULATION BY ETHNICITY, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS & GENDER 46.0 35.5 34.7 45.5 47.1 53.0 35.2 49.3 47.0 51.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Age (QD2) Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1)% Respondents That Said Amount ofHomeless People Has Increased43.3 48.2 40.7 46.4 43.344.8 55.6 62.5 36.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Satisfied Dissatisfied At least 1x per month Less than 1x per month Not in past six months Yes No Yes No Overall Satisfaction (Q5) Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) Child in Hsld (QD3) Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4)% Respondents That Said Amount ofHomeless People Has Increased48.8 45.1 45.3 43.8 44.642.1 48.8 33.7 40.4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic African- American / Black Asian Mixed / Other Own Rent Male Female Ethnicity (QD8) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Gender% Respondents That Said Amount ofHomeless People Has Increased HomelessnessTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 26City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUPPORT FOR STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS Respondents were next asked whether they support or oppose various strategies that could be used to address homelessness in Lake Elsinore (see Figure 21). The majority of residents indicated support for each of the eight strategies tested, with the most widespread support found for providing fund- ing for mental health services (85% strongly or somewhat support), enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep (85%), joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters (85%), and providing funding for counsel- ing and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction (81%). Question 10 Next, I'd like to ask about whether you support or oppose several strategies for addressing homelessness in Lake Elsinore. FIGURE 21 SUPPORT OF SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS Tables 9 to 13 on the next page show the percentage of respondents indicating that they strongly or somewhat support each strategy by a variety of subgroups. To ease comparisons, the three strategies with the highest percentage of support are highlighted in green for each sub- group. Providing funding for mental health services was a top-three strategy among all sub- groups. Support for the strategies varied the most by age and ethnicity, with more than a 20 percentage point difference within those subgroups for modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them (by age), creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore (age and ethnicity), providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore (ethnicity), and incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers (ethnicity). 60.6 64.4 55.8 55.3 34.1 36.1 28.8 33.8 24.8 20.5 28.9 26.1 29.2 26.9 25.6 19.5 15.4 19.3 18.2 5.0 4.6 11.0 7.1 7.0 6.2 6.3 21.3 23.9 18.1 5.6 5.5 5.7 7.6 21.9 2.7 3.3 2.6 3.9 3.5 3.8 0 102030405060708090100 Providing funding for mental health services Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on themQ10cQ10fQ10bQ10dQ10aQ10hQ10e Q10g% Respondents Strongly support Smwt support Smwt oppose Strongly oppose Not sure HomelessnessTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 27City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TABLE 9 SUPPORT OF S EVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS BY O PINION OF H OMELESS POPULATION IN PAST 3 YEARS & OVERALL SATISFACTION (SHOWING % STRONGLY & SOMEWHAT) TABLE 10 SUPPORT OF SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS BY AGE (SHOWING % STRONGLY & SOMEWHAT) TABLE 11 SUPPORT OF SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS BY YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE & HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS (SHOWING % STRONGLY & SOMEWHAT) TABLE 12 S UPPORT OF SEVERAL S TRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING H OMELESSNESS BY E THNICITY (SHOWING % STRONGLY & SOMEWHAT) TABLE 13 SUPPORT OF SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS BY OPINION OF CITY SAFETY, CHILD IN HSLD & GENDER (SHOWING % STRONGLY & SOMEWHAT) Decreased Same Increased Not sure Satisfied Dissatisfied Providing funding for mental health services 85.1 87.7 83.4 86.0 87.5 80.9 Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 90.5 82.5 85.4 86.4 85.5 85.3 Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 87.9 86.1 81.9 88.2 87.2 80.6 Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 83.4 84.7 79.5 76.8 83.9 75.9 Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 68.0 66.9 56.8 74.8 67.2 57.2 Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 68.6 61.0 61.9 63.8 65.4 59.1 Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 63.5 58.4 44.9 76.1 57.5 47.9 Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 65.0 47.3 55.0 48.9 54.1 53.0 OverallOpinion of Homeless Population in Past 3 Yrs 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Providing funding for mental health services 93.1 84.9 82.0 83.2 86.6 87.1 Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 82.1 73.0 86.3 88.6 90.4 88.6 Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 96.9 87.5 82.7 78.8 83.1 83.4 Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 89.3 82.5 78.7 81.4 84.8 73.6 Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 81.0 62.6 56.8 57.7 62.6 68.5 Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 73.5 59.6 62.7 60.6 61.4 67.4 Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 56.7 53.3 51.7 54.2 54.2 58.5 Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 42.1 34.6 54.1 62.5 61.6 62.2 Age (QD2) Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Own Rent Providing funding for mental health services 89.5 79.9 87.2 85.3 82.5 91.9 Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 85.2 84.7 87.5 83.2 89.4 74.0 Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 85.3 82.8 88.1 83.8 81.9 91.0 Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 84.6 76.2 83.6 81.9 80.0 84.0 Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 69.8 57.0 62.4 63.6 57.2 75.3 Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 68.2 58.1 66.5 60.3 59.2 69.9 Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 62.9 46.0 58.4 51.6 53.0 55.3 Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 55.4 53.5 56.2 49.0 56.3 45.8 Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Caucasian/ White Latino/ Hispanic African- American/ Black Asian Mixed/ Other Providing funding for mental health services 81.9 87.4 89.2 80.0 90.0 Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 88.8 84.1 72.4 79.8 85.9 Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 80.2 87.8 91.9 77.0 82.0 Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 79.0 83.0 84.2 80.4 84.2 Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 55.1 66.8 78.8 60.4 67.0 Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 52.2 69.2 78.3 64.3 52.0 Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 48.4 55.3 76.4 60.0 43.9 Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 58.8 47.7 53.7 52.7 59.5 Ethnicity (QD8) Safe Unsafe Yes No Male Female Providing funding for mental health services 89.0 78.4 83.6 87.4 82.7 87.6 Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 83.5 87.7 85.6 83.7 86.2 85.0 Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 87.4 80.1 83.1 86.0 83.1 85.8 Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 84.9 74.9 80.2 82.3 79.8 82.3 Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 68.0 54.4 58.0 67.9 61.4 64.5 Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 66.0 57.5 59.7 65.2 57.2 67.8 Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 59.2 45.8 50.0 57.2 50.9 56.2 Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 54.3 51.3 52.0 52.2 55.9 50.9 GenderChild in Hsld (QD3) Opinion of City Safety (Q7) Funding PrioritiesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 28City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F UNDING PRIORITIES It is often the case that residents’ desires for public facilities and programs exceed a city’s finan- cial resources. In such cases, a city must prioritize projects and programs based upon a variety of factors, including the preferences and needs of residents. Question 11 was designed to pro- vide Lake Elsinore with a reliable measure of how residents, as a whole, prioritize a variety of projects and programs to which the City could allocate additional funding. The format of the question was straightforward: after informing respondents that the City does not have the finan- cial resources to fund all of the service, programs, and projects that may be desired by resi- dents, respondents were asked whether each project or program shown in Figure 22 should be a high, medium, or low priority for additional city spending—or if the City should not spend money on the project at all. To encourage a sense of competition, respondents were instructed that not all of the projects and programs could be high priorities. Question 11 The City of Lake Elsinore has the financial resources to provide additional funding for some of the services, programs and projects desired by residents. Because these funds are limited, however, the City must set priorities. As I read each of the following items, please indi- cate whether you think the City should make the item a high priority, a medium priority, or a low priority for additional city spending. If you feel the City should not spend any additional money on this item, just say so. Please keep in mind that not all of the items can be high priorities. FIGURE 22 SPENDING PRIORITIES The projects and programs are sorted in Figure 22 from high to low based on the percentage of respondents who indicated that an item was at least a medium priority for additional city spend- ing. Among the projects and programs tested, providing quick responses to 911 emergencies was assigned the highest priority (93% high or medium priority), followed by addressing home- 75.7 62.0 58.0 56.5 62.1 56.1 53.7 58.5 43.3 27.6 15.4 17.7 28.8 32.3 32.4 26.0 31.9 33.9 26.7 34.5 26.9 23.2 0 102030405060708090100 Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies Address homelessness Fix streets and repair potholes Keep public areas clean, healthy, and free of graffiti Provide law enforcement services including neighborhood patrols, crime prevention, investigations Make improvements to Lake Elsinore’s water quality, beaches, and recreational amenities Prepare for public health emergencies, wildfires, natural disasters, and other large-scale emergencies Improve economic development and attract new employers and businesses to Lake Elsinore Revitalize outdated commercial areas of the City Expand and improve the network of trails and bike lanes Build a new Library % Respondents High priority Medium priority Funding PrioritiesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 29City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lessness (91%) and fixing streets and repairing potholes (90%). It is worth noting that nine of the eleven projects were viewed as at least a medium priority by three-quarters of residents, and the majority of residents considered eight of those projects a high priority. For the interested reader, the following tables show how the percentage of respondents who rated each project a high priority varied by age, overall satisfaction with the City’s performance in providing municipal services, years in Lake Elsinore, presence of a child in the home, home ownership status, ethnicity, and gender. To ease comparisons, the top three projects are high- lighted in green for each subgroup. Although providing quick responses to 911 emergencies had the highest percentage of respondents assigning it as a high priority within each subgroup, responses varied for the second and third highest priorities across many of the subgroups. TABLE 14 SPENDING PRIORITIES BY AGE & OVERALL SATISFACTION (SHOWING % HIGH PRIORITY) TABLE 15 SPENDING PRIORITIES BY YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE, CHILD IN HSLD & HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS (SHOWING % HIGH PRIORITY) TABLE 16 SPENDING PRIORITIES BY ETHNICITY & GENDER (SHOWING % HIGH PRIORITY) 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Satisfied Dissatisfied Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 77.9 66.0 76.6 76.5 82.8 77.2 76.6 72.7 Provide law enforcement services incl neighborhood patrols, crime prevention, investigations 50.9 47.9 57.6 73.1 71.8 70.9 59.5 66.6 Address homelessness 73.3 65.8 54.0 57.7 71.7 57.7 55.2 75.5 Improve economic development, attract new employers, businesses to Lake Elsinore 58.6 42.9 57.4 63.8 70.4 60.6 58.9 63.4 Fix streets and repair potholes 65.7 55.6 55.4 49.7 69.6 62.8 55.6 64.3 Keep public areas clean, healthy, and free of graffiti 53.6 50.9 54.1 59.5 61.0 62.1 52.8 64.4 Make improvements to Lake Elsinore’s water quality, beaches, rec amenities 59.7 64.5 53.2 48.8 53.7 58.5 54.9 64.7 Prepare for public health emergencies, wildfires, natural disasters, other large-scale emergencies 72.8 44.1 43.9 49.9 59.2 63.5 57.0 48.4 Revitalize outdated commercial areas of the City 45.3 43.9 40.4 44.9 43.9 37.2 40.1 47.6 Expand and improve the network of trails and bike lanes 31.8 27.9 28.9 30.5 22.8 19.8 27.2 31.2 Build a new Library 15.3 21.5 12.9 11.8 13.7 17.3 12.9 19.2 Age (QD2) Overall Satisfaction (Q5) Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Yes No Own Rent Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 80.0 76.4 70.6 74.1 72.6 77.9 77.3 70.7 Provide law enforcement services incl neighborhood patrols, crime prevention, investigations 64.4 64.3 58.5 60.1 60.8 61.9 66.4 51.2 Address homelessness 57.2 59.7 61.2 69.3 62.4 59.7 60.8 65.9 Improve economic development, attract new employers, businesses to Lake Elsinore 61.6 58.6 55.8 57.2 56.6 59.1 60.8 51.2 Fix streets and repair potholes 57.5 56.0 55.7 62.0 57.6 57.0 60.0 51.4 Keep public areas clean, healthy, and free of graffiti 61.9 52.6 54.3 56.2 56.8 54.7 59.5 47.8 Make improvements to Lake Elsinore’s water quality, beaches, rec amenities 57.4 54.4 56.3 56.3 55.4 56.3 57.4 52.8 Prepare for public health emergencies, wildfires, natural disasters, other large-scale emergencies 53.5 53.5 55.5 52.7 48.2 57.4 51.0 57.8 Revitalize outdated commercial areas of the City 43.2 46.3 41.9 41.3 45.4 40.0 44.5 39.4 Expand and improve the network of trails and bike lanes 25.9 27.5 31.8 26.6 28.7 25.7 28.6 24.2 Build a new Library 23.5 15.4 15.0 7.9 15.8 13.7 16.3 12.5 Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1) Child in Hsld (QD3) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Caucasian/ White Latino/ Hispanic African- American/ Black Asian Mixed/ Other Male Female Provide quick responses to 911 emergencies 77.8 75.5 70.5 73.2 84.5 75.8 77.3 Provide law enforcement services incl neighborhood patrols, crime prevention, investigations 63.2 63.0 54.1 67.9 66.0 61.5 63.4 Address homelessness 60.2 63.8 53.9 67.5 65.4 59.4 64.8 Improve economic development, attract new employers, businesses to Lake Elsinore 54.6 59.8 46.7 71.5 75.0 65.8 51.0 Fix streets and repair potholes 51.0 63.4 54.3 69.3 55.8 60.5 55.7 Keep public areas clean, healthy, and free of graffiti 51.5 59.9 55.5 56.8 57.2 57.9 55.9 Make improvements to Lake Elsinore’s water quality, beaches, rec amenities 44.0 61.3 62.4 56.5 67.1 56.1 55.9 Prepare for public health emergencies, wildfires, natural disasters, other large-scale emergencies 45.7 56.6 62.3 60.7 58.6 52.6 54.9 Revitalize outdated commercial areas of the City 39.0 43.8 53.3 51.5 35.9 44.1 40.5 Expand and improve the network of trails and bike lanes 22.9 34.5 12.1 26.4 30.0 29.3 25.4 Build a new Library 7.7 22.8 7.0 22.6 9.8 11.7 18.7 Ethnicity (QD8) Gender CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 30City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C OMMUNICATIONS The importance of city communication with residents cannot be over-stated. Much of a city’s suc- cess is shaped by the quality of information that is exchanged in both directions, from the City to the community and from the community to the City. This study is just one example of Lake Elsinore’s efforts to enhance the information flow to the City to better understand the commu- nity’s concerns, perceptions, and needs. In this section, we present the results of several com- munication-related questions. SATISFACTION WITH CITY-RESIDENT COMMUNICATION Question 12 of the sur- vey asked residents to report their satisfaction with city-resident communication in the City of Lake Elsinore. Overall, 68% of respondents indicated they were satisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with residents through the media, the Internet, television, social media, and other means, whereas 23% were dissatisfied and 9% were unsure or unwilling to answer the question (Figure 23). Residents’ satisfaction with the City’s efforts to communicate with them improved significantly from 2016 to 2023, driven by an increase in the percentage somewhat satisfied (+13%) and declines in the percentage somewhat dissatisfied (-7%) and very dissatisfied (-5%). Question 12 Overall, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City's efforts to communicate with residents through the media, the Internet, television, social media, and other means? FIGURE 23 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. Figures 24-26 show how satisfaction with the City’s efforts to communicate with residents (among those with an opinion) varied across a host of demographic subgroups. Satisfaction was highest among residents 35 to 44 years of age, new residents (less than five years) and those who have lived in the City 10 to 14 years, households who have used the lake, beaches, and rec- reational amenities in the past six months, those satisfied with the City’s overall performance, Latino/Hispanic residents, and renters. Although the percentage of respondents who expressed satisfaction with the City’s communication efforts was reasonably consistent across subgroups, there is a clear correlation between satisfaction with the City’s overall performance in providing services and satisfaction with the City’s communication efforts. 19.0 36.9 20.5 14.9 8.6 8.3 17.9 49.6† 13.8† 9.6† 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2023 2016 Study Year% RespondentsPrefer not to answer Not sure Very dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 31City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 24 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION BY AGE & YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE FIGURE 25 S ATISFACTION W ITH C OMMUNICATION BY FREQUENCY OF H SLD L AKE USE, CHILD IN H SLD, HSLD REC U SE IN PAST 6 MONTHS & OVERALL SATISFACTION FIGURE 26 SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION BY ETHNICITY, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS & GENDER 18.6 14.9 21.8 19.0 21.3 17.2 53.4 50.3 57.9 47.7 57.8 55.6 17.7 28.220.9Very satisfied 10.5 56.5 52.3 52.5 Smwt satisfied 65.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Age (QD2) Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1)% Respondents18.2 26.0 14.8 27.8 6.1 54.1 55.6 54.0 61.0 40.3 Very satisfied 27.1 26.0 14.8 21.8 Smwt satisfied 53.9 54.6 54.0 54.2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 At least 1x per month Less than 1x per month Not in past six months Yes No Yes No Satisfied Dissatisfied Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) Child in Hsld (QD3) Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4) Overall Satisfaction (Q5)% Respondents18.5 21.8 15.1 18.7 21.6 54.6 50.5 63.2 55.8 54.7 15.719.425.0Very satisfied 14.4 55.6 44.4 57.2Smwt satisfied 54.8 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian / White Latino / Hispanic African- American / Black Asian Mixed / Other Own Rent Male Female Ethnicity (QD8) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Gender% Respondents CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 32City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INFORMATION SOURCES To help the City identify the most effective means of communi- cating with residents, it is helpful to understand what information sources they currently rely on for this type of information. In an open-ended manner, residents were asked to list the informa- tion sources they typically use to find out about Lake Elsinore news, events, and programs. Because respondents were allowed to provide up to three sources, the percentages shown in Fig- ure 27 represent the percentage of residents who mentioned a particular source, and thus sum to more than 100. The most frequently-cited source for Lake Elsinore news, events, and programming was by far social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (54%), followed by the City’s website (28%), the Patch (20%), the Internet in general (19%), email notices from the City (15%), and Next- door (15%). Question 13 What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Elsinore news, events and programs? FIGURE 27 CITY INFORMATION SOURCES Table 17 on the next page shows the top five information sources used by residents to find out about City of Lake Elsinore news, events, and programs in 2016 and 2023. Social media remained the top source of local information, while the City’s website and the Internet in general also retained their top-five status during this period. Moving up into the top five sources in 2023 were the Patch and email notices from the City. 54.1 28.1 19.5 18.5 15.4 14.6 11.9 10.2 8.3 6.7 6.0 5.5 5.1 4.1 3.4 3.3 2.9 2.7 1.6 1.4 6.7 5.6 0 102030405060 Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram City website Patch/online Internet (not City’s site) Email notices from City Nextdoor Friends/Family/Associates City Newsletter/Activity Guide Homeowners Association Press Enterprise/Daily newspaper Direct mail Television Electronic billboards along I-15 Street banners Flyers, brochures or posters Alert LE/Click Fix Mobile App Other source City Council meetings/members Do Not Receive Information about City Local community group or organization Radio Not sure % Respondents CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 33City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TABLE 17 CITY INFORMATION SOURCES BY STUDY YEAR CITY WEBSITE All respondents were next asked whether they had visited the City of Lake Elsinore’s website in the past 12 months. Although down from the percentage recorded in 2016 (-6%), the majority of those surveyed (53%) still stated they had visited the website during this period (Figure 28). When compared to their respective counterparts, respondents at least 25 years of age, frequent lake users (at least once per month), Latino/Hispanic respondents, home owners, female respondents, and residents dissatisfied with the City’s overall performance in providing municipal services were the most likely to report having visited the City’s website in the 12 months prior to the interview (see figures 29-31). Question 14 In the past 12 months, have you visited the City's website? FIGURE 28 CITY WEBSITE VISIT IN PAST 12 MONTHS BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. 2023 2016 Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram City website Internet (not City’s site) Patch/online City website Internet (not City’s site) Press Enterprise/Daily newspaper Email notices from City Friends/Family/ Associates Study Year 58.9 38.4 2.3 52.5† 42.9 4.0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2023 2016 Study Year% RespondentsPrefer not to answer Not sure Did not visit website Visited website CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 34City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIGURE 29 CITY WEBSITE VISIT IN PAST 12 MONTHS BY AGE & YEARS IN LAKE ELSINORE FIGURE 30 CITY WEBSITE VISIT IN PAST 12 MONTHS BY FREQUENCY OF HSLD LAKE USE, CHID IN HSLD, HSLD R EC USE IN PAST 6 MONTHS & SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION FIGURE 31 CITY WEBSITE VISIT IN PAST 12 MONTHS BY ETHNICITY, HOME OWNERSHIP STATUS, GENDER & OVERALL SATISFACTION 57.3 51.4 53.4 53.4 54.5 49.4 36.3 55.5 56.4 53.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Less than 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 or more Age (QD2) Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1)% Respondents That VisitedCity Website in Past 12 Months52.0 58.8 47.5 52.9 53.453.547.5 57.6 67.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 At least 1x per month Less than 1x per month Not in past six months Yes No Yes No Satisfied Dissatisfied Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) Child in Hsld (QD3) Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4) Satisfaction With Communication (Q12)% Respondents That VisitedCity Website in Past 12 Months46.2 54.8 48.7 49.1 55.6 52.6 57.8 46.4 58.5 48.1 37.7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Caucasian/ White Latino / Hispanic African- American / Black Asian Mixed / Other Own Rent Male Female Satisfied Dissatisfied Ethnicity (QD8) Home Ownership Status (QD6) Gender Overall Satisfaction (Q5)% Respondents That VisitedCity Website in Past 12 Months CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 35City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES The final communication-related question presented residents with the methods shown to the left of Figure 32 and asked whether each would be an effective way for the City to communicate with them. Overall, respondents indicated that email and a smart phone application were the most effective methods (each 86% very or somewhat effective), followed by the City’s website (82%) and text messages (80%). At the other end of the spectrum, automated phone calls (39%) and Twitter (51%) were generally viewed by residents as less effective ways for the City to communicate with them. From 2016 to 2023 (Table 18), statistically significant increases were recorded for Instagram (+20%), Twitter (+13%), electronic newsletters (+6%), and email (+5%), whereas declines were noted for materials mailed directly to households (-9%) and the City’s website (-5%). Question 15 As I read the following ways that the City can communicate with residents, I'd like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the City to communicate with you. FIGURE 32 EFFECTIVENESS OF CITY-RESIDENT COMMUNICATION TABLE 18 EFFECTIVENESS OF CITY-RESIDENT COMMUNICATION BY STUDY YEAR † Statistically significant change (p < 0.05) between the 2016 and 2023 studies. 50.0 59.4 30.9 49.3 33.7 39.3 38.8 36.7 19.0 12.2 36.3 26.2 50.9 30.6 44.3 36.1 35.9 30.6 31.7 26.3 0 102030405060708090100 Email Smart Phone application City website Text messages Electronic Newsletters Facebook Materials mailed directly to your house Instagram Twitter Automated phone calls % Respondents Very effective Somewhat effective 2023 2016 Instagram 67.3 47.8 +19.5† Twitter 50.7 38.0 +12.8† Electronic Newsletters 78.0 71.7 +6.3† Email 86.2 81.3 +4.9† Smart Phone application 85.6 83.1 +2.5 Automated phone calls 38.5 36.4 +2.0 Facebook 75.4 74.2 +1.2 City website 81.8 86.4 -4.6† Materials mailed directly to your house 74.7 83.8 -9.1† Text messages 79.9 N/A N/A Study Year Change in % Very + Smwt Effective 2016 to 2023 CommunicationsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 36City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the interested reader, tables 19-20 show how communication preferences varied by demo- graphic subgroups, with the three methods receiving the highest percentage of very effective ratings highlighted in green for ease of comparison. TABLE 19 EFFECTIVENESS OF CITY-RESIDENT COMMUNICATION BY AGE & OVERALL SATISFACTION (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) TABLE 20 EFFECTIVENESS OF CITY-RESIDENT COMMUNICATION BY ETHNICITY & SATISFACTION WITH COMMUNICATION (SHOWING % VERY EFFECTIVE) 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older Satisfied Dissatisfied Smart Phone application 61.7 57.3 64.7 64.3 56.8 43.7 62.3 52.5 Email 40.4 51.7 47.5 50.9 52.3 53.1 52.4 48.3 Text messages 55.8 50.2 47.5 53.6 45.4 44.9 52.2 43.0 Facebook 40.3 44.3 46.1 41.3 33.0 22.1 40.6 34.7 Materials mailed directly to your house 44.9 45.6 36.8 29.8 34.8 41.9 33.7 48.6 Instagram 55.6 51.6 42.9 35.7 19.5 8.5 40.0 29.5 Electronic Newsletters 36.2 38.5 36.2 25.8 32.5 32.5 32.8 35.2 City website 22.9 35.5 26.8 31.9 30.1 37.0 31.8 32.4 Twitter 29.5 28.4 19.5 17.3 9.7 6.5 19.9 18.6 Automated phone calls 10.5 14.4 12.6 10.6 11.5 12.3 14.7 7.6 Age (QD2) Overall Satisfaction (Q5) Caucasian/ White Latino/ Hispanic African- American/ Black Asian Mixed/ Other Satisfied Dissatisfied Smart Phone application 56.6 62.0 70.0 49.8 58.9 62.9 50.9 Email 48.5 51.4 52.1 55.2 42.5 49.8 50.6 Text messages 47.1 52.0 43.0 44.4 62.9 54.5 39.8 Facebook 35.1 44.4 35.1 48.5 37.9 44.2 31.8 Materials mailed directly to your house 40.9 40.4 28.9 30.5 34.1 36.3 47.9 Instagram 25.3 47.5 28.8 35.5 43.5 41.3 29.9 Electronic Newsletters 27.7 38.1 31.3 32.5 34.0 34.3 34.1 City website 21.3 39.4 23.3 17.1 33.1 33.7 25.8 Twitter 13.8 24.1 17.6 15.4 16.5 20.8 16.6 Automated phone calls 6.5 16.9 6.6 20.2 6.6 14.3 7.5 Ethnicity (QD8) Satisfaction With Communication (Q12) Background & DemographicsTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 37City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B ACKGROUND & DEMOGRAPHICS TABLE 21 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SAMPLE Table 21 presents the key demographic and back- ground information that was collected during the survey in 2023, along with comparison data from 2016. Because of the probability-based sampling methodology used in this study, the results shown in the table are representative of adult residents in the City of Lake Elsinore. The primary motivation for collecting the background and demographic infor- mation was to provide a better insight into how the results of the substantive questions of the survey vary by demographic characteristics (see Appendix A for more details). 2023 2016 Total Respondents 699 618 Years in Lake Elsinore (Q1) Less than 5 27.4 35.5 5 to 9 26.6 23.8 10 to 14 17.9 12.6 15 or more 28.1 28.1 Prefer not to answer 0.0 0.1 Age (QD2) 18 to 24 11.3 16.9 25 to 34 19.3 23.2 35 to 44 21.9 21.2 45 to 54 20.7 16.6 55 to 64 13.8 12.2 65 or older 10.1 9.5 Prefer not to answer 2.9 0.3 Child in Hsld (QD3) Yes 46.2 50.1 No 50.4 47.1 Prefer not to answer 3.4 2.9 Hsld Rec Use in Past 6 Months (QD4) Yes 43.8 50.9 No 55.3 47.5 Prefer not to answer 0.9 1.6 Frequency of Hsld Lake Use (QD5) At least 1x per week 2.4 4.7 2-3x per month 4.3 6.5 1x per month 3.5 5.4 Less than 1x per month 30.2 32.9 Not in past six months 55.3 47.5 Prefer not to answer 4.3 2.9 Home Ownership Status (QD6) Own 69.0 69.3 Rent 27.7 26.7 Prefer not to answer 3.2 4.0 Employment Status (QD7) Full time 64.0 55.1 Part time 4.0 7.9 Student 4.0 7.3 Homemaker 6.4 9.4 Retired 13.2 13.5 Between jobs 2.6 3.6 Prefer not to answer 5.9 3.2 Gender Male 47.8 44.5 Female 48.8 54.7 Prefer not to answer 3.5 0.7 Study Year MethodologyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 38City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M ETHODOLOGY The following sections outline the methodology used in the study, as well as the motivation for using certain techniques. QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPMENT Dr. McLarney of True North Research worked closely with the City of Lake Elsinore to develop a questionnaire that covered the topics of interest and avoided many possible sources of systematic measurement error, including position-order effects, wording effects, response-category effects, scaling effects, and priming. Several ques- tions included multiple individual items. Because asking items in a set order can lead to a sys- tematic position bias in responses, the items were asked in a random order for each respondent. Some questions asked in this study were presented only to a subset of respondents. For exam- ple, only respondents who indicated a member of their household had used the lake, city beaches, or other recreation amenities along Lake Elsinore during the past six months (Question D4) were asked how frequently their household uses the lake (Question D5). The questionnaire included with this report (see Questionnaire & Toplines on page 41) identifies the skip patterns used during the interview to ensure that each respondent received the appropriate questions. PROGRAMMING, PRE-TEST & LANGUAGE TRANSLATION Prior to fielding the sur- vey, the questionnaire was CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) programmed to assist interviewers when conducting the telephone interviews. The CATI program automatically navigates the skip patterns, randomizes the appropriate question items, and alerts interviewers to certain types of keypunching mistakes should they happen during the interview. The survey was also programmed into a passcode-protected online survey application to allow residents who preferred to complete the survey online the opportunity to do so. The integrity of the ques- tionnaire was pre-tested internally by True North and by dialing into random homes in the City prior to formally beginning the survey. The final questionnaire was also professionally translated into Spanish to allow for data collection in English or Spanish according to the preference of the respondent. SAMPLE, RECRUITING & DATA COLLECTION A comprehensive database of Lake Elsinore households was utilized for this study, ensuring that all households in Lake Elsinore had the opportunity to be selected to participate in the survey. Once selected at random, contact information was appended to each record including email addresses and telephone numbers for adult residents. Individuals were subsequently recruited to participate in the survey through mul- tiple recruiting methods. Using a combination of email and text invitations, sampled residents were initially invited to participate in the survey online at a secure, passcode-protected website designed and hosted by True North. Each individual was assigned a unique passcode to ensure that only Lake Elsinore residents who received an invitation could access the online survey site, and that the survey could be completed only one time per passcode. An email reminder notice was also sent to encourage participation among those who had yet to take the survey. Following a period of online data collection, True North placed telephone calls to land lines and cell phone numbers of sampled residents that had yet to participate in the online survey or for whom only telephone contact information was available. MethodologyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 39City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telephone interviews averaged 18 minutes in length and were conducted during weekday eve- nings (5:30PM to 9PM) and on weekends (10AM to 5PM). It is standard practice not to call during the day on weekdays because most working adults are unavailable and thus calling during those hours would bias the sample. A total of 699 completed surveys were gathered online and by tele- phone between February 21 and February 26, 2023. MARGIN OF ERROR DUE TO SAMPLING The results of the survey can be used to esti- mate the opinions of all adult residents in the City. Because not every adult resident of the City participated in the survey, however, the results have what is known as a statistical margin of error due to sampling. The margin of error refers to the difference between what was found in the survey of 699 adult residents for a particular question and what would have been found if all of the estimated 49,501 adult residents3 of Lake Elsinore had been interviewed. Figure 33 provides a plot of the maximum margin of error in this study. The maximum margin of error for a dichotomous percentage result occurs when the answers are evenly split such that 50% provide one response and 50% provide the alternative response. For this survey, the maxi- mum margin of error is ± 3.7% for questions answered by all 699 respondents. FIGURE 33 MAXIMUM MARGIN OF ERROR Within this report, figures and tables show how responses to certain questions varied by demo- graphic characteristics such as length of residence and age of the respondent. Figure 33 is thus useful for understanding how the maximum margin of error for a percentage estimate will grow as the number of individuals asked a question (or in a particular subgroup) shrinks. Because the margin of error grows exponentially as the sample size decreases, the reader should use caution when generalizing and interpreting the results for small subgroups. 3. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates 699 Respondents ± 3.7% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 Sample Size (Number of Respondents)Margin of Error MethodologyTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 40City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DATA PROCESSING & WEIGHTING Data processing consisted of checking the data for errors or inconsistencies, coding and recoding responses, categorizing verbatim responses, and preparing frequency analyses and cross-tabulations. The final data were weighted to balance the sample by demographics according to Census estimates. ROUNDING Numbers that end in 0.5 or higher are rounded up to the nearest whole num- ber, whereas numbers that end in 0.4 or lower are rounded down to the nearest whole number. These same rounding rules are also applied, when needed, to arrive at numbers that include a decimal place in constructing figures and tables. Occasionally, these rounding rules lead to small discrepancies in the first decimal place when comparing tables and charts for a given question. Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 41City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q UESTIONNAIRE & TOPLINES Copyright © 2023 True North Research, Inc. Page 1 City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey Final Toplines (n=699) March 2023 Section 1: Introduction to Study Hi, may I please speak to _____. Hi, my name is _____ and I’m calling from TNR on behalf of the City of Lake Elsinore (EL-sih-nor). The City is conducting a survey of residents about important issues and we would like to get your opinions. If needed: This is a survey about important issues in your community. I’m NOT trying to sell anything and I won’t ask for a donation. Your answers will be confidential. If needed: TNR is an independent public opinion research company. The City hired TNR to design and conduct the survey. If needed: The survey should take about 14 minutes to complete. If needed: If now is not a convenient time, can you let me know a better time so I can call back? If the person says they are an elected official or is somehow associated with the survey, politely explain that this survey is designed to the measure the opinions of those not closely associated with the survey, thank them for their time, and terminate the interview. Section 2: Quality of Life First, I’d like to ask you a few questions about what it is like to live in the City of Lake Elsinore. Q1 How long have you lived in the City of Lake Elsinore? 1 Less than 1 year 4% 2 1 to 4 years 24% 3 5 to 9 years 27% 4 10 to 14 years 18% 5 15 years or longer 28% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Q2 How would you rate: _____? Would you say it is excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor? Read item A first, then randomize B-E Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Not sure Prefer not to answer A The overall quality of life in Lake Elsinore 9% 46% 38% 7% 1% 0% 0% B Lake Elsinore as a place to raise a family 10% 35% 36% 11% 4% 3% 1% C Lake Elsinore as a place to retire 9% 25% 31% 15% 11% 8% 0% D Lake Elsinore as a place to work 3% 14% 22% 25% 17% 15% 3% E Lake Elsinore as a place to shop and dine 4% 15% 36% 27% 19% 1% 0% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 42City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 2 Q3 What do you like most about Lake Elsinore that the city government should make sure to preserve in the future? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Lake appearance, environmental preservation, cleanliness 24% Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific 22% Open spaces, preservation of land 15% Parks, rec areas, trails 10% Police station, public safety 7% Small town feeling 6% Family-oriented, quiet, friendly community 6% Events, activities, extreme sports 6% Restaurants, shopping 4% Main Street, downtown area 4% Preserve Storm Stadium 3% Low population, not overcrowded 3% Infrastructure 3% Address homelessness 3% Low taxes, cost of living, balanced budget 2% City development, progression 2% Historical places, landmarks, churches 2% Affordable housing, home prices 2% Low traffic 2% Motocross track and skydive 2% Q4 If the city government could change one thing to make Lake Elsinore a better place to live, what change would you like to see? Verbatim responses recorded and later grouped into categories shown below. Address homelessness, poverty issues 21% Provide more high-end restaurants, shops 18% Improve public safety 15% Improve lake environmental preservation, water cleanliness 8% Improve infrastructure, street, roads 8% Bring business to vacant buildings, outlet mall 7% Not sure / Cannot think of anything specific 7% Beautify City, cleanliness, landscaping 6% Improve economy, jobs 5% Reduce traffic congestion 5% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 43City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 3 Improve schools, education 4% Increase police presence, provide own police 4% Reduce taxes, fees 4% Provide sidewalks, bike paths 4% Provide affordable housing 3% Limit growth, development 3% Improve, enforce regulations, codes 3% Provide more entertainment, events 2% Improve activities, programs for youth, families 2% Improve parks, recreation trails 2% Enforce traffic laws 2% Improve city planning 2% Provide more nightlife entertainment 2% Provide more street lighting 2% No changes needed / Everything is okay 2% Section 4: City Services Next, I would like to ask a series of questions about services provided by the City of Lake Elsinore. Q5 Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Lake Elsinore is doing to provide city services? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 13% 2 Somewhat satisfied 47% 3 Somewhat dissatisfied 20% 4 Very dissatisfied 10% 98 Not sure 11% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Q6 For each of the services I read, I’d like you to tell me how satisfied you are with the job the City is doing to provide the service. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to: _____, or do you not have an opinion? Get answer. If ‘satisfied’ or ‘dissatisfied’, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? Randomize Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Not sure Prefer not to answer A Provide police services 22% 44% 14% 12% 5% 1% B Maintain a low crime rate 10% 32% 28% 26% 4% 0% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 44City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 4 C Prepare the City for emergencies 14% 34% 18% 9% 24% 1% D Provide fire protection, prevention and emergency medical services 29% 45% 9% 7% 9% 0% E Manage traffic congestion on city streets 10% 35% 28% 25% 1% 0% F Keep public buildings, parks and facilities clean and attractive 19% 44% 19% 14% 3% 0% G Maintain local streets and roads 14% 37% 26% 23% 0% 0% H Provide parks, sports fields and recreation facilities 29% 47% 14% 7% 2% 0% I Provide a variety of recreation programs for all ages 14% 34% 18% 14% 19% 1% J Promote economic development to stimulate the local economy 10% 27% 27% 24% 12% 1% K Promote jobs development in the city 7% 23% 27% 24% 18% 1% L Manage and maintain the Lake and city beaches 10% 31% 24% 25% 9% 1% M Provide special events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks show and summer nights in the park 30% 42% 14% 4% 9% 1% N Promote Lake Elsinore as a recreational destination 13% 35% 25% 16% 10% 1% O Address homelessness 7% 18% 27% 41% 7% 1% P Clean up litter and trash that people dump along streets, sidewalks, and in public areas 14% 37% 26% 21% 2% 0% Q Remove graffiti 21% 43% 17% 13% 6% 0% R Facilitate the development of affordable housing 8% 28% 23% 20% 19% 3% S Provide for diversity and inclusion within City events, services, programs and policies 17% 33% 13% 9% 24% 4% Section 5: Public Safety Q7 Overall, how safe is Lake Elsinore as a place to live? Would you say it is very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe? 1 Very safe 12% 2 Somewhat safe 54% 3 Somewhat unsafe 27% 4 Very unsafe 6% 98 Not sure 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 45City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 5 Q8 When you are: _____, would you say that you feel very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe, or very unsafe? Randomize Very Safe Somewhat Safe Somewhat Unsafe Very Unsafe Not sure Prefer not to answer A Walking in your neighborhood after dark 20% 39% 26% 13% 2% 0% B Walking in commercial areas of the City after dark 8% 31% 33% 21% 4% 1% C Visiting local parks and open space areas 19% 47% 24% 8% 2% 0% D Driving on local streets 27% 52% 15% 6% 1% 0% E Walking across streets or intersections 17% 44% 25% 12% 2% 0% Section 6: Homelessness Next I have a few questions about homelessness in Lake Elsinore. Q9 Over the past three years, would you say the amount of homeless people you have observed in Lake Elsinore has decreased, stayed about the same, or increased? 1 Decreased 15% 2 Stayed about the same 33% 3 Increased 45% 98 Not sure 7% 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Q10 Next, I’d like to ask about whether you support or oppose several strategies for addressing homelessness in Lake Elsinore. Here is the (first/next) strategy: _____. Do you support or oppose this strategy? Get answer, then ask: Would that be strongly (support/oppose) or somewhat (support/oppose)? Randomize Strongly support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose Not Sure Prefer not to answer A Creating a temporary homeless shelter in Lake Elsinore 34% 29% 11% 22% 4% 0% B Joining with other cities and the County to create more regional homeless shelters 56% 29% 7% 6% 2% 1% C Providing funding for mental health services 61% 25% 6% 6% 2% 0% D Providing funding for counseling and rehab for drug and alcohol addiction 55% 26% 7% 8% 3% 1% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 46City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 6 E Incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers 29% 26% 19% 21% 4% 1% F Enhancing lighting in public areas to discourage people from using these areas to sleep 64% 21% 6% 6% 3% 1% G Modifying street benches so it’s not comfortable to lie down on them 34% 19% 18% 24% 4% 1% H Providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Lake Elsinore 36% 27% 15% 18% 3% 0% Section 7: Funding Priorities The City of Lake Elsinore has the financial resources to provide additional funding for some of the services, programs and projects desired by residents. Because these funds are limited, however, the City must set priorities. Q11 As I read each of the following items, please indicate whether you think the City should make the item a high priority, a medium priority, or a low priority for additional city spending. If you feel the City should not spend any additional money on this item, just say so. Please keep in mind that not all of the items can be high priorities. Here is the (first/next) one: _____. Should this item be a high, medium or low priority for additional funding – or should the City not spend any additional money on this item? Randomize High Priority Medium Priority Low Priority Should not spend money Not sure Prefer not to answer A Make improvements to Lake Elsinore’s water quality, beaches, and recreational amenities 56% 32% 11% 1% 0% 0% B Provide law enforcement services including neighborhood patrols, crime prevention, and investigations 62% 26% 7% 4% 0% 0% C Provide quick responses to 9-1-1 emergencies 76% 18% 4% 2% 1% 0% D Fix streets and repair potholes 58% 32% 8% 1% 0% 0% E Address homelessness 62% 29% 5% 3% 1% 0% F Keep public areas clean, healthy, and free of graffiti 56% 32% 10% 2% 0% 0% G Improve economic development and attract new employers and businesses to Lake Elsinore 59% 27% 12% 2% 1% 0% H Prepare for public health emergencies, wildfires, natural disasters, and other large- scale emergencies 54% 34% 10% 2% 1% 0% I Build a new Library 15% 23% 40% 19% 2% 0% J Revitalize outdated commercial areas of the City 43% 35% 18% 3% 1% 0% K Expand and improve the network of trails and bike lanes 28% 27% 34% 11% 1% 0% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 47City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 7 Section 8: Communications Q12 Overall, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with residents through the media, the Internet, television, social media, and other means? Get answer, then ask: Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)? 1 Very satisfied 18% 2 Somewhat satisfied 50% 3 Somewhat dissatisfied 14% 4 Very dissatisfied 10% 98 Not sure 9% 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Q13 What information sources do you use to find out about City of Lake Elsinore news, events and programs? Don’t read list. Record up to first 3 responses. 1 City Newsletter/Activity Guide 10% 2 City website 28% 3 City Council meetings/members 3% 4 Press Enterprise/Daily newspaper 7% 5 Patch/online 19% 6 Radio 2% 7 Television 6% 8 Internet (not City’s site) 18% 9 Social Media like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram 54% 10 Nextdoor 15% 11 Direct mail 7% 12 Flyers, brochures or posters 5% 13 Email notices from City 15% 14 Street banners 6% 15 Local community group or organization 3% 16 Home owners Association 8% 17 Electronic billboards along I-15 6% 18 Alert LE/Click Fix Mobile App 4% 19 Friends/Family/Associates 12% 20 Other 3% 21 Do Not Receive Information about City 3% 98 Not sure 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 48City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 8 Q14 In the past 12 months, have you visited the City’s website? 1 Yes 52% 2 No 43% 98 Not sure 4% 99 Refused 1% Q15 As I read the following ways that the City can communicate with residents, I’d like to know if you think they would be a very effective, somewhat effective, or not at all effective way for the City to communicate with you. Randomize Very Somewhat Not at all Not sure / Prefer not to answer A Email 50% 36% 10% 3% B Electronic Newsletters 34% 44% 17% 5% C Twitter 19% 32% 38% 11% D Facebook 39% 36% 18% 6% E Instagram 37% 31% 24% 8% F A Smart Phone application that would allow you to communicate with the City, report issues, and receive updates 59% 26% 11% 4% G City website 31% 51% 15% 3% H Materials mailed directly to your house 39% 36% 22% 3% I Automated phone calls 12% 26% 53% 8% J Text messages 49% 31% 16% 4% Section 9: Background & Demographics Thank you so much for your participation. I have just a few background questions for statistical purposes. D1 What is your gender? 1 Male 48% 2 Female 49% 3 Non-binary 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 49City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 9 D2 In what year were you born? Year recoded into age groups shown below. 18 to 24 11% 25 to 34 19% 35 to 44 22% 45 to 54 21% 55 to 64 14% 65 or older 10% Prefer not to answer 3% D3 Do you have one or more children under the age of 18 living in your household? 1 Yes 46% 2 No 50% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% D4 In the past six months, have you or other members of your household used the Lake, city beaches, or other recreational amenities along Lake Elsinore? 1 Yes 44% Ask D5 2 No 55% Skip to D6 99 Prefer not to answer 1% Skip to D6 D5 How often do you or other members of your household use the Lake? At least once per week, 2 to 3 times per month, once per month, once every two or three months, or less often than once every three months? 1 At least once per week 6% 2 2 to 3 times per month 10% 3 Once per month 8% 4 Once every two or three months 18% 5 Less often than once every three months 51% 98 Not sure 5% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% D6 Do you own or rent your residence in Lake Elsinore? 1 Own 69% 2 Rent 28% 99 Prefer not to answer 3% Questionnaire & ToplinesTrue North Research, Inc. © 2023 50City of Lake Elsinore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City of Lake Elsinore Community Survey March 2023 True North Research, Inc. © 2023 Page 10 D7 Which of the following best describes your employment status? Would you say you are employed full-time, part-time, a student, a homemaker, retired, or are you in-between jobs right now? 1 Employed full-time 64% 2 Employed part-time 4% 3 Student 4% 4 Homemaker 6% 5 Retired 13% 6 In-between jobs 3% 99 Prefer not to answer 0% D8 What ethnic group do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to? Read list if respondent hesitates. 1 Caucasian/White 31% 2 Latino/Hispanic 44% 3 African-American/Black 9% 4 Native American Indian or Alaskan Native 1% 5 Asian -- Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino or other Asian 4% 6 Pacific Islander <1% 7 Mixed Heritage 4% 8 Other 1% 99 Prefer not to answer 5% Thanks so much for participating in this important survey! This survey was conducted for the City of Lake Elsinore.