JOLIET – The deadline for residents to respond to a public opinion survey by the Joliet Park District has been extended to Wednesday.
The survey, which was recently mailed to district residents, will be used to gauge public interest in various park improvements. Based on the results of the survey and public hearings, the district may pursue a bond referendum of up to $20.9 million on the November ballot.
Dominic Egizio, executive director of the district, said the original June 23 deadline was extended because of mailing problems.
“We used bulk mailing and, unfortunately, most residents got their surveys a day before the deadline,” Egizio said.
The district has received about 1,000 responses to the survey so far, Egizio said last week.
“If people have them, we are really encouraging them to send the surveys back,” Egizio said. “Even if we don’t end up doing a referendum, the information is valuable to us.”
The survey includes 13 questions, focusing on the park district, the need for improvements, the various projects and taxes.
Projects, which residents are asked to rate by priority, include:
• Safety and security improvements, including installation of security cameras. Cost: $250,000.
• Renovation of 21 parks. Cost: $6.1 million.
• Re-foresting and irrigation throughout the district, including Pilcher Park. Cost: $500,000.
• Resurfacing of roads and trails at Pilcher Park. Cost: $2 million.
• Updating lighting and the electrical transformer at Joliet Memorial Stadium. Cost: $280,000.
• Construction of new facility at Nowell Park. Cost: $4 million.
• Adding a second ice rink at Inwood Ice Arena. Cost $4.2 million.
• Construction of an all-purpose field house at Inwood Recreational Center. Cost $3.5 million.
Funding for the entire $20.9 million package would require raising the district tax rate from approximately 37 cents to 46 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of about $21.60 per year on a home valued at $100,000.
Glen Marcum, president of the Joliet Park District Board, said the district also will be polling residents by phone.
Marcum said he has received a lot of input from the public, including at last week’s Taste of Joliet.
“I think it’s been pretty positive, though there’s been some concern with a couple of the projects,” Marcum said. “But that’s why we’re doing the polling.”
Marcum said most of the comments he has received have been about the need for fixing up the parks, especially Pilcher Park.
Some residents have questioned the need for a second sheet of ice at Inwood, although the center was originally built to accommodate one, Marcum said.
Marcum said the survey and public hearings already have helped educate residents.
A lot of people are surprised that the park district generates nearly 60 percent of its own funding, and that it receives no revenue from the city, Marcum said.