City of Florence, Audrey Nelson Community Development Award, commended

This resolution (HJR 42) is a ceremonial commendation by the Alabama Legislature for the City of Florence and its Office of Planning and Community Development. It honors their receipt of the 2026 Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award for the Literacy Gardens project at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, which created two free, outdoor learning spaces (a Children's Garden for ages 0-10 and a Reading Garden for teens/adults) using $120,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds leveraged with $250,000 in private donations. The resolution specifically recognizes the project’s role in addressing barriers like limited broadband access and lack of safe public spaces for education in low-to-moderate-income communities. As a purely procedural resolution, it contains no new policy or funding changes.