Some of you may have heard about the new initiative that the City of Buffalo is currently doing, called the Citizen’s Participation Academy. There was an e-mail going around about it as well as being listed in the paper.So, I decided to apply for the academy…thinking that it would be a good way for me to learn more about the city. Yes, I do know a great deal of people at the city, but I thought it would be interesting to learn just how the city works.

I was accepted (1 of 30 out of 150 who applied) and this past Tuesday, we had the ‘inaugural’ orientation for the City’s first CPA. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was excited about the opportunity to broaden my knowledge base.

It was a very diverse group of citizens. Different race. Different socio-economic backgrounds. Different ages. Good mix of men and women. Some existing community leaders. Some people who just wanted to learn more about their city.

The orientation night was great. The entire academy is run by Oswaldo Maestre, who is the Director of Citizen Services for the city. Mayor Brown was there to welcome us as well as give us a tour of his office. They served us a light dinner - wings, what else! And then we heard about the different boards that the city appoints people to and filing for a special event. (I had some experience with that during BOHW.)

The evening was capped off by a tour of City Hall from David Granville. It was a great tour (I’ve been on the tour and given the tour), especially for people who have never been on it…a great chance to see the beautiful Common Council Chambers.

So, the goal of this academy?
-To learn how the City of Buffalo is designed and supported
-The City’s relationship to Erie County
-The Buffalo Public School System and various other public agencies
-How to access needed services and vital resources.

All participants are required to do at least 3 of the following:
-Perform a police ride along or visit a police precinct
-Take a complaint in the Mayor’s Call and Resolution Center
-Attend a Common Counil Meeting or Attend a Citi-Stat session
-Visit the Water Sewer Treatment Facility
-Conduct a Community Satisfaction Survey
-Volunteer at a community center

I’m excited about being part of this new initiative and look forward to learning more about the city. I’ll post weekly about the academy and what we’re learning…

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