HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3646
City of Palo Alto (ID # 3646)
Committee for Potential Infrastructure Finance Measure
Staff Report
Report Type: Meeting Date: 3/28/2013
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Objectives for 2013 Baseline Infrastructure Survey
Title: Accept Report Summarizing Objectives for the 2013 Baseline
Infrastructure Survey
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation
Accept report summarizing objectives for a baseline infrastructure survey (Attachment A).
Discussion
The City has contracted with Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) to conduct
opinion research to determine whether and if so, how to proceed with an infrastructure finance
measure or measures. FM3 Research has recommended a series of research efforts to assess
public attitudes toward infrastructure projects, beginning with an initial baseline survey.
Attachment A provides a high level overview of the objectives of the baseline survey.
FM3 is also working closely with staff and the City’s communications firm, TBWB Strategies, to
conduct a detailed review of projects and potential funding mechanisms to develop concepts
and messages to be tested in the public opinion survey. On March 18, 2013, the City Council
considered the Infrastructure Committee’s recommendations to modify the initial list of
projects approved by Council for opinion research. The following is the list of projects that will
be evaluated in the baseline opinion survey:
1. Public Safety Building
2. Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan
3. Bike Bridge
4. Fire Stations
5. Accelerate street resurfacing
6. Charleston/Arastradero improvements
City of Palo Alto Page 2
7. Sidewalks (surface catch-up)
8. Parks catch-up
9. Animal Services Center
10. Playing Fields (golf course)
11. Ventura Community Center
12. Downtown Parking Garage
13. California Avenue Parking Garage
14. History Museum
The survey will be developed and data collection will begin in mid to late April 2013. The survey
findings and recommendations will be presented to the Infrastructure Committee in May 2013
and to the full Council in early June 2013.
Attachments:
Attachment A. Objectives for Baseline Survey (PDF)
TO: Sheila Tucker
The City of Palo Alto
FROM: Dave Metz and Shakari Byerly
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates
RE: Summary of Objectives for the 2013 Baseline Infrastructure Survey
DATE: March 15, 2013
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) is currently preparing a baseline survey to
assess public support for ways in which to fund a variety of infrastructure needs in the City of Palo
Alto, as identified by the City’s Infrastructure Blue Ribbon Commission. FM3 has recommended a
series of research efforts to assess public attitudes toward the projects, including an initial baseline
survey; a series of follow-up focus groups if the initial baseline survey points to voter support for
revenue increases to support infrastructure investments; and a final feasibility survey. We envision
conducting the initial baseline survey among 600 likely voters, which is associated with a margin of
sampling error of +/-4.0 percent. The culmination of the research will be a series of
recommendations to the City Council about whether and how to proceed with an infrastructure
finance measure or measures.
As the first stage in this research process, the objectives of the baseline survey will be the
following:
To track public attitudes (compared to prior years’ surveys) on core measures like feelings
about the City’s quality of life; the City Council’s management of civic affairs and finances;
the condition of the local economy; and the need for additional revenue to fund various local
services;
To gauge overall perceptions of the condition of the City’s infrastructure, and the specific
areas that may be in greatest need of improvement;
To test public support for a list of 13 potential infrastructure improvement projects identified
by the City Council’s infrastructure committee, given basic information about their
substance and cost;
To assess public attitudes toward a variety of mechanisms that might be employed to fund
infrastructure improvements (e.g. general obligation bonds, sales tax increase, transient
occupancy tax rate increase, etc.)
Attachment A. Summary of Objectives for Baseline Infrastructure Survey
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