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04/25/2006 I,"~. . SISTER CITY ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES CITY OF CLEARWATER April 25, 2006 Present: Robert Freedman Carlen Petersen Richard Wisemiller Vice Chair Councilmember Board Member Also Present: Margo Walbolt Marsha Beall Elizabeth Minor Division Manager, Cultural Affairs Staff Assistant, Cultural Affairs Programmer, Cultural Affairs Absent: Linda Damsky C.B. Snedeker Chair Board Member Vice Chair Freedman called the meeting to order at 4:40pm at MSB. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM #2 - Approval of Minutes of Sister City Board Meeting of January 24. 2006 - Member Petersen moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 24, 2006 as submitted. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #3 - Old Business - a. Nagano Exchange Program - Ms. Walbolt received correspondence back from Ms. Hiroshi Miyazawa, Manager of International Relations, Nagano, Japan regarding the changes to the Sister City Exchange Program. The proposed changes are as follows: 1. '06-'07 Nagano-Clearwater Exchanges Exchange Teachers from Clearwater - Currently, Clearwater sends over two teachers for 10 months to teach native English and American culture. Effective 2007, Clearwater will send two teachers for a one-month stay during the month of June or July. Nagano would cover expenses for travel and accommodations within Japan and a stipend. Teachers are responsible for flights and insurance. 2. Selection of High School Students 4 High School students from Clearwater - 2006 trip is planned for June 26-July 10. Nagano will meet group at Narita, pay transportation fees from Narita to Nagano, pay return fare and accommodations in Tokyo and Nagano City. Clearwater will responsible for airfares, travel insurance and arrival cost to Narita. Ms. Walbolt mentioned that students have been performing service hours at Coachman Park events and Skycrest Elementary "Night of the Arts" to help earn expenses for this trip. Ms. Judy Barrett will be the chaperone this year. Orientations have been given to students to prepare them for their visit to Japan. Ms. Walbolt wanted to mention that she continues to see a lot of commitment and involvement from students who previously participated in the Sister City Exchange Program. Several of the students have represented the Sister City Sister City 2006-04-25 . Program at various meetings and activities within Clearwater. Ms. Petersen acknowledged the excellent work of Mr. Dunbar and Ms. Walbolt on developing an equitable scholarship process that has given students who normally could not have afforded to be in the program an opportunity to participate. Ms. Walbolt stated the bright side of all of this is the spirit of cooperation and everyone (especially with the support of City Council) understands the value and partnership that is being developed in support ofthe Sister City program. 3. Junior High School students from Nagano - In the future, visits will be planned for the end of March each year provided it matches up with spring breaks. Otherwise, program stays relatively the same. The exchange will include 11-12 students and 1 teacher. 4. Young Ambassadors Program Mr. Wisemiller reported that the selected group of students for the Young Ambassadors program are predominantly Clearwater residents, with the majority from Coachman Fundamental and Kennedy Middle schools. Four orientation classes are completed. Homestay families have been secured. They will be leaving Clearwater May 22 and returning June 6. Their schedule in Japan includes sightseeing, three days in schools and a day with home stay families. . ITEM #4 - New Business - a. Discussion of recent perspective sister city relationships- (handouts) . Kaluga, Russia - discussion ensued, since it is two hours from Moscow by car through the countryside members expressed concerns over the travel difficulty this would incur. It is predominantly an industrial and engineering region, much different than Clearwater. . Tacloban City, Philippines - an hour from Manila. Good tourism, education and culture. However, members felt it would be more advantageous to find a city in another area of the world such as South America. b. Recommendation procedure to City Council- Ms. Walbolt suggested establishing a pre-approval process for engaging in discussions with prospective sister cities. Following that selection, a formal procedure is needed when advising City Council of potential selections. Many times if may be discovered that the interested city can retain an informal "Friendship City" status with Clearwater. Essentially, these relationships can be between anyone and are usually citizen based through family relations or heritage. Members agreed to continue discussions and define standards to follow when considering a potential sister city and recommendation process to City Council. c. Sister Cities International, Inc.- . July 13-15, 2006, more than a thousand sister city activists from throughout the world will converge on Washington, D.C. to mark the 50th Anniversary of Sister Cities International and President Eisenhower's 1956 White House Conference on Citizen Diplomacy. Ms. Walbolt will be attending. . A commemorative 50th Anniversary Award recognizes all communities demonstrating long- term sustainability of sister city programs. Each applying member sister city was required to submit an electronic scrapbook documenting the local program's history in words, photographs, and/or video since the program's early beginnings (this could include relationships that existed before a formal agreement was signed). Any community meeting the criteria for this award will receive one. Ms. Walbolt submitted the entry fee and a CD scrapbook on City of Clearwater. . Sister City 2006-04-25 2 . . . NOT ON AGENDA Ms. Walbolt has been working with Marilyn Hall, Clearwater Sister City, Inc., preparing a Sister City presentation to take out to various groups. Ms. Walbolt stated the presentation may be adjusted to fit the audience. Ms. Walbolt presented it last month to the Clearwater Junior Women's Club, who already had a member who taught in Nagano and will be doing one for the Clearwater East Rotary Club in September. Ms. Walbolt suggested having some of the students or board members take the opportunity to utilize this opportunity to conduct this presentation to local groups in the community. ITEM #5 - Adjournment - Members adjourned at 5:40 p. Sister City 2006-04-25 3 . T'aQlpban'City ,TaCloban City[ta'ldA1;ib:}nlis..fhe largest 9!Y and regionalc~t'lterof th6Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. It is also the capital city of Leyte. It is.th~cent~r of comm~rce, tourism, education, culture,. and government in the region. TaclobanjsJoc~tedon Cancabato Bay,.in the San Juanico Strait whi9h divides the islands of Levte and Samar. According to the 2000gen~us, it has a population of178,639 people in 34,758 households. '[)emograpbics . AlthoughW arav is'gener~llyspok~~,big business establishmentsan~ hospitals use Tagalogfor CQtnmunication and English at goyefIlment offices. Some Cebuano call be heard at grocery~t()r~s llnd supetm.arkets. :Economy Economically, Tacl<.)l:>anisonyofthefastest growing cities in the Philippines. IUs the site.ofthe region's biggest airport,~pdhasash(;lltered natural harbor. Its major export product is copra. The government has established an ,economic zone, the Eastern Visayas Regional Growth Cent~r (EVRGe) to take advaWllge Qf ttsJarge pool of skilled and educated workers.. InvestorsinJhe EVRGC are given a.packageQftax exemptions and incentives, as well as other privileges, by the national and local gqyetntnents. A m.ajor selling; point for~nvestors is that the city draws power primaril~. ~21TI the large Tongortan Geothermal PoweI'.P1ant,whichproduces plenty of power that is relatively unaffected by global oil prices. Water resources are also abundant. Tacloban is also the gateway to the LeyteIndustrial Development Estate in. Isabel, home of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Plant, the biggest fertilizer {a9tory in Asia, and the Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Company, the country's biggest copper processing plant. . The City is the site oflarge state run educational institutions like the University of the Philippines Tacloban, the LeyteNormal University, the Eastern Visayas State University (formerly known as theLeyte Institute of Technology), and the Leyte National High School (commonly kno~n as Leyte High). Private. schools include the UP School of Health Sciences (actually located in Palo, a municipality which is almost like a Tacloban suburb), the RTR Foundation (the largest m~dical . . . schoql.j~the region), th~. Asian D~~~lopmentC()lle~e1i Jloly Infa~t~?llege, Le)'teColleges, St. Paul'~~llsiness SchO?l~{also in~aloio~e i ofthe biggest;.iI1Jermsofstudent population, business schools outside Manila), AMACqmputer Schqol'iSTI,Ser<::onTechnical School, theSt, Scholastica'~iCollege,. i\IBhi:l.-pmega . LyaJ:llingCenter, and. UCFLP pre-elfIIlentary Schpol. Divine;~~rdUniver~itY,~~nnerly owne<iby.;theS?ciety of Divine Word, wasc1oseddown (circa 1990) as aI~slllt ofanoIlgoing1abour dispute between management and the faculty union. Tourism The longest bridge .iri.tnePhilippines connects Tac10ban to the third largest island of the Philippines, Samar. The 2.1 kilometer bridge is one of the major tourist spots in the city. Other attractions include theiP:llloi C~thedral, Imelda Marcos's Versailles-inspired palatial mansion,th~ ~acArthur NationaIP~rk, World War II sites and memorials, and several black sand beaches around the city andn~llr1:>ylocalities. Location & Access Location - The Leyte Park Resort is located in the City of Tac1oban, the Regional capital of Eastern Visayas. It sits atop a hill overlooking the beautiful San Juanico Strait And San Pedro Bay. The six hectare property has mushroomed into a hotel and convention complex. Access - Tacloban City is accessible by land, sea and air. It is one hour from Manila with five or more daily flights, serviced by Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Air. From Cebu it is 25 minutes with two weekly flights by Mindanao Express. Summary: Tac10ban has grown by leaps and bounds to become the premier city in Eastern Visayas and the gateway to the region... With its generous natural and endowments and existing market potentials coupled with available indigenous raw materials, adequate support system of financial resources, aggressive City Government policies, stable and ample supply of water and power, efficient communication and transportation systems, improved infrastructure facilities and a liberal package of investment incentives. All these will make Tacloban an attractive venue for local and foreign investors and definitely transforming Tac1oban's dream as a major tourist destination of the Philippines, into Reality! Tacloban is a "waray" speaking city. The dialect is officially called "Leyte-Samarnon". A decade before the end of the Spanish sovereignty, the place was dominantly a typical colonial community. Most of its residents were either pure Iberian families or the new generations of Spanish-Filipino blood. Today's population consists of a healthy mix of Spanish and Chinese mestizos, foreign expatriates and the native of Leytefios. "\. . Sites ~ City Hall DZR Airport . Kanhuraw Convention Center. A government-owned hall that has a 1,OOO-seat capacity. Airline Address PHILIPPINE AIRLINES San Jose, Tacloban City Tel. No: (6353) 321-2212-3; 325-7832 CEBU PACIFIC Sen. Enage Street Tacloban City Tel. No: (6353) 325-7746 - 49 GRAND AIR 195 P. Burgos Street Tacloban City Tel. No: (6353) 325-7660 - 61 ASIAN SPIRIT Calbayog Office: Tel. (055) 2091162 /2091189 Catarman Office: Tel. (109) 5540378 to 79 . . . . (Proposed) Schedule for Nagano City 2006 Young Ambassadors Day Date Activity Note Sun May 28 Kyoto Nozomi bullet train #18 13:09?~ Nagoya Luggage sent transfer in Nagoya to Shinano Limited Express ahead to train#15? -+ Nagano home stay Meet home stay upon arrival 16:49? Mon May 29 Sightseeing in and around Nagano City Travel by microbus Tues May 30 Local sights in the morning Students do brief 3pm courtesy call with Mayor Washizawa and self-introductions. Superintendent Tateiwa (Nagano City Board of Nagano City will Ed) present small gifts. Wed May 31 First day of school Thu June 1 Second day of school Fri June 2 Third day of school 19:00 farewell party Sat June 3 Free day with host family Sun June 4 Leave by Asama bullet train for Tokyo (early) . . . ICaluga, lIoala Kaluga, city, western Russia, a port on the Oka River and a manufacturing center served by several railroad lines. It is the capital of Kaluga Oblast. Among the leading industries in the city are smelting, brickmaking, and the manufacture of lumber and machinery. The first historical record of Kaluga dates from the late 14th century, when it was a frontier stronghold of Moscow. Population (1999 estimate) 341,300. Kaluaa is south of Moscow. 2 hours by car from Moscow to Kaluga. fF~d~r;I' District: '. Central MY>" ,.F., Subdivision: '''''''~~ ,-.} ;,~nFLr d~ ,,:,~ , Administrative center of Kaluga Oblast i--"Ai~&iIgHtL,>,iH~ ;'<"'~" ---~---'./:~<'q,< ,,,,0/1 ", "<:!,,)1t~~>~/" Location: ':;'!{}" 'j Population: ,,,HtMr'/',i!,P'[V"'."" Postal code: Dialling code: i',:::-:; <;;:~;:~"';^-'-;'-- : "-";:-: 4.8,..,..".",.",.".4".., 2 (formerly +70842) ~:::"::'::: ~_ . :;~_ ;;::-:::'f-"'%O i,;l-':':' ' ' _; - '-'i"\'! .;.,,\,"::. " .:-. _c':X',_ , ; ~ ' " :.,' :__:;:,:;,):,:~:::,:'" -.,- Local Hotel Address: InterMashHotel Kaluga 12 Promyshlennaya Street Kaluga Russia The InterMashHotel Kaluga is situated 3.5 kilometres from the train station and 5 kilometres from the city centre. The nearby attractions include Museum of Cosmonautics and Tsiolkovsky Cottage Museum. InterMashHotel offers 20 spacious guest rooms to make your stay in Kaluga a pleasant and comfortable one. After a tiring day, you can relax with a fine drink at the cocktail bar or indulge in the game of billiards. Hotels: There are several hotels in Kaluga: "Priokskaya", "Kaluga", "Oka". The best one is "Priokskaya". They have the same prices - about US$45 a day. . . . ,.4. REGIONAL OVERVIEW: KALUGA US, & Foreign Commercial Service Moscow Bolshaya Molchanovka, 23/38 121069, Moscow Russia Tel: 7-095-737-50-21 Fax: 7-095-737-50-33 E-mail: Yevgeny.Schukin@mail.doc.gov, copy Tanya_Shuster@ita.doc.gov SUMMARY The following is a report on Kaluga oblast. Kaluga region was where research in nuclear physics first started in Russia, and where the first atomic power station (in Obninsk) was built. A favorable location near Moscow, natural resource deposits, and a moderate climate stimulate development of such industries as: building materials, agriculture, food processing and wood processing. A skilled local work force is a basis for high-tech industries, including nuclear engineering, space engineering, radio electronics, machine building, new materials and the chemical industry, nuclear medicine. End summary. --------------------------------------------------------------------- GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaluga Oblast is located in Central Russia adjacent to Moscow Oblast and just 180 km south of Moscow. The Oblast covers 29,800 square kilometers, of which 46 percent is agricultural and 43 percent (or 1.28 million hectares) is covered by forest. Kaluga Oblast is surrounded by Smolensk, Bryansk, Orel, Tula and Moscow oblasts. It is traversed by major railways that connect Moscow with Ukraine, the Volga region, and Belarus. The Moscow-Kiev and Moscow-Brest highways are two important automobile roads. There are four airports in Kaluga region located around the cities of Kaluga, Balobanovo, and Kirov, The telephone line network in Kaluga is one ofthe best in Russia and provides digital connection. --------------------------------------------- POPULATION AND EDUCATION --------------------------------------------- The population of the Kaluga oblast is 1.1 million people, of which 74.4% are urban inhabitants. There are 345,000 people living in Kaluga city, the capital of the oblast, and 110,000 in Obninsk, the second largest city. The average monthly wage in the oblast was $54.1 in December 1998, compared to $120.4 in January 1998. The highest salaries were paid to industrial, construction and transport workers, and scientists. Kaluga oblast claims 42 institutes, universities, and research centers that involve the work of 14 thousand scientists. One-fifth ofthe oblast's work force has a higher education and one-half has secondary vocational training. NATURAL RESOURCES Discovered natural deposits in Kaluga region include brown coal, peat, phosphorites, gypsum, chalk; glass, moulding and construction sand, and clay, as well as a large stocks of mineral waters. Another natural resource is wood: the total forested area of the oblast is 1.28 million hectares, and timber reserves are estimated at 191 million cubic meters of primarily deciduous breeds. INDUSTRY '# . . . ".'tit The total number of companies in different sectors of the oblast's economy is 18,955, among which 5,586 are industrial. Near 88% of companies in the oblast are private. State enterprises contribute only 11.6% to local output. Major industries include: _ Machinery and metallurgy - a leading sector of the oblast's industry, where 257 firms produce up to 35% of regional industrial production. The largest companies include Kalugaputmash, a rail layer producer; Kaluga Turbine Plant; Lidinovsk Locomotive Assembler; Kaluga Automaker and Ludinovsk Machinery Plant, which produces fueling lorries, tank trailers and hydraulic-lift trucks. The industry is considered a key growth sector of the oblast. It employs 14.4% of the local population. In 1998, this sector experienced a slowdown. Year- end results show a 23% decline compared to the beginning ofthe year. _ Food-processing - the companies in the sector work primarily to meet local consumer's demand. There are 157 food-processing companies, including Ka1uga meat-processing plant, Kristall distiller, and KaPePa, a joint- venture. The sector employs more than 10,000 people (or 2.7% of the total local work force). Since mid-1998, domestic producers in the sector have taken advantage of greater consumption of domestic products and have increased the production by 20% compared to 1997. _ Wood and paper - The sector includes 119 companies, such as the furniture factory in Ma1oyaroslavets as well as a Plywood Factory, and employs over 7,000 people (or 2% of the workforce). The ruble devaluation has opened a number of opportunities (including export) for companies in the sector, but could not prevent further slowdown. Companies produced 20% fewer goods in 1998 compared to 1997, despite a slight production increase in December 1998. _ Electrical engineering - involves 10 companies, including Kalugaenergo, the regional energy supplier, and Kalugaoblgas, and employs 4.9 thousand people. FOREIGN TRADE The average annual foreign trade turnover for the last 3 years was $280 million, of which 70% went to non- NIS countries, such as Germany, Finland, the U.S., Italy, and others. Approximately half of the equipment and machines produced in the oblast are exported. Foreign trade turnover decreased to $208.9 million in 1998 from $315.8 million in 1997 (or by 33.8%), as exports fell significantly (46.57%), and while imports shrank by only 25.13%. This situation reflects an overall production slowdown. Major exporters in the oblast are mostly machinery and high-technology companies. Statistics show that most of the consumer goods in Kaluga's market are imported, while food products are mostly domestically produced. Due to its proximity to the capital, Kaluga's consumer market depends considerably on Moscow suppliers. Local food producers meet less than a half ofthe oblast's demand. Main imports include food products, petroleum and chemical products, industrial precision equipment, clothes and personal healthcare products.