City commissioners are a step closer to finding out what Lawrence residents think about City Hall and the job it is doing.

Commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting expressed support for hiring an Olathe-based consulting firm to conduct a scientific survey gauging how residents feel about city services such as police, fire, water, sewer, streets, sidewalks, parks and recreation and others.

The survey, which will be conducted by ETC Institute, also will ask about downtown issues, tax issues, and priorities for how the city should spend limited taxpayer dollars.

The idea of a resident survey isn’t a new one for Lawrence. The commission had surveys conducted in 2007 and 2011. The 2011 level survey’s main finding was that residents had concerns about the condition of city streets, but were pleased with other City Hall service levels.

Commissioners at their Tuesday evening meeting stopped short of giving final approval for the survey to begin. Instead, commissioners wanted additional time to look at the proposed list of questions that will be included in the survey. Commissioners intend to discuss moving ahead with the survey at the commission’s May 5 meeting.

City officials hope the survey can be completed in late May or early June so that its findings can be used as commissioners create a 2016 budget this summer. The survey firm plans to send the survey to 2,500 residents, and then will follow up with telephone calls, and also will give residents an online option for completing the survey.