But improving its residents’ satisfaction survey to garner better information would cost at least $500 per question, according to council staff.
The results of the 2023-24 annual residents’ satisfaction survey were tabled at last week’s performance, audit and risk committee.
Less than 2%, or 675 Waitaki residents, participated in the survey.
Councillors ruminated on its value, whether it went far enough and how it reflected the actual relationship between the council and residents.
"We as elected members need to accept that the bedrock of our engagement with the community is still problematic," Cr Jim Hopkins said during the debate.
"The thing that puzzles me, if you look at the individual things we do ... there’s very positive levels of satisfaction."
But that did not necessarily reflect how people perceived all of the council’s work.
Only 29% of survey respondents thought rates were fair and reasonable.
Satisfaction with the council’s financial management was also only 29%.
"So the message in terms of our relationship with the people whose pockets we have the power in law to raid is, they don’t like the way and the extent we are doing that, and we just have to take that on board, in my view," Cr Hopkins said.
Strategy and performance manager Mandy McIntosh said the 2023-24 results broadly painted "a positive shift" from the previous 2022-23 survey.
Cr Hopkins said the survey needed to be more specific.
People were asked if they had visited a council facility, park, sports ground or reserve, but were not asked to specify.
"I think it would be very helpful to know which [facility] was used the most. Would you agree?" he asked.
Ms McIntosh said it would be valuable, but reformulating the questions for 2025 would be costly.
"The change to any question does generally cost us $500, so I would need to see," she said.
Cr Hopkins said in light of the transformation for the district’s libraries, it seemed relevant.
"It would be particularly fruitful to have a clear idea what libraries people were using," he said.
Key findings tabled showed satisfaction had increased in the council’s overall performance since 2022-23 by 11% to 46%.
Happiness with overall quality of services was up 10% to 48%.
Satisfaction in how rates were spent on services and facilities increased from 26% to 31%.
There had been a 5% increase to 29% that rates were "fair and reasonable".
The highest satisfaction rating was for the district’s libraries at 85%.
However, the feedback showed people were mindful of cost, and council needed to be "mindful of spend", Ms McIntosh said.
Waihemo Ward councillor Jim Thomson said the statistics might be viewed another way.
After looking at the Waihemo Community Board’s 29% satisfaction rating, the result was "negative".
Cr Thomson said he did not want to be "defensive", but it was something people were "going to flagellate themselves over".
It showed a majority of respondents had said "neutral or don’t know".
"So that’s the old adage, ‘there’s lies, statistics and damned lies’," Cr Thomson said.
Ms McIntosh said the latest survey was brought "in-house" to save about $40,000, although the analysis was still done by the previous contractor.
Waitakians were encouraged to participate online with the lure of a $500 gift card prize draw.
The "robustness" of survey responses and a perception "it was not in any way manipulated" by the council were considered.
The responses had been "a lot more pleasant", she said.
"The tone was definitely not as negative or harsh as it had been in the past."
Committee independent chairman Simon Neale said the survey result did reflect "very positive responses" for specific questions.
But for general questions, the answers were more equivocal.
For example, prompting respondents to say why they did not think council gave value for money would be useful in future, he said.
