PRESS RELEASE
2021 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey Results
GREENWICH, CT – Improvement to the level of and quality of services the Town of Greenwich provides its residents continues to be a top priority of First Selectman Fred Camillo.
As part of this ongoing effort, the Town contracted with Connecticut-based firm Great Blue Research, Inc., to conduct the biennial Town Resident Satisfaction Survey. The 2021 Greenwich Resident Satisfaction Survey was designed to be a re-administration of the 2018, 2016, and 2014 surveys, with each iteration being used to track changes in satisfaction and inform our service improvement efforts.
The 2021 survey was originally scheduled to be conducted in 2020, but was put on hold until 2021 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 survey was administered from October to November via mixed methodology utilizing both telephone and digital outreach. Telephone numbers were randomly generated and included both landline and cell phone numbers, and a digital survey was available via a link placed on the Town’s website. In total, 565 residents elected to complete the survey, with 133 surveys completed via phone and 432 surveys completed online.
First Selectman Camillo stated, "With so many people enduring hardships and uncertainty throughout the pandemic, I am thrilled that the Town was able to step up to the plate and continue to provide the high quality services that residents have come to know, expect, and depend on. These survey results reflect how hard our dedicated employees worked to satisfy the needs of our residents.”
Overall, the results of the 2021 Survey demonstrated increases in several key areas as well as identifying opportunities to improve:
- General satisfaction with Town services, overall value of tax dollars, local police protection, services provided by the fire department, and quality of education provided by local public schools had lower means compared to 2018, however scores remained consistent with 2016 and 2014 metrics.
- The Parks and Recreation Department received the highest mean importance rating among our service departments, followed by the Highway Division of our Department of Public Works.
- While mean importance ratings were lower in 2021 than 2018 for Building Inspection Division, Planning and Zoning Department, and Inland Wetland and Watercourses Agency, the 2021 importance ratings for these departments were higher than 2016 and 2014 ratings.
- Mean ratings for overall satisfaction, road construction hours, snow/ice removal effectiveness, and communicating information of the Highway Division experienced decreases in 2021 from 2018, however the scores were higher than the 2016 metrics.
Director of Parks and Recreation Joe Siciliano said, “This survey was conducted during one of the most challenging times in the Department’s history.” Mr. Siciliano added, “With almost every program and service being impacted by COVID-19 protocols and requirements, as well as surging demand for services, we’re proud that our survey satisfaction levels closely reflect pre-COVID responses.”
The survey highlighted the need to continue to improve communication between Town government and the community, especially in response to how residents prefer to receive information. In 2018, we asked respondents to share their preferences. The top three were direct mail (32.1%), Town website (30.4%), and email (28.6%). In 2021, the top three were newsletter (30.9%), Town website (30.7%), and direct mail (24.9%), with the newsletter having the highest increase in any category compared to 2018. Residents interested in signing up for the First Selectman’s weekly newsletter, “Community Connections with Fred”, can do so by clicking this link: Subscribe Here, or visiting the Town website.
Commissioner of Public Works Amy Siebert stated, “The Department of Public Works always welcomes helpful feedback from the public. As we all know, the pandemic impacted services and presented a new set of challenges that our department has had to navigate. We look forward to improving our communication and outreach to all using our services.”
The complete 2021 Resident Satisfaction Survey report can be accessed online here:
2021 Resident Satisfaction Report
As always, residents are encouraged to reach out directly to our Town departments regarding issues or questions with any service.
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For media inquiries, contact Executive Assistant to the First Selectman Barbara Heins at barbara.heins@greenwichct.org.