A few months ago I wrote about a series of focus group sessions and online surveys the City was conducting. The purpose of this initiative was to seek opinions of our residents of various programs and events being offered by the City. I am happy to report that we received a great many responses. The results of both studies have given us the opportunity to make some changes and create future programs that are relevant and fun for everyone of all ages to enjoy.
If you’re a fan of trivia, here are a few facts about the typical survey respondent: Did you know that almost half have lived here for 10 years or longer? Or that there are more females than males? Most of our respondents are married and 47 percent are between the ages of 36-65, exactly the same percentage as our respondents who are 65 or older. More than half are retired and can be considered living comfortably in terms of household income.
Regarding the City’s current programs and events, the good news is that we seem to be on the right track. Our most popular event in terms of attendance is the Car Show & Farmer’s Market. Next was the annual City Anniversary Party. These events were followed by two very popular concert series – Beethoven on the Beach and Sunny Serenade. For kids, the events boasting the highest scores were Booogie by the Beach and the Egg Scramble.
Not only did the results of the study give us a clearer picture of the kinds of events our residents mostly enjoy, but the information also gave us the opportunity to make improvements in some areas. In fact, we already made a few changes based upon requests from you, the resident. They are: announcing events six months in advance to better plan ahead, adding the Senior dance program during the weekday, adding a second Senior movie day (called Midday Matinee) which will feature more current movies (in addition to the Golden Era Movie program), adding a Latin Fusion Dance class (an adult dance class requested by several residents) in the evenings for those who work, and adding a Mah-jongg class to compliment the Bridge class.
Further, as an extra-added service, we will now utilize staff to make phone calls to seniors in advance of new programs to ensure that they are aware of the event. This will be done in addition to regular announcements sent via email, advertised on Channel 77 and published in Living Magazine.
The City Commission would like to thank the residents who took the initiative to participate in the surveys. It shows that you care and it is a great testament to your involvement in our community.
The Commission would also like to thank the staff for conducting the surveys, and for compiling the information with one goal in mind – to better serve you. The newly implemented changes, I believe, will have greater appeal and, of course, we will continue to listen to you, our residents.
