Colorado Cities & Towns Week is a great opportunity to educate residents on municipal services.

(If you prefer to host an event or conduct an activity to celebrate Colorado Cities & Towns, perhaps during an already planned occasion - great! Consider using the messages and tips from this week to help share how cities and towns work  for residents.)

Free (or minimal cost) activities

Display posters
Display the 2017 Colorado Cities & Towns Week posters in city/town hall or other municipal building. (The poster is 24 inches wide by 36 inches; artwork to be determined. CML will mail these free to all member municipal clerks in July.) 

CML will send your municipality up to 100 bandage dispensers with the message “Colorado Cities and Towns: We've Got You Covered” to distribute to residents during events or at municipal centers. Items will be available to request this summer. To make this even more fun, consider asking residents to take selfies with the oven mitts and post to social media with your municipality’s hashtag, #cocitiestowns, and what they love most about their city or town.  

Free coloring books
CML will send your municipality up to 50 coloring/activity books and crayons to distribute to kids, whether at an event or simply available at your city or town hall. These are also available as a free download on the CML website. These will be available by request this summer.

CML can customize ads similar to the poster or the ads below with your municipal logo and text to highlight a municipal services or employees for you to run in your local newspaper, municipal newsletter, activity guide, as utility bill stuffers, website, etc. Contact Christine Taniguchi (ctaniguchi@cml.org) or Traci Stoffel (tstoffel@cml.org) for details.

PSAs
CML developed a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) last year that your municipality can post to social media or website and, if possible, government access channel. There is also a 15-second audio PSA available if you have a local radio station that might air it. Contact Traci Stoffel for details.

Recognize residents
Use this week to recognize outstanding residents, perhaps at a board or council meeting. If funds allow, consider hosting a reception. 

Trivia
Run trivia questions or interesting facts in the local newspaper, municipal newsletter, and/or on social media as a fun way to promote municipal government awareness and educate citizens. 

Social media
Spotlight Colorado Cities & Towns Week in social media using the hashtag #cocitiestowns. You can simply share the work of municipal services, or, if holding event, include details and invite the public to attend. Post pictures of staff and volunteers at work with "Your city/town works for you" with a link to the Colorado Cities & Towns page. Request residents to post pictures from their favorite places around town or ask them what they enjoy most about their community.
2017 highlight: The City of Fort Collins encouraged residents to share what they love about Fort Collins on Facebook for a chance to win a gift card.

Tours and open houses
Select a day to offer tours of city/town hall or other municipal facilities, or set up an open house where residents can meet council and staff.
2017 highlight: The City of Northglenn hosted an event at its water treatment plant that included tours, presentations, equipment, and a BBQ.

Use an existing event
Use an existing or already scheduled event to tie-in the Colorado Cities & Towns Week message. 

Contact local media
Schedule an interview about an exciting community project with the local newspaper, a local television or radio talk show, and/or your government access channel. 

Utilize your library
Ask to make information about municipal government and Colorado Cities & Towns Week available at the library, whether flyers or a small exhibit on municipal services. Offer a special guest (firefighter, police officer, mayor, councilmember, manager/administrator) to read during a story hour. 

Work with business
Set up an exhibit downtown or other public place with information on your city or town’s services. 

Photos 
Initiate a photo contest.

Potluck
Host a potluck meal at a park or municipal facility.

Recycling
Host a recycling contest. See which organization, business, or school can collect the most recycling and announce the winner in your municipal newsletter or community newspaper. 

Gather leaders
If your municipality has a program to acknowledge residents (a “Resident of the Month” program, for example), consider bringing all of the 2017 winners together to recognize at the same time (perhaps during a council/board meeting, reception, community event, etc.).  

Go to meetings
Arrange for an elected official or staff member to address rotaries, chambers, senior citizen groups, or other organizations on local government issues and the latest news in your community. 

Use existing communication
If your mayor or city manager writes a regular column for your municipal newsletter or local publication, or appears on a regular government access channel program, consider focusing on Colorado Cities & Towns Week and the value of municipal government and acknowledge those who work and volunteer for the city/town. 

Adopt a resolution
Have your city council or town board adopt a resolution acknowledging Colorado Cities & Towns Week.

Community service
Conduct a community service activity, perhaps in partnership with a local nonprofit, or sponsor a city-wide cleanup day (at parks, main streets, tourist attractions, etc.). 

Activities that require additional resources

Events
Have an old-fashioned event in a park or other location to connect residents with municipal staff and elected officials. To reduce costs, consider partnering with local nonprofits and other entities. 
2017 highlights: The Town of Red Cliff had one-third of its residents stop by for its first-ever Community Unity Day, where residents provided feedback on a downtown project and donated to the Community Fund for books for kids and money for community activities. The Town gave out CML promotional items and had representatives from the valley-wide community on hand, including fire personnel, the sheriff, a county commissioner, a local vet providing discounted shots and check-ups for pets, animal control, planners, and face painter — with music provided by “Elvis!” The Kiowa Town Board hosted an open house BBQ. The Town of Del Norte invited the community to a picnic to showcase local departments.

Host an event for residents and business owners to informally chat with their elected officials, municipal staff, police officers, etc.
2017 highlights: The City of Alamosa hosted “Lunch with Law Enforcement” for residents to visit one-on-one with officers, giving them the opportunity to get to know them and ask questions. The City of Montrose hosted “Mingle with the Manager” to provide residents an opportunity to voice their “likes, gripes, and ideas.”

Car wash
Have a car wash with funds donated to a specific project or local park. 

Pet parade
Plan a pet parade to promote pet licensing. 

If you are planning an event for residents, please contact CML Membership Services Manager Lisa White. The Colorado Cities & Towns website will feature activities taking place during the week throughout the state.