The Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission designed a survey to ask people who use its services, “How are we doing?” In January, MPC mailed 851 surveys. Given the nature of the mailing process it was impossible to know how many were undeliverable, but using the usual proportions in such surveys the effective response rate was approximately 20%. While this is lower than one would expect, the nature of the target populations as well as the limitations on follow-up mailings explain a good bit of the nonresponse.

List of Questions
Summary of Findings
Survey Results

List of Questions

1. Overall, how would you rate the performance of the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission?	Results
2. What type of services do you most often seek from MPC? Please rate the service you receive.	Results
3. When phoning or visiting our office, do you receive prompt and courteous attention?	Results
4. If you contact MPC by mail or by fax and require a response, does MPC usually reply in a timely manner?	Results
5. If we were unable to help with your request, did we refer you to someone who could?	Results
6. In the past 12 months, has your business with MPC required you to appear at an MPC public meeting to provide information or to respond to questions?	Results
7. Generally speaking, how satisfied are you with the action taken by the Commission at meetings you attend?	Results
8. Based upon your experience working with MPC’s professional staff in the last 12 months, how would you rate their attitude toward the public?	Results
9. In general, how would you describe the recommendations made by the professional planning staff to the planning commissioners during the last 12 months?	Results
10. In general, how would you describe the recommendations made by the planning commissioners to elected representatives?	Results
11. Public participation is a vital component in the planning process. How do you usually learn about MPC events and planning issues? Circle all that apply.	Results
12. Which of the following is the single most effective way for MPC to get information to the public?	Results
13. In general, are you satisfied with MPC’s efforts to communicate with the public and involve the public in community issues?	Results
14. How often do you contact the Metropolitan Planning Commission in a typical month using each of the following?	Results
15. Which category best describes your interest when doing business with MPC?	Results
16. Which category best describes your role or profession when doing business with or dealing with MPC?	Results
17. Please indicate how important to the community each of the following planning activities is.	Results

 

 

Summary of Findings

1. Overall, survey respondents give high marks to the Metropolitan Planning Commission. Three-fourths rate the performance of the agency as either good or excellent. Only 7% rate the agency’s performance as poor. Those coming before MPC in their roles as elected officials, lawyers, developers and contractors, and architects provide more positive ratings. Interested citizens and engineers provide somewhat lower ratings.

2. The respondents coming before MPC representing city or county departments are particularly positive about the agency’s performance. Those coming before the agency as private citizens and those representing homeowner groups are a bit less positive. Overall, MPC is clearly well regarded by those with whom it deals.

3. MPC does a particularly good job in providing general information to interested parties. Over nine in ten respondents provided a “good” or “excellent” rating. All other services get good reviews, with neighborhood planning assistance and address assignment lagging slightly.

4. Respondents are almost unanimous in noting that they receive prompt and courteous attention when visiting the MPC office. Likewise respondents overwhelmingly describe MPC as responding in a timely manner when they contact the organization by mail or by fax. Almost all whom MPC could not help indicated that they were referred to someone who could provide the needed assistance.

5. About half of those responding indicated that their business with MPC required that they appear at a MPC public meeting. The vast majority feel that they are treated fairly when attending meetings.

6. Most are satisfied with the action taken at MPC meetings they attend. However, slightly over half report being “somewhat satisfied” as opposed to “very satisfied.” Only one in ten reports being “not satisfied.” Overall, given the diverse nature of the sample, this certainly represents a positive reaction to the actions of MPC.

7. Most give positive ratings to MPC staff’s attitude toward the public. However there is some room for improvement, as somewhat more respondents rated such attitudes as “good” rather then “excellent.”

8. A clear majority (70%) feel that the MPC professional staff makes recommendations that are fair and in accordance with applicable regulations. Slightly more feel that staff recommendations are excessively pro development than feel they are excessively anti development. Overall, staff is clearly seen as acting in a balanced manner. Those whose role before MPC is as “interested citizens’ are much more likely to see MPC staff as pro development than are those coming before the organization in any other capacity.

9. Overall, respondents also tend to see MPC commissioners’ recommendations to elected representatives as fair and balanced. However these representatives are viewed as a bit more “pro-development” than is staff.

10. The largest numbers of respondents learn about MPC events and planning issues through newspaper articles and signs, followed by postcards and television reports. Most feel that the newspaper is the single most effective way for MPC to get information to the public. The vast majority (80%) are satisfied with MPC’s efforts to get information to the public.

11. On average, respondents contact MPC four times a month by phone, twice a month in person and by fax, and once a month by email or mail.

12. Respondents rate land use as the most important planning activity for the community, with almost nine in ten rating land use as “very important.” Air and water quality and economic development are also seen as very important activities, along with transportation and traffic concerns. Downtown and mass transit trail the list of activities as important planning activities.

Survey Results