Mayor & Common Council Meetings

AGENDA CITY OF WESTMINSTER Special Mayor and Common Council Meeting Thursday, July 6, 2023, at 5:00 pm City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, Westminster, MD 21157 City YouTube Channel Link 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS 3. REPORT FROM THE MAYOR 4. COUNCIL COMMENTS 5. NEW BUSINESS A) Approval of Revised Declaration of Understanding (Version 4/24/2023) between the Mayor and Common Council of Westminster, Maryland and Paide Town Government, Paide, Estonia – Council President Pecoraro 6. ADJOURNMENT  FIRST REVISED DECLARATION OF UNDERSTANDING (Version: 4/24/2023) The purpose of this FIRST REVISED DECLARATION OF UNDERSTANDING is to affirm the goodwill and spirit of cooperation and continue a partner city program between the MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF WESTMINSTER, State of Maryland, United States of America (“Westminster”), and PAIDE TOWN GOVERNMENT, Paide, Republic of Estonia (“Paide”). Westminster and Paide agree to pursue the following initiatives and objectives: 1. To explore and promote opportunities for cooperation between Westminster and Paide. 2. To define and develop the following areas of cooperation: a. Culture b. Government c. Economic Development d. Education e. Information Technology f. Environment g. Sports h. Philanthropy 3. To continue and/or undertake the following types of initiatives within the framework of the areas referenced above. The list below shall be considered representative of activities within each area. Westminster and Paide may add additional areas of cooperation and activities by mutual agreement. Exchanges may occur that involve actual visits, but the parties agree that both hybrid and virtual exchanges may also be utilized. a. Culture - Jointly identify song/dance/musical/theater performers from Paide to travel to Westminster to perform at designated events. - Jointly identify song/dance/musical/theater performers from Westminster to travel to Paide to perform at designated events. b. Government - Jointly continue official exchange visits of municipal leaders. It is anticipated that exchange visits between Westminster and Paide will occur in 2023. 1 - Jointly continue municipal exchange visits whereby Westminster and Paide “swap” employees to gain new insights into municipal problem solving and provision of services. - Work to generate cooperation between the Maryland Municipal League and the Association of Estonian Cities. c. Economic Development - Jointly identify a small group of businesspeople from select Westminster industries/companies to travel to Paide and visit key similar establishments. - Jointly identify a small group of businesspeople from select Paide industries/companies to travel to Westminster and visit key similar establishments. - Jointly develop tourism exchange opportunities to promote Westminster and Paide as exciting tourism destinations. d. Education - Paide will seek to identify students who may desire to attend Carroll Community College, McDaniel College, in addition to other institutions of higher education in Maryland. This includes both credit courses leading to a degree and/or non-credit courses whereby students could participate to gain additional knowledge. Westminster will use its best efforts to keep in touch with any Paide students in the area. - Westminster will seek to identify students who may desire to attend institutions of higher education in Estonia such as the Estonian Entrepreneurship of Applied Sciences, in addition to other institutions of higher education in Estonia. This includes both credit courses leading to a degree and/or non-credit courses whereby students could participate to gain additional knowledge. Paide will use its best efforts to keep in touch with any Westminster students in the area. - Jointly identify teachers and students to visit schools in both Westminster and Paide to provide unique learning opportunities and perspectives. e. Information Technology - Jointly identify a group of Paide information technology experts to discuss its coding curricula and its benefits to Westminster students and the community at-large. 2  - Jointly continue participation in the Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (“MAGIC”) semi-annual “Capture the Flag” competitions and other MAGIC activities and events. f. Environment - Jointly identify a group of Paide representatives, to include those who deal with and care about nature and the environment, to visit Westminster and learn about local environmental activities and key projects. - Jointly identify a group of Westminster representatives, to include those who deal with and about nature and the environment, to visit Paide to learn about Paide’s innovative solutions for circular-based waste management to include discussing experiences to increase knowledge. g. Sports - Jointly identify key sporting activities in Westminster and Paide and determine potential exchange opportunities including exhibition games, skill development camps and related activities. i. Philanthropy - Jointly develop the ways and means for the Westminster community to assist Paide in its support of Pereiaslav, Ukraine, the longstanding partner city of Paide, in its time of need as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 4. Westminster and Paide will work to assist public, private and non-profit organizations in establishing cooperative links with similar partners in Estonia and Maryland when asked to do so. 5. Westminster and Paide will facilitate the established of a contact network to support the development and implementation of cooperative undertakings. 6. Westminster and Paide hereby designate the following points of contact for the coordination of projects and activities: - Westminster: Thomas Beyard - Paide: Karola Jaanof 3  These contact people are responsible for exchanging information and organizing communication as it relates to overall coordination between Westminster and Paide. Any changes to the names of contact people that be promptly reported to the other party. 7. This First Revised Declaration of Understanding supercedes and replaces the original Declaration of Understanding between the parties dated September 23, 2002. 8. This First Revised Declaration of Understanding shall become effective on the date it has been approved by Westminster and Paide. This First Revised Declaration of Understanding is intended to be reviewed every three years and modified as required. 9. This First Revised Declaration of Understanding is signed in two original copies, with one original copy provided to Westminster and Paide. The Mayor and Common Council of Westminster Paide Town Government Dr. Mona Becker Kulno Klein Mayor Mayor Date:__________________ Date:___________________ 4