2014 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey

2014 GREENWICH RESIDENT
SATISFACTION SURVEY
Nancy Lin
Kaitlin Norton
University of Connecticut
Department of Public Policy
December 2014

i.
This page is intentionally left blank.

ii.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 2
COMMUNITY FIRST INITIATIVE .................................................................................................... 2
PROJECT PURPOSE........................................................................................................................ 3
BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH DESIGN.......................................................................... 4
TARGET POPULATION .................................................................................................................. 4
SURVEY INSTRUMENT.................................................................................................................. 5
Measuring Scale Used in the Survey ...................................................................................... 7
Vendor Process....................................................................................................................... 7
Survey Timeline....................................................................................................................... 8
METHODOLOGY AND DATA ......................................................................................................... 9
RESPONSE RATE .......................................................................................................................... 9
OVERVIEW OF SAMPLE ................................................................................................................ 9
RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 10
GENERAL SATISFACTION ........................................................................................................... 11
IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE DEPARTMENTS.................................................................................. 13
BUILDING INSPECTION DIVISION................................................................................................ 14
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT ...................................................................................... 15
INLAND WETLAND AND WATERCOURSES AGENCY.................................................................... 16
HIGHWAY DIVISION ................................................................................................................... 17
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT —RECREATION PASSES .............................................. 18
PARKS AND RECREATION—RECREATION SITES ........................................................................ 19
DATA RESULTS CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 20
RE-ADMINISTERING THE SURVEY................................................................................... 21
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 22
APPENDICES............................................................................................................................. 23
APPENDIX A. SURVEY INSTRUMENT .......................................................................................... 24
APPENDIX B: VENDOR CONTACT INFORMATION........................................................................ 37
APPENDIX C. RESPONSE RATES ................................................................................................. 38
DISPOSITION/DIALING SUMMARY.............................................................................................. 39
APPENDIX D. DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS......................................................... 40
APPENDIX E. CENTRAL TENDENCY MEASURES ......................................................................... 42

iii.
This page is intentionally left blank.

1
Executive Summary
The Town of Greenwich is committed to providing outlets for residents to express their opinions,
preferences, and satisfaction with services offered by the Town. First Selectman Peter Tesei and
the Office of the First Selectman contacted the Department of Public Policy at the University of
Connecticut and expressed interest in evaluating resident satisfaction with town-provided
services. In the fall of 2014, the Office of the First Selectman worked with a team of University
of Connecticut (UConn) graduate students to create a resident satisfaction survey, which was
administered via the telephone, in order to receive feedback on Town services. A copy of the
survey and a complete report of the results can be found in the appendices of this report.
Key Findings
Residents were asked to rate their satisfaction with several key services provided by the Town.
The survey included questions regarding primary government services as well as target services,
which were identified by the Office of the First Selectman.1
In the first level of analysis
provided by the UConn team, the following are the key findings of the survey.
Based on the average value of responses, residents indicated a high level of satisfaction with the
following services:
● Primary services: Fire department (6.54), police department (6.05), public schools (5.49);
overall satisfaction of services (5.65); and investment of tax dollars (5.32)
● Accuracy of information provided by staff from the target services2
: Building Inspection
Division (4.18), Planning and Zoning Department (5.06), and Parks and Recreation
Department (Recreation Passes: 5.88)
Residents gave the following lower ratings compared to other factors measured within each
service department:
● The factors measuring time spent obtaining permits for the Building Inspection Division
(3.54), Planning and Zoning Department (3.26), and Inland Wetland and Watercourses
Agency (2.24)
● The factor measuring time waiting at Town Hall for recreation passes (4.73)
● Ease of finding service information on the Town’s website for Building Inspection
Division (3.33), Planning and Zoning Department (4.09), Inland Wetland and
Watercourses Agency (3.99), and Parks and Recreation Department
(Recreation Passes: 5.49) (Recreation Sites: 5.46)
● Communication of projects and road conditions (4.39)

1
The primary services concerned the fire department, police department, and public schools. The targeted services
were under the Building Inspection Division, Planning and Zoning Department, Inland Wetland and Watercourses
Agency, Highway Division, and Parks and Recreation Department.
2
The Building Inspection Division and the Highway Division are under the Department of Public Works.

2
Introduction
The First Selectman serves as the Town of Greenwich’s full-time chief executive officer of the
Town and assists with day-to-day administrative decisions. The First Selectman works alongside
four governmental boards: the Representative Town Meeting (RTM); the Board of Estimate and
Taxation (BET); the Board of Education (BOE); and the Board of Selectman.3
In this style of
government the primary opportunity for residents to participate in governmental decision-making
is though the RTM, which serves as the Town’s legislative body and, in Greenwich, is comprised
of approximately 230 elected members.
Public participation in the governmental decision-making process can provide benefits to Town
administrators and residents. One benefit for the Town includes better information and improved
performance by being aware of citizen’s preferences and opinions that would otherwise be
unavailable. Public participation can also increase trust and support for policy changes by
creating buy-in from those who helped shape the changes. For residents, the benefits of
participating can include a better fit of public policies and services to their preferences, leading
to a better quality of life.4
Surveys are a tool that are often used to measure and track resident satisfaction to provide the
aforementioned benefits. Surveys help to change the way government administrators
accomplish, measure, and develop policy changes as well as future plans. When surveys are
administered to a random sub-population of a community, this provides an opportunity for the
surveyor to collect representative feedback and opinions that citizens may not have otherwise
shared. Random surveys also allow town administrators to collect a broad range of data that can
be used to highlight areas in the town that need immediate attention or areas where resources
may be directed to make sustainable policy or process changes.
Community First Initiative
In 2012-2013, the Town launched the Community First Customer Service Initiative aimed at
promoting excellent customer service in the Town’s various departments. The 2014 Annual
Department Operational Plan states the purpose of the initiative and its ongoing mission:
The purpose of the initiative was to provide employees with the tools to assist them in
providing quality customer service in economically challenging times. The focus of
Community First is the effective blend of both technology and interpersonal skills in the
daily interaction with constituents. In 2012-2013, more than 1,200 employees received
training appropriate to their position within the Town. In 2013-2014, training will
continue as needed and follow-up measures will be implemented to insure that what was
learned in that training is being successfully put to use.5

3
Tesei, P. (2014). First Selectman’s message. Town of Greenwich, Connecticut Website. Retrieved
from:http://www.greenwichct.org/government/departments/first_selectman/first_selectmans_message/
4
Thomas, J. C. (2013). Citizen, customer, partner: Rethinking the place of the public in public management. Public
Administration Review, November/December 2013.

5
Annual Department Operational Plans (2014). Town of Greenwich, Connecticut. Retrieved from:
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/d75/Annual_Dept_Operational_Plans_2014-2015.pdf

3
To further expand this initiative, the Town recommended the service departments add customer
service measurements to their annual operational plans in order to quantify the improvement to
their services.
Project Purpose
The Town of Greenwich is committed to continuously monitoring the satisfaction of its
residents. Residents communicate with the Town in a variety of ways including phone calls,
postage-mail, emails, and face-to-face interactions with Town administrators. However, even
with this open-door model, the Town cannot guarantee that it hears from a representative sample
of its residents.
First Selectman Peter Tesei and administrators from the Office of the First Selectman, in
connection with Community First, contacted Dr. Jennifer Dineen, Program Director of the
University of Connecticut’s (UConn) Department of Public Policy Graduate Program in Survey
Research, to assist with an initiative to assess resident satisfaction of certain town-provided
services. To fulfill the Office of the First Selectman’s request, a two-member Capstone Team of
Masters of Public Administration (MPA) students worked under the supervision of Dr. Dineen
and Dr. Kerri Raissian, the UConn Department of Public Policy Capstone Director, to create and
administer a satisfaction survey of Greenwich residents in the fall of 2014.
The resident satisfaction survey was administered by phone to a random sample of Town
residents 18 years of age or older. Castleton Polling Institute administered the survey from
October 13-29, 2014. Preliminary analysis is provided below.
The Office of the First Selectman has stated the Town’s intention to recreate this survey on a
biennial or triennial basis and to compare the responses to the 2014 benchmark data. By using
the 2014 data as a benchmark, the Town will be able to measure the changes in satisfaction in the
departments targeted by the survey and craft policy or management responses as appropriate.

4
Background and Research Design
Our research accomplished the following set of objectives:
● Developed a resident satisfaction survey;
● Conducted preliminary analysis of survey results;
● Provided information on how to re-administer the survey in the future.
In this section, we describe the background and methodology of the 2014 resident satisfaction
survey. To gather background information on the five service departments targeted in our study,
we visited Greenwich Town Hall in late September to meet with administrators from the Office
of the First Selectman, including First Selectman Peter Tesei. In this meeting, the Executive
Assistant to the First Selectman Michael Rosen and Special Projects Manager Dustin Anderson
identified the following departments as services the Office of the First Selectman specifically
wanted to measure on the survey:
• Building Inspection Division6
,
• Planning and Zoning Department,
• Highway Division7
,
• Parks and Recreation Department, and
• Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency.
After deciding upon the aforementioned services, we visited and spoke with staff from the
service departments with the exception of the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency.8
Visiting the service departments gave us insight into how residents interact with the departments.
Through these interactions we learned more about the processes and direct services that the
departments provide.
Additionally, First Selectman Tesei’s office provided us with the reports the service departments
submit to him outlining their operations and yearly goals.9
We were also provided a copy of the
results from the Town of Greenwich’s most recent resident survey that was conducted in 2003.
These tools were instrumental in the survey creation and allowed for a firm understanding of
how Greenwich residents interact with the government service departments.
Target Population
The population of interest for the 2014 survey consists of men and women over the age of 18
who reside in the Town of Greenwich. According to the United States 2010 Census, the Town
has a total population of 61,171, which is comprised of approximately 23,076 households.10
The

6
The Building Inspection Division is organized under the Department of Public Works.
7
The Highway Division is organized under the Department of Public Works.
8
The department’s office was closed for the rest of the day when the team visited.
9
Final Budget (FY15), Annual Report (FY12), Fiscal Operational Plans (FY2013), Annual Department Operational
Plans (FY15)
10
U.S. Census Bureau; generated by Nancy Lin; using American FactFinder; <http://factfinder2.census.gov>;
Retrieved on 7 September 2014.

5
population is distributed such that there are 44,833 residents (or 73% of the total population)
over the age of 18. The population over the age of 18 has a median age of 50 years, of which
46% are male and 54% are female.
Survey Instrument
After the initial visit to Greenwich Town Hall and a discussion with Mr. Rosen and Mr.
Anderson, the team developed a 12-minute telephone survey reflecting the various aspects of
resident service.11
The 2014 resident satisfaction survey consists of department-specific
questions, importance of each service, two questions specifically expressed by the Office of the
First Selectman, general broad satisfaction questions, and demographic questions.
The primary objective of the survey was to measure resident satisfaction with the five service
departments identified by administrators from the Office of the First Selectman. In the
development of the survey, we examined a variety of existing satisfaction surveys and how they
have been used to capture the preferences and opinions of residents. From our research we
determined four overall factors that are used to measure service satisfaction:
● TIME: which represents the convenience of the service and/or its process with respect to
time;
● ACCURACY: which represents the accuracy of information provided;
● HELP: which represents the assistance provided by staff members;
● INFORMATION: which represents the ease of finding information provided on the
Town’s website or the degree of communication provided about a service.
We used these four factors to create backbone parallel structure of questions in the survey for
each service department.12
These factors were then tailored for each service department. The
following sections describe why and how we tailored each factor a certain way.
Building Inspection Division, Planning and Zoning Department, and Inland Wetland and
Watercourses Agency are service departments that provide residents with permits. Since the
departments have a similar overall structure we found it beneficial, for data comparison, to
construct these departments’ questions in the same way, asking the questions in a parallel
fashion. To do this we began by asking if the respondent had obtained a permit from the
department in the last five years, allowing those who have not to skip over the remainder of that
department’s questions. Next, we asked if the respondent personally had obtained the permit or
if they used a contractor.13
To respondents who used a contractor to obtain a permit, we could
only ask if their contractor expressed any difficulties working with the service departments.
To respondents who used the permitting services directly, the survey asked questions pertaining
to the four measures of satisfaction. First the respondent was asked about their satisfaction with
the time spent in the permit process. Next, the respondent was asked about the degree of
accuracy on the information that the departments provided. Helpfulness was assessed in regards

11
On average, the survey took 12 minutes to complete.
12
The services under the Parks and Recreation Department were split into two parts: services provided at Town Hall
and services provided at recreation sites.
13
Those who used a contractor were given a different skip pattern. See Appendix A.

6
to the satisfaction of staff assistance. Finally, satisfaction related to information was asked by
determining the ease of finding information from the department’s website.
Because the Town of Greenwich has a large Parks and Recreation Department that services
residents in a multitude of ways we chose to separate the department into two sections on the
survey. The first section asked about the recreation passes that residents obtain from the
department, and the second section pertained to the programs and activities at recreational sites.14
To measure satisfaction with the recreation pass process, a screening question determined
whether the respondents had applied for or renewed a pass in the last 12 months. Since many
residents buy recreation passes, asking respondents who experienced the process in the last 12
months allowed us to measure the latest interactions with residents and the department. To
accurately gauge the respondents’ experience with the pass process, we inquired if they used the
service in-person at Town Hall or used postage-mail to submit their paperwork. By specifying
the purchasing method, residents who interacted with the Town Hall staff could rate their
satisfaction with the wait time for recreation passes. Similar to the question format of the
permitting departments, both mail and Town Hall users were asked about their satisfaction with
the service by: accuracy of information provided by staff, helpfulness of staff assistance, and
ease of gathering information on passes on the department’s website.
All respondents were asked about their satisfaction with the Parks and Recreation leisure sites,
which includes parks, beaches, athletic fields, playgrounds, community centers, and a municipal
golf course. To maintain consistency in our satisfaction measures, questions were constructed to
assess time, accuracy, help, and information. The hours of operation for the recreation sites
evaluated the satisfaction with time. Satisfaction with the department’s accuracy was determined
by asking respondents about the maintenance of parks, trails, and open spaces. Because staff
members typically are present at the recreation sites, we asked about the assistance of on-site
staff to measure the helpfulness aspect. As with each department, satisfaction with information
was gauged as ease of finding information on the department’s website.
Since residents do not directly interact with staff from the Highway Division, questions
pertaining to the Department of Public Works’ Highway Division could not be asked in the same
manner as the permitting departments or the Parks and Recreation Department. The Highway
Division repairs and maintains the roads and sidewalks. Since people use the services of the
division daily, we eliminated a screening question in this section of the survey and posed the
same questions to each survey respondent. Services of the division were measured in the
following manner: satisfaction with the convenience of construction hours, effectiveness of
winter maintenance of roads in the Town, satisfaction with the prioritization of the projects
selected by the department, and communication of road projects, highway conditions, and work
zones.
The 2014 survey also captured information about how important the five service departments are
to respondents. This information can be used to identify priorities for improvement. More
energy and effort should be spent on services that scored low on satisfaction but high on
importance than services that scored low on both satisfaction and importance.

14
Recreation passes include beach, park, and tennis passes.

7
In addition, First Selectman Tesei’s office expressed interest in including specific questions in
the survey. The first question was to assess residents’ perceived value of their tax dollars. The
second was a qualitative response question to determine what service could be added or
improved to make the Town of Greenwich a better place to live.15
We relied on survey research design to order the questions in our survey. Surveys want to
engage the respondent from the beginning of the conversation, and to do this we added broad
questions to build initial trust between the interviewer and the respondent. Our broad questions
included the overall satisfaction with services and the satisfaction with larger services the Town
provide such as the police department, fire department, and public school district. We included
demographic questions at the end of the survey in order to increase the item response rates of
these questions. For a variety of reasons demographic questions can make respondents feel
uneasy, but by placing the questions at the end of the survey the interview feels more
conversational.
Measuring Scale Used in the Survey
The survey questions utilized a 7-point scale. A 7-point scale offers plenty of response options
and a clear midpoint option. For purposes of this survey, one is used as the lowest possible
response option, and seven is used as the highest possible response option. The midpoint is the
moderate value of the scale; on the 1-7 scale the midpoint value is 4. For further clarification on
scales for each question, please see Appendix A.
Vendor Process
With the approval of the Office of the First Selectman, we utilized the services of Castleton
Polling Institute. Castleton Polling Institute is a research unit at Castleton State College run by
Dr. Richard Clark, Director of the Castleton Polling Institute (Castleton), and Christopher
Becker, Operations Manager. Their contact information can be found in Appendix B.
We carefully crafted the wording of each survey question to convey clear and neutral language.
Meticulous language was used to ensure no double-barreled questions16
or leading questions17
.
Our faculty advisors, Dr. Dineen and Dr. Raissian, reviewed a preliminary version of the survey.
We then pre-tested the survey with six people including UConn students and faculty, people who
have used permit services in other municipalities, and people who have never taken a telephone
survey before. The pre-tests verified the intent of the survey questions and clarified that it was
created for a random sample of respondents. First Selectman Tesei, Mr. Anderson, and Mr.
Rosen approved the survey before the final version was given to Castleton.
The final draft of the survey was sent to Castleton on October 10, 2014, to allow the Institute
enough time to purchase the landline frame sample. Using this purchased sampling frame,18
Castleton randomly selected respondents by utilizing RDD (Random Digit Dial), a method of

15
The qualitative data was made available to the Office of the First Selectman to be used for further analysis of the
responses.

16
A double-barreled question touches on more than one issue or topic, but only allows for one answer.
17
A leading question suggests or influences a respondent to answer a certain way.
18
The sampling frame is the listing of the accessible study population, households in this survey, from which we can
draw our sample.

8
randomly generating phone numbers.19
Castleton programmed and tested the survey, which has
randomization of sections and skip patterns20
, in their CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone
Interviewing) System. The CATI system automatically randomized sections, allowing
interviewers to seamlessly transition from section to the next randomly generated section.
Similarly, based on the response to a question, the CATI system automatically moves to the next
applicable question. For a more in-depth look into the survey randomization and skip-patterns,
please see Appendix A.
Survey Timeline
After programing and pre-testing the survey, Castleton began interviewing the evening of
Monday, October 13, 2014. Throughout the fielding period, Castleton provided us with multiple
updates on the number of completed calls and any potential issues. On October 14, 2014,
Castleton notified us that they were interviewing fewer respondents per day than expected. If
this continued, Castleton would not be able to secure a sample size of 1,000. To increase the
number of respondents Castleton proposed adding daytime calling shifts and three weekend
calling shifts. At our request, Castleton allowed a number in the landline sample to accumulate
up to nine callbacks attempts, in the event a call was unanswered or went to an answering
machine. After making these changes, we captured our completed sample ahead of schedule; we
reached 1,002 completed calls on Wednesday, October 29, 2014. Table 1 outlines the timeline
of our vendor and survey fielding process.
Table 1. Timeline of Vendor and Fielding Process
Date Task
September 17, 2014 Emails requesting for quotation and availability sent to potential
vendors
October 4, 2014 Pre-testing of survey begins
October 9, 2014 Pre-testing of survey ends
October 10, 2014 Final survey instrument sent to vendor
October 11, 2014 General Service Agreement signed between vendor and Mr. Anderson
October 13, 2014 Survey in the field
October 29, 2014 Survey completed in the field
October 31, 2014 Cleaned dataset sent to the Capstone team via email

19
RDD is a method of randomly generating numbers of a phone number. Landline numbers are determined by
region and therefore have the same area code and prefix; the digits of the bank number are varied. RDD randomizes
the bank numbers of a region to make the calls;
PewResearch (2014). Random digit dialing—Our standard method. Center for the People & the Press. Retrieved
from: http://www.people-press.org/methodology/sampling/random-digit-dialing-our-standard-method/

20
Skip patterns enable interviewers to skip questions that do not apply to a respondent.

9
Methodology and Data
In this section we provide preliminary analysis of the survey results. On October 31, 2014, the
vendor provided us with a dataset of 1,002 responses and a codebook. The data represents a
sample of Greenwich residents who are 18 years or older. Since the survey did not include every
resident living in Greenwich, the sample statistics may differ from the population parameters.
To account for sampling error, each survey result has a standard error of mean, which captures
the imprecision of the sample estimate relative to the population’s true value.21
As with our
survey, it is common for a large number of completed surveys to give a smaller more precise
standard error. The standard errors for each survey result can be found in Appendix E.
Based on the random sample of 1,002 respondents, the margin of error for the entire survey is +/-
3 percentage points.22
Questions with fewer than 1,002 respondents have higher margins of
error.
Response Rate
Castleton Polling Institute made a total of 22,062 call attempts to Greenwich residents to reach
the 1,002 completed calls and 98 partially completed calls.23
A call was considered partial and
not categorized as a refusal if the respondent answered questions up to “In general, how satisfied
are you with the services provided by Greenwich?”24
The response rate is calculated as the
proportion of all calls that were completed or partially completed, excluding ineligible calls.25
Using this definition, the response rate for the survey was 5.6%. For more information on how
we calculated the response rate, please refer to Appendix C.
Overview of Sample
Ideally, the survey sample should be representative of the population of the Town of Greenwich.
However, problems such as non-response may cause some groups to be over- or under-
represented in a sample; particular age groups or a gender can be over- or under-represented in
the survey data. To ensure that the data is representative of the general Greenwich population,
the data was weighted to age and gender. Weighting is a common technique used to adjust
response data to more closely resemble demographics of the population. By weighting the
responses of under-represented respondents more than over-represented respondents, the sample
reflects the population of interest, and the results can be deemed as representative of the
preferences, opinions, and responses of the total population. Please refer to Appendix D for the
complete demographics of survey respondents.

21
In general, as the size of a random sample increases, the standard error decreases because the sample becomes
more likely to be representative. Formulaically, the standard error is SE = s/sqrt(n), where s is the standard deviation
and n is the sample size.
22
ME = 1.96*sqrt[(p*(1-p))/n], where p is the sample proportion and n is the sample size.
23
Aside from being used in the calculation of response rates, partially completed calls were not included in the
results.
24
See Appendix A for the order of survey questions.
25
The American Association for Public Opinion Research (2008). Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case
Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys. 5th edition. Lenexa, Kansas: AAPOR.

10
Results
For our preliminary analysis, we focused on the mean value of each variable, which measures the
average value of a variable in the dataset. Please refer to Appendix E for the complete table of
central tendency values including the standard error of mean for each of the variables in the 2014
survey.
The following sections discuss the mean response values for the general satisfaction of primary
services and of the Town, the importance of service departments, the Building Inspection
Division, the Planning and Zoning Department, the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency,
the Highway Division, and the Parks and Recreation Department for recreation passes and
recreation sites.
Each section is structured in the same way; each section includes the questions asked of
respondents, a graph that depicts the averaged response for each question, and a brief analysis of
the results presented. The graphs are formatted so that the 1-7 scale is on the vertical axis, of
which 4.0 is the midpoint and is interpreted as the moderate value. The sample size (n) is
provided for each section located at the bottom right-hand corner of the graph. The variables, or
measures of interest, are laid out on the horizontal axis of the graph. The columns are the results
of the variables, represented as the response mean. For the averaged response the mean is
calculated by taking the sum of the values given by respondents divided by the total number of
respondents.26

26
The mean includes only respondents who answered 1-7 and excludes those who refused or responded “don’t
know.”

11
General Satisfaction
The general satisfaction section measured responses to the following questions:
• In general, how satisfied are you with the services provided by Greenwich?
• Overall, how satisfied are you with the local police protection?
• Overall, how satisfied are you with the services provided by your local fire department?
• Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of education provided by the local public
schools?
• Now thinking about the Town of Greenwich, in general, how would you rate the value of
your tax dollars?
The averaged responses with the general service questions on the survey, based upon the mean of
the responses among residents who provided a response from 1 to 7, were: services provided by
the Town of Greenwich (5.65), local police protection (6.05), services provided by local fire
department (6.54), quality of education provided by the local public schools (5.49), and rating on
the value of tax dollars (5.32). Figure 2 below, shows the average responses for the general
satisfaction question on the survey.
Figure 2: General Satisfaction Average Values
In general, residents have a favorable impression of their quality of life in Greenwich and were
satisfied with primary town-provided services. Of the three primary services measured, residents
were most satisfied with the services provided by the fire department. On a scale of 1 to 7, the
1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

Town
Services
Police

Fire

Public
Schools
Investment
of

Tax
Dollars

General
Satisfaction

Response
Mean
n=
1,002

12
local fire department averaged a perceived satisfaction rate of 6.54. Residents on average valued
the quality of education at public schools lower than police protection and services of the fire
department; however, residents were still satisfied with the quality of education at public
schools. Of the five general questions, the average value of tax dollars to the Town was the
lowest at 5.32 on a scale of 1 to 7.

13
Importance of Service Departments
The survey measured each respondent’s perceived importance of the five service departments by
asking the following question:
Please tell me how important each of the following town services are to you on a scale of 1 to 7,
one is not at all important and seven is extremely important: (1) Building Inspection Division,
(2) Planning and Zoning Department, (3) Highway Division, (4) Parks and Recreation
Department, [and] (5) Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency.
Figure 1: Importance of Service Departments
Figure 1 above, shows the average responses for the importance of the five service departments.
On average, residents find these services as important. Most residents rated the importance of
each department as a 5 or 6 out of 7. Of the five service departments, residents, on average,
valued the Parks and Recreation Department as the most important. By contrast, residents, on
average, valued the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency as the least important out of the
five service departments. Logically, the Parks and Recreation Department is valued highly
because most residents use services offered by this department. Due to the nature of its
functions, the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency may not be valued as highly as the other
service departments. The Agency primarily provides services to those who live near or on
properties that contain wetlands, watercourse areas, or drainage systems meaning that only a
very specific group of users would utilize services offered by the Agency.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
Building Planning Highway Parks & Rec Inland
Importance of Service Departments
Response Mean n= 1,002

14
Building Inspection Division
The services under the Building Inspection Division are measured using the four factors time,
accuracy, help, and information. The questions were asked in the following manner:
• TIME: How satisfied are you with the length of time spent obtaining building permits?
• ACCURACY: To what degree did the Town Hall staff provide you with accurate
information on current building codes?
• HELP: Overall, how satisfied are you with the Building staff in assisting you?
• INFORMATION: How easy was it for you to find the information you needed from the
Building Division through the town’s website?
Figure 3: Building Inspection Division Average Values
Figure 3 above, shows the average responses within the department. The averaged responses
with the Building Inspection Division, based upon the mean of the responses among residents
who had an opinion, were: TIME (3.54), ACCURACY (4.18), HELP (4.03), and
INFORMATION (3.33). Compared to the general questions, residents were not as satisfied with
service provisions under the Building Inspection Division. Ratings for the four factors were
between 3.33 to 4.18. On a scale of 1 to 7, the average values for the four factors were around
the midpoint or below. Residents on average valued the time spent obtaining permits and ease of
finding information on the Town’s website as the lowest; both were below the midpoint value of
4.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
TIME ACCURACY HELP INFO
Building Inspection Division
Response Mean n= 140

15
Planning and Zoning Department
The services under the Planning and Zoning Department were measured using the four factors
time, accuracy, help, and information. The questions were asked in the following manner:
• TIME: How satisfied are you with the length of time required to go through the planning
and zoning process?
information on the planning and zoning process?
• HELP: Overall, how satisfied are you with the Planning and Zoning staff in assisting
you?
Planning and Zoning Department through the Town’s website?
Figure 4: Planning and Zoning Average Values
with the department, based upon the mean of the responses among residents who had an opinion,
were: TIME (3.26), ACCURACY (5.06), HELP (4.38), and INFORMATION (4.09). The range
for factors under the Planning and Zoning Department were wider compared to the Building
Inspection Division, and were between 3.26 to 5.06. The accuracy, help, and information factors
were valued on average over the midpoint 4.0 and were valued higher when compared to the
same measures under the Building Inspection Division. The satisfaction of time spent in the
planning and zoning process is on average valued lower than the time factor under the Building
Inspection Division. Similar to the Building Inspection Division, the time and information
factors are the lowest values out of the four measures.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
Planning and Zoning

16
Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency
The services under the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency were measured using the four
factors time, accuracy, help, and information. The questions were asked in the following
manner:
• TIME: How satisfied are you with the length of time required to go through the Agency’s
regulatory and inspection process?
information on the process?
• HELP: Overall, how satisfied are you with the Agency staff in assisting you?
Agency through the Town’s website?
Figure 5: Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency Average Values
Figure 5 above, shows the average responses within the Agency. The averaged responses with
the Agency, based upon the mean of the responses among residents who had an opinion, were:
TIME (2.24), ACCURACY (2.58), HELP (2.53), and INFORMATION (3.99). Unlike the other
permitting departments, all four factors under the Agency are below the 4.0 midpoint. The four
factors ranged from 2.24 to 3.99. Contrary to the other two permitting departments, the
information factor of the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency has the highest average
rating out of the four factors. Similar to the other two permitting departments, residents are not
satisfied with the time spent on the permitting process.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency
Response Mean n= 57

17
Highway Division
The services under the Highway Division were measured using factors that deviate slightly from
the usual four factors time, accuracy, help, and information – only the time and information
measures were applicable to this division. The Highway Division questions were asked in the
following manner:
• Overall, how satisfied are you with the services provided by the Highway Division?
• TIME: How convenient are the hours of road construction in Greenwich?
• How satisfied are you with the effectiveness of snow and ice removal on the roads in
Greenwich?
• How often does the division prioritize projects that are most important to you?
• INFORMATION: How would you rate the division’s communication of road projects,
highway conditions, and work zones?
Figure 6: Highway Division Average Values
with the Highway Division, based upon the mean of the responses among residents who had an
opinion, were: overall satisfaction with the Highway Division (5.14), TIME (5.01), satisfaction
on effectiveness of snow/ice removal on roads (5.44), prioritization of the department projects
that are important to respondent (4.44), and INFORMATION (4.39). On average, residents were
satisfied with the services provided by the Highway Division. The measures were valued above
the 4.0 midpoint; the factors ranged from 4.39 to 5.44. Of the five factors (including overall
satisfaction), communication of projects and conditions had the lowest average value.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
Overall
Satisfaction
TIME Snow/Ice
Removal
Project Priority INFO
Highway Division

18
Parks and Recreation Department —Recreation Passes
The services concerning recreation passes under the Parks and Recreation Department were
measured using the four factors time, accuracy, help, and information. The questions were asked
in the following manner:
• TIME: How satisfied are you with the wait time at Town Hall for a recreation pass?
• ACCURACY: To what degree did the department staff provide you with accurate
information on recreation passes?
• HELP: Overall, how satisfied are you with the Parks and Recreation staff in assisting
you?
• INFORMATION: How easy was it for you to find the information you need on recreation
passes through the Town’s website?
Figure 7: Parks and Recreation Passes Average Values
with the department’s recreation passes, based upon the mean of the responses among residents
who had an opinion, were: TIME (4.73), ACCURACY (5.88), HELP (5.71), and
INFORMATION (5.49). Residents were in general satisfied with the services in regards to
recreation passes; the factors ranged from 4.73 to 5.88. Residents were least satisfied with the
wait time at Town Hall; this factor was the only measure under the value of 5.0.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
Recreation Passes

19
Parks and Recreation—Recreation Sites
The services concerning recreation sites under the Parks and Recreation Department were
measured using the four factors time, maintenance, help, and information. The questions were
asked in the following manner:
• TIME: How satisfied are you with the recreational sites’ hours of operations?
• MAINTENANCE: How satisfied are you with the maintenance of parks, trails, and open
spaces?
• HELP: Overall, how satisfied are you with staff members at various recreational sites in
assisting you?
• INFORMATION: How easy was it for you to find the information you need on
recreational sites and programs through the Town’s website?
Figure 8: Parks and Recreation Sites Average Values
with the department’s recreation sites, based upon the mean of the responses among residents
who had an opinion, were: TIME (6.03), MAINTENANCE (5.85), HELP (5.8), and
INFORMATION (5.46). The factors measuring the satisfaction of the Parks and Recreation
Department pertaining to recreation sites were valued higher compared to the factors measuring
the recreation passes; the factors ranged from 5.46 to 6.03. Overall, residents were really
satisfied with the services of the department’s recreation site. Of the four factors, the measure,
ease of finding information on the Town’s website, was valued the lowest.
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
TIME MAINTENANCE HELP INFO
Recreation Sites

20
Data Results Conclusion
Our preliminary analysis provided an outlook into residents’ satisfaction and ratings with town-
provided services. This analysis was conducted in request of the Office of the First Selectman to
help determine focus areas that could be used to improve resident satisfaction. This preliminary
analysis could also help department managers set priorities and included improvements to goals
and customer satisfaction measures in the next Annual Department Operational Plan.
Overall, examining the mean values of the four satisfaction factors assessed in each service
department, there are common factors that were valued lower across the board. We suggest
focusing on the following two factors for future resident satisfaction improvement:
● Time scored a lower satisfaction overall. Specifically, time spent in permitting processes
and the wait time for recreation passes were rated a lower average response to other
factors.
● Information also scored a lower rating overall; in the survey the ease of gathering
information from the Town’s websites scored low in each department assessed. Since
technology is a large component of the Town’s Community First Initiative, the website is
one area all departments could focus on improving to increase overall satisfaction with
Town services.

21
Re-administering the Survey
To gauge improvement of resident satisfaction with the factors measured in service departments,
we suggest the Town of Greenwich re-administer the 2014 resident satisfaction survey on a
biennial or triennial basis. By re-administering the same survey, the Town is able to use the
2014 survey results as a benchmark to compare future renditions of the survey. After several
rounds of data collection, the town will have trend data. Trends, good or bad, are best compared
within the service departments themselves. For example, to measure resident satisfaction with
the Parks and Recreation Department, the comparison should be made back to the 2014
benchmark survey, rather than comparing values to other departments in the survey. Because of
the nature and function of certain service departments, it may not be accurate to compare across
departments. Parks and Recreation Department provides leisure activities whereas departments
such as the Building Inspection Division provides permitting services; comparing the results of
these two departments would not give accurate conclusions because the Building Inspection
Division is a regulatory service and is used to fulfill a specific function, whereas the Parks and
Recreation Department is a service used in a resident’s free time and is viewed as an optional
activity.
To ensure future results yield a valid and accurate comparison to the 2014 resident satisfaction
survey, we suggest the Town consider the following when re-administering the survey:
• Use the 2014 survey in the same format; do not change the wording, order, or skip-
patterns within the survey instrument. Although the Town should not change the
wording of existing questions, the Town, if desired, may add sections of additional
service departments. Results will not be biased as long as these additional sections are
included in the randomization of service departments. This will avoid biases in the
comparison of results and will allow the results to be compared and measured against
each other.
• Use a vendor to administer the telephone survey. For the most accurate comparison of
results the Town should use the same vendor as in 2014, Castleton Polling Institute.
Using the same vendor can provide a number of benefits including: (1) the vendor is
already familiar with the survey instrument’s coding, randomization, and target sample;
(2) the interview procedure will be conducted similarly to the 2014 benchmark survey;
and (3) the data will be weighted, formatted, and produced in the same fashion allowing
for a more accurate data comparison and analysis.
• It is important to re-administer the survey in the same general time frame of mid- to late-
October. This is important due to the fact that the survey asks some seasonal-type
questions. For example, the question in the Highway Division asks about the
effectiveness of snow and ice removal; if the survey was to be conducted in January after
a large snowstorm the rating for that measure may be significantly altered from the 2014
survey, but the change might not be indicative of the department’s overall change in
performance.

22
Conclusion
Overall, residents expressed high satisfaction with Town-provided services. The 2014 resident
satisfaction survey serves as a benchmark to provide unbiased, quantifiable metrics to manage
and improve the services provided by the various departments. If the Town’s administration
decides to implement future surveys, each service and satisfaction level captured by the
benchmark 2014 resident satisfaction survey can be tracked over time to help administration
recognize trends and note responses to policy and service changes made.

23
Appendices
APPENDIX A: SURVEY INSTRUMENT
APPENDIX B: VENDOR CONTACT INFORMATION
APPENDIX C: RESPONSE RATES
APPENDIX D: DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS
APPENDIX E: CENTRAL TENDENCY MEASURES

24
Appendix A. Survey Instrument
2014 Citizen Satisfaction Survey
Field: October (2014)
Length: 10-12 minutes
Sample: Adult; Greenwich, CT Resident; n=1,002
Interviewer Note: Coding options in parentheses, for example (REFUSED), means
volunteered.
INTRO
Hello. My name is ____________________ and I am calling from the Polling Institute at
Castleton College on behalf of the University of Connecticut. We are conducting a short survey
for the Town of Greenwich regarding town-provided services. Your responses will be kept
confidential, and the results of this survey will go directly to the Selectman's Office.
For this survey, we are looking to speak with someone who is at least 18 years or older. Is that
you or someone else?
1 YES/ME → SKIP TO ZIPCODE
2 NO/SOMEONE ELSE → SKIP TO INTRO2
3 (REFUSED) → THANK AND TERMINATE
(IF ASKED: The results to this survey will be posted on the Town’s website in early
December.)
(IF ASKED: This survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.)
(IF ASKED: The results of this survey will be used to help the First Selectman’s Office
make decisions regarding town services in Greenwich.)
INTRO2
May I speak with someone at home who is at least 18 years or older?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO INTRO3
2 NO → SUSPEND CALL AND SET TIME TO CALL BACK
(INTERVIEWER: please type in the name or the age/gender of the respondent who has
been selected so that the callback can be directed to the appropriate person)
3 NO (CLEAR REFUSAL) → TERMINATE
(IF NECESSARY, READ: So that we can reach this person more easily when we call back,
can you please tell me this person's first name or initials?)
(IF NECESSARY, READ: If you prefer to not give me their first name, could you tell me
their age and gender so we know who to ask for when we call back?)
(IF NO INFORMATION PROVIDED, ENTER: "18 + ")

25
INTRO3
Hello. My name is ____________________ and I am calling from the Polling Institute at
Castleton College on behalf of the University of Connecticut. We are conducting a short survey
for the Town of Greenwich regarding town-provided services. Your responses will be kept
confidential, and the results of this survey will go directly to the Selectman's Office.
For this survey, we are looking to speak with someone who is at least 18 years or older. Is that
you or someone else?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO ZIPCODE
2 NO → SUSPEND CALL AND SET TIME TO CALL BACK
(INTERVIEWER: please type in the name or the age/gender of the respondent who has
been selected so that the callback can be directed to the appropriate person)
3 NO (CLEAR REFUSAL) → TERMINATE
(IF NECESSARY, READ: So that we can reach this person more easily when we call back,
can you please tell me this person's first name or initials?)
(IF NECESSARY, READ: If you prefer to not give me their first name, could you tell me
their age and gender so we know who to ask for when we call back?)
(IF NO INFORMATION PROVIDED, ENTER: "18 + ")
(IF ASKED: The results to this survey will be posted on the Town’s website in early
December.)
(IF ASKED: This survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.)
(IF ASKED: The results of this survey will be used to help the First Selectman’s Office
make decisions regarding how and what services are delivered to residents.)
QZIP
This survey is only for residents in the Town of Greenwich, may I please have your zip code?
(INTERVIEWER: Do not read; Match with list)
1 06807 → SKIP TO QUAILITY
2 06830 → CONTINUE TO ZIP830
6 (OTHER) → THANK AND TERMINATE
7 (REFUSED) → THANK AND TERMINATE
ZIP830
For further clarification, do you live in Belle Haven, Byram, Downtown Greenwich, or another
neighborhood I have not mentioned?

26
1 Belle Haven → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
2 Byram → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
3 Downtown Greenwich → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
4 (OTHER) (INTERVIEWER: Please specify) → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
5 (DK) → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
6 (REFUSED) → CONTINUE TO QUALITY
QUALITY
I'd like to ask you about services provided by the Town of Greenwich to its residents. For each of
these questions, please give a response on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being the least favorable and 7
being the most favorable.
In general, how satisfied are you with the services provided by Greenwich? Please rate your
satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being "Not at all satisfied" and 7 being "Extremely
satisfied".
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number)
8 (DK) → CONTINUE TO BLOCK A
9 (REFUSED) → CONTINUE TO BLOCK A
_________________BLOCK A: RANDOMIZE WITHIN BLOCK____________________
APOLICE
Overall, how satisfied are you with the local police protection? Please rate your satisfaction on a
scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied, and seven is extremely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER:
Code actual number)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
AFIRE
Overall, how satisfied are you with the services provided by your local fire department? Please
rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied, and seven is extremely
satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
SCHOOLS
Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of education provided by the local public schools?
Please rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied, and seven is extremely
satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
____________________END RANDOMIZATION WITHIN BLOCK A__________
TOWNSERVICES

27
Please tell me how important each of the following town services are to you on a scale of 1 to 7,
one is not at all important and seven is extremely important.
RANDOMIZE THE FOLLOWING LIST OF SERVICES
SERVICES_OPTION_1 – Building Inspection Division
SERVICES_OPTION_2 – Planning and Zoning Department
SERVICES_OPTION_3 – Highway Division
SERVICES_OPTION_4 – Parks and Recreation Department
SERVICES_OPTION_5 – Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number for each services)
8 (N/A)
END RANDOMIZATION OF LIST
RANDOMIZE BLOCKS B to E
_______________________________BLOCK B____________________________________
BUSEBUILD
The Building Inspection Division, located at town hall, issues construction permits in compliance
with State and local building codes.
In the last 5 years have you or your contractor been to the building inspection division to obtain a
permit?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO BDIRECT1
2 NO → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK
3 (DK) → (PROBE: Have you ever built an exterior deck, a shed, a swimming
pool, or replaced wall sidings or roof shingles?) → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK
4 (REFUSED) → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK
BDIRECT1
Did you obtain a permit yourself or did you use a contractor?
1 MYSELF → SKIP TO BTIME1
2 CONTRACTOR → CONTINUE TO BCONTRACTOR1
3 (BOTH) → SKIP TO BTIME1
4 (DK) → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK
BCONTRACTOR1
Did your contractor express any difficulties working with the Town Hall Building Division?
1 YES → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK

28
BTIME1
How satisfied are you with the length of time spent obtaining building permits? Please rate this
on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to BACCU1)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
BACCU1
To what degree did the Town Hall staff provide you with accurate information on current
building codes? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all accurate information and
seven is completely accurate information. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and
continue to BHELP1)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
BHELP1
Overall, how satisfied are you with the Building staff in assisting you? Please rate this on a scale
of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code
actual number and continue to BINFO1)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
BINFO1
How easy was it for you to find the information you needed from the Building Division through
the Town’s website? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all easy and seven is
extremely easy. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to next block)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
_________________________________BLOCK C___________________________________
CUSEPLAN
The Planning and Zoning Department, at Town Hall, is responsible for the regulations of land
use and property rezoning throughout the town.
In the last 5 years have you or your contractor been to the Planning and Zoning Department to
obtain a permit?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO CDIRECT2
3 (DK) → (PROBE: Have you ever built a house or enlarged properties such as
converting a single family residence into a two-family residence?) → SKIP TO NEXT
BLOCK

29
CDIRECT2
1 MYSELF → SKIP TO CTIME2
2 CONTRACTOR → CONTINUE TO CCONTRACTOR2
3 (BOTH) → SKIP TO CTIME2
5 (REFUSED) → CONTINUE TO NEXT BLOCK
CCONTRACTOR2
Did your contractor express any difficulties working with the Town Hall Planning and Zoning
Department?
1 YES → SKIP TO NEXT BLOCK
CTIME2
How satisfied are you with the length of time required to go through the planning and zoning
process? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely
satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to CACCU2)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
CACCU2
To what degree did the Town Hall staff provide you with accurate information on the planning
and zoning process? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all accurate information
and seven is completely accurate information.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to CHELP2)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
CHELP2
Overall, how satisfied are you with the Planning and Zoning staff in assisting you? Please rate
this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to CINFO2)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
CINFO2
How easy was it for you to find the information you needed from the Planning and Zoning
Department through the Town’s website? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all
easy and seven is extremely easy. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to
next block)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)

30
________________________________BLOCK D _______________________________
DUSEHIGHWAY
The Highway Division is responsible for the evaluation and maintenance of roadway surfaces,
sidewalks, traffic and pedestrian signals, and leaf, snow, and ice removal. Please use your
experiences within the last 12 months to rate the services provided by this division.
Overall, how satisfied are you with the services provided by the Highway Division? Please rate
this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to DTIME4)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
DTIME4
How convenient are the hours of road construction in Greenwich? Please rate the convenience on
a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all convenient and seven is extremely convenient.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to DACCU4)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
DEFFECT4
How satisfied are you with the effectiveness of snow and ice removal on the roads in
Greenwich? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is
completely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to DEXPERT4)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
DEXPERT4
How often does the division prioritize projects that are most important to you? Please rate this on
a scale of 1 to 7, one is never and 7 is almost always.(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number
and continue to DINFO4)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
DINFO4
How would you rate the division’s communication of road projects, highway conditions, and
work zones? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is extremely poor communication and
seven is excellent communication. (IF ASKED: Communication means visible signs
referencing future road construction projects, signs anticipating road work ahead, or
notifications of construction in your neighborhood.) (INTERVIEWER: Code actual
number and continue to next block)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
________________________________BLOCK E _______________________________

31
EPARKS
The following questions pertain to the services the town provides through the Parks and
Recreation Department.
RANDOMIZE BLOCK E5 AND BLOCK E6 WITHIN BLOCK E
_________________________________BLOCK E5_________________________________
E5INTERNALPARK
Beach cards, daily beach passes, and tennis passes are required during peak seasons at
recreational sites. For the purposes of this survey we will refer to all of these as recreation
passes.
In the last 12 months, have you or someone in your household applied for, or renewed, a
recreation pass?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO E5APASS
E5APASS
How did you submit your application for a recreation pass? Did you visit Town Hall or did you
mail in your application?
1 TOWN HALL → CONTINUE TO E5TIME5
2 MAIL → SKIP TO E5ACCU5
3 (OTHER) → SKIP TO E5ACCU5
4 (BOTH) → CONTINUE TO E5TIME5
E5TIME5
In general, how satisfied are you with the wait time at Town Hall for a recreation pass? Please
rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to E5ACCU5)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
E5ACCU5
To what degree did the department staff provide you with accurate information on recreation
passes? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all accurate information and seven is
completely accurate information.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to E5HELP5)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)

32
E5HELP5
Overall, how satisfied are you with the Parks and Recreation staff at Town Hall in assisting you?
Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to E5INFO5)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
E5INFO5
How easy was it for you to find the information you needed on recreation passes through the
Town’s website? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all easy and seven is extremely
easy. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to next block)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
________________________________BLOCK E6________________________________
E6TIME6
The Parks and Recreation Department operates programs and activities. These leisure
opportunities include: playgrounds, beaches, athletic fields, parks, community centers, a
municipal golf course, and other recreational programs.
How satisfied are you with the recreational sites’ hours of operation? Please rate your
satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied.
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue E6MAINTENANCE)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
E6MAINTENANCE
How satisfied are you with the maintenance of parks, trails, and open spaces? Please rate this on
a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER:
Code actual number and continue to E6HELP6)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
E6HELP6
Overall, how satisfied are you with staff members at various recreational sites in assisting you?
Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied. (IF
ASKED: Staff members include lifeguards, maintenance, rangers, program directors, etc.)
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to E6INFO6)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
E6INFO6

33
How easy was it for you to find the information you needed on recreational sites and programs
through the Town’s website? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all easy and seven
is extremely easy. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to the next block)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
___________________________________________________________________________
END RANDOMIZATION OF BLOCKS
_________________________________BLOCK F ___________________________________
FUSEAGENCY
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency determines the permitted use of wetlands and
regulates development within these areas. (IF ASKED: Wetlands generally include swamps,
marshes, bogs, and water areas.)
In the last five years, have you owned or lived near a property with wetlands?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO FAGENCYDEV
2 NO → SKIP TO INVESTMENT
3 (DK) → SKIP TO INVESTMENT
4 (REFUSED) → SKIP TO INVESTMENT
FAGENCYDEV
Have you done any development projects on the wetland property, such as clearing or
construction?
1 YES → CONTINUE TO FDIRECT3
FDIRECT3
1 MYSELF → SKIP TO FTIME3
2 CONTRACTOR → CONTINUE TO FCONTRACTOR3
3 (BOTH) → SKIP TO FTIME3
FCONTRACTOR3
Did your contractor express any difficulties working with the Agency at Town Hall?
1 YES → SKIP TO INVESTMENT
3 (DK) → SKIP TO INVESTMENT
FTIME3

34
How satisfied are you with the length of time required to go through the Agency’s regulatory and
inspection process? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is
extremely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to FACCU3)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
FACCU3
To what degree did the Town Hall staff provide you with accurate information on the process?
Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all accurate information and seven is completely
accurate information. (IF ASKED: The process covers regulation, application, and permit.)
(INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to FHELP3)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
FHELP3
Overall, how satisfied are you with the Agency staff in assisting you? Please rate this on a scale
of 1 to 7, one is not at all satisfied and seven is extremely satisfied. (INTERVIEWER: Code
actual number and continue to FINFO3)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
FINFO3
How easy was it for you to find the information you needed from the Agency through the
Town’s website? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is not at all easy and seven is extremely
easy. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number and continue to INVESTMENT)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
____________________________________________________________________
INVESTMENT
Now thinking about the Town of Greenwich, in general, how would you rate the value of your
tax dollars? Please rate this on a scale of 1 to 7, one is extremely poor value for my tax dollars,
and seven is excellent value. (INTERVIEWER: Code actual number)
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
SERVICE
What is one service that would make Greenwich a better place to live? This could include
improving an existing service or providing a new service. (INTERVIEWER: Record Answer)
(PROBE: What is something the town could do to make a good use of your tax dollars?)
GENDER
Finally, I have a few demographic questions for classification purposes only.
(INTERVIEWER: RECORD GENDER, BUT DO NOT ASK)

35
1 MALE
2 FEMALE
3 (DK)
AGE
What is your age? (INTERVIEWER: Open ended and code actual age)
999 REFUSED
RACE
What is your race or ethnicity? (INTERVIEWER: Do not read, please code all that apply)
1 White (Caucasian)
2 Black or African-American
3 Hispanic
4 Asian
5 American Indian or Alaska Native or
6 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
7 Other
8 (DK)
9 (REFUSED)
MARITAL
What is your current marital status? (INTERVIEWER: Do not read, please code all that
apply)
1 Single/Never been married
2 Married
3 Separated
4 Divorced
5 Widowed
6 Domestic partnership/Living with partner (not legally married)
7 (DK)
8 (REFUSED)
CHILDREN
In your household, how many children are there under the age of 18? (INTERVIEWER: Open
ended and code actual number)
YEARS
How long have you lived in Greenwich? (INTERVIEWER: Do not read, please code actual
number)
1 Includes up to a year
2 Up to 2 years
…
999 (REFUSED)
INCOME

36
Please estimate the TOTAL income that you and your household received in 2013, not just from
wages or salaries but from ALL sources -- that is, before taxes and other deductions were made.
(INTERVIEWER: do not read categories, code appropriate income range)
1 Less than $50,000
2 $50,000-$99,999
3 $100,000-$149,999
4 $150,000-$199,999
5 $200,000-$249,999
6 $250,000 and over
7 (DK)
8 (REFUSED)
CONCLUSION
That concludes our survey. The Town of Greenwich truly values your input. Thank you very
much for your time.

37
Appendix B: Vendor Contact Information
Vendor: Castleton Polling Institute of Castleton College
Dr. Richard Clark
Director
Polling Institute
Rich.Clark@castleton.edu
(802) 468-1306
Christopher Becker
Operations Manager
Polling Institute
Christopher.Becker@castleton.edu
(802) 770-7041

38
Appendix C. Response Rates
The following response rates used AAPOR’s standardized equations where response rate 1 is
viewed as the most conservative and response rate 6 is viewed as the least conservative. More
information about the different kinds of response rates are available at:
http://www.aapor.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Standard_Definitions&Template=/CM/Conten
tDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1273.
Response Rate Legend
RR = Response rate
I = Completed interview
P = Partially completed interview
R = Refusal and break-off
NC = Non-contact
O = Other
UH = Unknown if household/occupied HU
UO = Unknown, other
E = Estimated proportion of cases of unknown eligibility that are eligible
Response Rate Formulas
RR1 =
I
(I +P) + (R + NC + O) + (UH + UO)
RR2 =
(I + P)
(I +P) + (R + NC + O) + (UH + UO)
RR3 =
I
(I +P) + (R + NC + O) + e(UH + UO)
RR4 =
(I + P)
(I +P) + (R + NC + O) + e(UH + UO)
RR5 =
I
(I +P) + (R + NC + O)
RR6 =
(I + P)
(I +P) + (R + NC + O)
Greenwich Survey Response Rates
RR1 = 5.1%
RR2 = 5.6%
RR3 = 8.7%
RR4 = 9.6%
RR5 = 40.7%
RR6 = 44.7%

39
Disposition/Dialing Summary
The following disposition summary identified each call unit as a type of call such as completed
calls and ineligible calls. The team used a response rate calculator excel spreadsheet offered by
AAPOR to calculate the 6 types of response rates. AAPOR has a standardized list of final
disposition codes in which the disposition of the Greenwich survey was matched to. Castleton
multiplied the AAPOR disposition codes by 1,000 in their disposition summary. Furthermore,
Castleton included two temporary disposition codes, 5100 and 5200, representing callbacks.
These callbacks were treated like any other non-contact with unknown eligibility. In calculating
response rates, the team identified the callbacks as disposition code 3.21 (no screener completed)
under unknown eligibility, non-interviewer. A copy of AAPOR’s response rate calculator excel
file was made available to Greenwich. However, the file can also be downloaded from
AAPOR’s website at http://www.aapor.org/Standard_Definitions2.htm#.VG1S8ZPF-Qc.
Table 2. Disposition Summary of the Greenwich Survey
Code Disposition # Of Attempts
1100 Complete 1,002
1200 Partial 98
2100 Refusal 1,301
2111 Eligible: Household Refusal 1
2120 Eligible: Break Off 7
2210 Eligible: Respondent Never Available 15
2332 Language Problem 38
3120 Busy 343
3130 No Answer 2,878
3140 Answering Machine 11,964
3150 Technical Phone Problems 69
4000 Ineligible 126
4200 Fax/Data line 245
4310 Nonworking number 1,637
4410 Number Changed 14
4510 Business/Government/Other Org 237
4520 Institution 2
4700 No eligible respondent 8
4800 Quota filled 0
5100 Call back, indefinite 1,571
5200 Callback 506
TOTAL ATTEMPTS 22,062

40
Appendix D. Demographics of Survey Respondents
Table 3. Zip Code Composition of Survey Respondents
Zip
Code Frequency Percent
06807 122 12.9
06830 373 36.0
06831 236 22.0
06870 129 13.6
06878 141 15.5
Total 1,001 100.0
Table 4. Breakdown Composition of Zip Code 06830
06830 Frequency Percent
Belle Haven 13 2.5
Byram 50 10.1
Downtown Greenwich 170 49.2
Other 133 36.6
Don’t Know/Refused 7 1.6
Total 373 100.0
Table 5. Race/Ethnicity Composition of Survey Respondents
Race/Ethnicity Frequency Percent
White (Caucasian) 866 84.5
Black/African-American 7 0.5
Hispanic 17 2.9
Asian 16 3.0
Other 11 4.1
Total 1,001 100.0
Table 6. Marital Status Composition of Survey Respondents
Marital Status Frequency Percent
Single/Never Married 94 17
Married 671 69.9
Separated 4 0.3
Divorced 69 4.9
Widowed 130 6.3
Domestic Partnership 2 0.3
Don't Know/Refused 31 1.3
Total 1,001 100.0

41
Table 7. Survey Composition of # of Children in Household Under the Age of 18
# of Children Frequency Percent
0 591 47.8
1 94 19.8
2 104 19.1
3 49 9.3
4 15 2.8
5 5 1.2
Total 858 100.0
Table 8. Survey Composition of Total Income
Income Range Frequency Percent
Less than $50,000 58 4.3
$50,000-$99,999 127 10.1
$100,000-$149,000 83 7.5
$150,000-$199,999 66 7.5
$200,000-$249,999 50 5.2
$250,000 or more 205 26.3
Total 1,001 100.0
Table 9. Average Median Age of Survey Respondents
Type Years
Whole Population 50
Female Population 50
Male Population 50
Table 10. Gender Composition of Survey Respondents
Type %
Female Population 52.4
Male Population 47.6
Total Population 100.0

42
Appendix E. Central Tendency Measures
The team utilized measures of central tendency to analyze the data, specifically the variables
with a 7-point scale. Central tendency measures are values that describe the middle positions of
a variable. We used three measures of central tendency: mean, median, and mode. Mean is the
most well-known measure of central tendency and measures the average value of a variable in
the dataset. The mean for the following variables includes only responses of values 1 to 7. A
standard error of mean is provided under each mean. The standard error of mean (presented in
parentheses below the mean value) is a measure of how much the value of the mean may vary
from sample to sample taken from the same distribution. Median is the middle value for a
variable in which half of the values are above and half are below. The median for the following
variables includes only responses of values 1 to 7. Mode is the most frequent value within the
values of a variable. The mode for the following variables includes values 1 to 7, as well as
“Don’t Knows,” which is represented by “DK” in the table. If “DK” is the mode, the second
most frequent response is also provided under the “DK.”
DEPARTMENT Variable Measured Mean Median Mode
General
Overall Satisfaction with Services
5.65
(0.040) 6 6
Police Protection 6.05
(0.045) 6 7
Fire Department 6.54
(0.026) 7 7
Quality of Education at Public
Schools
5.49
(0.053) 6 6
Investment of Tax Dollars
5.32
(0.046) 5.5 6
Building
Importance of Services Provided by
Department
4.93
(0.056) 5 5
Time Spent Obtaining Permits
3.54
(0.156) 4 1
Degree of Accurate Info by Staff
4.18
(0.177) 5 1
Satisfaction of Staff Assistance
4.03
(0.171) 5 1
Ease of Finding Info on Website
3.33
(0.184) 4
DK
1

43
Planning&Zoning
Department
5.29
(0.053) 5 7
Time of the Planning & Zoning
Process
3.26
(0.147) 3 1
5.06
(0.150) 6 6
4.38
(0.143) 5 5
4.09
(0.153) 5 6
Highway
Department
5.53
(0.048) 6 7
Overall Satisfaction with Highway
Department
5.14
(0.052) 5 6
Convenience of Road Construction
Hours
5.01
(0.051) 5 6
Effectiveness of Snow/Ice Removal
5.44
(0.044) 6 6
Priority of Projects 4.44
(0.066) 5
DK
5
Communication of Projects & Road
Conditions
4.39
(0.062) 5 5
ParksandRecreation:
RecreationPasses
Importance of Services of Parks &
Recreation Department
6.16
(0.035) 6 7
Satisfaction with Wait Time at Town
Hall
4.73
(0.120) 5 7
5.88
(0.059) 6 7
5.71
(0.058) 6 7
5.49
(0.071) 6 7

44
Parksand
Recreation:
RecreationSites
Satisfaction of Site Hours
6.03
(0.037) 6 7
Satisfaction with Maintenance of
Sites
5.85
(0.042) 6 6
5.8
(0.042) 6 6
5.46
(0.058) 6
DK
6
InlandWetlandand
WatercoursesAgency
Department
4.73
(0.059) 5 5
Satisfaction with Time in Process
2.24
(0.268) 1 1
2.58
(0.316) 1 1
2.53
(0.316) 1 1
3.99
(0.300) 5 5

2014 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to 2014 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey

Similar to 2014 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey (20)

2014 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey