2019 Citizens' Academy - October 17 Session at 7:00 p.m.

Residents are invited to attend the second half of the Wayland Citizens Academy beginning Thursday, October 3rd at 7pm in the Wayland Town Building and continuing through October 24th.  The purpose of the Academy is to give residents an opportunity to learn about the services and functions of various town departments and how town government operates.  Each class begins at 7pm, will be facilitated by town staff, and consist of presentations and interactive discussions.

Kicking off the Academy will be an overview of the town’s land use departments: the Planning Department, Building Department, and Conservation Department.  These departments permit much of the development that occurs in Wayland, from a small shed to a subdivision to a larger project such as Rivers Edge or a 40B.  An overview of the services provided by the Wayland Housing Authority will also be presented.

Next up will be the Facilities Department and Human Resources/Employee Benefits on Thursday, October 10th.  All those projects approved at Town Meeting?  Someone has to manage the repairs and improvements to the 18 existing facilities as well as new construction, renovations such as those going on at the high school, athletic fields, AND all the utilities, including electricity, gas, and telephones.  At one point, Director Ben Keefe, had thirty projects on his to-do list!  The Town could not operate without its 1,000 employees.  Job titles, functions, compensation and benefits all determine who wants to work in Wayland.  Health and safety conditions, ADA compliance are all issues dealt with daily.

October 17th will focus on the Health Department and Emergency Planning, and the Treasurer/Collector.  The threat of EEE has made us aware of one activity under the jurisdiction of the Health Department.  And heading into the flu season will highlight another.  The department is also responsible for food safety, water quality at pools and the Town Beach, underground storage tanks, and septic systems.  The Emergency Planning Department does as its name implies:  plans for all four phases of emergency management, which includes preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery.  The Treasurer/Collector will discuss collecting of funds and the accounting of the money.

The last meeting in the series is the Finance Department on Thursday, October 24th.  This will include assessing and the value of your property.  You know where some of the money comes from to run the town—your tax dollars.  Are there other sources of revenue?  Where does the money go?  And what do all the financial terms you hear at Town Meeting mean—levy, overrides, enterprise funds, OPEB?

Schedule

The Academy will hold a series of four two-hour sessions this fall. The first session will be held on Thursday, October 3rd  from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Town Building. The remaining sessions will be held on the succeeding Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. (10/10, 10/17, and 10/24).  Put the dates on your calendars and plan to come to the fun and informative Citizens' Academy. Each class will be facilitated by town staff and will consist of presentations, discussions, Q & A, and tours. There is no cost!

Registration

The Citizens Academy is free and open to the public.  You are welcome to join even if you did not attend the spring session. 

To reserve your place for the October sessions—or ask questions, please complete the registration form below to sign up or send email to Mary Antes at mantes@wayland.ma.us with your name, address, telephone number, and email address. 

This is your opportunity to ask those questions that have always bugged you.

Registration Form