Iowa State students are getting the opportunity to voice their opinions about the quality of living in Ames.

Last week 500 copies of the Ames Resident Satisfaction Survey were distributed, and half of them were sent to ISU students.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco said the purpose of the survey is to determine if the city government “is addressing the concerns and providing the services people want.”

Clare Bills, public relations officer for the City of Ames, said the feedback from the students is incredibly important.

“The survey is issued in the spring so that all students have had the opportunity to live in Ames for at least six to eight months,” she said.

Tedesco agreed that the students’ opinions are as crucial as the input from established residents.

“Those students pay taxes in our community,” he said.

Tedesco said he expects the residents’ views about living in Ames to be fairly consistent with the students’.

“You can’t expect anything, but generally their remarks have been in line with the … students,” he said, noting the city does not classify students any differently than non-students.

Tedesco said there is usually a 90 percent approval rating in the surveys. The results of the survey will be used in upcoming city council meetings and also are tied closely to 2001 budget decisions, Tedesco said.

“The purpose of the survey is to see how we are doing in our service levels,” Bills said.

Bills said service levels include issues such as snow plowing, fire and police protection and traffic, although the survey is just one method of getting this information.

“We don’t rely solely on this,” she said.

One major part of the survey are questions concerning the Capital Improvement Project.

Bills said the project involves more than $1 million in reform projects for the City of Ames.

“We want to find out how important it is to you [students], knowing that it will increase your taxes,” she said.

There have been no comments or complaints from long-time Ames residents about ISU students being involved in the Ames Resident Satisfaction Survey, Tedesco said.

“The ISU students are an important part of our community,” he said.