2016
Citizen Satisfaction Survey Report For the City of Farmersville Authors: Chandler Merritt, Tony Radar, Jenifer Rodriguez & Tommy Walters
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Citizen Satisfaction Survey Report for the City of Farmersville TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 2
Respondent Demographics ............................................................................................................. 4
Results ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Category 1: Perception of the City ............................................................................................ 11
Category 2: Perception of Safety ............................................................................................... 18
Category 3: Perception of Accessibility, Environment, Housing, and Opportunities ............... 22
Category 4: Perception of Day-to-Day Essentials ..................................................................... 27
Category 5: Day-to-Day Activities ............................................................................................ 43
Category 6: Perception of City Services.................................................................................... 46
Category 7: Objectives for Farmersville ................................................................................... 51
Category 8: Other Issues & Comments ..................................................................................... 55
Summary & Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 57
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 60
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INTRODUCTION
The 2016 Citizen Satisfaction Survey for the City of Farmersville is a collaborative effort between the City of Farmersville and a group of students in the University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Architecture. The survey was implemented to gauge the level of satisfaction and the perception of Quality of Life, Safety, Accessibility, Environment, Government Services, Housing, Economy and Business Opportunities among other characteristics in the city of Farmersville. Additionally it assesses the activities of the residents and their participation in the community and other day-to-day actions.
Farmersville, Texas prides itself of being a Texas Treasure—a great place to live, work and do business1. It originated in 1849 and was named based on the chief occupation at a time. It was incorporated in 1873 and has grown to 3,001 residents in 2010 and has approximately 1,300 households. Though never having utilized a survey of this type previously, Farmersville boasts having a steady economy, family-friendly neighborhoods, low crime rates, growing diversity and educational opportunities1. Through implementation of this survey and analysis of the respondent data, the City of Farmersville will be able to study its results and compare its perceptions along with those of the residents and stakeholders to find areas of success as well as improvement.
This report contains several sections or categories with the first two being Methodology and Respondent Profile & Demographics. The bulk of this report will detail the results of the survey and is divided into sub-sections that reflect the various sections of the actual survey instrument and include Perception of the City of Farmersville; Perception of Safety in Farmersville; Perception of Accessibility, Environment, Housing & Opportunities; Perception of Day-to-Day Essentials, Profile of Citizen’s Day-to-Day Activities; Perception of City Services; Citizen’s Ideas of Objectives for Farmersville, and Other Issues & Comments. The report is finalized with a Summary & Conclusion, and Appendix.
METHODOLOGY
The City of Farmersville markets itself as a Texas Treasure because it is different than the towns that surround it. In order for a citizen satisfaction survey to measure the things that are important to Farmersville, we met as a group with the City Manager, Ben White, to determine the specific areas he wanted measured.
During this meeting we provided different examples of survey instruments that other cities had used, which served as a launching point. Ultimately, one example survey was chosen and then adapted to incorporate the issues important to Farmersville. Some specific areas for which feedback was wanted involved Farmersville having their own electric grid as well as a city
1 Per “Farmersville, TX | A Texas Treasure,” a business and relocation guide published by the City of Farmersville 28 September 2016 found at the city’s website, farmersvilletx.com.
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employee with the position of “Main Street Manager” both unique to Farmersville. Mr. White also wanted to include each level of schools in the Farmersville Independent School District.
Since the intent of the survey was also to be a guide for future planning, a question was inserted to gauge people’s desire for more recreation opportunities. With this question, there were specific areas of recreation that each person could respond if with whether or not they had interest. These items include a swimming pool, tennis court, racquetball/handball court, basketball court, cardio workout facility, multi-purpose room and other.
One of the most important sections to Mr. White was a space for the citizens to provide for open-ended responses and general comments. A section that included both was added to the survey.
The group also included a map of the city which was divided into six different sectors in order to further analyze the responses to determine whether or not a correlation existed between the responses and the location where the citizen lives. This created a point of confusion for some respondents evident by several comments written on the completed surveys. Fortunately, there were still 154 responses to the map sector question when the highest response in other areas of the survey was 187.
The majority of responses were based on the Likert scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most negative response and 5 being the most positive response. Section seven regarding day-to-day activities was a series of yes-or-no questions where ‘yes’ was given a numerical value of two while ‘no’ was given a one. Sections eight and nine of the survey required frequency responses and responses were rated from 1 to 4, with 1 being not at all and 4 being the most often. Section 13 also required a change in the standard 1 to 5 format since it asked for an opinion of how vital it was for the city to focus on certain areas. The possible responses included a scale from 1 to 4 with 1 being not important to 4 being essential.
The final section of the survey included various demographic questions, which allowed for further analysis of any individual question. One question in this section asked about employment status. Based on the collected responses, “Retired” should have been included as a choice as there were several write-in responses and a large percentage of responses from people over 65 years of age.
Once the survey instrument was approved, it was translated into Spanish to become a bilingual document. This was done to ensure that as many citizens’ opinions possible could be considered. The final survey was then printed and mailed along with an English and Spanish cover letter to all 1,300 utility customers, with an addressed prepaid postage envelope.
Additionally, the university students made efforts to promote survey response including attending a meeting of the Farmersville chapter of the Rotary Club as well as weekend visits to some of the more frequented restaurants in town. Surveys were distributed at the Rotary meeting, whereas the visits to the restaurants were only promotional in nature.
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The responses from the Rotary Club were immediately given to the students while all others were either mailed or personally delivered to city hall. The results were picked up by the students on a frequent basis.
Once the completed surveys were collected, they were entered into a spreadsheet by group members. The spreadsheet was organized into sections corresponding with the survey for easier data entry. Additionally, a spreadsheet was also created with comments on the various questions to ensure consistency in the data entry process. The spreadsheet calculated the average of all responses, counted all completed responses, and counted each time an individual response is given. The open-ended responses were entered into a separate Word document.
When each survey was entered into the spreadsheet, the column number of the spreadsheet was designated on the individual survey for data entry accountability. That column designator was also listed on the table where the two open-ended responses were collected. The decision was made to enter verbatim the responses written on the survey in the Word document for open responses. This included any spelling or grammar errors as well as underlining or any other designator. There were also respondents that wrote in comments to specific survey questions as well as providing a numerical response. Those comments were also included in the Word document along with a designator to which question they were responding.
After collection of all completed surveys, there were a total of six surveys that were not entered. Two were exact copies of a previous survey. There were questions that were marked with an “x” indicating a change in answer on the exact same questions. It appears that the two additional responses were photocopies of the other with a few minor changes in the demographic section. Since all three surveys were identical in all ways, it was only entered into the results once. Another one of the rejected surveys was only completed on the front side of each page. None of the questions on the back of the paper were answered so it was not considered to be a completed survey. The other three had various issues. The texture of the paper was different than all other surveys so they were apparent copies. They also had written in responses including numbers down to -50. Although it was apparent that they were very disgruntled and their opinion needs to be considered, their responses would have severely skewed results. All three surveys were considered outliers and will be provided to Mr. White but not considered with the final calculated results of this study.
RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
Section 17 of the survey consisted of how the city is demographically oriented. There were many characteristics on which were surveyed, including but not limited to, employment status; household income; age distribution; race; and geographic location within the city. All graphs in this section are portrayed as a percentage of the total responding population of Farmersville to ensure the most accurate analysis is being portrayed.
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Participatory Activities This area measured several themes and gave an impression of how active the citizen is within the community. These questions included:
a. Recycle at Home b. Purchasing Goods In City c. Participate in Physical Activity d. Read or Watch Local News e. Voting in Local Elections
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being always, 4 being usually, 3 being sometimes, 2 being rarely, and 1 being never.
In this category there was a range of responses from 176 to 181 in each category. As the results show, approximately 92 percent of the citizens in Farmersville do participate in some form of recycling, while only eight percent abstain completely from recycling. Local purchasing shows to be strong as only 69 percent of those responses state they usually or always purchase goods within the
61%8%
1%
30%
Employment Status
Full Time Part Time
Unemployed ‐ Looking Unemployed ‐ Not Looking
50%
25%
16%
55%
61%
17%
44%
28%30%
19%
15%
25%
34%
9% 7%9%
4%
15%
4% 4%
8%
1%
7%
2%
8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Recycle at Home Local Purchasing Physical Activity Read or WatchLocal News
Vote in LocalElections
Participatory Activities
Always
Usually
Sometemes
Rarely
Never
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city. Physical activity suggests a somewhat balanced distribution with a slight favor for more activity. Most citizens, 85 percent also responded that they usually or always watch local news. Finally, almost 80 percent stated they usually or always vote in local elections while only eight percent responded they never vote in local elections.
Employment Next to discuss is employment status. The first question asked whether the respondent was employed in a full time position, a part time position, or was unemployed and looking for work versus unemployed and not looking for work. Of the 147 respondents, 61 percent were employed full time and 30 percent were employed part time attaining an overall employment status of 91 percent and a total of population within the workforce at 92 percent, with one percent currently unemployed but actively looking for work.
After reviewing employment status, the locality of employment was reviewed. This was accomplished by simply asking those that were employed as to whether they worked locally within the City of Farmersville or whether they worked somewhere outside the city of Farmersville. Drilling down further, if a citizen was employed they were asked as to whether they citizen worked in their home or worked within the city limits of Farmersville but outside the home. Of the 162 respondents to this question, 68 percent of the respondents did not live within the City of Farmersville while just over one quarter of the respondents (27 percent) indicated they worked and lived within the city limits.
Residency in Farmersville Citizens were next asked about their tenure within the city. The question was broken down in blocks of years from 0-2 years to 20+ years. There were 177 respondents to this question and of those approximately 72 percent of the Farmersville citizenry has been living here for more than 11 years while the remaining 26 percent have been living in the city less than ten years. It should be noted that of those responding to the surveys two percent (three respondents) do not currently reside within the city of Farmersville.
Yes ‐Outside of Home27%
Yes ‐ At Home5%No
68%
Employment in Farmersville
Yes ‐ Outside of Home Yes ‐ At Home No
6%9%
11%
19%
53%
2%
Number of Years In Farmersville
0‐2 Years 2‐5 Years 6‐10 Years
11‐20 Years 20+ Years N/A
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The next question was an attempt to establish the totality of types of homes within the City of Farmersville from the citizen’s perspective vs. statistical numbers which are kept by the Bureau or the Census and/or City of Farmersville staff. Our results show that overwhelmingly the majority of residences in the city of Farmersville are single-family residences at 86 percent of those responding out of 175 responding to this specific question. It should be noted the next highest category of those responding was multi-family (apartments, duplexes, etc.) which came in at eight percent. Only one percent of respondents stated they lived in mobile homes.
Falling closely in line with the residency classification was the next question regarding ownership of the primary residence. Again, overwhelmingly most of those responding (176), 82 percent indicated they owned their residence within Farmersville while only 18 percent did not. Rent and/or mortgage in Farmersville seem to be somewhat evenly distributed. While most, approximately 48 percent, pay between $600-$1,500 per month, while the lower end of rent/mortgage, below $600, accounts for 29 percent of the respondents, and 22 percent pay $1,500 per month or more.
Income Annual household income was slanted somewhat towards the lower income side of the spectrum based on the categories
11%
18%
28%
20%
14%
8%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Less than $300 a month
$300 ‐ $599
$600 ‐ $999
$1000 ‐ $1,499
$1,500 ‐ $2,499
$2,500 or more
Rent/Mortgage
86%
8%
1%5%
Residency Classification
Single‐Family Multi‐Family Mobile Home Other
82%
18%
Residency Ownership
Owned Rented
16%
25%
29%
15% 15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
1
Annual Household Income
Less than $25,000 $25,000 ‐ $49,999 $50,000 ‐ $99,999
$100,000 ‐ $149,999 $150,000+
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presented to which the respondents could self-identify. It should be noted only 155 responses were received for this question as people seemed less willing to provide their annual household income. This highest response for an income bracket was $50,000-99,000 coming in at 28 percent of respondents. The upper income levels, $100,000 or above, accounted for 30 percent of the population, while 41 percent of the population indicated an income level below $50,000.
Race According to respondent self-identification on race, the City of Farmersville overwhelmingly identifies as white (over 92 percent), with all other races (8 percent) identifying as black African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, multi-racial, or other.
Age Based on respondents, age skews towards the older echelons within the community. Elderly (ages 65 or older) account for over 42 percent of the population. The next grouped tier down in age from this would be those from 35 to 64 which accounts for almost half (49 percent) or the population. This leaves only eight percent under the age of 35. The data does suggest Farmersville does have an increasing aging population, and a trend analysis over time
1%
0%
4%
1%
1%
92%
0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Race
Other White or CaucasianMulti‐racial Hispanic or LatinoBlack or African American Asian or Pacific IslanderAmerican Indian or Alaskan Native
1%
7%
15% 15%
19%
24%
18%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
1
Age
18 ‐ 24 years 25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older
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would be better suited to confirming this hypothesis versus the “snapshot” which is revealed by this survey.
Gender Of note was the higher-than-anticipated gap between gender in the City of Farmersville. Where one would typically expect a fifty-fifty split between male and female, the results of this survey show that Farmersville had a significantly higher portion of respondents (nine percent) who were female, thereby reducing the overall number of male respondents to 41 percent. Again, this may be related to those willing to respond to this survey and not necessarily a true representation of the populace at large. It would be recommended to review these results against the federal census data provided by the Bureau of the Census for a more definitive ratio.
Personal Communication Personal communications also provided additional insight into how Farmersville citizens currently communicate within the city. Somewhat surprising, almost 70 percent of the population responded they only have a cell phone as a primary tool used for communication versus an additional landline at home. As to whether a respondent had a cell phone and a land line versus both was almost equally split at 13 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
Household Members As would be somewhat expected in connection with the age results, most citizens in Farmersville do not have children under 17 within their household. Of the 176 persons who responded to this question, 71 percent of these households do not have children within the household, while 28 percent do.
41%
59%
Gender
Male Female
69%
18%
13%
Personal Communication
Cell Phone Land Line Both
28%
71%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%Children Under 17
Yes No
48%
52%
44%
46%
48%
50%
52%
54%
Adults 65 & Older
Yes No
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Also, on a related noted, respondents were asked if there were adults in the household older than the age of 65. Of the 176 respondents, 52 percent did not have a resident within the household who was age 65 or older. The remaining 48 percent of respondents stated there was a member of the household who was at least of the age 65.
Area of Residency in Farmersville Finally, sector data was requested from each of the respondents in order to better understand where respondents were currently living in order to ascertain if there were respondents from certain areas where specific issues or concern existed. This also gave the team the ability to further break down data into geographical subsets of the city and further provide further analysis regarding individual questions within the survey instrument. Provided below, is a copy of the diagram which was used on the survey instrument for respondents to identify their area of residency.
8%
40%
31%
9%8%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
1 2 3 4 5 6
Residency within Farmersville
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RESULTS
CATEGORY 1: PERCEPTION OF THE CITY
Category one of the survey consisted of how the city is perceived. It was divided into three different sections—quality of life, characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole, and how likely someone is to continue to live or recommend living in Farmersville.
1.1 - Quality of Life Section one of the survey measured quality-of-life issues and consisted of seven statements for which respondents rated Farmersville:
a. Farmersville as a place to live b. Your neighborhood as a place to live c. As a place to raise your children d. As a place to work e. As a place to visit f. As a place to retire g. Overall quality of life
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
For this section received responses ranged from 179 to 186. The residents rated the City of Farmersville high on many of the quality-of-life issues. The average rating on Farmersville as a
4.03 3.96 3.87
3.08
3.523.68
3.92
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
Place to Live Neighborhood Raise Children Work Visit Retire Quality of life
Quality of Life ‐ Average of Responses
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place to live was 4.030 out of 5. Sixty-two out of the 186 responses, or one third of respondents, rated Farmersville as an excellent place to live. 47.31 percent rated it as good. The overall percentage of responses of 4 and above is 80.65 percent. The chart below shows the breakdown of the responses regulating to Farmersville as a place to live.
The most important question in this section was the overall quality of life, since that is what municipal government often strives to impact. The average score of the respondents to this question was 3.921 out of 5.
There was a very small percentage, 1.64 percent, of the 183 respondents rated the overall quality of life as being poor, while 78.14 percent rated it as being anywhere from good to excellent.
The rating of the quality of life can be further broken down using the information collected in section 17 of the survey. As mentioned, the city was divided into six geographical regions to help isolate the data to see if opinions varied based on neighborhoods. In the area of overall quality of life, there was some variation in the average responses to the quality of life question based on where people live. Sector 1, which is the far northern end of Farmersville, rated the quality of life the highest with an average of 4.25, while sector 6, the southeastern section, gave an average score of 3.71. The majority of respondents appear to live in sector 2, which is everything north of Hwy 380 and west of Main
Farmersville as a Place to Live
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Quality of Life
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
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Street, followed by sector 3, which is everything between Main Street and Summit and Highway 380 to Farmersville Intermediate School. These two sectors appear to be the most densely populated areas of town.
Quality of life results show some variation when analyzed in light of the age of the respondent. There were a large number of respondents that were over the age of 65 and only one respondent that was in the age range of 18 to 24 years. Due to the fact that there was only one respondent in that range, it was combined with the 25 to 34 age group. The results show that respondents under the age of 35 and over 75 rated the quality of life of Farmersville higher than all others with 4.214 and 4.414 averages, respectively. The 55 to 64 years age range rated the quality of life the lowest with a 3.636 average.
4.25
4.06
3.90
4.08
3.83
3.71
3.40
3.60
3.80
4.00
4.20
4.40
Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 4 Sector 5 Sector 6
Quality of Life ‐ Based on Sector
4.21
3.76 3.893.64
3.98
4.41
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
Under 35 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 and Above
Quality of Life ‐ Based on Age
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Of the first section, Farmersville received the lowest rating as it relates as a place to work. This question can also be tied to a question in the demographic section of the survey which asked if people work in Farmersville. They were given three choices: yes, they work in Farmerville inside of the home; yes, but they work inside Farmersville but outside of the home; or no, they do not work in Farmersville. There were 179 respondents to this question about Farmersville as a place to work and only 162 to the demographic question. Of the 162, 110 did not work inside the City of Farmersville. These results may also be skewed due to the number of respondents that were age 65 and older, which was 41.48 percent. Of the 179 respondents to the Farmersville as a place to work, the results were evenly spread among all ratings.
Further analysis of these responses shows that the average rating to the question of Farmersville as a place to work by those that do not work in Farmersville is a 2.715. There were only eight respondents that work outside of the home in Farmersville and they rated it a 4.286 on average. Those who work in Farmersville either outside inside the home rated Farmersville as a place to work an average of 3.92.
1.2 – Characteristics of Farmersville as a Whole The second section of category one asked the respondents to rate several characteristics of the City of Farmersville as a whole. These areas include:
a. Feeling of safety b. Ease of travel c. Quality of overall natural environment d. Overall “built environment” – buildings, parks, etc e. Health and wellness opportunities f. Economic health g. Sense of community
Farmersville as a Place to Work
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
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h. Image and reputation of Farmersville
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
In the areas of feeling of safety, ease of travel, and the quality of the built environment, Farmersville scored relatively well, as the above graph shows. In each of these categories, the majority of the respondents rated Farmersville an average of 4, indicating good. In each of these categories the respondents rated Farmersville either a 4 or a 5 74.59 percent of the time for safety, 76.11 percent for ease of travel, and 76.5 percent for natural environment.
There were three areas in this category where the respondents rated the city below the threshold of a 3. These areas were health and wellness opportunities, educational opportunities, and economic health. The average for these three areas was 2.696, 2.832, and 2.786 respectively.
3.78 3.77 3.783.21
2.70 2.83 2.79
3.54 3.46
1.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00
Characteristics of Farmersville as a Whole
Natural Environment
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Feeling of Safety
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
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The economic health of the city was also reflected in the general comments portion of the survey numerous times with comments such as, “But without businesses and available homes Farmersville will continue to exist and struggle along. No income from commerce = nothing to build with. Bonds won't do enough to provide assets we need.” Several of the general comments made provide the opinion that there is little effort being made toward economic development. This was also reflected in the numerical scores as there were more people who rated the city below a 3 than above a 3. The breakdown is reflected in the below chart.
There were only nine respondents that rated the economic health of Farmersville to be excellent. According to Collin County2, in 2014 McKinney was ranked as the number one place to live in America and Allen was ranked number four for best places to find a job in America according to Money Magazine. Additionally, according to Collin County2, the county was ranked as the tenth best county to work in during a study done by Nerdwallet.com. The accolades for the economic growth of the county are not reflected in the opinions of the respondents of this survey. It may reflect a missed opportunity by Farmersville.
There were also quite a few negative responses when it comes to education.
Once again, More than 50 percent of the respondents rated the city either a 1 or a 2. In a section of the survey to be discussed later, respondents were asked to rate each school from elementary to high school as well as educational opportunities for adults. The
2 Per Collin County’s website, http://www.collincountytx.gov/living/Pages/cites.aspx.
Economic Health
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Education Opportunities
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
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educational opportunities for adults averaged a 2.169 response while all of the other schools ranked no lower than a 3.209.
This gap may explain where the respondents feel like there may be an area for improvement. There were also comments made in the general comments section in reference to the Collin College sign that has been up for many years without any progress.
Within this same section of the survey, respondents were asked about the image and reputation of the City of Farmersville. The average score in this question was a 3.465, with 30.43 percent ranking Farmersville below a 3.
These results seem inconsistent with the results from section one describing the quality of life as extremely positive, but the reputation not being as high. The general comments may also provide some insight into this area with responses from both ends of the spectrum when it comes to growth, code enforcement, and the Muslim Cemetery.
3.2213.448
3.2093.326
2.169
0.000
0.500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
3.500
4.000
Elementary Schools IntermediateSchools
Jr High Schools High School Education for Adults
Education
Image and Reputation
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
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1.3 – How Likely the Respondent is to Continue to Live in Farmersville for Five Years or Recommend It This section reflected extremely well on the City of Farmersville. It consisted of only two questions regarding how likely the respondent would be to “continue to live in Farmersville for five years” and how likely the respondent was to “recommend someone to live in Farmersville.” The respondents were asked to rate each as 5 for very likely, 4 for somewhat likely, 3 for no opinion, 2 for somewhat unlikely, and 1 for very unlikely.
Concerning the question of how likely they would be to continue living in Farmersville for five years, 64.32 percent indicated that they are very likely to stay. The average of all 185 responses was a 4.422. There were only five responses received that indicated that they were very unlikely to continue to live in Farmersville for five years. The responses were very favorable that the respondents are committed to living in the city.
The responses were only slightly less positive when asked if they would recommend others to live in Farmerville. There were only six respondents that stated that they were unlikely to recommend Farmersville and only 25 that indicated they were somewhat unlikely.
CATEGORY 2: PERCEPTION OF SAFETY
Public safety often consumes the largest percentage of a city’s budget. Farmersville is no different. The police and fire departments consume a total of 43 percent of the city’s budget, and their fire department is a volunteer organization. Therefore, it is imperative that the citizens of the community feel safe. Farmersville does not disappoint, according to the survey results.
Recommend Living in Farmersville
Very Unlikely
SomewhatUnlikely
No Opinion
SomewhatLikely
Very Likely
Live in Farmersville for 5 Years
Very Unlikely
SomewhatUnlikely
No Opinion
SomewhatLikely
Very Likely
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Farmersville Police Department consists of nine sworn officers and four reserves. The Police Chief, Mike Sullivan, is head of the department which consists of the patrol division and criminal investigations. Code enforcement and animal control are currently handled through a single civilian position titled as a Public Safety Officer. The Farmersville Volunteer Fire Department has a two paid employees, one firefighter, and Chief, Kim Morris. The department has one Quint, two brush trucks, one rescue truck, and one tanker truck. Emergency medical services are provided as a part of a coalition by American Medical Response. Dispatching services are provided by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office at a cost that is listed in the police department budget.
In the perception of safety portion of the survey, respondents were asked to rate how safe they feel in Farmersville:
a. In your neighborhood during the day b. In your neighborhood during the night c. In public areas of Farmersville during the day d. In public areas during the night
The responses were to be given on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being very safe, 4 being somewhat safe, 3 no opinion, 2 somewhat safe, and 1 being very unsafe. When all of the entries were entered, the averages were all favorable.
The graph makes it appear as if there is a bigger discrepancy than there is in the raw numbers. The averages for each of these areas are:
4.427
3.984
4.437
3.892
3.600
3.700
3.800
3.900
4.000
4.100
4.200
4.300
4.400
4.500
Safety During Day Safety at Night In Public Areas ‐ Day In Public Areas ‐ Night
Perception of Safety
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Perception of Safety: Average of Responses
In your neighborhood during the day 4.427
In your neighborhood during the night 3.984
In public areas of Farmersville during the day 4.437
In public areas during the night 3.892
Further analysis of this data shows that only nine respondents felt either somewhat unsafe or very unsafe in their neighborhood during the day and only five in public places during the day. On the contrary, 101 people responded that they feel very safe in their neighborhood during the day and 71 in public places during the day.
This reflects that 90.81 percent of respondents feel somewhat safe or very safe in their neighborhood during the day. 91.80 percent also feel somewhat safe or very safe in public places during the day.
It is not uncommon to see a decrease in the perception of safety at night versus during the day. Even though that trend held true in this case, 76.76 percent of respondents feel somewhat safe or very safe in their neighborhood at night and 74.59 percent feel the same in public places at night.
Safety in Your Neighborhood ‐ Day
Very Unsafe
Somewhat Unsafe
No Opinion
Somewhat Safe
Very Safe
Safety in Public Areas ‐ Day
Very Unsafe
Somewhat Unsafe
No Opinion
Somewhat Safe
Very Safe
21
Since the respondents were asked to determine their safety based on the neighborhood, further analysis was done to determine if one sector of the city showed a striking difference in responses than any other sector. When breaking down the responses of how safe people feel in their neighborhood during the day, there was not a dramatic difference in responses. All responses were between 4.286 and 4.583.
4.58
4.51
4.46
4.54
4.42
4.29
4.10
4.15
4.20
4.25
4.30
4.35
4.40
4.45
4.50
4.55
4.60
4.65
Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 4 Sector 5 Sector 6
Safety in Neighborhood During the Day by Map Sector
Safety in Public Areas ‐ Night
Very Unsafe
SomewhatUnsafe
No Opinion
SomewhatSafe
Very Safe
Safety in Your Neighborhood ‐Night
Very Unsafe
SomewhatUnsafe
No Opinion
SomewhatSafe
Very Safe
22
There was a larger variation in the results in the responses by sector at night than during the day. Map sector 1, which was the far north area of town, and sector 4, which is the far eastern portion, reflected a 4.417 and a 4.462 average, respectively. Sectors 3, 5, and 6 had the lowest averages for feeling of safety with a 3.875, 3.75, and 3.714, respectively. These also have the lowest scores on the responses to the overall quality of life. There is a possible correlation between the responses on the perception of quality of life and the perception of safety because the graphs look very similar when broken down by map sector.
CATEGORY 3: PERCEPTION OF ACCESSIBILITY, ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING, AND OPPORTUNITIES
Category three of the survey consisted of how the city is perceived relative to accessibility, environment, appearance, recreational/fitness opportunities and cost of living.
3.1 - Accessibility Section 3.1 measured accessibility perceptions and asked respondents to rate the following seven statements in relation to Farmersville:
a. Traffic flow on major streets b. Ease of public parking c. Ease of travel by car d. Ease of travel by bicycle e. Ease of walking f. Availability of walking trails
4.42 4.28
3.88
4.46
3.75 3.71
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 4 Sector 5 Sector 6
Safety in Neighborhood at Night by Map Sector
23
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
As shown in the chart titled “Characteristics of Farmersville as a Whole” on page 15 of this report, accessibility overall is perceived very positively. Walking trails are obviously the highlight of the accessibility portion of the survey with an average rating of 3.95. Travel by car, traffic flow, and public parking are all perceived very positively as well. Of the accessibility rating, walking and travel by bicycle were ranked the lowest of the six measurements with average ratings of 3.53 and 3.40, respectively. These ratings are somewhat surprising when considering street repair, street lighting, and sidewalk maintenance into account. These areas will be discussed in depth later.
3.2 - Environmental Section 3.2 measured environmental perceptions and asked respondents to rate the following three statements in relation to Farmersville:
g. Air quality h. Cleanliness i. Overall appearance
As shown in the chart titled “Characteristics of Farmersville as a Whole,” the natural environment, built environment, and image and reputations were perceived very positively. These positive ratings again translate to positive measures with rearguard to air quality,
3.81 3.80
3.86
3.40
3.53
3.95
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
Traffic Flow Public Parking Travel by Car Travel by Bicycle Walking Walking Trails
Accessibility Perceptions
24
cleanliness, and appearance. Air quality is obviously the highlight of the environmental portion of the survey with an average rating of 4.12. Cleanliness and appearance are perceived positively as well with average scores of 3.65 and 3.62, respectively. Sixty-nine percent of respondents ranked appearance and cleanliness at or above a 4. This does not correlate to the citizens’ perception of code enforcement which received a rating average of 2.66 with 69 percent of respondents rated code enforcement a 3 or below.
3.3 - Cost of Living and Housing Options Section 3.3 measured perceptions of cost of living and housing options in Farmersville and asked respondents to rate the following seven statements in relation to Farmersville:
k. Variety of housing options l. Availability of affordable housing o. Availability of affordable quality food
As shown on chart titled “Characteristics of Farmersville as a Whole,” economic health is second lowest rated area with a rating of 2.786. This rating carries over to cost of living and housing perceptions. Ratings in all areas are below 3 which translate to negative perceptions in these areas. These areas are reflective of the overall perception of economic health already mentioned. It is important to note that only 45 percent of the respondents rated the availability of affordable quality of food favorable, while 47 percent had a negative opinion.
Only 17 percent of respondents have favorable opinions of the variety of housing in Farmersville.
Only 21 percent of respondents have favorable opinions of the affordable housing.
4.12
3.653.62
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
4.1
4.2
Air Quality Cleanliness Appearance
Environmental Perceptions
25
3.4 - Environmental Section 3.4 measured perceptions of leisure activities availabilities and consisted of three questions:
j. Public places where people want to spend time
m. Fitness Opportunities
n. Recreational Opportunities
3.33
2.732.54
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Public Places Fitness Opportunities Recreational Opportunities
Perception of Leisure Activities
Variety of Housing
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Affordable Housing
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Variety of Housing Affordable Housing Affordable Quality Food Economic Health
Cost of Living and Housing Perceptins
26
This fourth and final area of section three is the measure of leisure activity opportunities. The highlight of this area was the 3.33 rating belonging to “public places where people want to spend time.” 53 percent of respondents perceived this area as a positive for the city as shown below. The lowest rating of this section was for recreational opportunities with a rating of 2.54.
Fitness opportunities received a relativly negative perception with an average rating of 2.73. Less than a quarter (23 percent) of respondents had favorable opinions of fitness opportunities and almost half (49 percent) had negative opinions of them.
Perception of recreational opportunities was the worst in this area with an average rating of 2.54. Only 27 percent of respondents had favorable perceptions of recreational opportunities while over half, or 55 percent, had negative perceptions of recreational opportunities.
Public Places Where Poeple Want to Spent Time
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Fitness Opportunities
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
27
Recreational opportunities received a score of 2.54, again the lowest in this category. These scores show the generally negative opionions of respondents and are echoed in many of their comments. Fifty-five percent of the repondetns had a negative rating for recreational opportunities, while only 27 percent had a favorble rating. At face value there apears to be support for bond issues to improve on these areas. These areas that will be discussed later, in greater detail.
CATEGORY 4: PERCEPTION OF DAY-TO-DAY ESSENTIALS
Category four of the survey consisted of primarily three areas: Education and Educational Opportunities, Economic activity, Cost of Living & Economic Opportunities; and Sense of Community
4.1 - Education and Educational Opportunities Section 4.1 measured education and educational opportunity perceptions and asked respondent to rate each of these five areas as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
b. Quality of Elementary Schools c. Quality of Intermediate Schools d. Quality of Jr. High Schools e. Quality of High Schools f. Educational Opportunities for adults
Each of these areas were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
Recreational Opportunities
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
28
Overall school ratings ranged from 3.21 to 3.45. The Elementary, Intermediate, Jr. High, and High School scored 3.22, 3.45, 3.21, and 3.33 respectively. While these scores appear that the community overall have a positive opinion of the schools further analysis indicates that respondents with children have a higher degree of discontent than those respondents who do not have children.
A small segment of respondents (nine people) did not indicate whether or not they had school-aged children or not. These scores were significantly higher than the scores attained when factoring in all respondents, indicating these scores may have skewed the data in upward manner. In some cases these scores are almost a half a point higher than the total average per school.
3.223.45
3.21 3.33 3.30
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Elementary Intermediate Jr. High High School Overall
Overall School Ratings
3.60 3.80 3.67 3.67 3.68
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Elementary Intermediate Jr. High High School Overall
Overall School Ratings No Indication of Children
29
Ratings of respondents without children were again higher than average, however these scores were much closer to the average than those who failed to indicate whether they had children or not.
Ratings for schools for respondents with children were much lower than the average. In the case of the Jr. High, the rating of 2.64 is more than a full half point lower than the total average. The Intermediate school was the least impacted by respondents with children which drops from a 3.45 overall rating to a rating of 3.3 for respondents with children.
3.303.48 3.41 3.40 3.40
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Elementary Intermediate Jr. High High School Overall
Overall School Ratings No Children
2.95
3.30
2.64
3.08 2.99
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Elementary Intermediate Jr. High High School Overall
Overall School Ratings With Children
30
With the various school ratings placed in one chart it is clear that a disparity exist between respondents with children versus respondents without children in school. Again, the Jr. High has the highest disparity with more than a one point differential between the rating of respondents with children and those respondents who did not indicate whether or not they had children.
Overall, ratings show the largest number of responses were by those who had no opinion or a good opinion of schools.
2.95
3.30
2.64
3.082.99
3.22
3.45
3.213.33 3.303.30
3.48 3.41 3.40 3.40
3.60
3.803.67 3.67 3.68
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Elementary Intermediate Jr. High High School Overall
Overall School Ratings
With Children Overall No Children No Indication of Children
Overall School Ratings
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
31
When comparing the overall ratings to overall ratings with children, it is clear to see that respondents with children clearly had a more negative opinion of schools. The two largest segments now are good and fair, with a dramatic decrease in the no opinion category. The poor category grew by nine percent while the fair category grew by ten percent when compared to overall ratings.
Educational opportunities for adults are clearly the lowest rated area of within the subcategory of education with a rating of 2.17. Seventy respondents rated these opportunities as poor while 30 additional respondents rated it a fair. Good and excellent combined for a total of 17 respondents while 61 respondents had no opinion. This low rating is somewhat surprising as Collin College, formerly Collin County Community College, is about a twenty minute drive up State Highway 380 and is about 17 miles away.
Overall School Ratings with Children
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
Educational Opportunities for Adults
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
32
4.2- Economic Activity, Cost of Living, and Economic Opportunities Section 4.2 measured perceptions of economic activity, cost of living, and economic opportunities and consisted of rating each of the following eight areas:
a. Availability of affordable quality child care i. Employment opportunities j. Variety of employment options k. Availability of decent paying jobs l. Shopping opportunities m. Cost of living in Farmersville n. Quality of business and service establishments o. Downtown and commercial areas
Economic indicators had a range of variation from a low of 1.92 received by decent paying jobs category to a high of 3.33 rating of the Downtown and Commercial area. The overall average rating of this area is 2.58.
Economic ratings results show some variation when analyzed in light of the age of the respondent. There were a large number of respondents that were over the age of 65 and only one respondent that was in the age range of 18 to 24 years. Due to the fact that there was only one respondent in that range, it was combined with the 25 to 34 age group. The results show that the age range of 45 to 54 and the 75 and older age groups rated the economic activity and opportunities of Farmersville higher than all others with a 2.69 and 2.78 averages, respectively. The 55 to 64 years age range rated economic activity and opportunities the lowest, a 2.38 average.
2.97
2.04 1.93 1.92
2.46
2.873.11
3.33
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
Cost of Living, Economic Activity and Opportunities
33
While affordable quality childcare gained a relatively modest score of 2.97, it is important to note the score of respondents most likely to have children in daycare rated it the lowest, at a 2.7. At least one comment mentioned that there was only one childcare location in Farmersville.
Employment opportunities performed relatively poorly with averages ranging from 1.76 for the 55 to 64 age group to 2.27 for the 75 and older age group. Perhaps the most important rating is that of the 35 to 44 age bracket which had a rating of 1.93.
2.572.39
2.692.38
2.612.78 2.71
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Economic Ratings by Age
2.932.70
2.93 2.94 3.053.21
3.00 2.97
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Affordable Quality Childcare
34
Variety of employment was again a relatively low performer with an average rating of 1.93. The highest rating was 2.07 in the 45 to 54 age bracket while the lowest was 1.69 in the 55 to 64 age bracket. Variety of employment was the second lowest score overall in this economic category.
Decent paying job was the lowest rated category in the economic area receiving an overall rating of 1.92. Respondents gave several comments related to jobs and the need for additional employment opportunities in the area.
2.00 1.932.19
1.762.10
2.272.08 2.04
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Employment Opportunities
1.71 1.742.07
1.69
2.05 2.172.00 1.93
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Variety of Employment
35
Cost of living received an overall rating of 2.86 which is in the middle of the pack of the economic area. It is no surprise that the lowest rating of 2.63 was in the 35 to 44 age bracket.
Quality of business and service establishments received one of the better ratings in the economic area with an overall rating of 3.11. The lowest ratings by age were those of groups ages 35 to 44 and 55 to 64 with ratings of 2.85 and 2.79, respectively. The highest rating by age were those of groups ages 45-54 and 75 and older with ratings of 3.44 and 3.46, respectively. There was one comment asking for restaurant scores to be posted online. One must assume the respondent was referring to health scores.
1.79 1.812.07
1.791.95 2.03 2.00 1.92
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Decent Paying Jobs
3.46
2.632.78 2.69
2.883.03 3.08
2.86
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Cost of Living
36
Shopping received a rating of 2.45 overall. There were at least three comments indicating the need of additional shopping opportunities.
The highest rated area of the economic section was that of the downtown and commercial areas with an overall rating of 3.33. Comments referencing downtown indicate a desire to stop spending money downtown, however the higher scores in this area would indicate the spending may have a benifical impact.
3.142.85
3.44
2.793.10
3.46
3.08 3.11
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Quality of Business and Service Establishments
2.362.22
2.56 2.482.29
2.60
3.08
2.45
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Shopping
37
4.3 - Sense of Community Section 4.3 Measured sense of community perceptions and consisted of seven areas for respondents to rate:
b. Opportunities to attend cultural events c. Opportunities to participate in religious or spiritual activities d. Opportunities to participate in social activities e. Opportunities to volunteer r. Opportunities to participate in community matters s. Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds t. Neighborliness of residents
Community ratings performed relatively well with all ratings averaging higher than 3.00, with the exceptions of diversity and cultural/arts/music events which received ratings of 2.85 and
3.503.22
3.52
2.94
3.44 3.483.33 3.33
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older NotIndicated
Overall
Downtown and Commercial
1.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00
Overall Ratings in Each Category
38
2.17, respectively. The overall rating for the entire category was 3.1. Again, there was only one respondent that identified as being the age group of 18 to 24. Because of this, this response was included in the 25 to 34 bracket.
The pie chart of respondents by age demonstrates that the vast majority of respondents were 55 years of age and older. Even if the group which did not indicate their age had indicated they were all 54 years of age or younger the respondent’s over 55 years of age would still account for 57 percent of total respondents.
1
13
27
27
33
42
31
12
Respondents by Age
18 ‐ 24 years
25 ‐ 34
35 ‐ 44
45 ‐ 54
55 ‐ 64
65 ‐ 74
75 or older
Not Indicated
39
The bar graph of respondents by gender demonstrates that there is no valid bias based on gender. In fact the average score between male and female differed by six hundredths of a point, with males giving an average rating of 3.05 and females giving an average rating of 3.11 for the community category.
Opportunities to participate in religious and spiritual activities were again the highest of community measures. All age ranges rated this well over 3 with 45 to 54 and 75 or older leading the way with ratings of 4.04 and 4.00, respectively. Of the respondents who identified an age range, the lowest was 55 and 64 with a rating of 3.75.
By far, the poorest performing sector or community was that of opportunities to participate in cultural, arts, and music events which received an overall rating of 2.17. The two age brackets of 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 both had a rating below two, at 1.93. When considering gender in the mix females rated this sector at 2.19 which was slightly higher than the males rating of 2.08. The
3.86 3.93 4.043.75
3.90 4.00
3.20
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Religious or Spiritual Activities
1.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00
Ratings by Gender
Male Female Not Indicated
40
overall scores and the fact that none of the segments received a score of 2.5 indicates there may be opportunities for improvement in this area.
Opportunities to participate in social activities received moderate ratings with an overall score of 3.02. Women rated this category a higher average than men. Women rated social activities at 3.14 while men rated it at 2.76. There were 43 respondents whom did not indicate a gender and they gave social activities a relatively high rating of 3.4.
Opportunities to volunteer received an overall rating of 3.25. The age with the highest ratings was 65 to 74 which received a rating of 3.44. Females have a slightly higher opinion of opportunities to volunteer then men, with each receiving ratings of 3.29 and 3.14, respectively.
1.93 1.932.26
2.06 2.212.47
2.18
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Cultural/Arts/Music Events
3.143.00 2.89 2.84
3.143.00
3.33
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Social Activities
41
Opportunities to participate in community matters received an overall rating of 3.14. Again, the older respondents had the most favorable opinion of the category. Those respondents ages 65 to 74 and 75 and older gave ratings of 3.34 and 3.33, respectively. The lowest ratings were given by the youngest subgroups of 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 years of age. They each gave ratings of 2.93 and 2.92, respectively. When looking at this area by gender there was a virtual tie as the average score for males 3.16, females 3.14, and unknown 3.12.
Perceptions of openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds received and overall rating of 2.85. Unlike most categories, there was a significant difference between the ratings when gender was a factor. Males rated diversity at 2.98 while females rated diversity at 2.62. There was a full half point difference when factoring in age of the respondents. The lowest rating was taken from the age group 55 to 64 and was 2.58 while the highest group was 65 to 74 with a rating of 3.10.
3.08 3.003.33
3.03
3.44 3.423.25
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Volunteer
2.93 2.923.15 3.03
3.34 3.33
3.00
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Community Matters
42
Of the 152 respondents that provided an opinion, 78 had a negative opinion of poor or fair, while 74 had a positive opinion of good or excellent.
Neighborliness of residents received an overall positive rating of 3.41. Respondents aged 45 to 54 had an overall high rating of 3.69 while respondent ages of 65-74 had an overall rating of 3.62. Again there was a virtual deadlock between genders with males giving rating of 3.41 and females giving a rating of 3.44. This overall rating is further exemplified by the amount of times neighbors visited with each other and helped each other which will be covered in greater detail later.
2.64 2.652.93
2.58
3.10 2.97 3.00
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Diversity
Diversity
Poor
Fair
No Opinion
Good
Excellent
43
CATEGORY 5: DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES
Category five of the survey consisted of day-to-day activities and participation within the City of Farmersville. These categories consisted of items such as efforts to conserve water, making home energy improvements, interactions with the police department, and interactions with the City staff and Elected Officials. All graphs in this section are portrayed as a percentage of the total responding population of Farmersville to ensure the most accurate analysis is being portrayed.
5.1 - City Interaction This area measures several themes and gives an impression of how active the citizen is within the community. Areas which were rated by respondents included:
a. Efforts to Conserve Water b. Made Efforts to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient c. Observed A Code Violation or Other Hazard in Farmersville d. Household Member the Victim of a Crime in Farmersville e. Reported a Crime to the Farmersville Police Department f. Stocked Supplies in Preparation for an Emergency g. Contacted the City of Farmersville for help or information h. Contacted Elected Officials to Express Your Opinion
3.21 3.24
3.69
3.13
3.623.43
3.27
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
25 ‐ 34 35 ‐ 44 45 ‐ 54 55 ‐ 64 65 ‐ 74 75 or older Not Indicated
Neighborliness
44
Each of these questions were rated either yes or no. There was an average of 183 respondents per question.
As one can see, the level of participation varies somewhat greatly depending on the specific type of interaction being referenced. Most respondents (92 percent) were actively participating in attempting to conserve water. Eighty-one percent of respondents also made efforts to conserve water. The respondents also seemed to be active in reporting code violations. Many of these respondents have also referenced code violations in the write-in custom response questions and other areas of the survey. Farmersville could be considered somewhat of a safe place to live as 87 percent reported they had not been the victim of a crime. However, related to that note, 71 percent stated they had reported a crime. The idea of being stocked up/supplied in case of an emergency event is mixed with 45 percent reported they have stocked up for an event and 55 percent stated they have not. Finally, there is the two questions regarding interaction with either the city staff and/or the elected officials. Combining these two questions together, it would seem the citizenry is more likely to interact with city staff than with the elected officials. With Farmersville being a council/manager form of government, the citizens seem to be more interested in discussing day-to-day city operations than longer term policy of the council. Overall however, there were good response rates to all of these questions and will provide good feedback for the staff and council of the City of Farmersville.
5.2 - City Participation This area measures several themes and gives an impression of how participative the citizen is within the community. These questions ask how often respondent has done the following:
a. Visited a neighborhood park or a city park b. Used the Farmersville public library or their services c. Attended a city sponsored event d. Carpooled with other adults or children instead of driving e. Walked or biked instead of driving
7%
18%
28%
87%
71%
55%
18%
59%
92%
81%
72%
13%
29%
45%
81%
41%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
City Interaction
No Yes
45
f. Volunteered your time to some group activity in Farmersville g. Participated in a club h. Talked to or visited your immediate neighbor i. Done a favor for a neighbor
Each of these questions were rated on a scale which ranges from most participative of two or more times per week to least participative of not at all. There was an average of 183 respondents per question for this section.
With the exception of doing favors for a neighbor, the respondents gave the impression they are not very participatory within the Farmersville. In all categories, with the exception of doing favors for a neighbor, respondents either have never participated or participated less than once per week over 70 percent of the time. However, for doing a favor for a neighbor, this result was reversed; as approximately 75 percent of respondents stated they had done a favor for a neighbor either more than twice per week or 2 to 4 times per week.
11%7% 5%
9%
15%
9%12%
42%
18% 16%14%
6%
14%
20%
11%
33%
43%
28%
52%
9%
23% 23%
11%
18%
28%
49%
28%
77%
49% 48%
66%
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Visited ANeighborhood
Park
UsedFarmersvillePublic Library
Attended A CitySponsored
Event
Walked orBiked Instead of
Driving
Volunteeredyour time togroup Activity
Participated in aClub
Talked to orVisited YourImmediateNeighbor
Done A Favorfor A Neighbor
City Participation
>2/Week 2‐4/Week <1/Week Not At All
46
5.3 – Public Meetings There was also one single question which asked respondents their participation in any or all public meetings These meetings might have included city council meetings, advisory boards, town hall meetings, or neighborhood watch meetings.
As the data shows, the public meeting attendance seems to be consistent other responses in regards to total participatory activities with the City of Farmersville. Of those surveyed, over 70 percent of respondents attended a public meeting either once per year or less. Only 18 percent of those whom responded (182), have attended meetings more than once per quarter.
CATEGORY 6: PERCEPTION OF CITY SERVICES
Category six of the survey consisted of how city services are perceived. It was divided into three different sections; quality of individual departmental services, customers service impressions for departments which are primarily public facing and deal with the public on a day to day basis, and performance ratings for the governmental services within the City of Farmersville.
6.1 – Departmental Quality Section one measured departmental quality and included:
h. Police Services i. Fire Services j. Ambulance or Emergency Medical Services k. Crime Prevention l. Fire Prevention and Education m. Traffic Enforcement n. Street Repair o. Street Lighting p. Sidewalk Maintenance q. Garbage Collection
>4/Year18%
2‐4/Year11%
1/Year15%
Not At All56%
Attended Public Meeting
>4/Year 2‐4/Year 1/Year Not At All
47
r. Recycling s. Yard Waste Pickup t. Storm Drainage u. Drinking Water v. Sewer Services w. Utility Billing x. Electrical Services y. City Park z. Land use, planning and zoning aa. Code Enforcement bb. Animal Control cc. Economic Development dd. Public Library ee. Preservation of natural areas such as open space, farmlands and greenbelts ff. City sponsored special events gg. Overall quality of services by the City of Farmersville
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
48
Many city services were rated at least good, however there were some city services which were rated below fair. These were code enforcement and streets and street related maintenance (streets, street lighting, and sidewalks). Streets was most notably the city department which received the greatest negative feedback which equated to 46 percent of respondents rating streets as poor. Related to streets (street lighting and sidewalks) both received either fair or unfavorable marks. Based on this, it may be worth Farmersville reviewing and funding a comprehensive streets review program to assess and evaluate as to whether funding should be apportioned in order to address the perceived issues by the respondents. There were also multiple comments made in the individual comments section specifically mentioning the poor condition of streets, lack or sidewalks, and lack of street lighting on major streets within the city. A second area of note would be code enforcement and the animal services department. These two departments also received a less than favorable rating, both receiving over 40 percent for combined fair and poor service ratings. Based on this, it may be worth Farmersville further reviewing its operations for these two departments as well.
6.2 – Departmental Customer Service Section two measures departmental customer service for primarily public facing departments and includes
a. City Hall
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
City Services
Poor Fair No Opinion Good Excellent
49
b. Police Department c. Fire Department d. Public Works e. Public Library f. Code Enforcement g. Animal Control h. Parks and Recreation i. Main Street Manger j. Municipal Court
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
Though the results are somewhat normalized, there are a few areas which could be discussed. First, City Hall, Public Safety (Police and Fire), and Public Works all receive exceptionally high marks as compared to other departments. No other departments as a whole stands out, however it should be noted that Municipal Court had a significant number of respondents which stated there was no opinion. The assumption could be that few of the respondents regularly have contact with the municipal court system.
5% 4%
0%2% 1%
16%18%
5%
10%
3%
8%
12%
6%
12%
5%
19% 18%
12%
8%6%7%
14% 15%17%
27%24% 24% 24%
27%
48%
42% 43%
39%
45%
34%
26%
23%
38%
28%
23%
39%
28%
40%
23%
33%
14%
18%20%
27%
20%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
City Hall PoliceDepartment
FireDepartment
Public WorksPublic Library CodeEnforcement
AnimalControl
Parks andRecreation
Main StreetManager
MunicipalCourt
Departmental Customer Service
Poor Fair No Opinion Good Excellent
50
6.3 – Governmental Performance Section three measured overall governmental performance and had respondents rate Farmersville in the following areas:
a. Value of Services for Taxes b. Overall Direction of Farmersville c. Citizen Involvement d. Confidence in City of McKinney e. Acting in Best Interests of the Citizen f. Honesty g. Treating Residents Fairly
Each of these questions were rated on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being no opinion, 2 being fair, and 1 being poor.
As with Section 2, most results were fairly evenly distributed between the available categories. If an area of improvement could be identified, it might be in the area of citizen involvement with their municipal government. Twenty-eight percent of respondents rated the citizen involvement as far and 17 percent rated it as poor. Though these numbers are not significantly alarming, opportunities for improvement might be available in this area. Another potential area of concern would be the respondents’ belief that Farmersville is acting in the best interests of its citizenry. Nearly half of the respondents (48 percent) stated they believed the city acting in their interest was either fair or poor.
18% 18%17%
21%
24%
19%
16%
23%25%
28%
25% 24%
14%
17%16%
15%
20%
15%14%
25%24%
33%
30%
21%24%
22%23%
26%
10%11%
13%15% 15%
18%17%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Value of Servicesfor Taxes
Overall Directionof Farmersville
CitizenInvolvement
Confidence in City Acting in Interestsof Citizen
Honesty Treating ResidentsFairly
Governmental Performance
Poor Fair No Opinion Good Excellent
51
CATEGORY 7: OBJECTIVES FOR FARMERSVILLE
Category seven of the survey consisted of how the city is perceived. It was divided into two sections—one to rate the importance of various focuses for the City of Farmersville and one to gauge community support for a bond for a recreation area.
7.1 – City Focuses Section 1 asked the citizen to rate the importance for the Farmersville community to focus on each of the following eight items during the next two years:
a. Overall feeling of safety in Farmersville
b. Overall ease of getting to the place you have to visit
c. Quality of overall natural environment in Farmersville d. Overall “built environment” of Farmersville e. Health and wellness opportunities in Farmersville f. Overall opportunities for educational enrichment g. Overall economic health of Farmersville h. Sense of community
Each of these statements were rated on a scale from 1 to 4 with 4 being essential, 3 being very important, 2 being somewhat important, and 1 being not at all important.
In this category we received between 178 and 180 responses. According to 55 percent of respondents, the most essential focus for the City of Farmersville to have during the next two years is the feeling of safety of the city. Additionally, 51.7 percent of respondents rated sense of community and economic health as essential. The least important focuses for the city according to respondents, is the built environment, where only 30.3 percent rated this as essential and 2.8 percent rated this as not at all important. Another rating low in level of importance is ease of getting places, where 3.4 percent of respondents rated it as not at all important.
Looking at the mode, feeling of safety, education and enrichment opportunities, economic health, and sense of community most frequently received a rating of 4 or essential. The other categories, ease of getting around, natural environment, built environment, and health and wellness opportunities most frequently received a rating of 3 or very important.
52
For adults 55 or older, feeling of safety had the highest average, 3.49, whereas adults under 55 gave an average rating of only 3.40 and tied for second most essential. For adults younger than 55, economic health was the most important focus with an average rating of 3.59.
The least important focus for adults over 55 was ease of getting places with a 3.19 average. For adults younger than 55, health and wellness opportunities was rated the least important with an average of 2.88. Overall, adults 55 and older on average rated all categories more highly than did adults younger than 55. The average rating by adults younger than 55 was 3.2, whereas the rating by adults 55 and older was 3.26.
The number of years living in Farmersville did not seem to play factor one way or another to the averages.
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%
Feeling of Safety
Ease of Getting Places
Natural Environment
Built Environment
Health and Wellness
Education and Enrichment
Economic Health
Sense of Community
Objectives for Farmersville
Not at All Important Somewhat Important Very Important Essential
3.493.19 3.15 3.05 3.17 3.33 3.32 3.373.40
2.91 3.01 3.122.88
3.263.59
3.40
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Feeling of Safety Ease of GettingPlaces
NaturalEnvironment
BuiltEnvironment
Health andWellness
Education andEnrichment
Economic Health Sense ofCommunity
Focuses for Farmerville According to Age
55 or Older Younger than 55
53
7.2 – Bond Election The second section of this category gauges citizens’ level of support for a bond election to pay for either an indoor recreation center or outdoor recreation area and which amenities would be of interest. This section contains the following statements and question:
a. Indoor recreation center b. Outdoor recreation center c. If an indoor or outdoor recreation center/area were created, which of the following
amenities would be of interest to you?
The first two statements were rated on scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being strongly support, 4 somewhat support, 3 being don’t know, 2 being somewhat oppose, and 1 being strongly oppose. The question regarding amenities allowed respondents to select from among swimming pool, tennis court, racquetball/handball court, basketball court, cardio/workout facility, multi-purpose rooms, and allowed respondent to write in any other.
There were a total of 178 people who responded to the statement regarding an indoor recreation center and 179 who responded to the statement regarding an outdoor recreation area. Overall more than half of respondents (56 percent) indicated they would either somewhat support or strongly support a bond election for an indoor recreation center. Sixty percent of respondents either somewhat support or strongly support a bond election for an outdoor recreation center. Nearly a quarter of respondents, 24 percent, either strongly oppose or somewhat oppose a bond election for an indoor recreation center and 15 percent strongly oppose or somewhat oppose a bond election for an outdoor recreation center.
It appears that residents younger than 55 are more supportive of a bond election for both an indoor and outdoor recreation facility/area, with an average of 3.69 for an indoor facility and 3.88 for an outdoor area. Residents 55 and older responded with an average of 3.38 for an indoor recreation facility and 3.57 for an outdoor recreation area. Please note that 12 respondents who answered this question did not provide age demographic for this question.
54
The third statement to this question provided check boxes for respondents to mark the various amenities for which they were interested. The two most popular amenities were a cardio workout facilities and a swimming pool, receiving 96 and 95 votes respectively. The least popular options was in the “Other” category, with only 23 votes. Write-in answers for “Other” can be found in the Appendix Open-Ended Questions section. Of established options, a racquetball/handball court was least popular receiving only 38 votes, followed by a tennis court with 40 votes.
The favored amenities does not vary much between respondents 55 years or older and those younger than 55 as the top three amenities for respondents 55 years or older, in order, are cardio workout facility, swimming pool, and multi-purpose rooms. For respondents younger than 55,
24
20
19
8
35
36
45
57
55
58
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Indoor Recreation Center
Outdoor Recreation
Support of Bond Election for Recreation Center/Area
Strongly Support Somewhat Support Don't know Somewhat Oppose Strongly Oppose
21%
9%
9%
16%
21%
19%
5%
Indoor or Outdoor Recreation Center/Area Amenities
Swimming Pool
Tennis Court
Racquetball/Handball
Basketball
Cardio Workout Facility
Multi‐Purpose Room
Other
55
cardio workout facility and swimming pool are the two most desired. However, tying for third place is multi-purpose room and basketball court.
CATEGORY 8: OTHER ISSUES & COMMENTS
Category eight contained two questions with write-in answers relating to the most important issues Farmersville will face during the next five years as well as additional general comments. The two questions were:
a. What is the single most important issue the City of Farmersville will face over the next five years?
b. Please provide any additional general comments.
There were 140 responses to the first question which are provided verbatim in the Open-Ended Questions section of the appendix. These responses were subjectively grouped according to the following categories: Business & Economy, Education, Growth, Housing, Leadership/Government, Safety, Roads & Infrastructure, Taxes & Utility Prices, and Water. Answers that included more than one topic were grouped into multiple categories. Of the 140 responses there were 19 survey responses that did not identify any of the above mentioned topics, and so they were grouped as “Other.”
The graph below demonstrates what respondents believe to be the most important issues that will face Farmersville during the next five years.
47
20 19
36
44
36
11
45
1517
31
46
39
11
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Desired Amenities by Age
Younger than 55 55 or Older
56
The most salient issue for Farmersville, according to respondents, is growth of the city followed by roads and infrastructure, and business and economy. Of the established categories, leadership and government, safety, and water are of the least concern.
The second question had 86 responses which are provide verbatim in the Open-Ended Question section of the Appendix. These responses were grouped subjectively by topic and included appearance & upkeep, business/commerce, development & growth, education, housing, leadership & government, roads & infrastructure, positive feedback, safety, sidewalks, taxes & utilities, and water. Responses that did not include any of these recurring categories were grouped together as “Other.”
The most recurring category topics were: appearance & upkeep, roads & infrastructure, and development & growth. Of the established categories, water and housing were the topics least mentioned.
The graph below reflects the themes of general comments provided by respondents on this survey.
27
13
40
16
5
19
6
29
10
6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Most Important Issues for Farmersville Over Next Five Years
57
As shown in the graph, the greatest number of comments relate to appearance & upkeep and roads & infrastructure. Relating to appearance & upkeep, respondents state that many buildings, including homes, are in disrepair and that houses and yards are unkempt. Relating to roads & infrastructure, respondents mention that roads need to be repaired, especially potholes. There is mention to the need for a better sewer system and improved electricity.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
Overall the city received a rating of 3.29. As the categorical results chart shows, six of the eight major categories received ratings over three. The remaining two categories that did not score above three are perception of day-to-day essentials and perception of day-to-day activities. The lowest of the ratings was perception of day-to-day essentials with an overall rating of 2.8 followed closely by city government performance with a score of 2.92. The highest rating overall was perception of safety with an overall rating of 4.18. Safety is followed by perception of the city and City customer service respectively.
17
1112
9
4
7
9
17
9
11
5
9
3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
General Comments
58
Of the day-to-day essentials category respondents were especially critical of employment areas including the availability of decent paying jobs, variety of employment options, and employment opportunities. Education opportunities for adults and opportunities for cultural events were also weak points with the day-to-day essentials category. City’s government performance struggled in the areas of acting in the best interest of the community, confidence in government, and welcoming citizens, with ratings of 2.78, 2.84, and 2.85 respectively. The highlights of this area were honesty and treating residents fairly with scores of 3.06 and 3.1 respectively.
Safety received the highest scores across the board with 92 percent of respondents indicating they either felt very safe or somewhat safe. Only 4 percent of respondents indicated they felt somewhat unsafe and only 1 one indicated they felt very unsafe. Sectors one and four clearly had the highest ratings in both the day and night, while sector six had the lowest ratings, however sector six had a daytime safety rating of 4.29 and nighttime rating of 3.71.
While the team deems the overall results of the study in a positive light there are certainly areas that may cause concern and need additional analysis. One of the areas that may necessitate additional analysis is schools. While the overall ratings were relatively positive, when analyzing the ratings of respondents with school age children there is certainly a contrast of opinion to those whom do not have school age children. Additionally some comments particularly concerned the Jr. High; it too received the lowest rating overall and the lowest rating of respondents with school aged children.
The city too has all the normal concerns of other municipalities across the nation in the areas of infrastructure. In speaking with staff it was apparent they are aware of street and utility issues
3.72
3.32
4.18
3.34
2.89
3.25
3.63
2.92
3.29
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Perceptionof the City
Chrs. OfFarmersvilleas Whole
Perceptionof Safety
Per. ofAcces., Env.,Hou., and
Opp.
Perceptionof Day‐to‐Day Ess.
City Services CityCustomerService
CityGovernmentPerfomance
Overall
Categorical Results
59
particularly water, waste water, and storm water utilities. These items presented themselves in the comments as well.
While the survey results presented in this report are valuable, as the first survey implemented in the city, it is paramount that it be used as a baseline for Farmersville. It will serve as an important tool in future plans for improvement as it provides valuable insight regarding city successes as well as areas for improvement. We would recommend that a similar survey be implemented at least every three years. Results of future surveys should be compared with the results provided herein.
28 March 2016
Dear Residents and Stakeholders,
It is an extraordinary time to be in Farmersville. We offer a community that truly is a Texas Treasure.
We are pivotal time in our City’s history when we may experience some moderate growth. As your city
government, we are asking for your input to improve our ability to serve you!
To ensure we are doing all we can to best serve you while we plan for the future, we have partnered
with the University of Texas at Arlington to conduct an anonymous Citizen Satisfaction Survey. Please
help us by taking a few minutes to fill out and return the enclosed survey.
This survey is to be filled out by adult residents, utility consumers, land owners and business owners of Farmersville.
We encourage your participation in this survey—this is your opportunity to express your opinions, thoughts, and ideas in an impactful way! The responses to this survey will help us know where you want the City to focus in the future.
Surveys will be distributed by the City of Farmersville and are also available at the City Hall’s customer service lobby and drive through. Surveys can be returned by mail using the enclosed envelope. Additionally surveys can be dropped off at the City Hall’s customer service lobby. The deadline to turn in your survey is Friday, May 20th.
Again, we genuinely care about your thoughts and opinions. Thank you for participating in this survey.
Sincerely,
Benjamin L. White, P.E.
Farmersville City Manager
28 de Marzo de 2016
Estimados Residentes y Depositarios,
Ahora es un momento extraordinario para vivir en Farmersville. Ofrecemos una comunidad que
verdaderamente es un tesoro de Texas. Estamos en una época fundamental en la historia de nuestra
Ciudad, en la que podríamos experimentar un crecimiento moderado. Como gobierno de su ciudad,
estamos pidiendo su participación para mejorar nuestra habilidad de servirle.
Para asegurar que estamos haciendo todo lo posible para servirle mejor mientras planeamos para el futuro,
estamos trabajando en colaborado con la Universidad de Texas at Arlington para llevar a cabo una
Encuesta de Satisfacción de los Ciudadanos anónima. Por favor, ayúdenos al tomar unos minutos para
responder y devolver la encuesta que hemos incluido anexo a esta comunicación.
La encuesta debería ser completada por residentes adultos, consumidores de servicios públicos, dueños de terreno, y propietarios de negocios de Farmersville.
Le animamos participar en esta encuesta—esta es su oportunidad para expresar sus opiniones, pensamientos, e ideas en una manera muy efectiva. Las respuestas de la encuesta nos ayudarán a conocer en qué debería enfocarse la Ciudad en el futuro.
Las encuestas serán distribuidas por la Ciudad de Farmersville, y de igual manera estarán disponibles en la sala de espera de servicio al cliente del ayuntamiento, y en la ventanilla para auto. Una vez completadas las encuestas, se puede devolver a nosotros por correo postal usando el sobre incluido. También se pueden entregar en la sala de espera de servicio al cliente del ayuntamiento. La fecha límite para remitirnos las encuestas es el viernes 20 de Mayo de 2016.
Reiteramos genuinamente que apreciamos sus pensamientos y opiniones. Gracias por participar en esta
encuesta.
Atentamente,
Benjamin L. White, P.E.
Gerente de la Ciudad de Farmersville
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 1 of 8
The City of Farmersville – 2016 Citizen Satisfaction Survey
La Ciudad de Farmersville – 2016 Encuesta de Satisfacción de los Ciudadanos
Please complete this survey if you are an adult resident, utility consumer, land owner or business owner in the
City of Farmersville. Select the response that most accurately represents your opinion for each question. The
responses are anonymous.
Favor de completar esta encuesta si usted es residente adulto, consumidor de servicios públicas, dueño de terreno, o propietario de negocio en la Ciudad de Farmersville. Seleccione la respuesta que mejor represente su opinión en cada
pregunta. Las respuestas se mantendrán anónimas.
PERCEPTION OF THE CITY / PERCEPCIÓN DE LA CIUDAD
1. Please rate each of the following in regards to the Quality of Life in Farmersville:
Favor evaluar cada uno de los siguientes puntos relacionados con la Calidad de Vida en Farmersville:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinion
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. Farmersville as a place to live / Farmersville como lugar para
vivir
5 4 3 2 1
b. Your neighborhood as a place to live / Su vecindario como un
lugar para vivir
5 4 3 2 1
c. As a place to raise your children / Un lugar para criar a sus hijos 5 4 3 2 1
d. As a place to work / Un lugar para trabajar 5 4 3 2 1
e. As a place to visit / Un lugar para visitar 5 4 3 2 1
f. As a place to retire / Un lugar para jubilarse 5 4 3 2 1
g. Overall Quality of Life / Calidad de Vida en sentido general 5 4 3 2 1
2. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
Favor evaluar cada una de las siguientes características según su relación con Farmersville en sentido general:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. Feeling of safety / Sentimiento de seguridad 5 4 3 2 1
b. Ease of travel / Facilidad para viajar 5 4 3 2 1
c. Quality of overall natural environment / Calidad del ambiente
natural en sentido general
5 4 3 2 1
d. Overall “built environment” – buildings, parks, etc /
Infraestructura en sentido general – edificios, parques, etc.
5 4 3 2 1
e. Health and wellness opportunities / Oportunidades de salud y
bienestar
5 4 3 2 1
f. Educational opportunities / Oportunidades de educación 5 4 3 2 1
g. Economic health / Bienestar económico 5 4 3 2 1
h. Sense of community / Sentimiento de comunidad 5 4 3 2 1
i. Image and reputation of Farmersville / Imagen y reputación de
Farmersville
5 4 3 2 1
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 2 of 8
3. Please indicate how likely you are to do each of the following:
Favor de indicar qué tan probable haría cada uno de los siguientes escenarios:Very
Likely Muy
Probable
Somewhat
Likely
Un poco
probable
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinion
Somewhat
Unlikely
Un poco
Improbable
Very
Unlikely
Muy
Improbable
a. Continue to live in Farmersville for 5 years / Continuar
viviendo en Farmersville por 5 años
5 4 3 2 1
b. Recommend someone to live in Farmersville /
Recomendar a alguien que viva en Farmersville
5 4 3 2 1
PERCEPCTION OF SAFETY / PERCEPCIÓN DE SEGURIDAD
4. Please rate how safe you feel in Farmersville:
Favor evaluar qué tan seguro se siente usted en Farmersville:Very
Safe
Muy
Seguro
Somewhat
Safe
Un Poco
Seguro
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Somewhat
Unsafe
Un poco
Inseguro
Very
Unsafe
Muy
inseguro
a. In your neighborhood during the day / En su vecindario durante
el día
5 4 3 2 1
b. In your neighborhood during the night / En su vecindario durante
la noche
5 4 3 2 1
c. In public areas of Farmersville during the day / En areas públicas
de Farmersville durante el día
5 4 3 2 1
d. In public areas of Farmersville during the night / En areas
públicas durante la noche
5 4 3 2 1
PERCEPTION OF ACCESABILITY, ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING AND OPPORTUNITIES
PERCEPCIÓN DE ACCESIBILIDAD, AMBIENTE, VIVIENDAS Y OPORTUNIDADES
5. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
Favor evaluar cada una de las siguientes características según su relación con Farmersville en sentido general:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. Traffic flow on major streets / El flujo de tráfico en las calles
principales
5 4 3 2 1
b. Ease of public parking / Facilidad de estacionmiento público 5 4 3 2 1
c. Ease of travel by car / Facilidad para andar en vehículo 5 4 3 2 1
d. Ease of travel by bicycle / Facilidad para andar en bicicleta 5 4 3 2 1
e. Ease of walking / Facilidad para andar a pie 5 4 3 2 1
f. Availability of walking trails / Disponibilidad de rutas ó caminos
para andar a pie
5 4 3 2 1
g. Air quality / Calidad de aire 5 4 3 2 1
h. Cleanliness / Limpieza 5 4 3 2 1
i. Overall appearance / La apariencia en sentido general 5 4 3 2 1
j. Public places where people want to spend time / Lugares públicos
donde las personas quieran pasar el tiempo
5 4 3 2 1
k. Variety of housing options /Variedad de opciones de viviendas 5 4 3 2 1
l. Availability of affordable housing / Disponibilidad de viviendas
económicas
5 4 3 2 1
m. Fitness opportunities / Oportunidades de gimnasio 5 4 3 2 1
n. Recreational opportunities / Oportunidades recreacionales 5 4 3 2 1
o. Availability of affordable quality food / Disponibilidad de
comida de calidad económica
5 4 3 2 1
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 3 of 8
PERCEPTION OF DAY-TO-DAY ESSENTIALS / PERCEPCIÓN DE LAS NECESIDADES DEL DÍA A DÍA
6. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
Favor evaluar cada una de las siguientes características según su relación con Farmersville en sentido general :
Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. Availability of affordable quality child care / Disponibilidad de
cuidado infantil de calidad accessible económicamente
5 4 3 2 1
b. Quality of Elementary schools / Calidad de las escuelas
primarias
5 4 3 2 1
c. Quality of Intermediate schools / Calidad de las escuelas
intermedias
5 4 3 2 1
d. Quality of Jr High Schools / Calidad de las escuelas secundarias 5 4 3 2 1
e. Quality of High School / Calidad de las escuelas preparatorias 5 4 3 2 1
f. Educational opportunities for adults (post high-school or
continuing education) / Oportunidades educacionales para adultos
(más allá de las escuelas preparatorias o educación continua)
5 4 3 2 1
g. Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music events /
Oportunidades para asistir a eventos culturales/de arte/de música
5 4 3 2 1
h. Opportunities to participate in religious or spiritual activities /
Oportunidades para participar en actividades religiosas y
espirituales
5 4 3 2 1
i. Employment opportunities / Oportunidades de empleo 5 4 3 2 1
j. Variety of employment options / Variedad de opciones de empleo 5 4 3 2 1
k. Availability of decent paying jobs / Disponibilidad de trabajos
con pago decente
5 4 3 2 1
l. Shopping opportunities / Oportunidades para compras 5 4 3 2 1
m. Cost of Living in Farmersville / El costo de vida en Farmersville 5 4 3 2 1
n. Quality of business and service establishments / Calidad de
negocios y establecimientos de servicios
5 4 3 2 1
o. Downtown and commercial areas / Centro de la ciudad y áreas
comerciales
5 4 3 2 1
p. Opportunities to participate in social activities / Oportunidades
para participar en actividades sociales
5 4 3 2 1
q. Opportunities to volunteer / Oportunidades para prestar servicio
voluntariamente
5 4 3 2 1
r. Opportunities to participate in community matters /
Oportunidades para participar en los asuntos de la comunidad
5 4 3 2 1
s. Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of
diverse backgrounds / La recepción y aceptación de la comunidad
hacia personas con distintos orígenes
5 4 3 2 1
t. Neighborliness of residents / Amabilidad de los residentes 5 4 3 2 1
DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL DÍA A DÍA
7. Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following within the last 12 months:
Favor de indicar si usted ha realizado o no cada uno de las acciones siguientes durante los últimos 12 meses:Yes / Sí No / No
a. Made efforts to conserve water / Realizó esfuerzos para conservar agua 2 1
b. Made efforts to make your home more energy efficient / Realizó esfuerzos para hacer su casa más
eficiente en el consumo de energía
2 1
c. Observed a code violation or other hazard in Farmersville (tall weeds, abandoned buildings, trash, etc) /
Identificó una violación de reglamento u otro peligro en Farmersville (hierbas altas, edificios
abandonados, basura, etc.)
2 1
d. Household member the victim of a crime in Farmersville / Un miembro de su casa siendo víctima de un
crimen en Farmersville
2 1
e. Reported a crime to the Farmersville Police Department / Reportó un crimen al Departamento de Policía 2 1
f. Stocked supplies in preparation for an emergency / Almacenó recursos en preparación para una
emergencia
2 1
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 4 of 8
g. Contacted the City of Farmersville (in-person, phone, email, etc) for help or information / Contactó las
oficinas de la Ciudad de Farmersville (en persona, por teléfono, email, etc.) para pedir ayuda o
información
2 1
h. Contacted elected officials of Farmersville to express your opinion / Contactó a un official electo de
Farmersville para expresar su opinion
2 1
8. In the last 12 months, about how many times have you or other household members done each of the following
in Farmersville:
En los últimos 12 meses, aproximadamente cuántas veces ha hecho usted u otro miembro de su hogar en
Farmersville alguna de las siguientes actividades:2 or more
times a week
2 veces o más
por semana
2-4 times a
month
2 a 4 veces por
mes
Less than once
a month
Menos de una
vez al mes
Not at all
Ninguna vez
a. Visited a neighborhood park or a city park / Visitó un
parque en su vecindario o ciudad
4 3 2 1
b. Used the Farmersville public library or their services /
Utilizó la biblioteca pública de Farmersville o sus
servicios
4 3 2 1
c. Attended a city sponsored event / Asistió un evento
patrocinado por la ciudad
4 3 2 1
d. Carpooled with other adults or children instead of
driving / Compartió el vehículo con otros adultos o niños
en lugar de conducir individualmente
4 3 2 1
e. Walked or biked instead of driving / Caminó o andó en
bicicleta en vez de conducer individualmente
4 3 2 1
f. Volunteered your time to some group or activity in
Farmersville / Ofreció de manera voluntaria su tiempo
para un grupo o actividad en Farmersville
4 3 2 1
g. Participated in a club / Participó en una organización o
club
4 3 2 1
h. Talked to or visited your immediate neighbor / Habló o
visitó con su vecino imediato
4 3 2 1
i. Done a favor for a neighbor / Realizó algún un servicio
para su vecino
4 3 2 1
9. Thinking about local public meetings, (such as City Council, advisory boards, town halls, or neighborhood
watch) in the last 12 months about how many times have you or other household members attended or watched
a local public meeting?
Pensando en reuniones públicas locales (como Concilio de Ciudad, gabinete de asesores, reunión de
ayuntamiento, o vigilancia del vecindario) en los últimos 12 meses, ¿cuántas veces ha asistido o visto usted a otro
miembro de su casa un reunión pública?More than 4
times a year
Más de 4 veces
en un año
2-4 times a
year
2 a 4 veces
por año
Once a year
Una vez al
año
Not at all
Ninguna vez
a. Attended a local public meeting / Asistió a una reunión
pública
4 3 2 1
PERCEPTION OF CITY SERVICES / PERCEPCIÓN DE LOS SERVICIOS DE LA CIUDAD
10. Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Farmersville:
Favor evaluar la calidad de cada uno de los siguientes servicios en Farmersville:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. Police services / Servicios de la policía 5 4 3 2 1
b. Fire services / Servicios de bomberos 5 4 3 2 1
c. Ambulance or emergency medical services / Ambulancia o
servicios médicos de emergencia
5 4 3 2 1
d. Crime prevention / Prevención de crímenes 5 4 3 2 1
e. Fire prevention and education / Prevención y educación contra
incendios
5 4 3 2 1
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 5 of 8
f. Traffic enforcement / Manejo del tráfico terrestre 5 4 3 2 1
g. Street repair / Reparación de las calles 5 4 3 2 1
h. Street lighting / Alumbrado de las calles 5 4 3 2 1
i. Sidewalk maintenance / Mantenimiento de las aceras 5 4 3 2 1
j. Garbage collection / Recolección de basura 5 4 3 2 1
k. Recycling / Reciclaje 5 4 3 2 1
l. Yard waste pickup / Recogida de residuos de mantenimiento de
patios.
5 4 3 2 1
m. Storm drainage / Drenaje de desagüe 5 4 3 2 1
n. Drinking water / Agua potable 5 4 3 2 1
o. Sewer services / Servicios de aguas residuales 5 4 3 2 1
p. Utility billing / Facturación de servicios públicos 5 4 3 2 1
q. Electrical services / Servicios eléctricos 5 4 3 2 1
r. City parks / Parques de la ciudad 5 4 3 2 1
s. Land use, planning and zoning / Uso de tierra, planeamiento y
zonificación
5 4 3 2 1
t. Code enforcement (tall weeds, abandoned buildings, etc) /
Ejecución de reglamentos de la ciudad (yerbas malas altas, edificios
abandonados, etc.)
5 4 3 2 1
u. Animal control / Control de animales 5 4 3 2 1
v. Economic Development / Desarollo económico 5 4 3 2 1
w. Public library services / Servicos de biblioteca pública 5 4 3 2 1
x. Preservation of natural areas such as open space, farmlands and
greenbelts / Preservación de áreas naturales tal como espacios
abiertos, áreas de cultivo, y áreas verdes
5 4 3 2 1
y. City sponsored special events / Eventos patrocinados por la
ciudad
5 4 3 2 1
z. Overall quality of services by the City of Farmersville / Calidad
de servicios de la Ciudad de Farmersville en sentido general
5 4 3 2 1
11. Please rate the customer service of each department in the city of Farmersville:
Favor de evaluar el servicio al cliente de cada departamento de la ciudad de Farmersville:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. City Hall staff / Personal del Ayuntamiento 5 4 3 2 1
b. Police Department / Departamento de la Policía 5 4 3 2 1
c. Fire Department / Departamento de los Bomberos 5 4 3 2 1
d. Public Works / Obras Públicas 5 4 3 2 1
e. Public Library / Biblioteca Pública 5 4 3 2 1
f. Code Enforcement / Ejecución de Reglamentos 5 4 3 2 1
g. Animal Control / Control de Animales 5 4 3 2 1
h. Parks and Recreation / Parques y Recreo 5 4 3 2 1
i. Main Street Manager / Gerente de la Calle Principal 5 4 3 2 1
j. Municipal Court / Corte Municipal 5 4 3 2 1
12. Please rate the following categories of Farmersville government performance:
Favor evaluar las siguientes categorías relacionadas al rendimiento del gobierno de Farmersville:Excellent
Excelente
Good
Bueno
No
Opinion
Ningún
Opinión
Fair
Justo
Poor
Pobre
a. The value of services for the taxes paid to Farmersville / El valor
de servicios por los impuestos pagados a Farmersville
5 4 3 2 1
b. The overall direction that Farmersville is taking / La dirección
que Farmersville está tomando en sentido general.
5 4 3 2 1
c. The job Farmersville government does at welcoming citizen
involvement / El trabajo que el gobierno de Farmersville hace para
animar la participación e involucramiento de los ciudadanos
5 4 3 2 1
d. Overall confidence in Farmersville government / Confianza en
sentido general del gobierno de Farmersville
5 4 3 2 1
e. Farmersville government generally acting in the best interest of
the community / El gobierno de Farmersville actuando en favor de
los mejores intereses de la comunidad en sentido general
5 4 3 2 1
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 6 of 8
f. Being honest / Siendo honestos 5 4 3 2 1
g. Treating residents fairly / Tratando a los residentes con justicia y
equidad.
5 4 3 2 1
OBJECTIVES FOR FARMERSVILLE / OBJECTIVOS DE FARMERSVILLE
13. Please rate how important, if at all, you think it is for the Farmersville community to focus on each of the
following during the next two years:
Favor evaluar ¿qué tan importante es para la comunidad de Farmersville enfocarse en cada uno de los siguientes
puntos durante los próximos dos años? Essential
Esencial
Very
important
Muy
importante
Somewhat
important
Un poco
importante
Not at all
important
Nada
importante
a. Overall feeling of safety in Farmersville / El sentimiento de
seguridad de Farmersville
4 3 2 1
b. Overall ease of getting to the places you have to visit / Facilidad
de llegar a los destinos que tiene que visitar
4 3 2 1
c. Quality of overall natural environment in Farmersville / La
calidad del ambiente natural de Farmersville
4 3 2 1
d. Overall “built environment” of Farmersville / El “ambiente o
infraestructura construida” de Farmersville
4 3 2 1
e. Health and wellness opportunities in Farmersville /
Oportunidades para la salud y bienestar en Farmersville
4 3 2 1
f. Overall opportunities for education and enrichment /
Oportunidades para educación y enriquecimiento
4 3 2 1
g. Overall economic health of Farmersville / La salud económica
general de Farmersville
4 3 2 1
h. Sense of community / Sentimiento de comunidad 4 3 2 1
14. Would you support a bond election to pay for the following?
¿Apoyaría usted un bono electivo para pagar por las siguientes obras? Strongly
support
Muy de
acuerdo
Somewhat
support
Un poco de
acuerdo
Don’t know
No sé
Somewhat
oppose
Un poco de
desacuerdo
Strongly
oppose
Muy de
desacuerdo
a. Indoor recreation center / Un centro de recreación
interior con un gimnasio
5 4 3 2 1
b. Outdoor recreation area / Un área de recreación al
aire libre
5 4 3 2 1
c. If an indoor or outdoor recreation center/area were
created, which of the following amenities would be of
interest to you? (mark all that apply) / Si un centro o
área de recreación es construido, ¿cuáles amenidades
le interesarían más? (marque todas las que apliquen)
swimming pool / piscina tennis court / cancha de tenis
racquetball/handball court / cancha de ráquetbol/balonmano
basketball court / cancha de baloncesto
cardio/workout facility / instalación para cardio y gimnasio
multi-purpose rooms / salas de multiusos
other / otros: __________________________________________
OTHER ISSUES & COMMENTS / OTROS ASUNTOS Y COMENTARIOS
15. What is the single most important issue the City of Farmersville will face over the next five years?
¿Cuál es el asunto más importante que enfrentará la ciudad de Farmersville durante los próximos cinco años?
16. Please provide any additional general comments.
Favor de añadir algún otro comentario general.
Continue to next page. / Continuar en la próxima página.
Page 7 of 8
The remaining questions are about you and your household. Again, all of your responses are completely
anonymous and will be reported in group form only.
Las preguntas restantes son acerca de usted y su casa. Como mencionamos previamente, todas las respuestas serán
completamente anónimas y serán reportadas solamente en forma grupal.
17. How often do you do each of the following, considering all of the times that you could?
¿Con que frecuencia realiza usted las siguientes acciones, considerando todas las veces que podría hacerlos?Always
Siempre
Usually Usualmente
Sometimes
A veces Rarely
Raras
Veces
Never
Nunca
a. Recycle at home / Reciclar en casa 5 4 3 2 1
b. Purchase goods or services from a business located in
Farmersville / Comprar bienes o servicios de un negocio
ubicado en Farmersville
5 4 3 2 1
c. Participate in moderate or vigorous physical activity /
Participar en actividad física moderada o vigorosa
5 4 3 2 1
d. Read or watch local news (via television, newspaper,
internet, etc) / Leer o ver noticias locales (por televisión,
periódico, internet, etc.)
5 4 3 2 1
e. Vote in local elections / Votar en elecciones locales 5 4 3 2 1
f. What is your employment status?
¿Cuál es su estatus de empleo actualmente?
Working full time for pay / Trabajando tiempo
completo con pago
Working part time for pay / Trabajando medio
tiempo con pago
Unemployed, looking for paid work / Desempleado,
buscado un trabajo con pago
Unemployed, not looking for paid work /
Desempleado, no buscando un trabajo con pago
g. Do you work inside the boundaries of Farmersville?
¿Trabaja usted dentro de los límites de Farmersville?
Yes, outside of the home / Sí, fuera de la casa
Yes, work from home / Sí, desde la casa
No / No
h. How many years have you lived in Farmersville?
¿Por cuántos años ha vivido usted en Farmersville?
Less than 2 years / Menos de 2 años
2-5 years / 2 a 5 años
6-10 years / 6 a 10 años
11-20 years / 11 a 20 años
More than 20 years / Más de 20 años
Do not reside in Farmersville / No vivo en
Farmersville
i. Which best describes the building you live in?
¿Qué describe mejor el tipo de vivienda en la cual usted
vive?
One family house detached from any other houses
Una casa de una sola familia, separada de otras
casas
Building with two or more homes (duplex,
townhome, apartment, etc.)
Un edificio con dos casas o más (dúplex, casas
agrupadas, apartamento, etc.)
Mobile home / Una casa móvil
Other / Otro tipo de vivienda
j. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home…
Es esta casa, apartamento, o casa móvil…
Owned / Casa propia
Rented / Alquilada
k. About how much is your monthly housing costs for the
place you live (including rent, mortgages, taxes, insurance,
and HOA fees)?
¿Aproximadamente, cuánto es el costo de la vivienda donde
usted vive (incluyendo renta, hipoteca, impuestos, seguro, y
pago HOA?
Less than $300 per month / Menos de $300 por mes
$300 to $599 per month / Entre $300 y $599 por mes
$500 to $999 per month / Entre $500 y $999 por mes
$1,000 to $1,499 per month / Entre $1,000 y $1,499 por
mes
$1,500 to $2,499 per month / Entre $1,500 y $2,499 por
mes
$2,500 or more per month / $2,500 o más por mes
l. How much do you anticipate your household’s total income
to be for the current year (before taxes)? Please include
income from all sources for all persons living in your
household.
¿Cuánto sería un estimado de su ingreso total (antes de
impuestos) para este año? Por favor, incluya todas las fuentes
de ingresos de todos que vivan en su casa.
Less than $25,000 / Menos de $25,000
$25,000 to $49,999 / Entre $25,000 y $49,999
$50,000 to $99,999 / Entre $50,000 y $99,999
$100,000 to $149,999 / Entre $100,000 y $149,999
$150,000 or more / $150,000 o más
Page 8 of 8
m. What is your race/ethnicity?
¿Cuál es su raza o etnicidad?
American Indian or Alaskan Native / Indio Americano
o Nativo de Alaska
Asian or Pacific Islander / Asiática o Nativo de las Islas
Polinesia
Black or African American / Negro o Afroamericano
Hispanic or Latino / Hispana o Latina
Multiracial / Multirracial
White or Caucasian / Blanca o Caucásico
Other / Otro
n. In which category is your age?
¿Dentro de cuál categoría está su edad?
18 to 24 years / 18 a 24 años
25 to 34 years / 25 a 34 años
35 to 44 years / 35 a 44 años
45 to 54 years / 45 a 54 años
55 to 64 years / 55 a 64 años
65 to 74 years / 65 a 74 años
75 years or older / 75 años o mayor
o. What is your gender? / ¿Cuál es su género?
Male / Masculino Female / Femenino
p. Do you consider a cell phone or landline to be your primary
telephone number?
¿Considera usted un teléfono celular o teléfono fijo ser su
número telefónico primario?
Cell phone / Teléfono celular
Landline / Teléfono fijo
Both / Ambos
q. Are any children 17 or younger living in your household?
¿Hay niños de 17 años de edad o menos que viven en su casa?
Yes / Sí No / No
r. Are you or any member of your household 65 years old or
older?
¿Tiene usted o alguien más que vive en su casa 65 años o más?
Yes / Sí No / No
s. According to the map below, in which sector do you live?
Según el mapa abajo, ¿en cuál sector vive usted?
1 2 3 4 5 6
APPENDIX: OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS & WRITE-INS
The survey included two open-ended questions in addition to a few short answer questions. The questions and respondent answers are provided below verbatim in alphabetical order.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
Question#15:
Question: What is the single most important issue the City of Farmersville will face over the next five years?
Answers:
• A Lack of leadership in city government for future growth. Infrastructure - streets, parks, utilities getting money’s worth for the highest taxes in Collin County.
• Adequate places for people to live. No place to live. All services bad. Too many strays in this town.
• Again our baseball fields are used all spring, summer and fall by our children in Farmersville Those fields needs improvement!!!!!! The city needs to take a really good look at the complex. The football fields those little boys plays on are horrible.....Spend money on our children and grandchildren They are our future.... That's the only activities in this town we have for our kids und the age of twelve or 6th grade. They do have basketball and use the school gym.
• Allowing Farmersville to grow • Allowing growth for business and residents. • Allowing in quality businesses (eating establishments – Walmart) Just look at what
degenerate Princeton has done lately!!!!!!! • Attracting businesses/jobs • Attracting new small businesses & industries to support the local community • Bad neighborhoods, small roads. • Behind the times, we need to think future, schools should offer more assistance in way of
learning disabilities, soccer, need to offer more options in high school, family dev., cosmetology, auto mechanics, welding and not just for ag.
• Bringing in Jobs! & the College • City wide growth – will we be ready? • Commercial growth • Control economic expansion over all Farmersville area to include zoning, city growth
patter to expedite business investment in local employers. • Controlling crime, size of residential streets, trash thrown around town. • Cops – more training Water bills lower • Creating jobs, lowering taxes, fixing the ridiculous amount of potholes. • Dealing with change and residents who are unwilling to change. Farmersville needs to
grow and make changes, but some citizens are not ready. We moved because of the small town feel but some major changes are needed.
• Develop business growth – Lower tax rate on property
• Division of community based on policy & red neck mentality, lack of education & diversity on policy/laws. Need educated/strong leaders to stay in city government positions.
• Don’t know • Economic development • Economic Development Sewer system • Economic growth (Keeping up with demand) • Economic growth in the town • Economic growth, housing, preservation of natural places. Keep resonale tax rate • El empleo y comercios [Employment and commerce] • Electing city officials that care about Farmersville. Bring businesses to Farmersville that
will contribute to an improved tax revenue. • Employment, Already built for town, Newer business-growth is stagnant • Feeling Safe • Fire services. • Fixing roads • fixing the holes in the street • Get more business to come in • Get some of the drug dealers out of town • Getting more business to help the economy. • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth • Growth – Making sure our ETJ and zoning ordinance are in line with other cities and do
no discourage people and business from coming here. • Growth after move-ins after 380 is completed • Growth and need for better school facilities • Growth control Public housing/housing for renters • Growth in population • Growth in the schools • Growth of the city. • Growth or lack there of water waste
• Growth! • Growth. People moving in from cities. • Growth. There needs to be a conservative plan to allow for growth and prevent a fast
paced approach that will lead to small lot, cramped, housing additions and limited available parking
• Have buses serve • High cost of electric bills • Honestly, ignoring existing residents • Honesty to citizens – Citizens voice that counts – Citizens fair representation in city
government matters effecting citizens. • Honesty to citizens, citizens voice that counts. Fair representation on government matters. • Housing - none available. Employment • Housing growth—we need more housing in the town/city limits, affordable houses • Housing. Housing at is here is poor quality. Many homes should be tore down. Makes
neighborhoods looks “poor” • How will you affect development within the city to reflect a higher standard? At the
same time encourage business growth. • I hope they will fix our roads. They are terrible. Patching them does not work, they need
re-done completely. Street behind Methodist Church for example – Murchison St. etc. • I think housing will be an issue if we continue to grow. Homes are very hard to come by,
especially affordable housing. • I would love to see sidewalks on our street so my children don’t get ran over. We also
need speed bumps! Cars fly down the street. • Improved medical service. Improved educational service • Infastructures & STREETS! • Infrastructure improvement • Keeping our water safe • Keeping the city attractive to families while the number of retiring baby boomers
increases. • Lack of housing. • Lack of single family residents and multi-family • Letting people in our community without predjudice and bickering • Lost of Local shopping • Maintain community and development while reducing property taxes for home and
commercial property owners • Maintaining a small town atmosphere while the city experiences rapid growth. WATER • Maintaining the “Farmers” appeal (apart of that is limiting development, increasing house
lot sizes, & reducing night light pollution – only light essencials i.e. corners w/traditional lumens, not high LED’s.
• Managing growth and keeping this the small town we choose it for!!! This used to be rural, and we liked it that way!
• Moderate growth and being ready • More population that lives outside the city limits and the city not being able to handle it.
Not enough housing in the city limits • More stores, and restaurants, business
• Muslim cemetery • Muslim cemetery development • Muslim cemetery property • Muslims • Need quality senior living. Need more rooftops for single family • New growth • New housing developments. Creating an environment people will want to move to. • No Comments • No Opinion • Not enough jobs for residents. Not enough handicap parking on the square. • Not letting developers come in and change Farmersville into a bigger city. Makin home
owners keep properties nice. I want Farmersville to stay small that is why we moved here.
• Our Leadership! Electrical Rates! • Overbuilding • People coming to Farmersville without American values. (Sharia values are not welcome) • Planning for growth, especially quality water/sewer services and affordable attractive
housing. • Population Growth • Prepared for growth, be ready. • Public safety due to growth • Quality and amount of affordable housing. • Quality of schools • Rapid growth and influx of new residents • Repair streets and do curbs and sidewalks and street lighting • Rising utility rates • Road conditions/quality • Road maintenance things for special needs and elderly. Get tourism back advertise for
Farmersville and get flea market back up. • Roads and lights at JW Spain ball park being left on all weekend, noise from JP football
games in area of houses. • Small biz growth. Businesses on the Hwys are not treated as fairly or as good as the
businesses on Main St and the Square. • Street improvement • Street repair due to growth and more traffic • Street repair, code enforcement, crime • Street repair, Housing • Streets • Streets • Streets • Streets • Streets Businesses • Streets-Run down housing-Bad Schools-Schools are way under par-Police are inadequate
allowing to many illegals to get away with theft etc.
• The amount of taxes you pay and getting very little for them. We have the 2nd highest city taxes in county and enough said.
• The city of Farmersville is going to have to many issues to count if they don't get rid of the City Manager. We need a City Manager & a City council that realizes they are in place for the citizen's and not themselves.
• The streets are horrible • There are few options for shopping • There has been a sign for Collin Collage future campus on an open field for years now
with zero development. • To do all streets and lights back over some side of town. • Traffic flow thru the city. • Trying to bring to this area of Collin County some of the many people moving to all the
new jobs in the western part of the county and broaden your equal basis for all utilities to be available to everyone at the same rate.
• Very Closed Society. Small town mentality. Growth will eventually come. Please do not allow apartments and low income housing to take over.
• Water Quality – Stinks • Water Systems • Water, sewer, electricity, streets, crumbling inner city housing. • With the growth of the communities and the number of families moving in Farmersville
will need to focus on the schools and the width of the roads around the houses in town.
Question #16:
Question: Please provide any additional general comments. Responses:
• Advertisement. More regulations on houses & yards to be kept up. Advertise for empty buildings to be filled with variety stores not just antiques. What is city government doing. Roads on housing streets down right dangerous.
• Anytime a sewage issue has been dealt with on our street, the hole that is dug is never properly repaired making the street much rougher than before the repair
• As a "citizen" of Farmersville who lives w/in 100 yards of the city limits I cannot choose who provides my electric or water? Yet I play almost double the rates as citizens who live within. Yet I cannot vote on any city matters, even though I pay property taxes to Farmersville XX. I believe I should have a say in our community & not be penilized for living outside the city limits—especially since I have to pay double rates.
• At this time our restrictions on P&Z and ETJ ave to strong this is not Frisco or Plano. The economy here will not support these requirements.
• Better care of cemetery.
• Better Roads
• Better streets
• Bills are too high—summer especially costly. Roads are getting bad.
• City & Schools need to work together for the benefit of the city & community.
• Even poor people can keep their homes tidy. Falling down houses lowers everyone’s home values. The elementary and jr high schools need outside improvements if not replaced. They seem so sad. Sad that they have not been improved on. Sad that my grand kids might have to attend those 2 schools. The high school admin needs replaced.
• Every year I get a report that drinking water has failed due to micro biologicals & contaminants. I drink a lot of tap water and am severely disappointed no action whatsoever has been taken to fix this.
• Excellent place to live and work
• Farmersville is a great place filled with wonderful people. Keeping kids off the street beyond 11:00 pm and stopping the man from driving around digging through our trash would be nice. But if those are the only concerns I have I’d say we’re still in great shape.
• Farmersville is trashy. Farmersville lets some citizens get by with it & others suffer from it in their neighborhood.
• Feeling Safe
• Fine city
• fix all of the city streets. Power to choose electrical provider
• Fix the water!
• Get more industry and get more retailers and business
• Greatly in need of a better fine arts center concerts in the gym is embarrassing.
• Handicapped parking on square area blocking main street at 2194 to pick up school students nor traffic blocked
• I am generally very happy with the city, it’s leaders, employees, and citizens. It’s been a great place to live for 31 years!
• I am retired, I am 80 years old I own my home since 1964
• I feel that there should be more police patrol at night. More street lights. I think that a underage curfew should be enforced, sidewalks should be put in for children and the elderly. Speed limit in residential should be 20 miles an hour, large delivery trucks should have one route only instead of tearing up 3 roads they only mess one up. I have a lot more but not enough room.
• I like Farmersville. The town is quaint and countrified. I like the open land.
• I love living here. I moved here in 2000.
• I must depend on others for transportation-I can't drive because of eyesight
• I wish something could be done about all the cats in Farmersville. They spray everywhere, poop in our flower beds, they are just breeding terribly, with each other. Also wish these people with junk all in their yards and around their homes would be enforced to clean it up. We got a notation when your yard is not mowed, but nothing
done about these junky buildings and yards. Look on Murchison. (Animal control – clean up junk and roads need fixed)
• Keep growth slow.
• Let residents know what is happening. Enforce and animal control is a joke in town. They pick on who they want to.
• Lights, gas, water. Have to leave town to buy groceries or shop. We need all dispatchers, more police.
• Los servios publicos son muy caros y permisos de construccion. [Public services are very expensive and permissions for construction.]
• Love Farmersville, Some of the roads in Farmersville need attention.
• Money spent on stadium would have been more effectively used on elementary building improvement.
• Mosquito control is a huge issue in my area, there is none. I pray no one in my area gets a mosquito borne illness because no measures are being taken to help control them.
• Moving to celeste because no affordable housing.
• Muslims coming into the city will destroy Farmersville.
• My biggest concern is the poor school system lack of funds backwards principal and bad streets. Money seem to be badly managed. Poor city organization lack of pride by home owners.
• My children are 3rd generation - Tatum. The building is falling apart and rodent infested. Other districts offer paid college including books. Admin needs to fix Tatum and hire someone who can implement a real college program. Our kids are getting left behind. Ask the 2nd grade teachers how well the (1st grade prev year) 2nd graders read at the first of the year.
• Need a functioning police department. No other presence during evening/night. Code enforcement that is fair and unbiased - street repairs/maintenance - A working city council with guts - school system is pitiful and broken.
• Need better streets and street repair
• Need more housing
• Need mosquito control. More code enforcement as to non-runng and non-used vehicles anywhere on properties. City clean up weekends. More code enforcement of rental properties. Need city employee to do construction and building inspections no a firm outside the city.
• Need rental house standards (like Garland)
• Need to fix streets Murchison in bad and others.
• No more traffic lights.
• No opinion
• Not enough places to eat out and no stores to shop at besides dollar store.
• Other areas of focus in my opinion should be sewer system & roads/infrastructure. Also safety – lighting & walk ways.
• Our biggest concern is some of the houses and trash surrounding those homes. Farmersville needs to have a trash round up day. Form groups with local churches to paint and fix many of the homes. Stricter code enforcement. Chain link fences should not be allowed. Houses must have windows. It looks bad on the city that this is a consistent theme in neighborhoods. Needs to be a big push to clean up neighborhoods. Many roads surrounding downtown are horrible. Our city needs to address this ASAP.
• Our city park is pitiful. Would love to see improvements there or an additional park.
• Our streets are horrible. Police do nothing about violations of school zones being broken cell phone use in school zones and children not in car seats or seat belts. Dogs running loose all over town. People not stopping for school buses unloading children and police not giving them tickets.
• Overcoming the lies & misrepresentation of our city government in regards to the so called betterment of our community.
• Overcoming the lies of our city government in regards to the planning and zoning.
• Plans for PJC. At first I did support & I do strongly support education but I now change that thinking having experienced TX Tech and living/working there. Having a college here would change the quiet charming/community appeal that society craves now. You don't have to drive far to get what you need you want. I do support the slow growth & planning the city puts in place. It would be sad to see us become Rockwall but I think this is very probable. A college would change the serene community.
• Please limit street lights in neighborhoods (i.e. corners only). The best thing Farmersville could do is put sidewalks on EVERY street (at lease on one side). Pedestrian and bicyclists ore NOT safe - Yet this is an ideal town for it - compact size, small population, and light traffic. It would create so much more community as neighbors and downtown would be pleasantly accessible by foot.
• Please stop spending around $10,000 on Christmas light around the square. They are pretty but the old lights the city workers used to put up where just as pretty. Can't the city workers use our trucks with buckets and save the money to spend on Thing for our children? That $10,000 could help improvements.....
• Poor government leadership in long term economic growth. Design traffic/highway to allowbest use of traffic flow to and from businesses. Overall city plans need to be presented to citizens each year.
• Railroad ties need to be replaced at Summit & Main, badly. Concrete extending out in street of Summit & Main causing tire damage. Tall grass never gets mowed along tracks on Main St.
• Restaurants need to be inspected on a regular basis & posted on website.
• Restoring old buildings downtown, offer lofts to lease for living quarters, get rid of the old jr high that place is terrible. Its somewhat better because of the fire. Utilize tatem better-make the intermediate school the Jr. High. There are locker that have.... Offer early start for kids. Tatem an entire school for 1st grade and K. Basically if you offer opportunities football, soccer fields, education, jobs, parks ppl will want to live here.
• Sidewalks on EVERY street in F’ville are NEEDED!! Streets are narrow & too rough for strollers & young bikers (w/family)
• Some streets are in bad need of repair. Murchison St is in horrible shape and should be the first street repaired.
• Stop downtown spending, stop first Baptist spending, fix the roads without a bond, bring in more commercial growth. Utilities are too expensive, primarily sewer.
• Stop making it so hard for businesses to come to our town. The approval process is ridiculous! Think of how much tax dollars from economic growth will help our town.
• Stop the bickering at city council and other meeting. Apply the Rotary 4 way test before speaking. This is directed @ the community not city council or Mr White.
• The city officials want to keep the city from growing by not letting business build here with all their building codes and regulations. Neighboring town are building up faster with business.
• The code enforcer, while she is polite, is a little choosey about where and what is enforced. I moved to Farmersville so I could enjoy country living and have been hounded constantly about things that I see happening all over time. For example, there are very “junky” properties all over so I don’t see how a trailer sitting on the side of my property should be a problem.
• The community loses a sense of itself and what makes the small town “feel” so enticing when growth takes over.
• The Muslim Cemetery should have never been allowed anywhere near our city, period! Need red lights at Hwy 78/380 interchange and at Hwy 78/Sycamore.
• The roads in town make it difficult for emergency vehicles to travel in the event of an emergency. Tatum Elementary will need to expand and undergo changes to grow with the community. I also feel the teachers and aids are severely underpaid.
• The utilities are way to expensive especially the sewer part – has tripled in the past 3 years.
• There are many houses that need to be made to keep the outside looking nice. Several have lots of trash on porches. Fences falling over or houses looking like they may fall themselves. School zones on Hwy 78 and Windorn St. need more lights, possible crossing guard. The way people drive is scary.
• This has been the slowest growing town I know of. I look at other small towns 15 years ago like Frisco, McKinney, Rockwall, and others that have exploded.
• Time for new city manager, fire chief.
• To bring more people in
• Too many ordinances require existing building to be brought up to current codes making it difficult to lease building at a reasonable amount so that building owners and those who lease the buildings can profit, thus promoting business in the city.
• VOTE
• We absolutely love living in Farmersville! We love the people, the sound of the train, and our yard. I want to grow old here. Just wish there were more restaurants.
• We need additional food services in this town, it costs too much for a family of 5 to eat in town anywhere and we end up in Wylie, McKinney or Greenville when we eat out.
• We need so much it is difficult to address. We have turned away so much development—horses, places to eat, 380 development. Those who try are taxed or coded out of business. Codes & costs are paramount—BUT to over extend limits destroys all efforts. No on e comes here out they flock to Lavon, Princeton, Blips in the road compared to Farmersville. What is our 380 / 78 (cross) Double Access.
• We’ve paid taxes for 19+ years/we are still mowing the street because we have no curbs – our county roads are better than our city streets Plice dept is very poor no service waste to much of tax dollars for services teturned I do not even call anymore when I a m Robbed unless I need a report for insurance. They do nothing!
• When a business wants to relocate or an apartment complex built the city should take the attitude “how can we help” not no that can’t be done.
• With the crowd, let more expense be paid for older people owning income.
WRITE-INS
In many of the questions, there was the option for respondents to write a short answer in the “other” answer field. Additionally, some respondents wrote in the margin where no answer space to do so. These questions and answers are provided below verbatim.
Cover Letter Responses:
• This form is an in depth effort to research and project—A good start! But without businesses and available homes Farmersville will continue to exist and struggle along. No income form commerce = nothing to build with. Bonds won't do enough to provide assets we need. That is micro steps OK – start, but we are so many yrs behind our neighbors! City fusses more over business signs in town & on 380 than encouraging people to be able to sell & be seen to bring in visitors or possible new residents. Codes are important but excesses are killing efforts so vital to strong positive growth
• I am very proud of our city government. All of you involved are doing a great job. Thank you.
Question #2:
Question: Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
i. Image and reputation of Farmersville Answers #2i:
• Recent news spot made us look like red neck racist town—really sad. • Farmersville needs better schools, better principal, better city govts Better Streets! Worst
education staff. Poverty is enormous. Too many illegals-sheriff unwilling to arrest them.
Question #4:
Question: Please rate how safe you feel in Farmersville: Answers:
• Copes never drive by • No police presence. Always parked at the PD
Question #5:
Question: Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
e. Ease of walking h. Cleanliness Answer:
• Roads are very bad! To drive on Answer #5e:
• Seems to be a high priority Answer #5h:
• except for some store fronts and restaurants in town the parking areas are nasty. Side walks and parking areas need to be swept-it's nasty seeing dip on sidewalks and parking areas. Dirty diapers, food, candy wrappers etc. Dollar General, Family dollar, Exxon, Brookshires.....We are sending a message our town doesn't care. The only place that is kept somewhat up is the square. However if you see the other places you go no.......
Question #6:
Question: Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Farmersville as a whole:
a. Availability of affordable quality child care b. Quality of Elementary schools c. Quality of Intermediate schools r. Opportunities to participate in community matters s. Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds
Answer:
• Allowing a 5 mo. pregnant girl to run for homecoming queen! Are they insane? What kind of attitudes are they selling? Counseling prep for college not until end of sr. yr.—I need more room!
Answer #6a:
• Only one place Answer #6b:
• Could be better Answer #6c:
• Could be better Answer #6r:
• Not allowed to! Answer #6s:
• Very poor & I’m Caucasion/white.
Question #7:
Question: Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following within the last 12 months:
c. Observed a code violation or other hazard in Farmersville e. Reported a crime to the Farmersville Police Department
g. Contacted the City of Farmersville h. Contacted elected officials of Farmersville to express your opinion Answer #7:
• Called the cops and took 30 minutes to show up Answer #7c:
• But I don’t bother myself w/others choices about their property • Streets just look downtown and most you drive on
Answer #7e:
• No one answers phone just ring. Answer #7g:
• This is a joke! Answer #7h:
• Joke #2
Question #8:
Question: In the last 12 months, about how many times have you or other household members done each of the following in Farmersville:
c. Attended a city sponsored event e. Walked or biked instead of driving
Answer #8c:
• There aren’t many Answer #8e:
• Poor sidewalks
Question #9:
Question: Thinking about local public meetings, (such as City Council, advisory boards, town halls, or neighborhood watch) in the last 12 months about how many times have you or other household members attended a local public meeting?
a. Attended a local public meeting Answer #9:
• I can’t drive anymore (eye problem) Answer #9a:
• Work conflict
Question #10:
Question: Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Farmersville: a. Ambulance or emergency medical services f. Traffic enforcement g. Garbage collection i. Sidewalk maintenance k. Recycling m. Storm drainage o. Sewer services p. Utility billing q. Electrical services r. City parks t. Code enforcement u. Animal control v. Economic Development w. Public library services z. Overall quality of services by the City of Farmersville
Answer #10a:
• Code enforcement issues Answer #10f:
• Does not enforce school zones Answers #10g:
• Non-existant • Jouette is a mess and has been for 11yrs stop patching it needs to be resurfaced
Answers #10i:
• Few • There are no sidewalks
Answer #10k:
• More due to stimulate effort Answers #10m:
• 0 where I live Answers #10o:
• To expensive • Sewer and water cost too much • 10x only downtown area is kept up
Answers #10p:
• To expensive • Son muy caros [they are very expensive]
Answer #10q:
• Son muy caros [they are very expensive] Answer #10r:
• Needs patrolling Answers #10t:
• Let me have control of my property, (no parking under a tree or on the grass?) Really!? • Over done
Answer #10u:
• Very Bad Answer #10v:
• Shouldn’t be so hard to open a new business Answer #10w:
• Rude
Answer #10z:
• For size
Question #11:
Question: Please rate the customer service of each department in the city of Farmersville: a. City Hall staff
f. Code Enforcement i. Main Street Manager
Answer #11a:
• Thanks of Paula Answer #11f:
• Wrong focus on code enforcement & women is rudish Answers #11i:
• Who cares • Not sure we get our money’s worth
Question #12:
Question: Please rate the following categories of Farmersville government performance: a. The value of services for the taxes paid to Farmersville b. The overall direction that Farmersville is taking d. Quality of Jr. High Schools f. Being honest Answer:
• Many street improvements done for votes—obviously Answer #12a:
• Sewage fess are really high Infrastructure costs Answers #12b:
• Muslim cemetery handled poorly before & after believe they intentionally approved w/o letting people know beforehand.
• No business=no reserve • Not sure what that is doesn’t appear growth is important
Answer #12d:
• Current gov as of 4/5/16*worried about election potential changes there. Answer #12f:
• I am
Question #13:
Question: Please rate how important, if at all, you think it is for the Farmersville community to focus on each of the following during the next two years:
a. Overall feeling of safety in Farmersville Answer #13:
• Same asking year Answer #13a:
• More lighting for night walking
Question #14:
Question: Would you support a bond election to pay for the following? a. Indoor recreation center with a fitness center b. Outdoor recreation area c. If an indoor recreation center/area were created, which of the following amenities would be of interest to you? (mark all that apply) [this included a category for “other” with a blank to write in the response]
Answer #14:
• Need to cut electrical rates before going out for bonds • Fix potholes first • We need Baseball park worked on & improvements.
Answer #14c:
• Activities Building for special needs people & elderly • Soccer • New civic center • Volleyball • Classes, lessons (swimming, etc.)
General Comments
Survey Questions 1-15 & 17 Comment 15 Comment 16 C Growth D Growth Better Roads E Lack of single family residents
and multi-family Love Farmersville, Some of the roads in Farmersville need attention.
F Special comment on 14: Fix potholes first
Growth We need honest leadership
G H Rapid growth and influx of new
residents The community loses a sense of itself and what makes the small town “feel” so enticing when growth takes over.
I Improved medical service. Improved educational service
J K Growth L M Honestly, ignoring existing
residents
N O P Population Growth Excellent place to live and
work Q Growth R Overbuilding Fine city S Muslim cemetery T U V Need quality senior living. Need
more rooftops for single family
W Moderate growth and being ready X Economic development Y Letting people in our community
without predjudice and bickering Stop the bickering at city council and other meeting. Apply the Rotary 4 way test before speaking. This is directed @ the community not city council or Mr White.
Z Maintain community and development while reducing property taxes for home and commercial property owners
AA Public safety due to growth AB Growth Need more housing AC More population that lives outside
the city limits and the city not
being able to handle it. Not enough housing in the city limits
AD Handicapped parking on square area blocking main street at 2194 to pick up school students nor traffic blocked
AE Muslims AF No Comments I am retired, I am 80 years old I
own my home since 1964 AG Street repairs, Housing Money spent on stadium would
have been more effectively used on elementary building improvement.
AH AI 10-a code enforcement
issues 10-o sewer and water cost too much 10-r needs patrolling 10-v shouldn’t be so hard to open a new business 14-c soccer
New housing developments. Creating an environment people will want to move to.
Even poor people can keep their homes tidy. Falling down houses lowers everyone’s home values. The elementary and jr high schools need outside improvements if not replaced. They seem so sad. Sad that they have not been improved on. Sad that my grand kids might have to attend those 2 schools. The high school admin needs replaced.
AJ Streets Businesses Need better streets and street repair
AK Repair streets and do curbs and sidewalks and street lighting
Get more industry and get more retailers and business
AL Have buses serve AM Creating jobs, lowering taxes,
fixing the ridiculous amount of potholes.
I am generally very happy with the city, it’s leaders, employees, and citizens. It’s been a great place to live for 31 years!
AN AO Road conditions/quality AP Growth On cover – I am very proud of
our city government. All of you involved are doing a great job. Thank you.
AQ Growth. There needs to be a conservative plan to allow for growth and prevent a fast paced approach that will lead to small lot, cramped, housing additions and limited available parking
Farmersville is a great place filled with wonderful people. Keeping kids off the street beyond 11:00 pm and stopping the man from driving around digging through our trash would be nice. But if those are the only concerns I have I’d say we’re still in great shape.
AR Growth To bring more people in AS Controlling crime, size of
residential streets, trash thrown around town.
I feel that there should be more police patrol at night. More street lights. I think that a underage curfew should be enforced, sidewalks should be put in for children and the elderly. Speed limit in residential should be 20 miles an hour, large delivery trucks should have one route only instead of tearing up 3 roads they only mess one up. I have a lot more but not enough room.
AT Streets AU Growth! The Muslim Cemetery should
have never been allowed anywhere near our city, period! Need red lights at Hwy 78/380 interchange and at Hwy 78/Sycamore.
AV Attracting businesses/jobs I walk and run around town. The amount of litter on the ground is concerning.
AW Quality of schools Water Quality – Stinks
Better care of cemetery.
AX Muslim cemetery development AY Streets AZ Quality and amount of affordable
housing.
BA Muslim cemetery property Muslims coming into the city will destroy Farmersville.
BB BC Growth No more traffic lights. BD Growth Need mosquito control. More
code enforcement as to non-runng and non-used vehicles anywhere on properties. City clean up weekends. More code enforcement of rental properties. Need city employee to do construction and building inspections no a firm outside the city.
BE BF BG People coming to Farmersville
without American values. (Sharia values are not welcome)
BH Growth Better streets BI
BJ Street impovment BK Fixing roads BL Roads and lights at JW Spain ball
park being left on all weekend, noise from JP football games in area of houses.
BM BN I would love to see sidewalks on
our street so my children don’t get ran over. We also need speed bumps! Cars fly down the street.
We absolutely love living in Farmersville! We love the people, the sound of the train, and our yard. I want to grow old here. Just wish there were more restaurants.
BO More stores, and restaurants, business
BP BQ Get some of the drug dealers out
of town Need to fix streets Murchison in bad and others.
BR Develop business growth – Lower tax rate on property
When a business wants to relocate or an apartment complex built the city should take the attitude “how can we help” not no that can’t be done.
BS The amount of taxes you pay and getting very little for them. We have the 2nd highest city taxes in county and enough said.
BT Streets BU Managing growth and keeping
this the small town we choose it for!!! This used to be rural, and we liked it that way!
Please limit street lights in neighborhoods (i.e. corners only). The best thing Farmersville could do is put sidewalks on EVERY street (at lease on one side). Pedestrian and bicyclists ore NOT safe - Yet this is an ideal town for it - compact size, small population, and light traffic. It would create so much more community as neighbors and downtown would be pleasantly accessible by foot.
BV Dealing with change and residents who are unwilling to change. Farmersville needs to grow and make changes, but some citizens are not ready. We moved because of the small town feel but some major changes are needed.
Our biggest concern is some of the houses and trash surrounding those homes. Farmersville needs to have a trash round up day. Form groups with local churches to paint and fix many of the homes. Stricter code enforcement. Chain link fences
should not be allowed. Houses must have windows. It looks bad on the city that this is a consistent theme in neighborhoods. Needs to be a big push to clean up neighborhoods. Many roads surrounding downtown are horrible. Our city needs to address this ASAP.
BW A Lack of leadership in city government for future growth. Infrastructure - streets, parks, utilities getting money’s worth for the highest taxes in Collin County.
Need a functioning police department. No other presence during evening/night. Code enforcement that is fair and unbiased - street repairs/maintenance - A working city council with guts - school system is pitiful and broken.
BX Not enough jobs for residents. Not enough handicap parking on the square.
Not enough places to eat out and no stores to shop at besides dollar store.
BY Keeping the city attractive to families while the number of retiring baby boomers increases.
BZ Economic growth in the town
CA Rising utility rates CB Streets CC Prepared for growth, be ready. CD Not letting developers come in
and change Farmersville into a bigger city. Makin home owners keep properties nice. I want Farmersville to stay small that is why we moved here.
There are many houses that need to be made to keep the outside looking nice. Several have lots of trash on porches. Fences falling over or houses looking like they may fall themselves. School zones on Hwy 78 and Windorn St. need more lights, possible crossing guard. The way people drive is scary.
CE Adequate places for people to live. No place to live. All services bad. Too many strays in this town.
Lights, gas, water. Have to leave town to buy groceries or shop. We need all dispatchers, more police.
CF Growth
CG Bad neighborhoods, small roads. Time for new city manager, fire chief.
CH To do all streets and lights back over some side of town.
With the crowd, let more expense be paid for older people owning income.
CI Street repair, code enforcement, crime
CJ Housing - none available. Employment
My children are 3rd generation - Tatum. The building is falling apart and rodent infested. Other districts offer paid college including books. Admin needs to fix Tatum and hire someone who can implement a real college program. Our kids are getting left behind. Ask the 2nd grade teachers how well the (1st grade prev year) 2nd graders read at the first of the year.
CK
CL
CM
CN
CO
CQ #14: Need to cut electrical rates before going out for bonds!
Our Leadership! Electrical Rates!
CR Very Closed Society. Small town mentality. Growth will eventually come. Please do not allow
Keep growth slow.
apartments and low income housing to take over.
CS Bringing in Jobs! & the College As a "citizen" of Farmersville who lives w/in 100 yards of the city limits I cannot choose who provides my electric or water? Yet I play almost double the rates as citizens who live within. Yet I cannot vote on any city matters, even though I pay property taxes to Farmersville XX. I believe I should have a say in our community & not be penilized for living outside the city limits—especially since I have to pay double rates.
CT Infrastructure improvement CU Maintaining a small town
atmosphere while the city experiences rapid growth. WATER
Too many ordinances require existing buildings to be brought up to current codes making it difficult to lease buildings at a reasonable amount so that building owners and those who lease the buildings can profit, thus promoting business in the city.
CV Trying to bring to this area of Collin County some of the many people moving to all the new jobs in the western part of the county and broaden your equal basis for all utilities to be available to everyone at the same rate.
CY Housing growth—we need more housing in the town/city limits, affordable houses
We need additional food services in this town, it costs too much for a family of 5 to eat in town anywhere and we end up in Wylie, McKinney or Greenville when we eat out.
DA #14: Activities Building for special needs people & elderly
Road maintenance things for special needs and elderly. Get tourism back advertise for Farmersville and get flea market back up.
Advertisement. More regulations on houses & yards to be kept up. Advertise for empty buildings to be filled with variety stores not just antiques. What is city government doing. Roads on housing streets down right dangerous.
DD Street repair due to growth and more traffic
Anytime a sewage issue has been dealt with on our street, the hole that is dug is never properly repaired making the street much rougher than before the repair
DE Cover Letter: This form is an in depth effort to research and project—A good start! But without
Allowing in quality businesses (eating establishments – Walmart) Just look at what degenerate Princeton has done lately!!!!!!!
#16: We need so much it is difficult to address. We have turned away so much development—horses, places to
businesses and available homes Farmersville will continue to exist and struggle along. No income form commerce = nothing to build with. Bonds won't do enough to provide assets we need. That is micro steps OK – start, but we are so many yrs behind our neighbors! City fusses more over business signs in town & on 380 than encouraging people to be able to sell & be seen to bring in visitors or possible new residents. Codes are important but excesses are killing efforts so vital to strong positive growth. #1 margin: Allowing a 5 mo. pregnant girl to run for homecoming queen! Are they insane? What kind of attitudes are they selling? Counseling prep for college not until end of sr. yr. -- I need more room! #1n: need more businesses #1r: Not allowed to! #7h: Not allowed #10i: few #10k: More due to stimulate effort #10z: for size #12: Many street improvements done for votes—obviously #12b: No business=no reserve
eat, 380 development. Those who try are taxed or coded out of business. Codes & costs are paramount—BUT to over extend limits destroys all efforts. No on e comes here out they flock to Lavon, Princeton, Blips in the road compared to Farmersville. What is our 380 / 78 (cross) Double Access.
DF #14: No - Go to McKinney (tennis court: have one)
Plans for PJC. At first I did support & I do strongly support education but I now change that thinking having experienced TX Tech and living/working there. Having a college here would change the quiet charming/community appeal that society craves now. You don't have to drive far to get what you need you want. I do support the slow growth & planning the city
puts in place. It would be sad to see us become Rockwall but I think this is very probable. A college would change the serene community.
DI #17b: Priced too high. Allowing growth for business and residents.
This has been the slowest growing town I know of. I look at other small towns 15 years ago like Frisco, McKinney, Rockwall, and others that have exploded.
DJ High cost of electric bills Bills are too high—summer especially costly. Roads are getting bad.
DK Infastructures & STREETS! DL 4 – No police presence.
Always parked at the PD 5e – Seems to be a high priority 10g – non-existant 11a – thanks of Paula 17 – Hopefully – out w/ the old/ in with the new – it’s time for a change!
Growth or lack there of We’ve paid taxes for 19+ years/we are still mowing the street because we have no curbs – our county roads are better than our city streets
DM waste water Plice dept is very poor no service waste to much of tax dollars for services teturned I do not even call anymore when I a m Robbed unless I need a report for insurance. They do nothing!
DN Lost of Local shopping DO Feeling Safe Feeling Safe DP ? ?
DQ Attracting new small businesses & industries to support the local community
fix all of the city streets. Power to choose electrical provider
DR Water Systems Fix the water!
DS Employment, Already built for town, Newer business-growth is stagnant
Restaurants need to be inspected on a regular basis & posted on website.
DT DU DV Special comment 9: I can't
drive anymore (eye problem) 17F Retired 17H Since 1957 17K I have no home insurance 17N 85 years old 17R I am 85 years old. 17S Gives address and states living arrangement Redacted for safety reasons.
Keeping our water safe I must depend on others for transportation-I can't drive because of eyesight
DW special comment on 5h: except for some store fronts
Behind the times, we need to think future, schools should offer more
Restoring old buildings downtown, offer lofts to lease for
and restaurants in town the parking areas are nasty. Side walks and parking areas need to be swept-it's nasty seeing dip on sidewalks and parking areas. Dirty diapers, food, candy wrappers etc. Dollar General, Family dollar, Exxon, Brookshires.....We are sending a message our town doesn't care. The only place that is kept somewhat up is the square. However if you see the other places you go no....... 6A Only one place 6B could be better 6C could be better 7C streets just look downtown and most you drive on 7E no one answers phones just ring. 10i there are no sidewalks 10G Jouette is a mess and has been for 11yrs stop patching it needs to be resurfaced. 10M 0 where I live 10o 0 10X only downtown area is kept up. 12b not sure what that is doesn't appear growth is important
assistance in way of learning disabilities, soccer, need to offer more options in high school, family dev., cosmetology, auto mechanics, welding and not just for ag.
living quarters, get rid of the old jr high that place is terrible. Its somewhat better because of the fire. Utilize tatem better-make the intermediate school the Jr. High. There are locker that have.... Offer early start for kids. Tatem an entire school for 1st grade and K. Basically if you offer opportunities football, soccer fields, education, jobs, parks ppl will want to live here.
DX Maintaining a small town atmosphere while the city experiences rapid growth. WATER
Too many ordinances require existing building to be brought up to current codes making it difficult to lease building at a reasonable amount so that building owners and those who lease the buildings can profit, thus promoting business in the city.
DY DZ Growth
EA EB fixing the holes in the street I love living here. I moved here in
2000. EC Special comment on 14: We
need Baseball park worked on & improvements. 17F Retired
Answer to 15: Again our baseball fields are used all spring, summer and fall by our children in Farmersville Those fields needs improvement!!!!!! The city needs to take a really good look at the complex. The football fields those little boys plays on are horrible.....Spend money on our
Please stop spending around $10,000 on Christmas light around the square. They are pretty but the old lights the city workers used to put up where just as pretty. Can't the city workers use our trucks with buckets and save the money to spend on Thing for our children?
children and grandchildren They are our future.... That's the only activities in this town we have for our kids und the age of twelve or 6th grade. They do have basketball and use the school gym.
That $10,000 could help improvements.....
ED Special comment on 12f I am17L Some of these question are none of the City's business! 17S None of the City's Business!
The city of Farmersville is going to have to many issues to count if they don't get rid of the City Manager. We need a City Manager & a City council that realizes they are in place for the citizen's and not themselves.
VOTE
EE Growth in population EF Special comment on 2i
Farmersville needs better schools, better principal, better city govts Better Streets! Worst in education staff. Poverty level is enormous. Too many illegals-sheriff unwilling to arrest them.
Streets-Run down housing-Bad Schools-Schools are way under par-Police are inadequate allowing to many illegals to get away with theft etc.
My biggest concern is the poor school system lack of funds backwards principal and bad streets. Money seem to be badly managed. Poor city organization lack of pride by home owners.
EG EH EI Growth. People moving in from
cities I like Farmersville. The town is quaint and countrified. I like the open land.
EJ Traffic flow thru the city. EK Growth after move-ins after 380
is completed
EL I think housing will be an issue if we continue to grow. Homes are very hard to come by, especially affordable housing.
Our city park is pitiful. Would love to see improvements there or an additional park. Mosquito control is a huge issue in my area, there is none. I pray no one in my area gets a mosquito borne illness because no measures are being taken to help control them.
EM Economic Development Sewer system
EN Growth in the schools EO 10 p&q – son muy caros (they
are very expensive)
El empleo y comercios Los servios publicos son muy caros y permisos de construccion. (Public services are very expensive and permissions for construction.)
EP How will you affect development within the city to reflect a higher standard? At the same time encourage business growth.
EQ
ER There has been a sign for Collin Collage future campus on an open field for years now with zero development.
Every year I get a report that drinking water has failed due to micro biologicals & contaminants. I drink a lot of tap water and am severely disappointed no action whatsoever has been taken to fix this.
ES ET 10f – does not enforce school
zones 10u – Very Bad 14c – New civic center
Our streets are horrible. Police do nothing about violations of school zones being broken cell phone use in school zones and children not in car seats or seat belts. Dogs running loose all over town. People not stopping for school buses unloading children and police not giving them tickets.
EU 10 o&p – to expensive 11i – who cares
Commercial growth Stop downtown spending, stop first Baptist spending, fix the roads without a bond, bring in more commercial growth. Utilities are too expensive, primarily sewer.
EV 7c – but I don’t bother myself w/others choices about their property. 8c – there aren’t many 10t – let me have control of my property, (no parking under a tree or on the grass?) Really!? 14c – classes, lessons (swimming, etc.)
Economic growth (Keeping up with demand)
The code enforcer, while she is polite, is a little choosey about where and what is enforced. I moved to Farmersville so I could enjoy country living and have been hounded constantly about things that I see happening all over time. For example, there are very “junky” properties all over so I don’t see how a trailer sitting on the side of my property should be a problem.
EW Planning for growth, especially quality water/sewer services and affordable attractive housing.
EX Water, sewer, electricity, streets, crumbling inner city housing.
Need rental house standards (like Garland)
EY EZ FA Allowing Farmersville to grow We need traffic signals or crossing
guards by the schools. Stop making it so hard for businesses to come to our town. The approval process is ridiculous! Think of how much tax dollars from economic growth will help our town.
FB 2i – Recent news spot made us look like red neck racist town – really sad. 6s – Very poor & I’m Caucasian/white. 12d – Current gov as of 4/5/16 *worried about election potential changes there. 13a – more lighting for night walking 14c – volleyball
Division of community based on policy & red neck mentality, lack of education & diversity on policy/laws Need educated/strong leaders to stay in city government positions.
Other areas of focus in my opinion should be sewer system & roads/infrastructure. Also safety – lighting & walk ways.
FC Fire services. FD Growth FE No Opinion No Opinion FF Don’t know FG There are few options for
shopping
FH FI FJ Get more business to come in The city officials want to keep the
city from growing by not letting business build here with all their building codes and regulations. Neighboring town are building up faster with business.
FK FL Economic growth, housing,
preservation of natural places. Keep resonale tax rate
FM The streets are horrible FN Control economic expansion over
all Farmersville area to include zoning, city growth patter to expedite business investment in local employers.
Poor government leadership in long term economic growth. Design traffic/highway to allowbest use of traffic flow to and from businesses. Overall city plans need to be presented to citizens each year.
FO 8e – Poor sidewalks 9a – work conflict 10t – Over done
Maintaining the “Farmers” appeal (apart of that is limiting development, increasing house lot sizes, & reducing night light pollution – only light essencials i.e. corners w/traditional lumens, not high LED’s.
Sidewalks on EVERY street in F’ville are NEEDED!! Streets are narrow & too rough for strollers & young bikers (w/family)
FP Growth and need for better school facilities
Greatly in need of a better fine arts center concerts in the gym is embarrassing.
FQ Lack of housing. Moving to celeste because no affordable housing.
FR 11t – wrong focus on code enforcement & woman is rudish 11i – not sure we get our money’s worth 12a – sewage fees are really high Infrastructure costs 12b – Muslim cemetery handled poorly before & after believe they intentionally approved w/o letting people know beforehand.
FS FT 4 Cops never drive by
5 Roads are very bad! To drive on 7 Called the cops and took 30 minutes to show up 10w – Rude 13 Same asking year
Cops – more training Water bills lower
FU Growth control Public housing/housing for renters
FV City wide growth – will we be ready?
FW FX Growth – Making sure our ETJ
and zoning ordinance are in line with other cities and do no discourage people and business from coming here.
At this time our restrictions on P&Z and ETJ ave to strong this is not Frisco or Plano. The economy here will not support these requirements.
FY Housing. Housing at is here is poor quality. Many homes should be tore down. Makes neighborhoods looks “poor”
Farmersville is trashy. Farmersville lets some citizens get by with it & others suffer from it in their neighborhood.
FZ With the growth of the communities and the number of families moving in Farmersville will need to focus on the schools and the width of the roads around the houses in town.
The roads in town make it difficult for emergency vehicles to travel in the event of an emergency. Tatum Elementary will need to expand and undergo changes to grow with the community. I also feel the teachers and aids are severely underpaid.
GA Honesty to citizens – Citizens voice that counts – Citizens fair representation in city government matters effecting citizens.
Overcoming the lies & misrepresentation of our city government in regards to the so called betterment of our community.
GB New growth Railroad ties need to be replaced at Summit & Main, badly. Concrete extending out in street of Summit & Main causing tire
damage. Tall grass never gets mowed along tracks on Main St.
GC Honesty to citizens, citizens voice that counts. Fair representation on government matters.
Overcoming the lies of our city government in regards to the planning and zoning.
GD I hope they will fix our roads. They are terrible. Patching them does not work, they need re-done completely. Street behind Methodist Church for example – Murchison St. etc.
I wish something could be done about all the cats in Farmersville. They spray everywhere, poop in our flower beds, they are just breeding terribly, with each other. Also wish these people with junk all in their yards and around their homes would be enforced to clean it up. We got a notation when your yard is not mowed, but nothing done about these junky buildings and yards. Look on Murchison. (Animal control – clean up junk and roads need fixed)
GE Growth of the city. GF 7g – This is joke!
7h – Joke #2 17b – As much as possible.
Electing city officials that care about Farmersville. Bring businesses to Farmersville that will contribute to an improved tax revenue.
City & Schools need to work together for the benefit of the city & community.
GG Small biz growth. Businesses on the Hwys are not treated as fairly or as good as the businesses on Main St and the Square.
Some streets are in bad need of repair. Murchison St is in horrible shape and should be the first street repaired.
GH Growth The utilities are way to expensive especially the sewer part – has tripled in the past 3 years.
GI 17h – Born and raised here 17l – None of your concern
Getting more business to help the economy.
Let residents know what is happening. Enforce and animal control is a joke in town. They pick on who they want to.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
TOTAL in Category: 27 13 40 16 5 19 6 29 10 6 17 11 12 9 4 7 9 17 9 11 5 9 3
#14: Activities Building for special needs people & elderly
1 1
Allowing growth for business and residents. 1
We need so much it is difficult to address. We have turned
away so much development—horses, places to eat, 380
development. Those who try are taxed or coded out of
business. Codes & costs are paramount—BUT to over
extend limits destroys all efforts. No on e comes here out
they flock to Lavon, Princeton, Blips in the road compared
to Farmersville. What is our 380 / 78 (cross) Double Access.
#14: Need to cut electrical rates before going out for bonds!
1
Allowing in quality businesses (eating establishments –
Walmart) Just look at what degenerate Princeton has done
lately!!!!!!!
1
Advertisement. More regulations on houses & yards to be
kept up. Advertise for empty buildings to be filled with
variety stores not just antiques. What is city government
doing. Roads on housing streets down right dangerous.
#14: No ‐ Go to McKinney (tennis court: have one)
1
Attracting businesses/jobs 1 1
Anytime a sewage issue has been dealt with on our street,
the hole that is dug is never properly repaired making the
street much rougher than before the repair
#17b: Priced too high.
1
Attracting new small businesses & industries to support the
local community1 1
As a "citizen" of Farmersville who lives w/in 100 yards of
the city limits I cannot choose who provides my electric or
water? Yet I play almost double the rates as citizens who
live within. Yet I cannot vote on any city matters, even
though I pay property taxes to Farmersville XX. I believe I
should have a say in our community & not be penilized for
living outside the city limits—especially since I have to pay
double rates.
10 o&p – to expensive 11i – who cares
1 1
Bringing in Jobs! & the College 1At this time our restrictions on P&Z and ETJ ave to strong
this is not Frisco or Plano. The economy here will not
support these requirements.
10 p&q – son muy caros (they are very expensive) 1 Commercial growth 1 1 Better care of cemetery.10‐a code enforcement issues 10‐o sewer and water cost too
much 10‐r needs patrolling 10‐v shouldn’t be so hard to open
a new business 14‐c soccer 1
Control economic expansion over all Farmersville area to
include zoning, city growth patter to expedite business
investment in local employers.
1 Better Roads
10f – does not enforce school zones 10u – Very Bad 14c – New
civic center 1 1 1
Creating jobs, lowering taxes, fixing the ridiculous amount
of potholes.1 Better streets
11t – wrong focus on code enforcement & woman is rudish 11i
– not sure we get our money’s worth 12a – sewage fees are
really high Infrastructure costs 12b – Muslim cemetery
handled poorly before & after believe they intentionally
approved w/o letting people know beforehand.1 1
Develop business growth – Lower tax rate on property 1Bills are too high—summer especially costly. Roads are
getting bad.
17h – Born and raised here 17l – None of your concern1
Economic development 1City & Schools need to work together for the benefit of the
city & community.
2i – Recent news spot made us look like red neck racist town – really
sad. 6s – Very poor & I’m Caucasian/white. 12d – Current gov as
of 4/5/16 *worried about election potential changes there. 13a –
more lighting for night walking 14c – volleyball
1
Economic Development Sewer system 1 1
Even poor people can keep their homes tidy. Falling
down houses lowers everyone’s home values. The
elementary and jr high schools need outside
improvements if not replaced. They seem so sad. Sad
that they have not been improved on. Sad that my
grand kids might have to attend those 2 schools. The
high school admin needs replaced.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
4 – No police presence. Always parked at the PD 11a – thanks of
Paula 10g – non‐existant 17 – Hopefully – out w/ the old/ in with
the new – it’s time for a change! 5e – Seems to be a high priority
1
Economic growth (Keeping up with demand) 1
Every year I get a report that drinking water has failed due
to micro biologicals & contaminants. I drink a lot of tap
water and am severely disappointed no action whatsoever
has been taken to fix this.
4 Cops never drive by 5 Roads are very bad! To drive on 7 Called
the cops and took 30 minutes to show up 13 Same asking year
10w – Rude 1
Economic growth in the town 1 Excellent place to live and work
7c – but I don’t bother myself w/others choices about their property.
8c – there aren’t many 10t – let me have control of my property,
(no parking under a tree or on the grass?) Really!? 14c – classes,
lessons (swimming, etc.)
1
Economic growth, housing, preservation of natural places.
Keep resonale tax rate1 1
Farmersville is a great place filled with wonderful
people. Keeping kids off the street beyond 11:00 pm
and stopping the man from driving around digging
through our trash would be nice. But if those are the
only concerns I have I’d say we’re still in great shape.
7g – This is joke! 7h – Joke #2 17b – As much as possible.
1
El empleo y comercios 1Farmersville is trashy. Farmersville lets some citizens get
by with it & others suffer from it in their neighborhood.
8e – Poor sidewalks 9a – work conflict 10t – Over done
1 1
Electing city officials that care about Farmersville. Bring
businesses to Farmersville that will contribute to an
improved tax revenue.
1 Feeling Safe
Cover Letter: This form is an in depth effort to research and
project—A good start! But without businesses and available
homes Farmersville will continue to exist and struggle along. No
income form commerce = nothing to build with. Bonds won't do
enough to provide assets we need. That is micro steps OK – start,
but we are so many yrs behind our neighbors! City fusses more
over business signs in town & on 380 than encouraging people to
be able to sell & be seen to bring in visitors or possible new
residents. Codes are important but excesses are killing efforts so
vital to strong positive growth. #6 margin: Allowing a 5 mo.
pregnant girl to run for homecoming queen! Are they insane?
What kind of attitudes are they selling? Counseling prep for
college not until end of sr. yr. ‐‐ I need more room! #6n: need
more businesses #6r: Not allowed to! #10i: few #10k:
More due to stimulate effort #10z: for size #12: Many street
improvements done for votes—obviously #12b: No
business=no reserve 1
Employment, Already built for town, Newer business‐growth is
stagnant1 Fine city
On cover – I am very proud of our city government. All of you
involved are doing a great job. Thank you. 1Get more business to come in 1 1
fix all of the city streets. Power to choose electrical
provider
Special comment 9: I can't drive anymore (eye problem) 17F Retired
17H Since 1957 17K I have no home insurance 17N 85 years old 17R I
am 85 years old. 17S Gives address and states living arrangement Redacted for safety reasons . 1
Getting more business to help the economy. 1 Fix the water!
Special comment on 12f I am17L Some of these question are none of
the City's business! 17S None of the City's Business!1 1
Growth – Making sure our ETJ and zoning ordinance are in
line with other cities and do no discourage people and
business from coming here.
1 1 Get more industry and get more retailers and business
Special comment on 14: Fix potholes first
1
How will you affect development within the city to reflect a
higher standard? At the same time encourage business
growth.
1Greatly in need of a better fine arts center concerts in the
gym is embarrassing.
Special comment on 14: We need Baseball park worked on &
improvements. 17F Retired 1
Lost of Local shopping 1
Handicapped parking on square area blocking main
street at 2194 to pick up school students nor traffic
blocked
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
Special comment on 2i Farmersville needs better schools, better
principal, better city govts Better Streets! Worst in education staff.
Poverty level is enormous. Too many illegals‐sheriff unwilling to arrest
them. 1
More stores, and restaurants, business 1
I am generally very happy with the city, it’s leaders,
employees, and citizens. It’s been a great place to live
for 31 years!
special comment on 5h: except for some store fronts and restaurants
in town the parking areas are nasty. Side walks and parking areas
need to be swept‐it's nasty seeing dip on sidewalks and parking areas.
Dirty diapers, food, candy wrappers etc. Dollar General, Family dollar,
Exxon, Brookshires.....We are sending a message our town doesn't
care. The only place that is kept somewhat up is the square. However
if you see the other places you go no....... 6A Only one place 6B could
be better 6C could be better 7C streets just look downtown and most
you drive on 7E no one answers phones just ring. 10i there are no
sidewalks 10G Jouette is a mess and has been for 11yrs stop patching
it needs to be resurfaced. 10M 0 where I live 10o 0 10X only
downtown area is kept up. 12b not sure what that is doesn't appear
growth is important
1
Not enough jobs for residents. Not enough handicap
parking on the square.1
I am retired, I am 80 years old I own my home since
1964
1
Small biz growth. Businesses on the Hwys are not treated
as fairly or as good as the businesses on Main St and the
Square.
1 1 1
I feel that there should be more police patrol at night.
More street lights. I think that a underage curfew
should be enforced, sidewalks should be put in for
children and the elderly. Speed limit in residential
should be 20 miles an hour, large delivery trucks
should have one route only instead of tearing up 3
roads they only mess one up. I have a lot more but not
enough room.
1 1Streets Businesses 1
I like Farmersville. The town is quaint and countrified. I
like the open land.
1 There are few options for shopping 1 I love living here. I moved here in 2000.
1? 1
I must depend on others for transportation‐I can't drive
because of eyesight
1 1
A Lack of leadership in city government for future growth.
Infrastructure ‐ streets, parks, utilities getting money’s
worth for the highest taxes in Collin County.
1I walk and run around town. The amount of litter on
the ground is concerning.
1
Adequate places for people to live. No place to live. All
services bad. Too many strays in this town.1
I wish something could be done about all the cats in
Farmersville. They spray everywhere, poop in our flower
beds, they are just breeding terribly, with each other. Also
wish these people with junk all in their yards and around
their homes would be enforced to clean it up. We got a
notation when your yard is not mowed, but nothing done
about these junky buildings and yards. Look on
Murchison. (Animal control – clean up junk and roads
need fixed)
1 Allowing Farmersville to grow 1 Keep growth slow.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
1
Again our baseball fields are used all spring, summer and fall by
our children in Farmersville Those fields needs
improvement!!!!!! The city needs to take a really good look at
the complex. The football fields those little boys plays on are
horrible.....Spend money on our children and grandchildren
They are our future.... That's the only activities in this town we
have for our kids und the age of twelve or 6th grade. They do
have basketball and use the school gym.
1Let residents know what is happening. Enforce and animal
control is a joke in town. They pick on who they want to.
1
Bad neighborhoods, small roads. 1 1 1
Lights, gas, water. Have to leave town to buy
groceries or shop. We need all dispatchers, more
police.
1
Behind the times, we need to think future, schools should offer
more assistance in way of learning disabilities, soccer, need to
offer more options in high school, family dev., cosmetology,
auto mechanics, welding and not just for ag.
1Los servios publicos son muy caros y permisos de
construccion. (Public services are very expensive and
permissions for construction.)
1City wide growth – will we be ready? 1 1
Love Farmersville, Some of the roads in Farmersville
need attention.
1 1
Controlling crime, size of residential streets, trash thrown
around town.1 1
Money spent on stadium would have been more
effectively used on elementary building improvement.
1 1
Cops – more training Water bills lower 1
Mosquito control is a huge issue in my area, there is none.
I pray no one in my area gets a mosquito borne illness
because no measures are being taken to help control
them.
1
Dealing with change and residents who are unwilling to
change. Farmersville needs to grow and make changes, but
some citizens are not ready. We moved because of the
small town feel but some major changes are needed.
1 Moving to celeste because no affordable housing.
1
Division of community based on policy & red neck
mentality, lack of education & diversity on policy/laws.
Need educated/strong leaders to stay in city government
positions.
1 Muslims coming into the city will destroy Farmersville.
1
Don’t know 1 1 1
My biggest concern is the poor school system lack of funds
backwards principal and bad streets. Money seem to be
badly managed. Poor city organization lack of pride by
home owners.
1
Feeling Safe 1 1
My children are 3rd generation ‐ Tatum. The building
is falling apart and rodent infested. Other districts
offer paid college including books. Admin needs to fix
Tatum and hire someone who can implement a real
college program. Our kids are getting left behind. Ask
the 2nd grade teachers how well the (1st grade prev
year) 2nd graders read at the first of the year.
1
Fire services. 1 1 1
Need a functioning police department. No other
presence during evening/night. Code enforcement
that is fair and unbiased ‐ street repairs/maintenance ‐
A working city council with guts ‐ school system is
pitiful and broken.1 Fixing roads 1 Need better streets and street repair
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
1 fixing the holes in the street 1 Need more housing
1
Get some of the drug dealers out of town 1
Need mosquito control. More code enforcement as to
non‐runng and non‐used vehicles anywhere on
properties. City clean up weekends. More code
enforcement of rental properties. Need city employee
to do construction and building inspections no a firm
outside the city.1 Growth 1 Need rental house standards (like Garland)
1 Growth 1 Need to fix streets Murchison in bad and others.
1 Growth No more traffic lights.
1 Growth 1 No Opinion
1Growth 1
Not enough places to eat out and no stores to shop at
besides dollar store.
1
Growth 1 1 1Other areas of focus in my opinion should be sewer system
& roads/infrastructure. Also safety – lighting & walk ways.
1
Growth 1 1
Our biggest concern is some of the houses and trash
surrounding those homes. Farmersville needs to have
a trash round up day. Form groups with local churches
to paint and fix many of the homes. Stricter code
enforcement. Chain link fences should not be allowed.
Houses must have windows. It looks bad on the city
that this is a consistent theme in neighborhoods.
Needs to be a big push to clean up neighborhoods.
Many roads surrounding downtown are horrible. Our
city needs to address this ASAP.
1Growth 1
Our city park is pitiful. Would love to see improvements
there or an additional park.
1
Growth 1 1 1
Our streets are horrible. Police do nothing about violations
of school zones being broken cell phone use in school
zones and children not in car seats or seat belts. Dogs
running loose all over town. People not stopping for
school buses unloading children and police not giving them
tickets.
1
Growth 1Overcoming the lies & misrepresentation of our city
government in regards to the so called betterment of our
community.
1Growth 1
Overcoming the lies of our city government in regards to
the planning and zoning.
1
Growth 1 1
Plans for PJC. At first I did support & I do strongly support
education but I now change that thinking having
experienced TX Tech and living/working there. Having a
college here would change the quiet charming/community
appeal that society craves now. You don't have to drive far
to get what you need you want. I do support the slow
growth & planning the city puts in place. It would be sad to
see us become Rockwall but I think this is very probable. A
college would change the serene community.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
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Comment 16
1
Growth 1 1
Please limit street lights in neighborhoods (i.e. corners
only). The best thing Farmersville could do is put
sidewalks on EVERY street (at lease on one side).
Pedestrian and bicyclists ore NOT safe ‐ Yet this is an
ideal town for it ‐ compact size, small population, and
light traffic. It would create so much more community
as neighbors and downtown would be pleasantly
accessible by foot.
1
Growth 1 1
Please stop spending around $10,000 on Christmas light
around the square. They are pretty but the old lights the
city workers used to put up where just as pretty. Can't the
city workers use our trucks with buckets and save the
money to spend on Thing for our children? That $10,000
could help improvements.....
1
Growth 1
Poor government leadership in long term economic
growth. Design traffic/highway to allowbest use of traffic
flow to and from businesses. Overall city plans need to be
presented to citizens each year.
1
Growth after move‐ins after 380 is completed 1
Railroad ties need to be replaced at Summit & Main, badly.
Concrete extending out in street of Summit & Main
causing tire damage. Tall grass never gets mowed along
tracks on Main St.
1 1Growth and need for better school facilities 1
Restaurants need to be inspected on a regular basis &
posted on website.
1 1
Growth control Public housing/housing for renters 1 1 1 1
Restoring old buildings downtown, offer lofts to lease for
living quarters, get rid of the old jr high that place is
terrible. Its somewhat better because of the fire. Utilize
tatem better‐make the intermediate school the Jr. High.
There are locker that have.... Offer early start for kids.
Tatem an entire school for 1st grade and K. Basically if you
offer opportunities football, soccer fields, education, jobs,
parks ppl will want to live here.
1
Growth in population 1Sidewalks on EVERY street in F’ville are NEEDED!! Streets
are narrow & too rough for strollers & young bikers
(w/family)
1 1
Growth in the schools 1 1Some streets are in bad need of repair. Murchison St is in
horrible shape and should be the first street repaired.
1
Growth of the city. 1 1Stop downtown spending, stop first Baptist spending, fix
the roads without a bond, bring in more commercial
growth. Utilities are too expensive, primarily sewer.
1 1
Growth or lack there of water waste 1Stop making it so hard for businesses to come to our town.
The approval process is ridiculous! Think of how much tax
dollars from economic growth will help our town.
1
Growth! 1
Stop the bickering at city council and other meeting.
Apply the Rotary 4 way test before speaking. This is
directed @ the community not city council or Mr
White.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
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frastructure
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Comment 16
1
Growth. People moving in from cities 1 1
The city officials want to keep the city from growing by not
letting business build here with all their building codes and
regulations. Neighboring town are building up faster with
business.
1 1
Growth. There needs to be a conservative plan to allow for
growth and prevent a fast paced approach that will lead to
small lot, cramped, housing additions and limited available
parking
1
The code enforcer, while she is polite, is a little choosey
about where and what is enforced. I moved to
Farmersville so I could enjoy country living and have been
hounded constantly about things that I see happening all
over time. For example, there are very “junky” properties
all over so I don’t see how a trailer sitting on the side of my
property should be a problem.
1
Have buses serve 1
The community loses a sense of itself and what makes
the small town “feel” so enticing when growth takes
over.
1
High cost of electric bills 1
The Muslim Cemetery should have never been
allowed anywhere near our city, period! Need red
lights at Hwy 78/380 interchange and at Hwy
78/Sycamore.
1
Honestly, ignoring existing residents 1 1
The roads in town make it difficult for emergency vehicles
to travel in the event of an emergency. Tatum Elementary
will need to expand and undergo changes to grow with the
community. I also feel the teachers and aids are severely
underpaid.
1
Honesty to citizens – Citizens voice that counts – Citizens
fair representation in city government matters effecting
citizens.
1The utilities are way to expensive especially the sewer part
– has tripled in the past 3 years.
1
Honesty to citizens, citizens voice that counts. Fair
representation on government matters.1 1
There are many houses that need to be made to keep
the outside looking nice. Several have lots of trash on
porches. Fences falling over or houses looking like
they may fall themselves. School zones on Hwy 78 and
Windorn St. need more lights, possible crossing guard.
The way people drive is scary.
1
Housing ‐ none available. Employment 1This has been the slowest growing town I know of. I look at
other small towns 15 years ago like Frisco, McKinney,
Rockwall, and others that have exploded.
1
Housing growth—we need more housing in the town/city
limits, affordable houses1 Time for new city manager, fire chief.
1
Housing. Housing at is here is poor quality. Many homes
should be tore down. Makes neighborhoods looks “poor”1 To bring more people in
1
I hope they will fix our roads. They are terrible. Patching
them does not work, they need re‐done completely. Street
behind Methodist Church for example – Murchison St. etc.
1
Too many ordinances require existing building to be
brought up to current codes making it difficult to lease
building at a reasonable amount so that building owners
and those who lease the buildings can profit, thus
promoting business in the city.
1
I think housing will be an issue if we continue to grow.
Homes are very hard to come by, especially affordable
housing.
1 VOTE
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
1
I would love to see sidewalks on our street so my children
don’t get ran over. We also need speed bumps! Cars fly
down the street.
1 1
We absolutely love living in Farmersville! We love the
people, the sound of the train, and our yard. I want to
grow old here. Just wish there were more
restaurants.
1
Improved medical service. Improved educational service 1
We need additional food services in this town, it costs too
much for a family of 5 to eat in town anywhere and we end
up in Wylie, McKinney or Greenville when we eat out.
1 Infastructures & STREETS! 1 We need honest leadership
1Infrastructure improvement 1 We need traffic signals or crossing guards by the schools.
1
Keeping our water safe 1 1 1
We’ve paid taxes for 19+ years/we are still mowing the
street because we have no curbs – our county roads are
better than our city streets Plice dept is very poor no
service waste to much of tax dollars for services teturned I
do not even call anymore when I a m Robbed unless I need
a report for insurance. They do nothing!
1
Keeping the city attractive to families while the number of
retiring baby boomers increases.1
When a business wants to relocate or an apartment
complex built the city should take the attitude “how
can we help” not no that can’t be done.
1Lack of housing. 1
With the crowd, let more expense be paid for older
people owning income.1 Lack of single family residents and multi‐family
1
Letting people in our community without predjudice and
bickering
1 1
Maintain community and development while reducing
property taxes for home and commercial property owners
1 1
Maintaining a small town atmosphere while the city experiences
rapid growth. WATER
1 1
Maintaining the “Farmers” appeal (apart of that is limiting
development, increasing house lot sizes, & reducing night
light pollution – only light essencials i.e. corners
w/traditional lumens, not high LED’s.
1
Managing growth and keeping this the small town we
choose it for!!! This used to be rural, and we liked it that
way!1 Moderate growth and being ready
1
More population that lives outside the city limits and the
city not being able to handle it. Not enough housing in the
city limits1 Muslim cemetery
1 Muslim cemetery development
1 Muslim cemetery property
1 Muslims
1
Need quality senior living. Need more rooftops for single
family1 New growth
1
New housing developments. Creating an environment
people will want to move to.1 No Comments
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
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Comment 16
1 No Opinion
1
Not letting developers come in and change Farmersville
into a bigger city. Makin home owners keep properties
nice. I want Farmersville to stay small that is why we
moved here.1 1 Our Leadership! Electrical Rates!
1 Overbuilding
1
People coming to Farmersville without American values.
(Sharia values are not welcome)
1
Planning for growth, especially quality water/sewer
services and affordable attractive housing.1 Population Growth
1 Prepared for growth, be ready.
1 Public safety due to growth
1 Quality and amount of affordable housing.
1 Quality of schools
1 Rapid growth and influx of new residents
1
Repair streets and do curbs and sidewalks and street
lighting1 Rising utility rates
1 Road conditions/quality
1
Road maintenance things for special needs and elderly. Get
tourism back advertise for Farmersville and get flea market
back up.
1
Roads and lights at JW Spain ball park being left on all
weekend, noise from JP football games in area of houses.
1 Street impovment
1 1 Street repair due to growth and more traffic
1 1 Street repair, code enforcement, crime
1 1 Street repairs, Housing
1 Streets
1 Streets
1 Streets
1 Streets
1 1 1
Streets‐Run down housing‐Bad Schools‐Schools are way under
par‐Police are inadequate allowing to many illegals to get away
with theft etc.
1
The amount of taxes you pay and getting very little for
them. We have the 2nd highest city taxes in county and
enough said.
1
The city of Farmersville is going to have to many issues to count
if they don't get rid of the City Manager. We need a City
Manager & a City council that realizes they are in place for the
citizen's and not themselves.
1 The streets are horrible
1
There has been a sign for Collin Collage future campus on
an open field for years now with zero development.
1To do all streets and lights back over some side of town.
1 Traffic flow thru the city.
Comments #1‐14, #17
Business & Economy
Education
Growth
Housing
Leadership/G
ove
rnment
Other
Safety
Roads & In
frastructure
Taxes & Utility Prices
Water
Comment 15
Appearance & Upke
ep
Business/Commerce
Dev
elopmen
t & Growth
Education
Housing
Leadership & Gove
rnment
Other
Roads & In
frastructure
Positive
Feedback
Safety
Sidwalks
Taxes & Utilities
Water
Comment 16
1 1
Trying to bring to this area of Collin County some of the
many people moving to all the new jobs in the western part
of the county and broaden your equal basis for all utilities
to be available to everyone at the same rate.
1
Very Closed Society. Small town mentality. Growth will
eventually come. Please do not allow apartments and low
income housing to take over.1 Water Quality – Stinks
1 Water Systems
1 1 1
Water, sewer, electricity, streets, crumbling inner city
housing.
1 1 1
With the growth of the communities and the number of
families moving in Farmersville will need to focus on the
schools and the width of the roads around the houses in
town.