CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: July 16, 2021
Agenda Date: July 27, 2021
Prepared By: Samantha Senger, Assistant to the City Manager/PIO
Through: Stockton Whitten, City Manager
Requested Action:
title
Announce the winning entries of the first annual Tree Beauty Contest.End
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BACKGROUND:
The City of Cocoa has been designated a Tree City USA and to commemorate this recognition, we invited our citizens and visitors to share their favorite tree in the City. A well maintained and healthy tree canopy provides beauty for our community. Trees also benefit us by improving air quality, reducing heat with shade, providing, wildlife habitat, absorbing stormwater and protecting us during storms by dampening winds.
To help promote our designation as a Tree City USA, we created a “Tree Beauty Contest” for residents to show off their favorite tree and tell us why they love that tree. Tree photos and write-ups were due no later than July 5, 2021. We posted the entries on our City Facebook page to get public participation and to select a People’s Choice winner. Then a committee of Judges went through the photos as well to select winners in five other categories: Best Photo, Judges Choice, Most Welcoming, Most Colorful, and Best Community of Trees.
The winners of the contest will be announced at the July 27th Council Meeting and will be recognized by the Cocoa City Council. Each photo will be displayed at City Hall and the winning trees will be marked with a sign to be recognized as a winning tree.
STRATEGIC PLAN CONNECTION:
Promotion and marketing of the city’s physical image to boost aesthetic value and beauty trees add to the community.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
n/a
PREVIOUS ACTION:
At the April 13, 2021 Cocoa City Council meeting, Council unanimously approved to host a Tree Beauty Contest to help promote our Tree City USA designation and the value of trees in our community.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Recommendation
Announce winning entries of the first annual Tree Beauty Contest.