Meeting March 6 at Newport City Hall, the Newport City Council heard results of a survey with information on parks and other city related matters. Conducted last fall, the survey showed strong support among residents for modernizing Loveland Playground, a river access park, and expanding city trails, among other findings.
Introduced by Mayor Laurie Elliott, Peter Leatherman presented the survey findings from Morris Leatherman Company, starting with background data.
“We spoke with 250 people across the community,” Leatherman said for survey methodology. “The interviews were conducted between October 21 and 30, 2024.” With 55 percent of households contacted as cellphone only and 10 percent landline only, the remaining 35 percent had both cellphone and landline connection. The average interview time was nine minutes and the non-response rate was six percent, with results projectable plus or minus five percent in 95 out of 100 cases. The average respondent had been in Newport for 12 1/2 years, with results including both men and women as well as several different age cohorts. A full 56 percent of survey respondents reported being financially comfortable while 43 percent were financially stressed, compared with 26 percent financially stressed across the metro before the pandemic.
So what else did Newport residents share for perceptions?
Starting with quality of life, there was a drop as compared with the pandemic. Just 25 percent as opposed to 27 percent listed their quality of life in Newport as excellent, while good was tied at 63 percent for both pre and post pandemic. The rating of “only fair” reflected eight percent of resident’s perception compared with nine percent in 2021, while “poor” received the same percentage of one percent as in 2021, three percent unsure.
“We have seen this drop from before the pandemic,” Leatherman said. “Folks are just less happy about everything.” Other communities had seen “only fair” pick up the balance for quality of life perceptions in 2024, whereas Newport was relatively stable in comparison.
Polled on what they liked most about Newport, 12 percent of survey respondents listed “close to friends and family’” while another 12 percent listed “friendly people”. A full 11 percent listed “quiet and peaceful” while another 10 percent listed “schools,” with eight percent listing “neighborhood/home” as what they liked most about Newport. Four categories (“close to job,” “small town feel,” “river/nature,” and “safe”) were tied at seven percent, while “parks and trails” got six percent and “sense of community got three percent. Five categories (“affordable”, “diverse,” “city services,” “convenient location,” and “scattered”) received two percent, with one percent unsure.
As for the most serious issues at Newport, “crime and safety” and “high taxes” took the largest share of resident’s concern. Crime and safety took 11 percent while high taxes received 13 percent.
“We’re going to talk a little about that,” Leatherman said. As for high taxes, “it’s a little bit lower than we’re seeing. Typically now we’re seeing 15 to 20 percent.”
Shifting to crime and safety, it was lower than elsewhere.
“Considering your location to St. Paul, that’s on the low side of what we would expect,” he said. “In first and second ring communities we’re now seeing 20 to 25 percent crime and safety. The safety issue’s not as well pronounced as it is in other communities as they circle Minneapolis and St. Paul.”
Traffic and speeding as well as reckless driving were staples of the metro area during recent years.
That wasn’t all.
“The other category that you’re abnormally high is the booster core,” Leatherman said. A full 21 percent of city residents said “nothing” when asked for their most serious issue at Newport.
Touching next on property taxes, Leatherman said that assessments in 2022 had seen home values rise from 20 to 25 percent. Many were happy about the increased home values—but there was a catch.
“I think only two or three people in the state of Minnesota realized what that was going to do property tax assessments,” he said. In just six months discontent with taxes had gone up 20 percent, but not in Newport.
“This is atypical,” Leatherman said of the confidential survey findings on resident tax perception. Newport was holding steady or dropping in its perceptions of taxes from 2021. “Very high” fell six percentage points to 10 percent as compared with 2021, while “about average” dropped two percentage points to 48. A full 31 percent listed Newport taxes as being “somewhat high,” the same percentage as 2021.
As for perceptions of the value of city services, excellent and good” saw rises relative to 2021, while “only fair” and “poor” dropped.
“Excellent” came in at 11 percent as compared with seven in 2021, while “good” rose to 65 percent from 60 in 2021. ‘Only fair’ dropped five pointes to 20 percent as compared with 25 in 2021, while “poor” flatlined at zero percent, a drop of six. “Unsure” rose from two percent to four as compared with 2021.
As for parks and recreation, the rating for “good” rose 11 percent to 63 percent as compared with 52 in 2021, while “only fair” rose three points to 24 percent. “Excellent” fell four points as compared with 2021 to 13 percent, while “poor” dropped five points to one percent. Those “unsure” dropped to zero percent.
“It always kind of happens when a school district does a bond referendum,” Leatherman said for comparison. “Well, the middle school looks great, now the high school doesn’t look that great. It’s one of those things where you become a victim of your success until you finish the improvements.”
Of survey respondents, roughly two-thirds said they were aware of the park improvements at Newport, while 41 percent said they or a member of their household had used a given park, the experience deemed overwhelmingly positive.
A new dog park was added to Newport last year, with Busy Beaver having new equipment installed as well.
As for Newport resident’s park usage, city trails scored highest, a full 61 percent reporting they had used them and were favorably disposed. Next for positive feedback was Pioneer Park, a full 48 percent reporting they had used it and viewed it favorably, Lions Park received a favorable rating from 42 percent of respondents, while Loveland Park received a 39 percent favorability rating, followed by Busy Beaver Park with a 32 percent favorability rating. Newport Bailey School Forest Park had a favorability rating of 31 percent.
As for unfavorable perceptions, Pioneer Park topped the list at 15 percent, followed by Busy Beaver with 12 percent, no other park above 10 percent unfavorable perception. Use was also a factor in park perceptions with Newport Bailey School Forest, Busy Beaver, Loveland, and Lions Park each topping 50 percent among respondents for “not used.” City trails were the most used among respondents at 70 percent, followed with Pioneer Park at 63 percent.
“City trails are always the most highly used,” Leatherman said.
Also in park results, 90 percent indicated that the current park mix met resident needs, four percent saying ‘“no” and six percent were “unsure.”
As for sports courts, 55 percent of households indicated they played one of three sports with courts offered in the city, the three being pickle ball, tennis, and basketball. Combining play with improvements, the numbers broke roughly at 30 percent for respondents who would use improved city courts for sports play.
In terms of city funded park improvements, a river access park took the lead, with 85 percent of respondents supporting such a park and 12 opposing and three percent unsure. Next. On the for park improvements support was picnic areas and seating, a full 82 percent of survey respondents in favor with 14 opposed and three percent unsure.
Trail expansion was also a popular response, with 76 percent of respondents in favor for city funded trail expansion compared to 20 percent against and four unsure. Modernizing Loveland Playground also came in high at 74 percent in favor, 23 percent opposed and three percent unsure. Improving the horseshoe pits at Pioneer came in with 69 percent in favor compared with 28 percent opposed and three unsure. Having a city splashpad or frisbee and disc golf course both saw similar returns, with 68 percent in favor and 28 percent opposed. Three percent were unsure on the splashpad while five percent were unsure on the frisbee and disc golf course.
Adding a skate park came in next with 62 percent of survey respondents in favor, 35 opposed, and four percent unsure. Coming in last for park improvements with city funds were cornhole courts, with 58 percent of respondents in favor to 38 opposed, and five percent unsure.
“You do have majority support for city funding on these, but it does give you the list of priority ,” Leatherman said.
Taking those responses in favor to then rank priorities shows that modernizing Loveland Park, a river access park, and the expansion of city trails all come in near the top for city funded park improvements. Modernizing Loveland Playground came in at 30 percent for top or second priority, a river access park at 34 percent top or first priority, and expansion fo city trails with 31 percent as top or second priority.
As for pace, roughly two-thirds of respondents said it’s happening at the right pace, with 53 percent in favor of a property to fund these improvements, 47 opposed, and three percent unsure. Intensity of support showed 17 percent strongly in favor with 15 percent strongly opposed. Much of the sports was passive.
As for barriers to park use, time factored big, with 32 percent of survey respondents indicating “a lot” and 36 percent indicating “some.” Other factors inhibiting park use were lack of interest (18 percent “a lot” and 37 percent “some”), personal health (15 percent “a lot” and 16 percent “some”), accessibility for disabled (five percent “a lot” and 11 percent “some”), Lack of Information (four percent “a lot” and 22 percent “some”), and travel distance (four percent “a lot” and 20 percent “some”).
“Really as the city looks at this the lack of information piece is low,” he said. “A 25th hour in the day would help get more participation in park and rec.” Assessing lack of interest would entail the city fine tuning into what this entailed and why, in order to respond. Broader appeal and improvements were deemed the best way to respond.
As for Pioneer Days, Leatherman said that resident’s evaluation was “it’s good,” with 45 percent listing Pioneer Days as “yes/good” and 18 percent listing it “yes/excellent,” eight percent rating it “yes/only fair.” Those responding “yes/only fair” had highly specialized concerns such as specific vendors.
Closing out the presentation, electronic means deemed the most effective for reaching young families, the city’s website and newsletter leading the list of contact avenues, followed by mailings. Results split 50-41 on preference for electronic versus print communication. Breaking slightly in favor of electronic, print also had its uses.
“Electronic you have to want to do something,” Leatherman said for public awareness. “As opposed to just going to your mailbox.” The result of electronic only led to gaps in public awareness.
“You ask people about the city and the council and they’re going to say ‘I don’t know’ because they’re not paying attention on the levels they were before,” he said.
As for Newport a full 78 percent of city residents rated information on parks as “very well” or “somewhat well” for information.
The Newport Council meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Newport City Hall. The public is welcome to attend.