HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) - What do Hollanders think of their city? Council members are apparently willing to spend 18 thousand dollars to find out.

On Wednesday night, the panel agreed to retain Hope College's Frost Center for Social Science Research to conduct a survey about the biggest issues and concerns that residents have. Center representatives will conduct phone calls of 500 citizens, breaking down participants based on percentages from the 2010 census, and city staff and Council will use the results to help formulate policy and prioritize needs.

Hope and Washington-based National Citizen Survey each submitted bids to Council for consideration, and while the NCS offer was for a base amount of just over 10 thousand dollars, a number of add-ons would drive the price to more than 26 grand. 

Council members, city staffers and Frost Center officials are slated to huddle during next Wednesday's work-study session, going over what questions should be posed during this survey, which is expected to be conducted later this fall. Frost will have returns available five weeks after these calls.

The last such survey was conducted in 2009.