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Meeting date/time:
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10/3/2018
10:00 AM
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Minutes status:
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Final
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Meeting location:
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Room 301-A, Third Floor, City Hall
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| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 10:04 a.m. | | | |
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| | 2. | | Roll call. | | | |
Roll call
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| | 3. | | Introduction of new member.
Minutes note: The committee welcomed Bruce Spann as a new member and acknowledged Charles Vang for his past service as a member to the committee.
Member Spann commented. There are efforts to reintroduce a proposal to establish a sister city relationship with Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Past efforts occurred during Mayor John Norquist’s tenure previously. He is involved in the new efforts, and he had recently visit the city there. Haiti is a Caribbean country.
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| | 4. | | Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes from June 18, 2018.
Minutes note: Member Tovar moved approval, seconded by member Durtka, of the meeting minutes from June 18, 2018. There was no objection. | | | |
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| | 5. | | Review of annual reports.
Minutes note: a. uMhlathuze, South Africa (due 6/21)
No report filed. No one was in appearance.
b. Medan, Indonesia (due 6/21)
Individuals appearing:
Khay Khong
Benevolentia Wandana
A report was filed for the committee’s review.
Mr. Khong gave an overview on the report. Most of the activities for the year include efforts to find a new local sponsor, interest in export and import trade with the Port of Milwaukee, and past and future participation in the Holiday Folk Fair.
Member Durtka moved approval, seconded by member Tovar, of the 2018 annual report for the sister city relationship with Medan, Indonesia. There was no objection.
c. Tarime District, Tanzania (due 8/13)
Individual appearing:
Christine Thompson Mosore, Mosorec International Foundation
Ms. Thompson Mosore gave an overview and presentation of the annual report. There was a delegation of 5 people, including herself, that went to Tarime and Tanzania in April 2018. The delegation visited the foundation’s school, mayor, various officials, and the Serengeti. Main activities of the relationship have been installing a well at the foundation’s school in Tarime, empowering women and girls, and increasing educational opportunities and capacity in Tarime. Phase 1 to drill a hole for a well in Tarime by the school was completed, and a water tank was installed to collect rain water. The well is not operational yet. There are efforts to raise funds to do phase 2 of the well to install pumps to make the well operational. Once completed, the well would be available to the Tarime community as well as the school. A second delegation trip to Tarime is expected for December 6 to 15, 2018.
Member Spann commented. He is interested in the December delegation trip. Waterboys, headed by NFL football player Chris Long, is a nonprofit charity that focuses on bringing sustainable drinking water to communities in need, including those in Tanzania. Perhaps inquiries can be made to the Green Bay Packers on being involved with Waterboys.
Member Tovar moved approval, seconded by member Durtka, of the 2018 annual report for the sister city relationship with Tarime District, Tanzania. There was no objection.
d. Bomet County, Kenya (due 8/29)
No report filed. No one was in appearance. | | | |
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| | 6. | | Review of the status of sister city relationships.
Minutes note: a. uMhlathuze, South Africa (no local sponsor)
Chair Stamper commented. The committee should consider what future course to take with the relationship, including the option to dissolve the relationship. There is no current local sponsor, and Joe Davis is no longer involved in the relationship.
Member Spann said that he does have contacts connected to South Africa and can inquire with them to seek their interest.
Member Durtka said that perhaps inquiries can be made to the African cultural festival organization and the South African consulate in Chicago.
Chair Stamper requested that members Spann and Durtka reach out to their contacts and report back to the committee about any interest from those contacts regarding the relationship.
b. Medan, Indonesia (no local sponsor)
Individuals appearing:
Khay Khong
Benevolentia Wandana
Mr. Khong gave an update. Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce has agreed to become the new local nonprofit sponsor for the sister city relationship, and they are still working to develop their application. Indonesian students will participate again via dance performances at the upcoming Holiday Folk Fair, and perhaps they can go beyond just doing dance performances. There are relief efforts going on due to a recent tsunami disaster on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia neighboring Medan. Perhaps he can reach out to the Indonesian consulate office in Chicago to piggyback on current efforts already occurring from there and ask for relief donations at the Holiday Folk Fair.
Ald. Stamper said that the committee would welcome assisting in the disaster relief efforts in any way that it can.
Ms. Wandana appeared and commented. She is from Sumatra, not too far from Medan. She is happy to move back to the local area and become a volunteer to assist with the sister city relationship.
c. Bomet County, Kenya (no local sponsor)
No one was in appearance. This item was held until Ms. Kones can appear to provide an update. | | | |
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| | 7. | | Review of new job position and study.
Minutes note: Individuals appearing:
Sarah Trotter, Dept. of Employee Relations
James Owczarski, City Clerk’s Office
Ms. Trotter gave an update. She had reviewed past committee minutes as requested from the committee regarding its interview of other sister city programs. The minutes and other studies done in the past indicated that most sister city programs have an outside 501(c)(3) to administer the programs. There is no change to DER’s initial study based on those minutes. DER’s study examines a city employee position, and the question of an outside non-City position is not within their purview. Creating a city position should be done through the city’s budget process.
Ald. Stamper questioned funding a position through fundraising and administering the program via a nonprofit organization.
Mr. Owczarski commented. The nonprofit route would be possible and had been done before for other city programs. Having a city internal position or program would be a more direct process and would make sense to be housed in the Dept. of Administration. The position’s early tenure would entail determining and proposing program needs. There needs to be a decision on what type of person to hire, one with cultural relations expertise or one with economic, fundraising skills. A city position must be funded by the city budget or grant funds and cannot be funded through fundraising.
Member Durtka commented. Most sister city programs are administered via outside nonprofit agencies. The nonprofit route would be better and easier. Having a city position or department to administer the program would involve budgeting restraints and criticism over frequent travel required. The city would still need to contribute if a nonprofit option is chosen. Perhaps instead of creating a new nonprofit, existing nonprofits should be looked at or leveraged.
Members discussed the possibilities of building a program or position relationship between a nonprofit organization and the Dept. of Administration – Community Development Grants Administration, recruiting a person for only 1 year initially to employ a program framework, and then making a determination at a later time on administering the program either within or outside of the city after a framework is established.
Ald. Stamper said that he will further discuss with the Mayor’s Office and Dept. of Administration on possibilities for the position or program and will follow-up with the committee. | | | |
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| | 8. | | Discussion on sister city related events or activities.
Minutes note: a. Sister Cities International Annual Conference recap
Mr. Durtka gave a recap. He attended the conference from this past summer. Main takeaways from the conference included a change in Sister Cities International chairmanship and some new board members. The next leadership meeting will be in Los Angeles, California and will coincide with the National League of Cities summit that is also occurring there. He used to be on the board but is now only an honorable board member. There may be a sister city relationship opportunity with Japan. The next annual conference will be in Houston, Texas next July 2019.
b. Meet and greet
Individuals appearing:
Arlisia McHenry, City Clerk’s Office
Paige Prichard, Irish Fest and CelticMKE
Ms. McHenry gave an update. After examining possible options, the CelticMKE Center on 76th Street and Wauwatosa Avenue would be a beautiful venue for the meet and greet. To be determined is the date and time.
Ms. Prichard commented. Parking at the center is available in the area and on neighboring church parking lots. The center can do tours of its facility.
After discussion, members said that the event date and time should be for next year January 18, 2019 in the evening or during the 2nd or 3rd week in January 2019 either on a Thursday or Friday. The event should have a program, presentation, and agenda.
c. Holiday Folk Fair International (Nov. 16-18, 2018)
Individuals appearing:
Arlisia McHenry, City Clerk’s Office
Christine Thompson Mosore, Mosorec International Foundation
Khay Khong
Member Durtka said that all forms should be completed again and invitations would be sent to members.
Ms. McHenry commented. She will organize to get staffing volunteers again. There is a need for display materials, information, or a PowerPoint presentation from each sister city relationship to use for the exhibit booth. She is receptive of new ideas for the booth.
Ald. Stamper said that the same booth location would be desired, if possible.
Ms. Thompson Mosore said that stamps should be provided this year for the booth. Stamps were not provided last year.
Mr. Khong added that participation at the fair is great for exposure and should be ongoing. | | | |
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| | 9. | | Announcements and updates.
Minutes note: Member Tovar announced that there is a delegation trip to Irpin, Ukraine soon. Mayor Barrett was invited but cannot go. His office is sending a flag and a book to Irpin as part of the trip. | | | |
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| | 10. | | Agenda items for the next meeting.
Minutes note: This item was not discussed. | | | |
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| | 11. | | Set next meeting date and time.
Minutes note: Next meeting date and time was not set. | | | |
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| | 12. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 11:29 a.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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