The Florida League of Mayors and Business Watch have announced the winners of the 2024 City Catalyst Grant Awards. The League and Business Watch partnered to offer grants to support projects or initiatives that help build community and/or help enhance the lives of citizens in Florida’s municipalities.
Three winning cities and their projects have been announced.
CITY OF HAMPTON, MAYOR DALE WISEMAN, WATER FOUNTAINS FOR PARKS
The City of Hampton has two small parks: City Park and Bobbie Sheppard Park. The bulk of the limited parks budget covers small repairs and maintenance, utilities, equipment and supplies. There are no user fees collected at either park. Neither park has a water fountain, because they were stolen before security cameras were installed. Residents have asked the City to replace the water fountains, as the only water available is from restroom sinks.
The City has a recently completed section of Rails to Trails next to Sheppard Park that an increasing number of bikers, hikers and walkers use. Arc of Bradford, which provides support and services for people with disabilities, is in a nearby facility. Their clients frequent the parks at lunch. Residents also use the park with their children and grandchildren, a local church uses the ballpark for baseball and softball games, and the County Pop Warner Football Association uses the outfield for practices. Having the ability to provide fresh drinking water is of great value to the City, as well as to the quality of life and the health of the community.
CITY OF NEPTUNE BEACH, THEN-MAYOR ELAINE BROWN, SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION
Following the death by suicide of a City employee in 2023, the City of Neptune Beach leaders wanted to honor his memory with a city catalyst grant. The grant will fund suicide prevention education of City staff, elected officials and residents. The local organization that will provide that service is Here Tomorrow. Here Tomorrow removes the most critical barriers to mental health support: accessibility and affordability. Since opening in 2021, Here Tomorrow’s recovery peer specialists have served more than 1,900 individuals in crisis at no cost and with no wait. All Here Tomorrow services remain at no cost through an entire year for friends, family and those who are feeling hopeless or suicidal. Among those services is QPR Gatekeeper Training. QPR stands for “question, persuade and refer,” which are the most important responsibilities in saving a suicidal individual’s life. With this grant, the City covered the cost for 80 individuals to attend QPR Gatekeeper Training during National Suicide Prevention Month in September. The City offered one class per week at city hall or Here Tomorrow, including a class on World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). Community members learned the common causes and warning signs of suicidal behavior as well as how to help and communicate with someone in crisis. The grant also funded Here Tomorrow’s sponsorship of the North Beaches Art Walk on September 19.
CITY OF SANIBEL, MAYOR RICHARD JOHNSON, MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS KIT
In September 2022, the City of Sanibel faced the aftermath of a devastating Category 4 hurricane that left city hall uninhabitable for over three months. Mainland locations, including a hotel, realtor office and library, served as temporary city government sites until the island facilities were restored. Amid and after the crisis, consistent and reliable communication from the City was vital to keep residents, business owners and visitors informed about public safety updates, service restoration progress and community events. Acknowledging this need, the City plans to create a mobile communications kit that is reliable, portable and adaptable for various settings.
This kit will include a laptop, 4K camera, camera tripod, microphone, retractable green screen and equipment-carrying case. These tools will be used for live streaming messages from City leaders, recording public service announcements and conducting virtual interviews with media outlets to effectively communicate with the community post-disaster. Furthermore, the kit will also be used for regular communication purposes. City officials will use the equipment for interviews, announcements and informational content creation to engage with the public and media outlets. The City is committed to fostering a connected and informed community, not only in times of crisis but in everyday life. The lessons learned from the hurricane’s aftermath have underscored the importance of robust communication infrastructure, and the City is dedicated to continuously improving its systems.
For more information, go to floridamayors.org/catalyst-grants.
