Palm Coast Citizen’s Academy graduates 26 students

Twenty-six Palm Coast residents graduated this month from the Palm Coast Citizen’s Academy, a comprehensive program designed to educate interested residents about the operation and workings of their city government, according to a media release fom the city.

The graduating class — the 45th in the program’s history — spent five weeks learning about city departments and visiting City Hall, the Community Center, Fire Station 25, and Water Treatment Plant No. 3 and Wastewater Treatment Plant 2. The class also attended a Palm Coast City Council meeting together. 

This session’s graduates include Rhonda Barner, Walt Barner Jr., Mark Burda, Daniel Cauley, Patricia Cauley, David Chaney, Sarah Chaney, Candace Covey, Joey Covey, Patricia Devoy, Beth Hagan, Louis Hagan, Cecil Hengeveld, Peggy Hengeveld, Joseph LaMacchia, Marilyn Moreira, Connie Orell, Larry Orell, Scott Pearston, Sharon Petty, Lilian Rodriguez, Diane Scarnecchia, Vickie Taylor, Cynthia Turner, Hugh Turner and James Zimmerman. 

“The Citizen’s Academy is one of the best ways to learn about our local government — about the City Council’s goals for maintaining our high quality of life and well-run city services, for advancing our community’s economic development and quality of life through new technology and innovation, and for understanding what goes into day-to-day operations of city government,” Mayor Milissa Holland said in the release. “We appreciate our Citizen’s Academy graduates’ interest and welcome them as the city’s newest ambassadors.” 

The academy kicked off in early February with an opening session titled “Governing the City,” providing background on Palm Coast’s incorporation, City Charter, the council-manager form of government and overall information about the city. 

Participants in the academy received an overview on every city department and met City Council members, department directors and many other city employees. Interim City Manager Beau Falgout gave a presentation on development projects — both public and private — underway throughout the city.

The academy meets once a week, usually on Monday evenings, for five straight weeks. The course is free and registration is limited to about 30 Palm Coast residents per session. 

Registration is underway for two additional sessions this year. Visit palmcoastgov.com and search for “Citizen’s Academy.” 

The city also offers a Virtual Citizen’s Academy. For more information, visit palmcoastgov.com/vca. The Virtual Citizen’s Academy includes an overview of the city's government and separate modules on each of the city’s departments.