2018 Citizens' Academy
Get familiar with Weston government inside and out at the 2018 Weston Citizens’ Academy! Take tours of some of the Town facilities, meet with Department Managers, and engage in hands-on activities! Ask your burning questions about the “who, what, where, when, why and how” of the Town, and learn about the role you can play in Weston’s government.
The objectives are to facilitate and deepen public knowledge and understanding of how Weston’s Town Government operates; promote a two-way dialogue between Town staff and residents; and enhance public participation by communicating opportunities for residents to become involved. All sessions will be led by town staff at their respective facilities.
For further information, pleasecontact: Molly Kean at 781-786-5090.
For registration, please email: humanresources@westonmass.org
Objective
The program is specifically designed to familiarize citizens with the processes and procedures associated with Town and school services and will consist of a series of presentations, discussions, and visits to Town departments and facilities.The objectives are to facilitate and deepen public knowledge and understanding of how Weston’s Town Government operates; promote a two-way dialogue between Town staff and residents; and enhance public participation by communicating opportunities for residents to become involved. All sessions will be led by town staff at their respective facilities.
Schedule
Participants will attend seven 2-hour interactive workshops, detailed below, and must commit to attending all seven sessions. The first session will be held on Thursday, September 20th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the lower level conference room at Town Hall. The remaining sessions will be held on the succeeding Thursdays (9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, and 11/1) A final “graduation” session is tentatively scheduled during the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, November 13th.Registration
Early registration is suggested as the Academy will be limited to 25 participants. Efforts will be made to be inclusive of all age groups and preference will be given to those who have not previously been Town Meeting Members or served on any Town Boards or Committees. There is no fee for attending the Academy.For further information, please
For registration, please email: humanresources@westonmass.org
Date | Topic | Location |
---|---|---|
Sept. 20th | Introduction and Overview: The History and Structure of Town Government | Town Hall: lower level |
Sept. 27th | Land Use: Assessing Conservation, Building, Planning, & Board of Health | Town Hall: Land Use office |
Oct. 4th | Police & Dispatch | Police Station |
Oct. 11th | Town Clerk, Finance/Budget & Info. Technology: Public Records, Voting, Budgeting Process & Types, Town IT Systems | Town Hall: lower level |
Oct. 18th | Fire & Emergency Services | Fire Station 1: |
Oct. 25th | Dept. of Public Works: Streets, Parks, Cemeteries, Water, Engineering/GIS, and Transfer Station | DPW Facility |
Nov. 1st | Community Services: Library, Recreation, Council on Aging, Brook School Apts. | Community Center |
Nov. 13th | Selectmen Meeting: Graduation! | Town Hall: Selectmen's Mtg. Room |
The Citizens' Academy will meet 7 consecutive Thursdays from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. with graduation on Tuesday, Nov. 13th.
Tuition is free, but enrollment is limited. Enroll by emailing humanresources@
westonmass.org
or calling 781-786-5090
Program Schedule (PDF)
Tuition is free, but enrollment is limited. Enroll by emailing humanresources@
westonmass.org
or calling 781-786-5090
Program Schedule (PDF)
Feedback
The Citizens' Academy was first held in 2016 and received great feedback from its students:"I enjoyed the total experience. I enjoyed the feeling of getting to know how the town works and who makes the town work."
"In each session I learned something new. In general, Town Government is more complex than I thought."
""[I enjoyed] meeting a diverse group of other community members and hearing their perspective and questions on town issues, [and] getting to know about the ranges of issues the town manages."