Sister Cities

Idaho Falls Sister City Meeting Minutes Monday, March 16, 2020 Members in Attendance: Cal & Cindy Ozaki, Isoke & Reggie Fuller, Val Haddon, Sherry Scott, Roger Scott, Brad & Michelle Cramer, Kevin & Joan Fuhrman, Edward & Cheryl Zaladonis Guest: None Minutes: Approved as amended. Treasurer’s Report: Beginning balance on 03/16/20 - $13,416.59. Ending balance on 3/16/20 - $13,606.59. Treasurer’s report approved as submitted. Business:  Cindy shared information about the Minidoka relocation center. They are trying to raise 30,000 to create a visitor center. Cindy read a report from Clark about the center. There is a 30-minute video available to watch there, but everything else at the center is closed. It was recommended to Cindy that we don’t take the delegates to Minidoka.  Cindy shared information about students from Idaho Falls who are studying World War II. They will be taking a tour of the relocation center April 29th, and there might be spots available to join them on the tour in exchange for help chaperoning the students. A few of our members attended last time the students went and really enjoyed the experience.  No new information about the garden other than Edward stated that they have started some maintenance work on it.  We discussed our presentation to City Council coming up on March 23rd. Reggie and Isoke prepared a PowerPoint highlighting activities we participated in during our visit to Tokai. Cindy encouraged members to attend and contribute thoughts about our experiences during the presentation. Cindy will send out an email to confirm a time for that day. Cindy commented on all the work and efforts that have been made in Tokai to create an event center constructed in American style. It has become a place people go and enjoy and where they display the gifts we have given them. She thought it would be nice to have a similar facility here that was patterned after the architecture that is in Tokai.  We are still planning on the delegation visit and will plan and prepare accordingly. If the visit doesn’t happen we will plan the same activities for their following visit.  We discussed several ideas for an overnight trip while visiting Yellowstone. However, we are on hold gathering information due to the corona virus. Roger and Sherry will chair the over night stay planning.  Cal discussed our financial plan trying to gather as much info as their committee can. He stated we have a large comfortable balance right now. Our balance varies depending on how much the City gives us, how much we fundraise and how many people we have. We need to decide how much carry over we want.   We discussed about getting sponsors. The earlier we ask sponsors the better so the money hasn’t already been allocated somewhere else. It would be great to have a fundraising committee so we can have more funds to cover things like lunches and dinners when the delegates come and it doesn’t come out of our pocket. Joan will put together the amount we need for things like the garden, the youth dinner and stamps. Cindy will put together an invoice for the city of what we would like help covering, because each cost needs to be broken down for exactly what we need.  We need to form additional committees. Over all planning committee: Brad and Reggie. Isoke said she’d help with fundraising and Val said he would help with transportation. We would like someone to chair the following committees: Gifts, Fundraising, Budget, Transportation, meals and activities. All members are encouraged to participate. Next Meeting: Monday April 20, 2020