Peoria County Community Themes & Strengths Assessment

Transcription

1 Peoria County Community Themes & Strengths Assessment May 14, 2010 Prepared by: Illinois Public Health Institute 954 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 405 Chicago, IL

2 Table of Contents Introduction: Community Themes and Strengths Assessment... 3 Community Themes and Strengths Data Sources... 3 Respondent Profile... 4 Assessment Results... 7 Quality of Life in Peoria County... 7 Household, Community & Peoria County Concerns... 9 Health Care Access & Health Status in Peoria County: Recommendations for Further Study Page 2

3 Introduction The Peoria County Community Themes and Strengths Assessment (CTSA) was conducted as one of the four assessments in the Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) process. The Community Themes and Strengths Assessment provides an understanding of the issues residents feel are important. It identifies issues that interest the community, perceptions about quality of life, and community assets. MAPP provides the framework for a comprehensive public health system assessment and plan, which is led and developed by public health system partners. The MAPP process requires engagement of the local public health system partners and the community at large. These stakeholders are engaged in various stages of the process. Results from the CTSA will be analyzed with the reports from the other three assessments, which include the Local Public Health System Assessment (LPHSA), Community Health Status Assessment (CHSA) and the Forces of Change Assessment (FOCA). Strategic issues and health priorities will then be identified by examining the convergence of the results of the assessments and determining how the issues identified in the assessments affect the overall vision. Further analysis and prioritization of strategic issues will be conducted to develop a manageable list strategic issues and priorities for the plan. Next, goals and strategies will be formulated to address the strategic issues. Finally, action plans will be developed for each strategic issue. Action plans will include objectives for achieving the goals, implementation plans, measurable outcomes of each objective and responsible parties for each objective. The plans will be coordinated and implemented to improve the local public health system and ultimately the overall health of the community. Community Themes and Strengths Data Sources The Peoria County Community Themes and Strengths Assessment was derived from three existing reports. The findings, as well as the data collected from these reports, were analyzed in light of the focus for this assessment. This report did not attempt to include all aspects of community themes and strengths from the three existing reports, but simply to highlight the most important findings to facilitate the MAPP process for Peoria County Health Department. The existing reports used for this analysis are as follows: 1) National Citizen Survey, Peoria, Illinois (2010) The National Citizen Survey (NCS) was conducted collaboratively with the National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The NCS was developed to give a statistically valid survey of resident opinions about community and services provided by local government. The survey results are Page 3

4 intended to provide government staff, elected officials and other stakeholders improve their community planning, resource allocation, program improvement and policymaking efforts. It is noted that the National Citizen Survey provided benchmark ratings on a variety of the questions to compare how Peoria County rated to other jurisdictions; this information was used to help identify positive qualities of Peoria County. 2) Peoria County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, (2009) The Peoria County Board appointed a Planning Commission after its strategic planning process in The Planning Commission s goal was to conduct a comprehensive land use study around three visions smart growth, agricultural preservation, environmental stewardship. This plan includes input from county residents, elected officials, business leaders, and others ledgeable about the environmental and recreational aspects of Peoria County. 3) City of Peoria Comprehensive Plan, (2010) The City of Peoria Comprehensive Plan serves as the master planning document for the city. It provides insight on strategic policy development, future land use, and guidance other city decisions. The Comprehensive Plan aims to offer a road map for the City Council, City Commissions, and the City Administration. The plan included input from City of Peoria staff, residents and other experts with important ledge important to a comprehensive city plan. The use of these reports provided insight as well as challenges to understanding the themes and strengths of Peoria County residents. Unlike primary data sources, this assessment can only infer and make claims on issues addressed in the existing reports. In using these existing reports, there were a number of questions about perceived health status and access to health activities that could not be answered. These limitations inhibited in depth analysis of community concerns and health access and availability issues. However, the use of existing data allowed for a solid understanding of several key issues to Peoria County residents. Additionally, the methodological rigor with which the National Citizen Survey (NCS) was conducted greatly improved the reliability and validity of the information in this study. This report relies heavily on the NCS because of it s representativeness. Respondent Profile of Peoria County Each of the three existing reports from which this assessment was derived surveyed a different population of Peoria County. The following is a listing of the three assessments and the respondent profiles of each: 1) The National Citizen Survey used methods to assure representation of Peoria County. The demographic characteristics of the survey sample were compared to those found in the 2006 American Community Survey Census estimates for Page 4

5 adults in Peoria County. Sample results were weighted using the population norms to reflect the appropriate percent of those residents in each county s population. The NCS report, however, did not provide a thorough analysis of the demographics of Peoria County. A demographic profile of Peoria County from the 2006 American Community Survey Census is included at the end of this section for reference. 2) Peoria County Comprehensive Land Use Plan relied on several rounds of public workshops held by county staff and consultants to gather public input on their plan. Additionally, a draft plan was presented to the public at three public hearings. Input from the public hearings was incorporated into the final plan. 3) The City of Peoria Comprehensive Plan was created with public input, data collection from various sources, and deliberations over two years. Over fifty public meeting were held by the City of Peoria Planning Commission. Residents were asked to complete an online survey; over 1,400 surveys were collected. U.S. Census Bureau data was also collected to highlight the regional changes over time for the City of Peoria. Peoria County, American Community Survey Demographic and Housing Estimates: Estimate Percent Total population 183, ,069 Sex Male 88, % Female 94, % Age Under 5 years 13, % 5 to 9 years 11, % 10 to 14 years 12, % 15 to 19 years 13, % 20 to 24 years 13, % 25 to 34 years 23, % 35 to 44 years 22, % 45 to 54 years 25, % 55 to 59 years 11, % 60 to 64 years 8, % 65 to 74 years 12, % 75 to 84 years 9, % 85 years and over 3, % Race/ Ethnicity White alone 138, % Page 5

6 Black or African American alone 30, % Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 5, % American Indian and Alaska Native alone % Asian alone 4, % Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone % Some other race alone % Two or more races 3, % Annual Household Income Less than $10,000 6, % $10,000 to $14,999 3, % $15,000 to $24,999 8, % $25,000 to $34,999 8, % $35,000 to $49,999 10, % $50,000 to $74,999 14, % $75,000 to $99,999 8, % $100,000 to $149,999 7, % $150,000 to $199,999 2, % $200,000 or more 2, % Median household income (dollars) 48,720 (X) Mean household income (dollars) 67,188 (X) Population 3 years and over enrolled in school Nursery school, preschool 3, % Kindergarten 2, % Elementary school (grades 1 8) 19, % High school (grades 9 12) 9, % College or graduate school 14, % Educational Attainment for Population 25 years and over Less than 9th grade 4, % 9th to 12th grade, no diploma 9, % High school graduate (includes equivalency) 34, % Some college, no degree 27, % Associate's degree 9, % Bachelor's degree 20, % Graduate or professional degree 11, % Percent high school graduate or higher 87.8% (X) Percent bachelor's degree or higher 27.1% (X) Assessment Results Page 6

7 A. Quality of Life The Peoria County residents surveyed in the available reports believe their county provides a positive quality of life. This is evident in the questions asked about in the National Citizen Survey. Of the respondents in this survey, 87% believe the overall quality of life in Peoria County is good or fair. Additionally, 87% of this same group believes that Peoria County is a good or fair place to live. More of the respondents (74%) believe that their neighborhood is an excellent or good place to live. It should also be noted that over one quarter (26%) of the respondents believe that their neighborhood is an excellent place to live. This indicates that respondents feel strongly about their individual neighborhoods, but have less positive feelings about the surrounding county. Question 1: Quality of Life Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Peoria County: Excellent Good Fair Poor Peoria County as a place to live 8% 57% 30% 5% 0% Your neighborhood as a place to live 26% 48% 20% 6% 0% Peoria County as a place to raise children 9% 42% 33% 10% 7% Peoria County as a place to work 8% 51% 27% 11% 3% Peoria County as a place to retire 7% 26% 34% 22% 12% The overall quality of life in Peoria County 5% 52% 35% 5% 2% Another indicator of quality of life for Peoria County residents is their beliefs about the quality of services provided to them by county and city government. In looking at where responses clustered on the ratings, it can be inferred that service quality overall is good. The service rated highest was fire services, with 26% rating it excellent. Road repair was the service ranted the lowest; 36% of the respondents rated it poor. Respondents believe the following services are either excellent or good: - Fire Services (66%) - Ambulance or Emergency Medical Services (66%) - Garbage Collection (73%) The following services are considered good or fair: - Sheriff Services (58%) - Crime Prevention (59%) - Municipal Courts (59%) - Traffic Enforcement on County Roads and Highways (76%) - Snow removal on County road and highways (73%) - Yard waste pick up (50%) - Storm drainage (61%) Page 7

8 - Drinking water (68%) - Sewer services (66%) It should also be noted that there was a high number of respondents who did not how to rank the quality of services. The following had at least one quarter of respondents who did not how to rate the service quality: - Sheriff Services (25%) - Municipal Courts (29%) - Bus or Transit Services (50%) - Yard Waste Pick up (27%) Question 11: Service Quality Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Peoria County: Excellent Good Fair Poor Sheriff services 12% 39% 19% 5% 25% Fire services 26% 40% 9% 2% 23% Ambulance or emergency medical services 23% 43% 10% 2% 22% Crime prevention 3% 23% 36% 21% 18% Municipal courts 3% 22% 32% 15% 29% Traffic enforcement on County road and highways 6% 38% 38% 9% 10% Road repair 3% 19% 39% 36% 2% Snow removal on County road and highways 6% 35% 38% 15% 6% Bus or transit services 5% 20% 17% 9% 50% Garbage collection 24% 49% 15% 3% 9% Recycling 10% 23% 21% 26% 20% Yard waste pick up 15% 32% 18% 8% 27% Storm drainage 6% 30% 31% 12% 21% Drinking water 9% 37% 31% 19% 3% Sewer services 8% 40% 26% 6% 20% In thinking about the perception of government s service provision, Peoria County residents believe their county provides a higher quality of services than the state or federal government. The overall quality of services provided by any level of government entity, however, is either good or fair. Page 8

9 Question 12: Government Services Overall Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following? Excellent Good Fair Poor Peoria County 4% 42% 41% 7% 5% The Federal Government 1% 24% 43% 21% 10% The State Government 1% 21% 37% 32% 9% The survey shows that Peoria residents enjoy living in their county. The respondents also indicate that they are somewhat likely (48%) to recommend living in Peoria County. Additionally, 75% of respondents were very likely (43%) or somewhat likely (32%) to remain in Peoria County. Question 16: Recommendation and Longevity Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following: Very likely Somewhat likely Somewhat unlikely Very unlikely Recommend living in Peoria County to someone who asks 18% 48% 20% 11% 4% Remain in Peoria County for the next five years 43% 32% 11% 11% 4% B. Household, Community & Peoria County Concerns The major concerns noted within the existing assessments for Peoria County residents include: Crime and Safety Quality Education Public Infrastructure Road, Sidewalks, Utilities Economic Development Environmental Sustainability The Peoria County residents surveyed in the National Citizen Survey revealed a concern with community safety and crime. When asked about violent crime, a similar percent of respondents believe that Peoria County is somewhat safe (33%) as somewhat unsafe (30%). Concern about property crime follows a similar pattern; however, a higher percentage of respondents believe Peoria County is somewhat unsafe (34%) then somewhat safe (26%). There was more consistency regarding environmental Page 9

10 hazards. Respondents believe Peoria County is somewhat safe (32%) or neither safe nor unsafe (23%). Question 5: Community Safety Please rate how safe or unsafe you feel from the following in Peoria County: Very safe Somewhat safe Neither safe nor unsafe Somewhat unsafe Very unsafe Violent crime (e.g., rape, assault, robbery) 6% 33% 18% 30% 12% 1% Property crimes (e.g., burglary, theft) 5% 26% 19% 34% 15% 2% Environmental hazards, including toxic waste 17% 32% 23% 13% 5% 11% Respondents indicated that they feel safe in their neighborhoods and downtown Peoria County during the day. A majority of the respondents report their neighborhood is very safe (53%) or somewhat safe (35%) during the day and very safe (24%) or somewhat safe (42%) after dark. Respondents also believe that downtown Peoria County is safe during the day (45% somewhat safe and 17% very safe ). Conversely, 67% of the respondents indicated downtown Peoria is somewhat unsafe (34%) or very unsafe (33%) after dark. Question 6: Personal Safety Please rate how safe or unsafe you feel: Very safe Somewhat safe Neither safe nor unsafe Somewhat unsafe Very unsafe In your neighborhood during the day 53% 35% 6% 4% 2% 0% In your neighborhood after dark 24% 42% 12% 13% 8% 1% In Peoria County's downtown area(s) during the day 17% 45% 16% 14% 5% 3% In Peoria County's downtown area(s) after dark 1% 15% 13% 34% 33% 4% Additionally, Peoria County residents are concerned with the environmental impacts of land use and growth. The county relies on the Illinois River and the surrounding farmland for a great deal of industrial development, and the long term environmental sustainability of these resources are important to the County s economic stability. Residents believe that county growth and development must occur to help build an economically viable region; however, they also believe that this growth must not jeopardize the natural resources in the county. In particular for this study, residents Page 10

11 believe that the natural resources provide opportunities for recreation and healthy living, as well as economic development. C. Health Care Access & Health Status in Peoria County Respondents in the National Citizen Survey were asked questions about the availability of afford health care services and recreational spaces within an existing question about community characteristics. While these questions do not provide an exact measure of health care access and health status in Peoria County, they provide insight into how residents view the health and wellbeing of their community. Peoria County residents believe they have fair access to healthy transportation and recreational options. Forty nine percent of the respondents believe they had fair (26%) or poor (23%) ease of bicycle travel in Peoria County. It should also be noted that 33% did not about the ease of bicycle travel in the county. Respondents also believe walking is not easy in Peoria County; 55% rated their ease of walking as fair (35%) or poor (25%). An additional 23% rated the ease of walking good in Peoria County. Regarding the availability of paths and walking trails in the county, 62% rated their access as fair (33%) or poor (26%). The residents of Peoria County believe that their access to health care services is above adequate. When asked about the availability of affordable, quality health care in the county, 68% rated it good (36%) or fair (32%). Residents rated their access to affordable quality food as good (48%) or fair (30%). Additionally, access to preventable health services was considered good (42%) or fair (26%). Question 2: Community Characteristics Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Peoria County as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Ease of bicycle travel in Peoria County 2% 16% 26% 23% 33% Ease of walking in Peoria County 3% 23% 35% 25% 13% Availability of paths and walking trails 4% 21% 33% 29% 12% Availability of affordable quality health care 13% 36% 32% 12% 6% Availability of affordable quality food 13% 48% 30% 7% 2% Availability of preventive health services 12% 42% 26% 9% 11% Page 11

12 Recommendations for Further Study Promote Healthy Activities and Alternatives to Automobile Transportation: Respondents believe they have less than good alternatives to automobile transportation and natural spaces for recreation such as bicycle travel in Peoria County. Throughout the three reports, there was a strong value placed on environmental and recreational activities. Bicycle travel, either for recreation, exercise or transportation, can build upon the community value and provide opportunities for residents to get closer to their natural environment with relatively limited intrusion of major infrastructure developments. The public health system should pursue a better understanding on residents availability of bicycling opportunities and promote them with residents. Additionally, they should build upon residents desire to improve the public infrastructure of the county to encourage the development of bike lanes on roads as an alternative mode of transportation. Events like Bike to Work Week or other regional initiatives could be promoted by county government to spur more interest and health activity. Pursue Additional Information on Perception of Health Status in Peoria County: The method used to collect information for this assessment relied heavily on information from other assessments and comprehensive plans. While this provided a wealth of information on the perceived quality of life in Peoria County, it lacked a breadth of information on the health care access and perceived health status of residents. It is recommended that Peoria County Health Department conduct a short survey, key informant interviews or focus group to gather primary data on the perceived health status of Peoria County residents. This information can provide a wealth of insight into how residents view their county s health status, helping to guide health department programming to educate or improve health status. Page 12