The village asked and residents responded, giving high marks for the overall quality of life in Lake in the Hills in a satisfaction survey available last month.

There were 277 responses to the survey — a small sampling of the village’s 9,000 total households. The online survey and its results were published on the village’s website.

Some of the results include:

• 86.7 percent rated the quality of life in Lake in the Hills as good or excellent
• The top concerns lie in police issues (8.3 percent), traffic (8.3 percent), taxes (7.4 percent), water (6.5 percent) and streets maintenance/snowplowing (6.5 percent)
• 89 percent said the village either maintained or improved expectations in areas of character, communication, services, appearance, public safety and economic vitality. The area showing the greatest improvement was communication.

Survey: Village Improves Communication

The survey results found 70 percent rated the village above average for communication and customer service.

In addition, more than 80 percent of respondents said their concerns were addressed and resolved satisfactorily when they contacted the village in the past two years.

“We were very encouraged that communication was rated very strongly,” said Shannon Andrews, Lake in the Hills assistant village administrator. “That has shown a significant improvement and that was definitely something the village has been working hard on.”

The respondents gave above average ratings for the village’s website and its email newsletters. The newsletters, which include the messenger newsletter and the resident insider newsletter, were launched four years ago as a way to increase communication, Andrews said.

Respondents provided feedback on ways the village could improve communication using blogs, chats, email/text alert system and the use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. Features residents wanted added to the village’s website included the ability to conduct business online with payments accepted at no additional cost, enhanced links to government agencies, voter registration information and resident discussion boards.

Andrews said the village still is reviewing the survey to decide what types of changes could be, or should be, made at this time.

Survey: Better Sidewalk Maintenance, Access to Paths Needed

The highest-ranking service in the village was safety and security. Ninety-four percent of residents ranked safety and security anywhere between average and excellent, according to the news release.

Services that residents ranked low included the ease of walking and cycling in Lake in the Hills and sidewalk maintenance.

“People were interested in more connections to the bike paths and sidewalks,” Andrews said.

Residents also provided the following feedback on what they wanted to see improved or changed: improved streets maintenance, enforcement of vehicles that park across sidewalks, a pool in the village and free access to the village’s beaches.

“We will take all of this and take the time to go through and see what items we can put into action,” Andrews said.