Princeton explores America in Bloom participation

Princeton Mayor Ray Mabry and Zoning/Planning administrator Michael Zearing took a trip to Columbus, Ohio, to take part in the American in Bloom’s annual conference.

America in Bloom strives to boost economic development and tourism within a community through beautification efforts.

Communities pay $2,000 to participate, Mabry said. From there, the community will receive a visit from two volunteer judges. Those judges will evaluate the community, develop ideas to improve the community’s green spaces and advise the community on how to implement it. Awards are given to communities to recognize their efforts. The city would be responsible for providing hotel rooms for the judges, Mabry said.

“The goal for us was to visit and see what this was all about,” Mabry said of the three-day trip, noting he paid his own way on the visit, while the city paid for Zearing’s visit.

Mabry told the Princeton City Council on Monday about visiting Logan, Ohio, a city of about 8,000 people and an hour south of Columbus. Mabry said participation in America in Bloom helped that community receive large grants. He also was impressed with a 32-room boutique hotel there and a movie theater under restoration, noting the city had put in $4.8 million with another $2 million to go.

Mabry said America in Bloom is about flowers, keeping downtown tidy, pulling weeds, picking up trash and planting trees – a lot of which Princeton already does.

“We’re not saying we’re going to do more flowers, more whatever,” Mabry said. “You have to maintain those things too. Sometimes the easiest thing is putting that seed in the ground, the hardest part is keeping it maintained.”

At this point, the visit was exploratory. The council will have to decide in the future if it wants to participate.

The Spring Valley City Council recently approved its participation in America in Bloom and Ottawa has participated many times over the years.