Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve a Subaward Agreement with Johns Hopkins University to Support Continued Implementation of the Love Your Block Program in Port St. Lucie
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Submitted By: Kate Parmelee, Deputy City Manager/Chief Innovation Officer
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of a Smart & Connected City.
Summary Brief (Agreements/Contracts only)
1. Prepared by: Johns Hopkins University
2. Parties: City of Port St. Lucie and Johns Hopkins University
3. Purpose: To enter into a Subaward Agreement (“Subagreement”) between the Johns Hopkins University (“JHU”) and the City of Port St. Lucie (“Subrecipient”) under which Subrecipient shall perform the work defined below as the statement of work, to enable JHU to complete its obligations under its grant (“Prime Award”) titled “2024-2026 LOVE YOUR BLOCK,” (“Project”) funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies (“Prime Sponsor”). All terms and conditions of this Subagreement are subject to applicable law and regulations.
4. New/Renewal/Modified: Modified
5. Duration: 11/01/2025- 10/31/2026
6. Benefits to Port St. Lucie: The Love Your Block program will support the design and development of volunteer-fueled projects that address local public problems. This grant program focuses on supporting cities to partner with community groups and activate resident volunteers to repair, remediate, and improve their neighborhoods. The additional subgrant award will allow the city to complete its grant obligations in the final year of grant funding.
7. Cost to Port St. Lucie (Annual and Potential): Staffing has been funded directly by the Love Your Block grant. Additional staffing support has been budgeted in respective departments to supplement the grant where needed.
Presentation Information: Staff will be available to respond to any questions.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council authorize the City Manager to sign the Subagreement, indicating acceptance of the Subagreement.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and authorize the City Manager to sign the Subagreement, indicating acceptance of the Subagreement
2. Move that the Council provide direction.
Background: In 2025, the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation (BCPI) at Johns Hopkins University announced that City of Port St. Lucie will receive a Love Your Block grant to fund resident-led, neighborhood revitalization projects. As one of 16 newly selected U.S. cities, Port St. Lucie joined the largest cohort in the history of the Love Your Block program - which reached nearly 50,000 community members who have improved nearly 4,000 public spaces - creating nearly 800 art displays, cleaning 102,000 square feet of graffiti, and removing 6.7 million pounds of trash in cities nationwide since its creation in 2009. The initial grant award of $100,000 over two years plus this additional $60,000 subaward is supporting resident-led revitalization efforts and funded a Love Your Block Fellow. The funding recognizes the City’s commitment to engage volunteers in blight prevention and/or remediation activities such as housing repair and vacant lot transformation to revitalize neighborhoods. An additional fellow is providing additional capacity to this effort. In addition to funding, Port St. Lucie also received technical assistance and training from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins team of civic engagement experts. Port St. Lucie residents were able to apply for mini-grants for neighborhood improvement projects through the Love Your Block program in 2025 and 2026. The 2024-2026 cohort of Love Your Block cities include Allentown, PA; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC; Columbia, MO; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Evanston, IL; Fall River, MA; Gary, IN; Little Rock, AR; Long Beach, CA; Louisville, KY; Reno, NV; Port St. Lucie, FL; Rapid City, SD; and San Bernardino, CA. For more information related to the Love Your Block program or the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins, visit publicinnovation.jhu.edu/loveyourblock
Issues/Analysis: N/A
Financial Information: Funding has been provided in accordance with the subaward agreements.
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: The Love Your Block Program has been working in the Whispering Pines neighborhood. It is anticipated this program will serve as a model for other neighborhoods and will be replicated in other areas of the City moving forward, as a model for the City’s renewed focus on Neighborhood Engagement as prioritized in the City’s Strategic Plan and goal of a Engaged & Connected City.
Attachments: 1. Subaward Agreement
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Russell Ward, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, City Attorney.