2016: Year of the Neighborhood
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Dear Neighbor,
In the spirit of the new year, we've made a resolution: Sarasota County's Neighborhood Services is determined to assist more neighbors, in more neighborhoods, reach the goals they've set for their communities. Next month we'll distribute a survey to gather input on the focus areas in which we can best coach neighbors to success - so start thinking about what might boost your neighborhood from "good" to "great!" In the meantime, here's a refresher on what we're already doing.
Why Neighborhoods?
Agents of change come in various shapes and sizes. Government organizations, non-profits, private business... investors, inventors, philosophers... We focus on neighborhoods because - well, everybody lives in one! And one of the most accessible areas for change, loaded with people who have first-hand knowledge of how it works (or doesn't), is your neighborhood.
Neighborhoods face many of the same challenges as local governments - and their decisions to increase values, address infrastructure, protect the environment, etc., benefit residents in the surrounding areas as well. If your neighborhood has tried tackling broad challenges like these, you may have found yourself searching for additional insight. That's where we come in: the goal of Sarasota County's Neighborhood Services is to help neighborhoods thrive by connecting them to people and resources.
Our Reach
Currently we administer three basic outreach programs. For general news and site-specific notices, neighborhoods are encouraged to register in our Neighborhood Online Directory. R
esidents who would like to become more familiar with county programs and procedures are encouraged to sign up for our
Civics 101
course, which offers a "backstage pass" to Sarasota County government. Our
third basic program is the
Neighborhood Grant Program
. Through this program, neighborhoods can obtain up to $10,000 toward their improvement project.
In addition to these programs, you can find our team collaborating on neighborhood plans, coordinating day programs and community events, facilitating meetings, weighing in on interdepartmental efforts, and completing other "projects as assigned."
What Lies Ahead
Please take some time during the month of January to take a look around your neighborhood. What do you love? What do you care about, and what would you like to see changed? We're looking forward to continuing the tradition of serving neighborhoods in Sarasota County.
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Until we Connect again,
Your Neighborhood Services Team
Jane Grogg, Manager
Miranda Lansdale, Community Outreach Specialist
Megan Lui, Neighborhood Planner
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Neighborhood Grant Workshop Dates
Up to $10,000 in matching grant funds are available to neighborhoods wishing to improve character, leadership, environment, safety or health. The first step for neighborhoods is to register to attend a Neighborhood Grant Workshop. Email neighbor@scgov.net to reserve your seat. Provide the date and location of the workshop you would like to attend, your name, neighborhood, phone number, email address, and number of seats requested.
Tuesday, January 12
Selby Library
1331 First Street
10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
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Tuesday, January 12
Jacaranda Library - Computer Lab
4143 Woodmere Park Blvd
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Tuesday, January 19
Gulf Gate Library
7112 Curtiss Avenue
10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
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Tuesday, January 19
North Sarasota Library - Meeting Room II -
2801 Newtown Blvd
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Tuesday, January 26
North Port Library - Juliano Room
13800 S. Tamiami Trail
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Wednesday, January 27
Elsie Quirk Library - Conference Room
100 West Dearborn Street
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10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
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Civics 101: A Backstage Pass
Our next sess
ion,
Act II: VIP Services
, will run January 21 through March 17 - and we've already filled the roster!
An encore of
Act II
will be offered this summer. Submit your completed Civics 101 application to neighbor@scgov.net to ensure you're one of the first to learn the summer dates and secure your seat in the class.
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Neighborhood Directory
George Q. Changemaker: "I've got some important news that needs to be shared with residents in this area. Please provide me with contact information for all the neighborhood organizations. Association presidents will want to share this with their members."
Neighborhood Staff: "Of course, sir. We keep a voluntary directory of neighborhoods in Sarasota County. I'm sure they would be very sorry to miss out on this information!"
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Other News You Can Use
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is offering up to $3,000 in grant funding for projects that focus on Bay Habitat Improvement, Bay Water Quality Improvement, and/or Bay-Related Environmental Education. The deadline to apply is March 2, 2016. Note: Some projects could potentially qualify for an SBEP grant AND a Neighborhood Grant!
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