CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: October 7, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Luis Portillo, Director of Economic Development
Department: Economic Development
Subject: Love Your Block Year 3 (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, receive and file and provide staff direction with program implementation.
City Manager's Comments
Economic Development followed the intent of the City Council direction and has moved the positions to part-time and placed additional funding in the actual project improvements. The $80,000 would be funded from the Cultural Development fund and the part-time positions would be funded through salary savings in the Department.
Executive Summary
In advance of the conclusion of the Love Your Block Grant on October 31, 2026, City Council approved a total investment of $150,000 for program staffing and resident-led projects at the September 2, 2026 meeting. The Council also directed staff to bring back an item identifying alternative funding sources to reduce or eliminate the use of General Fund resources for Year Three. In response, staff recommends funding the Year Three program through both departmental salary savings and the Cultural Development Fund.
Background
In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation (BCPI) at Johns Hopkins University launched the Love Your Block program to help local governments strengthen neighborhoods by empowering residents to lead community improvement projects. Through technical assistance, training, and grant funding, the program supports resident-driven initiatives focused on neighborhood beautification, public art, blight reduction, placemaking, and community engagement.
In December 2023, the City of San Bernardino applied to participate in the 2024–2026 Love Your Block cohort and was subsequently awarded $100,000 from Johns Hopkins University on February 21, 2024, to implement the program over a two-year period.
The grant funding supported program staffing, resident-led community improvement projects, and access to an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Recognizing the City’s need for additional staffing stability, the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation awarded the City an additional $60,000 in December 2025 to fund a second part-time Fellow position through October 31, 2026, allowing the City to expand community outreach efforts and continue successful project implementation during Year Two.
The City designed Love Your Block to provide residents with the resources and support necessary to identify opportunities within their neighborhoods and implement projects that create visible improvements. Through partnerships with community-based organizations and nonprofit organizations, the program provides funding, technical assistance, volunteer coordination, and project management to help residents turn their ideas into completed projects.
During Years One and Two, the Love Your Block Program successfully supported resident-led projects that improved neighborhoods, strengthened community connections, and fostered greater community pride. In Year One, the City fully funded eleven (11) resident-led projects, engaging 429 residents and volunteers, generating 486 volunteer hours, removing approximately 24,600 pounds of trash, and clearing nearly 6,955 square yards of grounds. Building on this success, Year Two expanded the program's focus to the Historic Route 66 corridor, supporting beautification, public art, neighborhood improvement, and community-building projects at locations including Ann Shirrells Park, Court Street Square, Villa Señor Library, Santa Fe Depot, Mt.
Vernon and Baseline, and St. Paul A.M.E. Church, with a total of $46,200 awarded to Year Two projects.
The current BCPI grant-funded Love Your Block Program concludes on October 31, 2026. Based on the demonstrated success of the program and its ability to directly engage residents in improving their neighborhoods, City Council expressed support for continuing the program for a third year.
Discussion
The Love Your Block Program has demonstrated that a relatively modest investment can produce visible neighborhood improvements while creating meaningful opportunities for residents to take an active role in their communities. The program provides the City with a structured mechanism to support resident ideas, leverage volunteer participation, build partnerships, and address neighborhood improvement priorities at the local level. Continuing the program will allow the City to maintain the relationships and community momentum established during the first two years while creating a sustainable framework for future resident-led projects.
Year Three Funding
At its September 2, 2026 meeting, the Mayor and City Council provided direction to proceed with Year Three of the Love Your Block Program with a total investment of $150,000 for the period of November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2027. The initial funding structure contemplated two (2) part-time equivalent (PTE) positions at a combined allocation of $100,000 and $50,000 for resident-led community improvement projects, with the staffing component originally proposed to be funded through the General Fund.
The initial funding was structured as follows:
Year Three Component Allocation Funding Source
Program Staffing – 2 PTE $100,000
Resident-Led Projects $50,000
Total $150,000
General Fund
As part of its September 2, 2026 direction, Council requested that staff identify alternative funding sources to reduce or eliminate the use of General Fund resources for Year Three. In response, staff reviewed the actual cost of maintaining two (2) parttime positions and identified available departmental salary savings, as well as the Cultural Development Fund, as resources that could support the continuation of the program.
Staffing – $70,000:
Following Council's direction to maintain both Love Your Block positions as part-time positions, staff reviewed the actual fully encumbered cost of the two (2) positions. The base fully encumbered cost is $60,285.46. After accounting for additional personnelrelated costs, including CalPERS, Medicare, and the potential for additional regular hours that could cause the positions to exceed the 1,000-hour annual threshold for part-time employees, staff estimates that an additional $9,714.54 would be necessary.
Accordingly, the total staffing allocation is estimated at $70,000.
The proposed $70,000 staffing allocation will support two (2) part-time equivalent positions dedicated to the administration and implementation of the Love Your Block Program. These positions will replace the grant-funded staffing structure that has supported the program during Years One and Two and will provide the continuity necessary to administer Year Three. Responsibilities will include program administration, community outreach, applicant assistance, partnership development, project coordination, volunteer engagement, contract and grant administration, and program reporting.
Based on the actual staffing costs, the full $100,000 originally contemplated for staffing is not necessary to maintain the two part-time positions. This results in $30,000 in available funding that staff proposes to redirect toward resident-led community improvement projects.
Resident-Led Projects – $80,000:
Staff recommends allocating the additional $30,000 to resident-led projects, increasing the project allocation from the originally proposed $50,000 to $80,000. This would maintain the total Year Three program investment at $150,000 while increasing the amount of funding available to directly support resident-led improvements throughout San Bernardino.
Individual project awards would continue to range from $2,500 to $5,000, allowing the City to support approximately 14 to 28 projects, depending on the number and size of awards approved. The projects would continue to focus on activities such as neighborhood beautification, clean-ups, public art and murals, community gardens, placemaking, cultural expression, and other small-scale improvements that provide a demonstrated benefit to the surrounding community.
The proposed funding structure would be as follows:
Year Three Component Allocation Funding Source
Program Staffing – 2 PTE $70,000 Salary Savings
Resident-Led Projects $80,000 Cultural Development Fund Total $150,000
Funding Source
The original staff recommendation presented to Council proposed utilizing General Fund resources to continue Love Your Block into Year Three. Following Council's direction to proceed with the program while identifying alternative funding sources, staff has identified departmental salary savings and the Cultural Development Fund as alternative resources for the proposed $150,000 investment.
The $70,000 staffing allocation would be supported through available departmental salary savings associated with a vacant position, while the $80,000 resident-led project allocation would be supported through the Cultural Development Fund. This funding structure would allow the City to continue the Love Your Block Program without utilizing General Fund resources, while increasing the amount of funding available for direct investment in resident-led community improvement projects.
The Cultural Development Fund currently has a balance of more than $3.1 million, with approximately $800,000 available for allocation, subject to applicable fiscal requirements and eligible uses. The proposed $80,000 allocation would support projects that may incorporate public art, neighborhood beautification, cultural expression, community identity, and activation of public spaces, consistent with the objectives of the Love Your Block Program.
Program Administration and Community Partnerships
Year Three will continue the collaborative approach established during the first two years of Love Your Block. The City will work with multiple community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood associations, and other community partners to expand outreach and participation throughout all seven City wards. Economic Development staff will provide program information, technical assistance, applicant support, project coordination, and volunteer engagement while ensuring that projects continue to be driven by resident-identified needs and priorities.
To support a consistent and collaborative project selection process, Economic Development will continue to the Love Your Block Project Review Committee consisting of City staff, representatives from City departments with relevant expertise based on the proposed project types, and representatives from community-based organizations participating in the program. The involvement of City departments will help evaluate projects for feasibility, permitting, operational and maintenance considerations, and compliance with applicable City requirements, while communitybased organization representatives will provide additional community perspective and knowledge of neighborhood needs.
The Review Committee will evaluate applications using established program criteria, including community benefit, resident participation, project feasibility and readiness, proposed use of funds, geographic distribution, and alignment with the goals of Love Your Block. Economic Development will coordinate the application and review process and work with the committee to develop funding recommendations, while ensuring that the final selection process remains transparent, equitable, and centered on residentled neighborhood improvement.
Strategic Goals and Priorities
This project is consistent with Goal No. 3 Improved Quality of Life. Participation in the Love Your Block Grant will improve the City’s appearance, cleanliness, and attractiveness through the proposed community-led revitalization projects.
Fiscal Impact
The proposed Year 3 of the Love Your Block program allocates $150,000. Funds in the amount of $80,000 would need to be allocated to the FY 2026/27 Operating Budget for Economic Development from the Cultural Development Fund to fund this program, and Economic Development Department would complete an internal budget amendment from associated GL’s to cover the staffing costs.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, receive as filed and provide staff direction with program implementation.
Attachments
1. Love Your Block Program Guidelines – Year 3
2. Love Your Block Blueprint – Bloomberg & JHU
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
On September 18, 2024, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024- 204, authorizing the city manager, or designee, to accept grant award funds in the amount of $100,000 for the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation 2.0 Project (Love Your Block Grant); and authorizing the city manager, or designee, to execute a subaward agreement and any subsequent amendments with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation 2.0 Project (Love Your Block Grant) to carry out the service deliverables for the period of May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2026; and authorizing the director of finance & management services to amend and appropriate the $100,000 for the Love Your Block Grant Award in both revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 2024-2025 & 2025-2026 operating budget.
On December 17, 2025, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025- 403, authorizing the city manager, or designee, to accept additional grant award funds in the amount of $60,000 for the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation 2.0 Project (Love Your Block Grant); and authorizing the city manager, or designee, to execute amendment #1 to the subaward agreement with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for the Bloomberg Center of Public Innovation 2.0 Project (Love Your Block Grant) to extend the service deliverables to October 31, 2026; and authorizing the director of finance & management services to amend and appropriate the $60,000 for the Love Your Block Grant Award in both revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 2025-2026 & 2026-2027 operating budget.
On September 2, 2026, the Mayor and City Council received and filed a Love Your Block Year 2 Impact Presentation and Authorized the allocation of $150,000.00 to Year 3 of Love Your Block.