bgcolor=ccccff> « back to results for ""
Below is a cache of http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/documents/CDRI_LOreportshortforwebsite.pdf. It's a snapshot of the page taken as our search engine crawled the Web.
The web site itself may have changed. You can check the current page or check for previous versions at the Internet Archive. Yahoo! is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content.




2008 COMMUNITY ATTITUDES SURVEY

Conducted for:
City of Lake Oswego

Data collected
April 2008















www.cdri.com



2627 Northeast 33
rd
Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97212
503-221-2005
Fax: 503-221-4541
www.cdri.com
2627 Northeast 33
rd
Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97212
503-221-2005
Fax: 503-221-4541
www.cdri.com






INTRODUCTION

The City of Lake Oswego commissioned the 2008 Community Assessment to build upon
previous surveys conducted in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2005. The goal of the surveys is to
help City officials and staff better understand resident attitudes and opinions and to explore
current issues facing City Council.
The report is divided into the following sections:
Executive Summary,
highlighting the key findings of the research.
Research Results,
outlining the findings from the research.
Conclusions and Recommendations,
providing the next steps we believe should be
taken based on the research and our past experience.
Appendix,
containing verbatim comments from residents and a review of the survey
methodology.
If you have questions or comments about this research, contact
Martha DeLong
at Campbell
DeLong Resources, Inc. by phone at (503) 221-2005 or email Marthad@cdri.com.
Within the City of Lake Oswego, questions can be directed to
Bonnie Hirshberger, Citizen
Information Coordinator,
at (503) 675-3992, or email bhirshberger@ci.oswego.or.us.






TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY....................................................................................... 1
RESEARCH
RESULTS......................................................................................... 3


Quality of Life in Lake Oswego.................................................................. 3


Satisfaction with City Government ............................................................ 8


Attitudes Toward Streetcar & Water Pricing System .............................. 15


Satisfaction with City Services ................................................................ 17


Civic Engagement & Information Sources............................................... 25
Resident
Demographics .......................................................................... 31

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................ 39
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................... 41
Additional
Comments .............................................................................. 43
Methods................................................................................................... 53



Lake Oswego Community Assessment VI

1

Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The following summarizes key points from the research. To understand the full depth of the
research, however, the reader is urged to review the entire report.
M
ETHODS

In April 2008, Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc. conducted a telephone survey with a random
sample of 400 residents of Lake Oswego. For full detail on the survey methods, see page 53 in
the Appendix. The questionnaire and data printout are also included in the Appendix.
O
BJECTIVES

The goal of the research is to provide the City of Lake Oswego with information to help City
officials and staff make management and policy decisions that reflect the needs and desires of
the Citys residents.
R
ESEARCH RESULTS

In general, Lake Oswego residents continue to be very satisfied with quality of life and City
services. There is some concern, however, over recent City Council decisions. Key findings
include:

The average quality of life rating this year 8.6 is identical to 2005.

Most residents remain upbeat about Lake Oswegos future quality of life, although longtime
residents and those who disapprove of City government are often pessimistic.

A majority of residents believe that events and development in downtown Lake Oswego are
a positive and contribute to livability.

Satisfaction with City government has declined slightly since 2005, and there has been a
significant jump in disapproval of the course City Council is setting. The West End Building
is the major reason for disapproval of City Council.

Nearly 9 in 10 Lake Oswego residents believe the City should take the lead in sustainable
practices. There is less strong consensus about whether the City keeps its promises and
makes efficient use of tax dollars.

More than 8 in 10 residents either strongly or somewhat agree with bringing the streetcar
line to Lake Oswego. Two-thirds support a water pricing system based on consumption to
encourage conservation.

Fire, police, library, and water considered the most important city services. Performance
ratings mostly hold steady or decline slightly since 2005.
Executive Summary

Lake Oswego Community Assessment VI

Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.
2

Analysis of importance vs. performance scores shows a generally favorable profile, with
key services perceived as the Citys strengths. There are a few areas of concern, however,
including water/sewer, street maintenance, and traffic management.

Most residents cannot think of any other services the City should be providing. Among
suggestions provided, nothing emerges as a major unmet need.

More than half of residents have come in contact with City staff or elected officials.

The Farmers Market continues to grow in popularity, with an impressive 84% of residents
saying they have attended the market. Other events hold steady or increase slightly.

Almost all residents now use Hello L.O. for local news. All information sources show a
significant increase since 2005, indicating how strong a buzz there is about the West End
Building and other issues.

Responses to demographic questions confirm the consistent profile of Lake Oswego
residents as affluent, well-educated homeowners, and a population that is trending older.
At the same time, the number of residents with children has increased.
C
ONCLUSIONS
&
RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Residents continue to be very satisfied with the quality life offered in Lake Oswego.
However, areas of concern do emerge.
2. Proceed with the streetcar, emphasizing the green benefits for all.
3. Pricing water to encourage conservation has the support of the majority, but be sure
to communicate the benefits to all before implementation.

More detailed Key Conclusions and Recommendations
may be reviewed, starting on page 39 of this report.
Lake Oswego Community Assessment VI

3

Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.

RESEARCH RESULTS


I. Quality of Life in Lake Oswego
Q
UALITY OF LIFE RATINGS REMAIN QUITE HIGH
.


As in the past, the survey began by asking residents to rate the overall quality of life in Lake
Oswego. A ten-point scale was used, with a 1 meaning very poor and a 10 meaning
excellent.
The average rating this year 8.6 is identical to 2005. This level of satisfaction remains the
highest ever, dating back to the mail-out surveys conducted by the City in 1991 and 1994. Very
similar to 2005, nearly one-third of residents give Lake Oswegos quality of life a 10, while only
three respondents give low ratings of 3 or below. These are the highest quality-of-life ratings
seen among the many metro-area community surveys CDRI has recently conducted.
As noted in past years, segments of the population who tend to give the highest average ratings
for Lake Oswegos quality of life include women (8.8, versus 8.5 among male residents), as well
as those who are pleased with the direction local government is taking. For example, there is
an 8.9 rating among those who later in the survey say they approve of the direction City Council
is taking, versus 8.0 among those who disapprove of the City Councils direction.
While younger residents give slightly lower ratings than those 55 and older, there are no
differences in perceptions of quality of life between newer and longtime residents or between
those with and those without young children in the home (average rating is 8.6 in each of these
segments).
Research
Results
Lake Oswego Community Assessment VI

Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.
4
8.1
8.3
8.5
8.3
8.4
8.4
8.6
8.6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1991
1994