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Sister City 2019/02/25 CITY OF ANAHEIM SISTER CITY COMMISSION MINUTES February 25, 2019 COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Anthony Al-Jamie, Paul Anderson, Kevin Barrot, Taline Cole, James Dinwiddie II, Jackie Filbeck, Elizabeth Jabaz, Larry L. Larsen, Jerry O’Keefe, Brian O’Neal, Anna Piercy COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers (Two vacant seats) STAFF PRESENT: Kimberly Kelemen, Community Services Maggie Solorio, City Manager’s Office GUESTS PRESENT: David Bracey Kristin Dunn, Betsy Ross School Trisha Graper, Betsy Ross School Joseph Aihara, Western High School Agenda Posting: A complete copy of the Anaheim Sister City Commission Agenda was posted on Friday, February 22, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. at Anaheim City Hall. Public Input: Chair Taline Cole explained that members of the public are invited to address the Anaheim Sister City Commission and will be called upon under Agenda Item No. VIII. Public Comment. I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Taline Cole called the meeting of the Anaheim Sister City Commission (ASCC) to order at 4:10 p.m. on Monday, February 25, 2019 at the Anaheim City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., 7th Floor, Anaheim, California. II. FLAG SALUTE Commissioner James Dinwiddie led the Flag Salute. Anaheim Sister City Commission February 25, 2019 Page 2 III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Commissioner Paul Anderson offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner Jackie Filbeck AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 9-0; Abstained Jerry O’Keefe; Absent: Anthony Al-Jamie, Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers; and, two vacant seats) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby approve the minutes from the ASCC meeting held on January 28, 2019 as presented. IV. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT Treasurer Jim Dinwiddie presented the latest copy of the Treasurer’s Report dated February 21, 2019 with a current balance of $10,557.55 and noted there had been no changes since October 19, 2018. MOTION: Commissioner Jerry O’Keefe offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner Anna Piercy AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 10-0; Absent: Anthony Al-Jamie; Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers; and, two vacant seats) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby approve the Treasurer’s Report dated February 21, 2019. V. MITO OUTBOUND STUDENT EXCHANGE Chair Taline Cole invited the people who have applied to be chaperones for Outbound Mito Exchange Program to come to the meeting and introduce themselves to the Commission. Kristin Dunn is a Kindergarten teacher at Betsy Ross Elementary School. She applied to be a chaperone because she sees it as an opportunity to give back to the community. In addition, when she was a student at Northridge, they hosted Japanese student athletes and she sees this as an opportunity for her to visit Japan and work with Japanese students. Further, she would want to be able to bring back some of the culture that they learn and pay it forward to her students. Trisha Graper is the Principal at Betsy Ross Elementary School. She would like to be a Chaperone to support the community of Anaheim. It is a neat opportunity to be able to take students that possibly had when she was a teacher in Anaheim, take them on an adventure, and teach them about a different community in a different country. It would be very neat to be able to go and experience another culture and be immersed in that. Joe Aihara is a Japanese Teacher at Western High School. He has been to Mito several times. He has felt a bit of disconnection with the program in the last seven years. He would like to be a chaperone this year to give back. He has been part of several exchange programs and he has seen the impact that it makes for the Anaheim Sister City Commission February 25, 2019 Page 3 students when they go to Japan and come back saying how clean, and nice and different it is. He wants to get back involved with the City and with the district. Commissioner Piercy recommended that information about the Outbound Student Exchange be handed directly to Japanese teachers because when it is just taken to the school it does not necessarily get to them. Commissioner Jackie Filbeck provided details of the activities and tours the Mito students are involved in when they come to Anaheim. Chair Cole thanked the chaperone applicants for attending the meeting and the applicants excused themselves from the meeting. Commissioner Al-Jamie joined the meeting. The Sister City Commission moved on to discuss the student interviews for the Outbound Student Exchange that took place on February 13. Chair Taline Cole suggested they select the top 6 scores, that would include 2 girls and 4 boys, but was open for suggestions. Commissioner Anthony Al-Jamie suggested taking top 3 boys and top 3 girls. After further discussion, it was decided to take the top 6 scores. MOTION: Chair Taline Cole offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner Anna Piercy AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 11-0; Absent: Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers; and, two vacant seats) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby select the students with the top 6 interview scores to participate in the 2019 Outbound Student Exchange. Commissioner James Dinwiddie is going to contact the students. On the basis that the chaperones need to be fingerprinted and that the candidates are two teachers who have already gone through the experience of taking students to Mito and two teachers who have not, the Commission selected the teachers who have not been through the experience because they will be more enthusiastic. MOTION: Commissioner Anna Piercy offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner Jerry O’Keefe AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 11-0; Absent: Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers; and, two vacant seats) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby select Kristin Dunn and Trisha Graper as the Chaperones of the 2019 Outbound Student Exchange. Anaheim Sister City Commission February 25, 2019 Page 4 VI. MITO INBOUND STUDENT EXCHANGE The Mito Inbound Student Exchange will take place from Friday, July 26 through Monday, August 5. Chair Cole asked for volunteers to Chair the Mito Inbound Student Exchange. MOTION: Commissioner Elizabeth Jabaz offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner Brian O’Neal AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 11-0; Absent: Lori Dinwiddie and Brigitte Rodgers; and, two vacant seats) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby appoint Kevin Barrot as the Chair of the Mito Inbound Student Exchange. Commissioner Jackie Filbeck reported Katie Filbeck is not going to be able to serve as the Mito Inbound Student teacher this summer. The selection of a teacher was tabled for the time being. Commissioner Filbeck also reported she booked the rooms at the Downtown Community Center every day the students are here from 8am to 6pm. VII. FUNDRAISER Chair Cole reported the Fundraising Committee met and they went to the Anaheim Brewery and they are set to go for March 28. The Fundraiser will be at the Anaheim Brewery from 6pm to 8:30 pm. Commissioner Barrot prepared on- line tickets through Event-brite. The tickets are going to be $37.00 but with fees and taxes, it adds up to $40.00. The price will include tacos from K&A’s Catering and a drink. The cost for the Commission will be less than $20.00. The profit will be sale of tickets and silent auction funds. The Commission is still looking for silent auction items. So far, the City Manager’s Office donated Angel tickets including 4 tickets in the City suite, 4 field tickets and 4 club-level tickets. Staff also reached out to Council for donations and is waiting to hear back. The Commission is looking for volunteers to work the day of the Fundraiser. VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT David Bracey reported the Sister City International, Southern California Chapter is going to have its regional meeting on March 9 at Laguna Beach at the Art Institute from 9am to 12pm and all are welcome. Anaheim Sister City Commission February 25, 2019 Page 5 IX. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Paul Anderson reported there is going to be an Anaheim Japan Fair on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at Center Street Promenade. Chair Cole stated it would be great if Sister City could have a booth there to talk about the program and to recruit host families. Chair Cole is going to reach out to Alona Scott of the Downtown Anaheim Association. Commissioner Jerry O’Keefe explained he has been out for a couple of months due to an illness, but is grateful to be back. The Commission is glad is he is doing better and is happy to have him back. Jackie Filbeck asked for items for the welcome bags for the inbound students. X. STAFF COMMENTS Kimberly Kelemen reported the City Manager’s Office will donate items again for the inbound students, when it gets closer to the date she will make sure they get those. Kimberly also reported she does not have an answer yet for Commissioners who have termed out and want to know how long they will stay on the Commission. There will be another discussion on this at the March 5 City Council meeting. As soon as she gets information, she will share it with the Commission. Further, Kimberly reminded the Commission that the homestay families, the chaperones, any of the adults working with the students need to be fingerprinted as soon as possible. They have a live scan on the 4th floor and she is happy to coordinate that. Finally, Kimberly reported the items donated by Mr. Paul Kott are safe in her office. She had a conversation with Greg Garcia and they thought it would be good if some of those items are displayed on the display case on the 1st floor of City Hall and wants to get a group of Commissioners who would like to participate in rearranging that. Commissioner Al-Jamie noted there is quite a difference in the quality of items. It was decided that Commissioner Al-Jamie would meet with Kimberly and decide where items should go. XI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m. to Monday, March 25, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the Anaheim City Hall, City Manager’s Office Large Conference Room.