Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manager proposes 'Citizens Academy' to boost public understanding of county operations
Summary
County Manager Brian Epley proposed a six‑week citizens academy to familiarize residents with county operations — from 911 and EMS to water/sewer and the jail — and to solicit feedback. The pilot would run twice a year for up to 15 participants and could include site tours and possible ties to community‑college continuing education.
County Manager Brian Epley proposed creating a Citizens Academy to increase transparency and public engagement. The voluntary, application‑based program would run twice a year (fall and spring), meet once weekly for six weeks for 60–90 minutes per session, and accept about 15 participants per cohort.
Epley said the academy would pair short classroom sessions with on‑site tours — for example, visiting the 911 center, an EMS base, the jail or water/sewer facilities — and offer opportunities for direct interaction with elected officials and department leaders. The goals are to deepen residents’ understanding of county budgets, capital planning, public safety operations and service tradeoffs, to solicit community feedback and to build credibility and advocacy.
Commissioners suggested exploring partnerships with Foothills or other community colleges to offer continuing‑education credit and to help host a backup dispatch center if needed. The manager said the program framework is preliminary and asked the board to consider endorsing the idea as part of prioritization and outreach planning.
Ending: The board will consider the academy concept during budget and prioritization discussions; staff will return with a refined plan if the board directs.
