Hansen said the city’s biggest takeaway from the survey is that affordable housing is an issue that residents, business owners and employees consider to be of paramount importance. He added that it was surprising to him and other staff members to see that 22% of business owners or managers are housing insecure.

“That’s really high,” he said.

Taxes and the economy

Respondents said the city does a good job of managing fees and taxes.

Twenty-eight percent of participants said it is very easy to pay fees and taxes on the city’s website, while 34 percent said it was generally easy. Twenty-one percent said it was a neutral experience, while 14 percent said it was difficult and 3 percent said “very difficult.”

Despite the challenges local businesses face, many still feel the local economy is strong.

Fifty-one percent of general public respondents rated the state of Ketchum’s economy “strong,” while 11 percent said “very strong.” Eighteen percent of participants responded “neutral,” while another 18 percent said the economy is weak. Just two percent said the economy is very weak.

Respondents judge Ketchum’s outreach

Survey respondents were also asked about the quality of Ketchum’s communication with its residents and business owners. When it comes to providing accurate and timely information, 16 percent of respondents said they strongly agree that Ketchum does a good job of this. Forty percent said they somewhat agree, while 16 percent were neutral. Twenty-six percent said they either somewhat disagree or strongly disagree.

Respondents were slightly less impressed with the city’s work on communicating a clear vision and strategy for the city. Seven percent of participants said they strongly agree the city has done a good job at that, while 25 percent said they somewhat agree. Nineteen percent responded with “neutral,” 31 percent said they somewhat disagree and 18 percent said they strongly disagree.

When survey respondents were asked if the city keeps residents and businesses informed and promptly responds to questions and concerns, 9 percent strongly agreed; 28 percent somewhat agreed; 21 percent were neutral; 23 percent said they somewhat disagreed; and 16 percent strongly disagreed.

The survey showed that Ketchum residents prefer physical mail as their top way to receive updates. Hansen said in an interview that he expected electronic communication to prove the most popular, but that was not the case.

Ketchum boasts strong recreation

Respondents listed areas where Ketchum performs the best, too. Where the city stands out, according to the survey, is with recreational opportunities, scenic beauty and environmental quality, and arts and cultural offerings.

Seventy-two percent of participants said the city’s progress made over the last 10 years in terms of recreational opportunities has been excellent or good, with 14 percent responding that management to this end has been below expectations or poor.

Environmental work lauded

Ketchum’s environmental stewardship efforts were largely praised in the survey.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents said the city has either performed above expectations or excellently in terms of reducing solid waste and garbage and encouraging recycling.

Fifty-nine percent said the city has performed above expectations or excellently in protecting natural habitat, wildlife and ecosystems.

Reviews on how Ketchum has performed conserving water and energy and utilizing renewable sources were more mixed. Only four percent said “excellent,” 29 percent said “above expectations,” 21 percent responded “neutral,” 31 percent said the work has been below their expectations and 15 percent said the work to this end has been “poor.”

Thumbs up to fire and EMS consolidation

The majority of survey respondents favored fire and emergency medical services being consolidated. When asked “do you think that Ketchum’s fire and EMS should consolidate with nearby fire and EMS services, including those in Blaine County, Sun Valley, Hailey and Bellevue,” 47 percent of respondents said they strongly agreed; 22 percent said they somewhat agreed.

Mountain Rides

The survey also asked about the Mountain Rides bus system. When asked if Mountain Rides stops are located at desired locations, 33 percent strongly agreed; 43 percent agreed; 13 percent answered “neutral”; 9 percent said they disagree; and 2 percent strongly disagreed.

When asked if the frequency of Mountain Rides services are adequate, 27 percent of respondents strongly agreed; 39 percent agreed; 17 percent were neutral; 14 percent disagreed; and 3 percent strongly disagreed.

To download the full results from the latest survey, visit this story on mtexpress.com

Ketchum launches next survey

Unlike the first survey, which was sent to Ketchum residents, business owners and employees using an “address-based sample” conducted using the USPS database, this one is simply open online for anyone to respond to. Recipients were provided a unique code to enter to access the survey, which asks for feedback on a new set of proposed “core values” adjusted according to the results above.

The proposed core values included in the second survey are:

• A strong and diverse economy.
• A vibrant downtown.
• A distinctive character and scenic beauty.
• Varied housing options.
• Exceptional recreational opportunities.
• Well-connected community and region.
• Rich with history, arts and culture.
• A sustainable and resilient community.
• Transparent governance and community engagement.