1. Arapahoe County, CO 2017 Citizen Survey Prepared by: Andrea Rasizer
Commissioners
Sharpe – Chairs D2
Conti – finance D1
Baker – Chair Pro Tem D3
Jackson – D4
Holen – D5
Resist thinking of this as only a pat on the back because it is so much of that.
Consider it check in to understand why you see some things changing, others not that you would like to see changed and think what’s to be done about it.
Prepared by:

2. Survey Background 3rd survey administration since 2008
Report card of community quality, County services and public opinion
Results by:
Commissioner district
Unincorporated vs. Incorporated
National benchmarks
And by demographic groups
Investment in solid data, with many stable results giving more weight when deviations

3. Survey Methods Surveys mailed to 3,000 households 706 completed (24%)
±4%
Margin of Error
Results weighted to reflect community
End of February for 4 weeks of data collection.
Simiar RR to 2014 (26%)

4. Key Finding
A safe community with a healthy economic environment were priority outcomes from Align Arapahoe
Discuss Key Findings organized by Align Arapahoe strategic and performance measure framework

5. Importance of Align Arapahoe Outcomes
Safe community, 59%
Percent rating each as “essential”
Healthy and vibrant community, 51%
IMPORTANCE:
Bold are highest.
Question wording:
Align Arapahoe is Arapahoe County's path to continuous improvement and accountability through strategic planning and performance management. Please indicate how important, if at all, it is for the County to focus on each of the following:
Select survey questions aligned with your framework (for quality – the question for importance is above)
Customer Service Excellence, 39%
Healthy economic environment, 58%
Employee Development, 26%
Process efficiencies improvement, 34%

6. Importance and Quality
Percent rating essential
Percent rating excellent or good
51%
78%
Healthy and Vibrant Community
Quality of life
Quality of Life
59%
69%
Safe community
Feeling of safety
39%
63%
Customer Service Excellence
Quality of services
Service First
Importance
Align Arapahoe is Arapahoe County’s path to continuous improvement and accountability through strategic planning and performance management. Please indicate how important, if at all, it is for the County to focus on each of the following:
Percent rating as essential
Quality
Percent rating as excellent or good
Quality of Life
Healthy and Vibrant County: Includes fostering a positive environment, such as parks and trails, water management, air quality and assisting vulnerable and aging populations
Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Arapahoe County: The overall quality of life in Arapahoe County
Safe community: Includes a focus on public safety and prevention; and emergency and disaster preparedness
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Arapahoe County as a whole: Overall feeling of safety in Arapahoe County
Service First
Customer service excellence: Includes increasing public awareness and participation; online accessibility of County services; and citizen satisfaction
Please rate the quality of each of the following services provided by Arapahoe County: Overall quality of Arapahoe County Services
Employee development: Includes fostering employee engagement and training application
If you have had contact with any Arapahoe County departments and offices in the last 12 months, please rate the overall customer service you received
Fiscal Responsibility
Process efficiencies improvements: Includes process improvements, such as wait times and customer service capabilities
Please rate the following aspects of the Arapahoe County website. (Only asked of people who had accessed the website) Online information and services offered
Healthy economic environment: Includes responsible use of taxpayers’ money and the promotion of economic health
Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Arapahoe County as a whole: Overall economic health of Arapahoe County
26%
73%
Employee Development
Customer service received
6 outcomes from the three goals of Align Arapahoe
Top quality for all, tho’ some variation
Wide variation on importance (looking only at % essential)
Lowest importance for employee development; highest (as said) safety and economy
34%
76%
Government Efficiencies
Online information and services
Fiscal Responsibility
58%
71%
Healthy Economic Environment
Economic health

7. Importance and Quality
Another window to understand these six outcomes. The quality was considered Exc or Good by 2/3 or more of residents, but the outcomes varied in importance and in fact
The most important community outcomes were given lower quality ratings compared to the other outcomes (except customer service, which was lower)
Top importance (safe – 59%; economy 58%) but not as high ratings as the other outcomes

8. Importance and Quality
Top importance (safe – 59%; economy 58%) but not as high ratings as the other outcomes

9. Key Finding
Community safety a priority, and residents feel safe and give high marks to the Sheriff’s Office

10. 10 9 69% Safety Crime Overall Feeling of Safety excellent or good in
essential or very important to address in the next year
excellent or good
Feeling safe same as 2014

11. Sheriff’s Services
excellent or good

12. Key Finding good job preparing for
Residents feel the County is doing a
good job preparing for
natural disasters, but residents themselves were less prepared

13. Preparation for Natural Disasters
County Emergency Preparedness
Being prepared for unforeseen natural disasters
(essential or very important)
76%
Emergency preparedness
(excellent or good)
71%
Resident Emergency Preparedness 4 10 in
Stocked supplies for an emergency

14. Key Finding quality of life in Arapahoe County
Residents expressed satisfaction with the
quality of life in Arapahoe County

15. Quality of Life
75%
2008
76%
2014
78%
2017
excellent or good

16. Quality of Neighborhoods
4 5
deem quality of neighborhoods as essential or very important in
Eight in 10 respondents deemed it essential or very important that Arapahoe County address the quality of neighborhoods in the next year. Three-quarters of respondents did rate their neighborhood as a place to live as excellent or good, a rating that was similar to the national benchmark and to 2014 ratings.

17. Key Finding reputation of Arapahoe County improved
Ratings of the overall image or
reputation of Arapahoe County
improved

18. Image or Reputation
65%
2008
64%
2014
69%
2017
excellent or good

19. Key Finding
Most residents felt it is important to address regional transportation and traffic congestion issues in the coming year

20. Transportation as a Priority
In 2017, only crime and transportation are noticeably important to more residents but all the rest are important to about ¾.
This is why your job is so hard making choices among many important issues with limited resources.
% essential or very important

21. Ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit
Ease of travel
Ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit
Travel by car 2 3
However, respondents are not too unhappy with the current situation in Arapahoe County; about two-thirds rated the overall ease of getting to the places they usually visit and the ease of travel by car in Arapahoe County as excellent or good, ratings that were similar to the national benchmarks and to those observed in 2014. in
excellent or good

22. Key Finding economic health positively
A high importance was placed on the County’s economic environment and the
economic health
of the County was rated
positively

23. Overall Economic Health
excellent or good
64% in 2014; 71% in 2017
Increased between 2014 and 2017

24. Shopping opportunities
Aspects of Economy
74%
72%
Shopping opportunities
Place to work
excellent or good
Higher than the national benchmark

25. Key Finding improved and were stronger than national benchmarks
Personal household economic outlooks
improved and were
stronger than national benchmarks

26. very or somewhat positive
Resident Outlook
42%
35%
2017
12%
2014
2008
very or somewhat positive
Higher than the national benchmark

27. employment opportunities were given good grades
Key Finding
While important for County to address economic development & job creation
employment opportunities were given good grades

28. Employment Opportunities
66%
62%
Employment opportunities
Workforce Center
Increased in 2017
Higher than national benchmark

29. With the improving economy came some issues of concern
Key Finding
With the improving economy came some issues of concern

30. Variety of housing options
Cost of Living
52%
36%
Embarrassment of riches along with transportation problems
Common across CO front range and all attractive places in U.S.
Variety of housing options
Cost of Living
excellent or good

31. Residents wanted to see more services on the County’s website
Key Finding
Residents wanted to see more services on the County’s website
Six in 10 respondents considered increasing services on the County’s website as an essential or very important issue for the County to address; about 4 in 10 said they had accessed the County’s website in the last year. 3 5 in

32. 10 4 County Website 80% 76% 57% 77% Appearance
Higher rated
76%
Online information and services offered 10 4 in in
57%
accessed the County’s website
Search function
Lower rated
77%
Ease of navigation
excellent or good
Decreased in 2017

33. Key Finding
Customer service ratings among those who contacted the County were high

34. Customer Service Customer Service (essential or very important)
Three-quarters of respondents who had had contact with an Arapahoe County department or office in the last year rated the overall customer service as excellent or good.
Nearly 9 in 10 respondents rated excellence in customer service as essential or very important, and most who had dealt directly with County gave positive ratings to those interactions. This rating was similar to the national benchmark and to the rating observed in 2014.
Overall Impression (excellent or good)

35. Key Finding Evaluations of County services were favorable
and have generally increased over time

36. Overall Quality of Services
61%
2008
56%
2014
61%
2017
Back to 2008 level
excellent or good
Increased in 2017

37. County Service Ratings Over Time9
received similar ratings 7
received higher ratings 2
received lower ratings
Seven of the services showed increases of 6% or more since 2017; these included: Courts;
Food, Medical and Financial Assistance; Emergency preparedness; Arapahoe/Douglas
Workforce Center; Child Support Services; Adult Protection Services; and Child Protection
Services.
Ratings for two services did decline from 2014: Veterans Services; and Licenses and
Permits.

38. County Service Ratings Compared to Benchmark5
received similar ratings 1
received higher ratings
received lower ratings
Benchmark comparisons were available for six of the 18 County services; 5 were rated
similar to the national benchmark comparison and one was rated above (Adult Protection
Services).

39. and many improved since 2014
Key Finding
Overall assessments of Arapahoe County government performance were positive
and many improved since 2014

40. Government Performance
excellent or good
Government Performance
76%
69%
68%
67%
13 areas of governance and all but 1 >50% E+G. Express before decision (40%)
Please rate the following categories of Arapahoe County government performance:
E+G%
The overall direction that Arapahoe County is taking
76% 
The job Arapahoe County government does at welcoming citizen involvement
 66%
Overall confidence in Arapahoe County government
 67%
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
64% 
Being honest
 64%
Treating all residents fairly
Being responsive to residents
63% 
Being responsive to the business community
 70%
Informing residents about issues facing the community
51% 
Accessibility of Arapahoe County elected officials
57% 
Being open and transparent to the public
 53%
Giving residents a chance to express their views before making decisions
 40%
Being responsive to business comm.
Overall direction the County is taking
Overall confidence
Treating all residents fairly
Increased in 2017

41. Questions?
Prepared by

42. Thank you! Tom Miller NRC President Presenter Erin Caldwell
Director of Research
Project Manager
Prepared by