Citizen Academy: You’ll Never Look at West Jordan the Same Way Again

TL;DR: The author survived West Jordan's Citizen Academy and came out the other end with a diploma, some fabulous life skills, and zero regrets.

They broke into a truck with the jaws of life, dropped a water balloon from 60 feet, looked through a SWAT sniper scope, and drove a snow plow at a blistering 6 mph. Along the way they met every city department - police, fleet, courts, planners, IT nerds keeping data safe at 2am and the water testers making sure your morning swig is fresh and clear.

Bottom line: Your city is doing a LOT, 24/7. Get a front-row seat next year during the next CItizen's Academy.

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Reading time: 2.5 min.

I graduated from West Jordan's Citizen Academy. Spoiler alert, it wasn't boring.

• I broke open a truck with the jaws of life.
• Judge Holtan personally led my group through the Justice Court.
• I dropped a water balloon from 60 feet up on the ladder truck.
• The Rocky Mountains looked like ant hills through the SWAT sniper scope.
• I didn't knock over a single cone when driving the snow plow! (But I also didn't exceed 6 mph - you try driving a snow plow down a street with low hanging branches, garbage cans and cars on both sides of the road and see how fast YOU drive).
• When the city planners asked us all to create our ideal cities, most of my classmates made rural towns while mine resembled Chicago.

The Academy is a chance to get to know what really happens inside City Hall, and most importantly, get answers to all the questions you've ever wanted to ask.

Week one, we met with Administration, Courts, Legal and the City Council Office. The Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) taught us how the city government works. Did you know that our form of government changed a few years ago? The Mayor isn't a part of the Council anymore.

My classmates did a mock Council debate and learned just how hard it can be to get seven people to agree on one topic, let alone the hundreds that pass by their desks each year.

City Planning and Economic Development taught us how to plan a community that benefits everyone, from the toddlers to the retired folks, from the high school graduates in their first apartments to the growing family that needs a few thousand square feet- and all of them need food, jobs and places to go.

Administrative Services week might sound the most boring, but this is where the money and records are taken care of, and is far from a snooze-fest. The most crowded city council meetings are the ones where budget cuts or increases are discussed, so this is definitely one you don't want to miss if you have questions or concerns about the city and its money.

My favorite quote from this day was from Robert Allred in IT:

"A city doesn't turn off when people go home," he said.

Our first week outside was Parks and Events! They showed us how they mow lawns, all the different equipment they use and the bathroom they remodeled themselves instead of hiring out to save thousands.

Police Week was both exciting and humbling. We saw where they discharge loaded firearms, collect and package evidence. Some of the personal stories from officers were so gut-wrenching that most of us were teary-eyed and yet, these officers show up day after day.

During Water and Public Utility Week we learned someone tests our water every single day. When you turn your tap on in the morning, or you flush your toilet, that means someone at the City is doing their job right.

Inside Public Works we saw where they take care of every city vehicle, from the mayor's hybrid, lawn mowers, to the fire engines. The shop is so clean you could practically eat off the floor.

Firefighting was my favorite week. Playing with fire is usually dangerous, but not when we were surrounded by a dozen trained firefighters and paramedics! They taught us how to put one out (from the bottom up!) with an extinguisher, climb the ladder, and put on a fire protective suit (they can get those on in less than 90 seconds, but it took the rest of us about 10 minutes).

We made it to Graduation day! We learned how Emergency Management would take care of us in a crisis (think: major earthquake). When disaster strikes, social media posts from neighbors and unknown sources are probably more dangerous than helpful. Trust the City over the dooms-day narrators.

The mayor awarded each of us our diplomas (and personally tailored puns), and we were officially crowned "Citizen Academy Graduates."

So, if you want to know more about the city, you can ask one of us graduates. Or better yet, watch out for the next session and see for yourself:

• See how far a K9 officer will go for their toy.
• Watch a remote control car drive down the sewer pipe.
• Participate in a Council Debate.
• Meet the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Mayor, and many more high-ranking city officials.
• Ask every question you've ever had.

Or do any of the other amazing things that help keep the good city of West Jordan running.

By Erin Dixon