Thank you for participating in the 2024 Town of Calmar Public Satisfaction & Budget Survey. The Town is excited to be undertaking this process, helping us to gain deeper insights into how residents feel about current service delivery, and other areas of public impact, from your municipal government.

Your participation in this survey is important in continuing to serve the community, and will help us understand what is working currently and what areas might need some adjustments to best meet your needs. Engagement results will be analyzed and presented to Council, and provided to Administration, to help drive further progress in Town.

Before completing this survey, we ask that you please review the following information that will provide relevant context for this survey.
Our Current Situation
The Town of Calmar offers a variety of services for residents, which are specific to municipal government, such as:
  • Road maintenance within Town limits
  • Snow removal
  • Water distribution
  • Sewer and stormwater management
  • Solid waste and recycling collection
  • Parks, trails and playgrounds
  • Recreation and culture amenities, such as the Mike Karbonik Arena and the Calmar Program Centre
  • Bylaws and policies
  • Bylaw Enforcement, including Community Peace Officers
  • Emergency Services, Fire Services
  • Business licenses
  • Community planning and development
This survey aims to gauge how satisfied you are with the services provided by the Town of Calmar. In addition to exploring local services, we have also included some questions specific to municipal budgeting, ahead of Budget 2025 deliberations.

This is done with the knowledge that increasing service levels, for example, would likely required increased funding, which would bear an impact on the budget. Simultaneously, the Town – like all municipalities across Alberta – are adjusting to reduced funding from other levels of government and increased infrastructure demands, among other cost pressures being experienced by everyone, such as inflation.

The combination of community needs, increased costs, and reduced funding means the Town budget has to be developed responsibly, with a significant amount of thought and consideration to balance what meets your needs as residents now, and what will best serve the community into the future.

We are truly interested in hearing your thoughts and input on this important process! Your opinion matters. Thank you for being engaged.
SURVEY – PART 1
Knowing the demographics of those responding to this survey helps to add context to the responses in many ways. Please respond to the following questions:

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* 1. Are you currently a ratepayer in the Town of Calmar?

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* 2. Current connection to Calmar

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* 3. Age

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* 4. Do you currently have children under the age of 18?

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* 5. If yes, please select the current age categories of your child/children. (Select all that apply)

PART 2

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* 6. This portion of the survey pertains to living in the Town of Calmar. For each question, please select your level of agreement on a scale ranging from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree.”

  Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral/Unsure Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree
The Town of Calmar is a great place to live.
The Town of Calmar is a safe community.
The Town of Calmar is a good place to raise children.
The Town of Calmar is a good place to retire.
The Town of Calmar is a good place to do business.
The Town of Calmar is a welcoming community.
The Town of Calmar meets its residents’ needs.

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* 7. What is your current interest level in volunteering within the Town of Calmar?

Part 3

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* 8. The following questions pertain to current services offered by the Town. For each question, please select your satisfaction level, on a scale ranging from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.”

  Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Don't know / I don't use this service
Bylaw Enforcement (ie. animal control, traffic, property standards)
Community Beautification
Community Emergency Preparedness
Economic Development & Business Attraction
Emergency Services (fire & ambulance)
Family & Community Support Services (FCSS)
Parks, Trail & Open Spaces Infrastructure & Maintenance
Recreation & Culture Facilities (ie. Mike Karbonik Arena, Calmar Program Centre, Ball Diamonds, etc.)
Snow Removal & Winter Maintenance
Summer Road & Sidewalk Maintenance
Town-produced Events (ie. Calmar Days, Christmas in the Park)
Town-produced Public Programs (ie. pickleball, volleyball, public skating & shinny hockey)
Utilities (ie. water, wastewater)
Waste and recycling collection

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* 9. How aware of the Town’s actions to address abandoned and orphaned wells?

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* 10. How satisfied are you with the Town’s actions to address abandoned and orphaned wells?

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* 11. Please share any additional suggestions or thoughts specific to Town services and/or programs. (Optional)

PART 4
The following questions pertain to various budget considerations for the Town of Calmar, when looking at future budgeting.

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* 12. As the Town of Calmar prepares for the future, which of the following is most important to you?

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* 13. Recognizing the delicate balance between municipal services, the need for infrastructure investment and taxation, which statement best represents your opinion?

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* 14. For each of the following Town services and programs, please tell us if the Town should increase, decrease, or maintain service levels. While doing so, please keep in mind that a change in service levels may change the resident experience in receiving these services, and may require a shift in funding.

  Increase Service Levels Maintain Service Levels Decrease Service Levels
Bylaw Enforcement (ie. animal control, traffic, property standards)
Community Beautification
Community Emergency Preparedness
Economic Development & Business Attraction
Emergency Services (fire and ambulance)
Family & Community Support Services (FCSS)
Parks, Trail & Open Spaces Infrastructure & Maintenance
Recreation & Culture Facilities (ie. Mike Karbonik Arena, Calmar Program Centre, Ball Diamonds, etc.)
Snow Removal & Winter Maintenance
Summer Road & Sidewalk Maintenance
Town-produced Events (ie. Calmar Days, Christmas in the Park)
Town-produced Public Programs (ie. pickleball, volleyball, public skating & shinny hockey)
Utilities (ie. water, wastewater)
Waste and recycling collection

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* 15. Please share any additional suggestions or thoughts you have with regards to the Town of Calmar’s municipal budgeting. (Optional)

PART 5
The following questions pertain to how you communicate with the Town of Calmar.

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* 16. For each of the following statements, provide a rating on a scale ranging fromg “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree.”

  Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree / Don't Know Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree
The Town of Calmar communicates effectively with the community on a variety of topics.
The Town of Calmar communicates effectively through potential emergencies, such as wildfires or flooding.
The Town of Calmar’s website is easy to navigate.
I know where to find what I’m looking for on the Town of Calmar’s website.
The Town communicates information that matters to me on a consistent basis.
The Town communicates information in a manner that is easy to understand.
I feel informed of the work being undertaken by Council.

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* 17. The following list includes the numerous ways in which the Town of Calmar communicates with the public. Please let us know which communications avenue you prefer or use most frequently. (Select all that apply)

END OF SURVEY
Thank you for participating in the Town of Calmar’s Public Satisfaction & Budget Survey. We appreciate that you’ve taken the time to express your opinions, and we truly value your input.

As noted, our next steps in this process include analyzing survey results and developing a report that reflects those responses, to be provided to Town Administration and Council. The Town is working hard to meet the needs of residents and of the community, now and into the future, and your involvement in this effort is invaluable.

Thank you.

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