Understanding the ins and outs of city government is the outcome for those attending the eight-week North Port University program.
North Port residents and business owners can participate in the third session of the program, which gets started at 6 p.m. Thursdays beginning Aug. 7.
Michele Moore, a 20-year North Port resident and university participant, assessed what she got from the program:
"I got to meet the people who work here, their love for the community, how hard it is to run a whole city, the intricacies of it and the why it answers so many questions about the why things are done their way they're done. So it does. It empowers you to love where you live more and to get more involved."
She and others whom attended North Port University got a chance to engage directly with City departments, gain insight into local government functions and become more involved in the community.
Bill Bambrick, a 17-year city resident and past program participant, explained his takeaway:
I would absolutely say, do it, because you don't know until you know, and you can go online, and you can read all these things, but a lot of it is the experience, and sitting across from from whether it's the chief of police, the chief of fire, rescue, utilities, all these, you know, administration, all these departments, are absolutely you want you meet the leaders. You can look into their eye and ask pertinent questions that are important to you so you understand of where they're at, where they're going, what are their constraints and how we can be as residents try and give them the resources they need to provide the services that we're asking them to provide."
Enrollment is limited to 25 participants, and attendance is free. Application information is available NorthPortFL.gov/University.
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