City Services Satisfaction Survey 2007 City Services Satisfaction Survey | Page 44

Usage Of Services And Perceptions Of Services By Users
Services. Residents who have had contact with various city services rate those
services in terms of “handling concerns in a satisfactory manner,” from a high of 97
percent for the fire department to a low of 64% for the street department. Among city
services with the highest ratings in handling concerns in a satisfactory manner are the
fire department (97%), 911 call center (88%), water department (88%), and parks and
recreation department (88%). Among city services with the lowest ratings in handling
concerns in a satisfactory manner are the City Manager’s office (70%), community
development and planning (64%), and street department (64%). There is no significant
change in the percentages of people having contact or using asked services.
Recreation Facilities. At least 85 percent of all respondents have visited some kind of
park and recreation facility in the past 12 months. City parks and city libraries continue
to be the city facilities most widely used by residents- 71% and 63% visited or used in
past year, respectively. Forty percent of Arlington households have visited a city
recreation center while 28 percent have visited a city athletic field in the past year. City
tennis centers continue to be the least visited or used city facility (8%). Use of city
parks has declined significantly between 2003 and 2005, and is significantly lower than
2000 as well, but showed a small increase this year. Other city facilities that show
notable declines from 2000 in citizens’ visit or use include city libraries, athletic fields,
and Lake Arlington.
Users generally perceive overall parks and recreation programs and facilities very
positively (93%). In fact, appearance of parks and facilities, ease of getting to parks and
facilities, and overall quality of city parks all rated 90 percent or better. The remaining
three, parks and recreation programs, range or variety of parks and recreation activities,
and safety of facilities, all rated 85 percent or better. This suggests that as a whole,
parks and recreation facilities are seen, among users at least, as needing little
improvement.
Decision Analyst, Inc.
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