Click this link to optimize Vestavia Hills Listens for screen readers Skip to Content
Vestavia Hills Listens
Opengov
Citizen Survey 2019

What are your priorities for 2019?

This topic is closed

334 registered responses


In what area of Vestavia Hills do you reside?

Response Percent Response Count
Cahaba Heights (zoned for VH Elementary Cahaba Heights) 19.5% 65
Liberty Park (zoned for VH Elementary Liberty Park) 14.7% 49
South (Hwy 31 from the Columbiana Rd area, including Tyler Rd, to City Hall; and Rocky Ridge Rd area from Wisteria Dr to Tanglewood, including sections of Dolly Ridge Rd that are not zoned for VHECH) 43.1% 144
North (Hwy 31 from City Hall to Shades Crest Rd; and Rocky Ridge Rd from Tanglewood to Shades Crest Rd) 22.8% 76

Please rank the following, using a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 = very satisfied and 1 = very dissatisfied:

Quality of public safety services (e.g. fire, police, ambulance)
Response Percent Response Count
5 74.8% 249
4 18.3% 61
3 6.0% 20
2 0.6% 2
1 0.3% 1
Quality of public library facilities and services
Response Percent Response Count
5 57.1% 190
4 27.3% 91
3 7.8% 26
2 3.3% 11
1 3.6% 12
Quality of City communication with residents
Response Percent Response Count
5 24.3% 81
4 36.9% 123
3 31.2% 104
2 6.0% 20
1 1.2% 4
Quality of parks & recreation facilities
Response Percent Response Count
5 10.8% 36
4 26.4% 88
3 38.4% 128
2 16.8% 56
1 6.6% 22
Quality of parks & recreation programs
Response Percent Response Count
5 13.2% 44
4 29.4% 98
3 36.9% 123
2 13.5% 45
1 3.0% 10
Quality of City streets
Response Percent Response Count
5 4.5% 15
4 26.4% 88
3 36.3% 121
2 24.6% 82
1 7.8% 26
Overall quality of services provided by the City
Response Percent Response Count
5 16.5% 55
4 50.5% 168
3 27.3% 91
2 3.9% 13
1 1.2% 4

Following is a list of CITY SERVICES that are continually reviewed for improvement. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:

Average priorities over 334 responses

  1. Maintenance of City streets & facilities

    Maintenance of City streets & facilities

  2. Flow of traffic/congestion management

    Flow of traffic/congestion management

  3. Quality of City parks & recreation programs/facilities

    Quality of City parks & recreation programs/facilities

  4. Quality of public safety services

    Quality of public safety services

  5. City stormwater runoff/management plan

    City stormwater runoff/management plan

  6. Communications with the public

    Communications with the public

  7. Enforcement of City codes & ordinances

    Enforcement of City codes & ordinances

  8. Quality of public library facilities/services

    Quality of public library facilities/services

  9. Quality of customer service from City employees

    Quality of customer service from City employees

Following is a list of PARKS & RECREATION services that are continually reviewed for improvement. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:

Average priorities over 334 responses

  1. Number of walking/biking trails

    Number of walking/biking trails

  2. Community recreational facilities

    Community recreational facilities

  3. Maintenance of City parks

    Maintenance of City parks

  4. Swimming pool

    Swimming pool

  5. Number of City parks

    Number of City parks

  6. Youth athletic programs

    Youth athletic programs

  7. Outdoor athletic fields

    Outdoor athletic fields

  8. Adult recreational programs

    Adult recreational programs

  9. Fees for recreational programs

    Fees for recreational programs

  10. Fees for athletic programs

    Fees for athletic programs

  11. Adult athletic programs

    Adult athletic programs

  12. Ease of program registration

    Ease of program registration

Following is a list of CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS that are continually evaluated. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:

Average priorities over 334 responses

  1. Sidewalk extensions

    Sidewalk extensions

  2. Street reconstruction

    Street reconstruction

  3. Parks

    Parks

  4. Traffic calming

    Traffic calming

  5. Stormwater system improvements

    Stormwater system improvements

  6. Greenways

    Greenways

  7. Traffic signal replacement/upgrade

    Traffic signal replacement/upgrade

Have you heard/read the details of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces Plan?

Response Percent Response Count
Yes 62.0% 207
No 38.0% 127

Do you feel that the status of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces Plan is adequately available and communicated in a timely fashion?

Response Percent Response Count
Yes 66.4% 204
No 33.6% 103

If no, how would you prefer to receive updates/information other than newsletter, newspaper (Vestavia Voice & Over the Mountain Journal), website and/or social media?

Answered
93
Skipped
241

Do you patronize the Library in the Forest?

Response Percent Response Count
Yes 62.3% 208
No 37.7% 126

If no, why? (select all that apply)

Response Percent Response Count
Do not need services 33.3% 43
Facility is not conveniently located 49.6% 64
Materials I want/need are not available 1.6% 2
Programs I am interested in are not offered 4.7% 6
Other 24.0% 31

Would you be willing to make a monetary donation toward building a satellite branch of the Vestavia Hills Library in Cahaba Heights or Liberty Park?

Response Percent Response Count
Yes 27.8% 92
No 72.2% 239

When did you last visit the Library in the Forest?

Response Percent Response Count
I have not visited the Library in the Forest 16.9% 56
In the past 90 days 46.7% 155
In the past 3-6 months 11.4% 38
In the past 6-9 months 9.0% 30
In the past 12 months 16.0% 53

What services have you utilized at the Library in the Forest? (select all that apply)

Response Percent Response Count
Digital services/online only 27.6% 77
Check out materials: books, DVDs, music, video games, etc. 75.6% 211
Attend Children’s program/event 39.4% 110
Attend Teen program/event 6.1% 17
Attend Adult program/event 9.3% 26
Attend Tech program/event 3.2% 9
Attend Makerspace program/event 3.2% 9
Attend an event/meeting 21.9% 61
Other 14.7% 41

What programs/services do you feel the Library in the Forest should offer to better serve the community?

Answered
70
Skipped
264

What is your favorite thing about the Library in the Forest (how does the library meet or exceed your expectations)?

Answered
126
Skipped
208

Which of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces projects is most important to you?

Response Percent Response Count
Wald Park 34.6% 111
Sidewalks 43.6% 140
Cahaba Heights ball fields 3.4% 11
Liberty Park ball field 6.2% 20
New Merkel House 2.8% 9
Community Building 9.3% 30
Tracy Mountain inside Cahaba Heights
January 29, 2019, 4:20 PM
  • In what area of Vestavia Hills do you reside?
    • Cahaba Heights (zoned for VH Elementary Cahaba Heights)
  • Please rank the following, using a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 = very satisfied and 1 = very dissatisfied:
    • Quality of public safety services (e.g. fire, police, ambulance) - 4
    • Quality of public library facilities and services - 2
    • Quality of City communication with residents - 2
    • Quality of parks & recreation facilities - 3
    • Quality of parks & recreation programs - 3
    • Quality of City streets - 2
    • Overall quality of services provided by the City - 3
  • Following is a list of CITY SERVICES that are continually reviewed for improvement. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:

    1. Maintenance of City streets & facilities

      Maintenance of City streets & facilities

    2. Communications with the public

      Communications with the public

    3. Quality of public library facilities/services

      Quality of public library facilities/services

    4. Quality of customer service from City employees

      Quality of customer service from City employees
  • Following is a list of PARKS & RECREATION services that are continually reviewed for improvement. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:
    No response.
  • Following is a list of CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS that are continually evaluated. Please prioritize this list to indicate the order in which emphasis should be placed by City leaders/staff in 2019:

    1. Sidewalk extensions

      Sidewalk extensions
  • Have you heard/read the details of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces Plan?
    • Yes
  • Do you feel that the status of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces Plan is adequately available and communicated in a timely fashion?
    • No
  • If no, how would you prefer to receive updates/information other than newsletter, newspaper (Vestavia Voice & Over the Mountain Journal), website and/or social media?

    You should email or mail residents about information/dates/getting input/etc

  • Do you patronize the Library in the Forest?
    • No
  • If no, why? (select all that apply)
    • Facility is not conveniently located
    • Other - When you make appointments with people at the library, they are good with ditching appointments without communication or concern. And it’s a long haul for me, for that kind of attitude and tax money.
  • Would you be willing to make a monetary donation toward building a satellite branch of the Vestavia Hills Library in Cahaba Heights or Liberty Park?
    • Yes
  • When did you last visit the Library in the Forest?
    • In the past 90 days
  • What services have you utilized at the Library in the Forest? (select all that apply)
    • Digital services/online only
    • Other - Tried to get a document notarized with an appointment, but was stood up.
  • What programs/services do you feel the Library in the Forest should offer to better serve the community?

    I would love to participate in some adult programs such as book club or makers classes if there was a Cahaba Heights location.

  • What is your favorite thing about the Library in the Forest (how does the library meet or exceed your expectations)?

    It’s beautiful

  • Which of the Infrastructure & Community Spaces projects is most important to you?
    • Sidewalks
Vestavia Hills Listens is not a certified voting system or ballot box. As with any public comment process, participation in Vestavia Hills Listens is voluntary. The responses in this record are not necessarily representative of the whole population, nor do they reflect the opinions of any government agency or elected officials.

Your answers will NOT be saved

This is the form that was used to collect responses. It's here so you can try it and see how it worked when the topic was open.

The topic is now closed, and anything you enter into this form will not be saved.

Sign in and be yourself

Sign in and let others know who you are and what you think. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.

Read more about privacy >

Sign in and be someone

Sign in and let others know what you think. Only OpenGov will know who you are. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.

Read more about privacy >
* required

Be anonymous

Even though your response will be shared with staff, it won’t be shown on this public website so other community members won’t have the opportunity to see it.

Concerned about sharing your contact information with OpenGov?

Read more about privacy >

Read more about privacy >

What are my options to participate?

Vestavia Hills Listens has two participation channels:

  • The Registered Channel: Sign in before or just after you submit your response. Either way, Community Feedback will show your response on this website.
  • The Unregistered Channel: Don't sign in and remain anonymous. Community Feedback will just share your response with Vestavia Hills staff.

Note: The first time you sign in, you'll need to register (establish an account on Vestavia Hills Listens). Registration is free.

Why do I need to sign in to show my response on this website?

The City of Vestavia Hills has contracted with Community Feedback to monitor responses shown on this website.

  • To prevent any single user from dominating the forum, the City of Vestavia Hills restricts the number of responses any one user can post on selected topics. Registration helps Community Feedback enforce this restriction.
  • Users, staff and government leaders often want to know the neighborhood from which a response is posted. Community Feedback uses registration to show the neighborhood next to each response (not the address).
  • If a user posts a response that does not meet the City of Vestavia Hills guidelines for civility, Community Feedback uses the user's email address to invite the user to resolve the issue.
I'm concerned about privacy. Who will get my contact information and what will they use it for?

Community Feedback will get your contact information. The company is under contract with the City of Vestavia Hills to hold it in strict confidence per their privacy policy.

What other benefits do I get from signing in?
  • Since you'll see your own response on Vestavia Hills Listens, you'll be able to confirm that your response was posted as you intended.
  • You'll be able to change and/or delete your response as long as the topic is open.
I'm still very concerned about privacy. Is there a way for me to submit a response without registering?

Yes. Sign out, then set your privacy preference to be "No - just show it without my name to staff". You won't need to register.

What prevents an unregistered user from submitting multiple anonymous responses?

While no authentication procedure can perfectly detect every fraudulent registration, Community Feedback is able to secure the registered channel against systematic fraud: cases where users submit enough statements with fraudulent registrations to sway the overall interpretation of the feedback.

Community Feedback is unable to secure the unregistered channel against systematic fraud, because unregistered users are anonymous.

Neither the registered nor the unregistered channel represent a certified voting system or ballot box - and that caveat is footnoted on every page of feedback. Instead, both are additional channels for feedback to government.

Why are there two participation channels?

Users can participate on the registered channel (by signing in) or on the unregistered channel (by remaining anonymous). The City of Vestavia Hills offers both channels in order to broaden participation and maximize decision makers' insights.

The registered channel enables users to assure decision makers that their feedback comes from a real person in a specific neighborhood. It also enables users to participate in a public discussion on the website, as well as manage their own response after posting it.

The unregistered channel is for users who want to provide quick feedback without registering, and/or whose privacy concerns would prevent them from participating if required to register. Because many users with valuable insights will only share them anonymously, this channel gives decision makers the option to consider those insights in their deliberations.

What is OpenGov?

OpenGov is a non-partisan company whose mission is to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government. The City of Vestavia Hills has contracted with OpenGov to administer Vestavia Hills Listens.

* required
5
4
3
2
1
Quality of public safety services (e.g. fire, police, ambulance)
Quality of public library facilities and services
Quality of City communication with residents
Quality of parks & recreation facilities
Quality of parks & recreation programs
Quality of City streets
Overall quality of services provided by the City
Item Up Down Remove
Item Up Down Remove

Maintenance of City streets & facilities

Quality of City parks & recreation programs/facilities

Quality of public safety services

Communications with the public

Flow of traffic/congestion management

City stormwater runoff/management plan

Enforcement of City codes & ordinances

Quality of customer service from City employees

Quality of public library facilities/services

Item Up Down Remove
Item Up Down Remove

Fees for recreational programs

Outdoor athletic fields

Swimming pool

Ease of program registration

Maintenance of City parks

Fees for athletic programs

Number of walking/biking trails

Adult athletic programs

Number of City parks

Youth athletic programs

Adult recreational programs

Community recreational facilities

Item Up Down Remove
Item Up Down Remove

Traffic calming

Street reconstruction

Stormwater system improvements

Sidewalk extensions

Parks

Traffic signal replacement/upgrade

Greenways

Choose at most 5 options
Choose at most 9 options
Check out our guidelines for civility

Fields marked with * are required

Back to Intro