For the eighth consecutive year, the City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood Council Office, in cooperation with the University of Washington Tacoma’s (UWT) Urban Studies Program, will offer free public sessions of the Government Leadership Institute on Mondays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the UWT campus, Keystone Building Auditorium, 1900 Commerce St. No registration is required.

The purpose of these sessions is to provide an opportunity for the general public and students to share time in the classroom and educate each other about the impacts of various municipalities on the development of the city. The sessions will also provide an opportunity for those attending to think critically and creatively about urban politics and policy in Tacoma, and to open dialog with local public officials and other decision makers about the present and future conditions of the city.

The following sessions will be provided, and will include presenters from various agencies and organizations:

— Jan. 30: Intergovernmental Cooperation and Coordination;

— Feb. 6: Urban Economic Development;

— Feb. 13: The Port and the City;

— Feb. 27: Urban Governance and Citizen Participation;

— March 5: Urban Power and Decision-Making.

For detailed information about each of these sessions, visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/neighborhoodcouncils .