Sister Cities

Approved 01.11.23 SISTER CITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 12.14.2023 The December 14, 2023 Sister Cities Advisory Committee meeting was held in the Chief of Staff’s Conference Room of City Hall (308 Constitution Way, Idaho Falls, ID 83402) and via phone. ACTION ITEMS 5:34 PM Roll Call and Confirmation of Quorum ● In attendance: Laura Combs, Charlotte Combs, Jim Francis, Amanda Logan, Chloe Doucette, Amy Brumfield, Jeremy Crook, Cindy Ozaki (via phone) ● Absent: Lisa Armstrong Introduction of New Committee Members ● Amy Burmfield, representing higher education : Executive Director of institutional research at CEI. Does data, accreditation, compliance, etc. Loves to be involved in the community in fun ways. o This is the first time we have had this seat filled. Non-voting seat. ● Charlotte Combs, Youth President of the Youth Sister Cities Association. Junior in high school at Watersprings. Charlotte was able to visit Japan this past year. ● The city is working on filling the business community seat. Shouldn’t be too much longer. ● INL seat- a number of great candidates, but running into difficulty because of limitations on who is able to be on the committee. One hurdle (since it is a voting seat) is that they are required to be a taxpayer of Idaho Falls. Additionally, no member can be a member of the adult or youth association and many have expressed interest in joining the associations themselves (or having their children join) if they aren’t already members. We will be able to find someone soon, it has just taken some extra time. Approval of November 9, 2023 Meeting Minutes ● Motion to approve by Laura. Amanda seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. Approval of Reimbursements ● This will be a standing item on our agenda. ○ City requests that we discuss and approve all expenditures as a committee even if they are listed as line items on the budget. ○ City has requested that both the Adult and Youth Association become official “vendors” with the city and all expenditures go through them. ○ Cindy has not received reimbursement for anything yet, but Amanda has a check for her in the amount of $432 which is the amount that directly aligned with receipts. All other reimbursement has to wait until the adult association has done the paperwork to become an official vendor with the city. ■ Cal will bring the paperwork to Cindy if we can get it to him. She will return in January. ● There’s been a lot of transition with Bud leaving the city, so this process has been very bumpy. Now working with Carla and the Treasurer’s office directly. ○ All of the reimbursements should have been approved at the last meeting. ● Liability Insurance/ D&O (Directors and Officers) Insurance  Approved 01.11.23 ○ Cindy-was the liability insurance (for D&O) received? ○ Amanda- committee needs to reallocate the funds (approve that for D&O) ■ In the past, the Associations have been a part of the city’s insurance. That can’t happen anymore. This was brought up when the Japanese delegation visited us this fall. The Mountain America Center required proof of insurance. Cindy looked into the possibility of insuring the event or Association as a whole. That is not a cheap administrative cost. There is no additional funding from the city for this, so we would have to reallocate funds from other categories (outreach, hosting, and visiting). D&O was about $860, liability was over $500, but that covers both associations. (D&O- is essential so none of the board members can be personally sued). The Adult Association has already purchased this insurance so the event with the delegation could move forward, and so they would need to be reimbursed. ■ Jeremy mentioned that he works for the Leavitt Group and could requote the cost for next year. We will plan to put this on the agenda. ■ Reflection on budget- where could we reallocate. Last FY was $11k, this FY is $15k. DISCUSSION ITEMS 5:50PM Reflection on Fall 2023 Tokai-Mura Adult Delegation Visit to Idaho Falls ● Very happy to have it take place. City Day went well. ● Media coverage was great (The Post REgister’s David Pace came to a couple of events and reported on them) ○ Had some interest from the community because of that exposure. Also, ability to highlight some things like the exhibit in the library. ● Cindy- really pleased with how it went. Only issue was all the invitations that got mailed out- people either didn’t get the invitations or got them a day or two before the event. Really looking at how they’ll change that so that they can make sure everyone who should be present, is. The Japanese delegation was very pleased with how everything went. Particularly loved getting to go to the hockey game and everything that they got to do on City Day. Continued Review of FY23 Activities and Plan for FY24, Esp. Adult Association ● Reimbursement process has been…painful. Doing the best we can. Treasurer would like to ONLY reimburse the Adult and Youth Associations and then those associations will pay for it and get reimbursed. Keeps from individuals having to fill out vendor paperwork. ● Lots of wins- the community outreach that we have started to do and the attention that the media has given is awesome. We want to continue to build on that. Not just when delegations are doing things, but when events and fundraisers are happening. ● Idea for a plaque or sign in friendship garden will hopefully happen in FY 24- those speedbumps are smoothed out. Chloe will start to draft the language for this sign ● Cindy and Judy should send Chloe some info for getting that signage written. Report from Sister Cities Adult Association ● Will be moving forward with the exchange to Tokai next year. Report from Sister Cities Youth Association ● Got vendor paperwork completed.  Approved 01.11.23 ● Some new families have joined the association recently ● The Japanese youth association wants to send 15 students and 3 chaperones (full contingent) to Idaho Falls! ○ Are always here roughly at the end of July or very beginning of August (should be roughly 10 days) ○ The Youth Association finds homes for the Japanese youth to stay in and the Adult Association finds places for chaperones to stay since they know them already. ○ No fluent speakers in the Youth Association right now. May have to petition the community for help since there won’t be an additional person attending who is there for the main purpose of translation. ○ Maybe there is something we can do because translating impacts that experience. It is nice if they have one or two people who can translate and we provide one or two people that can translate. ■ Two of the adult members are fluent in Japanese and might be interested in helping. They also have two kids who may be able to help. ■ There is a City Day for the youth (less formal), that will be planned. ■ Could plan to do the dedication of a plaque in the garden when Japanese students are here. ■ Want to have Japanese flags in the halls. We may want to purchase more Japanese flags early for that. ■ Funland is open now, so we can use that as another activity- usually have a picnic in Tautphaus park. ● Some new families have joined the association recently Upcoming Outreach Opportunities ● Youth Association Winter Carnival Fundraiser ● January 1st. Get to keep money from renting skates. QR code links to a website or facebook page on the printed flier that went out to committee members in an email. Time is 2-5pm. ● Committee can help advertise it to everyone. ○ Amanda spoke to Erik (city’s PIO) and will be watching for Laura to reach out to help the City publish on socials, etc. Has been supportive about helping out. Appreciated us reaching out in advance. Laura will mention that we wouldn’t mind if media would be there like newspaper, radio, TV, etc. ○ Cindy could ask Misty to put in her INL newsletter. ○ Amy- suggested we reach out to Idaho Falls Patch (local newsletter) ○ Radio stations- some allow nonprofits to advertise for free (Rich media) ○ Jeremy- could ask for Brian Ziel to match donations from the event? Amanda and Jeremy could also bring it up at an upcoming Rotary event. ● Calendaring of 2024 Outreach Opportunities should happen at an upcoming meeting. ○ Ideas include working concessions at a hockey game at the MAC, having an ice cream social type event when the Japanese youth delegation is here (could ask Farr’s or Manwaring to donate?) and connecting with CEI for different community events. (Amy is happy to help us there.) ○ Museum of Idaho’s oral history project lead connected with JACL. She will likely reach 100 oral histories by the end of the year from a variety of under-represented communities. Date and Agenda Items for Next Meeting  Approved 01.11.23 ● 2024 outreach calendar ● Discussion of city formal reimbursement process plan ● Standing items ○ We have been consistent in meeting the second Thursday of the month. The City appreciates this because the City Clerklerk knows what to expect. January 11th is the second Thursday. TBD on location. Amy may be able to get us into a room at CEI. We will need aZzoom for Cindy. Cindy will set that up. Final Notes ● City is ready to move the display case away from the Annex Building (that case belongs to Cindy). Be sure to let Pam know where it needs to go. ● Mayor is going to change liaisons for all the departments. Jim might not be the liaison to this committee anymore. Jim will be here on the 11th, but may end up rotating off the committee after that. ● Mayor is pleased with what the committee has started to do and is excited to see it do more work. Outreach and the money process were the two biggest things in the ordinance and we have done our share. ADJOURNMENT 6:37 PM