1. Ashland, VA Key Findings January 6, 2015 The NCS is presented by NRC in collaboration with ICMA

2. About The NCS  Community Livability  Community Characteristics  Governance  Participation Communities are partnerships among... Residents Community- based organizations Government Private sector

3. Facets of Community Livability Safety Mobility Recreation and Wellness Economy Quality of Community Overall Natural Environment Built Environment Community Engagement Education and Enrichment

4. The NCS & Ashland  2 nd time conducting The NCS  Previous survey in 2011  Scientific sample of 1,200 households  316 completed surveys; 28% response rate  ±5% margin of error

5. National Benchmark Comparisons 5

6. 104 received similar ratings 104 received similar ratings 2014 National Benchmark Comparisons 12 received higher ratings 12 received higher ratings 2 received lower ratings 2 received lower ratings

7. Education and Enrichment Community Engagement Mobility Natural Environment Recreation and Wellness Built Environment Safety Economy Legend Higher than national benchmark Similar to national benchmark Lower than national benchmark Most important Key Focus Areas

8. Residents continue to enjoy high quality of life Key Finding #1

9. High Quality of Life Overall quality of life Place to raise kids Place to live Appearance 4 in 5 “excellent” or “good”

10. Mobility Ratings Comparison to national benchmark: Higher Similar Lower Travel by car Ease of walking Public parking Ease of travel by bicycle Excellent or good Overall ease of getting around Traffic flow

11. Residents feel safe in Ashland Key Finding #2 Safety

12. Feelings of Safety National Research Center, Inc. 12  Overall  in neighborhoods  in Ashland’s downtown/ commercial areas Almost all felt safe:

13. Safety Services Majority excellent or good: Crime prevention Emergency preparedness Police services Comparison to national benchmark: Higher Similar Lower

14. Economy is important Key Finding #3 Economy

15. Characteristics of Economy Comparison to national benchmark: Higher Similar Lower Place to visit Quality of businesses Excellent or good Overall economic health Place to work

16. Special Topics

17. Town Hall Renovations

18. Town Budget

19. Town Priorities

20. Conclusions  Quality of life remains high  Residents value Safety  Economy a top priority

21. Questions?

22. Thank you! National Research Center, Inc. 2955 Valmont Road Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80301 303-444-7863 nrc@n-r-c.com www.n-r-c.com