WHEATON PARK DISTRICT SEEKS COMMUNITY INPUT WITH RESIDENT SURVEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: March 28, 2016

Wheaton, Ill.—Any effective organization adapts to the needs of the community it serves, and the Wheaton Park District (WPD) is no different. During the month of April, WPD will seek local input through an Attitude & Interest survey distributed to 3,000 randomly selected residents.

Surveys will be mailed Monday, April 4 and should arrive at chosen residents’ homes between Tuesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 7. Residents can respond by filling out the six-page questionnaire and returning it through an enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope or by completing the survey online through a link provided in the mailing.

Residents who aren’t selected but would still like to have their say can pick up a survey upon request at the WPD Community Center (1777 S Blanchard St, Wheaton, IL 60189) or the DuPage County Historical Museum (102 E. Wesley St.) after Tuesday, April 5.

Questions will focus on residents’ satisfaction with current opportunities, publicity, resident input on expansion and development of parks, facilities, and services, and more.

The survey will close Friday, April 22 and results will be made available in the summer.

Those results will inform the district’s new strategic plan for 2016 through 2020, which typically outlines new capital improvement projects, agency values, and avenues of accountability.

“The results of the survey will provide important information directly from the taxpayers that will guide the Park Board and Staff in achieving its goals and setting priorities concerning financial sustainability, customer satisfaction, staff development, capital projects, and the continuous improvement of systems and services,” said WPD Executive Director Michael Benard.

The survey is being conducted primarily through snail mail to achieve higher response rates.

About a quarter of American households don’t have an internet connection and 15 percent of Americans don’t use the internet at all, and paper surveys tend to generate higher response rates than online-only surveys, according to the Office of Recreation and Park Resources at the University of Illinois, which is assisting the district in conducting the survey.

To learn more about the Wheaton Park District’s efforts to adapt to its residents, please view Resident Survey Details, call the Community Center at 630.690.4880, or stop in at the Community Center or the Museum.

Written by: Brett Peto