Citizens learn the workings of city government

The Citizens Services Academy is a city run program open to people who work or live in San Mateo.

The coordinators also require that the participants have an interest in city government and can devote one morning or afternoon per week to attend the meetings.

Jiampetti said the people enrolled in the academy are usually adults age 30 and up. “We generally don’t take anyone under 18,” she said.

The academy is free to participants and the classes are limited to 25 so they can be an interactive experience, according to Jiampetti. When more people apply to the session they are placed on a waiting list for the following one.

“The program is designed to give citizens a hands-on experience and to interact with city staff,” Carol Jiampetti, coordinator for the academy said.

The next set of classes begins September 6^th and lasts 12 weeks. The Academy is full for this session, but a new session will be open again in the spring.

The various department heads each give presentations. “A lot of different people give talks,” Jiampetti said. “The City Clerk, the City Attorney, the City Council and Parks and Recreation.”

According to Jiampetti, there is a demand in the community for these classes. “We’ve actually gotten a lot of positive feedback from everyone who has taken the classes,” Jiampetti said. “Last session was during the afternoon and we had a lot of seniors attending and they loved it.”

The classes are also intended for people who are interested in becoming part of the city government.

Jiampetti said there is currently someone enrolled who is interested in joining city government.

“[The academy] would be very helpful for someone who is interested in the government,” Jiampetti said. “It is a good way to make a lot of contacts with city staff.”

City Councilmember Paul Gumbinger said he thinks it is an excellent program and encourages people to take advantage of the academy.