01/27/2022 Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 27, 2022
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 27, 2022
4:00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Sister Cities Advisory Board
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 27, 2022
Roll Call
Present 4 - Chair Michael Ballard, Vice Chair Pamela Gene Benton, Board
Member Candace Hays, and Board Member Sallie Parks
Absent 3 - Board Member Hoyt Hamilton, Board Member Lucas Geraldi-Smith,
and Board Member Michael Brewster
Also Present— Christopher Hubbard — Cultural Affairs Coordinator, Patricia O. Sullivan -
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the July 22, 2021 Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting.
Member Parks moved to approve minutes of the July 22, 2021 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 Review an update on the status of the Nagano exchange programs.
Review an update on the status of the 2022/2023 high school, teacher, and
official delegation anniversary exchange programs.
Cultural Affairs Coordinator Christopher Hubbard said students selected for
the 2022 High School student exchange met in October, took photos, filmed
video, and sent decorated lanterns to Nagano; the annual lantern
festival later was canceled due to Covid. Nagano will post the designs
online. It was stated they can be viewed on Facebook.
Mr. Hubbard said Japan will be closed at least until February. It may be
necessary to cancel all 2022 exchange trips. He suggested the Mayor record
a welcome to Nagano's new mayor.
City leaders were encouraged to communicate regularly with Nagano,
preferably via virtual meetings. It was reported the English Club was working
on handwriting answers to pen pal letters that will be digitized and sent. It
was hoped the students' video would be completed soon.
It was suggested that Clearwater take the lead and recommend cancelling
the 2022 exchange program due to Covid uncertainties. If travel is safe in
October, Clearwater probably could secure host families and welcome
Nagano teachers.
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 27, 2022
4.2 Review an update on the progress of Sister Cities discussions with Bourges, France.
An update on the ongoing conversation between Clearwater and Bourges,
France on the formation of a reciprocal travel (student, teachers, officials),
economic, and cultural exchange program.
Mr. Hubbard said a February conference call was scheduled with Bourges to
formalize the Sister Cities International process, define the relationship's
focus and determine exchange frequencies and when post-Covid travel will
commence.
4.3 Review an update on the Council-adopted 2022-2028 Cultural Arts Strategic Plan and
expanded programs of exchange with Nagano and other online media.
In December 2021, the City Council adopted the 2022-2028 Cultural Arts
Strategic Plan. Through the plan, the Cultural Affairs website will be
expanded and retooled to be more user-friendly, visually interesting, and
supportive of local artists and community partners. Sister Cities web pages
on the site will be expanded and include the Cultural Databank of Sister
Cities information with tourism and culture information supplied by the
Nagano International Relations Section.
Mr. Hubbard said the updated website will host galleries, Sister City
exchange images, applications, and ties to CSCI (Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc.).
4.4 Election of officers.
Member Hays moved to reappoint Michael Ballard as Chair. The motion
was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Parks moved to reappoint Pamela Benton as Vice Chair. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Old Business Items
5.1 Review and discuss an update on the Sister Cities Young Ambassadors scholarship.
Discuss the status of the formation and funding for a scholarship program to
support the exchange of middle school students to Nagano as part of the
Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc. Young Ambassadors program.
Mr. Hubbard reported the City Council had agreed to fund a $3,700
scholarship for the Young Ambassadors program based on need, the
scholarship can be divided among successful applicants. Staff was
developing a mechanism to determine hardship.
It was stated some scholarships use a data base that requires completion of
only one application which gathers information on the size of applicants'
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2022
households and income range. Applications are evaluated by a point
system. It was felt that people did not take advantage of the program which
does not require proof of income. It was suggested Sister Cities Young
Ambassadors scholarship applications question applicant volunteer efforts
and honor society memberships and require a 2 -paragraph essay re
applicants' interest in cultural exchange, how they qualify for the scholarship,
and why they want to travel to Nagano.
Member Parks moved to initiate a scholarship with the application
including general Board recommendations as parameters. The motion
was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
6. Director's Report
6.1 Review an update from the President of Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc.
A presentation on the programs and activities of the President of the
Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc. citizen volunteer group.
Board Member/CSCI Representative Hays said the elementary school pen
pal program is expanding. She said the Nagano elementary school had sent
a video. She hoped to reduce the letter exchange time by digitizing
elementary school letters which the younger students love to decorate. It
was stated the School System prohibits direct student to student
communication as content needs to be reviewed for inappropriateness.
Member Hays said it was difficult to maintain local student interest in the
program without the exchanges.
CSCI was complimented for hosting fun events for adults, including
celebrations of Japanese holidays. Member Hays said the last CSCI event
had 25 participants. She suggested inviting the City's Nagano contact to
participate virtually. Mr. Hubbard said CSCI events could be recorded and
forwarded to Nagano with good wishes.
Member Hays said CSCI planned a social in February and was working with
Mr. Hubbard and the Historical Society to enhance the Japanese portion of
the Imagine Clearwater garden.
7. Board Members to be Heard: None.
8. Adjourn
Attest
•ard Report,
The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.
City of Clearwater
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Chair - Sister Cities Advisory Board