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Sister City 2019/10/28 CITY OF ANAHEIM SISTER CITY COMMISSION MINUTES October 28, 2019 COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Paul Anderson, Kevin Barrot, Taline Cole, James Dinwiddie II, Lori Dinwiddie, Emily Fuentes, Elizabeth Jabaz, Steven Kleine, Larry L. Larsen, Germaine Neumann and Brian O’Neal COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Kevin T. Brown, LaShé Rodriguez and Anna Piercy (One vacant seat) STAFF PRESENT: Greg Garcia, City Manager’s Office Kimberly Kelemen, Community Services Maggie Solorio, City Manager’s Office GUESTS PRESENT: None Agenda Posting: A complete copy of the Anaheim Sister City Commission Agenda was posted on Thursday, October 25, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at Anaheim City Hall. Public Input: Vice Chair Lori Dinwiddie explained that members of the public are invited to address the Anaheim Sister City Commission and will be called upon under Agenda Item No. IX. Public Comment. I. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Lori Dinwiddie called the meeting of the Anaheim Sister City Commission (ASCC) to order at 4:09 p.m. on Monday, October 28, 2019 at the Anaheim City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., Seventh Floor, Anaheim, California. II. FLAG SALUTE Commissioner James Dinwiddie led the Flag Solute. Anaheim Sister City Commission October 28, 2019 Page 2 III. OATH OF OFFICE Greg Garcia administered the Oath of Office to the newest member of the Commission, Steven Kleine who was appointed by the City Council on September 24, 2019 to serve on the Sister City Commission with term expiring on June 30, 2022. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Commissioner Paul Anderson offered a Motion, seconded by Commissioner James Dinwiddie AND MOTION CARRIED (Vote: 8-0; Abstained: Elizabeth Jabaz, Brian O’Neal and Steven Kleine; Absent: Kevin Brown, LaShé Rodriguez and Anna Piercy; and, one vacant seat) that the Anaheim Sister City Commission does hereby approve the minutes from the ASCC meeting held on September 23, 2019 as presented. V. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT Treasurer James Dinwiddie presented the Treasurer’s Report dated October 22, 2019 with a balance of $13,174.25 and noted there were no changes from last month and it is exactly the same as the report approved on September 23. VI. MITO DELEGATION VISIT Greg Garcia reported that the Mito’s delegation visit went really well. The delegation was Anaheim from October 21 through October 23 and they were very pleased with all of the things that they saw. Mito, Japan is the City’s longest sister city partner. Greg thanked all of the commissioners who participated and attended some of the meetings and or the luncheon. The White House did an outstanding job of putting together a very nice meal. The delegation exchanged the new dolls in the display case and the gentleman who designed the dolls was here with his son and daughter to help present them to Anaheim. On Monday, October 21, the delegation visited Disneyland. On Tuesday, they had a presentation by the Anaheim Ballet, they toured the water-recycling center next to City hall, they attended the Council meeting where the City presented them with a proclamation and they took a picture with the City Council, something they had not done in a long time. On Wednesday, they toured Betsy Ross Elementary and Loara High School. After visiting the schools, they had a tour of Angel stadium and then they toured the Muzeo Exhibit, I am an American. After that, they toured the Convention Center. The delegation was all very complimentary of Anaheim’s hospitality. Anaheim Sister City Commission October 28, 2019 Page 3 The delegation invited the Mayor to Mito and Mayor Sidhu committed to going there. At some point, the Commission is going to organize the trip within the next year or two. VII. MITO STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM Chair Taline stated the Commission needs a person to head up the Outbound Student Exchange and someone to head up the Inbound Student Exchange. She is open to breaking that down even more. For the Outbound Exchange they can have a person responsible for getting travel insurance and purchasing the plane tickets; and, a person to collect applications, schedule interviews, and schedule the classes. For the Inbound Exchange they can have a person to put the schedule together; a person to take care of transportation and reserving rooms at the downtown community center; and, a person to take care of host families. Commissioner Paul Anderson volunteered to find host families. Commissioner Steven Kleine volunteered to take care of the application process. Commissioner Kevin Barrot volunteered to put a schedule together for the inbound students. Commissioner Germaine Neumann volunteered to purchase the plane tickets and obtaining travel insurance. Commissioner Larry Larsen volunteered to arrange the Sayonara Dinner. Vice Chair Lori Dinwiddie volunteered to be the Chair for the Outbound Student Exchange and to arrange the welcome dinner for the inbound students. Chair Taline Cole volunteered to be the Chair for the Inbound Student Exchange. Vice Chair Dinwiddie posed the idea of having the inbound students visit Anaheim during a time when Anaheim schools are in session and that way they can visit an American school when they are here. Commissioner Jim Dinwiddie is going to propose that to Mito and report back. Commissioner Larry Larsen would like to be considered as a chaperone for the outbound students in the summer of 2020. VIII. FUNDRAISING Chair Taline Cole thanked Commissioners Emily Fuentes and Lori Dinwiddie for meeting to discuss fundraising. Chair Cole reached out to Anaheim Brewery and they are willing do another fundraiser for the Commission on December 9, starting at 6pm. The committee is also thinking of doing a second fundraiser during the spring at the Convention Center and do a wine tasting. Anaheim Sister City Commission October 28, 2019 Page 4 Commissioner Emily Fuentes stated their goal is to keep the fundraiser very similar to what they did the previous time with just a few additional things that might help increase funds. Their goal is to try to raise $5,000 that night. To do that they are asking each Commission member to sell five tickets to the event and to secure one auction item. The tickets are going to be $40 and it includes food and a drink ticket. They are going to have a bake sale and a sponsor student wall and it is going to be holiday theme. They are thinking of having either a wreath or a tree or something with the holiday season where you get to pick a student that you can help sponsor to go to Japan. They are also going to offer premiums for gifts over $40. They also plan to have holiday sales. The event is for all ages and kids will pay $20, 3 and under free. Commissioner Lori Dinwiddie is going to lead the baking and anyone interested to help can contact her. They are going to use K&A Catering for the food service. Commissioners Kevin Barrot and Emily Fuentes are going to create the save the date and the online invitation. IX. PUBLIC COMMENT None. X. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Steven Kleine introduced himself. He moved to Anaheim in 1971 and this is the first time he serves on a Commission. He works as an operations director for a large company in the UK. XI. STAFF COMMENTS Greg Garcia advised that though the City of Anaheim signed an MOU with Pudong with the intent to become a sister city, Pudong explained to him after their visit that their process is a little bit more complicated. They told him that although they signed the MOU, that it takes a lot longer for it to be official on their end. So while they still want to invite Anaheim to Pudong and entertain the connection and the friendship, it is not a guaranteed sister city on their side. Everything needs to be approved by their government for any kind of relationship like this. Greg advised before they start etching their name as a sister city into our facilities, we need to slow the rollout on that. As he understands it we have taken the first step to go through that process, but apparently it is very complicated on the Chinese side of things and they did not give a timeframe of when something like this can be completed. Anaheim Sister City Commission October 28, 2019 Page 5 Chair Taline Cole suggested having a member of the Commission be a contact person with the person at the Pudong general counsel’s office to talk about next steps and keep that communication because we do not want a situation where they lose the connection. Greg Garcia also reported there have been people reaching out to him with ideas of establishing sister city relationships. Just recently, a council member forwarded him an inquiry from a city in Mexico that is starting to connect with Anaheim because there is a large population of residents that are from a certain state in Mexico and so the council member put him in touch with somebody from that government. Greg lets interested parties know we have a commission that reviews this and we are approached often by cities that would like to connect, but ultimately it is the decision of the ASCC and after that the decision of the Council whether there is an interest to establish a formal relationship. Anyone is welcome to the meeting and pitch to them a sister city relationship. After discussion took place among the Commission regarding different city relationship options, it was decided that sister city relationships be placed on a future agenda and that everyone come prepared with their ideas and the Commission can decide on how to move forward. XII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:04 p.m. to Monday, November 25, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the Anaheim City Hall, City Manager’s Office Large Conference Room.