West St. Petersburg residents can get a one-stop briefing on their community, from police and fire updates to the Science Center and the November ballot, at a free community meeting Wednesday, Sept. 30, at St. Petersburg Catholic High School.
The Residents of West St. Pete CommUNITY Meeting, hosted by the nonprofit Stronger Together St. Pete Foundation, opens with a community resource fair at 5:30 p.m., followed by the main program at 6. The foundation partnered with neighborhood associations throughout West St. Pete to bring residents together with city leaders, public safety officials, community organizations and local resources.
City Council member Copley Gerdes will deliver a city update. The St. Petersburg Police Department, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and the city’s codes compliance staff also will give updates. The fire rescue update will include the new West St. Pete fire station.
Foundation founder and president Aron Bryce said the format borrows from a typical neighborhood association meeting but reaches further. The program also will include updates on the Science Center and the Jungle Prada Pier, plus a nonpartisan overview of the ballot questions voters will decide Nov. 3.
“The goal of the CommUNITY Meeting is simple: bring West St. Pete together, make important local information more accessible, connect residents directly with the people and organizations serving our community, and create more opportunities for neighbors to get involved,” Bryce said.
During the resource fair, residents can talk directly with city departments, agencies, neighborhood organizations and community partners.
The event comes as Bryce steps into a new role as director of advocacy for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds Christine Bruner and works with chamber President and CEO Chris Steinocher.
“It’s going to allow me to continue to be engaged in the community and advocate on behalf of not only the businesses in St. Pete but the broader community,” Bryce said. “This new role couldn’t be more perfectly timed with the direction of our city and my own personal and professional journey.”
A lifelong St. Petersburg resident, Bryce founded Stronger Together St. Pete Foundation. Its work includes civic forums, volunteer projects, neighborhood engagement efforts and the St. Pete CommUNITY Festival, which returns March 6, 2027.
He is president of the Crossroads Area Neighborhood Association. He also is a former president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations of South Pinellas County, the youngest in the organization’s history.
Bryce holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and administration from St. Petersburg College and a master’s degree in leadership from Nova Southeastern University. A Leadership St. Pete graduate, he has been recognized for his community leadership by the Leadership St. Pete Alumni Association and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.
If you go
What: Residents of West St. Pete CommUNITY Meeting
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30. Community resource fair, 5:30 to 6 p.m.; main program, 6 to 7 p.m.
Where: St. Petersburg Catholic High School, 6333 Ninth Ave. N.
Cost: Free
The main program will include:
• Opening remarks from Aron Bryce, Stronger Together St. Pete Foundation
• A welcome from St. Petersburg Catholic High School President Ross Bubolz
• A city update from City Council member Copley Gerdes
• A public safety update from the St. Petersburg Police Department
• An update from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, including the new West St. Pete fire station
• A codes compliance update
• An update on the Science Center from Joe Hamilton
• An update on the Jungle Prada Pier from Juliana Fisher
• An overview of the ballot questions before voters Nov. 3
• Announcements from West St. Pete neighborhood associations