Minutes_Sister City Relationships Advisory Commission 9 16 15 Sister City Relationships Advisory Commission
DATE: Wednesday, September 16, 2015
TIME: 4:00 PM
PLACE: City Hall — Conference Room A, 50 W. 13th Street, Dubuque
Minutes
Present: Sheila Castaneda, Joyce Connors, Jeffrey Jochum, Dick Landis, Phyllis Lee, Betty Phillips,
Louise Thum, Richard Van Iten, Annalee Ward, City Staff Person Trish Gleason
Absent: Patrick McNamara, Bob Felderman, Kevin Lynch, Bryan Zygmont
1 . Approval of Minutes from the August 24, 2015 meeting: Motion by Ward. Seconded by Lee.
Motion carried 9-0.
2. Financial Report — $5,028.10 (Adjusted). FY16 Budget $5,680, plus Carryover of$250 for
Handan Delegation, less payments to GDDC for Handan expenses and goal setting
refreshments of$136.90, less anticipated SCI dues $765.
3. Goal Setting Follow Up:
a. Corrections to the draft presentation to be presented at the September 21 , 2015 City
Council meeting were discussed.
b. Motion by Ward to use the purpose statement from Ordinance No. 57-15 as the Sister City
Mission Statement with a tag line based on commissioner Felderman's summary statement.
Seconded by Thum. Motion carried 9-0.
4. Dornbirn, Austria:
a. A Newspaper article on the Rhomberg visit to Dornbirn was discussed.
b. Commissioner Jochum is working with Rolf regarding publishing an article on the Mt.
Calvary cemetery.
5. Handan, China
a. Commissioner Landis reported that delegates from Handan, China were invited to attend the
8th Annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference. With such short notice no
delegates will be able to attend. An invitation for next year's conference will be extended
earlier.
b. The Humanities Iowa Grant has been submitted. Humanities Iowa has requested that more
information regarding the number of attendees at each location be submitted. Commissioner
Landis will be compiling this information for submittal.
c. Discussion was had regarding the creation of an inventory of framed photos of Dubuque to
be presented as gifts to visiting delegates or when traveling abroad.
d. Gleason informed commission of a soon to be addition to the City of Dubuque Sister City
web page where a portion of the Handan photos will be displayed with their mirrored
counterpart from Dubuque. Commission suggested looking into the possibility of using this
artwork in the Fall Into Art either this year or next.
6. Pyatigorsk, Russia
a. This sister city relationship has been rekindled. Commissioner Jochum has corresponded
with the new Mayor, Lev Travnev, formerly Council of Deputies Travner.
b. A request from the Pyatigorsk Park of Culture and Recreations for a piece of art work was
discussed. The cost of shipping the art work is not in the current budget. Commissioner
Jochum will respond to the request to let them know that Dubuque is looking into the process,
but that not promises can be made at this time. Commissioner Landis will work with
Dubuque's Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator Debra Aleyne to see if any arrangements are
possible.
7. Pen Pal:
a. Commissioner Thum has reached out unsuccessfully to a local school regarding
participating in the pen pal program. Thum will follow up in person to discuss the option
further.
b. Thum has spoken with a teacher of English/Chinese languages from Wahlert Catholic High
School regarding incorporating the 90 some students in her classes to the pen pal program.
8. Library Archive and Display Update- Landis reported that the Handan, China trip photos will be
used in the display case at the Carnegie - Stout Library for the month of November.
9. Items from the Commission:
a. Dubuque's Taste of the World will be held on April 9, 2016. It is suggested that the Sister
City Commission have an information booth at this event.
b. Landis reported that April, 2016 will be the Dubuque Julien Film Festival and the possibility
of having international films come into the festival as an event on the side.
c. A tourism package is being put together by the Convention and Visitors Bureau to
encourage tourism to the cities along the Mississippi with French heritage in partnership with
the Francophone and Francophile Cities Network.
10. Next Meeting: Regular meeting on November 18th
11 .Adjournment: Motion by Thorn to adjourn at 5:11 p.m. Seconded by Jochum. Motion carried 8-
0. (Castaneda having left the meeting at 4:36 p.m.)
Submitted by Trish L. Gleason, Assistant City Clerk