The Town of Normal introduced a community survey designed to better understand resident reactions to services provided by the Town and a variety of quality-of-life issues.
The survey, developed in partnership with Zencity, provides residents the opportunity to express views on critical aspects of life in the Town of Normal, including housing, education, transportation and public safety.
“The Town routinely gathers input in a variety of ways from community members,” says Town of Normal City Manager Pamela Reece. “This partnership with Zencity will help us gain a better, more representative understanding of the needs and concerns of residents.”
Over the past several years, the Town of Normal has used surveys designed to gather community feedback on specific topics, including:
- How to prioritize investment areas related to the COVID-19 impact and recovery
- Envisioning the future of Uptown South
- Identifying public art-related preferences and opportunities within Normal
proposed improvements to Vernon Avenue - And quality-of-life initiatives that create a sustainable and vibrant community.
The newly launched Community Surveys give residents the chance to tell the Town how they feel about a range of services by answering questions on topics from waste and recycling services to public safety and what they value about living in Normal. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
“Community input has always been important to the Town. But, not everyone has the time or energy to attend a public meeting. This effort emphasizes the importance the Town places on listening to and valuing the voices of our residents, ensuring their priorities are addressed effectively,” adds Reece. “We’ve relied on informal surveys, focus groups and public meetings for decades. That won’t change. This effort supplements existing feedback tools we’ve used for years.”
Targeted Online Ads Promote the Survey
The survey meets people where they are … online and with mobile devices. Community members may see survey links on social media, blogs, apps and other online platforms.
“We want people to know the survey is legitimate, and most importantly, we want them to participate when they come across the ads online,” says Reece. “Because of the scientific nature of the survey, the Town of Normal will not be sharing the survey link directly.”
Survey ads will be accompanied by pictures from the Town of Normal, featuring local parks, festivals, the Constitution Trail and service offerings like leaf vacuuming and landscape waste collection.
Scientific Methodology
Zencity’s Community Survey sets response targets based on U.S. Census data about the municipality. No personally identifying information is collected, and Zencity ensures the security and privacy of its data and survey respondents. Responses are weighted to give a proportional voice to all demographics (e.g., by age, sex, race, education level, and income level) based on the makeup of the municipality.
About Zencity
This initiative builds on the existing partnership between the Town of Normal and Zencity, a global technology company dedicated to enhancing the responsiveness of local governments through meaningful engagement. The Town of Normal has worked with Zencity since 2018.
