Preparing for the Judges

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Preparing for the Judges
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You Need!!!

• 2 contact phone numbers for community
  representatives
• One number for day time
• One number for the evening
• An email address would also be useful

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Be aware
Here come the Judges

• Publicized the judges visit to the community.
• Publicized the tour route, to get public
  awareness.

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The MunicipalCommitment Form

• The evaluation form is based on 8 categories.
• The municipal information form is based on 8
  categories.
• Your tour should focus on all 8
• categories.

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Community Tips

• Look at the evaluation form every year, both in
  preparation and for the judging tour.
• When filling out the municipal information form
  and planning your tour have the evaluation form
  handy. You wont miss out on any of the
  information required.

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Judging Tip

• Look carefully at the form. This is important in
  what you are shown and what you are told.
• Note the
• Municipal section is worth 50
• Industrial/commercial section is worth 25
• Private section is worth 25

A page each for each one of these categories per
section is enough information.
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The Initial Meeting is..

• a great opportunity for the judges to get a feel
  for the community, and
• an enthusiastic, upbeat Judge can set the tone
  for the entire visit.

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At the initial meeting, ask for..

• 2 copies of completed Municipal Information Form
• 2 copies of a map with the tour route
• Other information that you feel is important for
  us to understand your community

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Community Tips

• A binder with the Municipal Information Form,
  evaluation information, past evaluation forms (if
  available), clippings, pictures, by-laws would be
  nice for the judges to look at while they are in
  your community.
• This binder is not for the judges to keep but to
  view and use while we are filling out your form.

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Who could be at the initial meeting?
People with the betterment of the community at
heart.

• CiB committee members
• Mayor and/or council members
• Chamber of commerce representative
• Corporate sponsors
• Volunteers

• Business people
• Parks management staff
• Service club representatives
• Any other people that are involved in community
  activities

They dont have to be members of the CiB
Committee!
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Discuss at this meeting

• History of CiB in community
• How did it start? How has it grown?
• CiB projects
• For this year, touch on past projects
• Town bylaws
• Changes to these? Enforcement?
• Community events
• Celebrations? (Christmas, Childrens Day, Citizen
  of Year, Community Appreciation Day)
• Community projects

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The Judges schedule and tour
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Judges transportation

• Comfortable
• Large enough for both judges to ride together.

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• Judges need to see a representative portion of
  the community (by car, presentation or other
  creative idea)
• See and hear about things in all 8 sections and
  every part of the form
• Communities In Bloom (CIB) is more than just
  planting flowersit is about

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PEOPLE PLANTSand PRIDE
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Community Tips
Choose your tour guides carefully

• Dont want them to talk all the time
• Should be knowledgeable
• Parks manager/Town Foreman would be an asset
• Consider changing tour guides through the tour

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On each tour stop

• The judges need to chat with and question
  volunteers
• Ask to speak with the people who are responsible.

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Planning a good tour

• Be flexible, the judges will often ask to stop
  here or there, or see something that is not on
  the tour route.
• Limit the number of private gardens (3-5) you
  take us to. Although that is important, we are
  not on a garden tour.

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Include on the tour

• Tidiness effort
• Road/sidewalk maintenance
• Walk down a street to see how it is maintained
• Municipal structure maintenance
• Graffiti, private signs on sign posts?
• Back alleys
• Talk about tidiness programs
• Public, business and municipal involvement
• Bylaw enforcement
• Noxious Weeds

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Include on the tour

• Environmental Awareness
• Waste water facility (lagoons)
• Recycling facility
• Second hand clothes store
• Land fill (if close by)
• School (green)

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Include on the tour

• Community involvement
• Seniors centres
• Schools
• Hospitals

Youre evaluated on the efforts by municipal
officials, community groups and Citizens.
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Include on the tour

• Heritage Conservation
• Museum
• Historic sites/buildings/trees
• Cemeteries
• Churches

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Include on the tour

• Urban forestry
• Long range plans for street trees
• Pruning/removal/replacement
• Part of Dutch elm disease monitoring program
• Citizens support and participation in tree plans
  and maintenance

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Include on the tour

• Landscaped areas (brings together hard landscape
  and natural elements)
• City scapes, landscaping along mainstreet, parks

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Include on the tour

• Floral displays

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Include on the tour

• Turf and ground cover areas
• Highlight areas where ground covers other than
  grass is used.
• Not all the turf in a community needs to be
  maintained at a high level. Show the judges these
  areas.
• Use of native plant material

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• TIP
• Many communities have the volunteers at tour
  stops giving a short presentation

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• Tip
• Once tour route is established, take someone
  else, not associated with CIB committee on tour.
  Often a fresh set of eyes finds the little things
  often overlooked.

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We want to talk to

• Volunteers having them at each stop to chat with
  the judges about the site and activity indicates
  good community involvement.
• Municipal staff (parks foreman, public works)
  talk to them about their jobs, maintenance levels
  of parks and public areas do they get support for
  training from the town/city.
• This gives us a feel for the community.

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Dont be afraid to show us the bad stuff
Dont be afraid to tell us the bad stuff
We can help your effort by adding suggestions
into our evaluation.
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It is wonderful for you to arrange a full day,
but remember we need to evaluated your community
on all 8 criteria categories.
Remember our time is really your time!
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Remember not to schedule our day full.

• We need 3-4 hours of quiet time alone to fill out
  our evaluation form. This is not including sleep
  time or personal preparation time.
• We need to be able to spread out the information
  given us and go to work.
• We realize you are excited to have us visit, and
  proud of your community, but you can imagine the
  work it takes to fill out the form.

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Lastly remember

• The main factor of success is visible community
  improvement
• A growth of community spirit
• Ensuring your community is a nice safe place to
  live.
• Make it fun and enjoy the journey

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Top 10how to score points

• 10. If time permits, a short wrap up meeting with
  judges before they leave town
• 9. First impressions count big
• 8. Be flexible
• 7. Provide the judges a chance to interact with
  key individuals in each of grid categories
• 6. Make good use of time judges are in
  community.

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Top 10how to score points

• 5. Prepare the materials for judges to address
  all parts of the form
• 4. Itinerary of judges activities should take
  into account all parts of form
• 3. When judges arrive, have supportive materials
  ready for them (schedule, map, supportive
  materials)
• 2. Know the scoring

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Top 10how to score points

• 1. Make it fun and enjoy the journey

If you have any questions, call Communities in
Bloom Ontario 1-877-640-4005
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