01/25/2024 Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 25, 2024
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 25, 2024
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 25, 2024
Roll Call
Present 4 - Board Member Robert Kantor, Board Member Lina Teixeira, Board
Member Melinda Bacon, and Board Member Doug Kelly
Absent 3 - Vice Chair Pamela Gene Benton, Board Member Stephanie Chill, and
Board Member Indira Yengera
Also Present—Amber Brice —Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator and Rosemarie Call
— City Clerk
1. Call to Order— Board Member Kelly
The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes from the July 27, 2023 and October 26, 2023 Sister Cities
Meetings.
Board Member Teixeira moved to approve the minutes from the
July 27, 2023 and October 26, 2023 Sister Cities meetings. 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 Discuss the middle school exchange Trip from Nagano, Japan
The middle school students from Nagano, Japan will be visiting Clearwater,
March 20-26. We still need homestay families for these students and teacher
chaperones.
Ms. Brice reviewed the tentative itinerary and said 12 students and two
chaperones will be participating in this year's program. She said seven to
nine host families are still needed. Staff is hoping to recruit more host
families.
4.2 Update on official delegation dates to Nagano, Japan
City Manager will wait for the newly elected City Council to decide on dates to
go to Nagano. The dates will most likely be in the beginning of October 2024.
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 25, 2024
Ms. Brice said the high school students are expected to visit Clearwater
October 29, 2024 through November 3, 2024. Since trips cannot
overlap official delegation visits, the City may move its trip to the
beginning of October. The dates will be finalized after the March 19
election.
4.3 Discuss the High School Trip to Nagano, Japan
The application for the high school trip to Nagano, Japan is closing January
28th. We will hold interviews and 4 scholarship recipients will be chosen. All
students must be residents of the City of Clearwater regardless of where they
attend school.
Ms. Brice said seven applications were received thus far. The application
period closes in three days. She said the students may start the trip in
Nagano in order to prepare for the school festival and then go to Tokyo.
In response to questions, Ms. Brice said four applicants will receive a
fully funded scholarship from the City. Prospective applicants who
participated in the middle school program are eligible to apply.
Discussion ensued with comments made that the program provides
students a great opportunity and wonderful experience.
4.4 Ixmiquilpan Artist Incorporated into Signal Box Program
Our new Sister City is Ixmiquilpan, Mexico and local Ixmiquilpan artist, Edgar
Islas who goes by TuTuBixi, was selected by the Clearwater Arts Alliance for
their signal box art program called "Thinking Outside the Box". Edgar created
this image specifically for the North Saturn neighborhood. The beautiful image
depicts many notable images from Ixmiquilpan is now visible on Palmetto Street
and N Keene Rd. This was a great way to tie in our Sister City relationship to
our arts programing.
Ms. Brice presented a depiction of the artwork used for the signal box
program.
5. Old Business Items — None.
6. Director's Report
Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc. representative Candace Hays said 17
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board
Meeting Minutes January 25, 2024
students were interviewed for the Young Ambassadors exchange
program. She said 12 students and nine chaperones will be participating
this year. Six of the students are Clearwater residents and all chaperones
are educators in Pinellas County. The City of Clearwater will award one
Clearwater student a full scholarship to participate in the exchange; she
will work with Ms. Brice to identify that student. Ms. Hays encouraged all
to attend the social this Sunday, as it would be a great opportunity to
meet the Young Ambassadors.
7. Board Members to be Heard
8. Adjourn
Attest:
Board Repiter
Board Members supported efforts that fostered cultural exchange with the
City's sister cities during these divisive times and looked forward to the
upcoming Nagano trip.
The meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
C it - Sister C s Advisory
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City of Clearwater
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