St. Albert has spent more than $150,000 to survey residents on a wide variety of topics over the past two years.
But Coun. Cam MacKay, who requested administration provide that information, said he’s on the fence about the value of those expenditures.
“The number is not so high that it’s outrageous, but it’s not low either,” he said.
An information report indicates that in 2015, a total of 15 surveys were done. Nine were completed in-house, while six were contracted out for a total cost of $82,695.
The biggest expense last year was $39,800 for the New Facility Predictive Pool Model survey. It included 400 phone surveys, 557 online surveys and 10 focus groups.
As of the end of September in 2016, the report lists 21 surveys. The city paid $68,854 for six of those surveys.
The biggest expense so far this year is an approximate $25,000 for the Capital Project Prioritizing Survey, although that figure has yet to be finalized. It included 466 phone surveys.
The report indicates that while phone surveys often have the highest cost, they also produce the most reliable results representing the views of the overall population. Surveys done in house don’t necessarily have that same level of accuracy.
MacKay said he felt some of the surveys were well worth the money, especially in the cases where council’s decision is not necessarily an easy one.
“It appears we’ve had quite a few controversial topics we’ve thrown forward – (backyard) chickens for example – and in that regard I think that was money well spent,” he said. “In some others, it could be questionable.”
He said survey results often factor into his own decision-making process, because while he has his own opinions he tries his best to reflect the will of the residents.
In the case of backyard hens MacKay said the survey results, which cost the city $19,495, directly factored into his support for a pilot project that will allow up to 20 residents to keep hens in their back yards.
“I came into that pretty dead-set against it. I thought it was a pretty goofy idea without a lot of benefit, but there was a sizable number of people who were interested in it, so that whole issue evolved differently than it might have otherwise,” he said.
Mayor Nolan Crouse likewise said he felt the surveys were for the most part a good use of money – to a point.
“I’ve had some mixed sentiments on this. I believe that on the biggest issues, I believe the survey is valid,” he said. “On the smaller issues, I don’t think it’s a good use of money.”
The capital needs prioritizing survey, for example, helped provide important insight into what residents want.
On the other hand, Crouse said the decision on backyard hens didn’t require a survey and council members could have made that decision on their own. Crouse was the only council member opposed to the pilot project.
As for the relative weight he gives to survey results in his own decision-making, he said it varies significantly depending on the survey.
“Many times it matters if they’re statistically significant, done in a statistically significant way,” he said. “If it’s a Survey Monkey (a web-based survey) I hardly look at them. If it’s just a random fill-in-the-form, I hardly look at them.”
The Public Engagement Advisory Committee, which reviews surveys and makes recommendations to council, is expected to bring recommendations in late 2016.
