2014 COMMUNITY SURVEY An assessment by citizens of Richland’s Strategic Leadership Plan.

CITY OF RICHLAND 2014 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides an executive summary of the results of Richland’s 2014 Community Survey. The Communications and Marketing Office administered the municipal survey during late 2014.

In 2011, a baseline survey was created for the primary purpose of asking residents to assess their level of satisfaction with City Council-identified benchmarks and to obtain input toward potential goals for the Strategic Leadership Plan (SLP).

The City conducted the survey in late 2014 so that City Council would receive an analysis of the results prior to its 2015 planning retreat. This timing will allow council to consider residents’ satisfaction levels with current services, suggestions, and comments in establishing the next set of five-year goals for the SLP.

This, in turn, will guide the municipal staff in, first, identifying objectives to reach the goals and, second, recommending a budget for future years that will accomplish those objectives.

ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY OF RICHLAND, WASHINGTON Communications & Marketing office | 2014 SURVEY METHODOLOGY The City conducted its 2014 survey through a web-based service. The City mailed postcards to a sampling of 4,250 residents, selected at random from the City’s utility customer base, inviting them to participate in the survey and instructing them how to access the survey via the City’s website.

The postcard invited recipients without internet access and those who preferred a paper survey to request one by phoning the Communications and Marketing Office. Fifty-five residents requested paper copies of the survey; 45 of those completed and returned their surveys.

Based on the completion of 750 surveys, the margin of error for the 2014 survey is 3.25%. These results may be extrapolated to the City’s entire population with a 95% confidence level. This means that if the survey were conducted 100 times, the data would be within 3.25 percentage points above or below the percentage reported in 95 of the 100 surveys.

Source of survey sample Random computer selection from the City’s utility billing records, limited to residential accounts with a Richland mailing address. Notification to invitees Invitation postcard from mayor and city manager Number of responses obtained 750 Margin of error + or – 3.25%

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION The geographical distribution of the randomly selected survey respondents was 42.6% for resident north of Williams, 37.5% south (or west) of the Yakima River, and 19.8% south of Williams and north (or east) of the Yakima River. Survey respondents compared to actual population percentages are: north of Williams received 42.6% of the responses with a population base of 38.1%; south of Williams and north (or east) of the Yakima River received close to 19.8% with a population count of 24.1%; and south (or west) of the Yakima River received a response rate of 37.5%, with a population count at 37.8%.

The curve of survey respondents tends to be older than the general populace because children are not asked to complete the survey. In addition, the 3.1% participation rate in the 21-39 year-old group is lower than the actual population, while participation among older age groupings is higher than the population. The highest number of responses came in at nearly 44.5% from the 65-80 age group, followed closely by the 40-64 age group at almost 44%. The survey was taken by 8.4% over the age of 80.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 3 STATISTICAL RESULTS The survey asked respondents to assess their level of satisfaction, from excellent to poor, in eight areas, as identified by City Council for inclusion in the Key Statistics.

For each of the eight benchmarks, residents overwhelmingly indicated good to excellent satisfaction levels. Almost 76%, up 2% from the prior year and 7% up from 2012, of the respondents rated the direction the City is now headed as good to excellent. The good to excellent rating for the City’s future planning was down approximately 2% from the previous year for a rating of 69%.

Satisfaction levels of good to excellent for street cleanliness and water quality remained in the 80th percentiles from the previous year with a decrease of 3% and a slight increase of almost 1%, respectively. Neighborhood safety satisfaction levels of greater than good decreased slightly for overall rank of 92%, less than 2% lower than 2013. Parks Services and Recreation Services each remained statistically unchanged for a good to excellent rating of 93% and 88%, respectively. The Library services rating of 96% for good to excellent satisfaction levels has remained the same for the last three surveys.

Ninety-five percent of respondents said that Richland is a good to excellent place to live, which is more by 1% than the 2013 rate. Almost 86% percent, statistically constant since 2012, said that their household receives good to excellent value for their City dollars.

In addition, approximately 96% continue indicate they are informed about City of Richland services, programs, and projects. Of note, 84% of respondents said they obtain information from the City’s monthly utility bill inserts, which is up about 5% from the 2013 rate and statistically equal to the 2012 percentage rate. The City uses a multi-pronged approach to communicate messages to residents and businesses to effectively reach a variety of demographics. In addition to the utility bill inserts, the top communication resources continue to be the local newspaper, City printed material, City website, and local TV news.

Staff have been able to streamline the survey responses to include questions pertaining to City emergency response services. The excellent to good satisfaction levels for the Richland Ambulance Services was at 100%, up from 96%, and the Richland Fire Department remained at 100% satisfaction level for the past two years.

The Richland Police Department (RPD) rating of good to excellent jumped nearly 7% for a total of almost 88 percent. The survey asked respondents to prioritize potential issues based on their concern level and the top four responses were similar for the last two years. The top two, in order, were gangs and illegal drugs; while traffic behavior took third place in 2014 switching rank order with overall criminal activity.

There were two open ended questions asked pertaining to the RPD; one asked for other potential community issues and the other asked for recommendations to improve the services of the RPD. The responses did vary significantly with the common themes centered on enforcement of code violations and traffic infractions. The second set of responses included suggestions to add more police, increase visibility/presence in the community, and more outreach.

Like the past three surveys, the 2014 survey asked for responders to consider the Seven Key Areas of the Strategic Leadership Plan (SLP) and indicate which keys the City Council should focus on in 2015-2017. Each of the respondents were given an opportunity to prioritize the seven Keys.

The responses slightly favored Key 1: Financial Stability and Operational Effectiveness with 37% choosing this as the highest priority over Key 7: Neighborhoods and Community Safety which received 33% highest priority ratings. The remaining Keys in order by number of responses were: Key 2: Infrastructure and Facilities; Key 3: Economic Vitality; Key 5: Natural Resources Management; Key 6: Community Amenities; and Key 4: Targeted Investments.

4 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 1: FINANCIAL STABILITY AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS There was one major theme that surfaced from the general comments provided, which was consistent with previous years: keep expenses low and do not be wasteful with public money.

The consensus was to maintain financial stability and to not raise rates or taxes. The approved 2015 budget is 3.5% increase over 2014 with no property tax increase. The municipal budgets continue to be burdened as less money is available from federal and state governments. This practice is expected to continue and the City takes this under consideration as planning discussions occur. KEY 2: INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES Traffic Planning was the remained the most common theme. The comments included long range planning and the need to regularly maintain the streets. Several responders mentioned the timing of the street lights as an issue with traffic flow during peak drive times.

For the third year in a row, the Duportail Street Bridge was mentioned more frequently than any other specific road project. The predominant message was to get the project completed soon.

Solid Waste Collection, more specifically the recycling and yard waste collection programs, was mentioned several times. Comments included a recommendation to make yard collection a year-round activity, a request for the City to offer more household hazardous waste collections, and a suggestion to eliminate of any charges for recycling. All of these comments and recommendations are similar to those received in the 2011, 2012, and 2013 surveys. KEY 3: ECONOMIC VITALITY Attracting more businesses into Richland remained the main topic identified for Key 3. Respondents encourage more businesses, while offering some of their own recommendations. This has been consistent feedback on other surveys; regardless of an increase in large and small businesses that have been recruited during that same timeframe. KEY 4: TARGETED INVESTMENTS The consensus was that core Richland, 650 George Washington Way to the Uptown, should be a redevelopment focus. Some responders mentioned the need to focus on the core area of Richland since the outer parts of Richland are now being developed. KEY 5: NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Protecting open space was the main message reiterated throughout the comments received. Some responders called out specific locations, such as the Amon Basin and the Trailhead Park. Most comments discouraged development at all, which is unlike previous surveys where respondents have been favorable to a balance of well planned development complimenting open space. KEY 6: COMMUNITY AMENITIES The written responses for this Key were mixed from a community need for more senior activities to supporting B Reactor tourism. There were a few recommendations for better bicycling paths and a large indoor pool. KEY 7: NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY SAFETY As in past surveys, code enforcement again topped the list with the most comments received for Key 7. The condition of older neighborhoods was called out as an area for emphasis. Unlike previous surveys, specific comments regarding the RPD were not as common under this Key, but respondents had the more opportunities than previous years for RPD comments earlier in the survey.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 5 CONCLUSION The overall consensus of the 2014 Community Survey is that the City is moving in the right direction. Although, some ratings differed from previous years, they remained statistically similar.

The 2014 survey’s open-ended comments and concerns were similar to those made in the past three surveys. The emphasis in code enforcement, traffic planning, and economic development continue to be priorities.

Complete survey results are available from Communications and Marketing Office.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT CHARTS, GRAPHS & DATA 1. As you think about the City of Richland, please rate your satisfaction level with each of the following.

Answer Options Excellent Good Fair Poor Response Count Safety In Your Neighborhood 370 317 53 7 747 Overall Library Services 377 317 25 2 721 Overall Parks Services 308 378 46 7 739 Overall Recreation Services 203 440 81 7 731 Cleanliness Of Streets 208 411 120 9 748 Water Quality 340 327 64 14 745 The City As A Place To Live 410 301 34 2 747 Direction The City Is Now Headed 116 416 154 24 710 The City’s Future Planning 91 374 186 41 692 Pavement Condition 81 387 222 52 742 Availability and Safety of Sidewalks 141 383 178 39 741 Solid Waste Collection Services 356 315 68 5 744 answered question 748 skipped question 2

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 7 2. As you think about the City of Richland, please indicate where you obtain information about city services, programs and projects. (Choose as many as apply.)

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count CityView TV (Cable Channel 192 and Streaming) 10.0% 74 City of Richland Facebook Page 6.7% 50 City of Richland Twitter Account 0.4% 3 City of Richland Website 45.3% 336 City of Richland YouTube Channel 0.5% 4 Printed City Materials 53.0% 393 Richland Utility Bill Inserts 84.0% 623 Local Newspaper 70.1% 520 Local Radio Station 27.2% 202 Local TV Station 49.6% 368 answered question 742 skipped question 8

8 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 3. As a Richland resident, please indicate how informed you are about city services, programs and projects.

Response Answer Options Response Count Percent Very Well Informed 18.8% 140 Somewhat Informed 77.1% 575 Not Informed 4.2% 31 answered question 746 skipped question 4

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 9 4. Did you or someone in your household use the Richland Ambulance Services (EMS) within the past 12 months?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count Yes 8.4% 63 No 91.6% 683 answered question 746 skipped question 4

4a. Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of Richland Ambulance Services (EMS).

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count Excellent 87.3% 55 Good 12.7% 8 Fair 0.0% 0 Poor 0.0% 0 answered question 63 skipped question 687

10 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 5. Did you or someone in your household use the services of the Richland Fire Department within the past 12 months?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count Yes 2.1% 15 No 97.9% 716 answered question 731 skipped question 19

5a. Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of the Richland Fire Department.

Response Answer Options Response Count Percent Excellent 72.4% 21 Good 27.6% 8 Fair 0.0% 0 Poor 0.0% 0 answered question 29 skipped question 721

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 11 6. Did you or someone in your household have contact with the Richland Police Department within the past 12 months?

Response Answer Options Response Count Percent Yes 24.3% 179 No 75.7% 559 answered question 738 skipped question 12

6a. Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of the Richland Police Department.

Response Per- Answer Options Response Count cent Excellent 59.5% 110 Good 28.1% 52 Fair 9.2% 17 Poor 3.2% 6 answered question 185 skipped question 565

12 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 7. Please rank these potential community issues from 1 (most concerned) to 7 (least concerned); use each number only once.

Please rank these potential community issues from 1 (most concerned) to 7 (least concerned); use each number only once. Most Least Rating Response Answer Options Concerned 2 3 4 5 6 Concerned Average Count 1 7 Gangs 154 135 83 59 73 71 83 3.47 658 Illegal Drugs 104 143 118 82 90 83 45 3.51 665 Traffic Behavior (Speeding, Running Stop Signs, Etc.) 128 105 96 72 59 107 101 3.83 668 Traffic Congestion 93 90 71 85 70 91 163 4.32 663 Vandalism 41 79 134 134 133 82 45 4.03 648 Vehicle Prowls 29 60 78 143 134 126 75 4.51 645 Overall Criminal Activity 128 76 109 108 99 83 91 3.85 694 answered question 734 skipped question 16

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 13 8. Are there other potential community issues that need to be addressed?

These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Pedestrians walking during darkness with dark clothes. 2. Pedestrians stepping into road without looking. 3. Poorly marked speed reduction coming into Richland onto George Wash. Wy • All of these are a high concern. • As a resident who lives along the Leslie Groves Park “wild area”, we have been very concerned about activities in the park, such as transients living there, and later, witchcraft being practiced there. The officer who first responded to my call about the transient living in the underbrush right next to the inner path between the bike and walking path met the guy, and naively (?) believed his story about being a newspaper deliverer who only rested for a few hours -- he had a sleeping bag. I asked that the officer call me to let me know what he found, but he I never heard from him/her. I assumed it was not important to the city of Richland. As the days passed, more personal items showed up there, which was noticed by a number of neighbors. My husband called again, and a different officer was sent out. Unlike the first officer, this one took care of the situation, and even called my husband back to let him know what he found, and did. His suggestion was to go to the city council, and write letters to the editor. As we have little extra time, and have found the city generally unresponsive to concerns in the park, we unfortunately did not get around to it. Since then, the brush in the park has been mowed in certain areas, which is wonderful! However, many brush-filled areas remain, including the area the transient was living earlier this summer. I walked thru that area nearly every day with a friend to get thru to the walking path. We no longer felt safe walking thru there, so we now walk thru the mowed area in front of my house. There are many older, and dead trees dropping limbs in the park, which is a huge liability. One tree fell over on the bike path during a strong wind storm. Had anyone been there they would probably been severely injured, perhaps even fatally. There are many Russian Olives growning into the walking path. Someone has trimmed them back so we walkers don’t have to dodge the branches, however, some large branches are cut so closely to the path that they are what I call “eye poppers”. Just at the right height to poke someone’s eye out if they aren’t careful. In the past number of years, new trees, such as willows have been planted in the park. Those make no sense as they are a fast-growing, week-limbed tree. I am not an expert arborist, but I know enough about gardening and trees that you don’t plant week-limbed trees where people will be walking. Many of the past plantings along G.W. Way, in the Uptown Mall, and the Parkway have needed removing and replanting of new varieties as the original trees were all wrong for the sites. I don’t know who made the plant choices, but in the past, the choices have been poor -- not to mention costly to the city. I feel the biggest assets to the city of Richland are the Columbia and Snake rivers. Not only for the sheer beauty, but also for the economy, for the drinking and irrigation water, the recreational and tourism opportunities, and so much more. Why we don’t take better care of this park? We are told the trees and bushes give the salmon smelt shade, however, when we canoe on the river, we see they have plenty of shade and hiding places amongst the milfoil growing. We could not believe how many we saw this past year. Also, if that is true, why are the shorelines clear by the condos, hotels, and yacht club? We who live along the river pay much higher prices for our homes, and pay much higher taxes for the opportunity to see the river every day. Our view shrinks tremendously each year, yet our taxes continue to rise. A number of years back, we were allowed to trim down in the park. We got very little done in front of our place because of a medical emergency. However, a complaint to the corps that the deer were losing their habitat put a stop to all the trimming. Where the Russian Olives were trimmed, it was wonderful for about a year! We could see under the canopy of trees to the walking path and the river’s edge. It felt so safe to walk along there because there was no fear that someone might be lurking in the bushes.The first year we lived here, two teenage girls drowned in front of our houses. No one could see what was going on, perhaps because of the undergrowth. I’ve heard screaming down in the park, and wondered if someone was truly in trouble, or just goofing off. I’ve made the assumption that it was nothing important to call 911, as the screaming stopped quickly. Perhaps that won’t always be the case. Having lived on a lake as a child, the river is my sanctuary. Can we please do something to make our parks safer, and more beautiful? • Barking dogs in my neighborhood. Out of control! • Beggers at Winco • Bicyclists not following traffic laws applicable to them. Such as not stopping or even slowing down for traffic control devices, Riding with NO hands on handlebars, changing lanes without signaling, multiple riders on bicycles built for one, etc. etc. • Biggest concern is economic development, especially for small businesses. Alos need to do something about the awful condition of some neighborhoods as the older houses become rentals and most fall into state of disrepair. • Blocked visibility at intersections.

14 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • Burglary and home invasion are the most concerning and can be the most impacting • Continuing to pretty much ignore illegal fireworks • Crime numbers must drop for Richland in 10-years due to the public safety tax. • Dead trees with broken limbs and uneven sidewalks due to tree roots causing them to heave. • Do Not build a bridge across the Yakima at Duportail Street or the Stevens Dr extension. • Domestic violence, child protective services • Domestic violence, trash in yards and abandoned cars left over a period of time. I rent to professionals in my home. It detracts from them wanting to live in my neighborhood. • Don’t know • During the Spring, Summer, and Fall I FREQUENTLY see men and boys with swords and machettes in Howard Amon and Leslie Groves parks, it worries me that the police allow this to happen. I worry for my safety and that of children while in the parks. I would choose that as #1 concern but it wasn’t listed. • Gangs bring in many problems we need to guard against • garbage recycling • Gradual degradation of housing and infrastructure due to age of our “temporary” city built in the 1940/50 • Hanford atomic energy waste issues and clean water • Higher than all these is Richland city planning and development issues. I would like to see a more progressive stance to developing a walkable and pedestrian friendly town commerce area (I suggest around the parkway). As managing auto traffic is a key aspect to making this possible (practically, feasible, and not a new headache), traffic congestion ranked highly for me. • House Burglary, Rape, Kidnapping, Loose Dogs, and ILLEGAL FIREWORKS!! • Howard Amon Park - there is apparently NO Park Ranger. We have seen the “Park Ranger” vehicle - but NEVER anyone working at it. We have a lot of ‘visitors’ from Pasco area - that trash the park every summer weekend. • I am most concerned about the child molesters, and perverts you allow to locate close to schools. It is hypocritical (I care about your children, but not enough to prevent imminent danger to their ruined life.) That is reprehensible, because the city hides behind the law, but won’t change the laws for the benefit of it’s citizens. • I am tired of people speeding thru yellow/red lights. • I am VERY concerned (#1) on both gangs and drugs. Also the illegal fireworks that are still being used in Richland. • I believe we need a street light at wright and swift as I have seen a number of near misses both of people and cars. • I have observed more criminal activity in my neighborhood especially theft from vehicles and residential. • I live in a very safe neighborhood, so basically I don’t worry about any of the other stuff. • I realize sex predators etc have to live somewhere & I do appreciate knowing they are in the neighborhood. Still their presence is a concern. • I see lots of dogs running loose in the city, mostly dangerous breeds. This needs to stop. I don’t feel safe walking my small dog in the city anymore. We’ve been attacked by loose pit bulls in the past. • I see many people running stop signs frequently. An accident waiting to happen. • I would like to see better management and enforcement with animal control, and enforcement of code violations with residential property. • I’d make the last 3 items a “4” but the software won’t let me. • Illegal aliens, overcrowding, unwanted low income housing, and reduced/limited resources. • Illegal dumping on the highway on the way to/back from dump on 240, after people find out that they have to pay to use the dump.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 15 • illegal electronic surveillance by neighbors - lasers, microwaves, ultrasonic, tapping phones and internet, lack of policing capability and electronic counter measures. • illegal parking on neighborhood streets • In areas within the city houses are vacant and neighborhoods aren’t as tidy could the COR look into how other cities have met the challenge...San Jose, CA several yrs ago? • Incessant drive for more & more development & increasing population - a formula for urban necrosis and ultimate erosion of those things that make this such a wonderful place to live. We have lived in many communities in America & abroad. the one common factor that leads to destruction of communities is too rapid growth and loss of control, generally because of greed and the constant desire or need to increase the tax revenue base required to feed the expansion. • It is hard for drivers in all directions to get our of the intersection at the Horn Rapids development especially during Hanford traffic times in am and pm. • Keep marijuana out • Keep up the great work RPD! • Lack of bicycle friendly focus. • Lack of concern for environment at expense of business and growth • left Signal required at lot of intersections. I remember In Year 1990 I called city of Richland and talk some one I was told that year in month of September it is schedule to have left signal at G.W. Way and McMurray St. its 15 years I do not see left signal yet. that how good service we have. • Loss of wild spaces, areas behind Claybell Park • Making changes to traffic lights for peak traffic times--Hwy 240 and Aaron Dr; ,Keene Rd Queensgate and I82. • Making sure that the left turn green arrow operates even if one car wants to turn. • Misuse of JDP by tacky food trucks. • morning traffic and women speeding traffic • My sense is that domestic violence, theft and/or the illegal sale of drugs are related and fairly chronic. • No real major concerns. • none • not enough exits to service Queensgate business boom • Now legal drug use on city streets. Pot smoking outside local bars and uptown businesses. • Off school evenings and summer evenings, roving gangs in Lynnwood park • Open Space Initiatives • Other (Please Specify) - Open-Ended Response • Please remember - Not everyone has, wants, or needs a computer or cellphone. We use ‘snail mail’ and out brain. • Pollution (toxins in the air). • poverty, food insecurity, substandard housing, safe activities for youth • Problem: Fraud and abuse directed at senior citizens and others---created, activated, dispensed, or attempted via phone, mail, computer, by door, to door, or other means---regarding information of persona, medical, financial or other nature. Suggestion: A well publicized location and telephone or computer number that would provide a source of information available, and a place to report questionable calls, approaches, abuse, or other situations that cause stress, discomfort, fear or hardship. • prowls-2 criminal act-4 • Quality of education in our schools, especially Sacajewea & Jeffereson

16 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • remove the lease law • RESIDENTAL SPEEDING & CARS PARKING ON SIDEWALKS,ANIMAL CONTROL • Reuce round abouts • RPD are very friendly and helpful. Trying to clean up 1300 block of Potter. All of these are a high priority. Welfare just sitting around burning up our tax dollars, smoking, drinking, smoking pot! Rental people/welfare and the landlords that rent to these people. • Running red lights, and I don’t mean yellow, I’m talking RED. • Scratch some backs and give some `atta’ - boys to the staff in the City Billing Dept. • Sex offenders living in neighborhood, older neighborhoods getting rundown and criminal behavior. • since many of these ie gangs illegal drugs vandalism are all related, it is hard to rank them • Speeding and running stop signs on Canyon Street. You have done nothing to improve it and it is worse with the new pavement. We need speed bumps to control the 25 mph limit • Speeding southward on GW Way at about 11:20 AM. Often see cars with multiple youths racing possibly for quick access to a restaurant (speculation). It looks dangerous to me. • Storage of vehicles on the public right of way. Littering including gum on sidewalks. • street sweeping • Student vehicle traffic, SPEED, on Stevens & Long turning onto Roberdeau St. A speed bump on Roberdeau, near the Roberdeau, Long intersection, would slow the traffic down. The cars are coming down Stevens at a very fast rate turning onto Stevens and then making a right turn onto Roberdeau, with very little change in the rate of speed. Cars are parking on Roberdeau and people are walking from there parking spot to attend activities at Christ the King Church/School. There are often people in the middle of the street when cars are turning onto Roberdeau with very little slowing. The same problems exist for Roberdeau St. residents who are backing there cars into the street. • take back and reopen Goethals • The ciy should look into putting in irrigation in South Richland. It seems like an unnecessary cost and waste of treated water to water our lawns, wash cars, etc. • The police department is fine as far as public safety goes. The problem is with dark intersections - street lights not being replaced & no delay for cars when cross walk buttons are pushed. • the run down neighborhoods with no pride in ownership because people don’t live in the homes who own them rent them out and don’t take care of them. • The site would not let me rank each item. I would have given each item a Most Concerned • The speeding on Shockley Rd. needs to be stopped with speed bumps. It is treacherous around the corner from Westcliffe to Shockley Rd. Speed bumps need to be installed on Shockley Rd like other streets in Kennewick, and Richland • The use of cell phones while people are driving is out of control. It is to the point that emphasis patrols are required similar to those used for seat belts. • There are two issues that I think are important to our quality of life in Richland: 1. Panhandling should be illegal, including on private property. I would like the RPD to stop and talk to everyone who is soliciting help, to either assist with direction to appropriate social services, or issue a “cease and desist” citation. Some legitimately need help; many other seem to choose it as an income source. An 80-year-old friend of mind was approached in the center of the Winco parking lot, asking for a handout; this is unsafe. We have observed “shift changes” at popular panhandling locations, with dropoffs and pickups. 2 - Please, more code enforcement concerning abandoned houses and yards in disrepair or containing junk. Owners need to be required to maintain property. • These are all public safety issues. They would not be the issues I am most concerned about since I think we have a relatively safe community. In ranking the issues, I made choices based in the seriousness of the issue itself- NOT that I think it is Richland’s most pressing issue. • These should all be ranked #1

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 17 • This is not an unbiased survey since you can use the rating number only once, it forces you to assign a ranking hat you may not feel is your correct level of concern. • This is the wrong list. Governance. Cost of City Government. Ethics in Government. • This page of the survey doesn’t permit ranking more than one item with the same number; therefore, I will list these here: vandalism 4, Vehicle Prowls 4, Overall Criminal Activity 4. • This survey is flawed, in that we really needed to use the same # for Traffic behavior and congestion. In our neighborhood there doesn’t appear to be overall Criminal activity or vandalism. • Too much concentration on speeding, not enough on patrolling the business districts • Too much growth. • Tracking and monitoring registered sex offenders, doing more unannounced “spot checks”. • Traffic behavior affects everyone and it seems to be getting worse. The other elements are worse when they affect us and are usually caused by fewer individuals. • Traffic congestion at corner of Gage and Steptoe. • Traffic level on Leslie Road. The addition of housing to the south of Meadow Springs area. Speed limit should be reduced to encourage more traffic on Steptoe, which is multi-laned, as opposed to Leslie which is two lanes. • Traffic on Lee, Thayer and Dupertail due to to many school kids driving daily and not obeying the laws. Living in this area I am very concern and have personally observed to many close calls involving students driving cars when school lets out. I walk each day and the corners on Thayer are always more dangerous when students are driving this area. • unprovoked barking dogs is a BIG problem • Unresponsive city P&Z planning-not listening to neighborhood input. • Vagrants in public parks, specifically walking in and out of Leslie Grove Park on Saint Street & Snyder Street in the late afternoon and early morning. • violent acts against others, whether domestic violence or fights • Violent crime Burglary • Walk signals on Lee and Wright at school time too often and long • While I understand this is not a problem of urgency, I do notice that people tend to walk on the street when there is a perfectly usable sidewalk right next to them. I see this as a potential hazard especially on corners and sharp bends in the road. I do not know if a law or ordinance exists to prevent this but, maybe one could be considered. Also, many people park on the streets instead of their driveways which does cause congestion on residential streets at times. In my neighborhood (Hills West) this is a big problem I see vehicles on the street and empty driveways. Just some suggestions of problems that I see in my neighborhood. Thank you. • window peekers/burglary, fireworks 4th and new years • With the increase of population around Westcliffe Blvd. near Applewood Estates, speeding has greatly increased. I would like to see a four-way stop at the intersection of Westcliffe and Gala Way for safety. Richland may also want to consider a light along Duportail St. as it is almost impossible to turn left leaving Walmart/Home Depot/Gold’s Gym during rush hour. • Would like to see improved low income housing, higher minimum wage, and City encouragement of court system to discontinue unjust jailing of poor for non-payment of fines. Losing proposition. Costs >$250/day to jail a person w/mental illness, and completely destabilizes their life.

18 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 9. What changes does your household suggest to improve the services of the Richland Police Department?

These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• (1)tell the truth when asked why did you stop me.(2)use a marked city of richland police car when stopping people in richland.(no unmarked cars for traffic infractions) • Put out information to walkers to wear reflective clothing. Many people walk in the streets in residential neighborhoods as the sidewalks are poor for walking or running. 2. Flashing pedestrian crossing markers at places such as Geo Way and education for walkers to look also before stepping in front of traffic. 3. Flashing light showing the speed coming onto Geo Wash Way in the south end of town • A few more drive throughs on our side street. • A few years ago they were stopping cars for BS reasons and giving tickets. I think that has stopped, but less tickets, more protection. • Add more officers on Fourth of July patrol to better enforce the law against illegal fireworks and to enforce the time limits. In my neighborhood in Central Richland illegal fireworks are set off, including airborne, and continue into the wee hours of the morning. • Add officers where needed • All of us...need to improve. I don’t have any comments on this subject at this time. • Any form of face-to-face interaction I think is VERY beneficial. Unfortunately, too often there is little social connection between the police and the public. In these cases the public is scared of the police, and police view the public as potential prisoners/criminals, etc. Now the hard part is how to do reasonably do this. • Be a little more polite, and quit speeding around in North Richland • Be friendlier. • Be friendly. the police station is like an omnious fortress. be more friendly • Be more available in school zones. Many people speed by Chief Joe and pay no attention to Crosswalk when children are present. • Be more visible. Run more routes about neighborhoods and small streets. • Become more engaged in issues that involve bicycles and vehicles coexisting on the roads. The RPD does not seem to care. • Better attention to local subdivisions by police. Making visits to all subdivisions more often. • Better communications with community • better follow up after an incident and pay attention to the victims when they have leads • Better interaction with the public training to rid arrogant attitudes by all infected • Better traffic light control. Some lights change after one car leaves an intersection. (Thayer and Long and Leslie Road and Gage) • Better use of vounteers. Look at CA Highway Patrol Carlsbade, CA PD • Cameras at problem intersections. 911 abuse prosecution, if necessary zoning changes to detract from undesirables coming into the area. Prosecute and fine landlords that don’t maintain their rentals. Maybe a required landlord workshop to problem landlords/tenants. • Cameras on traffic lights? Use them for people running red lights. And of course: keep safe, officers. • Cell phone enforcement especially near schools • change the training to use less lethal force when appicable • Checking closure to some of these landlords and renters. • Clamp down harder on illegal fireworks • Code Enforcement (Jason) needs to be more proactive in addressing barking dog complaints, i.e. issue penalties! • Communicating with rental of apartments and background checks - particularly where secondary parties rent the building.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 19 • Community-based policing where there are officers assigned to specific neighborhoods and areas. Additional focus on the big people with big SUVs talking on cell phones would be real nice. • Conduct more gang bust operations in the Tri Cities. • Consider red light cameras. I see many people drive through red lights. Intersections are high risk locations for accidents. • Continue as is. Give tickets to traffic violators and raise the penalty fees. Spend moe time on PSAs reminding people of obligations while driving. • continue good job • continue their positive attitude with the public and their courteous behavior • crack down on illegal fireworks use • Crack down where the trouble is. put the heat where needed. • cut budget • deport Illegal, in force that laws we have • Designate a speed limit on Marshall which has overflow of vehicles turn West Richland Middle School, skateboarders, bicycle traffic. • Do we still have those neighborhood watches? Some kinds of sign you can give out the resident that we can put at front yard to scare badguys away? Can someone fix and replace the street lights on Van Giensen, some of the lights have been out for awhile, no one care? It is dark and dangerous at nightime. • don’t be too aggressive • Don’t Know • don’t know anything about the services • Don’t know enough about what they do, to comment. • EDUCATE THE PUBLIC WITH T V & NEWSPAPER ADS & LEAFLETS IN BILLINGS.MORE PRESENCE IN NEIGHBORHOODS INEIGHBORHOODS • Eliminate on-duty work out (physical exercise) time for police officers so they can proactively be patrolling rather than being taken off the street in order to exercise in a work-out facility. • Enforce the law regarding vehicles who park and block residential driveways. On numerous past occasions, I have reported my driveway being blocked. Officers arrived with a “no-never-mind” attitude towards my ability to access my driveway and failed to issue tickets or warning tickets or verbal warnings. I gave up on contacting RPD because I was laughed at by RPD, and my neighbors and their visitors learned that RPD would do nothing. • Enforcing no parking signs on narrow streets where some vehicles park disregarding the law. • Expand VIPS service and encourage Block Watch formation. • Far more street presence all day long stopping and ticketing drivers making illegal moves, tailgating, speeding, turning right into oncoming traffic, etc. It’s BAD! • Follow up with the victim(s) of Felony Violations regardless of how common they might be. • Frequent drive through of neighborhood - perhaps even stop and talk with homeowners about what’s going on in the area. Gather intelligence rather than reacting after something has happened. • G. Way seems to have a huge range of vehicle speeds, from 20 mph to 45 mph...In addition, I see lots of weaving and near missing due to texting. Cracking down on these offences would be good. • Get a handle on the drug issue and gangs. Clean up the parks, we shouldn’t have to be afraid in our parks. • Get more of them • Get one or more police dogs • Get rid of the cars with tinted windows. It is a ham-bone intimidation ploy that makes you guys look like high-chair tyrants

20 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • Get rid of unneeded departments, such as Code Enforcement AND get those underworked, over payed officers to busting drug houses and gangs! Get the brass, sergeants and up, out of their cushy offices AND on the street! • Get them out of their cars so they can interact with the citizens. Why does every traffic stop look like a police convention??....3-4-5 PD cars at any stop appears to be the norm!!! • Get to know neighbor hoods and speak to citizens while on patrol just be part of the neighborhood. • Give more tickets to those who do not pay attention to their driving. • Give some attention to traffic entering circles. A remarkably high number of drivers will not give way to drivers who are already in the circle. • Give them a bigger budget. • Give them some latitude to actually protect the people in their jurisdiction instead of just finding the bad person who committed a crime. Also some latitude to ignore the law which does not apply to a given situation, or serve the best community interest. Overall the police dept. has done a great job, but their job description needs to be changed. • Good professional police department and staff. No specific changes recommended • Greater visibility on busy traffic roads, Keene, GW Way, Hwy 240. • Have individual officers assigned ‘Neighborhood Officer’ roles where they are paid to spend some time each week spending time in a specific neighborhood, meeting residents, answering questions, and generally building a connection between the police department and the community. • Have more policeman • Having the most up-to-date equipment & safety gear for the officers. Also, if the budget allows, having the officers or their commanders doing more PR (focusing on the positive aspects of the force) with the community, rather than hearing negative stuff on the news. • Hire more officers • Hire more officers. • Hire more officers. We’re very happy with the ‘protect and serve’ policy of our police department. We would like to see occasional ‘drive-bys’ at our residence @ 1412 Woodbary, and our church H.W. United Protestant @ 1312 Sacramento (unoccupied most of the time.) Occasional police checks in city parks - Howard Amon, Leslie Groves. • I am very happy with the service RPD provides. If anything, maybe soliciting suspicious activity observations from residence, such as possible drug activity. • I appreciate all people who wear a uniform and protect our safety. They do their job well here. Disband gangs - criminals run in packs not people. • I believe that a increased number of side street drive-by/presence, could help eliminate a lot crime. • I believe the police department has done a great job for our community. I hope that our police management is asking all the officers what they need to better protect everyone in our community. • I believe they do a FANTASTIC job in keeping us safe. THANK YOU!! • I don’t recommend any changes. But after Ferguson, MO., I want to thank the police dept. for keeping us safe. I thank them for the community service they are providing. • I don’t see that there is any. I worked with the RPD for 17 years. They are an outstanding bunch of men and women. God Bless them all. • I have no complaints against the Police Department. They have responded well, when I have contacted them. • I know that they never have enough man power but they have just got to stop letting people get away with talking on cell phones. I hardly leave my house that I don’t see an accident because someone just isn’t paying attention. As I drive along, I ‘d say 30% of the people are on cell phones. If you don’t start to crack down on it, it’s never going to stop. • I support additional funding (taxes) for more officers to provide additional police coverage Emphasize neighbohood watch programs • I support the police 100%. Keep up the good work and keep out there so keep crime low.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 21 • I think Dept. has done a fine job. I believe the community as a whole should work together as a whole to secure and watch our neighborhood better. • I think our police are terrific! • i think our police dept is doing a great job. Police officers are under-appreciated. • I think overall the Richland Police Department does a very good job. My only suggestion would be for them to focus more on crime and less on traffic violations. • I think they are doing a good job! They patrol our neighborhood frequently. • I think they are doing a wonderful job, and they certainly earn their salary! • I think they try to do a good job • I wish that he City would increase the drug task force effort/visibility in the older part of Richland • I would like there to be more officers in the parks but I realize with our limited police force that isn’t possible. I would like to be able to contact the police department via text messages. • I would like to see a police vehicle in the neighborhood (Lynnwood loop) sometimes. • I’d like to see a lower profile of police in my neighborhood. I live in a lower income area and I understand that police are needed on occasion, but I feel that maybe the use of flashing lights at night for long periods of time, multiple patrol cars and speeding down our roads is less necessary than it is. Personally I’d rather have a meth head living next to me, than have police speed down the street with lights flashing. When police are present I feel more anxious and less safe. ------OVERALL I”M PLEASED WITH THE RPD.------but I see a trend around the country of officers with an authoritarian attitude -Treating the citizens as an enemy in war, guilty until proven innocent, etc. I don’t see much of that in the Richland Police Department and I hope I never do. It would put me at rest if there were preventative measures in place. suggestions: -weekly training/reminders of what an officer can and cannot do in regards to respecting the individual rights of the members of the community. -systems of accountability in the event that an officer might abuse his position. I support body cameras on officers. -I’m also against over-arming the department with equipment from federal grant money. Thanks for asking. • If you have ‘ spare’ patrol vehicles leave them parked safely and unmanned at rotating sites near to where accident or crime hot spots are. • Improve connection with the community. Take down the barriers. Start with increasing work with local schools. • Increase efforts to deal with gangs and collaboration with other Tri-City communities • Increase face-to-face contact when no violation is involved. • Increased presence in and around schools. Not just for incidents involving students, it would be nice to have an outreach program in the middle schools. For students, especially in Chief Jo, to see police as an ally or someone they can say hi to in the streets. Some type of school program like the DARE program used in Kennewick would be helpful. • Increased presence in neighborhoods and establish teen programs that involve police • Increased residential patrol. • INFORCE LAWS Webb violation Running stop lights • Inform drivers the rules and regulations on bridges-i.e. passing etc. and round -abouts • Interact with the community more. Contact with the Police shouldn’t be just during a traffic stop. • interactions with schools • Is there any patroling of areas where sex offenders live? Especially checking on children walking home from school? We need more places for teens to go for healthy fun and acceptance to cut down on gangs and homeless. • It would be great to see more patrol cars in the evening, not just school times and day. Especially at some of the local parks in the area. • Keep landlords accountable for their renters!!! • Keep on being alert and responding when necessary.

22 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • Keep the continued patrolling of schools when in session and neighborhoods • Keep up the good work officers:) • Keep up the good work. • Keep up the great work! • Keep your women officers. Don’t get caught in overkill. Use cameras. • Less lurking, more visible active policing. Prompt traffic control and management of accident scenes. • Less militarization of the police forces with leftover military equipment. Stay positive so the community continues to stay positive with you. • Less speed traps and more neighborhood drive throughs looking for real crooks • Less Tickets and more time spent on crime prevention. • Live in Crested Hills and often have vehicles loitering in scenic areas. They often leave trash behind and speed through the neighborhood. Extra random patrols to keep loitering to a minimum. • Make a better “presence” known in all neighborhoods. Not just frequent problem areas. • Make people stop flying through the “tree streets” neighborhoods (cottonwood, birch, and similar long streets not considered a main road or main arterial) • Make personnel changes easy to find. • Make students wait • Make the police more friendly and less aggressive to motorists that make simple traffic violations. • Mental Illness awareness training • Monitor known drug houses. • Monitor vehicle traffic at Steptoe/Columbia Park Trail roundabout, often see speeding and illegal lane changes (i.e. in early AM traffic S bound on CPT will drive straight though roundabout at 40+ MPH). • More aggressive policing toward gangs and crime in general. • More block watch programs that put the officers out into the community teaching safe practices. • More car neighborhood patrols • More communication to the residents about any safety issues within the city. Better park/walking trail patrols. • More community outreach projects...... getting the public more involved • More emphases on Neighbor hood watch • More frequent drive through neighborhoods • more GWay moving traffic patrol • more man power. Positive interaction at schools that have at risk students • more monitoring of private school zones ie Liberty Christian School • More Officer presence in our neighborhoods. • More officers • More officers to carry the load • MORE officers! Officers that follow traffic laws. They are the role model for other motorists! • More patrol • More patrol on North George Washington way.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 23 • More patrol on North George Washington Way. Particularly the intersection of GW Way and Spengler, two of my family members have had near miss with drivers running a RED light at that intersection. Also have seen drivers not seeing people in crosswalk. Drivers need to slow down on GW Way. • More patrols Ticket illegal fireworks • More patrols for drivers that run school bus stop signs. • More patrols in Southern Richland (both arterial and residential streets) specifically for speeding and aggressive driving • More patrols in the Geo Way corridor, particularly around the Section 8 housing. Lots of crime originates from there. Also need more officers on staff. • More personal contact (i.e., out of cars), e.g., biking, walking • More police on each shift, patrolling • More police on patrol, more tools to keep citizens informed as to where crime is occurring, coordinated effort of citizens aiding police in keeping Richland a safe place to live and work. It is a team effort...how can we help each other? • More presence on GW Way for speeders and running yellow/red lights. • More residential street patrols, although they have improved under this new the direction of the chief. • More speed control on our street. Frequent high speeders with children present. There is very little police presence. • More stops and tickets. Slow the traffic. Stop the speeding. • More traffic directing on the street when congested. • More Uptown visibility,more code enforcement in the rundown parts of the 1940s city • more visability • more visibility in neighborhoods • More visibility in neighborhoods. I see the cars on the major streets but not on the side streets. • More Visible Officers on the street • Move faster on city projects. For example, the Duportail bridge has taken more than 10 years to start construction. • Need more of a police presence in “old” Richland. • Need to crack down on texting and driving. People are not paying attention to driving anymore. More police activity near schools would be nice also. Putting police cars without police officers in them seems a waste of time. • Neighborhood drivebys needed • Neighborhood meetings?? • Night-time patrols • no changes necessary • No suggestions. They are doing a good job. • No texting and driving, live longer. Thank you for taking care of us be sure to take care of yourselves! • none I find them to be polite and helpful • None- I feel safe and they appear to be doing a great job! • None so far. I’m proud of the Richland Police Dept. • None suggested • None, they are great! • None. I think they are doing a great job. • None. They are doing a great job.

24 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • Not sitting along side the road in the dark with lights off...gives feeling of entrapment. • Nothing in our neighborhood. • Nothing, they are doing a wonderful job. Though they may want to increase speeding patrol on Wellsian Way in the mornings. • occasional neighborhood patrol • Overall, I think the police department does a fine job except for enforcing the cell phone laws. My interaction with them has always been positive and professional. If any improvement is necessary, it is likely they need more resources. • Overly concerned with vehicular traffic issues - too little attention paid to bicycle and pedestrian needs • Patrol Howard Amon Park - especially on summer weekends! - By bicycle or by patrol car. • Patrol routes in the late evening early mornings would be beneficial. • Pay more attention to ID Theft cases and Phoney IRS and other callers. • Pedestrian safety enforcement (e.g., crosswalks, bicycles, etc.) • People driving and holding their cell phones should be fined. • Perhaps not so many officers should show up at a routine traffic stop, or when paramedics are taking care of someone. We have seen a number of times, 5 or more police cars stopping to see what’s going on. One specific occasion was what appeared to be a young boy having an asthma attack. We were across the street at a neighbors. Within 10 minutes 5 different police cars were parked around the area, and the officers were checking out what was going on. Truly, was that necessary? Another instance was a neighbor being pulled over for a rear signal light out. 6 police officers in their patrol cars showed up for that. I realize we don’t always know what’s going on behind the scenes, but it makes it hard to justify higher taxes for the Police force when we see these instances a wastefulness. We would like to see the gangs pushed hard in this area to move out before they take hold, and have us living in fear. Having said that, we greatly appreciate the Richland Police department for the relatively safe area in which we live. • Periodic campaigns and ticketing for traffic behavior on Gage boulevard and Keene road. • personally, they have responded to my concerns (once about a phone scam and once rang doorbell for info about my neighbors car prowl incident and if I had heard or seen it happen...... they were polite an d doing their job :) • Please remind RPD to use their sirens so drivers and pedestrians are alerted when RPD is travelling at high-speeds. Thank you. • Police need to train to deescalate citizens with mental illness. Newer police seem to prefer domination to deescalation. WAMI offers training. • Post patrols at Hanford Site Peak PM hours. Running lights at Highway 240 and Stevens • Privacy issues? I’ve heard specific details about crimes that aren’t released to the public that only officers knew whose spouses are gossiping about, seems wrong to me. It would be nice to see the officers more around the community. That can deter crimes just having officers around • Probably more frequent residential drivethroughs • pulling people for trivial matters is annoying • Put more officers on patrol. • Quicker response to drug activity in my local park after I call in to report a drug deal going down. • Quit handling 911 calls with a simple phone call. First emphasis is officer’s on the street. • Respond to citizen complaints. Reduce the cost of government. Improve ethical behavior. • Response times for non emergency problems needs to be improved. • Review what actions (if any) should be taken to provide our officers the training and tools they need to avoid having incidents like the ones currently in the news. As the Tri-Cities have grown the number and magnitude of “big city” incidents have also grown. Continued training based on lessons learned from larger cities along with public outreach to maintain and reinforce trust between citizens and the police force will good a long way in helping maintain a safe environment. • RPD seems generally very responsive to public needs.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 25 • School zones could use even more patrolling. • See more police cars drive by during the day and early in am while i walk my dog • Self defense classes awareness training • Signs that say it is 25mph on side streets. • So far they have been quite responsive and professional. • Speeding on G W Way during lunch hours (11- 1 pm) and 3:30 to 6:00 pm from North Richland and 300 Area businesses. • Spend more money on police and less on parks. Do we really all of the big rocks that cost a fortune to haul in and put in place? • Stop directing traffic for the church (I know, I know, you get money) and start patrolling side streets. I know it’s primarily the state guys on 240, but I’m less concerned with speeding on the highways than I am with the neighborhoods. • Stop militarization of the police force! • Stop more texting • Strong policies and procedures preserving civil rights and liberties, and discouraging use of force against unarmed suspects • Take action, don’t blow off calls • That they spend more time watching autos at intersections not pay attention to traffic lights and stop signs • the city employees should more considerate of the the the people they are serving, And be able to talk to them when the people ask them questions about the city instead of saying, call the city manager ask her.we have been told that a number of times. • The City should open another police station in South Richland and hire more police officers. • The Police Department is a service to protect the citizens, but it seems to me that they essentially only stop speeders. Why not focus more on the crime aspect instead of how much money is brought in from speeders..... • The Richland police were absolutely wonderful when my son shot and killed himself. They kept me calm and focused; they had the patience of a saint(s) I cannot say enough or praise them enough • They are doing a fine job, possibly with the exception of enforcing basic driving rules, e.g., ‘stop’ means STOP; ‘left-turn-only lanes’ are for LEFT TURNS ONLY (not to be used as a lane to turn into, then move RIGHT out of into traffic; drive right, pass left only (unless 3 or more lanes); etc. • They are doing an outstanding job. It is too bad that we don’t have enough police to better control the hazardous driving on GWW and the Delta, in reference to speeding, fast lane changes without proper signaling, running of Yellow/Red lights. All mostly on GWW and near the after work traffic from the Hanford Site. • They did a great job with the SWAT team who visited our neighborhood in October. We felt safe while the incident was going on and I’m glad the offender wasn’t shot either. • They do a great job, visibly active around the community. • They have a tough job and my support. • They presently do a very good job. • This comment covers the Tri-Cities but it also affects Richland. When there is unfortunately a death from a police shooting there is an independent investigation by other police departments. That is good. I suggest that the investigation committee include at least one private citizen. • Traffic on Queensgate must be addressed and must not be passed off as a “State” problem. Traffic patrol also should be incresed at peak times. • Traffic on the Bypass (Highway 240) during the evening rush hour with Hanford workers heading home should be patrolled more. Workers driving big pickup trucks seem too think they are participating in a NASCAR race -- speeding, making abrupt and dangerous lane changes, cutting off other drivers in cars, etc. Patrolling on a frequent basis might help change this dangerous behavior. I’m a small car driver who sees this behavior every day when I travel home after work. • Train homeowners what to look for in drug selling/criminal behavior in the parks, especially along the river.

26 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT • Treat those that have complaints as being paranoid. They do not trust citizens. Have persons in office staff that support felons, intervene in cases, lie to police officers and victims and support criminals, give fallacious information, are involved in the business of others for no known reason. They should be fired, but they are still around for 20+ years. Some VIP members should not be accepted because they are involved in spying, dangerous religions, and there families are involved in drugs and illegal spying, electromagnetic experiments with neighbors, etc. etc. Better vetting is needed and VIPs members should be able to complain about bad members. • Use excessive force on any city council person who supports the Duportail St Bridge and the Stevens Dr extension. • Very pleased with our dept • Visibility. • We are pleased with our Police Department. No suggestions on how they could improve. • We are very pleased with the current police department. • We have had positive interaction with the Richland Police Department. I hate to say it because it would cause more stain on the department but a crackdown on the highschool drivers breaking the law would be good. Making turns when there are pedestrians in the crosswalk. Not using turnsignals, talking on the phone while driving. I have even seen kids sitting on the lap of another in the riders seat while the car pulled out of the highschool parking lot. It may seem like a little thing compared to drugs but its is becoming unsafe to walk by the highschool for children and adults. Instead of increasing police I suggest the City look at only allowing student with after-school jobs to have parking passes. This would not include sports. Those kids can use the buses which would decrease traffic city wide. • We like our Police Department and appreciate the safe community in which we live. As a result, we do not live in fear of the various criminal activities that could potentially take place. • We think they do a fine job. Thank you! • Wear body cameras • Wear personal cameras. • Well, mainly more police available...larger staff • What changes does your household suggest to improve the services of the Richland Police Department? - Open-Ended Response • With exception of one person the Code Enforcement group needs to be re-aligned. You can’t get anybody to really seem to care about anything when you call with a complaint. The only person that seems to really be interested and tries to do a good job is Lindsay. The others act like it is an imposition for them to help you in anyway. • You just added more officers which I think will be helpful.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 27 10. What value is your household receiving for your City dollars?

Response Per- Answer Options Response Count cent Excellent 30.3% 225 Good 55.5% 412 Fair 12.7% 94 Poor 1.5% 11 answered question 742 skipped question 8

28 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 11. As your household considers Richland’s Strategic Leadership Plan, please rank in order, starting with the number 1 as your highest priority, the seven key areas you would like the Richland City Council to focus on in 2015-2017. Please note: You will only be able to use each number once.

Highest Lowest Rating Response Answer Options Priority 2 3 4 5 6 Priority Average Count 1 7 Key 1: Financial Stability and Operational Effectiveness 256 178 100 66 42 35 12 2.44 689 Key 2: Infrastructure and Facilities 90 187 187 105 58 36 20 3.06 683 Key 3: Economic Vitality 69 79 161 156 107 91 26 3.77 689 Key 4: Targeted Investments 3 13 17 78 135 152 271 5.79 669 Key 5: Natural Resources Management 43 51 65 94 140 158 137 4.83 688 Key 6: Community Amenities 15 54 65 83 143 164 157 5.06 681 Key 7: Neighborhoods and Community Safety 226 138 98 105 56 43 34 2.85 700 answered question 716 skipped question 34

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 29 12. Are there specific goals you would like Council and staff to focus on in 2015-2017?

These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Please reference the itemized tabs for each specific Key, the following general unedited comments were received and did not align with a specific Key: • Unknown • School boundaries and access to new school middle for South Richland residents • None Suggested • No, to be honest, all of the goals look good. Thanks, • No specific goals at this time • No specific goals - each one is important • No outstanding ones come to mind • Management restructuring, it is time for new leadership in this community. Council needs to address it’s highest level management, what used to be a good old boys club has bow become a good ole girls club, neither is effective in this instance. • Make Hanford clean up • Look into what your city manager is doing. Why are so many employees leaving or being forced out of the City of Richland? Why are so many COR employees unhappy? Why are unqualified people in higher level positions (Energy Services Director)? Why was he hired so quickly without looking for qualified manager? • Keep up the good work. • I’m not sure what “targeted investments” means. • Diversity in City Council and other city committees/boards • Development is good and necessary but demand quality with whatever is built (you can have open space and development) so you keep Richland the wonderful place it is. • Continue the good work that is being done throughout the city. THANK YOU! • Cannot think of anything • Ban neighborhood fireworks on the 4th of July! • Are there specific goals you would like Council and staff to focus on in 2015-2017? - Open-Ended Response • All of these are a high priority. • All of these are a high priority. • Act more like leaders and less like politicians

30 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 13. What is your age?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count Under 21 0.3% 2 21-39 2.8% 21 40-64 44.0% 324 65-80 44.5% 328 Over 80 8.4% 62 answered question 737 skipped question 13

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 31 14. How long have you lived in Richland?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count Less than 1 year 0.0% 0 1-5 years 0.5% 4 6-10 years 11.0% 81 11-20 years 20.9% 154 21-35 years 30.7% 226 36-50 years 21.3% 157 More than 50 years 15.5% 114 answered question 736 skipped question 14

32 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 15. In which area of Richland do you live?

Answer Options Response Percent Response Count North of Williams 42.6% 316 South of Williams and north (or east) of the Yakima River 19.8% 147 South (or west) of the Yakima River 37.5% 278 answered question 741 skipped question 9

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 33

KEY 1

KEY 1: FINANCIAL STABILITY & OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Yes. Please. • wise use of the monies collected and no increases to taxes or fees. • Using tax dollars efficiently and wisely. • Use “Zero” base budget parameters and practices every year instead of re-visiting prior year budgets and assumptions!! Percentage adders only accentuate false, outdated, or antiquated assumptions. • thoughtful planning for the future • This is not a good list. Where is cost reduction efforts? How can services cost so much? Reduce the cost of governance. Richland’s leadership plan included little to no citizen input. less emphasis on business, more on citizens. On behalf of many of our friends and neighbors, we once again take the time to invest in our City by providing feedback. While we find our City heading in directions that are not always in a journey we would have chosen, we also fully appreciate that we do not govern, nor have we taken the bold step of attempting to make decisions that affect so many. So on behalf of us all, thanks to all who are part of Richland City government, we owe you much. This feedback is but a small return of your gift to us. Please, take the time to read the survey and the comments; it might just open another view to this wonderful place we all call home. As in the previous survey, we all felt that the questions were self serving, and more of a ‘push poll’ rather than an interest of what citizens really want or need. For example, categories such as disabled services, non-internet communications, cost containment or cost reduction, minority services, the cost of government is compared to the cost of national wage increase or cost of living, are among the many obvious categories that are missing. What is bothersome is that the cost of senior management (wages, travel, access, ever increasing department sizes, bonuses) are neither justified (benefit versus cost) nor are they validated (what services were provided versus the new services). An exception to this is the library and its new many new services and access points - well done; please continue to do more for this great jewel in our City! In speaking with City employees, we find a continuing emphasis on management’s efforts to increase revenue streams (now termed ‘financial stability’) or some such. Plainly speaking, what our City Council, City Manager and others have done is to subsidize businesses by burdening the citizens of this city. For fixed income, low income or disabled people this is an ever increasing burden that will lead many or our neighbors leaving - shame on you! The cost for services selected by the city, such as internet (Charter) is much too high. Worse, the quality of those services is degrading. In the case of Charter (are they in bankruptcy?), several of our neighbors seem to recall that regardless of the city employee that touted the great service provided by Charter, they are to be replaced by Comcast. Is that correct? In one of the recent billing inserts, we found out that the city accrues over $16 million dollars a month of profit - was that correct? What in the world are the other sections of government accruing? What is the City doing with our money? And yes, regardless of the comments by the billing department, the money really is ours, not the City Governments. Yet another demonstration of how some employees view their stewardship. As one billing employee appeared to say, ‘the money is ours to do what we please. You all don’t have any say so!’ Wow! Our City Manager, Cindy Johnson, continues to demonstrate a ‘hands off’ approach to talking with the ‘little people’ in Richland; Cindy being on travel, meetings, assigning her duties to an ‘acting City Manager’, etc. Her salary, based on her time in the office, must be interesting. In summary, the survey appears to need energy. Suggested is the following: What did the City learn from the last survey?What ‘words’ were captured, and what action was planned to address any issues, suggestions, opportunities, etc? How many people were asked to respond to the survey, and how many actually completed the survey? Why is the survey not open to all citizens and businesses? Why is the “Marketing Office” the central point of the survey? Should it not be a community based/selected team that ensures that as many voices are heard as possible? Why is City Communication becoming so opaque? Think about all of the people that do not have access to the Internet (cost, lack of knowledge, etc.) Find better and more active ways to communicate and interact with the great folks in Richland. One easy way is to increase the frequency of the survey. Define terms such as ‘Financial Stability’, ‘Operational Effectiveness’, etc. What is the cost and value of achieving these ‘goals’? Where are we now in the city’s goals? For example, why are we gathering $16 million dollars a month in utility billings? Where is that money going? How much more do we need? Why? Cleanliness of Streets: Generally, I find the streets well cleaned. The exception to this is businesses that offer food. Their trash receptacles need to be emptied more often, this way the wrappers, straws, etc. are not on the street for the wind to blow them into the gutters and storm drains. Further, the storm drains need to be better maintained. Availability and Safety of Sidewalks: Those of us that have listened to NPR have heard of the ‘frontage’ fee that Portland now charges all of its citizens. We think we see this entry in the survey as the justification for yet another revenue stream to the city. Conversations with friends that work for Richland seem to confirm this strategy. Your public relations team is doing a fine job with ‘push polls’ but this strategy does create a perception of deception. As a Richland resident, please indicate how informed you are about city services, programs and

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projects: If my neighbors, friends and family are any indication, the City does a very poor job of communicating about its services, projects, cost, schedules, fee changes, etc. We seem to recall the percentage of households that take the local paper (low and dropping). People have little time to see the city council television program, and find any other means to city information either difficult or just plain wrong. When one of our friends asked how long her street was going to be under repair, she was transferred several times then disconnected. She finally found a city employee that seemed to know then read her a month-old article from the newspaper - which was of course, incorrect. Ambulance Service: Having used the service, how much money is in the fund? What is the city doing with all of that money? Community Issues: Interesting list - well directed set of revenue areas. How about asking citizens what they think are the most important issues of the city. Here are some: Cost of Government, size of government (especially compared to other cities), governance - how our government responds to its citizens. When citizens speak to the City Council, are you listening, or have you already made up your minds? Because for some of us, it seems that there appears to be some financial conflict of interest., Ethics in government, how opaque is government getting in our city? What changes does your household suggest to improve the services of the CITY OF RICHLAND - not just the police department: Note and respond to citizen complaints, reduce the cost of government, improve ethical behavior, focus on those of us that are disabled, be better stewards of city funds - better value for our dollars. What value is your household receiving for your City dollars? The only way we can discern this good question is to understand what the actual cost is for the service. How do we find out what we actually paid for all salaries, equipment, travel, and other expenses for each of the service areas? Where is the actual 2014 estimate versus actual budge? Refuse and water costs appear high - Why is that? Electrical costs are clearly way too high - If the city is making a profit of $16 million profit each month, then the funds should be returned to the people that pay them. Shame on you if this amount of profit is true. According to city documents, Richland receives no photovoltaic power. Not true, and is a great story to tell prospective households and businesses. Has anyone measured the amount of roof space the city owns? Think about solar panels (photovoltaic panels) all over the city. Our City helped fund the building of an airplane during WWII (I believe it was named ‘pay day’). Why can’t we use that same leadership to become energy independent from all sources? We have such a great story to tell on hydro-electric, nuclear, wind and sun. Tell the story and emphasize our efforts to disconnect our plugs from the Arab nations that are so unstable and dangerous. Now is the time to move on this! Richland’s Strategic Leadership Where is cost reduction? Why are services so expensive? Why are we not using solar and wind power more? Where are the targeted investments for 2015, 2016, 2017...and beyond? What are the strategic being planned versus the tactical/ reactive efforts? How can we answer these questions without the city’s disclosure? What is Financial Stability? Is the survey only interested in the city’s or the citizens financial stability? How is it measured? What does it cost? What is the economic burden to the people that live, work and do businesses with the city? How does the city compare the cost of city government versus increase in salaries and cost of living? Why do the household utility bills subsidize the business in our city? Was there some incentive given to the city staff to make this happen? How does the city measure Operational Effectiveness? There should be more emphasis on household necessities. For example, why does the city continue to rely of school bonds when the State Supreme Court forbids such practices? Why charge for internet services for out of town visitors to the library? How much does the city have in ‘hidden’ funds? how much in endowment and other financial instruments? How much money does the city need to feel ‘financially stable’? Look at the survey. Where does the city ask for citizen/household input? Look at the end of the survey - a perfect place to ask the question ‘what did we miss, what other information do you think is important that we know, etc I thank all people that work for the City of Richland. I am privileged to live here, but see our city becoming a den of those that can afford to be here. our demographic mix is shameful, and we make little to no effort to make our city more open and hospitable to all people - disabled, minority, etc. Recently, a City Council Member told me that he wanted to expand the Kadlec Hospital land area by closing a street (this of course occurred). Then he went on to tell me that his other priority was to remove all medical benefits from city workers. When I asked him who would pay for an expanded hospital, he looked puzzled and stated that he had not given that any thought. This is only one of many stunning examples of the close-minded and arrogant manner in which our leaders might fall into when not getting out and meeting more of their constituents. • The budget and keep the waste to a minimum. • Stop wasting public money. • Stop the process of long range planning and strategic dream world stuff and focus on specific current wants and needs. I will take this opportunity to ask that the City would open a discussion regarding the necessity of the railroad needing the sue of their land obnoxious whistles at RR crossings that are secured by lights as well as arms. My understanding is that federal law doesn’t apply within city limits and can be eliminated by city ordinance. • Reducing and eliminating debt and bonds. • Please quit raising taxes. • Monthly summary of major accomplishments of the previous month published in the local paper for both Richland and non-Richland citizens to read.

36 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 1

Pat yourselves on your backs and keep us current. There are things being done we don’t see or know about. Be honest; not braggadocio. • Lowering utility bills • lower taxes: don’t spend your time trying to get more money; there is no accountability: you piss away the tax dollars and your only solution always comes back to raising taxes to cover your overspending • Keep utility bills as low as possible. Try to lower them. Many people struggle to pay them. • It seems to me that the City has a handle on Keys 2-4. More emphasis is needed on 5-7. With regard to key 1, the City seems to be financially stable, but I am concerned about the City’s operational effectiveness. Too many decisions apparently are made by a few people who are part of the “inner circle” within the City Manager’s upper management team. Such an approach does not create a sense of an open and responsive government and may, in fact, lead to poor decisions if the chief decision-maker is surrounded by those who agree rather than those who feel free to question. I am concerned about the role of the City Manager in Richland’s power structure and the lack of oversight provided by the City Council. The Manager is a strong leader and the Council is following that lead without much discussion or analysis. Within the city management structure, I understand that there is a powerful inner circle hand picked by the Manager that pretty much makes the decisions. Other managers and staff staff are left out of the process. • I would like some focus on value or efficiency regarding the investment by the taxpayer although I’m not sure how to measure that. My property taxes have gone up consistently and a lot since I moved to Richland in 2002 and I’m starting to get concerned the City thinks taxpayers are an endless resource, a bottomless pit of money. Maybe I’m just getting old, just saying. • I would like for the council and staff to look into the possibility of outsourcing some of the work that our city maintenance is performing at this time. Example city parks and landscaping work. I know that outsourcing is a bad word to the work force but we need to get more cost affective in a lot of areas. This would just be an easy one to look at. I was born in the Tri Cities and lived here for 62 years. 8 years in Richland. • Financial effectiveness is a given requirement, not a priority. Financial stability should not come at the cost of raising taxes. First priorities should be community safety and infrastructure;everything else is nice fluff. Please don’t raise taxes for those. • Cutting taxes and fees! • Cut taxes. • Cut out wasteful spending on art and street decor and focus more on keeping the streets maintained and clean. • consider combining some services with Pasco and Kennewick such as fire departments to reduce costs and pension obligations • stop raising utility taxes and ambulance tax. it is the highest ever

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 37

KEY 2

KEY 2: INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Work on storm drains keeping up with rain fall. I am sooo tired of calling the city every time we get a significant rain and I have rain run off going half way up my yard and half way across the street! I have complained. I have been to your office. Nothing gets done with the drain in front of 1505 Wright Ave. And it is not “just leaves clogging up the drain” as they always say. It just cannot keep up. • Why do you not fix stop and go lights .the one on gw way going out of town was hit by a car 3 yrs ago .you put up a temp pole but did nt fix it you were going to fix the intershaction but did not. now you have one on lee and jadwin with wiew holding it up Why?you have stop and go lights that don’t work like they should swift and Thayer that after the last car goes it takes 10 sec befor you can go Why ?Mpherson loop why was it not repaved like it was going to be done al the rest of the street was Why .How come after one persoe dies and two more get hit do we not have 20 to 30 more 20 mph strobe school ligts?I can get on to vangeason 11ways without seeing the one 20mph sign Why Why!!! In a city that is run by responsible peope all of this is fixes no led lights that I beb asking about for 5 yrs all of gw way janwin stevens lee swift thyere should be done by now. Why did you put above grond powere to fix the lights on swift when they where below grond in the first place is there a code that say you should put where they were • What happened to paving streets? • We must get a bridge connecting the city at Duputrail. This is a CHRONIC FAILURE of our city government. We need a movie theater in South Richland - STOP making bad decisions. Why do you want tax money going to Pasco’s Movie complex???? Make it happen for once and stop living in the 1970s. • Under ground electrical would sure look nice in the city. the more overhead lines you keep adding the worse the town looks.(long term project that could be looked at) • Try to figure out how to get a handle on the overcrowding traffic in the Queensgate area before it turns into another Road 68 • traffic planning. The planning in Richland is the worst I have seen anywhere in 30 years. Perhaps the city planner needs to be fired. • There sidewalks REALLY need to be finished on Duportail down to Keen Rd....BEFORE the land is developed (because who knows when that will happen!) so that I can safely walk with my grandchildren and with my dogs hitched to a draft cart from the Brookshire neighborhood to the businesses along Duportail (Target, My Fro-Yo, McDonalds, Petco, etc.). It would really be nice to have a pedestrian crossing spot somewhere in the middle of Duportail as well...not just at Keen and Queensgate. Thanks. • The planning department needs to replace the guy who okayed a big apartment complex off of Westcliff. It destroyed land values. Local people did no want it and yet you folks did it anyway. I figure that the developers somehow bought you off. • The paving of my street (Mahan Ave) and others • The city needs a place to recycle hazardous materials like paint, automotive fluids (not oil), chemicals, etc. • Take care of the resources we have before investing into other projects. Use our own infrastructure to process Utility billing instead of sending to Seattle. Clean up our town. Example the big hole in the ground off G.Way when you come into Richland, it’s been there way too long. • Stop the obsession with grabbing up Hanford land in order to assimilate it into the City of Richland. The best and by far the most reasonable future for the Hanford lands would be for the government (be it the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, or other) to retrain this property and keep it closed and secure until needed for nuclear power facility development. There is no question whatsoever that within four to six decades fossil fuels of all sorts will be becoming in short supply, and social and political restrictions will prevent further consumption of hydrocarbon fuels including gas, oil, coal, etc., as well as open spaces for hundreds or thousands of acres photovoltaic solar cells, obscene displays of short lived wind energy equipment, etc. The only energy conversion systems remaining would be nuclear, and we somehow continue to refuse to have any interest in continued development of such facilities. Conservation helps. Solar, hydro, wind, tidal, geothermal, and whatever else we may come up with in the next half century cannot expect supply the demands of an ever increasing population. Only nuclear energy conversion has this potential, and unpopulated areas like Hanford, Idaho Falls, and possibly some vanishing regions along the east coast, remain to be used for further development of the nuclear energy that will be required. If we give these properties away, it would become prohibitively expensive and take decades more to replace them ar get them back. It takes little effort to plan for the future, but alas, GREED will probably win out and three generations down the road will be faced with trying to handle situation then - problems that we should take care of today. • Replace old rotting Power Poles.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 39 KEY 2

• Repaving the streets. Some of them are a mess and make me feel like I live in a second-class community. • Remove the Dupertail bridge from consideration. • Put utilities on the rest of GW North underground. Clean up sides of the street on North Gway • pllanned street sweeping sidewalk/sreet replacement • No yard waste collection in fall and winter when leaves fall and pruning is done. Should have dumpsters in neighborhoods during this time. Our neighborhood (Country Ridge) needs more than one exit now that they have built on the hill above us. The intersection of Keene Road and Country Ridge Drive is difficult to cross, especially during busy hours. Cars drive over the 25 MPH limit coming down Country Ridge Drive and Bridle Drive. A speed bump would be helpful on Bridle near the community pool. What is the status of the Duportail bridge we have heard about? • Keeping streets in core of city in better condition. As we expand, dollars are going into the newer areas for infrastructure and this takes dollars away from the core of the city. • Keep the trash out of Richland!!! • install the Duportail bridge, way too much traffic around that area or install another access to the freeway in S Richland • Infrastructure and Facilities: (1) Provide competitive high-speed fiber-based internet access to every household, (2) Expand curbside recycling to include a larger variety of recyclables including all types of recyclable plastics and providing separate bins for recycling glass containers. • improving quality of infrastructure in Richland Proper (Central), sidewalks roads, accessibility to river front and parks. • I would like to see the completion of some through streets such as Center Parkway, a Steptoe-Leslie Road connection south of Gage, etc. • I don’t read or hear about the top five listed above. I don’t like hearing about the duportail bridge so often. I would encourage a North Richland Columbia river bridge to reduce traffic, but reduces commercial sales in town. We need a freeway or light rail ring around the Tri-cities. It’s nice that Kennewick thinks of a concert hall and hotels but nowhere to put parking, traffic, or transit. Stop tanker trucks and Semi’s from using Geo. Way as a short cut. • Have traffic engineers and planning better coordinate in various development plans. There are some very poor examples of execution in the past year. In particular the traffic flow that was approved for the new Post Office location, and who approved the nose in parking on a public street. Either the road adjacent to the post office is a public street, or it a private parking lot. It can’t be both, and then the exist to the adjoint street is protected by a Yield sign? Did anyone even consider has the single most visited location in the city would affect traffic flow. I am certain that traffic flow disruptions were considered when the new Yoke’s was evaluated. How did a similarly impactful development get overlooked? • Had day off work recently, was reminded of something I have been long aware of, that is how dangerous the walk for students in “old south” Richland. More traffic than EVER before and kids still have to walk virtually down the middle of the streets due to lack of sidewalks. Comstock is very busy street with zero sidewalks. Also, this part of town has NO storm drains, every time it rains or snows we have lakes that only subside through evaporation. • Goal: DO NOT Build the Duportail Street Bridge. Goal: DO NOT Build the Stevens Dr Extension. Neither are wanted or needed. • getting the Duportail bridge in south Richland completed. • GET THE BRIDGE BUILT TO SOUTH RICHLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! • Get another exit for Queensgate area; when the movie theater goes in, we will be prisoners in our our driveway.... soon! • Focus on traffic flows. Be smart the first time when laying out intersections and flows. ie only one turn lane from gage onto keene. working with state to get the intersection of I-182 eastbound and queensgate • Focus on traffic congestion and getting the financing to add the needed roads, and increase speed limits. • First - excellent job by Police and Fire depts. Please contine with staff, funding, and infrastructure. We appreciate that a new satelite station will be built on Duportail. Excellent job by streets and Waste Management Depts. Excellent job by Code Enforcement! Building Dept. - The Building Inspectors need better training and to be more thorough. They missed significant Code issues on the new home my wife and I purchased 6 years ago. I work in construction, and have worked for a City Building Dept. years ago. I know that they can do better. Building Dept. - Permit Staff and Plan Review at is excellent! Overall, the City is very well managed!!! Water Dept. - Sometimes the water tastes organic and murky. I’m sure that they’re trying to provide the best water that they can... Can we pump out of the wells more than the river? City Council - Improve Park Ordinances for litter, misuse,

40 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 2

noise, and then hire someone as a Park Ranger that will be visible in the parks, be a positive presence, but will address misbehaviour by reporting it to law enforcement. Maybe hire a retired Sheriff’s Deputy or Police Officer - who has prior enfocement and / or military experience. Parks Dept. - they do a good job - it seems - with the maintenance dollars they have to work with. HOWEVER - I don’t want to be unkind or unfair... but what is the purpose of the “Park Ranger”? If it is to keep an eye on the parks, and report to the police when noise or parties or know parties re leaving rubbish in the park - the present person may need to be replaced. Howard Amon is the main park in town, and my wife and i walk there many times a week. Better oversight is needed in the park because of some of the ‘park users’ these days. It’s a nice park, but some folks are trashing it and treating it like a park in Los Angeles. Someone ( a Park Ranger who is at least visible, moving around, and THERE - especially on busy weekends - needs to bring these matters to the attention of law enforcement, so that the people who are misbehaving - regardless of who they are - will be held accountable in an appropriate manner. Maybe an extra fee could somehow be charged to those from those not Richland City Residents for use of shelters, etc. I know that this seems like a low priority to some. At least hire a good Park Ranger. Overall, this is an excellent City to live in, and City Government has a big part in that. Thank you. • Duportail Bridge, Queensgate Interchange at I-182 improvements. • Duportail bridge and access street bike trails and lanes, specifically the shelter belt path needs to be rebuilt/leveled • Duportail Bridge • Dupertail bridge construction to relieve congestion and finish the Tanglewood park. • Drinking water quality is lacking to say the least. • Determine if it would be more cost effective to contract out the waste pick-up. Given that there are several private entities in the area capable of handling the city waste pick-up I do not see the need for the city to maintain an expensive fleet of garbage and other waste pick-up vehicles and related equipment and staff. I cannot imagine that the city can perform this service at a lower cost that a private entity. Additionally, all other city provided services should be evaluated to determine what services could be provided by private entities at lower cost to the citizens, e.g., street maintenance, park maintenance and upkeep, etc. These evaluations should be performed as soon as possible and all results shared with the citizens. • coordinate traffic lights on GWW. Coming from North RIchland on GWW, It is irritating to say the least, to be stopped by every traffic light. Other cities do this, why can’t we? • Continue to look at ways to reduce and control Queensgate traffic congestion and flow. Better ways to funnel traffic to and from Hanford than Queensgate on and off ramps to I-182. • Construction of the Duportail bridge • concentrate on one street repair at a time instead of crews at many locations • Completion of the Duportail Bridge • Better control of fugitive dust from construction sites. Traffic congestion is nearing Seattle levels. • Appearance of Richland as you drive into Richland proper on G Way!! • Add more Utility and Waste Management Staff OR add more phone lines to increase communication. Both departments are very hard to contact, especially during power outages and even when a person wants an answer to a simple question. It has been very frustrating!!!! • A permanent hazardous waste facility at the Richland landfill. Replace what was lost. It’s time to quit making excuses and get the job done. I’m tired storing hazardous wastes in my home waiting for the next event. Franklin county seems to have been able to set up what Benton County could not. As a Richland resident, the Richland landfill would be very convenient and it has precedence. • A fair number of construction sites (private/developers & government) have been noticeably lax on maintaining their safety boundaries. I’ve seen temporary fences and barricades blown down for days or weeks at a time, where kids could get hurt or debris is scattered, plus the security of the property. An increased diligence on the city’s part to track and warn/fine these sites may lead to better safety or prevent repeat offenders (much like the code enforcement of abandoned/inoperable/junk vehicles). Another goal the city might focus on (other than the ones in the survey), would be to try to cut back on the wasteful or fraudulent (if any) spending of tax dollars. I work out at Hanford, so I know first-hand how governments/contractors operate, and there’s always “shenanigans” taking place at some level. • 1.)Alternate traffic route(s) for vehicles now using Leslie Road south of Gage. This small two lane road now serves many times more neighborhoods

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 41 KEY 2

than it should. Traffic counts - autos and trucks - are very high and the actual as well as posted speed is in excess of a safe speed for this road. 2.) Much more needs to be done to slow residential street traffic. Several streets are poorly designed with long straight segments without interruption and some include significant grade changes. These areas are witnessed to have the majority of drivers above or far above the 25 mph speed limit. We need modifications/additions to interrupt the traffic and slow it for safety. • The intersection of Duportail and Wright Avenue is ridiculous and dangerous. The west bound free turn lane should be eliminated and the intersection should be a 4 way stop. • sidewalks for all and a different means to control dog disturbances • people running stop signs and traffic lights timing of signals to improve traffic flow, particularly on GW Way, the bypass, and Jadwin

42 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 3

KEY 3: ECONOMIC VITALITY These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Work for all - not just the wealthy or businesses - but all sections of the city - keep up the work on community involvement • Stay the course. You will not make everyone happy. The more ECONOMIC VITALITY that is brought in, the more the other keys can be addressed. • Richland needs to bring in more stores and restaurants. It seems Kennewick attracts more retail than Richland. • move new restaurants and shops in to vacant buildings and lots along GWW and overall revitalize the downtown area so it doesn’t fall back will the Queensgate area attracts all the business. • Leveraging the Columbia and Yakima valley wine connection for community and small business development. Working with area recreational and hospitality resources to position Richland as the area tourist hub. Stop allowing random crappy building or property usage to occur in and around main thoroughfares. Stop letting Kadlec steal city property. Make use of the fancy traffic lights and manage peak traffic flow through the city. Stop letting lazy traffic flow planning create traffic jams and stupid driver behavior. • Increasing good clothing stores and other staple high value stores rather than the collection of such low-end businesses as found in the Uptown shopping area. Negotiating the building of attractive buildings along GW Way along the southern entrance to North Richland. Passing codes forbidding panhandling within Richland. • Get real business’s to come to Richland that would contribute to tax revenue vs what is here now! • Encourage new businesses to improve the tax base. • Economic development of the core of Richland. • Diversification of the community from existing Hanford activities by new jobs. Support new and niche technical manufacturing. Control Illegal aliens from taking over our community by limiting their growth. Train police to be best community supporters against the impending tyrannical big federal government. Balance the budget. • Continue to get the young 28-38 year olds involved in the direction of the city growth. They have a vision that we should embrace and help stimulate. They are the future of this community, and we should listen very carefully to what they are saying. They have energy and drive, and I know that your staff are out in the community engaging with them...keep it up!! Provide enhancements, opportunities to invest, etc., They have a lot of energy. • Bringing more long term businesses into Richland.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 43 44 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 4

KEY 4: TARGETED INVESTMENTS These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Support development of business in the land between GW Way and Stevens, north of Spengler and south of PNNL. Work closely - over the long term - with WSU - Tri-Cities to goal the campus into an independent regional college that includes a full set of degree programs and is sufficient to attract and maintain a resident student community: Build a dorm! • Something done with that “hole-in-the-ground” as you enter Richland (Geo. Wash. Way, and Jadwin blvd.). I would also like to see the hiking trail along the river finished, from Anthony’s restaurant to WSU-Tri-cities. Don’t forget the Uptown mall and theatre. • Re-vitalizing the parkade and downtown areas. • revitalizing older urban business areas, better growth management (eliminating sprawl), improving natural resource management (protecting/ restoring natural spaces, providing sustainable public access). • Make use of the CREHST facility for tour boat passengers who could walk to see it. • Limited growth • Improving the Uptown shopping area and parking lot. • I would to see uptown revitalized. Outer areas of Richland are looking wonderful. Focus on Richland proper is much needed! Our Inner City is looking rundown. Lets get city pride back in town!! • Growth of our city--but in a planned sense. We need to update Uptown shopping area. • Downtown Richland will loose out to downtown Tri-Cities (aka Vista Field) unless it aggressively pursues opportunities for regional public facilities. If we want to keep downtown relevant there has to be regional relevance, not just old Richland relevance. • Do something about the big hole as you enter Richland on George Wash Way. Find a business to build there. It has been sitting like that for years!! • Development and upgrade of Uptown Mall area. • Cut down Russian olives Look at Turing uptown into place to be - kind of an embarrassment now, so much potential . Up and coming... Support local small businesses Wineries More jobs that aren’t Hanford related Restaurants Don’t just focus on south richland • The entrance to the business area on George Washington Way should be improved. As you enter the town, on one side is a big hole i the ground and on the other is a vacant lot filled with weeds. It appears to be a slum area. Also the city should force the owners of the Uptown Mall to improve the appearance of the entire mall by making the facades uniform in appearance and more attractive. Once again this has a slum look to it. South Richland appears to be the shining star for Richland, yet I feel the real essence of Richland is in the downtown core of the town. • Fill that god forsaken hole in on George Washington way (the old community center). if that was my property the city would come down me like a pile of bricks. and don’t tell me how you have a buyer or investor, once the city bought it back it became the city’s problem. FILL IT IN!

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 45

KEY 5

KEY 5: NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• The trees in the “Shelterbelt” along Cottonwood Dr. are dying and need to be replanted. I see many trees being removed but none being planted. This is a vital walking path. One of the only shaded places to walk in the summer. Water was done well this year but we have to replace trees as they are removed. • Stop destroying the natural water shed with your out of control developments and growth. Stop sleeping with the developers and bowing to their needs and money. Respect the rights and wishes of your citizens that do not want more houses and roads that destroy the natural water shed. The city management should be ashamed of their actions in south Richland. Take the mormon church out of the school boundary discussions and decisions. I am very disgusted with the actions of the council.....you all need to GO! • Start looking at alternatives to roads. Cars are dirty, expensive, often noisy, and the massive roads that will be needed by 2030 take up way too much valuable real estate. Plus roads don’t sink carbon like a park would (should). • Ridges to Rivers trail. Not building a dopey zipline or other stuff at the Badger Mt. Park. • Revisit the Ammon Basin plan!!! • Resolve the conflict over Rachael Road extension through Amon Creek Preserve. • Quit developing everything in site and start protecting the resources that make living in an area an experience rather than an existence. As far as I can tell, the Council has never met a developer whose ass they wouldn’t kiss. • Protecting Richland’s remaining natural open space, wetlands; paying serious attention (not just lip-service) to pedestrian and bicyclist needs. • protecting and preserving the city’s natural open spaces such as badger mountain centennial park. Amon basin was and is being managed by staff and city council very poorly. • Protect out natural & scenic areas! • Protect Amon Basin support Conservation Futures the next time around (57% of Richland voted in favor) • Preserving our natural resources and building new structures so that existing wildlife and land are not harmed. • Preserve as much natural and open areas as possible now, before they disappear. In particular the hillsides around and within the city’s expansion zone. Those natural areas will be what will distinguish Richland and the Tri-Cities in visitor’s minds from other eastern Washington towns and cities. • Preserve Amon Basin and fill in the hole where the old Community House was located. Expand parking at Badger Mountain, but only improve the parking lot (no other additions) Issue Blue carts to all homeowners at no cost and expand the time period in winter for green cart pickup. • Preservation of open spaces. • Preservation of Amon Basin as a natural resource amenity for the city and its citizens • Please do not give in to the minority that is trying to save more and more open space. Richland already has approximately 2,000 acres of natural open space and doesn’t need more. When developments are master planned for development don’t let those that move in afterwards change the Master Plan just because they don’t want additional traffic in the neighborhood. If this trend continues they is NO reason to do any Master Planning in the first place. • Pay more attention to protecting natural wild areas such as Amon Basin (no Rachel Road directly through the middle) and the ridge trails. • Open space conservation, eg Tapteal Greenway trail system. Improve low income housing and raise the minimum wage to improve community economic vitality and neighborhood/community safety. Encourage local businesses rather than big box stores who seem to leave a trail of big empty boxes in their wake (blight). Make Waterford Place owner restore that pit of rebar or surrender the property to the city. Create opportunities for good restaurants to open, showcasing local produce and wines. Participate in creation of community performance hall, whether at Vista Field or elsewhere. • Open Space as a priority for the benefit of the citizens. Less development and road intrusion. • No more building in Natural Habitat areas.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 47 KEY 5

• Make Trailhead Park a natural area open space park. • Listen more carefully to people trying to & investing in preserving natural areas. • I have been distressed at the apparent willingness of the Council to ignore community input on environmental concerns. I have never been particularly active, but attended a council meeting where I felt some community members were disrespected by certain members of the Council. • conservation of natural areas

48 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 6

KEY 6: COMMUNITY AMENITIES These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• When Hanford goes away, B Reactor, the reach monument, some wineries, and retail will not be enough to sustain the current levels. Motivate city employees. • What’s with the food trailers in John Dam Plaza? What an eyesore! The employees in the Federal Building have a variety of choices of restaurants within a 1-2 block radius. I understand these food vendors need to earn a living, but in one city park? Their use for special activities in the park is understandable, but 24-7? Can’t one find alternative parking space for them? • We are in wine country, are close to becoming approved for the B Reactor becoming a National Park and are not capitalizing on the economic windfall from becoming a bicycle friendly community and tying in these assets to one of the biggest tourism draws in the US. I don’t understand why our leaders do not see this vision? Napa and Sonoma get it with less to offer and are cashing in on the opportunity. Our community has a more educated population but it is not reflected in our lack of capitalizing on such a low cost and low lying fruit opportunity. • Support for an arts and entertainment center, specifically where first class plays and concerts could find a permanent home. • Senior activities. Use of the community center for lots of things • Put an Olympic size covered pool on a ballot. Not a water park. Not an amusement center. One Olympic covered pool. • Please add a bathroom to the top of Badger Mt. • People smoke cigarettes in the parks along the Columbia river, which aggravates a severe allergy I have and discourages me from getting exercise. The bicycle path along the bypass highway is very bumpy and not really suitable for riding bicycles. It would be great to have that path smoothed out. Thank you for providing so many miles of paved bicycle paths so that I can ride for hours on end and even travel between the cities. Thank you to the police department for keeping us safe without turning into a militarized force - I appreciate their good work. • MORE PROGRAMS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS • More parks in our neighborhood: between Steptoe, cage and canyon • Increase the opportunity for retired persons to volunteer • I would like to see the 20 mile trail sponsored by Badger Mountain to be completed. I would also like to see the downtown areas revitalized (Uptown in particular). I know that there are private landowners, but it feels that they do not take care of their facilities (leaking roofs, peeling paint). I would like the Richland government to find a way to make these landowners more responsible. • i think that we need a year round indoor public swimming facility. it is a shame that a city like Richland and an area like the TriCities does not have multiple pools available to the public. • I REALLY FEEL A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE YOUTH IS THEY DON’T HAVE MUCH TO DO. AND THE RICHLAND SWIMMING POOL IS A ROTTEN SHAME BEING SO SMALL... AND WE DON’T HAVE SMALL KIDS OR GRAND KIDS.... BUT WE LIKE EM ALL ANYWAY.... • I am tired of the city planning growth for tourism...plan things for the residents to enjoy. We don’t need another “boutique” hotel. Ridiculous. Give us shops and restaurants for the locals to enjoy • How about city planning? There is a lot of growth/new people moving in to Horn Rapids development on 240. This area already has a lot of residential, but very few services. There is one business across the street: a trailer park. When I saw that they were developing the corner at 240 and 240 red lite, I was exited to see some much needed services. Imagine my disgust with the so-called planners when I saw what was coming: Another trailer park. Couldn’t this hot, desirable, business friendly corner have gotten some OTHER service than the one thing we don’t need and already have? This is the OPPOSITE of city planning. • Give the community some things to do; community events and arts center, facilities to be proud of;no more plays at high schools, but rather concerts and events that can have seats that are comfortable. • Get the parking off the street at the Badger Trailhead park. • Development of the shelter belt north of Jadwin/240 (trees, drinking fountains, etc)

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 49 KEY 6

• Areas for free off-road ATV activities. • A pedestrian and bike path between Horn Rapids development and Stevens drive. • 3 complaints: 1. As a professional artist I’m offended by the amount of money that is spent on community art projects. Like any viable business, good art does not need to be subsidized with tax money. I would like to see that money go elsewhere. No more public art. 2. I’m really upset about the blockage of Goethals by the sale to Kadlec. The lack of attention to something that serious seemed intentional and sneaky. -should have been on a ballot. I hope the counsel will be more sensitive in the future. 3. I do not use cannibals but I’m disappointed by the measures that would block businesses from legally selling products to adults. It is easier for youth to obtain drugs when there is a black market. we are inviting gangs into our communities by making marijuana harder to obtain legally. Praise: I’m pleased with the welcome of food trucks in the plaza. I wouldn’t mind seeing an expansion of parking at John Dam on the southside of the police station to accommodate even more trucks. Also open more areas north, closer to PNNL for these trucks. • Handicap in restroom is seldom available. No need to develop every open space. The collection services are excellent, however, many people within the city do not recycle because there is a charge for doing so. If there was some kind of an incentive (or no charge) to recycle, more people would have an interest in doing so and less trash would be going to our landfill each week. KONA AM Information is available if looking for it. We pray for their (RFD) safety, along with the patient, each time their service is noted. The area has an overabundance of fast food Mexican eateries. The area could use a homestyle restaurant (ie: Panera) and a place for pie and coffee (other than Sharis).

50 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 7

KEY 7: NEIGHBORHOODS & COMMUNITY SAFETY These open ended responses are presented as written without editing.

• Yes - enforce codes in our city streets, houses, yards, parked vehicles. I live two houses down from a complete fire trap, chicken wire fence, weeds everywhere, dogs pile racked into a pile and left, porch completely boarding a porch and painted primer white. People are moving out of my location because of this total mess of a house, yard and dead broken trees. • Would like to see them help home owners with the old government housing. Government Housing is 70 years old and it is showing. Maybe programs to help them upgrade this housing. • Upgrade the condition of the homes in the original Richland area. Lawns are unkept and houses allowed to be run down. Keep the John Day Plaza area neat. For example the food trailers distract from the appearance and usefulness of this area. Also uses up parking spaces. COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION STARTS ALONG GWW. • There is a need for senior housing, not only low income housing that is accessible to seniors. • The overhanging tree limbs on city streets should be raised or removed; especially north Jadwin, Hall Road and GWW in north Richland. • The City needs to improve the condition of the inner, older section of Richland. Many of the old “letter houses” are becoming rentals. Conditions deteriorate. Neighborhoods look shabby. • The city needs more attractive bldgs. One hotel on Geo Way has not maintained their property and it really makes the city look ugly. • The City is more interested in creating a high density tax base than it in maintaining the character of its neighborhoods. I live in Willowbrook Subdivision and we have been sold out by the city over and over. As far as this resident is concerned the quality of life in my neighborhood has deteriorated in recent years. • The #1 priority of the City should be the protection of citizen safety. So support for the Fire Department and Police Department should be given priority over other services. • spend more time and effort on the older part of RICHLAND and get some one to enforce the ordinances • Safety. • Safety in our neighborhoods • Safety and cleanliness are top priorities for my family and me. Handicapped access to events like ‘Art in the Park’ and recreational facilities are also important to us. • Safe exit from Hill’s Park • Quality of life, specifically parks, trails and open areas • public safety in our neighborhood’s • Preserving neighborhoods when businesses are being built around us. Example: Cherrywood and Applewood neighborhoods. • Parks and Recreational Management: Enforce leash laws as dog feces are very prevalent in the Parks. Fix broken water faucets. Fix fishing pier near Saint as it is patched by wood planks. • old richland instead of south richland. Revitalize the community and invest in making the neighbor hoods where people want to stay. Code enforcement or help with getting areas cleaned up. • Observed a lot more homeless people. I would like to see them helped more. Might help crime rate go down in our community. • Noted under law enforcement and neighborhood safety and apartment rental practices • no low income housing developments. Use existing home as low income rentals scattered across the city in middle class neighborhoods. Low income residence in middle class neighbor hood are more likely to work harder to be like their neighbors. Grouping low income residence together creates a environment of low expectations and crime because everyone they know is accepting hand outs and that is the norm and why work hard to excel.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 51 KEY 7

• More patrols on neighborhoods that have low income families, that seems to be a problem in my neighborhood for example, places to hang out and party nonproductive. • More consideration given to smart development, i.e. retaining access to and placing a lot more value on quickly disappearing natural open spaces/ green space due to rampant development with no clear planning standard in place. Public input, and even other Commission recommendations, very often seems ignored when it comes to Council and staff decisions. • Mail boxes in sidewalks are a safety issue especially for children and people with disabilities. • Just focusing on the landlords responsibilities to bring in good renters and be held accountable for rented properties. I have been subletting my home as I reside here for a while now. Always have great renters from Hanford but it won’t last if the neighborhoods look like trash. Improvement on Torbett street would be great it’s a mess and always has been, embarrassing actually. There isn’t a much speeding through the Torbett Kimball intersection, kudos!!! • Improving pedestrian safety. • Improving areas that have ran down, support local businesses and some of this may could be beneficial helping to discourage criminal influence ....The “Eye” symbol that is displayed at some residences is a good “sign” although most of us do not have installed alarm systems. • I would like to see the code enforcement have more impact on aging neighborhoods. The safety of the neighborhoods would benefit. Drug sales are happening in the neighborhoods that have parks and are run down. • I think that if we stopped thinking that we need so many cultural statues and things like that around the city and spent the money for more important things we could do so much better. I’d rather help the homeless people then have some stupid statue that you have to stand and discuss with someone for 10 minutes what the heck it even is. We need less culture and more down to earth things. • I live in a Richland Alphabet House neighborhood. I’ve been living in the same house for 10 years. During the last decade I feel that there has been a decline in the upkeep and care of many of the prperties and houses in my neigborhood. It this a real trend... or just pockets in the houses around my particular neighborhood? I’d like to see what the City of Richland goals are to encouraging Richland resisdents to keep these older alphabet houses in good repair. They are such a great part of the historic part of the community and they provide close commutes for the science communities on the North end of town. The revamping of several of the elementary schools is a great thing...I just hope the neighborhoods can stay “family” and community centered, rather than becoming more run-down and neglected in nature. • I do not want to see “old” Richland dry up and a place where only low income people live. You need to spend money to keep this area growing and have businesses where people from all over the Tri-Cities want to come...the vacant hotel on Geo Wash Way needs to be destroyed and have a new business go there like a Cheese Cake Factory....and there are several empty lots and empty buildings as you come in to town on Geo Way that need to be developed so that they look nicer...why haven’t these issues been addressed? You should want people to come to this end of town and keep it vital. • Get the gangs out! • Fight crime - the older parts of the city are aging, rentals are proliferating, and the low-lifes are moving in. Enforce the city’s zoning laws and those laws in place to prohibit trash and clutter in yards, to keep yards from being overgrown and weed infested. Fight for the property owner’s rights to a clean, well-kept and safe neighborhood. • emergency planning.Do not close any more streets ie the end of Lee which was done several years ago and the street near Kadlec done this fall. The traffic flow is bad already and closing streets makes more congestion. Kadlec needs to build a parking garage with a street cross over not close of streets for a private business. • Drug dealers and neighborhood crime. • Do something about the beggers at Winco • Creating a city environment that values all areas and residents, including developing and supporting central Richland. • Concentrate on the landlords who do not maintain their property, eliminate projects with no basis in the real world, such as expecting the Feds or state to bankroll a Dupertail bridge. Figure out how to invigorate GW Way • Community safety - see previous comments re panhandling

52 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT KEY 7

• Comment: Safety should always come first in everything we do, personally or professionally. Seems to me many of the key items are linked, i.e., financial stability and targeted investments go hand-in-hand. Economic vitality has much to do with employment and job growth and how the City officials budget incoming dollars. Community Amenities are extremely important to all of the residents I know and to me. For all of these reasons, my ratings are not a true reflection of my priorities. • Code enforcement, especially in the old part of town. Make the slum lords responsible for code violations to their property. • Code enforcement rules enforced more often • City council needs to focus on supporting the aging population of the community, singles, and families not involving children. The city needs to be careful in its planning and support so that it is diverse. The wine industry like all industries will tank and the city needs to be looking beyond that to keep tourist coming here. We are an aging infrastructure but there are other ways to control some issues not just building something new. Several years ago the water lines were upgrades in the neighbor hoods without digging up some streets. The technology, crews and overall planning is an example of a successful project. The addition of parking on Lee Blvd was not. The spaces are not used enough to justify the cost and now making turns into and out of some business parking areas is more dangerous because if there is a car or larger vehicle parked on the road you can not see around them easily which leads to having to inch out into traffic further before turning, and blocking the sidewalks. • Better relations v police and public. Improved relations with surrounding cities. Better communications with city and citizens • Better Code Violation. I think that the Officers of Code Violation good do more instead of just leaving it to the public to make Viloation reports. • befor you give developers the go ahead, at least send someone out to see what these people r going to do and if you would like that done in your neighbor. Don’t let contactors do work in richland if they have ruin someones property before.( which happen to me and took 2 years and lawyer fees to get a simple problem solved.) Make developers, contractors, and subcontractors accountable for there actions instead of taking the money and run. City of Richland is just as guilty for not checking up on these people after giving them building permits and contracts. White Bluffs elementary school is right behind me and i could not believe that the parents of these kids did not complain about all the dirt and dust that was hitting that school due to these contractors not watering to keep the dust and dirt down. I’m retired but called the Clean Air Authority of Benton county(phone 783-1304) quite a few times but that did no good. Maybe the city of Richland cares enough about there children n old people to do something about these contractors running amuck. • As I wrote awhile a back, my main concern is the shape some homes are in. But was told the city could do nothing about this. I find it sad that a slum area cannot be halted and really sad that if the home is a rental, the owner cannot be accountable. Have had ambulance service several times in my life. Always very good. Only remember calling police once, had fast and good help them. • Affordable housing, including upgrading substandard housing. • Adopt municipal code putting a stop to panhandling in the City of Richland for the safety of our residents and visitors. Nearly daily there is a panhandler at the street entrance to Win-Co and Wellsian Way entrance to McDonald’s and Fred Meyer. These panhandlers have been seen shopping in Fred Meyer purchasing alcoholic drinks. There are many homeless shelters and nonprofits available to help these individuals if they truly are in need. Please do not increase the rate for the blue recycle bin. Do not do roundabouts at Wright and Thayer intersections for new proposed Duportail Street connection with Wellsian Way. School buses and Ben Franklin Transit buses go through those intersections several times a day and roundabouts would be hazardous. The preferred traffic intersection method is stop lights and if not stop lights then four-way stop signs. Need right turn out lane heading south off 240 Bypass and Duportail. • (1) City infrastructure: “old Richland” interior where there are still no sidewalks; “old central Richland” where the double utility poles and light poles provide visual blight (Stevens Drive north of Williams and George Washington Way north of McMurray are excellent examples). It’s really time to get out of the WWII temporary building mentality and bury the electrical infrastructure. (2) Get rid of the awful food trucks at John Dam Plaza. Focus needs to be placed on permanent establishments in the same locale that give back, like: Ethos Bakery, Frost Me Sweet, Stone Soup, etc. (3) If Key 2 and Key 1 are worked at high priority, the balance of the other Keys will come (4) The city pool should be upgraded to a 50m by 25 yd pool that could be used by a greater number of groups, including swim competitions that bring families with cash to spend.

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 53

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 55 CITY OF RICHLAND COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING OFFICE PO Box 190, MS-39 Telephone (509) 942-7386 Fax (509) 942-7379

Thank you for requesting a copy of the City of Richland’s 2014 Community Survey.

On behalf of the Richland City Council and staff, we appreciate your interest in Richland’s future.

Please feel welcome to use more than the white boxes provided to respond to the questions about suggestions for the Strategic Leadership Plan.

If you have any questions about this survey, please call the Communications and Marketing Office at 942-7386.

Please return your completed survey by December 31, 2014. You may drop it off at Richland City Hall or mail it in the enclosed envelope.

Thank you!!

56 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT

Welcome to the City of Richland's 2014 Community Survey!

This survey should take less than 10 minutes of your time. If you need to leave the survey, you may close it and return to it from the same computer.

Your participation in this survey will help the Richland City Council and staff plan Richland's future.

All survey results will be available in January on the City's website at www.ci.richland.wa.us; some survey results will be included in the 2014 Annual Performance Report, available in early 2015.

Thank you in advance for your time!

Satisfaction Levels

As you think about the City of Richland, please rate your satisfaction level with each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Safety In Your Neighborhood nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Overall Library Services nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Overall Parks Services nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Overall Recreation Services nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Cleanliness Of Streets nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Water Quality nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

The City As A Place To Live nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Direction The City Is Now Headed nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

The City’s Future Planning nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Pavement Condition nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Availability and Safety of Sidewalks nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Solid Waste Collection Services nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

City Information

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 57 As you think about the City of Richland, please indicate where you obtain information about city services, programs and projects. (Choose as many as apply.)

gfedc CityView TV (Cable Channel 192 and Streaming)

gfedc City of Richland Facebook Page

gfedc City of Richland Twitter Account

gfedc City of Richland Website

gfedc City of Richland YouTube Channel

gfedc Printed City Materials

gfedc Richland Utility Bill Inserts

gfedc Local Newspaper

gfedc Local Radio Station

gfedc Local TV Station

As a Richland resident, please indicate how informed you are about city services, programs and projects.

nmlkj Very Well Informed

nmlkj Somewhat Informed

nmlkj Not Informed

Ambulance Services

Did you or someone in your household use the Richland Ambulance Services (EMS) within the past 12 months?

nmlkj Yes

nmlkj No

Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of Richland Ambulance Services (EMS).

nmlkj Excellent

nmlkj Good

nmlkj Fair

nmlkj Poor

Fire Department Services

58 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT Did you or someone in your household use the services of the Richland Fire Department within the past 12 months?

nmlkj Yes

nmlkj No

Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of the Richland Fire Department.

nmlkj Excellent

nmlkj Good

nmlkj Fair

nmlkj Poor

Police Services

Did you or someone in your household have contact with the Richland Police Department within the past 12 months?

nmlkj Yes

nmlkj No

Based on your experience, please indicate your satisfaction level with the services of the Richland Police Department.

nmlkj Excellent

nmlkj Good

nmlkj Fair

nmlkj Poor

Public Safety

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 59 Please rank these potential community issues from 1 (most concerned) to 7 (least concerned); use each number only once. Most Least Concerned 2 3 4 5 6 Concerned 1 7 Gangs nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Illegal Drugs nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Traffic Behavior (Speeding, Running Stop Signs, Etc.) nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Traffic Congestion nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Vandalism nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Vehicle Prowls nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Overall Criminal Activity nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Other (Please Specify) 5

6

What changes does your household suggest to improve the services of the Richland Police Department? 5

6

Dollars at Work

Your city utility and tax dollars help pay for police and fire protection, water, sewer, garbage, stormwater and electric utilities, long and short­range planning not including capital projects, parks and recreation facilities and programs, maintenance of city streets and public facilities, and library services. The 2014 estimated cost is $241.

With this in mind, please answer the following question.

What value is your household receiving for your City dollars?

nmlkj Excellent

nmlkj Good

nmlkj Fair

nmlkj Poor

Strategic Priorities ­ Future Planning

In 2008, Richland City Council and staff took the first steps on a journey of transformation to make our local government more responsive and effective for you and future residents.

Based on what our citizens told us, through previous community surveys, at public meetings, in e­mails and phone calls, we visualized Richland in the year 2030. Then, we created a Strategic Leadership Plan to reach that vision.

60 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT Our plan depends on “Seven Keys To Unlock Our Future.” These Keys are (1) Financial Stability and Operational Effectiveness, (2) Infrastructure and Facilities, (3) Economic Vitality, (4) Targeted Investments, (5) Natural Resources Management, (6) Community Amenities, and (7) Neighborhoods and Community Safety.

You can find more information about the keys and their objectives on the City’s website at www.ci.richland.wa.us.

As your household considers Richland’s Strategic Leadership Plan, please rank in order, starting with the number 1 as your highest priority, the seven key areas you would like the Richland City Council to focus on in 2015­2017.

Please note: You will only be able to use each number once. Highest Lowest 2 3 4 5 6 Priority ­ 1 Priority ­ 7 Key 1: Financial Stability and Operational Effectiveness nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 2: Infrastructure and Facilities nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 3: Economic Vitality nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 4: Targeted Investments nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 5: Natural Resources Management nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 6: Community Amenities nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Key 7: Neighborhoods and Community Safety nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Are there specific goals you would like Council and staff to focus on in 2015­2017? 5

6

Demographics

This information will help ensure that this survey reflects a cross­section of Richland’s population. Please help by providing the following information.

What is your age?

nmlkj Under 21

nmlkj 21­39

nmlkj 40­64

nmlkj 65­80

nmlkj Over 80

COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT 61 How long have you lived in Richland?

nmlkj Less than 1 year

nmlkj 1­5 years

nmlkj 6­10 years

nmlkj 11­20 years

nmlkj 21­35 years

nmlkj 36­50 years

nmlkj More than 50 years

*In which area of Richland do you live?

nmlkj North of Williams

nmlkj South of Williams and north (or east) of the Yakima River

nmlkj South (or west) of the Yakima River

Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this community survey!

62 COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT

2014 COMMUNITY SURVEY An assessment by citizens of Richland’s Strategic Leadership Plan.

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING OFFICE 505 Swift Blvd. | Richland, WA 99352 509-942-7386 | ci.richland.wa.us