City Academy opens its 3rd year in Minneapolis

Unique educational experience helps students understand how city government works

By JAN WILLMS

Have you always wanted to find out exactly how an emergency call is handled? How various properties are taxed? What kind of water comes out of your tap?

For the third straight year, the City Academy is being held in Minneapolis. The course, which is held every Wednesday from 6:30-9pm, begins Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 15 at various locations throughout the city.

“We move around to various facilities, and we start right here in City Hall,” said Howard Blin, community engagement manager who coordinates the program.

“City Academy allows residents to see various city operations they might not otherwise get a chance to observe,” Blin said.

He said the participants get a chance to tour the 911 emergency department, which is located deep in the recesses of City Hall.

“They also tour the City of Minneapolis Water Plant,” he noted. “They visit one of the police precincts. We move the tour around to a different precinct each year.”

Blin said residents who sign up for City Academy get to learn about elections from the City Clerk’s office; city budgeting and taxing and spending from the Finance Department and how individual properties are taxed from the City Assessor’s office. “That is one of the highlights,” Blin noted.

He said Community Planning and Economic Development talks about city development, and the Water Treatment Plant tour gives residents a chance to observe how water is taken out of the river and how it is treated. “The scale of the water system in Minneapolis is amazing,” he said.

The City Academy concludes at the Fire Training Center, which is just inside Fridley.

“They describe all operations and demonstrate by setting a building on fire and putting the fire out,” Blin explained.

“It’s just a small sample of city facilities, but it gives the residents an idea of what their tax dollars are paying for,” he added.

“We could expand to include other services,” Blin said. “We live in a fascinating city, and it’s very interesting in how it works.”

Blin said that many cities are providing this type of information for citizens. The Academy limits its participants to 30, because a bigger group would be cumbersome to take on a tour.

“This program has two purposes,” Blin said. “It introduces residents to their government. It also provides an introduction to city advisory boards and commissions. There are 52 different commissions in the city. This may get people interested in serving on one of them.”

Blin said there is more demand for attending City Academy each year, and there is always a waiting list.

“The program runs 5 weeks, and we could easily double that,” he said. Right now the tour focuses on one or two departments each Wednesday.

As of press time, there were still some openings for the session. People can register by calling 311 or going to the Minneapolis city website and clicking on the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department.

“People do get certificates, but we don’t give any quizzes,” Blin joked.

“We encourage people to be a part of this,” he said. “We want them to get out and kick the tires of city government.”