Hutchinson

2015 Live / Work Community Survey

Report September 2015

We would like to give special thanks for the support that was provided for this

project by:

www.hutchcf.org

Table of Contents

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 1

Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 2

Processes & Procedures ........................................................................................................... 3

KEY FINDINGS

Overview .................................................................................................................................. 4

Most Important Issues ............................................................................................................. 5

SURVEY RESPONSES

General Demographics of Respondents .................................................................................. 6

Live / Work Choices ................................................................................................................. 9

Overall Satisfaction with the Community ............................................................................... 14

Satisfaction with Community Services ..................................................................................... 18

Housing: Demographics & Perceptions ................................................................................... 27

Constructive Criticism from Citizens ........................................................................................ 33

FOCUS GROUP

Summary of Discussions .......................................................................................................... 37

Results ...................................................................................................................................... 38

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

Objectives

The initial purpose of this project was to research the live / work trends within Hutchinson and

Reno County. Specifically, the study was to focus on characterizing the reasons given by

Hutchinson and Reno County employees as to why they chose to live within the community or chose to

live in another community outside of the city / county. After completing the preliminary research,

the determination was made to expand the scope of the study. The expanded focus was aimed

at exploring the general level of community satisfaction, and to gather thoughts and feedback

from individuals on how they perceived their community, which included any ideas they had for

making the community better.

A coalition of community organizations collaborated to initiate this research and analysis. Lead by the

Hutchinson | Reno County Chamber of Commerce, with additional support from the

Hutchinson Community Foundation, the Kansas Rural Housing Coalition and the Kansas

Leadership Center were chosen to develop, administer, and complete the study. Jason Van Sickle

(Founder, Kansas Rural Housing Coalition) and Matt Jordan (Co-Founder, Kansas Leadership Center)

worked on the project. Both the Kansas Rural Housing Coalition and the Kansas Leadership

Center donated time and resources to match the funding provided by the Chamber and the

Community Foundation.

What follows is the report that resulted from a community survey and a focus group. This data

will provide a basis from which community decisions and programming can be developed to better

address the needs of Hutchinson citizens and/or workers. This information is anticipated to be

valuable to any number of community organizations, including: the Hutchinson / Reno County Chamber

of Commerce, Hutchinson Community Foundation, Hutchinson Housing Commission, Reno County, the

City of Hutchinson, the City of South Hutchinson, Hutchinson businesses, and private or nonprofit

community organizations.

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Methodology This report was based on an initial online survey that was open to the public. Notice of the survey was

made through a meeting with business and community leaders, e-mails to Chamber businesses, and

advertisements in the local newspaper. The result was 562 responses being submitted between July

12th and August 12, 2015. The survey consisted of 33 questions, the questions were multiple choice,

and the opportunity was given to all respondents to provide qualitative feedback in the form off

“additional comments”.

In addition to the survey, a focus group was also held in order to gather additional qualitative data. The

focus group participants were chosen from the population that responded to the survey. In the survey,

individuals were asked if they would be willing to participate in a focus group. Of the 562 respondents,

187 (33%) expressed a willingness to participate. From those individuals, several dozen were randomly

chosen to be invited to the focus group, and (of those who were invited) 8 individuals ended up

attending the event.

In addition to the results of the survey and the focus group, additional data was gathered, compiled, and

analyzed from the U.S. Census Bureau. That data included information from the decennial census and

the annual research and analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

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Processes & Procedures

Survey Development: The coalition of partners initiating this study worked together to create a public

survey. One objective in the development stage was to create a survey instrument that did not limit

participant responses to specific issues (housing, for example). The goal was to openly solicit both

positive and negative feedback about any factors that could influence living / work location decisions,

and to compile general feedback on individual’s perceptions of the quality of life within the community.

Survey Administration: Mr. Van Sickle and Mr. Jordan administered the survey to Reno County

employers and employees, with the support of the Hutchinson | Reno Chamber of Commerce. This

included an initial in-person conversation with local business leaders to gain community support for the

project. It also included the utilization of the Chamber’s ability to distribute information to local

businesses, and the use to the local newspaper to advertise to the general public the opportunity to

participate in the survey. The survey was posted on the Chamber website for a period of one month,

and during that time it was open to any individual who wanted to submit responses. E-mail addresses

were required to take the survey, which helped to ensure that only one set of responses were received

from each individual.

Data Collection: The survey responses that were received from the 562 respondents generated 6,364

data points. This data was initially compiled and analyzed in order to get an overview of the types and

frequencies of responses. In addition to the quantitative data, qualitative information was also

collected through the survey, and that information was supplemented by the insights gained from the

subsequent focus group.

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KEY FINDINGS

Overview

Overall, the results of the survey should be viewed in the context of a largely positive and optimistic

community that sees ways in which Hutchinson can continue to grow and improve. The general

perception toward the City of Hutchinson, and the corresponding attitudes toward living and working in

the community, tended to be very good. For example:

• 95% expressed a positive feeling associated with living in Hutchinson;

• 67% felt the quality of life was as good or better than when they moved to the community; and

• 66% rated the quality of life as being “good” or “very good” in Hutchinson.

With regard to comments provided by respondents, the majority of respondents:

• Used positive language (words like clean, friendly, safe, etc.) to describe Hutchinson;

• Had an optimistic view of the community; and

• Viewed any negative sentiments associated with living in Hutchinson (e.g., lack of community

amenities found in larger cities) as being outweighed by the benefits.

Of the things that people liked most about Hutchinson, the following ranked #1 more than the other

attributes that people saw as positive aspects of the community:

• 61% valued the ease of commute to and from work;

• 57% enjoyed the community’s parks, trails, and recreational facilities; and

• 52% valued Hutchinson as a “friendly community”.

With regard to specific city services:

• 96% viewed the city as doing an adequate to excellent job at keeping the community clean;

• 94% were neural or positive with regard to the City’s parks and open spaces; and

• 89% felt that the level of police services ranged from adequate to excellent.

In terms of public schools and youth programs:

• Public schools were ranked #1 in terms of importance when it came to community services;

• 83% had a neutral to very positive view of the quality of the school system; and

• Many individuals expressed a desire to see a continued, or possibly increased, focus on the

children and youth in the community.

The general perception of life in Hutchinson was positive. However, as with any community, there were

a number of issues that individuals felt could be improved. For example:

• 70% expressed a desire to see more retail within the community;

• 66% would like to see more entertainment and nightlife options; and

• 53% see a need for more diverse employment opportunities.

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Most Important Issues

One theme that was not anticipated but reoccurred during comments and discussions was a concern

about the level of city and county taxes. Taxes were not an issue that was address in the survey

questions, because the primary focus of the study was initially to explore live / work trends that relate

to the public perception of community jobs and amenities. However, it is recommended that more

research be done on the specific attitudes and concerns of citizens in Hutchinson and Reno County, with

regard to the issue of taxation and related municipal government spending.

In terms of the top motivations for why people chose to live in Hutchinson:

• 44% grew up in the community;

• 20% moved to the community for a job; and

• 17% moved to the community to be with, or follow, a spouse.

Of those individuals that work in Hutchinson:

• 75% live in Hutchinson;

• Of those who did not live in Hutchinson, 95% choose to live somewhere else because they

prefer to live in the country or in a smaller community; and

• Only 5% of respondents prefer to live in a bigger city.

In terms of the top three city services that people viewed as most important:

• The majority of respondents (53%) chose the quality of public schools as most important;

• The second place choice (33%) was police services; and

• The third choice (7%) was the maintenance of streets and sidewalks.

In terms of the three city services that people viewed as least important:

• The majority (57%) chose the quality of the city’s trails and pathway systems;

• 18% chose the quality of city recreational facilities; and

• In third place (10%) was quality of public schools.

In terms of housing:

• 89% are neutral to very satisfied with their present housing situation;

• 67% see the shortage of quality rental housing as the most important housing issue that needs

to be addressed; and

• 64% said that the housing market provides an adequate / good amount of options (including

affordable options).

A majority of respondents consistently expressed a concern over the low quality / condition of vacant

(and some occupied) housing in the community. Based on this concern, it is recommended that the city

consider ways that vacant and/or rundown housing can be better reviewed and made to adhere to city

ordinances and codes.

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SURVEY RESPONSES

General Demographics of Respondents

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Live / Work Choices

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Overall Satisfaction with the Community

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Satisfaction with Community Services

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Score Rank Quality of the public schools 5.83 1 Police services 5.71 2 Maintenance, in terms of maintaining streets and sidewalks 4.38 3 Maintenance, in terms of keeping public spaces clean 4.11 4 Quality of the city parks and open spaces 3.36 5 Quality of city recreational facilities 2.56 6 Quality of the city’s trails and pathway systems 2.04 7

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Housing: Demographics & Perceptions

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Constructive Criticism from Citizens

From the hundreds of written responses that were submitted with the surveys, the following is a

sampling of direct quotes that reflect constructive criticisms made by Hutchinson residents. The

responses are in the order in which the respondents submitted their surveys. The comments listed

below were in no way ranked in terms of any perceived level of importance or priority.

1. There is inadequate housing for people making $10 per hour with families. Getting the wages up might help them afford better housing. Too much of the affordable housing now is way below standard. It is probably a combination of getting wages up and improving low-income housing. I am not sure how you do that.

2. Our community has put a great deal of money and time in developing and extending the hike/bike trail out to the new Rivers Banks Park and also the 56th St Sandhill State Park. No one appears to have taken into consideration getting people there safely. We have runners and bikers coming down 43rd avenue, an arterial corridor for county traffic, on a street that is very narrow, has no shoulders, has chunks of pavement missing out of the edges periodically, and overall creates a dangerous situation with vehicles that aren't paying attention…

3. (I) Would like to see a bypass around the north side of town to avoid all the stoplights on hwy 61 to get to hwy 50 west.

4. We need more selections for retail here in Hutchinson...we need more options for our teens...we need to fix up the trashy homes...the streets need maintained better and quicker...We are getting better in some things...but there is still a ways to go!

5. There are a significant number of rundown homes in Hutchinson. Lack of exterior and lawn upkeep really reflects badly on the community.

6. We were very fortunate to find a rental property in a good neighborhood. However, we paid dearly for it. There are many rental properties in town but most are dumps. We began home hunting about 1 month before we actually moved to Hutchinson. With no luck, we ended up renting. We have watched the housing market since we moved and been pursuing anything we might be interested in but had no luck. We ended up deciding on purchasing an income property in South Hutchinson because taxes were cheaper and it will give us the opportunity to leave the community without being stuck with a home on the market for over a year like many have been and still are. My biggest complaint is the how the community is lacking cleanliness. Not in terms of public locations but in terms of home exteriors, lawns groomed, and junk removed from yards. There is so much potential with the old character and charm the community could have…

7. Maybe there could be a free service that helps new employees to the community find affordable and quality housing in the area. Another issue is that new employees who live in Wichita may find it difficult to sell their home there and buy one in Hutchinson. Giving housing related support may help people move here.

8. The bike/walking trails are filled with stickers after being mowed. Hate riding on them and getting flats. Also, the painted bike paths on Ave A and North Plum are full of rocks and debris.

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9. Overall I feel like Hutchinson is 'Okay' I've lived in smaller communities and larger metropolitan areas so I feel I have good comparison. Not enough activities for youth who aren't 'into' sports, drugs are a very real problem in our schools and the community in general.

10. I believe Hutchinson is shrinking do mostly to lack of job/careers for the middle to lower class social economic groups. I have noticed a larger group of homeless and larger number of people looking for affordable housing. The taxes are too high also.

11. I want to commend Hutch for caring about the future. I moved back in to the city 6 yrs ago after being gone for 10 yrs. When my wife and I moved back with our young family it seemed like everything in the city was the SAME as it was when we left! No growth, not many new businesses or restaurants. It was sad. However, something changed in the last few years and things are happening. It is exciting to see change and growth. So, regardless of these other issues with housing and the rest, THANK YOU to whomever for having the foresight to change. If Hutch doesn't keep thinking towards future growth, we will keep repeating the "status quo" past. Let's keep growing!

12. 17th street shopping and restaurants are great, but the traffic is becoming a mess. with the highway (61) right in the middle of it all. Two many stop lights in the area.

13. I can buy a house much larger for a lower cost in Wichita and other surrounding areas. Between the higher purchase price and much higher property taxes and sales tax, it costs me much more to live in Hutchinson.

14. I love this town. I grew up here and have lived here all my life. I would like to see more growth in family oriented activities. I love that we finally got back a bowling alley and love all the new restaurants and variety of restaurants to pick from that are coming to Hutch. We do need better retail shopping so that we don't have to go Wichita or Maize to shop.

15. I noticed recently that Hutchinson does not have a chain law for dogs. Most other large cities in Kansas have this law (Wichita, Topeka, etc.) The chain law prevents the neglect and abuse of chained pets by limiting the time that the pet can be lawfully chained up.

16. I like to drive around the community. There seems to be a lot of unsafe and abandoned homes in Hutchinson, which brings the property values down for the people who are working to have a nice home and want a nice neighborhood to call home.

17. There are so many "run down" looking houses all throughout the town. Even in "nice" neighborhoods.

18. I believe that we need more things for kids to do, recreation centers that are affordable or free for low income children. This will give them options of things to do instead of getting into trouble…a place they can go to get a positive experience(s).

19. Something needs to be done in Hutchinson about our property taxes.

20. Our current market is low on inventory of homes for sale. This leads to higher quality homes moving quickly and the general availability being lower quality. The rental market still has a long way to come in quality. There are lots of low cost options but they are poorly maintained. Middle class earners do not have a lot of rental options.

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21. The school district has lost some of their best teachers and principles. The classes are too large. Good teachers who have been around a long time need raises, so we can keep them.

22. I commute to Wichita to work bc Hutch has very few good paying jobs available. Need more jobs with decent salaries not $10 an hour or less.

23. We are happily moving out of state. Hutchinson has very friendly people but not much else, particularly decent-paying jobs or things to do. It's frustrating to meet so many hardworking people who can't get ahead Because $10 an hour is considered a good job.

24. We keep decreasing our funding for our police department and we have increased crimes in our "safe" residential areas. Our taxes, however, are ridiculously high.

25. We need to work to bring business to the community and figure out a way to lessen the tax burden as well.

26. The addition of "The Alley" is nice, but there is still a severe shortage of activity based entertainment options in town. Also, many surrounding towns have MUCH better pools/water parks. Salt City Splash needs to be updated.

27. I feel like the crime rate in Hutchinson has scared me and many others. I feel that part of the crime rate is due…drugs/gangs.

28. I know they are trying, but I would like to see the City be even more diligent with property maintenance issues.

29. Needs to be more to do that is affordable for a family.

30. I do like the direction Hutchinson is going with more community events such as Third Thursday's, Smallville & Art Walks not to mention promoting walks over lunch times. Thank you!

31. When I first moved here and was looking for an apartment it was a huge problem finding an affordable place for someone with a moderate income. The best housing was for low income applicants or for someone who made way more money. There is nothing for the people who fall in between that scale…When I was house hunting one of the big problems was finding a quality home among other quality homes. I would find a nice place but it would be sandwiched between rundown homes. I eventually found and bought a home in a nice, middle class neighborhood, but even so there are still issues.

32. Hutchinson is on the upswing; so we all need to buckle down and continue the momentum. The resurgence of the Mall is a vital element.

33. I feel like overall, the Hutchinson community is a good place to raise a family, with a comforting "small town" feel to it. Although, I am not very pleased with the drug problem and criminal activity, and also the astronomical property taxes we pay here.

34. We see the housing in our formerly safe and beautiful little neighborhood deteriorate more and more each year...The new maintenance codes are good but we don't see them being enforced in our area.

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35. I grew up here and so love Hutchinson, but it is getting harder for people on fixed incomes to live with all the raises in taxes and that affects other things you do.

36. Rules and regulations to help eliminate junked cars and junk around homes not being enforced.

37. I love living here however some clean up needs to be done in the lower income areas…(given)…the condition of some houses.

38. I really enjoy living in Hutchinson. I am glad we have decided to improve our downtown with beautiful flowers and statues. I also think it is wonderful that we have Third Thursday, Second Saturday and many other events downtown that exposes people to the business' and restaurants our city has to offer. The only downfall to our city is our mall (which I hope will be improving as promised).

39. I thoroughly enjoy Hutchinson. It is easy to navigate and traffic is almost non-existent. It has enough big-city amenities without the hassle and congestion of a big city. Street maintenance could be better but I understand it is expensive. We really need flashing lights at all school zones!

40. Hutch is a great place to live. It has some downfalls which my opinion is related to too much drugs, cost of rental property, no retail, and limited jobs.

41. I do think that the revitalization of downtown is wonderful. I would like to see it grow even bigger. There are many empty buildings around that could be used. I recognize that the city works hard at keeping the town clean and nice, and I appreciate that. Even so, every time I am out I end up picking up and throwing away someone’s garbage tossed on the ground.

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FOCUS GROUP

Summary of Discussions

Reasons why people choose to live in Hutchinson:

• Friendly, generous, and caring community

• Nice size; offers enough amenities

• Proximity to Wichita, OKC, and KC

• Affordability

• Safety

• Fits my values and lifestyle

Things that can be done to make the community better:

• More shopping -- clothing and specialty retail

• Change perception of youth that there is nothing to do

• Lifestyle is not for everybody

• Too many restaurants; need more diverse business mix

• Make it easier to open a business; reduce/relax planning and zoning regulations

• Workforce development -- job skills training for youth

• Retail needs to grow to generate more sales taxes

Comments on Housing and Economic situation:

• Regulations hinder redevelopment

• Hutch has more regulations than comparable communities

• City gives away land; makes it hard for land owners to profit from land sales

• Lower wage employers are adding jobs; need more higher wage jobs

• Lost major employers

• Top 5% of wages in Hutch is not high enough

• Focus more on small business development to create jobs

• Hutch has higher taxes than comparable communities in KS

Potential “magic bullets” that could attract/retain people:

• Incentives to small businesses (especially to locate and redevelop downtown)

• Eradicate drug problem (workforce development issue)

• Offer more, and maintain, lifestyle amenities likes parks and trails

• Keep strong YP network that is engaged in community betterment activities

• Encourage use of business development and social service resources

• Need more skilled workforce to attract better, higher paying jobs

• Family support and development services

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Results

The focus group consisted of eight Hutchinson residents. The gender of participants included four men

and four women. Years living in Hutchinson ranged from 13 to more than 30. Industries represented:

Small Business Owner, Retired, Federal Government, Social Service and Commercial Real Estate, and

Residential Real Estate. Below is a summary table of the input that was received from the focus group.

Why do you live here?

• Friendly, generous, caring community

• Nice size; offers enough amenities

• Proximity to Wichita, OKC and KC

• Affordability

• Safety

• Fits my values and lifestyle

What can be done to make it better?

• More shopping -- clothing and specialty retail

• Change perception of youth that there is

nothing to do

• Lifestyle is not for everybody

• Too many restaurants; need more diverse

business mix

• Make it easier to open a business;

reduce/relax planning and zoning regulations

• Workforce development -- job skills training

for youth

• Retail needs to grow to generate more sales

taxes

Comments and Housing and Economic situation:

• Regulations hinder redevelopment

• Hutch has more regulations than comparable

communities

• City gives away land; makes it hard for land

owners to profit from land sales

• Lower wage employers are adding jobs; need

more higher wage jobs

• Lost major employers

• Top 5% of wages in Hutch is not high enough

• Focus more on small business development

to create jobs

• Hutch has higher taxes than comparable

communities in KS

What “magic bullets” will attract/retain people?

• Incentives to small businesses (especially to

locate and redevelop downtown)

• Eradicate drug problem (workforce

development issue)

• Offer more and maintain lifestyle amenities

likes parks and trails

• Keep strong YP network that is engaged in

community betterment activities

• Encourage use of business development and

social service resources

• Need more skilled workforce to attract

better, higher paying jobs

• Family support and development