2023 Citizen Summit

The City of Port St. Lucie envisions being a “Safe, Beautiful and Prosperous City for All People – Your Hometown.” Port St. Lucie residents learn more about the City’s Strategic Plan, aimed to reach the City's vision and provide their ideas at the annual Citizen Summit. It allowed residents to ask questions more in-depth than the National Community Survey, providing critical feedback for the City Council to consider during their annual update of the City's Strategic Plan. The Citizen Summit finally returned to the Community Center on February 18, 2023, after two years of modified Summits due to the pandemic. Approximately 800 people attended, coming from all over the City. The Summit allowed residents to give feedback at fun, interactive booths, each representing one of the City's seven-goal and strategic initiatives.

We collected 1,028 comments and had 2,793 responses for the goal questions asked. We strove for more youth engagement by having St. Lucie Public School students perform on the plaza and culinary students catered for this event. Furthermore, children completed a scavenger hunt and won prizes, with 29 kids turning in detailed information. Activities at Strategic Plan goal booths for the scavenger hunt included mini-golf, arts & crafts for kids, meeting Water Woman, and deciding a country for the International Festival. The park outside the community center offered activities prepared for kids. Finally, children created buttons that represented their city values.

Community partners also joined, including the Children's Services Council of St. Lucie County, St. Lucie Public Schools, St. Lucie County Transportation Planning Organization, and the Florida Department of Transportation. There were more booths than ever this year, including strategic initiative booths and Emergency Management, Building, and our new Solid Waste Department.

Participants of all ages were given $100 in “PSL bucks,” which they “spent” and allocated funds to the strategic initiatives most important to them. Residents "spent" $27,320, with the most money going to Neighborhood Parks / Preserves Development for $3,100. Residents could also take home many prizes, including a Citizen Summit t-shirt, KPSLB calendar, water bottles, N.I.C.E. USBs, car garbage can, Solid Waste bags, and more!