By By MELISSA GODSEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Niles residents will be receiving park and recreation surveys in the mail with their electric bills in January, according to Juan Ganum, the city's community development director.
The survey has been out since the end of September, but with little response from the public, Ganum said.
The reason for the survey is so the Park and Recreation Board can tabulate what the public would like done to the park facilities in the city of Niles. The board will then make a five-year plan from the results, he said.
This five-year plan is important because once it is approved by the state, the board is eligible for funding, Ganum said. These surveys will help the board decide how to use the limited resources available to them over the next five years.
"The more people that complete the survey and tell what they want, the greater likelihood of the city obtaining the funding," Ganum said.
The survey is not interested in personal information – such as income level or address – rather what facilities and parks people visit the most and what should be done to improve them, he said.
For those individuals who would rather not wait for the survey to arrive at their home, it is also available online at www.ci.niles.mi.us. The survey will be available until the end of February.