North Jersey borough drafting a resident survey

A municipality in North Jersey is working on a project that most people would probably love to see in their own town.

Officials in Franklin Lakes are currently drafting a survey that will eventually go out to residents and gather their feedback on the borough's departments, services and overall performance.

Mayor Frank Bivona said it's important to hear from constituents and identify any areas of concern.

"Also, it sends a positive message, I think, in the sense that we care about what people think," he said. "We're elected officials and we're public servants, so our job is to reach out to our residents and find out what their concerns are, and try our best to respond appropriately."

Michael Cerra, assistant executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said while elections may be the ultimate feedback forum for residents, hard copy surveys of residents are a not a new concept and have been implemented by other Garden State municipalities in the past.

"I think residents appreciate the fact that elected officials want to hear from them," Cerra said. "There's a mutual benefit to both residents and elected officials."

There's no set date yet for the launch of the Franklin Lakes survey.