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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Consideration of Culver City Sister City Committee’s (CCSCC) Request to Establish Sister City Relationships with Uddevalla, Sweden and Swakopmund, Namibia; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: November 14, 2022
Contact Person/Dept.: Shelly Wolfberg/City Manager’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-6000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Commission Name:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Culver City Sister City Committee Co-Presidents; Meetings and Agendas - City Council (11/09/2022)
Department Approval: John M. Nachbar (11/03/2022)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) consider the Culver City Sister City Committee’s (CCSCC) request to establish Sister City relationships with Uddevalla, Sweden and Swakopmund, Namibia; and (2) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
On December 10, 1962, the City Council established the CCSCC. On June 22, 2008, the CCSCC received its Final Status Determination Letter as a 501 (c) 3 from the Internal Revenue Service, retroactive to January 31, 2008. On April 21, 2009, the City and CCSCC entered into an MOU setting forth the roles and responsibilities of the City and the CCSCC with regard to CCSCC activities. The current MOU with the CCSCC, which has been amended and extended over the years, will expire on June 30, 2023.
The City Council has found that the development and implementation of a sister city relationship between the City and various sister cities worldwide benefits the City by, among other things, promoting cultural relations. In particular, sister city relationships foster and promote:
(1) The exchange of information and ideas for the cultural betterment of Culver City and its community; and
(2) The knowledge, understanding, and education of Culver City and of its community; and
(3) The mutual understanding and goodwill between Culver City and sister cities.
The City of Culver City has sister city relationships with the following cities: Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico (February 24, 1964); Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan (April 29, 1965); Iksan City, Chollbuk-do, South Korea (September 12, 1983); Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (November 6, 1989); and Capo D’Orlando, Sicily, Italy (July 24, 2017).
At the September 12, 2022 City Council Meeting, CCSCC Co-Presidents Maren Neufeld and Lisa Saperston addressed the City Council during Public Comment for Items Not on the Agenda. They provided background on the Sister City Committee, requested that the City Council agendize an item to consider adding two additional Sister Cities: Uddevalla, Sweden (Council Member Eriksson's hometown) and Swakopmund, Namibia; they discussed complementing current Sister City relations; creating a truly global presence; and the delegation to attend the Sister Cities International Summit in February 2023 and a visit to Swakopmund. All Council Members agreed to agendize consideration of adding two additional Sisters Cities.
DISCUSSION
The Culver City Sister City Committee has provided a summary of their request for these two new Sister Cities for City Council’s consideration (Attachment 1). This request includes a $9,000 budget increase for FY 2023-2024.
The term of the current 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) expires on June 30, 2023. If the City Council approves moving forward with exploring the two new sister cities, the CCSCC will explore these partnerships. If there’s mutual agreement between these two cities to move forward with becoming sister cities with Culver City, staff would return to the Council to bring forward Joint Declarations to memorialize the partnerships. Staff would also seek direction on updating the current MOU with the CCSCC to reflect Uddevalla, Sweden and Swakopmund, Namibia as new Sister Cities and make other changes to the MOU that are agreeable to both parties to improve the efficacy and implementation of the MOU. Staff recommends that the next term of the MOU expire on June 30, 2028. If the City Council chooses to add these new sister cities, staff would bring back a funding request during the budget process.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact to discuss this item. Based on City Council direction, any budget increases would be included in future fiscal year budgets.
ATTACHMENTS
2022-11-14__ATT__Sister City Request for Two New Sister Cities
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve the request to add Uddevalla, Sweden and/or Swakopmund, Namibia as Culver City’s new Sister Cities; or
2. Decline the request to add Uddevalla, Sweden and/or Swakopmund, Namibia as Culver City’s new Sister Cities; and/or
3. Provide other direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.