Sister City 2020/10/26
CITY OF ANAHEIM
SISTER CITY COMMISSION
MINUTES
October 26, 2020
TELECONFERENCE
(877) 594-8353 – Participant Code: 92121081
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Kevin Barrot, Taline Cole, James Dinwiddie II,
Lori Dinwiddie, Emily Fuentes, Steven Kleine,
Elizabeth Jabaz, Larry L. Larsen,
Germaine Neumann, Anna Piercy, Brian O’Neal,
LaShé Rodriguez and Brian Stanley
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Paul Anderson and Mark Roeske
STAFF PRESENT: Kimberly Kelemen, Community Services
Maggie Solorio, City Manager’s Office
GUESTS PRESENT: None
SPECIAL NOTICE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
On March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency in California as a result of the
threat of COVID-19. On March 17, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20
(superseding the Brown Act-related provisions of Executive Order N-25-20 issued on March 12, 2020),
which allows a local legislative body to hold public meetings via teleconferencing and to make public
meetings accessible telephonically or otherwise electronically to all members of the public seeking to
observe and to address the local legislative body. Pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20, please be advised
that the Sister City Commission members will participate in this meeting remotely.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20 and given the current health
concerns, members of the public can access the meeting live and participate telephonically by calling
(877) 594-8353 and entering Participant Code: 92121081. If you desire to address the Anaheim Sister
City Commission, please do so when called upon under Agenda Item VI. Public Comment. In addition,
members of the public can submit comments electronically for the Sister City Commission consideration
by sending them to sistercity@anaheim.net. To ensure distribution to the Sister City Commission
prior to consideration of the agenda, please submit comments prior to 12:00 p.m. the day of the
meeting. Those comments, as well as any comments received after 12:00 p.m., will be distributed to the
Sister City Commission members and will be made part of the official public record of the meeting.
Contact Maggie Solorio (msolorio@anaheim.net) with any questions.
Anaheim Sister City Commission
October 26, 2020
Page 2
Agenda Posting: A complete copy of the Anaheim Sister City Commission Agenda was posted
on Thursday, October 22, 2020 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. VI. Public
Comment.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Taline Cole called the meeting of the Anaheim Sister City Commission
(ASCC) to order at 4:05 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2020.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION: Commissioner Brian O’Neal offered a Motion, seconded by
Commissioner Anna Piercy AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 12-0; Absent:
Paul Anderson and Mark Roeske; Abstained: Germaine Neumann) that the
Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby approve the minutes from the
ASCC meeting held on August 24, 2020 as presented.
III. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT
Treasurer James Dinwiddie presented the Treasurer’s Report dated October 20,
2020 with a balance of $15,800.36 and noted there had been no changes in the
account since February.
MOTION: Commissioner Brian O’Neal offered a Motion, seconded by
Commissioner Larry Larsen AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 12-0; Absent:
Paul Anderson and Mark Roeske; Abstained: Germaine Neumann) that the
Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby approve the Treasurer’s Report
dated October 20, 2020 as presented.
IV. MITO OUTBOUND STUDENT EXCHANGE
Chair Taline Cole announced the 2021 Student Exchange Program has been
cancelled. She reached out to Mr. Wong and he responded that Mito is not going
to be sending or accepting students in 2021.
Chair asked for thoughts or discussion on the students that had been selected to go
to Mito earlier this year. After some discussion, the Commission decided all
students are to reapply if they wish to participate in next student exchange.
Anaheim Sister City Commission
October 26, 2020
Page 3
MOTION: Commissioner Jim Dinwiddie offered a Motion, seconded by
Commissioner Brian O’Neal AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 13-0; Absent:
Paul Anderson and Mark Roeske) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does
hereby officially cancel the 2021 Mito Student Exchange Program.
Commissioner Steve Kleine is going to notify the students that were selected to
go in 2020 of the 2021 Student Exchange cancellation and invite the eligible
students to reapply.
V. SISTER CITY GUIDELINES/EXPLORATION
Commissioner Emily Fuentes put together the following guidelines when
considering a new sister city relationship:
Similarity in Size
Idea Exchanges – Public Transportation
Geographical Location
Cultural Representation in Anaheim
Human Rights
Student Exchanges
Similar Businesses and Trades
Commissioner Germaine Neumann suggested prioritizing the languages in the
dual emersion programs in order to support those school programs. The Anaheim
Elementary School District offers Spanish and Korean dual emersion programs
and the Anaheim High School District has Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and
Arabic dual emersion programs.
Commissioner Brian Stanley mentioned he has been international business and
lived in eight different countries and that is why he wanted to join this
commission because he sees where some of his knowledge from living in
different countries will help Anaheim because Anaheim is his city. There is a lot
of great cities and places that he thinks the Commission should be looking at in
Taiwan or Singapore or Japan that have a lot of similarities with Anaheim where
they could be diversifying and helping people as a general rule. He thinks the
Commission should be doing something to make Anaheim more diverse.
Commissioner Jim Dinwiddie suggested adding a provision for the community to
have the ability to raise funds for events.
Commissioner Lori Dinwiddie suggested that the City should have a resort area or
some type of tourism.
The guidelines will be updated with the suggested changes and will be discussed
at the next meeting.
Anaheim Sister City Commission
October 26, 2020
Page 4
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
VII. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Commissioner James Dinwiddie asked if staff new when new commissioners
were going to be appointed by Council. Kimberly Kelemen advised staff is
keeping a close eye on that and will let the Commission know when that gets
agendized.
VIII. STAFF COMMENTS
None.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m. to Monday,
November 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.