Oct. 25, 2017 - Surveys soon will be showing up in the mailboxes of Oak Parkers selected at random to help the Village gauge citizen views on a wide range of community aspects and issues.
While taking only about 15 minutes to complete, survey responses will help policy makers better understand priorities for government action and citizen opinions on quality of life and public services.
Oak Parkers who receive a survey are urged to promptly complete and return the document to ensure their viewpoints are part of the final tabulation. All responses are anonymous.
National Research Center, Inc. (NRC), a social science research firm whose core business is community surveys, was hired to ensure the scientific validity of the survey results. NRC assisted with surveys here in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2015, standardizing questions for accurate comparisons of findings over the years.
Results of these past surveys are posted on the Village web site at www.oak-park.us/communitysurveys.
Through its collaboration with the International City Managers Association, NRC has developed a national database of community surveys and survey questions, which allow the Village to compare many of its results with those from similar communities in Illinois and across the country.
Surveys in 2000 and 2004 were conducted by telephone. But with telephone response rates plummeting across the industry and costs rising, mail has proven to be a more cost-effective and broader reach approach. In addition, officials say mail responses tend to be more candid than those gathered by a telephone interviewer.
For more information about the community survey, call 708.358.5770 or email village@oak-park.us.