04/28/2016 Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 28, 2016
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, April 28, 2016
4:00 PM
Long Center, 2nd Floor
Sister Cities Advisory Board
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 28, 2016
Roll Call
Present 4 - Vice Chair Terrence Gourdine, Board Member Hoyt Hamilton,
Board Member Candace Hays, and Board Member Desaray Dilday
Absent 2 - Chair Sallie Parks, and Board Member Pamela Gene Benton
Also Present: Christopher Hubbard - Cultural Affairs Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Long Center.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approval of minutes from January 28, 2016 meeting
Member Hamilton moved to approve minutes of the January 28,
2016 Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written
summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Nagano Middle School visit
Cultural Affairs Specialist Christopher Hubbard reviewed the visit, stating it
was successful. Nagano's international relations'department was reviewing
reinstatement of the Nagano/Clearwater high school exchange.
4.2 Young Ambassador Trip update
CSCI (Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc.) Representative Hays said 7
students signed up for this summer's Young Ambassador trip to
Nagano. A foster child will participate; the Guardian ad litem funded half
her costs, including spending money, and a donor funded the other half.
Two teachers will chaperone the trip.
Mr. Hubbard said the City agreed to sponsor the teachers and will
conduct background checks.
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 28, 2016
4.3 Update of Governing Documents
Mr. Hubbard said in June he would present the City Council with the
board's Ordinance revision recommendations that the Sister Cities
Board: 1) drop requirement that Youth Member(and CSCI representative)
be City residents and 2) add a City resident as a seventh member.
5. Old Business Item
It was stated the subject of offering a hardship scholarship to a Young
Ambassador student was broached with the Pinellas County Foundation
but no commitment was made.
Discussion ensued regarding a recommendation that the City commit
funds for a Young Ambassador scholarship. It was felt the City could
afford $9,000 for Young Ambassador scholarship funds as it found
$600,000 in the budget to erect an obelisk on Courtney Campbell
Causeway. It was stated scholarships would directly serve the
community as many worthwhile students could not now participate in the
exchange program due to a lack of family funds. It was suggested the
City could establish an educational fund with a portion targeted for
Young Ambassador participants. Concerns were expressed a precedent
would be set for other groups to request funding, such as the Clearwater
Arts Alliance, which was represented on the City's Public Art & Design
Advisory Board.
Mr. Hubbard said the City will run the high school exchange program
and supported the Young Ambassador program with staff time. It was
stated the high school exchange program will have the same issues,
with some students needing financial aid.
The Sister Cities Board recessed from 4:09 to 4:11 p.m.
6. Director's Report
CSCI Representative Hays said orientations for this summer's Young
Ambassador trip were underway. She said teachers escorting the
students would increase the trip's focus on educational subjects.
She said more than 30 people attended the annual CSCI meeting. The
organization was starting to plan its fall activities. Mr. Hubbard
suggested the group could organize a month long display at the Main
Library highlighting reading reflective of Japan.
Mr. Hubbard said as a result of the City's official trip to Nagano last fall,
the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce was working with
Nagano to install miso machines locally and for area businesses to
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board
Meeting Minutes April 28, 2016
provide chips and other products needed in Nagano. Former board
member Linda Damsky was the first international miso ambassador.
7. Committee Members to be Heard: None.
8. Adjourn
Attest:
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Board eporter
City of Clearwater
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Chair - Sister Cities Advisory Board