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Home My WebLink About2020-08-11 Policy & Services Committee Agenda PacketPolicy and Services Committee 1 MATERIALS RELATED TO AN ITEM ON THIS AGENDA SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENDA PACKET ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE AT PALO ALTO CITY HALL, 250 HAMILTON AVE. DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Regular Meeting 7:00 PM ****BY VIRTUAL TELECONFERENCE ONLY*** https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 946 1874 4621 Phone: 1-669-900-6833 Pursuant to the provisions of California Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20, issued on March 17, 2020, to prevent the spread of Covid-19, this meeting will be held by virtual teleconference only, with no physical location. The meeting will be broadcast on Midpen Media Center at https://midpenmedia.org. Members of the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions at the end of this agenda. PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public may speak to agendized items. If you wish to address the Committee on any issue that is on this agenda, please complete a speaker request card located on the table at the entrance to the Council Chambers/Community Meeting Room, and deliver it to the Clerk prior to discussion of the item. You are not required to give your name on the speaker card in order to speak to the Committee, but it is very helpful. Public comment may be addressed to the full Policy and Services Committee via email at City.Council@cityofpaloalto.org. Call to Order Oral Communications Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda. Action Items 1.Discuss Process for 2020 National Community Survey Future Meetings and Agendas Adjournment AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA) Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact (650) 329-2550 (Voice) 24 hours in advance. Presentation 2 August 11, 2020 MATERIALS RELATED TO AN ITEM ON THIS AGENDA SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENDA PACKET ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE AT PALO ALTO CITY HALL, 250 HAMILTON AVE. DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. Public Comment Instructions Members of the Public may provide public comments to virtual meetings via teleconference or by phone. 1. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Committee, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. A. You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30+, Firefox 27+, Microsoft Edge 12+, Safari 7+. Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. B. You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. C. When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. D. When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. E. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 2. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Committee, download the Zoom application onto your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID below. Please follow the instructions B-E above. 3. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Committee. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. https://zoom.us/join Meeting ID: 946 1874 4621 Phone No: 1-669-900-6833 City of Palo Alto (ID # 11500) Policy and Services Committee Staff Report Report Type: Action Items Meeting Date: 8/11/2020 City of Palo Alto Page 1 Summary Title: Discuss Process for 2020 National Citizens' Survey Title: Discuss Process for 2020 National Community Survey From: City Manager Lead Department: City Manager Recommendation Staff recommends that Policy and Services Committee discuss the process for the 2020 National Community (formerly Citizen) Survey, to possibly make recommendations for the type and method, i.e. paper, online, basic survey, custom questions, as well as any other questions or concerns regarding this data gathering activity. Executive Summary Since 2003, the City of Palo Alto has contracted with National Research Center, Inc. (NRC), to survey Palo Altans about their opinions regarding their quality of life, with city services, their perception of the environment and regional issues, and as a way to see how Palo Alto compares to other cities who also participate in this same survey. The value of the comparisons using identical surveys across all jurisdictions, and the data collected has typically been in benchmarking, for use in annual budget planning, and for community awareness of local issues as well as satisfaction levels with city services and programs. This survey was overseen by the City Auditor’s Office and transitioned to the City Manager’s Office in 2019. No survey was administered in 2019 as the transition took place. Discussion The National Citizen Survey (now renamed National Community Survey) is an enterprise of Polco, who purchased NRC in 2019, and the International City/County Management Association. The survey is statistically valid and is seen as a standard in municipal government, though not every city conducts a survey annually; some conduct on a regular schedule of 2-3 years or more. Palo Alto has added custom questions which have been specifically designed to better understand certain issues. One example is whether the household plans to purchase a new car and whether that vehicle will be gas- or electric-powered. Other questions are open-ended, City of Palo Alto Page 2 such as “As a resident of Palo Alto, what one thing does the City do well and should maintain?” Note that creation of additional questions can add to the costs and length of the survey. The company is also offering questions related to COVID-19, and staff will explore what they are offering as it relates to that subject. Also, some questions in the standard survey are not relevant in Palo Alto, such as questions about snow removal. These are normally removed prior to survey administration. The City of Palo Alto has used the paper version in the past. Originally, the survey had a response rate of 51%, though in 2018 it was 21% (see PDF pg. 61 of https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/68528). There is now an online- only option, though the community demographics may not make that the best choice. Timeline, Resource Impact, Policy Implications (If Applicable) The City aims to have a new contract to conduct the survey in place within a short time; staff has been in conversation with the vendor to discuss options for administering the survey and best practices for results. The survey would need to be released and compiled in September-December to have results available in time for the 2021 Council Retreat (generally in late January/early February). Policy and Services may wish to use the results for their annual task of discussing the preferences regarding the priority setting process for the retreat. Stakeholder Engagement In the past, no discussion has come to Policy and Services prior to administering the survey. As Policy and Services plays a role in discussing how the Council will set their priorities as part of their annual retreat, this discussion can help to begin the data gathering that will inform those priorities. As in 2020, additional opportunities for community input will be made available closer to the retreat date and the Policy and Services discussion. In an effort to improve transparency, staff would like the Committee members’ suggestions for this valued activity. If directed, staff will request additional custom questions for inclusion in the survey from Council in the time following this meeting. Environmental Review This does not qualify as a “project” and no review is needed.