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Aurora launches updated neighborhood-group starter kit and ‘Belong’ leadership board to boost local civic engagement
Summary
City community engagement staff presented a refreshed neighborhood-group starter kit, a target to grow active neighborhood groups by 25% in 2025 and a new quarterly ‘Belong’ board to connect neighborhood leaders directly with the mayor.
Ileana Rivera Nunez, the city’s community engagement manager, told the City Council on Feb. 4 that the community engagement team has revamped a neighborhood-group starter kit and plans to launch a new leadership board to increase resident-led neighborhood groups by 25 percent in 2025.
The presentation outlined the starter kit — a seven-page guide staff said will be published on the city website — and described the Belong board, a council- and mayor-facing quarterly forum for neighborhood-group leaders to meet the mayor and coordinate cross-ward activities.
Why it matters: City officials said neighborhood groups and ward-level events have been a central outreach tool and that stronger resident networks help connect city services, volunteers and local priorities. Staff reported more than 20 groups already active and highlighted recurring events such as National Night Out, shred events, back-to-school programming, Easter and cleanup events.
What staff said Ileana Rivera Nunez described the starter kit as a modernization of a guide originally drafted more than a decade ago; it contains a reference sheet and templates to help existing neighborhood groups better organize meetings, recruit volunteers and connect to city support. The department’s goal, she said, is to make it easier for residents to form or revitalize groups and to provide consistent structure so new members see organized programming rather than ad hoc meetings.
The Belong board (Board of Executive Leaders of Neighborhood Groups) will convene quarterly with the mayor to give neighborhood leaders direct access for sharing concerns and cross-ward collaboration. Rivera Nunez said the first Belong meeting is planned for Feb. 20.
Public and council response Resident Lauren Burrow, who spoke during public comment, said the neighborhood-group program began after a 2017 meeting about crime and safety and praised the renewed focus and partnership with the police department. Alderman Smith thanked staff for assistance with events such as shred days, cleanups and National Night Out, and asked whether homeowners associations (HOAs) should be listed in the city’s neighborhood-group directory; Rivera Nunez said HOAs can be added if they are open to working with the city.
Ending and next steps Staff said printed starter kits were distributed to council members and that the online version will be published to the city website. The presentation concluded with an open offer from the community engagement team to assist aldermen and residents who want help starting or growing groups.
Quotes • “Our goal for 2025 is to increase our neighborhood groups by 25%,” Ileana Rivera Nunez, community engagement manager, said during the council presentation. • “Kudos for the new energy and the fresh ideas,” resident Lauren Burrow said, recalling the program’s origins.
The program is a staff presentation and informational update; no formal council action or vote on the starter kit or the Belong board was recorded in the excerpt.
