Have you been to a city park lately? Which ones? What did you like about your visit?

The Parks and Recreation Department wants to know. The department is compiling information through a public survey to be used in creating a development plan for city parks.

"We're trying to get more information," said Dan Muser, director of the parks department. "We want to know what people would like to see and their general opinions about what they use."

The surveys are available at A.C. Brase Arena Building and Osage Community Centre as well as other parks. Copies also will be distributed Friday in a special publication of the Southeast Missourian.

Instead of hiring a consultant to help develop a comprehensive plan for future parks use, the department is doing its own work.

The survey will be used to help create that plan, once the results are compiled, Muser said.

Questions range from which parks do you use and how often to what additional parks or recreation centers would you use.

Residents have talked in the past about building a family aquatic center as a replacement for the aging Capaha Pool. "But we need to know what they want in that park," said Penny Blandford, recreation supervisor with the department.

Questions about the survey can be directed to the parks department at 334-5421.