2022 Citizens' Academy

CitizensAcademyLogo (1)Welcome to the City of Largo's Citizens' Academy! 

Largo Citizens' Academy is your hands-on solution to learning about your government. Led by Largo City Commissioners and Department Directors, the Academy guides citizens first-hand through the myriad of operations that keep Largo running. Academy participants will tour key facilities, learn the challenges facing future development, talk with City leaders about current issues and events affecting Largo, and work side by side with City staff members to learn about the essential functions they serve.


Your Citizens Academy Deans

Diane Bruner, City Clerk
[email protected]
727-587-6710 Ext 7003

Courtney Fogarty, Deputy City Clerk
[email protected]
727-587-6710 Ext 7002

Brandon Graham, Multimedia Supervisor
[email protected]
727-587-6740 Ext 4050 

Julianne Perez, Community Engagement Administrator
[email protected]
(727) 587-6740 Ext 7630

Things to Know

In order to graduate from Largo Citizens' Academy, you will need to attend a minimum of 8 sessions. For the courtesy of your classmates, please arrive promptly. Class will begin at 6pm. If for any reason you are unable to attend a session, please email Diane Bruner at the email address listed above. Extra credit may be available.

A class agenda is available below with the address of each location. Citizens are encouraged to dress comfortably and wear long pants for facility tours including Environmental Services and Public Works. Closed-toe walking shoes are highly encouraged for the duration of this course.

Week 1 - Sept. 19 - Orientation

Location - City Hall
Agenda

2022 Citizens’ Academy of Largo

Orientation, Community Building, Communications & Engagement

Agenda (open QA throughout):
    • Welcome to Citizen’s Academy!
    • Dinner Served
    • Overview of City Services
    • Upcoming Election and Horizon West Bay
    • Communications & Engagement (and You!)
      • Overview of Largo's Communications & Engagement Division
      • Commission Chamber Walk-through
      • Project Spotlight: Sustainability & Resilience Action Plan
    • Closing and Plans for Next Week
**Important Information**
All sessions start at 6:00 p.m., please try and arrive on time as some sessions have tours that require daylight.

Wear comfortable clothes and flat closed toed shoes to all sessions.

We will let you know in advance if dinner will not be served at the beginning of a session.

Surveys will become available the Tuesday after a session.

Surveys are anonymous.

Do not worry if you did not get a question answered or if you think of something to ask after the fact, the surveys have a space for unanswered questions that we will get answers for and send out to the group.

Sessions are standardly 2 hours long but some nights will go over that time, we will let you know in advance for a session that may run long.

Please let us know in advance if you will be absent for a session.
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Orientation Session, link below.

https://forms.office.com/g/cTbdU5gyis

Week 2 - Sept. 26 - Environmental Services - Canceled

Location - Environmental Services
Agenda

GROUP 1

  • Welcome
  • Bus tour
  • Biosolids
  • Reclaim
  • Lab
  • Environmental Control
  • Ops
  • Collections
  • Dinner

GROUP 2

  • Welcome
  • Collections
  • Lab
  • Environmental Control
  • Ops
  • Bus tour
  • Biosolids
  • Reclaim
  • Dinner
**Important Information**
This tour does contain walking, please wear something comfortable.

Dinner will be served after the tour.

Week 3 - Oct. 3 - Recreation, Parks and Arts

Location - Largo Golf Course
Agenda
All Participants are asked to meet at the Largo Golf Course at 6p for a snack and beverage before loading the bus.

Stop 1: Parking Lot Presentation at the Southwest Recreation Complex & Pool

Stop 2: Central Park Performing Arts Center

Stop 3: Highland Recreation Center & Aquatic Center

Stop 4: Largo Community Center
**Important Information**
This evening will have extensive travel and is crucial you arrive on time.

You will be away from where you are parked on a bus tour.

Do not expect to get back to your vehicles until close to 9:00pm.

Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Orientation Session, link below.

https://forms.office.com/g/jYNYLKQCif

Week 4 - Oct. 10 - Public Works

Location - Public Works
Agenda

Citizens Academy
Public Works
October 10, 2022

5:45 Citizen’s Academy Participants begin to arrive

6:00 Citizen’s Academy Participants ride out to the Backyard of Public Works – Intro by Matt York

Trucks and Equipment will be on display

6:45 Back on the Bus – Stop off at Fleet

6:50 Dinner

7:15 Public Works Team Presentation

7:35 Open Questions

8:00 Event Conclusion

**Important Information**
This tour does contain walking, please wear something comfortable.

Dinner will be served after the tour.
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Public Works Session, link below.

https://forms.office.com/g/A4S7HiNJNs

Week 5 - Saturday - Oct. 15 - Police Department

Location - Largo Police Department
 
Agenda

The Largo Police Department welcomes the Largo Citizen's Academy
Saturday October 15th, 2022

0845      Arrival and Light Breakfast

0900      Welcome   /   Chief Jeff Undestad

0930      Group 1 Start Tour   /   Officer Keith Bowling

0930      Group 2 to FATS/VR   /   Officer Nardozzi and Officer Katz

Tour Includes:
Communications   /   Supervisor Megan Ramsey
SIRT (Hallway outside POP)   /   Officer Joel Quattlebaum
CSI (CSI Lab)   /   Officer Bryan Baldie
TAC Static Display (TAC Room)   /   Officer Steven Malandro
Vehicle Display Sally Port
Police Motorcycle, Zero, Hybrid, MRAP   /   Officer Keith Bowling
Holding Cells      Officer Keith Bowling
P.O.P. (All Specialties)   /   Officer Albin Soto
VIP Program Coordinator Jim Curtis

1030 Switch Groups

1130 Reassemble in read-off room for lunch

1215 K9 Demonstration   /   Officer Newbill and K9 SwayZ

Officer Vann and K9 Marsh

1300 Dismissal

**Important Information**
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Police Department Session, link below.

https://forms.office.com/g/GRQktB6sXp
Questions from session
Diversity stats for the department- women and minorities?
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Week 6 - Oct. 24 - Fire Department

Location - Fire Station 41
Agenda
Agenda

CITY OF LARGO CITIZENS ACADEMY
OCTOBER 24, 2022

Introduction 6:00-6:10
Overview of Largo Fire Rescue
Staff Introductions

Dinner 6:10-6:40

Uniform Demonstration 6:20-6:40

Group Rotations 6:40-7:40
Apparatus Demonstration
Station Tour
Medical Code/Cardiac Arrest Demonstration
Station 41, Hazmat and Tech Rescue Crew Members


Q and A 7:45-8:00
**Important Information**
This tour does contain walking, please wear something comfortable.

Expect to stay over the standard 2 hours for this session.
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Fire Department Session, link below.

https://forms.office.com/g/s12bdy0S0H

Week 7 - Nov. 7 - Engineering Services

Location - City Hall
Agenda
Engineering Department
Citizens Academy
 
  • Department Overview
  • Department Functions
  • Department Services
  • Sustainability/Resiliency
  • Major Initiatives
  • City Infrastructure Projects Map
  • Service Requests
  • Traffic Calming Policy
  • Q&A
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Engineering Session, link below. This survey will open at 9:30pm on November 7th.

https://forms.office.com/g/x1Ln07xqhu
Questions from session
Why doesn’t largo maintain the alleys from debris or pave the alleys?

The City already has funding challenges meeting existing pavement maintenance needs on roadways.  Adding more paved surfaces would make that more challenging. Roadways are given prioritization over alleyways due to the higher vehicular volumes.  Additionally, more paved surfaces lead to more stormwater runoff.


I would be interested in hearing more about the street sweeper study and results from the research.


This is a three-phase project. The first phase is a broad overview of Largo’s street sweeping program and provided a justification to dedicate funds to the second and third phases of the project. The goal of the study is to analyze Largo’s developed areas and the trees that exist in those areas to determine where the most pollution enters our streets and then into our stormwater pipes and ditches. The end product of phase three will be recommended changes in how we operate the sweeping routes and any other improvements Geosyntec can recommend.

The deliverables attached are from phase one and phase two.
2019 Street Sweeping Evaluation
2022 Street Sweeping Final Memo

Week 8 - Nov. 14 - Community Development

Location - City Hall
Agenda

Community Development
Citizens' Academy

6:00-6:15 Welcome and meal

6:15-6:45  Department overview

6:45-7:00 Annexation overview

7:05-7:20 Permitting process

7:25-7:40 Affordable Housing

7:45-8:00 Questions

Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Community Development Session, link below. This survey will open at 9:30pm on November 14th.

https://forms.office.com/g/rz9y5AW1nA

Week 9 - Nov. 28 - Largo Public Library

Location - Largo Public Library
Agenda
Largo Library
Citizens Academy

6:00 - Dinner - Library Director Casey will discuss library services
6:30 - Trivia via cell phone
7:15 - Library tour
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Largo Public Library session, link below. This survey will open at 9:30pm on November 21st.

https://forms.office.com/g/UJ3qJS4uHW

Week 10 - Dec. 5 - Finance and OPB

Location - City Hall
Agenda
Finance and OPB
Citizens' Academy

6:00pm Dinner
Budget/Finance Overview

7:00pm Hands on Balancing Exercise
Survey
We please ask you to take a moment of your time to complete a brief survey regarding your Finance and OPB Session, link below. This survey will open at 9:30pm on December 5th.

https://forms.office.com/g/eC6jtPfvSs
Questions from session
Are there times when the city exceeds the budget allocated for a fiscal year?If we anticipate at some point during the year that an unanticipated expense may push something over budget, we bring a ‘budget amendment’ to the City Commission at a City Commission meeting. We then post all budget amendments to our website, which can be found here at Financial Center (largo.com)

Graduation - Dec. 6 - Commission Meeting

Population Size

4th

Largest City in Tampa Bay

Acres of Park Land

4.5K

Largo Businesses