Sister Cities Commission

AGENDA Sister Cities Commission Meeting 5:15 PM - Monday, August 4, 2025 City Hall Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.1. Approve the July 7, 2025 Sister Cities Commission meeting minutes. 3-4 SCC minutes 07-07-2025 4. FINANCIAL REPORT 4.1. Approve the financial report for the date ending July 31, 2025. 5-6 SISTER CITIES 07.31.25 SISTER CITIES 07.31.2025 General 5. HANS JOOHS CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM 5.1. Outbound Hans Joohs Intern - Martha Balge 7 - 10  Internship will conclude August 15  Martha submitted one letter with photos which was published in The Journal on July 23, 2025 (two letters remain to be submitted) New Ulm Journal Hans Joohs Exchange Article 1 - Martha Balge Martha Balge German Photos July 2025 5.2. Inbound Hans Joohs Intern - Samuel Knoops  Intern dates September 2 through November 24  Schell's Brewery will host Samuel for his internship 5.3. Concerns of being Detained when Entering the US  Samuel and his family continue to have concerns for his safe entry to the US  Sister Cities International has been contacted to gather additional information on this matter 6. OLD BUSINESS 6.1. 2025 Brat Stand 11  Next brat stand date is Monday, August 25, 2025 Brat Stand August 25, 2025 6.2. Welcome Reception for Samuel Knoops (Hans Joohs Sub-committee: Jayne/Larry/John)  Held on September 8th at 6:00 p.m. following the regular meeting  Kegel Klub  Invitations will be sent out to the Commission, Friends, City Councilors, Media and Schell's Brewery 7. NEW BUSINESS Page 1 of 11  7.1. Motion and second to move the September Sister Cities Commission meeting to Monday, September 8, 2025 due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 1, 2025. 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS 8.1. The next meeting will be held on Monday, September 8, 2025 or TBD at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers. 9. ADJOURNMENT If someone would like an item discussed at an upcoming Sister Cities Commission meeting, please send an email to lisap@newulmmn.gov so the item can be added to the Agenda. The SCC meets the first Monday of the month. In order for an item to be added to the Agenda, please submit the information five (5) days prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 11 Minutes of the Sister Cities Commission Monday, July 7, 2025 5:15 pm Roll call Members present: Chair Jayne Maday-Hulke, Carolyn Marti-Smith, Ellie Sveine, Larry Mack, Dick Seeboth, Ron Wendinger, Brian Filzen, Tony Beranek, and Kathleen Backer. Absent: John Vorwerk Meeting Called to Order Chair Jayne Maday-Hulke called meeting to order at 5:15. Approval of Minutes from June 2nd, 2025 Dick Seeboth made a motion to accept the minutes, second by Larry Mack. Motion carried. Financial Report ending June 30, 2025 Ellie Sveine made a motion to accept the report as given in the agenda, second by Tony Beranek. Motion carried. Hans Joohs Cultural Exchange Program Our outgoing exchange intern, Martha Balge, is in Germany May 25 – August 15. Martha will be sending her first letter on her experiences soon. Martha did send an email saying that her experience at the Danube office was not a challenge and that there was very little cultural exchange, she did talk with the liaison Annamarie Rupp and they did make arrangements for her to work a grade school in Ulm and will visit several other grade schools in the coming weeks. The incoming exchange intern, Samuel Knoops, will be in New Ulm, MN September 2 – November 24, working at Schell’s Brewery. Dick and Sharon Seeboth will host Samuel the first 6 weeks, Jim and Konnie Bartels will host the last 6 weeks. Brian Filzen has contacted Jensen Motors, and they are willing to donate a car for our intern. Jayne Maday-Hulke volunteered to pick up Samuel from the airport. Ellie Sveine also reported that she could do this if needed. Old Business Brat Stand at Cash Wise Foods. The June 22, 2025 went well; it was a very hot and windy day. The tip money has just been deposited and will show up on the next financial report. Our next date is Monday August 25, 2025. Sign- up sheets have been sent out by Lisa P. for members to sign up. We still need more volunteers on August 25th. Ron Wendinger suggested for next year we try to get two consecutive days so that the setup is easier. Jayne stated that she will keep that in mind for next year. Page 3 of 11 New Business Welcome reception for Samuel on Monday, September 8th, to be held at the Kegel Klub at 6:00 p.m. John Vorwerk was going to be working on this, Carolyn Marti-Smith, Ellie Sveine, and Tony Beranek all volunteered to take this on. We will need to invite the Kyle Marti and staff from the Brewery as that is where Samuel will be working. Carolyn will notify the Kegel Klub to reserve the date. There was a definite need for a pop-up canopy for the brat stand for shade. A motion was made by Carolyn Marti- Smith and a second from Tony Beranek to purchase the canopy. Motion carried. This was already purchased by Jayne for $64.20, this will show up in next month’s financial report. Carolyn Marti-Smith had an update on the kiosk, Martha and Samuel have been added to the list of exchangees. She also has talked with Kemskes and they will be able to print pictures on UV protected paper to prevent the photos from fading from sun exposure. This is more costly but will stay looking nice for much longer. Jayne Maday- Hulke will check on the funds available for her to get this done. Adjournment The next meeting will be held on Monday, August 4, 2025 at 5:15 pm at City Hall Council Chamber. Jayne Maday- Hulke will not be present; Dick Seeboth will run the meeting. A motion to adjourn made by Carolyn Marti-Smith, second by Ron Wendinger. Meeting adjourned. Minutes submitted by Ellie Sveine. Page 4 of 11  Sister Cities Commission Special Projects Fund For the Month Ended July 31, 2025 Beginning Balance: 1/1/2025 8,166.23 Revenue: Interest 118.83 Other Contributions/Sales 54.00 172.83 Expenses: Other (319.67) (319.67) Ending Balance: 12/31/2025 8,019.39 Detailed Revenue and Expenses Revenue: July Brat Stand tips $54.00 TOTAL REVENUE $54.00 Expenses: April Recognition Award Reception -$192.26 Recognition Award Plaque -$73.50 July Brat Stand Canopy Expense -$53.91 TOTAL EXPENSE -$319.67 Page 5 of 11  Sister Cities Commission General Fund For the Month Ended July 31, 2025 Revenues: Budget 0.00 Revenues: 0.00 Budget remaining 0.00 Percent of budget remaining 0% Expenses: Budget 3,570.00 Expenses (2,407.01) Budget remaining 1,162.99 Percent of budget remaining 33% Total Budget Remaining 12/31/2025 1,162.99 Detailed Revenue and Expenses Revenue: TOTAL REVENUE $0.00 Expenses: January 2025 Sister Cities International Membership -$440.00 March Flight to Germany - M. Balge -$1,817.01 Travel Stipend - M. Balge -$150.00 TOTAL EXPENSE -$2,407.01 Page 6 of 11 Grüße aus Ulm! Greetings from Ulm! Thank you to the Sister-Cities Commission of New Ulm for facilitating the Hans Joohs Exchange. I am about seven weeks into my 12 weeks stay in Ulm, Germany. Below is my first article, of three, for the New Ulm Journal about this wonderful experience. It has been said that the early settlers of New Ulm, Minnesota, so named the city because of similarities they saw in the landscape to their homeland, the region around Ulm, Germany. I write from my host family’s home “on top of the hill” in Ulm, overlooking a valley similar to the one in New Ulm. At the bottom of Ulm’s river valley flows the Danube, a river that connects 10 countries in Europe. On one of my bike rides in the region, I rode along a stretch of the river outside the city that felt similar to the Minnesota River near Minnecon Park, with trees close to the river’s edge and birds flying between trees and splashing in the river. In Ulm, as in New Ulm, I find there is a high quality of life when nature is so close to a bustling community. Ulm is a city of 130,000 people, with the neighboring city of Neu-Ulm adding 62,000 to the area. Neu-Ulm is a city separate from Ulm, with the Danube as a border between them. The Danube also marks the border between two Bundesländer, or states. Ulm lies in Baden-Württemberg; Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. Today, these German twin cities look different from their American namesake. In comparison to the houses in New Ulm, many of the houses in Ulm/Neu-Ulm are of white stucco, often with red roofs. Behind many houses are small paths with hedges on both sides. These footpaths connect streets and offer a quick route to a local soccer field or clubhouse. They provide a quiet, safe, and pretty walk away from the bustle of the street. An efficient bus and tram system connects the city and makes getting around very easy. I use the transportation system almost every day to get to the Innenstadt, or downtown. At the center of the Innenstadt rises the Münster, the tallest Christian church in the world. Not far from the Münster is the beautifully painted Rathaus, or city hall, rebuilt after much of the old downtown was destroyed in World War 2. Beyond these recognizable sites wind cobblestone alleyways, lined with restaurants and cafes. During the summer, people sit at tables outside, enjoying their meals or simply a coffee. Twisting through the old streets is a small river, the Blau, which flows into the Danube. Picturesque bridges connect the cobblestone streets and lampposts add a soft glow to the warm summer evenings I’ve experienced in the city. Ulm has a deep history of international connections. The phrase “Ulmer Geld regiert die Welt” or “Ulm money rules the world” refers to a time in the Middle Ages, when Ulm minted money and was connected to the European trade network. Today, businesses that operate around the world still thrive in Ulm. Several members of the Ulm Rotary Club graciously invited me to Page 7 of 11 visit their businesses. Seeberger, an international company that produces snack mixes, nuts, and coffee, was founded in the Innenstadt of Ulm and still packages its products in Ulm today. Peri, a company that designs and produces scaffolding and equipment for construction, operates just outside of Ulm. Its materials have been used, for example, on the Panama Canal and to build a bridge/tunnel between China and Hong Kong. The international connections of Ulm extend to the people living in Ulm. Ulm is home to many immigrants, many of whom have arrived in the last decade. Many of the children at the grade schools I visited in the area speak or are learning German as a second language. The people of Ulm have made my experience with the Hans Joohs Exchange memorable. I am very grateful to the Rotary Club of Ulm for their hospitality. Through the Rotary Club, I am being housed by the wonderful Janni family for the extent of my stay, 12 weeks. Staying with such a lovely German host family has made this experience particularly special. As mentioned above, several Rotary Club members have invited me to visit their businesses, experiences which, to me, were simply fascinating. Others have invited me to meals at their homes and to trips in and around Ulm. Opportunities like this, to engage in conversation with Germans from our sister city, highlight for me what an incredible program – what a true exchange – the Hans Joohs Exchange is. In the past few weeks I met German participants of the Hans Joohs Exchange. Annika Fischer, who went from Neu-Ulm to New Ulm last year, invited me to run in a Frauenlauf, a fun-filled race for women in downtown Ulm. Samuel Knoops, who will go to New Ulm in September, gave me a tour of Gold Ochsen, where he is a brewer. He will be doing an internship at Schell’s during his time in New Ulm. It was pleasant to talk with both of them about our experiences, and what to expect, in our sister-cities. About half-way through my time here, I took part in another conversation, in the form of a radio interview. For about an hour I was interviewed live, in German, by a local radio station, Radio Free FM. During this interview, I spoke about my hometown New Ulm, my experiences in Ulm, and about the Hans Joohs Exchange. The Hans Joohs Exchange has been sending young people across the Atlantic since 1988. Thank you, New Ulm, for your support of this opportunity to experience life in our sister-city, Ulm! Bis zum nächsten Mal, till next time, Martha Balge Page 8 of 11 Radio Interview At Peri Page 9 of 11 Martha and Annika Fischer Page 10 of 11 Cash Wise Brat Stand Work Schedule Date Monday, August 25, 2025 Two in Booth One Griller TIME SELLERS (need 2 people) GRILLER Open/Close 9:45-11:00 Carolyn Smith Ellie Sveine Jayne Maday-Hulke Lorie Reiser 11:00-12:00 Carolyn Smith Ellie Sveine Lorie Reiser 12:00-1:00 Sue Marti Ron Wendinger Jayne Maday-Hulke 1:00-2:00 Jim Bartels Ron Wendinger John Vorwerk 2:00-3:00 Jim Bartels (2:45) Dick Seeboth John Vorwerk 3:00-4:00 Dick Seeboth Larry Mack (3:15) 4:00-5:00 Sue Marti Larry Mack Jayne Maday-Hulke 5:00-6:00 Sue Marti Larry Mack Larry Mack Jayne Maday-Hulke Page 11 of 11