Placement: Proclamations and Special presentations
Action Requested: Discussion
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Hear a Presentation on the Love Your Block Program, Year 2 Review
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Submitted By: Stephanie Vernot, Community Engagement Manager, Communications Department
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of a Smart & Connected City.
Executive Summary (General Business): The Love Your Block program is powered and funded by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and brings together City leaders and residents to build stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time. Now in its second year in the Whispering Pines neighborhood, the program continues to partner with local organizations, neighborhood groups and residents to carry out communitydriven improvements. Port St. Lucie is one of 16 cities selected nationwide to participate in Love Your Block in 2024, with Whispering Pines serving as the pilot neighborhood. The initiative aligns with the City’s Strategic Plan by advancing neighborhood engagement and helping build an engaged, connected community. Representatives from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation and the City of Port St. Lucie will present an update on the program’s secondyear progress.
Presentation Information: City staff and a representative from Johns Hopkins University will give a PowerPoint presentation, accompanied by a brief video. Melissa Yunas, Engagement and Marketing Team Manager, will introduce the item and share the program’s latest progress alongside guest speaker Renata Campante from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation.
Staff Recommendation: Request that the Council Move that the Council hear the presentation and accept the progress report.
Background: In September 2024, the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation (BCPI) at Johns Hopkins University announced that City of Port St. Lucie received a Love Your Block grant to fund resident-led, neighborhood revitalization projects in the Whispering Pines commun...
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