Have you ever wondered about how the city’s public works department keeps more than 100 miles of roadway plowed during the winter or how fire department personnel can respond to emergencies so quickly?
Local residents can learn more about city operations through the Prior Lake “Community Academy” that will run over a six-week period beginning April 7 and ending May 12. The free program will meet every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. during that time frame, with a different city department highlighted each night. Each session will include guest speakers, facility tours and the opportunity to engage directly with a department’s staff members. The “academy” will culminate with a graduation ceremony to be conducted during a city council meeting.
Applications are due Friday, March 13. Participants must be at least 16 years or older, and live or work in Prior Lake. A minimum of 10 participants must sign up for the academy and all who do will be expected to attend every session.
Applications are available using this link.
Session dates and topics to be covered include:
- April 7: general government. Speakers: Jason Wedel, City Manager, and Nicole Klekner, Finance Director
- April 14: fire department, including a tour of Fire Station 1. Speaker: Rick Steinhaus, Fire Chief
- April 21: parks & recreation. Speaker: Steve Hart, Parks & Recreation Manager
- April 28: police department, including a tour of the police station. Speaker: Liam Duggan, Police Chief
- May 5: public works and engineering. Speaker: Nick Monserud, Public Works Director/City Engineer
- May 12: community development. Speaker: Casey McCabe, Community Development Director
