01-12-09 Special Called Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors

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Appendix: Survey Results Avalanche Consulting is pleased to present the results ofthe Forward La Porte Economic Development Survey. The survey was conducted between December 2008 and January 2009 to gain insight into local residents and businesses' opinions about economic development. A total of 301 surveys were completed. Across the board, survey responses reflected a consistent thinking among La Porte residents. City beautification, Main Street revitalization, and Sylvan Beach revitalization topped residents' economic development priorities. La Porte's top stfE:!ngths are perceived as being (1) public safety, (2) cost of living, (3) access to higher edu~at!cm; and (4) quality of K-12 education. The city's perceived weaknesses included retaifShopping, downtown, arts and culture, and the city's appearance. Many residents eriooIJragedthe City to concentrate on balancing growth through community development versus industriC)1 recruitment, reviving La Porte's historic core, and offering families enhal1cedentertainment and recreational opportunities. Methodology Avalanche Consulting kicked off the project by developil),g'flA online survey and then presented the draft questions tathe f()(Ward La Porte Steering Committee for review. After receiving their feedback, Avalancheftlla'lzedthe survey and launched it on December 8, 2008. (A copy of the survey is provided at the elld of this Appendix.) To encourage residents,foparticipate in t~e surveYle.YaJa~e initiated a multi-faceted promotional campaign: · Avalanche developed the online survey utilizing QuestionPro software. An online format was chos~n to save time and cost. "' ..... .. ~ · Avalanchedeveloped'asurvey webpC)ge whkh contained a link to the survey. · The website;$ .lJRL was provided toSteering Committee members and other civic leaders, and theyin turn sha~~d it with their contacts. · The Bayshore Sun an~ HoustoflChronicle wrote articles about the survey's launch. · Avalanche and the Bayshore Sun 'created an advertisement to remind residents to takethe,.survey. The ads were published in the January 18 and January 21 editions. · The survey was viewe~by 497 people. Avalanche received 301 complete survey questionnaire~, On average, it took participants 10 minutes to finish the survey. The survey was complefed on January 23, 2009. Survey Demographics Of the 301 residents who completed the survey, 60 percent had lived in La Porte for 11 years or longer. 76 percent of all respondents were currently employed, with exactly one-half employed by a company located in La Porte and the other one-half working outside of the city. A large majority of survey participants (65.8 percent) were 45 years old or older. City of La Porte, Texas - Economic & Demographic Assessment I January 2009_