Minutes_Sister City Relationships Advisory Commission 9 24 14Sister City Relationships Advisory Commission
DATE: Wednesday, September 24, 2014
TIME: 3:00 PM
PLACE: Five Flags Center (Majestic Room), 405 Main Street
Minutes
Sister City Goal Setting
Present: Chairperson Landis; Commissioners Castaneda, Connors, Felderman, Jochum, Landis, Lee,
Lynch, McNamara, Phillips, Thurn, Van Iten, Ward, and Zygm ';nt\
Also present: Assistant City Manager Steinhauser
Mission Statement
The purpose of this commission shall be to:
A. Facilitate and maintain economic and cultural exchanges with the City's officially recognized
international Sister Cities
B. Explore potential relationships with international cities where a formal Sister City relationship
may be mutually beneficial
C. Engage in partnerships with the City's business community and educational institutions that
will enhance Sister City relationships
• Look at idea of exploring more Sister Cities — Should we still do?
• Existing Russia Sister City is challenging: Is YP opportunity?
• China Sister City — Stable, possibly evolving?
• Dornbirn, Austria
Successes
• Education Exchange — 5th Grade: Dornbirn, 7th Grade: China
1. Coordinate with Government
2. Coordinate with local schools (2)
• Dornbirn and 2 China
1. Potential for other connections to educate (Dornbirn)
2. Dornbirn — Reaffirm Mayor relationship
3. Highest ranking visits
4. Gift exchange
• ICMA — Exchange: welcome dinners, general hosting
• Photo exhibits (2) — Roshek and rotating
• Pyatigorsk Park signage
• Library exhibits on Sister City
1. Display artifacts
2. Coordinate with art at Library exhibit and Federal Building
• Productive meeting
• Young Russian visit
1. Chamber partnered
• Diverse and filled Commission
• Partners engaged in Sister City visits — i.e. GDDC, John Deere
NICC, private businesses
• China: Civil Engineer visit
• Website updated
• Photo Gallery
• Communication
1. To Media
2. To City Council
3. To General Public
4. Board to Board
5. Board to Staff
• Building additional partnerships.
• Limited budget
• Webpage: update and maintain
• Social Media: facebook.::twitter
• Translators
• Local resource av
• Taping into local C
• Outcomes
Challenges
nding, pia
ding o
niversitie
tion
1. What are our goal each Dele at- it
2. How do we communis that
• Scheduling of unplanned/unbu r a :ed trips
• Volunteers on tight budget
• Ability to (or) explore additional Sister City Relationships
• Go to Commission by default for ANY international visit request
• What is City Council directive to Sister City Commission
v
Challenges (continued)
• Understanding what each entity does
• Lack of understanding after exchange of what happened and
local (benefit)
• Follow-up (local) after event
Outcomes
• 3 goals for next 12-24 months
• Work plan for photo exhibit
• Election of Officers direction
• China request for visit
Ideas
• Pen Pal Program (expand- Louise)
• Explore Sister City International resources
• Work with other Iowa cities and State to coordinate trips
• to and from Sister Cities [2]
• Display Proclamations and other gifts from Sister Cities
• (pursue grant money) [2]
• Develop evaluation tool to respond to other Sister City requests[2]
•
• Develop "menu" of items for an itinerary to suggest [10]
• Coordinate with PERSIA
• [add to] website
• Develop a communication strategy: for Council, media,
• general public, businesses [7]
• Outcomes that link to others mission, need, values, relationship .. rt
•
• Title change
• Survey other Sister City progra
• What are their outcomes, benet
1. Mission
2. How do they add Sister Citie
3. Relationship t� >:`' :€� unity
ntinu
• PERSIA: each exchan
1. Political (Peace)
2. Economical
3. Religion
4. Social
5. Insti/intellect
6. Arts
• Cross -communication engagement: attend each others meetings)
1. Arts Committee
2. City Council only
• Get presentations from City Staff on projects that are relevant to Sister City Commission
and share with our Sister City
• Create historic documents to better record Sister City Relationships
• Invites to Sister City Committees to attend City events (Sust. Conf.)
Photo Exhibit
Actions/Ideas:
• 0-6 months
1. Identify other Iowa cities to send exhibit for display in Spring
2. Display and shipping instructions: include report for Cities to fill in on how many
people saw exhibit
3. On website
• 12+ months
1. Incorporate into local outreach plan: galleries, Roshek Building, schools
2. Report success back to State and City Council
Election of Officers
• Next agenda
1. Look at when terms expire
2. Election 1-2 months following reappointment
China Visit
• Open invite to Mayor and other Delegates
• Is there something happening in Handan or Dubuque — opportunity to build on
• Explore with State, GDDC, Colleges/Universities
• Dick Landis report back to Commission — Oct./Nov.2014
• Budget request for July 1, 2015 — June 30, 2016
Prepared by Permit Clerk P
rron, Permit Clerk for City Clerk Kevin S. Firnstahl