Ninety-eight percent of Indian Wells residents are satisfied with the quality of life in the city, according to a recent survey.

The findings of the Community Satisfaction Survey, conducted by Encinitas-based research firm True North Research Inc., was derived from opinions of 400 randomly selected citizens and included full-time and part-time residents.

The residents participated via telephone or through an online survey between April 14 and April 27.

This is the first time the city of nearly 5,000 residents — a number that more than doubles during season — has conducted a community survey, city officials said.

During two City Council meetings Thursday, Tim McLarney, president of the research firm, presented the findings to city officials and residents.

“This is, by some margin, the highest satisfaction level the firm has ever seen,” McLarney said. “The intensity of satisfaction here is higher than we've encountered in any other city.”

True North Research Inc. has conducted more than 250 studies for California cities and special districts and was contracted to conduct the $26,000 survey project last year when the council adopted the city's Strategic Marketing Plan.

“We are delighted with the findings in the survey,” said Mayor Larry Spicer. “They exceeded even our highest expectations.”

According to the survey, 85 percent of residents polled stated they trust the city, with 73 percent reporting “city leaders can be counted on to make the right decisions.”

Several residents who listened to the presentation, including Sheila Gill, said they believed the survey accurately represented residents' views.

“It seems to me that they have a relatively good sampling,” Gill said. “I would agree with about 95 percent of what I heard.”

The positive news comes after “Hamburger-gate,” an investigation into alleged misconduct by Councilman Douglas Hanson, that sparked resident backlash regarding Hanson, city government transparency and the city-owned clubhouse.

The results also reflected, however, that there is some truth to the frustrations with IW Club that came to light during the probe.

IW Club's evaluation showed the food and beverage department received a rating of “excellent” by 44 percent of residents, which is the lowest score regarding the Indian Wells Golf Resort.

“It's nice to see vindication,” said resident Mike Clark, adding that he has experienced poor service at IW Club similar to complaints expressed by Hanson and others.

Other areas McLarney highlighted as places the city could improve upon:

• Traffic management
• Economic development
• Library services

“It's a cautionary tale for us to stay the course and keep up with what we're doing correctly, (and) address those areas of opportunity” for improvement, Spicer said.

Additional Facts About the Survey

A Community Satisfaction Survey conducted by True North Research Firm Inc. questioned 400 randomly selected Indian Wells residents. The following are highlights of the survey's findings presented by firm president Tim McLarney:

When residents were asked if there was anything they'd like to change about the city to improve quality of life, 42 percent said they were either unsure or said no improvements are needed.

Resident satisfaction with City Hall staff also ranked high, with 80 percent of residents stating city staff “helpfulness,” “professionalism” and “accessibility” is excellent across the board.

McLarney said that “hands down this is the highest score” the firm has seen, adding that the only other California city the firm has worked with that comes close is Beverly Hills.

85 percent of residents stated they trust the city and its officials, with 73 percent reporting “city leaders can be counted on to make the right decisions.”

“Across the board, the city's performance in providing services overall and in a variety of different areas; the city's resident communication; as well as the perception of the city itself are all very, very strong,” McLarney said.

McLarney's Power Point presentation and report may also be viewed on Indian Wells' Web site at www.cityofindianwells.org.