City of Mesa issued the following announcement on Sept. 18.

The City of Mesa will celebrate the five-year anniversary of its partnership with Nextdoor, the free and private social network for neighborhoods established to improve citywide and neighbor-to-neighbor communications. An awards ceremony will be held Saturday, Sept. 29 to recognize "Good Neighbors" and Mesa neighborhoods dedicated to building stronger and safer communities through the use of Nextdoor.

The City's awards event will take place from 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Chelsea Park, 145 S 40th St. The program will celebrate the progress of the Nextdoor partnership and recognize residents and five neighborhoods that use Nextdoor in their commitment to build stronger and safer communities:

Nextdoor Neighborhood Champion: West Greenbelt

Most Connected Neighborhood: Encore at Eastmark

Most Engaged Neighborhood: Suhuaro Hills/Granite Reef

Neighborhood with the Most Growth: Dobson Ranch West

First Neighborhood to Join Nextdoor: Hermosa Vista

Over the past five years, adoption of Nextdoor across Mesa has risen dramatically. There has been nearly a 2,000 percent increase in the number of residents using Nextdoor with membership increasing to more than 56,000 residents.

"Mesa is stronger when we are connecting, communicating and staying informed" Mayor John Giles said. "Input from Mesa neighbors is vital for our local government to respond to community needs. Nextdoor has been an efficient way for residents to become more engaged within their own communities and with our City, and we are encouraging more residents join the network."

The City and neighbors have worked together on Nextdoor to significantly increase communication and engagement. The City has actively generated and shared more than 3,800 informative posts and updates with members either on a city-wide or neighborhood level. Together, the City and residents have dramatically increased our survey participation for things such as our Housing Master Plan and enhanced participation in City programs and events. Mesa and its neighbors have also shared important updates on road closures, water main breaks, power outages, volunteer opportunities and safety tips by using Nextdoor as a great communication tool.

"The City of Mesa has had great success using Nextdoor over the past five years to better connect their departments with the residents they serve. We want to commend and celebrate their great work," Nextdoor's Senior City Strategist Robbie Turner said. "As seen over these past five years, it is vital that the City and residents work together to make their communities stronger and safer. We are honored that Nextdoor is the tool that connects them."

Those interested in joining their neighborhood's Nextdoor website can visit www.nextdoor.com and enter their address. If residents have questions about their Nextdoor website, please visit www.help.nextdoor.com.

Public Information and Communications

Contact: Kevin Christopher

Tel. 480-644-4699

kevin.christopher@mesaaz.gov

Original source can be found here.