Haltom City by Institute of Urban Studies

HALTOM CITY

COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2016, Haltom City coordinated with the Institute of Urban Studies (IUS) in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) regarding the design and administration of community and employee surveys in order to obtain an understanding of community perceptions as they relate to city services in Haltom City. This coordinated approach allowed for a far more cost-effective survey process than that of an individually commissioned method. Participation in the Haltom City Community and Employment Satisfaction Surveys was optional. Participating councils had input regarding the content of the questionnaire and the sample size to be surveyed, depending on zip code, the length of residency, age, home ownership, education level, income, and other considerations. The main objective of the survey was to assess community perceptions of city services throughout Haltom City in order to provide improved or more effective service delivery. The survey also acted as a feedback mechanism. The following identifies key information for inclusion in outreach messages as indicated by survey results: A sample of 810 community survey respondents provided an extremely favorable agreement with the high quality of community standards in Haltom City. The majority of respondents agreed that Haltom City is a great place to live. Numerous respondents thought that the City employee(s) are courteous and polite, and easy to contact. Respondents were very satisfied with the overall quality of local fire protection and emergency medical services provided by the fire department, overall quality of local police services, police and community relations, safety outside local areas during the day, frequency and method of solid waste collection, recycling services, reliability of water system and services, overall library services, and overall parks and recreation services in Haltom City. Community survey respondents also provided less agreement with the quality of certain community standards in Haltom City. Many noted that the City does not currently have the type and quality of major facilities needed in the community. Respondents thought that the City lacks incentives to promote new development and/or redevelopment. Respondents displayed less satisfaction with safety outside local areas after dark, adequate city street lighting, the overall quality of street maintenance and repair, nightlife and entertainment, attractions or family amusement, and bicycle and pedestrian access and connectivity in Haltom City. They also disagreed that Haltom City is successfully redeveloping distressed areas of the city and overall that the City is conducting appropriate economic development.

A sample of 142 employee survey respondents from a variety of organizational areas provided an extremely favorable agreement with certain items. Employees agreed that the mission or purpose of their work and their job is important. They believe that their departments utilize their knowledge and skill sets at work and are most likely proud to work for Haltom City. They are fully informed about safety procedures and health regulations. Across departments, teamwork is highly encouraged and employees in Haltom City departments are responsive to requests from employees in other departments. They noted that they are able to access the information and resources that they need from other departments. Employee survey respondents from a variety of organizational areas also provided an extreme disagreement with certain items. Employees are not satisfied with their opportunities for career growth and advancement. The rate of pay they receive for their position is not competitive with surrounding cities. Additionally, they are not satisfied with Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance evaluation process. They would like to hold meetings involving individuals from outside their core department. In sum, the results from the Haltom City Community and Employment Surveys were very informative regarding the assessment of community perceptions of city services throughout Haltom City. The results will aid the City with the structuring of improved and more effective service delivery.

TEAM

MANAGEMENT Shima Hamidi Director, Institute of Urban Studies Assistant Professor of Planning shima.hamidi@uta.edu

Shima Hamidi is Director of the Institute of Urban Studies and Assistant Professor of Urban Planning. Hamidi is a transportation planner and a smart growth advocate and, for the past five years, has been working on several funded projects from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation Research Board, National Institute of Transportation and Communities, American Association of Retired Persons, National Institute of Health, and Smart Growth America. Hamidi has published extensively in the areas of urban sprawl and smart growth, transportation, urban design, walkability, housing affordability, public health, upward mobility as well as urban form and its quality of life impacts.

Amanda Kronk Project Manager, Institute of Urban Studies amanda.kronk@uta.edu

Amanda Kronk is the Project Manager for the Institute of Urban Studies within CAPPA. Most recently, she worked at SWA in Dallas as a project designer where she was engaged in urban planning, landscape architecture, and research design. She previously worked at Lake|Flato Architects in San Antonio as an intern architect and Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis in New York City as a member of their Rising Currents exhibition team. She is LEED accredited with a specialization in Building Design + Construction. Her research focuses on wildlife migration courses and habitation patterns as critical components of infrastructure within the framework of development, in which she titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wildlife Infrastructure.â&#x20AC;?

RESEARCH Farokh Bagheri Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Ph. D Student, Urban Planning and Public Policy

Farokh is a Ph. D student in Urban Planning and Public Policy and has been a part of IUS for 8 months. He received a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the State University of New York at Albany. With previous experience in community development and planning, he was responsible for conducting and launching the surveys as well as conducting statistical analysis on survey data for this report.

Ridvan Kirimli Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Ph. D Student, Urban Planning and Public Policy

Ridvan is a Ph. D student in Urban Planning and Public Policy and has been a part of IUS for 2 years. He received a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. For this report, he was responsible for conducting and launching the surveys, and also survey analysis.

Amber Raley Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Ph. D Student, Urban Planning and Public Policy

Amber is a Ph. D student in Urban Planning and Public Policy. She was responsible for stakeholder meeting involvement, survey instrument design, conducting and launching the surveys, as well as aiding in the statistical analysis process for this report.

TEAM

GRAPHICS + PRODUCTION Behnoud Aghapour Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Master Student, Landscape Architecture

Behnoud is a Master’s student in Landscape Architecture and has been a part of IUS for 8 months. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, with concentrations in environmental design and sustainability studies. For this project, he was responsible for preparing the report and producing graphics.

Maria Contreas Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Master Student, Architecture

Maria is a Master’s student in Architecture and has been a part of IUS for 8 months. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Architecture. For this project, she was responsible for producing graphics.

Ann Mai Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Urban Studies Master Student, Landscape Architecture

Ann is a Master’s student in Landscape Architecture and has been a part of IUS for 2 months. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with concentrations in environmental engineering, urban planning, landscape architecture, and sustainability studies. For this project, she was responsible for producing graphics and working on the report template.

SPECIAL THANKS: Alan Klein

Former Assistant Director, Institute of Urban Studies

Institute of Urban Studies College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs University of Texas at Arlington 601 West Nedderman Drive #203 Arlington, TX 76019-0108 (817) 272-2801 www.uta.edu/cappa shima.hamidi@uta.edu amanda.kronk@uta.edu

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

STUDY AREA

DFW METROPLEX HALTOM CITY

STEERING COMMITTEE

SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

CITIZEN SURVEY EMPLOYEE SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

APPENDIX

METHODOLOGY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS RESULTS DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CITIZEN SURVEY EMPLOYEE SURVEY

SOURCE: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haltom_Road.jpg

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION Haltom City is a vibrant, progressive community located in central Tarrant County. The convenient location provides easy access to all of the amenities offered within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique features include a rich cultural history, a diverse populace, and a creative future development plan. Haltom City is a part of the award winning Birdville ISD (MetroTex 2014). Haltom City is home to roughly 43,625 residents who enjoy living with some of the best qualities in North Texas in well-kept neighborhoods A great number of reports exhibit success in conducting surveys for cities with the intention of creating livable, habitable, and desirable communities. The communities that are seeking to enhance their environment often do so in partnership with governmental entities, private sector entities, community-based organizations, faith groups, and residents. For this report, Haltom City was in partnership with the Institute of Urban Studies (IUS) in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to undertake a State of the Community Survey. Following the results of this survey, Haltom City plans to continue to partner with the community and commit efforts and resources toward making Haltom City a better place to live, work, and visit. The members of IUS began the process by reviewing past surveys, selecting common survey questions, and adding questions of interest to city staff and residents. The survey was categorized into two survey distributions designed for both citizens and city employees. The survey posed key questions to assist Haltom City in determining citizen and employee perceptions of quality of life, quality of government services, safety, public works, economic development, community investment, and culture and leisure. The survey also collected demographic information in addition to socio-economic attributes of participants. The citizen survey provided the opinions of a representative sample of residents of Haltom City. The employment survey also provided the opinions of a representative sample of employees of Haltom City.

INTRODUCTION

A recent Haltom City Citizen and Business Owners Survey in 2010 asked questions to evaluate factors of quality of life and neighborhood environments such as homelessness, rent and owner-occupied housing, safety in neighborhoods, as well as the city services and programs. Overall, the City received positive feedback from citizens indicating their satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with the quality of life in Haltom City. These results mirror the attitudes of residents surveyed in 2010. In this study, both Haltom City and IUS captured resident opinions to provide citizens with exemplary service. The survey was initiated at Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Christmas on Broadway event on Saturday, December 3rd from 3:00pm - 6:00pm at the Haltom City Recreation Center and Broadway Park. Surveys were collected from this event, however additional residents were reached by launching an online survey and by mailing surveys to households throughout the city. The development objective of the survey was to establish an effective and sustainable instrument to improve the living conditions for Haltom City residents. The purpose of conducting the surveys was to obtain valid data regarding resident and employee satisfaction with community amenities and the services provided by Haltom City. The survey objectives were to identify community and service strengths and weaknesses, to provide information for improving services, to enhance quality of life and civic engagement, and to strengthen the trust within Haltom City. Analysis of the survey results, reviewed by IUS, tracked opinions regarding these objectives, and sought to identify and evaluate existing challenges and also to plan for improvements to and sustainment of services, facilities, and amenities for long term success in Haltom City.

SOURCE: www.haltomcitytxcom

SOURCE: http.www.haltomcitytxcom

SOURCE: www.cinematreasures.org

SOURCE: www.cosmicool.com

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

SOURCE: http://www.haltomcitytx.com/departments/economic-development

HALTOM CITY

DFW METROPLEX

2 STUDY AREA 15

DFW METROPLEX In the country, the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex is the fourth largest metropolitan area in terms of population. From 2000 to 2010, DFW had the second largest population increase in the nation. The region is a dynamic, diverse, and rapidly growing area. With a current population of approximately 7 million, the expected population growth is approximately 1 million people each decade. Historic demographic trends show that the population profile in the region is changing rapidly in terms of race, ethnicity, income, language, and age.

STUDY AREA

In addition, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population and employment are expected to grow by 53% and 47%, respectively. The region relies heavily on business activities by connecting to global markets in order to sustain growth and economic prosperity. The region is economically and socially diverse within a landscape that includes dense urban areas, namely the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, suburban development, small town centers, and rural ranches and farm land (NCTCOG. 2015).

HALTOM CITY Haltom City is an inner suburb of Fort Worth located in central Tarrant County, Texas, approximately fifteen minutes northeast of Fort Worth, within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The city is situated between North Interstate 35W and Interstate 820. The city benefits from easy access to nearby cities and towns with which it shares the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Located in beautiful North Central Texas, Haltom City is truly “A Place to Call Home.” ESRI’s Tapestry Segmentation classifies the majority of Haltom City’s demographic as a “Barrios Urbanos” community. Barrios Urbanos communities are towns comprised of young Hispanic families with children, or single parents living in multi-generational households under the same roof and located in the urban outskirts of major cities (Dallas-Fort Worth). Many are foreign born, bringing rich cultural traditions to Haltom City. Most residents within Haltom City work in the manufacturing, construction, or retail trade sectors. Residents have no financial investments or retirement savings and balance their budgets carefully by spending only on necessities and limiting activities such as dining out. Many watch their favorite Hispanic programs via satellite. Baby, bridal, and parenthood types of magazines are extremely popular sources of news and the latest trends (ESRI 2016).

Figure 2.1: Historical Rate of Population Growth

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Haltom City was established following World War II as it was incorporated in July of 1949. Boundaries of Haltom City have been extended by gradually attaching to Garden of Eden, Oak Knoll, East Ridge, and Meadow Oaks. In 1955, the city annexed unincorporated areas of Birdville. In October 1955, the city voted for a Home Rule Charter that would have a mayor, city manager, and council (TSHA 2017).

HISTORICAL POPULATION The city was incorporated in 1949 and by 1950 had a population of 5,760. The population then increased from 5,760 in 1950 to 23,133 in 1960; this appears to be largely the result of the baby boomer generation born during the post-World War II period (U.S Census https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1141.pdf). Population growth gradually increased from 1960 to 2010. The most recent figures indicate that there were an estimated 43,625 people living in Haltom City in 2015. Figure 2.1 compares the historical growth of Haltom City with that of Tarrant County and the state of Texas. Figure 2.2 shows the total population changes of each decade from 1950 to 2010 as well as the 2015 population according to the U.S. Decennial census.

Figure 2.2: Population Trend 1950 to 2015

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

HALTOM CITY POPULATION, SEX, AND AGE DISTRIBUTION According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total number of male residents in 2015 was 21,696 while the total number of female residents was 21,929. In 2015, the median age was 33.7 within Haltom City. The largest age groups living in Haltom City were between 25-34 with 14.2%, 35-44 with 13.7% and 45-54 with 13.7%. This distribution indicates that a large part of Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is comprised of middle age households (see Figure 2.3).

Between 2010 and 2015, many age groups increased in size, such as the 10-14 age group and the 45-49 age group. In 2015, the largest growth remained in the age group of 45-49. The large increase in these age groups in particular could indicate that the population is getting older and is remaining in Haltom City. Meanwhile, Haltom City is losing its younger population (see Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3: Haltom City Population Pyramid between 2010 and 2015

STUDY AREA

The median household income in Haltom City was $41,215 in 2010 and $45,745 in 2015, and the median income for a family was $47,322 in 2010 and $52,593 in 2015. The per capita income for Haltom City was $19,288 in 2010 and $20,551 in 2015. Approximately 16.6% of the population was below the poverty line, 27% of those being under age 18 and 29.6% under age 5.

RACE AND ETHNICITY PROFILE Haltom City is growing more racially and ethnically diverse. Figure 2.4 presents the racial and ethnicity makeup of the city. According to the most recent U.S. Census data (2015), 42.5% of Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 43,625 residents were White alone (18,525) and 41.7% were Hispanic (18,208). Additionally, the city had 1,863 Vietnamese residents comprising 4.3% of the total population. The purpose of delineating the main characteristics of the Haltom City population in this chapter is to gain a clearer understanding of what kind of community IUS was planning for. The next step was to use this information, along with community input and further data analysis, to create realistic and appropriate objectives in order to further improve the community.

Figure 2.4: Racial and Ethnicity Makeup in 2015

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

SOURCE: https://noticiasdecoramialab.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/ceramica-y-reforma-el-maridaje-perfectoceramic-reform-the-perfect-pairing/

STEERING COMMITTEE

STEERING COMMITTEE The creation of a Community Survey entails meeting with stakeholders from within the community through the implementation of steering committee meetings. These collaborative meetings rely on active participation from those involved to elicit a wide range of methodologies, opinions, and points of view. This collaboration is necessary to provide the most appropriate recommendations for the design and administration of surveys in order to obtain an understanding of community perceptions as they relate to city services. The two initial meetings were held entirely by the City on October 12, 2016 and on November 07, 2016. The attendance for steering committee meetings included: Amber Raley, Alan Klein, Farokh Bagheri, and Shima Hamidi from the Institute of Urban Studies, and Dr. An Truong, Bobbi Arthur, Christi Pruitt, Darlene Hooks, Glenna Batchelor, Julie Orebaugh, Layla Caraway, Rex Phelps, Sidonna Foust, Scott Garrett, and Stephanie Davenport from Haltom City. The steering committee members contributed to the preparation and finalization of Citizen and Employment Surveys, including English and Spanish translations, translated by the IUS team. The steering committee members assisted the IUS team in explaining to residents and city employees the importance and purpose of the surveys and their participation.

STEERING COMMITTEE

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS • Scott Garrett, City Councilman Place 3 • Stephanie Davenport, City Councilwoman Place 6 • Dr. An Truong, City Councilman Place 7 • Cruz Burciaga, Citizen Volunteer • Layla Caraway, Citizen Volunteer • Darlene Hooks, Citizen Volunteer • Bobbi Arthur, Senior Center Supervisor • Glenna Batchelor, Building Official • Sidonna Foust, Director of Customer Service • Julie Orebaugh, Community Projects Coordinator • Rex Phelps, Assistant City Manager • Christi Pruitt, Director of Parks and Recreation

CONTACT INFORMATION WWW.HALTOMCITYTX.COM 817.222.7700 5024 Broadway Ave. Haltom City, TX 76117

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

SOURCE:https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/voting.html

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

4 SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

CITIZEN SURVEY The citizen survey evolved based on the input from the steering committee over the course of several meetings. The survey items were created to align with the categories necessary for the City to gain an understanding of community perceptions as they relate to city services. The IUS team largely utilized survey resources from other cities including Baltimore, MD and Tyler, TX.

SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

EMPLOYEE SURVEY A standard employee engagement survey was created with additional items focused on communications as a specific requirement from the City. The IUS team used the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) as a primary resource for deriving survey questions, as much of the work around employee surveys is proprietary to consulting firms. The survey was edited by the committee to reflect their desires. The main goal of the employee survey was to understand employee perceptions of their work environments and of their departments.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

SOURCE: http://sites.tcs.com/blogs/digital-reimagination/digitizing-employee-egagement/

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

RESULTS

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

METHODOLOGY

5 CITIZEN SURVEY

METHODOLOGY In 2016, Haltom City representatives initiated discussions with the Institute of Urban Studies (IUS) in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) regarding the design and administration of citizen and employee surveys in order to obtain an understanding of community perceptions as they relate to city services. The citizen and employee surveys were designed by the IUS research team based on input from the city steering committee (comprised of Haltom City employees and a diverse group of community members) over the course of several meetings. Community connectors and case studies were utilized as precedents for survey questions and overall strategies. At initial meetings, the surveys were subsequently reviewed and revised several times with Haltom City staff and the steering committee. The survey was administered in multiple languages, including English and Spanish, in order to make it accessible to a wide range of community groups. Questions on the citizen survey included a skip method targeted for demographics or age-specific groups as the citizen survey focused on opinions of Haltom City residents older than 18 years. It included a detailed cover sheet explaining the importance of citizen involvement.

Both the English and Spanish versions of the citizen survey were launched on SurveyMonkey.com. A total of 200 citizens participated in the online survey. Of these, 192 participants contributed to the English version and 8 participants contributed to the Spanish version between December 4, 2016 and February 10, 2017. Additionally, 12,000 English hard copy surveys were mailed out with water bills. Of these, 563 surveys were sent back to the city. A total of 161 English version surveys and 25 Spanish version surveys were collected during Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Christmas on Broadway event on December 3, 2016. In total, 949 citizen surveys were collected but of these, 139 participants currently live outside of Haltom City boundaries or did not prefer to answer. We did not include participants outside of Haltom City boundaries in the analysis. Figure 5.1 exhibits the city boundaries involved in this analysis. Overall, 810 of Haltom City residents contributed to the community survey and were analyzed in order to understand the overall community perception of city services. When reviewing the results in this report, most percentages will total vertically to 100.0%. The (N= ___) indicator beneath each column specifies the number of residents who responded to that particular question. Blank responses were excluded.

A variety of methods were used to administer citizen surveys to the community including hard copy distribution during city events, by mail, and an online format programmed through SurveyMonkey.com. The hard copy citizen surveys mailed out were distributed with monthly water bills for easy return. The first hard copy citizen survey distribution occurred at Haltom Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Christmas on Broadway event on Saturday, December 3rd from 3:00pm - 6:00pm at the Haltom City Recreation Center and Broadway Park. Surveys were available to take in the library from December 4th through February 12th.

Figure 5.1: Haltom City Boundaries

CITIZEN SURVEY

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS During the official data collection period, the Institute of Urban Studies (IUS) made available a web-based survey to Haltom City residents through a link on SurveyMonkey.com. A total of 200 surveys were completed through this platform. From the entire survey process including the online survey and the hard copy distribution, 949 residents participated; 810 of these participants live within Haltom City zip codes, including 76111, 76117, 76118, 76137, 76148, and 76180 (Figure 5.2). The IUS team found that 139 surveys were derived from residents who live outside of Haltom City zip codes or did not prefer to answer. In an effort to continue gaining an understanding of community perceptions related to city services, Haltom City mailed surveys to 12,000 residents within water bills in January of 2017 with data being collected through February 10, 2017. Of these, 563 citizen surveys were sent back to Haltom City. Overall, this section of the report contains the results of the 810 completed citizen surveys derived from the aforementioned sources. Responses show only the proportion of respondents giving a certain answer i.e. the percentage of respondents who rated the quality of community standards in Haltom City as ‘strongly agree’ or ‘strongly disagree’.

the community survey. We examined the median age of respondents and found it to be 61; however, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts, the median age of Haltom City residents was 34 in 2015. Of survey respondents, 42.2% (N=326) are over the age of 65 (See Figure 5.3). Additionally, 55.6% (N=446) are male, 39.7% (N=318) are female, and 4.7% (N=38) of respondents did not prefer to respond (See Figure 5.4).

In this study, the population of concern included residents of Haltom City. Out of the 43,625 residents (reported in 2015), 810 participated in

Figure 5.3: Age of Respondents

Figure 5.2: The distribution of participants categorized by zip code.

Figure 5.4: Gender Distribution of Respondents

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS The majority of survey respondents are white at 90.2% (N=690). The U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts recorded the white population in 2015 to be 75.7% (N=33,017). Of survey respondents, American Indian or Alaska Natives are 2.0% (N=15), Asian are 3.5% (N=27), Black or African American are 2.1% (N=16), and other survey respondents are 2.2% (N=17) (See Figure 5.5).

Figure 5.5: Race Distribution of Respondents

CITIZEN SURVEY

Of survey respondents, 18.4% (N= 142) are Hispanic or Latino and 81.6% (N= 629) are not Hispanic or Latino (See Figure 5.6). In 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts reported that the percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents in Haltom City was 41.7% (N=18.208) and the percentage not Hispanic or Latino was 58.3% (N=25,417).

Figure 5.6: Ethnicity Distribution of Respondents

Approximately 40.8% (N=322) of survey respondents have completed high school (or GED) while a small portion of survey respondents at 1.5% (N=34) have a professional or doctoral degree (MD, DDS, JD, PhD, etc.). Figure 5.7 shows the educational attainment distribution of survey respondents.

Figure 5.7: Education of Respondents

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS Of survey respondents, the median number of years lived in Haltom City was recorded at 20. While 82.3% (N=657) of survey respondents reported to be homeowners, 17.7% (N=141) are renters. While approximately 96.1% (N=766) of survey respondents do not currently work for Haltom City, 3.9% (N=31) do currently work for Haltom City (See Figure 5.8).

Figure 5.8: Do you work for Haltom City?

CITIZEN SURVEY

Of survey respondents, 38.8% (N=280) are annually earning between $20,000 and $49,999, 10.5% (N=76) between $80,000 and $99,999, and 11.1 % (N=80) over $100,000 (See Figure 5.9). The results of the community survey show that 41.2% (N=328) of survey respondents are retired and living in Haltom City. Additionally, 35.1% (N=280) of survey respondents are employed full-time (See Figure 5.10).

Figure 5.9: Income Range of Respondents

Figure 5.10: Employment Status of Respondents

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS The following narratives exhibit insights that can be drawn from crosstabulation of various kinds of data. In this case, the survey results from the Haltom City Citizen Survey have been chosen. Figure 5.11 and Figure 5.12 display resident agreement levels for Community Attributes & Quality of Life and Customer Service & Government Service, respectively. Each bar represents the spectrum of response for each statement posed.

The bars are organized in descending order based on the combined response percentages for each statement under Community Attributes & Quality of Life, shown in Figure 5.11. It is important to note that some services almost always rate lower, while others tend to rate higher. Of these, 4 items rated above 50% in agreement that Haltom City is a great place to raise children, to retire, to live, and that it is improving community standards. Three items rated under 50% in agreement that Haltom City is a great place to work, has the type and quality of major facilities needed in the community, and the appropriate allocation of commercial and residential land use.

Figure 5.11: Evaluation of Community Attributes & Quality of Life

CITIZEN SURVEY

• The majority of Haltom City residents believe that Haltom City is a great place to raise children. Of those, 49.9% (N=123) of residents who are annually earning between $20,000 to $49,999 in Haltom City agree that it is a great place to raise children. • The results show that Haltom City is a great place to retire as well. A total of 318 retired residents participated and of those, 45.0% (N=143) agree that Haltom City is a great location for retirement. • The majority of survey participants agree or strongly agree that Haltom City is a great place to live. Residents who had spent about 30 years in Haltom City found overall satisfaction with living conditions in Haltom City, while residents who had spent about 20 years in Haltom City found less satisfaction regarding living conditions in Haltom City. • Additionally, around 49% of survey participants agree that Haltom City is improving community standards. Of those, 39.7% (N=46) are senior residents who have lived in Haltom City for over 50 years; they agree that there have been remarkable changes in community standards. • However, almost 51% of survey participants did not exhibit agreement or disagreement regarding the employment opportunities in Haltom City. Relatively, 52.4% (N=142) of full-time employed residents are neutral concerning the fact that Haltom City is a great place to work. • Although the majority of survey participants (38.6%) agree that Haltom City has the type and quality of major facilities needed in the community, 23.9% of participants responded neutral, and 24.7% responded in disagreement. • Lastly, while almost 40% of survey respondents agree that Haltom City has the appropriate allocation of commercial and residential land use, almost 36% are neutral. Homeowners in particular are neutral (36.8%) about the allocation of residential and commercial land use.

Figure 5.12 illustrates the responses for Customer Service & Government Service on the survey. In general, Haltom City should pay specific attention to the lowest rated services, including transparency of local government, representation of residents by the City Council, and employee(s) assistance for resident languages or to find translation assistance in a timely fashion. Overall, survey participants agree or strongly agree regarding the following: the City’s ability to keep residents informed about the services and options that the City provides, the Haltom City website, the survey’s aid in leading to improvements in Haltom City, a high level of customer service from city employees, easy means of contact with city departments, courteousness and politeness of city employees, employee promptness, complete and accurate answers to questions, employee help to resolve an issue to the residents satisfaction in a timely manner, and permits for buildings, fences, carports, storage buildings, etc. • Across the city, survey respondents are mostly neutral regarding the transparency of the City (41.7%). However, the majority of respondents show favorable agreement. Of these, 44.0% (N=51) who have spent about 40 years in Haltom City are neutral regarding the transparency of the City, while 44.4% (N=55) of new residents who have spent no more than 5 years in Haltom City are more agreeable with the transparency of the City. • At 41.1% (N=319), most respondents are neutral with the representation of the Haltom City Council. Most survey participants who have lived in Haltom City for approximately ten years indicated that they either agree or disagree with the representation of the City Council. • The survey results show that many respondents are neutral regarding employee assistance with resident languages and finding translation assistance in a timely fashion. However, many Hispanic or Latino residents (71.4%) provided the highest, most favorable ratings. They tend to feel that the City’s employees help them in their languages and to find translation assistance in a timely fashion.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS • Most survey participants agree with the effectiveness of the Haltom City website (46.2%, N=384), the survey’s help in leading to improvements in Haltom City (46.1%, N=361), a high level of customer service from city employees (48.2%, N=378), employee promptness, accuracy, and completeness in answering questions (48.8%, N=378), employee help in resolving an issue to the residents satisfaction in a timely manner (44.8%, N=343), employee assistance in resident languages or to find translation assistance in a timely fashion (34.5%, N=378),

and permitting for buildings, fences, carports, storage buildings, etc. (37.4%, N=289). • Many survey respondents agree with the quality of services with keeping residents informed about the services and options that the City provides (55.0%, N=378), ease of contact with city departments, (53.3%, N=419), and courteousness and politeness of city employee(s) (56.7%, N=378).

Figure 5.12: Customer Service & Government Service

CITIZEN SURVEY

Figure 5.13 and Figure 5.14 display resident satisfaction levels for Public Safety and Public Works. Within the Public Safety section, 9 items rated above 50% in satisfaction and strong satisfaction, including the opinions about safety outside a local area after dark (55.5%, N=444), safety outside a local area during the day (76.3%, N=610), overall quality of local police services (77.2%, N=613),

police and community relations (72.5%, N=579), visibility of police in your neighborhood (61.6%, N=490), the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort to prevent crime (63.0%, N=496), overall quality of local fire protection and emergency medical services provided by the fire department (84.5%, N=674), quality of local ambulance service (MedStar) (69.1%, N=544), and adequacy of city street lighting (50.4%, N=412).

Figure XX: Culture and Leisure

Figure 5.13: Public Safety

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS • Most survey respondents are satisfied with the quality of animal control (39.8%, N=315) and the city code enforcement (39.6%, N=310) in Haltom City. • However, the City should pay attention to the enforcement of local traffic laws through the use of red light cameras. While a majority of respondents are satisfied (28.5%, N=225), a large portion of them are dissatisfied (16.9%, N=133) or strongly dissatisfied (17.5%, N=138). • A large number of survey respondents are neutral with regard to adequate lighting in city parks (37.3%, N=293), efforts to eliminate drug trafficking in neighborhoods (39.1%, N=305), and efforts to eliminate gang activity in neighborhoods (40.3%, N=314).

Figure 5.14 illustrates Public Works on the survey. When asked about the most important components of their quality of life, most residents noted that Haltom City should pay attention to overall quality of street maintenance and repair. • Of survey respondents, 30.3% (N=241) are satisfied with the street maintenance and repair while 29.8% (N=237) are dissatisfied, 16.5% (N=131) being very dissatisfied. • Haltom City residents remain very content with the reliability of the water system and services, recycling services, and frequency and method of solid waste collection. Residents who had spent between 16 and 35 years, and over 50 years, in Haltom City are generally the most satisfied resident groups for Public Works.

Figure 5.14: Public Works

CITIZEN SURVEY

Figure 5.15 and Figure 5.16 display resident agreement levels for Economic Development and Community Investment and Culture and Leisure. • Within the Economic Development and Community Investment section, 4 items rated above 50% in agreement, including promoting new development and/or redevelopment (75.1%, N=597), adding public transportation such as bus services (57.7%, N=459), and renovating or adding facilities to parks in the city (56.6%, N=447).

• There is not a strong consensus on a new City Hall and Law Enforcement Center. Residents who are between the ages of 36 and 45 have the highest, most favorable ratings for Haltom City needing a new City Hall and Law Enforcement Center. • Most survey respondents agree with or are neutral regarding how the City conducts appropriate economic development and redevelopment of distressed areas within the city.

Figure 5.15: Economic Development and Community Investment

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS • Respondents are most satisfied with tree planting and maintenance (42.2%, N=331), overall library services (44.7%, N=332), and overall parks and recreation services (54.4%, N=424) in Haltom City. • Survey respondents who have spent about 30 years in Haltom City (57.6%, N=49) found overall parks and recreation services of Haltom City more satisfying.

CITIZEN SURVEY

• Additionally and most importantly, the majority of survey respondents are greatly satisfied with the library service. The results show that almost all age groups are mostly satisfied or very satisfied with the library service in Haltom City. Residents who completed high school (or GED) are more satisfied with the quality of the service in the library. • When comparing all items under culture and leisure, the services that respondents are mostly dissatisfied with include: attractions or family amusements, night life and entertainment, and bicycle and pedestrian access and connectivity in Haltom City. Particularly, residents between the ages of 26 and 35 are not satisfied with attractions or family amusements (43.5%, N=37) or the night life and entertainment (37.7%, N=32) in Haltom City.

Figure 5.16: Culture and Leisure

Figure 5.17 exhibits verbatim responses to the open-ended question on the survey regarding the quality of Haltom City departments. Because these responses were written by survey participants, they are presented here in verbatim form, including any typographical, grammatical, or other mistakes. A total of 227 survey respondents participated in the open-ended comment box. The responses were analyzed by SurveyMonkey.com based on frequency of occurrences in the comment box. SurveyMonkey.com generated a cloud map that shows the most frequently used words in the comment box; the largest font size illustrates the highest number of occurrences. The list of all comments and suggestions is shown in the Appendix.

Figure 5.17: Verbatim Responses

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Overall, the results of the community survey can be interpreted as very encouraging in regard to community perceptions as they relate to city services in Haltom City. Over 12,000 surveys were distributed to Haltom City residents, supplemented by an online survey through SurveyMonkey.com. A total of 810 residents contributed the community survey enabling the production of extensive and reliable data regarding community perceptions related to city services. Overall, respondents indicated that community perceptions related to city services are important to them, but also that they recognize some issues and that they are very willing to explore alternatives to address those issues. Several important results emerged in the descriptive analysis that are of use for designing outreach, and are highlighted in the recommendations below.

COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITY OF LIFE The majority of respondents feel that Haltom City is a great place to live, to raise children, and to retire. In 2015, the city had 12,146 (28.5%) children under 18 years of age in households. Retired citizen participants comprise almost 41% of total respondents, with 10.6% comprising those 65 years of age and older (N=4,514). Additionally, many survey respondents agreed that Haltom City is improving community standards which shows that the City considers the values of the community.

CITIZEN SURVEY

According to Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data, a total of 16,384 people lived in Haltom City in 2014 but were employed outside of the city, while 15,409 people lived outside the city but were employed within Haltom City. This data shows that while many people live within the city boundaries, their preference has been to work outside the city and vice versa. The majority of survey respondents responded neutrally to the statement that Haltom City is a great place to work. In particular, survey respondents earning between $20,000 and $49,999 annually felt neutral regarding the employment opportunities inside of Haltom City. The proximity of employment centers is a critical factor potentially affecting employee decisions to work within Haltom City. Although the majority of respondents showed satisfaction with an appropriate allocation of commercial and residential land use and the type and quality of major facilities needed in the community, the City should pay close attention to these service areas as over 15% of respondents disagreed and strongly disagreed with this statement. According to urban scientists Chang & Chiu (2013), a proper land use allocation improves city effectiveness and is also a method of sustainable development practice. It promotes the social equality of public services, increases the economic benefits of land-use activities, and reduces the ecological risk of land-use planning. Major facilities are also used as a foundation for community improvement as these assets enhance the lives of residents. For example, a number of residents commented that Haltom City needs a larger senior center. They believe that they can continue to grow and improve the community with a new senior center.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOVERNMENT Haltom City residents showed significant satisfaction with customer service and government service. Service items exceeding 50% in satisfaction included courteousness and politeness of employees, assistance to resolve an issue in a timely manner, ease of contact with city services, customer service from city employees, and efficiency and effectiveness of the Haltom City website. While the majority of respondents responded positively to city services, the verbatim comment section indicated issues with access to city employees due to the absence of a computer in their residential units. Many respondents believe that Haltom City keeps residents informed about services, but some respondents, specifically those over 65 years of age and retired, believe that they are not regularly informed about city services. The City should regularly send a bulletin or newsletter to residents.

The City should pay attention to permitting (buildings, fences, carports, storage buildings, etc.). Almost 18% of survey respondents disagree or strongly disagree regarding the effectiveness of the city permit process. A few respondents indicated that the City has strong restrictions for building a storage building in their own backyard.

Haltom City residents place moderate importance on issues regarding political representation. A large number of respondents (41.7%, N=324) responded neutrally regarding Haltom City having a transparent government. The majority of respondents also responded neutrally regarding their representation by the City Council. Haltom City should provide vital information enabling local government transparency and accountability on the website and within a regular bulletin or newsletter. However, in addition to efforts of the City, residents should become active and participatory within the local government.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLIC SAFETY The survey results show that survey participants felt satisfied or strongly satisfied with several public safety items, such as safety outside local areas after dark, safety outside local areas during the day, overall quality of local police services, police and community relations, visibility of police in neighborhoods, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort to prevent crime, overall quality of local fire protection and emergency medical services provided by the fire department, quality of local ambulance service (MedStar), and adequacy of city street lighting. However, the City should pay attention to mostly dissatisfied or strongly dissatisfied public safety items. In addition, the City should pay attention to the enforcement of local traffic laws through the use of red light cameras. A large portion of participants were dissatisfied or strongly dissatisfied about the red light cameras. The City should promote the effectiveness of red light cameras in the reduction of motor-vehicle crashes at intersections involving conflicting traffic movements. Many urban scientists, including Retting et al. (1999), found that driving is a regulated activity on public roads, and neither the law nor public opinion suggests that drivers should not be observed on the road or have their violations documented. While many survey respondents were satisfied with the quality of the city code enforcement in Haltom City, a larger number of them were not satisfied or were neutral. Many residents specifically noted code enforcement issues in their comments. For example, according to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, single family and multi-family dwelling units must have at least two parking spaces and that all residential parking areas shall be paved surfaces. However, residents noted that many single family units in their neighborhoods are over-occupied and have more than two vehicles. They are mostly parked on front lawns and community sidewalks, blocking pedestrian movement. Overall, survey respondents have requested better code enforcement.

CITIZEN SURVEY

Furthermore, a large number of survey respondents responded neutrally with regard to adequate lighting in city parks, efforts to eliminate drug trafficking in neighborhoods, and efforts to eliminate gang activity in neighborhoods. Many residents may have complained about the safety of their local areas after dark. The City should pay attention to lighting on urban streets and pedestrian footpaths in parks. Studies provide convincing evidence that sensitively deployed street lighting can lead to reductions in crime and fear of crime, and can increase pedestrian street use after dark (Painter 1996). Smart LED technology may help the City to increase operational efficiency, enhance public safety, and accelerate environmental initiatives. The majority of survey participants think that Haltom City does not have an effective and efficient animal control service. Several residents indicated that there are many animals running loose throughout neighborhoods. The City should implement a more improved, efficient, and animal-friendly animal service. Residents also expect employees to be more respectful to people when they file a complaint or concern.

PUBLIC WORKS Overall, public works items received high resident satisfaction. Haltom City residents remain very content with the reliability of the water system and services, recycling services, and frequency and method of solid waste collection. Residents indicated that they are happy with the online water bill payment option on the website. However, residents expressed a lot of concern regarding the water quality and cost, water department, and method of solid waste collection. Residents cited that the water is too expensive in Haltom City and they do not feel their water meter is read every month. Solid waste collection services were also noted a number of times as waste often falls from trucks and bins and is left along streets. However, most residents noted that Haltom City should pay attention to the overall quality of street maintenance and repair. Many residents noted that some streets are in very poor condition and need to be repaired. They would like to see the resurfacing of entire streets, not just temporary pothole reparation. One resident noted that Haltom City should focus on sidewalk repairs and wheelchair access.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

CULTURE AND LEISURE

A wide range of opinions were cited regarding overall economic development and community investment. For example, there appeared to be no strong consensus on a new City Hall and Law Enforcement Center. According to Tarrant County Appraisal data, the current City Hall was built in 1957 and has been serving Haltom City residents for 60 years. A number of buildings require significant updates at this juncture. The City should also be aware of public transportation in local areas as it allows for a better quality of life, provides personal mobility and freedom, provides economic opportunities, drives community growth and revitalization, and reduces congestion (APTA, 2016). The funding for public transit is currently a critical component of discussion within local governments. According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Mobility 2040 plan, Northeast Transportation Services enables riders to schedule trips in advance and coordinates efficient shared-ride transportation based on these trip requests in Haltom City. The City should seek to encourage residents to utilize Northeast Transportation Services in order to connect to the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core and access jobs and services.

Overall, survey respondents were satisfied or neutral about the culture and leisure in Haltom City. Respondents are most satisfied with overall parks and recreation services, as well as tree planting and maintenance in Haltom City. Additionally and most importantly, the majority of survey respondents were greatly satisfied with the library service. Many noted that all library employees are very helpful, however, they would like to see library hours extended in addition to the promotion of a warm and inviting atmosphere for children to interact with books, puzzles, etc.

Many survey respondents are dissatisfied with how the City conducts appropriate economic development, provides incentives to promote new development and/or redevelopment, redevelops distressed areas, and renovates or adds facilities to parks within the city. Haltom City should pay attention to economic development strategies as well as housing development strategies. The City should create a high standard of living for all people, enhance the historic character and natural environment, and recognize the diversity and cultural assets of the city. Aside from regulating land use, Haltom City should associate with economic engines within the region, such as Dallas and Fort Worth. Residents from all parts of Haltom City should have equal access to quality neighborhoods with good public schools, parks, and other public amenities. These opportunities would be key initiatives for Haltom City.

When comparing all items regarding culture and leisure, respondents were mostly dissatisfied with entertainment services including attractions or family amusements, and nightlife and entertainment. These services generate additional sales tax, the most critical component of cityimposed taxes in Haltom City. Enhancing entertainment opportunities for Haltom City residents may keep the local revenue within the city and lead to economic development. The results show that residents are generally dissatisfied with bicycle and pedestrian access and connectivity in Haltom City. Haltom City should pay attention to the development of local pedestrian and bicycle routes, as well as modifications to local transportation routes and standards that provide for pedestrian accommodations, onstreet bikeways, and the network of off-street trails. The City should collaborate with NCTCOG to enhance community paths and on-street bikeway networks (see the NCTCOG Mobility 2040: The Metropolitan Transportation Plan for North Central Texas for more details).

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

SOURCE: https://www.effectory.com/thought-leadership/blog/step-4-analysing-your-employee-survey/

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

RESULTS

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

METHODOLOGY

6 EMPLOYEE SURVEY

METHODOLOGY The employee survey was also conducted to understand employee perceptions of their work environments and of their departments. The main goal was to generate an understanding of how employees work together within their teams and with other departments, what the causes are for internal frustrations, and how they feel about supervision and training. A standard employee engagement survey was created with additional items regarding communications as that had been requested as a specific need in the contract. The IUS team used the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) as the resource to generate survey questions as much of the work regarding employee surveys is proprietary to consulting firms. The surveys were subsequently reviewed and revised several times with Haltom City staff and the steering committee, so as to accurately reflect their needs. The employee survey was not translated into Spanish. The hard copy version of the employee survey was distributed to employees in person. The online format, programmed only in English, was launched on SurveyMonkey.com. In total, 142 employee surveys were collected and analyzed in order to understand how employees perceive their work environment.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS The following narratives exhibit insights that can be drawn from the cross-tabulation of various kinds of data. In this case, the survey results from the Haltom City Employee Survey have been chosen. Figure 6.1 illustrates the Organizational Area of respondents to the employee survey. A total of 142 employees participated in the employee survey and from that number, five respondents didn’t answer this question. The majority of respondents currently work at the Police Department and Library Services, Parks & Recreation. By contrast, people working in Economic Development and Human Resources had the least amount of participation.

Figure 6.2 displays employee agreement levels for Job Satisfaction. Each bar represents the spectrum of response for each statement posed. The bars are organized in descending order based on the combined response percentages for each statement under Job Satisfaction. Of these, 27 items rated above 50% in agreement in the following categories: •I would recommend Haltom City to family or friends as a good place to work. •Upper management addresses issues within my department. •My chain of command is approachable and works to resolve issues. •I have confidence that issues I may experience will be resolved adequately. •I am satisfied with Haltom City’s employee benefits. •Haltom City uses customer complaints to improve service to citizens. •I am satisfied with the working environment. •Overall, I am satisfied with the equipment, technology, and resources provided and available to meet the needs of my job. •Assignments in my department are distributed fairly. •I am proud to work for Haltom City. •The work I do in my department is respected and valued by the community.

Figure 6.1 : Organizational Area

•The City supports efforts to maintain a good balance between work and personal life.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS •I am satisfied with my opportunities for career growth and advancement. •I am satisfied with the recognition I receive from my work. •During the last year, I have had opportunities for training. •In the last six months, someone in my chain of command has talked to me about my progress or development. •My fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. •The mission or purpose of my work makes me feel my job is important. •I understand how I can anonymously report business wastes and abuses such as theft, fraud, or sexual harassment. •My supervisor(s) is/are someone I can respect. •My supervisor(s) appropriately address issues. •My supervisor(s) has/have reasonable expectations. •My supervisor(s) provides clear direction and guidance. •My supervisor(s) care about me as a person. •In the last month, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. •Job stress is a significant issue for workers. •My knowledge and skills are utilized at work.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

The following statements exhibit the greatest share of agreement with job satisfaction respectively. Over 70% of employees agreed and strongly agreed with these statements. The percentages illustrate the sum of “agree” and “strongly agree” responses for each statement based on their frequencies. Over 88.3% of respondents believe that the mission or purpose of their work makes them feel their job is important. Approximately 85.6% of respondents also believe that their knowledge and skills are utilized at work. Respondents displayed the third largest rate of agreement with the following statement: “I understand how I can anonymously report business wastes and abuses such as theft, fraud, or sexual harassment.” In addition, approximately 76.8% of respondents feel proud to work for Haltom City. Among respondents, 75.9% found their supervisor(s) someone they can respect and 75.3% of respondents believe that their supervisor(s) has/have reasonable expectations. Approximately 74.2% of participating employees agreed that during the last year, they have had opportunities for training. As for the statement asking whether supervisors care about their employees, respondents approved this with a share of 73.9%. Among participants, 71.3% believed that the work they do in their department is respected and valued by the community. The last statement concerning job satisfaction that had an approval rate of over 70% by participants was regarding the commitment of fellow employees to doing quality work. By contrast, participating employees exhibited the least share of approval with the statements concerning satisfaction with Haltom City’s performance evaluation process and competitiveness of the rate of pay they receive for their position with surrounding cities. In addition, only 9.6% of employees strongly believe that the rate of pay they receive for their position is competitive with surrounding cities. Finally, among all of these statements, respondents showed the least agreement concerning satisfaction with Haltom City’s performance evaluation process at the rate of 9.5%.

Figure 6.2: Job Satisfaction

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS

Figure 6.2: Job Satisfaction

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

Figure 6.3 illustrates employee levels of agreement concerning collaboration with outside departments, their responsiveness, interdepartmental communication transparency, interdepartmental teamwork, and communication. Over 50% of respondents exhibited agreement with the following statements. Approximately 59.6% of the respondents to this question believe that employees in other Haltom City Departments are responsive to their requests.

Respondents with a relatively notable rate of 58.1% also approved that they are able to access the information and resources that they need from other departments. In addition, 63.9 % of the respondents approved that teamwork and working across departments is encouraged. Finally, a high rate of approval at 50% shows that participants agree that other departments exhibit adequate communication with the respondent city department.

Figure 6.3: Evaluation of Department Agreement

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS According to Figure 6.4, 28.1% of respondents believe that there are issues with their physical environment and the remainder (71.9%) answered no to this question. Safety is one of the major issues addressed in their comments. They focused on personal protection and safety and indicated that there had been no resolution for numerous safety issues after bringing them to their supervisors. They also complained about the insufficient and inappropriate health and safety equipment for their jobs. Parking facilities appeared as another issue concerning their physical work environment. They highlighted problems concerning the entrance to City Hall from the parking lot at night. Police Department respondents believe that there is not enough parking for personal equipment at their department location. In addition, there is lack of security and surveillance of the parking facility. Respondents believe that some technological devices, facilities, and equipment such as electrical and plumbing, are outdated, nonoperational, and slow. In addition, a number of employees complained about the older structure of the City Hall building and materials embedded within the building that may be hazardous to their health. Employees also addressed space constraints in their comments. For example, respondents from Planning, Community Development, Customer Services mentioned that they do not have the meeting space necessary to conduct inter-departmental meetings.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

Figure 6.4 exhibits employee levels of agreement regarding issues of health and safety. A considerable share of employees believe that they understand safety procedures and health regulations. The sum of “agree” and “strongly agree” responses for this statement is 79.4%, which is the greatest rate.

They also approved with a considerable rate that safety and compliance are a priority in Haltom City (75.5%) and they are encouraged by their supervisors to report any unsafe conditions they observe (72.6%). Participants had the lowest agreement that employees practice appropriate safety procedures and health regulations.

Figure 6.4: Evaluation of Safety Agreement

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

RESULTS The following statements exhibit the greatest share of agreement with job satisfaction respectively. Over 70% of employees agreed and strongly agreed with these statements. The percentages and numbers in parentheses illustrate the sum of “agree” and “strongly agree” responses for each statement based on their frequencies. • Over 88.3% of respondents believe that the mission or purpose of their work makes them feel their job is important. From those, employees from Public Works, Police Department, Planning, Community Development, Customer Services, Library Services, Parks & Recreation, and Fire Department exhibited a great share of agreement with this statement (N=113). • 85.6% of respondents also believe that their knowledge and skills are utilized at work. Employees from Public Works, Police Department, Planning, Community Development, Customer Services, Library Services, Parks & Recreation, and Fire Department had the largest rate of agreement with this statement ( N=111). By contrast, the majority of people from Human Resources disagreed with it. • Respondents displayed the third largest rate of agreement with the following statement. “I understand how I can anonymously report business wastes and abuses such as theft, fraud, or sexual harassment.” Approximately 80% of respondents from Police Department agreed with this statement which was the greatest rate of agreement (N=36). Employees from Planning, Community Development, Customer Services, Public Works, and Library Services, Parks & Recreation also had great rates of agreement with the shares of 73.9%, 73.7%, and 70%, respectively. • Approximately 76.8% of respondents feel proud to work for Haltom City. People from Library Services, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Police Department, Fire Department, and Planning, Community Development, Customer Services had the largest rate of agreement with it respectively. In Planning, Community Development, Customer Services, 84.2% of employees noted that they are proud to work for the City (N=33).

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

• Among respondents, 75.9% found their supervisor(s) someone they can respect. The most significant agreement with this statement was displayed by Library Services, Parks & Recreation with 86.7% (N=26). The next significant rates of agreements belonged to Public Works, Planning, Community Development, Customer Services, and Fire Department. In addition, half of the respondents from Economic Development approved it and the other half had a neutral position. • Among those who believe that their supervisor(s) has/ have reasonable expectations, people from Planning, Community Development, Customer Services exhibited the greatest rate of agreement with the share of 82.6% (N=19). Respondents from Library Services, Parks & Recreation, and Police Department displayed a notable share of agreement. In addition, half of the respondents from Fire Department and Economic Development agreed that their supervisors have reasonable expectations. By contrast, half of the respondents from Human Resources strongly disagreed with the statement. • Approximately 74.2% of participating employees agreed that during the last year, they have had opportunities for training. From those, the most significant rate of agreement was displayed by people from Fire Department, 85.7% (N=6). In addition, 25% of participants from Human Resources agreed, 25% strongly disagreed, and 25% had a neutral position to this statement. • As for the statement asking whether supervisors care about their employees, respondents approved this with a share of 73.9%. People from Planning, Community Development, Customer Services had the most considerable agreement of 87.0% (N=20). People in Library Services, Parks & Recreation also exhibited a notable rate of agreement with it constituting 80%. However half of respondents in Human Resources disagreed with it (N=2).

• Among participants, 71.3% believed that the work they do in their department is respected and valued by the community. People from Library Services, Parks & Recreation considerably approved the statement with the greatest rate of 86.7% (N=26). In addition, people from Fire Department and Police Department approved that the work they do in their department is respected and valued by the community with the rates of 71.5% and 71.1%, respectively. However, approximately 50% of respondents in Human Resources do not believe that the work they do in their department is respected and valued by the community. • The last statement concerning Job Satisfaction that had an approval rate of over 70% by participants was regarding the commitment of fellow employees to doing quality work. From those, all respondents from Economic Development agreed with it which was the highest rate, 100.0% (N=2). The second greatest share of agreement was from Library Services, Parks & Recreation. In this department, 86.7% of respondents approved that their fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. Employees from Fire Department and Planning, Community Development, Customer Services had the next greatest rates of approval of 78.6% (N=11) and 60.8% (N=14), respectively. • By contrast, participating employees exhibited the least share of approval with the statements concerning satisfaction with Haltom City’s performance evaluation process and competitiveness of the rate of pay they receive for their position with surrounding cities. Only 9.6% of employees believe that the rate of pay they receive for their position is competitive with surrounding cities. From those, all participants from Economic Development disagreed with the statement, at 100% (N=2). In addition, 47.8% of Planning, Community Development, Customer Services respondents disagreed with the statement, which is a considerable share. • Finally, among all of these statements, people showed the least agreement concerning satisfaction with Haltom City’s performance evaluation process at the rate of 9.5%. Half of the participants from Economic Development disagreed with the statement and the remaining half had a neutral position. People from Fire Department also considerably disagreed with the statement, at 78.6% (N=11).

Results concerning employee levels of agreement regarding collaboration with outside departments, their responsiveness, interdepartmental communication transparency, interdepartmental teamwork, and communication include: • Half of the respondents in Economic Development and Human Resources agreed that employees in other Haltom City departments are responsive to their requests.. The greatest rate of agreement at 63.5% was displayed by employees in Library Services, Parks & Recreation (N= 19) and the least at 47.3% by employees in Public Works (N=9). • As mentioned, respondents with a relatively notable rate of 58.1% also approved that they are able to access the information and resources that they need from other departments. From those, half of the respondents from Economic Development (N=1) and Fire Department (N=7) agreed. In addition, half of the respondents from Human Resources took a neutral position. The greatest rates of agreement were displayed by employees from Library Services, Parks & Recreation at 63.3% (N=19) and Police Department at 62.2% (N= 28). • Respondents from Fire Department exhibited a great rate of agreement at 78.6 (N=11) with the statement claiming that teamwork and working across departments is encouraged, while a considerable portion of Human Resources employees at 50% (N=2) did not support it. Respondents from Library Services, Parks & Recreation, and Police Department notably agreed that interdepartmental teamwork and working is encouraged. • Half of the respondents from Economic Development (N=1) approved that other departments exhibit adequate communication with their city departments, and the other half disagreed with it. Half of the respondents from Human Resources took a neutral position to this statement (N=2). In addition, people from Library Services, Parks & Recreation significantly approved that other departments exhibit adequate communication with their department.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS • Define explicit departmental guidelines and transparent expectations for job progress.

• The core mission and vision of the City must be clearly communicated to employees.

• Ensure the applicability of job duties and descriptions predetermined based on positions.

• There should be systems for reporting and requests for services. In addition, employee duties and areas of responsibilities must be transparent, and cross training should be encouraged.

• Ensure quality of services and community satisfaction at the highest level. • Enhance interdepartmental between department heads.

communication

particularly

• Strengthen interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration in order to address the City’s challenges in ways that are more efficient, and ensure that the hierarchy of departmental structure is functioning properly. • Engage representatives of employees from different levels, aside from department heads, in departmental meetings in order to increase employee awareness of the goals of the City. •

Interdepartmental relationships must be built upon respect.

• In order for each department to be aware of what is going on in other departments, it is recommended that each department hold bi-weekly meetings and/or prepare reports of other department activities.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

• As employees mentioned in their comments, a negative culture has thrived within city departments that must be mitigated. • Create a committee comprised of city staff members from varying departments with a mission of improving communication through discussing efficiencies and improvements. • Being positive and having appreciation for the work of other departments and employees in every position are important actions toward creating a peaceful environment and will help to mitigate the current negative culture. • Strengthen interdepartmental interaction, especially employee collaboration in citywide events such as the Springfest/Car Show and Christmas on Broadway. • Employee feedback is valuable. Employee empowerment occurs in an environment where input is valued, consulted, and given proper response.

• Utilize events such as health fairs and Christmas parties for creating opportunities for employees from different departments to co-mingle in order to strengthen interdepartmental interaction. • It is essential to increase teamwork between departments in order to enhance the team atmosphere. • The role of leaders is significant in cultural change. Successful leaders are able to foster effective communication and trust between individuals. • Establish criteria, with the consensus of both employees and citizens, to foster interdepartmental collaboration as well as collaboration between citizens and city departments. This will help to create a better sense of transparency, trust, and respect between citizens and the City. • Facilitate group collaboration through increasing team building exercises within each department. • There must be proper documentation of completed and in-progress work as well as ongoing challenges by appropriate administrative staff in order to effectively problem solve. It is also recommended to have an assessment of the time predicted for the accomplishment of in-progress work.

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

7 APPENDIX

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APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

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HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

CITIZEN SURVEY

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Are there any issues with your physical work environment If so please explain?

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Are there any issues with your physical work environment If so please explain?

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Suggestions and Comments about your supervisor, work environment, safety, etc

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Suggestions and Comments about your supervisor, work environment, safety, etc

APPENDIX

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Suggestions and Comments about your supervisor, work environment, safety, etc

APPENDIX

Suggestions and Comments of where we can improve interdepartmental interactions

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Suggestions and Comments of where we can improve interdepartmental interactions

APPENDIX

Suggestions and Comments of where we can improve interdepartmental interactions

HALTOM CITY COMMUNITY AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

EMPLOYEE SURVEY Suggestions and Comments of where we can improve interdepartmental interactions

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Suggestions and Comments of where we can improve interdepartmental interactions

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REFERENCES American Public Transportation Association (APTA). (2017). Public Transportation Benefits. Retrieved 03.03.2017 from http:// www.apta.com/mediacenter/ptbenefits/Pages/default.aspx Chang, H. S., & Chiu, S. L. (2013). Discussion on Sustainable Land Use Allocation toward the Sustainable Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;A Practice on Lincoln New Town. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 17, 408-417 ESRI. (2016). Tapestry Segmentation: Barrios Urbanos. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from http://downloads.esri.com/esri_content_doc/ dbl/us/tapestry/segment30.pdf. Haltom City. (202). Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Retrieved 03.03.2017 from http://www.haltomcitytx.com/ images/pdf_pz/ordinances/haltom_city_texas_zoning_ ordinance_o_2002_032_15.pdf Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD). (2014). On The Map. Retrieved 03.03.2017 from https://onthemap.ces. census.gov/ MetroTex. (2014). Tarrant County. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from http://www.mymetrotex.com/counties/tarrant-county Painter, K. (1996). The influence of street lighting improvements on crime, fear and pedestrian street use, after dark. Landscape and urban planning, 35(2), 193-201

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Retting, R. A., Williams, A. F., Farmer, C. M., & Feldman, A. F. (1999). Evaluation of red light camera enforcement in Fairfax, Va., USA. Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, 69(8), 30 Tarrant County Appraisal Data. (2017). Tarrant Appraisal District. Retrieved 03.03.2017 from https:// tad.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index. html?id=89623a2c35ff41f5b409d28a306e3b51 Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). (2017). Haltom City, TX. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from https://tshaonline.org/handbook/ online/articles/HDH01 The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). (2016). Mobility 2040: The Metropolitan Transportation Plan for North Central Texas. Retrieved 03.03.2017 from http://www. nctcog.org/trans/mtp/2040/documents/Mobility2040Chapters U.S. Census Bureau (Census). (2014). Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from http://www.census.gov/ prod/www/decennial.html U.S. Census Bureau (Census). (2015). Factfinder. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/ pages/community_facts.xhtml# U.S. Census Bureau (Census). (2017). The Baby Boom Cohort in the United States: 2012 to 2060. Retrieved 02.22.2017 from https:// www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1141.pdf

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