LOS ALAMITOS : Residents Generally Satisfied With Services, Survey Shows

People here are happy with their recreation and police departments, but believe sidewalks and streets could use a little work, a recent city survey found.

Nearly a quarter of households responded to the survey, which was mailed to each of the city’s 4,372 households. It rated residents’ opinions about various services based on a numerical scale, with a score of three being “excellent” and zero being “poor.”

Average scores between one and two indicate residents are basically satisfied, and between two and three show they are very satisfied.

Police, recreation, recycling, refuse collection and street sweeping all rated scores of more than two. All other categories fell between 1.5 and 2.

Street lighting and sidewalks rated the lowest scores, 1.67 and 1.7 respectively. Although those scores still fall in the satisfactory category, council members said that they will try to address problems in those areas.

Street lighting in some areas, such as the “carrier row” neighborhood near the Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center, is “very bad,” said Councilwoman Marilynn M. Poe.

Residents said their areas of greatest concern were residential crime (31.7%), traffic (25.2%) and gangs (21.3%).