Throw Open the Doors of City Hall

With the City’s budget much in the news recently, the Fall semester of Boynton’s City Services Institute comes at an ideal time for residents and business owners. It’s an opportunity for you to become acquainted with the structure of City government and enable you to become more fully involved in the community. Each of the classes in this eight-week series covers a wealth of information that can make you a real authority and resource for your neighbors, organizations and clubs. By enrolling in the City Services Institute, you will gain a better understanding of how the City operates and establish relationships with department directors and their staffs that will enable you to more easily conduct your business with the City.

People have different reasons for participating, of course. While they use city services every day, they rarely see what happens “behind the scenes” or have access to information regarding why and how things happen. The City Services Institute is a great way to find out more about how the City of Boynton Beach is working for you. In addition, citizens who are considering or may consider applying for an appointment to one of the City’s advisory boards, or even a future run for City Commission, will gain insight into City departments and functions. The City of Boynton Beach encourages all citizens to be engaged in the process of government. Many times, the structure of government is not as clear as we would like; CSI offers residents a chance to look at their city from a different perspective.

Classes begin on Monday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 P.M. and are held on successive Mondays through Nov. 22. The first session is “City Commissioner/City Manager/City Clerk” in which City Manager Kurt Bressner will explain the Commission-Manager form of government. Interestingly, we have found in past classes that many of our newer residents, especially those who have come to Boynton Beach from other parts of the country, are not familiar with the Commission-Manager form of government, so this class is a good starting point for learning how the city operates. Other classes cover public safety, Police and Fire; Public Art, Finance; Public Works; Utilities; the Library and Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center; Recreation & Parks; and Development, Code Compliance and Communications (911). The final class is held at the City’s golf course, The Links at Boynton Beach, where participants will enjoy a graduation ceremony and sumptuous dinner. The other classes will be held in a variety of City facilities and locations, which is an opportunity to go beyond City Hall.

There is a registration fee of $25, which includes all materials and the graduation dinner. We have a limit of 25 students. To download a brochure and application, click here, or call 742-6025.

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Posted by Wayne at 11:59 AM