===== PDF PAGE 5 ===== From: Tyler Kesler To: Dave Shah Cc: Nazree Diane Williams; rodzallen Subject: 2026 Community Survey Results Summary Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026 3:37:32 PM Attachments: image002.png West_Chicago_Resident_Environmental_Survey_Summary.xlsx CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Hey team, Resident feedback regarding environmental priorities, community cleanliness, and future sustainability initiatives within the City of West Chicago. The survey indicates that residents generally view West Chicago as a clean and desirable community. Responses evaluating overall cleanliness were predominantly positive, with most residents rating the city as either "Good" or "Excellent." However, the data also suggests that residents believe there is room for improvement in maintaining consistency across neighborhoods and city services. A clear theme throughout the survey results is that waste disposal and recycling are the most significant environmental concerns among residents. Waste and recycling issues were identified more frequently than any other environmental topic, and resident comments specifically referenced concerns regarding garbage collection reliability. These findings suggest that residents place substantial importance on basic service delivery and visible environmental stewardship. As a result, efforts to improve recycling education, strengthen communication regarding waste services, and address service inconsistencies would likely resonate strongly with the community. The survey also reveals significant support for visible community enhancement projects. Residents frequently expressed interest in expanding parks, green spaces, tree planting initiatives, bike trails, and community cleanup programs. Open-ended comments repeatedly emphasized the value of improvements that residents can directly experience within their neighborhoods. This indicates that tangible environmental investments may be more impactful from a resident perspective than broader sustainability policies that are less visible in daily life. Education emerged as another recurring theme throughout the survey results. Recycling education programs were frequently identified as a desired improvement area, and resident comments highlighted the importance of engaging children and young people in environmental awareness efforts. One respondent specifically noted the need to "start with the children" so they understand their impact on the environment. These responses suggest that educational initiatives, particularly those developed in partnership with schools, could serve as an effective long-term strategy to improve environmental outcomes while strengthening community engagement. Based on the survey findings, four primary leadership themes emerged: 1. Waste and Recycling Remains the Dominant Environmental Concern ===== PDF PAGE 6 ===== Residents consistently identified waste management, recycling effectiveness, and service reliability as top priorities. Leadership should focus on improving operational performance, communication, and public awareness in these areas. 2. Residents Believe the Community Is Generally Clean but Not Uniformly So While overall sentiment is favorable, some residents continue to identify localized cleanliness issues. Maintaining strong citywide standards while addressing recurring concerns in specific areas may further improve resident satisfaction. 3. Visible Local Improvements Generate Strong Resident Support Parks, green spaces, trees, trails, and community cleanup activities were consistently viewed as valuable community investments. Residents respond positively to environmental initiatives that produce observable improvements in their neighborhoods. 4. Education Is a High-Impact Enabler for Long-Term Success Environmental awareness campaigns, recycling education, and youth engagement programs represent practical opportunities to encourage sustainable behaviors and strengthen community participation. In summary, the survey results suggest that residents want a practical, community-centered environmental strategy focused on reliable city services, improved recycling outcomes, expanded green space, neighborhood beautification, and educational outreach. Future environmental initiatives are likely to gain the strongest public support when they are visible, measurable, and directly improve residents' daily experiences within the community. ===== PDF PAGE 7 ===== Best regards, -- Tyler Kesler ===== PDF PAGE 8 ===== Question Metric / Response Category Directional Frequency Leadership Interpretation Data Caveat Q1 Waste disposal & recycling Most frequent Primary resident concern; prioritize waste/recycling reliability, education, and service communication. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q1 Air quality Second most common Secondary concern; monitor alongside broader environmental communications. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q1 Storm water / noise / light pollution Occasional Lower-frequency concerns but useful to track as localized environmental issues. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q2 Good — mostly clean with occasional issues Most frequent Overall cleanliness sentiment appears positive with room to address consistency gaps. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q2 Excellent Frequent Some residents view the city as very clean; opportunity to reinforce strengths. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q2 Fair Occasional A subset sees visible cleanliness issues; target improvements where recurring issues are identified. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q2 Poor Not observed in visible sample No clearly legible poor ratings observed in the readable sample. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q3 More trees / green spaces Frequently selected Residents value visible neighborhood improvements and expanded public green space. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q3 More community clean-up events Frequently selected Community engagement is a practical near-term lever for improving perceived cleanliness. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q3 Recycling education & awareness programs Frequently selected Education can support both resident behavior change and waste/recycling outcomes. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q3 Youth/school programs Less frequent Still relevant as part of education strategy, especially given Q4 comments about children. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. Q3 Broader environmental initiatives Less frequent Lower emphasis in readable sample versus tangible local improvements. Directional only; scanned PDF images limited exact tabulation. ===== PDF PAGE 9 ===== Comment ID Question Verbatim Comment Primary Theme Leadership Lens 1 Q4 Start w/ the children – they need to know the impact they have on our environment Education & youth engagement Build environmental awareness through schools/youth programming. 2 Q4 Keep expanding parks + bike trails Green space & active transportation Continue investment in parks, trails, and outdoor community infrastructure. 3 Q4 Somewhat inconsistent garbage pickup Waste service reliability Review garbage pickup consistency and resident communication on service issues. 4 Q4 Education Education & awareness Increase resident-facing education on recycling and environmental practices. 5 Q4 Hopefully make more parks Parks & green space Resident appetite for additional parks and green amenities. ===== PDF PAGE 10 ===== Rank Leadership Theme Evidence Recommended Leadership Message 1 Waste & recycling is the dominant concern Q1 responses most frequently pointed to waste disposal/recycling; Q4 included a garbage pickup reliability concern. Prioritize service consistency, recycling education, and clear resident communication. 2 Residents see West Chicago as generally clean, but not uniformly Q2 leaned toward Good/Excellent, with occasional Fair ratings. Build on positive cleanliness sentiment while addressing recurring operational gaps. 3 Visible local improvements resonate Q3 and Q4 comments emphasized trees, parks, green spaces, bike trails, and clean-up events. Frame environmental progress around tangible neighborhood improvements residents can see and use. 4 Education is a recurring lever Q3 recycling education appeared frequently; Q4 comments specifically referenced children and education. Develop simple education campaigns, with youth/school channels as one high-impact option. ===== PDF PAGE 11 ===== Executive Summary The West Chicago Resident Environmental Survey indicates that residents are generally positive about community cleanliness, while consistently pointing to waste/recycling, service reliability, green space expansion, and education as the highest-value improvement areas. The most actionable leadership themes are to strengthen waste and recycling communications, address garbage pickup consistency, continue visible investments in parks, trails, trees, and cleanup events, and expand practical environmental education—especially through youth and community-facing channels. Findings are directional because the source PDF is scanned and exact response counts could not be reliably extracted from all pages.