01/22/2015 SISTER CITIES ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
January 22, 2015
Present: Acting Chair/Councilmember Hoyt Hamilton, Board Member Terrence Gourdine, Board
Member/Youth Representative Danielle Dilday, Board Member Krista Valentage, Board
Member/CSCI Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc. Representative Candace B. Hays
Absent: Chair Sallie Parks
Also Present: Christopher Hubbard - Recreation Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan - Board Reporter
Acting Chair/Councilmember Hamilton called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. at the Long
Center.
2 —Approval of Minutes
2.1. Approve the minutes of the October 23, 2015 Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting as
submitted in written summation.
Member Gourdine moved to approve Item 3.1. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3 —Citizens to be Heard re Items Not on the Agenda: None.
4— New Business
4.1. 55th Anniversary Nagano visit to Clearwater
Recreation Specialist Christopher Hubbard distributed the Nagano delegation's master
schedule. The February 8, 2015 welcome reception will be at the Main Library. The official
welcome at City Hall on Monday morning will be followed by a cooking demonstration and lunch
with tourism and wellness discussions at Pinellas Technical College, beach shopping, and a
dinner cruise hosted by CSCI (Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc.). After Tuesday's official breakfast
meeting, the delegation will tour beach operations, lunch at the Palm Pavilion, tour the new Fire
Station and Capitol Theatre, and attend the Sayonara Party at the Clearwater Beach Recreation
Center. The delegation will tour CMA (Clearwater Marine Aquarium) on Wednesday morning,
eat lunch at Moccasin Lake Park, then board buses for Miami. Board members were invited to
participate. Interpreters will be present at each event.
Member Valentage said she would greet the delegation at the airport on Sunday afternoon.
4.2. Clearwater/Nagano student exchange
Middle school students from Nagano will visit Clearwater February 22 -28, 2015.
4.3. 55th Anniversary Clearwater visit to Nagano
It was reported the City Council will participate in the anniversary trip, arriving in Nagano on
October 24, 2015. Member/CSCI Representative Hays said CSCI will plan the citizen delegation
trip to Nagano and Japan. Board members were encouraged to join the delegation.
The October 22, 2015 Sister Cities meeting will be rescheduled.
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4.4. Annual election of officers
Member Gourdine moved to reappoint Sallie Parks as Chair. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
Member Hays moved to appoint Terrence Gourdine as Vice - Chair. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
5 — Director's Report
Member /CSCI Representative Hays discussed the upcoming CSCI membership party, club
efforts to organize home stays for Nagano visitors, and dinner cruise plans for the visiting
delegation. She said CSCI partnered with the Japanese Animation and Cultural Experience club
at St. Petersburg College to plan events at the Main Library, such as introductions to Japan and
the Japanese language. The Main Library requested CSCI repeat its anime event next summer.
Ms. Hays reported CSCI had received 2 applications for the Young Ambassadors trip to Nagano
and Japan for the June 30 — July 19, 2015 trip; the application deadline was extended to March
9. She expressed concern that the trip had not been sufficiently promoted. Discussion ensued
re encouraging participation including contacting Clearwater Fundamental School and the City
rebroadcasting its materials. It was noted that teachers were aware of the trip as 5 had
submitted applications to serve as chaperones.
6 — Committee Members to be Heard
Member Gourdine recommended the City reopen negotiations with Nagano to reintroduce high
school age exchanges and offer more students an opportunity to participate. Discussion ensued
with comments that few parents can afford to send middle school students to Japan, some
parents think students at this age lack the maturity to tour Japan in a group, and high school
students would have a richer experience. It was noted that middle school students who travel to
Japan increase the pool for future home stay opportunities.
Member Dilday said she will resign her seat; she was selected by the Rotary Club to spend her
high school senior year in Italy
Member Valentage said she was a finalist for Pinellas County Teacher of the Year.
7 Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Next meeting — April 23, 2015 at the Long Center
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Chair - Sister Cities Advisory Board
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