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In celebration of Florida City Week, the City of Bartow will host a “City Speed Dating” event on Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 6 to 7:30 pm at Front Page Brewing, 190 S. Florida Ave. Rather than romance, the purpose of the gathering is to connect residents with information and build relationships between City leadership and the community in an informal setting.

In addition to City Manager Mike Herr, directors and managers from various departments will be on-hand to answer questions and share information one-on-one with attendees. Among the services represented will be Sanitation / Recycling, Water / Wastewater, Building and Planning, Code Enforcement, Electric, Parks & Recreation, the Bartow Golf Course, the Bartow Public Library, the Community Redevelopment Agency, Public Works, Customer Service, Police, Fire and Human Resources.

While The Front Page will not be open for food or beverage sales, light refreshments will be available. In addition, attendees will receive a raffle ticket for each city representative with whom they interact. Prizes include gift certificates and merchandise from local businesses. The drawing will be held at the conclusion of the event, but participants do not need to be present to win. City departments also will offer small giveaways.

As in actual speed dating, conversations are meant to be civil, not confrontational. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with questions about City services or governance - or just an interest in the process. Some questions may require follow-up