City Council
MEETING DATE: 10/11/2017
TITLE:
Title
Consider Conducting an Opinion Research Survey
End
FROM:
Tami E. Scott
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Consider conducting an Opinion Research Survey, by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) relative to the continuation of the Safe and Sane Fireworks program and to determine community sentiment about a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax
Body
BACKGROUND:
Staff was directed to meet with a Council subcommittee to discuss options available to complete an Opinion Research Survey to the community on several topics. During the subcommittee meeting with FM3, the scope of the research survey was narrowed to two topics, (1) the continuation of the Safe and Sane Fireworks program and (2) to determine community sentiment about a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax.
DISCUSSION:
To provide the City with reliable information about the viability of a potential sugar-sweetened beverage tax measure and other relevant issues, such as the public's perception of and level of support for the "Safe and Sane" fireworks program, FM3 proposes to conduct a survey of 400 Cathedral City registered voters in English and Spanish who are likely to participate in the November 2018 general election. The survey's length, which is estimated to be 20-22 minutes, has been proposed in a way to provide outcomes on these two issues. Consistent with FM3's most recent research (May 2016) for the City, this survey would utilize dual mode (telephone and internet) interviewing methodology to provide Cathedral City voters with great flexibility and ample opportunity to participate in the research.
A survey of several questions would be developed and conducted to determine the communities position on the continuation of the Safe & Sane Fireworks program and their position of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax. The outcome of the survey would help with the following: Are voters aware of the city's current policy of allowing Safe & Sane fireworks by nonprofits within the City limits? Do they support the current policy or would prefer a change? How do voters rank the problem of fireworks usage among the various concerns that they would like to see addressed by Cathedral City government? How many see fireworks as a problem at all? How many voters have purchased fireworks from a Cathedral City nonprofit? Do voters who have purchased fireworks in Cathedral City view the issue differently from those who have not? If so, how?
Currently, there are four (4) cities in the California that have a voter approved Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax, which are Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco & Albany. As it relates to the survey, several questions would also be developed to assist in ascertaining some of the following: What proportion of voters personally purchase and/or consume sugar-sweetened beverages regularly? Do voters believe that increasing the retail cost to consumers of products, like sugar-sweetened beverages- that are linked to obesity and diabetes will result in a meaningful reduction in consumption of these products, and therefore an improvement in public health? Do voters primarily view a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages primarily as a public health measure designed to reduce consumption of products that are linked to serious illnesses, or do they primarily see it as an opportunity to collect new revenue that can be used to address important public priorities?
While the design of the questionnaire itself would be conducted in close coordination with city staff and the Council subcommittee, the final survey will track some historical questions as well. The survey instrument will also gather relevant demographic information from respondents to analyze responses by gender, age, party registration, ethnicity, and other pertinent demographic groupings. Relevant geographic data about survey respondents will be provided by the voter file, as all votes are required to provide a current residential address when they register to vote.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed 20-22 minute Opinion Research Survey is $32,600.
ATTACHMENTS:
None