[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6393065,"mediaKeyId","2108316-235a043c4f670f8d1ca24c1bb4a17204","parentId",2108316,"title","Iowa City survey: residents rate quality of life high but cite affordability, housing and water resources as concerns","audioSeconds",2067,"startMs",1137000,"endMs",3204000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2108316-235a043c4f670f8d1ca24c1bb4a17204&start=1137&end=3204","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2108316-235a043c4f670f8d1ca24c1bb4a17204/thumbnail_1137000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6393065/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-survey-residents-rate-quality-of-life-high-but-cite-affordability-housing-and-water-resources-as-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6393065-25ad613c91d3ebaa0053061ea0ec3ad9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162671&Signature=ceczg2U6ojedqPNSS70z~3Jc5Fl8vDt9GZwAZfocWn5FSuXpWKiNI8N0XC6S8EzUVE8g7UGghXBdghs-nNsqtPXgGu0HDqBJTtNW1vB7OyZDVPYlTT4rW~j8sdweCpQb03sOljDJouwV8m3DXJ67rS0579Gl4EAEFu-SbLyedT16yDoCQSQ3p3vkxAUEVUuB7Jq-GmnwKYvJzpvwvExkfp1k140IIE9ggfF-9JkqAYSM~wSSKPGhv3jcAVo1ogrUwEXP3NOoyWlJqJhKHp2YrBMECxzCEZZgIP6bPETR2vXG5C~hoNtbDmCr7wP6nHNR7uivEESQwtPdBntwWTiETw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Iowa, IA","date","2025-01-07T00:00:00Z","article","Kirk Layman, assistant city manager, presented the results of a National Research Center (Polco) community survey and told the council that Iowa City rates highly for overall quality of life but that affordability, housing and some natural-resource measures emerged as serious concerns.

\"We saw this as a really valuable way to gauge the public's opinion, not only on our services, but also on the aspects of livability within Iowa City,\" Layman said, describing a statistically valid mailed survey conducted Sept. 19–Nov. 8 and an open online survey collected Oct. 11–Nov. 8.

Methodology and response: Layman said the city mailed to 35,100 randomly selected households and received a statistically valid sample of 2,277 returned surveys (an 8% response rate). He said the sample was weighted to match Iowa City's demographic profile; an additional roughly 200 responses came from an open, nonrandom online survey. The survey was offered in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin, Layman said.

Major findings: the survey shows an 84% positive rating for overall quality of life and a 75% positive rating for the quality of city services; governance ratings were lower (56% positive). The presentation highlighted a wide gap between importance and perceived quality for core services such as economy and mobility. Key subresults Layman identified: 66% positive rating for economic health, 69% for mobility overall, 38% positive for street repair and ease of public parking, 18% positive for affordable quality housing and 42% positive for water resources. The public library scored 96% positive.

Affordability and housing: Layman said affordability trends show declines since 2017 and singled out affordable quality housing (18% positive) and cost-of-living measures (31% positive) as areas of particular concern. He and council members discussed that many affordability issues reflect wider regional and national trends that local government alone cannot resolve.

Transit and other policy signals: Layman said transit perceptions and ease-of-travel measures improved since the city adopted fare-free transit, which he described as a notable success in survey comparisons. The survey included custom questions about a possible local-option sales tax; respondents prioritized investment in streets, bridges and sidewalks, then affordable housing and parks/trails/natural areas. Property-tax relief ranked lowest at 26% support; Layman noted statutory constraints related to how revenue changes would be allocated.

Participation, timing and cost: Councilors questioned the 8% response rate; Layman said mailed surveys often produce low raw response rates but that 2,277 responses were sufficient for a statistically valid sample and that the firm weights the sample to reflect the city's demographics. He told the council the full effort costs roughly $20,000 and that staff is planning to repeat the statistically valid survey every two years, using internal employee surveys in intervening years.

Use for policy and budgeting: Layman and councilors discussed using the survey to inform long-term strategy and budget priorities, including decisions about fare-free transit, street maintenance and affordable-housing investments. He asked the council to consider survey results as part of its strategic-plan alignment and budget deliberations.

Follow-up and access: Layman said the full data and a summary page will be posted on the city's website under the city manager's tab; staff also provided nonrandom response tables in the packet. He encouraged councilors to contact staff with questions and said staff could return with more analysis linking survey data to specific strategic-plan actions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Iowa City City Council Work Session of January 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kirk Layman, assistant city manager, presented the results of a National Research Center community survey and told the council that Iowa City rates highly for overall quality of life but that affordability, housing and some natural-resource measures emerged as serious concerns.","taxTitle","Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa","taxId",4187,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6393069,"Charter Review Commission asks council to adopt report; recommends keeping current district and mayor selection systems",811,309000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2108316-235a043c4f670f8d1ca24c1bb4a17204&start=309&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2108316-235a043c4f670f8d1ca24c1bb4a17204/thumbnail_309000.jpg","/articles/6393069/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Charter-Review-Commission-asks-council-to-adopt-report-recommends-keeping-current-district-and-mayor-selection-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6393069-721a69cb9ac7addf23c0a7b36a69a93b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162671&Signature=hUptIiEltxKk1rnj8B3u9oIB3b~RJUV5cBKkjNlibyxETY~1TGRg7XRpbOH9doOSmOtXAA82DU~oB~ZwOhc~BN6ptLmOz0-OLwV76QqKMhQz63M7p-FywwaFdDWr7psNdcy9J2uR6Cq4kkRa2xdxdu0nIbUv2wzoPxgyEhwlO9AJsJPLIzyiAzp-Q9x3LdgblNpkhHRwaGsdMm-B3dJQMMB2ntBfsNOhtOcNulCEHIYSXlFgkQ21a9mMZrDkmzQ7Zv~luSUIpv9-upWhDrdfpkNZo8dmtFgU9NUKvXYAoa6i0dLpwfQt8vsOtds0l1cU7qSTS4~gwzJpEQ~4EEJAaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Balmer, chair of the Charter Review Commission, told the Iowa City Council that the nine-member panel had delivered a final report and recommended keeping the city’s current district representation system and the present method for selecting the mayor.

The commission voted 6–3 on both the district-representation question and the direct-election-of-mayor question, Balmer said, and the commission’s final report was transmitted to the council unanimously. \"We had robust discussions, good public input, and I think we've given you a hopefully final product that you will feel comfortable with and will endorse,\" Balmer said.

Why it matters: the city charter sets the structure for how council members and the mayor are chosen and how long they serve; changes would require charter language the council adopts by ordinance. The commission’s recommendation preserves the current mix of at-large and district representation and the existing process for selecting the mayor, a choice the commission majority said better serves a community of Iowa City’s size and encourages experienced leadership on the council.

Commission members described their deliberations as civil and public-facing. Molly Kucera, vice chair of the commission, said the panel prioritized public comment when forming her own votes: \"Our job was to seek community input on what the community felt was best for our town, aside from our own feelings.\" Commissioners said they held public forums at the farmers market and the public library and solicited written comments and online input via a QR code on the city website.

Balmer and other commissioners identified voter participation and public engagement as reasons to retain the current system. Balmer said the commission had noticed declining competition in council races and recommended outreach to encourage greater voter engagement over the next decade.

Next steps: city staff told the council the commission’s proposed charter changes will appear on the council’s formal agenda as an ordinance that must go through three readings to take effect. Balmer said he and other commissioners are willing to attend the council's formal meetings when the ordinance is considered. Council staff asked the commission to send a reminder before the meeting on the 21st.

Discussion vs. decision: the commission’s internal votes (6–3) reflect its recommendation to the council; the council had not taken a formal vote on the charter changes during the work session. The commission’s recommendation, the public input it received, and the procedural requirement that any charter amendment be adopted by ordinance were all discussed during the presentation.

Background: the commission noted the charter is in its 50th anniversary year and described the review as a decennial-scale look at governance structure. The commission thanked city clerk Kelly Grace and city attorney Eric Gorse for legal and procedural assistance during the review.","John Balmer, chair of the Charter Review Commission, told the Iowa City Council that the nine-member panel had delivered a final report and recommended keeping the city’s current district representation system and the present method for selecting the mayor.","actionData","errors"]

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Iowa City survey: residents rate quality of life high but cite affordability, housing and water resources as concerns

Charter Review Commission asks council to adopt report; recommends keeping current district and mayor selection systems