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Assess the following research questions for clarity of purpose, appropriateness of scope, and their ability to be researched:
Is the city management form of government better than the mayor and council form of government?
Is Kelsey keeping pace with US cities of similar size?
Do Master of Public Administration programs equip graduates to be superior governmental employees?
How do the values of public sector employees differ from those of private sector employees?
What factors will cause the emergence of the next US metropolitan area?
Recommend improvements to the questions and explain the importance of the changes to potential research and rewrite the questions with these improvements in mind.

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City of Kelsey

Mission of Kelsey
Amenities of the big city without sacrificing the small town charm

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
County Northwest Valley County
Tourism Region Northwest Valley
Planning Commission Northwest Valley Region
Regional Development Reilly Business Ventures
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 2
State Senate District 10
State Representative District 28
Incorporated: 1932
Origin
M. Kelsey, who quickly realized that the sprawling fields, the pristine lake and the rolling hills provided the perfect landscape for farming and raising a family. His vision was to preserve the natural resources of the land and maintain a close-knit community. Kelsey's roots are grounded in a history of agriculture and self-sufficiency.
Population
Year of the First Census Taken: 342,768 residents in 1900
Population Trends: Kelsey's decennial growth rates have been below the statewide
average with the exception of the period from 1900 to 1930 when Kelsey experienced its fastest growth; 19.7% from 1900 to 1910, 22.7% from 1910 to 1920 and 12.4% from 1920 to 1930. During the 1960's and 1970's, Kelsey saw a loss of population. The 1970 census showed a 1.5% decrease from the 1960 population and the 1980 census showed an additional loss of 7.3%. This negative trend was reversed in the 1980's and the 1990 census showed an increase of 1.7%; the city's slowest population growth rate.
Over one hundred years, Kelsey's population increased by 280,000 residents, going from 342,768 in 1900 to 625,233 residents in 2000. Kelsey is ranked 1st among Northwest Valley incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density, 2005: 5,254 persons per square mile of land area. Kelsey contains
119 square miles of land area and 13.4 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Structure
Type of Government Mayor-Council
2005 Annual Budget $1.3 billion
Zoning Ordinance 1963/04
Master Plan 1996
Capital Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Economic Development; Planning and Zoning
Boards and Commissions
Elected: City of Kelsey School Board
Appointed: Library Board
Emergency Services
Police Department
Full-time with 2,000 sworn officers
800 Beat Patrol Officers
100 Bike Patrol Officers
900 Mounted Patrol Officers
200 Motorcycle Patrol Officers
Average of 10 minutes in response time
50,733 citizen generated calls for services-most common calls were for larceny/theft
Fire Department
1,253 full-time firefighters
Average response time is 6 minutes
40,000 citizen calls for services-most common call "suspicious burning"
Fire inspections are scheduled every two years
Town Fire Insurance Rating 2/10
Emergency Medical Service Private
Hospitals/Medical Centers: 9

Utilities
Electric Supplier Northwest Valley
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier City of Kelsey
Drinking Water Sources
Lake Lora (located 5 miles west of Kelsey)
Municipal water wells drawing from alluvial groundwater aquifer
Sanitation City of Kelsey/Private Septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup Yes-with in city limits
Pay-As-You-Throw Program Yes
Recycling Program Mandatory
Telephone Company Northwest Valley Telephone
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Limited
High Speed Internet Service: Yes
Business Yes
Residential Yes

Property Taxes
2009 Property Tax Rate (per $1000) $21.58

Housing
2000 Total Housing Units 257,931
2000 Single-Family Units 126,543
2000 Multi-Family Units 128,707
2000 Manufactured Housing Units 2,681

Demographics
Total Population City- Northwest Valley County
2000 625,233 739,289
1990 613,567 725,495
1980 602,810 712,776
1970 650,886 769,622

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male 296,986 Female 328,247
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 45,017
Age 5 to 19 141,302
Age 20 to 34 156,933
Age 35 to 54 165,061
Age 55 to 64 46,267
Age 65 and over 70,651
Median Age 32 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 72.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 22.9%

Annual Income, 1999 (Census 2000)
Per capita income $17,725
Median 4-person family income $38,225
Median household income $33,512
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $32,609
Female $26,702
Families below the poverty level 17.6%

Labor Force
Annual Average 2000
Civilian labor force 286,457
Employed 260,198
Unemployed 26,259
Unemployment rate 9.1%

Education
Schools students attend: Grades K-12
District: Kelsey Unified School District
Grade Levels K 1-12
Total Enrollment 71,044
Nearest Community/Technical College: Northwest Valley Community College
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Northwest Valley University and Kelsey Private College

Largest Employers
Kelsey Gardens
Kelsey's booming housing industry creates employment opportunities for construction workers, contractors, engineers, and designers
Baderman Island

Transportation
Road Access Federal Routes
State Routes 101
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-91, Exit 3
Distance 0.9 miles
Light Rail Yes
Public Transportation Yes
Nearest Airport Northwest Valley Regional Airport
Runway 6,201 feet
Distance 33 miles
Driving distance to County seat 33 miles

Commuting to Work (Census 2000)
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 60.4%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 13.5%
Public transportation 16.1%
Walked 6.6%
Other means 1.2%
Worked at home 2.2%
Mean Travel Time to Work 26.2 minutes

Recreation
Municipal Parks Kelsey City Park
Tennis Courts: Outdoor and Indoor Facility
Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
Youth Sports: Baseball
Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
Youth Sports: Basketball

Kelsey Country Club
Golf Courses
Tennis Courts: Out and Indoor Facility
Swimming: Out and Indoor Facility

Kelsey Aquatic Center
Swimming: Out and Indoor Facility

Kelsey Arts & Crafts Center
Performing Arts Facilities

Other
Museums
Cinemas
Campgrounds
Kelsey River
Lake Lora
Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreation Area

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1. An improvement to this question would be utilizing words that give slightly more detail to the question as to the comparison between the two forms of city management. The importance of this change to potential research is the fact that this change will make the research in this area more detailed in nature, in respect to analyzing the probable statistical differences between the city management form of government and the mayor and council form of government. Has the city management form of government been found to be statistically more efficient and effective in managing city operations than the mayor and council form of government?

2. An improvement to this question would be the development of the question in a manner in which ...

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