Cape Girardeau Citizen Academy looks for aspiring city leaders

Cape Girardeau residents can get an up close look at how the city functions through Citizen Academy.

The academy, which is hosted every year in the spring and fall, is used as a way to inform citizens on how the different departments of city government work. The departments include Public Works, fire department, police department, parks and recreation and others.

Sessions last for two hours one day a week, for six to eight weeks. Individuals who sign up will tour Cape Girardeau's facilities and meet the individuals employed by the City of Cape Girardeau who "are involved in infrastructure, safety and quality of life services in Cape Girardeau," according to the city's website, cityofcapegirardeau.org.

Nicolette Brennan, the city's public information manager, said the program is a useful tool for aspiring city leaders to learn how the city functions.

"It's good to know how the city operates, because so much of what matters to people at that neighborhood level has to do with trash pickup, spring cleanups, safety and all the things that we go over when we meet with each of our departments," she said. "We hope to be both a recruitment and an inspiration tool to get people involved."

According to Brennan, a few of the attendees from the previous year's fall session were interested in becoming City Council members.

The Citizen Academy typically hosts around 20 people each session; the spring session is fully booked. Attendees will also meet with the mayor and the city's finance director to discuss the budget and different types of expenses the city has.

"That's session one, then we do airport and economic developments, neighborhood community development and then we hit each of our major operating departments," Brennan said. "The sessions run through April and May and then we conclude in June at a council meeting for graduation."

The Citizen Academy spring session graduation will occur June 6 at Cape Girardeau City Hall, 44 N. Lorimier St.

Anyone interested in attending the Citizen Academy's fall session may apply on the city website.