Longboat Key citizen survey begins arriving this week

Longboat Key is set to conduct its second annual citizen satisfaction survey, beginning with a mailer that should be arriving this week.

Residents are asked to complete the online survey before Feb. 3.

“It’s really important,” said Longboat Key Support Services Director Carolyn Brown. “It provides the town commission, and our town manager and department heads and everybody that works here, the opportunity to truly assess and understand what’s most important to the residents that live here, and be able to adjust and make changes to our focus.”

Brown said homeowners can anticipate receiving a letter in the mail. Each letter has a unique code to complete the online survey.

The survey gives owners an opportunity to provide feedback, and express their opinions on services and policy issues. It consists of nearly 40 questions.

The town has hired the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government at the University of South Florida to conduct the survey, as it did last year.

The survey asks residents for their opinions on several topics, including the quality of town beaches, parks and amenities; departmental services such as police, fire/emergency medical services and public works; and what type of events they would like to see available at the outdoor venue at Town Center.

Brown said this year’s survey is similar to the one sent in 2020. She said many of the core questions are the same from 2020 so the town can consistently compare how it’s doing year-by-year.

“Each year, [there are] things that are sort of trending in the town that we would want to get specific input on,” Brown said. “Town Center is a question that getting responses to what’s important to the residents as it relates to a potential facility at Town Center…if there was something there, what kind of spaces they would like to see there? That kind of thing.”

For years, town leaders have discussed what specifically to build on the land between the Public Tennis Center and the Shoppes of Bay Isles.

Last year, 97% of respondents called Longboat Key an “excellent” or “good” place to live. In 2020, the town sent out 8,741 invitations to take part in the online survey, of which 597 were completed.

Dr. Stephen Neely delivered a report of the survey’s findings to town commissioners in April 2020. He said at least 300 survey responses are needed for the data set to be statistically sound. At least 500 responses are “highly desirable.”

Once USF finalizes the results of the survey, they will be presented to the town commission later this year.

Any Longboat Key resident who does not receive a letter in the mail after Jan. 18 is asked to call or text 941-404-1569. Anyone else with questions can call Town Hall at 941-316-1999.