The City of Gainesville is inviting the public to its inaugural City Services Fair to learn more about services and local government this Saturday.
From 9 a.m. to noon, the city will host the free event at the Martin Luther King Jr Multipurpose Center at 1028 NE 14th St. Local residents will have a chance to learn about the city services, programs, jobs and employment opportunities along with talking to city representatives.
“We are excited to be hosting our very first city services fair,” said Yvette Carter, Gainesville’s director of government affairs and community relations, in an interview with Larry Wilson on 106.9 I Am Country. “And it really is all about a vision that our interim city manager [Cynthia Curry] has put forth for us. She wants all of our city residents, all of our neighbors, to be able to know about the services that we provide here at the City of Gainesville, at [Gainesville Regional Utilities], at [Regional Transit System], at all of our departments.”
Each city department will have booths available.
“It will look pretty much like if you’ve ever been to a job fair, at the City of Gainesville,” Carter said. “And there are different booths and at every booth, you learn something a little different.
“For instance, our Housing and Community Development Department will have all of their services including like critical home repair services, or roof repair services, all of the things that they provide for our neighbors, they will be there to talk about it and they will have brochures about it and even probably applications that you can apply,” she said.
According to the city’s online post, staff will offer information about the Gainesville Fire Rescue Community Resource Paramedic program, offering assistance to low-income residents who may qualify for mortgage foreclosure intervention, and down-payment assistance or other affordable housing programs offered by the city.
GRU staff will be on hand to discuss the Low-income Energy Efficiency Program Plus and will give tips on reducing energy use. Staff from the solid waste division also will address how recent changes to the Zero Waste ordinances impact city residents and businesses.
The Urban Forestry division will provide a small tree giveaway (while supplies last) and will share tree-planting and pruning advice.
The city will also be holding its free tire roundup from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. so residents can recycle their unwanted automobile tires. Each person may bring up to six tires—without rims—for recycling to the outdoor collection area at the fair.
Free food and refreshments will also be available.
“I’m excited to see our neighbors and we look forward to having you come out,” Carter said. “We will do multiple ones throughout the year, but this big kickoff is going to be the biggest and the grandest. And if for no other reason come out and get a hot dog or hamburger because we’ll be grilling that day too.”
For more information, contact Rossana Passanit, the city’s public information officer, at 352-393-7842 or passanitir1@gainesvillefl.gov.