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CC - (1) Consideration of a Request from the Culver City Sister City Committee to Explore a Sister City Relationship with Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, Italy; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: July 11, 2016
Contact Person/Dept: Shelly Wolfberg, Assistant to the City Manager
Phone Number: (310) 253-6000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) CCSCC, Meetings and Agendas - City Council (07/05/16)
Department Approval: John M. Nachbar, City Manager (07/05/16)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council consider a request from the Culver City Sister City Committee (CCSCC) to explore a Sister City Relationship with Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, Italy, and direct the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
As stated on the Sister Cities International website:
“Sister Cities International was created at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House conference on citizen diplomacy. Eisenhower envisioned an organization that could be the hub of peace and prosperity by creating bonds between people from different cities around the world. By forming these relationships, President Eisenhower reasoned that people of different cultures could celebrate and appreciate their differences and build partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts.”
On December 10, 1962, the City Council established the CCSCC, and on June 22, 2008, the CCSCC became a separate 501c3 non-profit organization. The City of Culver City has had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CCSCC, since July 1, 2008 and the current MOU expires on June 30, 2018.
Culver City has four sister cities: 1) Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, (established on February 24, 1964); 2) Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan, (established on April 29, 1965); 3). Iksan City, Chollabuk-do South Korea, (established on September 12, 1983); and 4) Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (established on November 6, 1989). The City has typically appropriated $16,600 annually to the Sister City Committee for performing services as described in the MOU.
At the May 9, 2016 City Council Meeting, CCSCC President Sonia Karroum addressed the City Council and, in her remarks, she made a suggestion for a new Sister City in Europe. At the May 16, 2016 City Council Meeting, as set forth in the meeting minutes:
Mayor Clarke “reported that he had received clarification on the process for adding a Sister City, and he discussed staff involvement in the process. Discussion ensued between staff and Councilmembers regarding the Twinning Agreement; added costs associated with being a Sister City; whether the Committee has the capacity to take on the workload; whether the request is a formal one from the entire Committee; and received consensus to place the item on a future agenda.”
Subsequently, on June 17, 2016, Ms. Karroum emailed a letter detailing her request to the City Council to explore a new relationship with the City of Capo d’Orlando (Attachment 1). Additionally, on June 22, 2016, Ms. Karroum emailed a proposed budget for the Capo d’Orlando activities for Fiscal Years 2018-19 and 2019-20 (Attachment 2).
DISCUSSION
If the City Council agrees to an exploratory period of one year for a friendship between the City of Culver City and the City of Capo d'Orlando, the CCSCC proposes inviting Enzo Sindoni, Mayor of Capo d'Orlando, to visit during the opening ceremonies for the Centennial Celebration year, according to his schedule and at no cost to the City. Mayor Sindoni would possibly attend the Centennial Gala with costs borne by CCSCC.
The CCSCC is requesting the City Council consider the attached budget “taking into consideration the benefits to Culver City youth, who will have an opportunity to explore a European culture.” Ms. Karroum has indicated to staff that “if the exploratory period between now and through the end of the year 2017 is fruitful and considered beneficial to both parties, then an MOU could be drafted and signed by the two cities at the end of 2017. The signing of the MOU would be anticipated to take place at the Closing Ceremonies of the Centennial and under the guidelines of Sister Cities International.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact for the City Council to approve the exploration of a new relationship with the City of Capo d’Orlando. However, if the City of Capo d’Orlando becomes Culver City’s new Sister City, then the CCSCC estimate additional City costs ranging from $2,800 to $5,000 annually, depending on whether there are scheduled youth visits to Capo d’Orlando, which require up to two chaperones.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Letter from CCSCC, received on June 17, 2016
2. Proposed Preliminary Budget for Capo d’Orlando Activities, CCSCC, received on June 22, 2016.
RECOMMENDED MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Consider a request from the Culver City Sister City Committee (CCSCC) to explore a Sister City Relationship with Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, Italy; and
2. Direct the City Manager as deemed appropriate.