Survey to gauge city’s image

Lawrence has a reputation, some city leaders say, as a bad place to do business. Now they want to find out how far that notoriety reaches.

The city is preparing to do an “image survey” of residents, visitors and businesses to find out how Lawrence and its city government are perceived. The committee that will oversee the survey met for the first time Wednesday, and business issues dominated the discussion.

“I’ve talked to numerous business people who say you can’t do anything in Lawrence,” said Sam Campbell, a Lawrence investor who serves on the committee. “The hassles are so significant, they’re not even going to try.”

Though nobody said so Wednesday, business leaders often have said that the fierce 2000 debate about a proposed American Eagle Outfitters distribution center created the perception that Lawrence is unfriendly to businesses. City officials approved the company’s plans and granted a tax abatement, but it blamed a public outcry about the process as the reason American Eagle eventually chose to build in Ottawa.

“I don’t know if it’s any more difficult than in Topeka or Kansas City,” Campbell said.

“But the perception becomes reality,” said Rick Bryant, another committee member.

“If it’s more perception than reality,” Mayor Sue Hack said, “then the next step is promoting ourselves.”

The image survey is one of two the other is an internal poll of city employees commissioned by the city. The city is paying up to $36,000 to Lawrence-based GRI Research for the work.

The surveys stem from the commission’s annual evaluation in January of City Manager Mike Wildgen’s job performance. Commissioners said at the time they wanted the surveys to help them gauge perceptions of City Hall’s user-friendliness.

Information gathered will help the city commission plot Lawrence’s future, Hack said.

“I think we feel if there are things in the community we are doing right, then we want to keep on doing them, capitalize on them,” she said.

“And if there are things in the community we’re doing wrong, in the minds of many people, then we want to improve on that.”

The committee meets next at 3:30 p.m. May 29.