AGENDA ITEM
CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
Report: Sister City Program Update
1. Motion to Note and File Report, and Direct Staff
COUNCIL ACTION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Sister City Program was initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to foster international exchanges and goodwill. Glendale's Sister City Program, established in 1960, aims to enhance cultural, educational, and professional ties while addressing mutual challenges and promoting economic well-being.
The City of Glendale currently has eleven sister city relationships across the countries of Japan, Mexico, Armenia, the former Republic of Artsakh, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines. Notable projects include the "Whispering Pine Teahouse" in Glendale and vehicle donations to sister cities in Mexico.
This report is presented to inform the City Council on the history of Glendale Sister City relationships, showcase governance structures of nearby cities and seek Council input on program components, including the formalization of relationships, program focus, processes for new city partnerships, delisting inactive cities, engagement strategies, reporting, and community outreach enhancements.
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for 6/25/2024 calendar
2 RECOMMENDATION
That Council provide input on the program components including the formalization of relationships, program focus, processes for new city partnerships, delisting inactive cities, engagement strategies, reporting, and community outreach enhancements and direct staff to establish a separate entity, similar to Burbank and Pasadena, to manage the Sister City program.
ANALYSIS
Background
The sister city program was launched at a White House conference in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for massive exchanges between Americans and the peoples of other lands. Hundreds of American cities responded to that call and are continuing to carry out meaningful exchanges with their partners in 136 nations around the world.
A Sister City program facilitates partnerships between cities founded on shared cultural activities, economic similarities, and mutual interests, serving as platforms for collaboration in areas such as arts, tourism, and economic development. Partnerships may arise from business connections, travel, similar industries, diaspora communities, or shared history.
Sister city relationships aim to foster international goodwill and cooperation.
Glendale’s Sister City Program
The goals of the City of Glendale’s Sister City Program are to exchange cultural, educational, and professional programs in each city, and to share common problems and solutions to daily activities. The program also promotes interest and good will, sharing attractions and ideas about natural resources with one another. These relationships are mutually beneficial to the economic well-being of each city.
The selection of a sister city is based upon several guidelines, including similarities in cultural activities, economics, size, businesses, manufacturing, entertainment venues, and accessibility/transportation.
The objectives and guidelines of the City of Glendale’s Sister City Program are listed in (Exhibit 1) and described below. The Sister City Objectives and Guidelines is a document adopted by Council to guide the decision regarding the establishment of a new Sister City relationship.
• Formally initiate ongoing communication between the sister cities to exchange cultural, educational, and professional programs of each city. • Find solutions to common challenges faced by both cities. • Promote goodwill.
• Promote various aspects of each community, such as business and natural resources.
• In addition to establishing cultural exchange, establish relationships that benefit the economic well-being of Glendale and its sister cities.
3 The first step in selecting a sister city involves the formation of an organizing committee made up of community members that live, work, or attend school in Glendale. The selected committee members serve as official representatives of the Sister City Program who manage the program with the support of City staff. The committee follows the guidelines adopted by the City of Glendale when making a determination whether to engage in a new sister city relationship.
The guidelines are as follows:
• Cultural: The city should have an identified cultural organization that promotes the heritage of their city.
• Economic: The city should have a stable economy with viable sources of income. • Size: The city should be of medium size, comparable with the status of Glendale within the County of Los Angeles and the State of California. • Business: The city should have some industrial base, but must have commercial and retail businesses producing income for the city.
• Manufacturing: The city should have products being manufactured that could conceivably be exported to other countries, such as the US. • Entertainment Venues: The city should have sites where tourists and residents alike can enjoy themselves.
• Accessibility/Transportation: The city should have a modern transportation system and accessibility by road, rail, and/or air.
• Resorts/Hotels: The city should have modern hotels and/or resort locations where tourists can stay to enjoy the area.
Since the inception of the Sister City Program in Glendale in 1960 with Glendale’s first sister city, Higashiosaka, Japan, the program has fostered many collaborations. Over time, artwork has been gifted to and received from each of the sister cities, student exchange opportunities have been coordinated, and governmental officials have visited their respective sister cities to learn more about the culture and operations. One of the most notable examples of this collaboration is the "Shoseian" or "Whispering Pine Teahouse" located in the Japanese Friendship Garden at Brand Park in Glendale. This teahouse was built in 1974 through the combined efforts of the Sister Cities of Glendale and Higashiosaka. It is one of the few traditional Japanese teahouses open to the public in the US. The teahouse represents the spirit of goodwill, lasting peace, and friendship between the people of each country. It was designed by architect Hayahiko Takase to represent a unique blending of Western and Eastern design, and the spirit of cross-cultural community.
The Japanese Friendship Garden surrounding the tea house is available for weddings and other special events.
The City of Glendale has also provided a tremendous amount of resources to its two sister cities in Mexico by donating dozens of vehicles such as digger trucks, water tender trucks, flatbed trucks, buses, and police and fire vehicles for use in their municipalities. The City also worked with the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) to donate two scoreboards to Rosarito. The City had a very active relationship with its sister cities in Mexico, and coordinated staff training exchanges on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this collaboration which had momentum for many years after the sister city relationships were established has dwindled due to leadership changes.
4 With Glendale’s sister city collaboration with Ghapan, Armenia, the City donated a fire paramedic vehicle that is used to transport patients to the country’s capital, Yerevan, for emergencies. GUSD and Glendale Community College both formed their own partnerships with Ghapan as well, including a fundraiser organized by GUSD to renovate school facilities in Ghapan. Representatives from Glendale Adventist Medical Center took a trip to Ghapan to explore what healthcare needs Ghapan required.
The City formed sister city relationships with the Cities of Goseong and Gimpo, both in South Korea. As a result, the City of Glendale has engaged in cultural exchanges with both cities, has hosted delegations from South Korea, and has visited the cities to gain a better understanding of Korean culture, business, and government.
In 2016, the City of Glendale entered into a sister city relationship with Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic and in 2023, entered into a sister city relationship with Santa Rosa, Laguna in the Philippines.
Glendale’s eleven sister cities include:
In response to Council questions, staff has prepared a table (Exhibit 2) listing the sister cities, year established, representatives, and most recent activity, if any.
5 Sister City vs. Friendship/Friendly City
Generally, friendship cities are less formal than sister cities. In some cities, friendship city is often used as a first stage in the relationship, and after it is strengthened and the partners are sure they want a long-term relationship they will become sister cities.
The City of Glendale has received requests for and has signed agreements with cities to establish Friendly City relations. While there is no formal organization to establish Friendly City relations, past Mayors have signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with three cities in South Korea: Incheon Metropolitan, Boeun, and Hwasun. The MOUs to establish a Friendly City relation indicate that the City of Glendale agrees to exchange information to establish a friendly environment for mutual benefit and development by promoting exchange programs between citizens, students, and government officials. The Boeun friendly city status was changed to sister city in 2016.
Research on Neighboring Cities
Staff gathered information from the cities of Burbank and Pasadena on their sister city programs:
City of Burbank
Burbank has a Sister City Committee that is a separate entity from the City of Burbank with a committee governance structure that includes one to two staff from the City of Burbank assisting the community-driven program, which is currently primarily focused on international student exchange programs. The City of Burbank is currently conducting community outreach to revamp the program focus and guidelines. Early indications are that the City will be adding additional funds to enhance their program.
City of Pasadena
Pasadena has a Sister City Committee that is a separate entity from the City of Pasadena and operates with by-laws, committee governance structure, and has one staff member assigned to support the program. The Pasadena Sister City Committee serves as an umbrella 501c3 with the each of its sister cities as subcommittees. The Committee is run by community volunteers and is the most active amongst the tri-cities, with at least one event per quarter and regularly scheduled Committee and subcommittee meetings. The City of Pasadena is currently undergoing revisions to their program guidelines, informed by their Committee.
6 Program Comparison Chart
Below is a chart that summarizes the programs of Burbank, Pasadena and Glendale:
BURBANK PASADENA GLENDALE
GOVERNANCE Sister City Committee
Sister City Committee,
with subcommittees per
Sister City
City operated
GOVERNANCE
ESTABLISHED
Upon signing first sister
city in 1960
City Board in August
1960
Upon signing first sister
city in 1960
SISTER CITY
COUNT Five (one per country) Six (one per country) Eleven (multiple per country)
PROGRAM
FOCUS
Student Exchange
Program
Student Exchange
Program Non-specific
CITY LEAD
OFFICE Burbank Public Library Pasadena Mayor's Office City Manager's Office STAFF
SUPPORT 1-2 staff assigned 1 staff assigned ¼ staff assigned
CITY BUDGET
ALLOCATED
$14,000 annually for the 2
student exchange
programs
$2,500-$3,000 per Sister
City, $15,000-$18,000
annually
Approximately $2,000
(total)
ANNUAL
COST/DUES $25/individual or $50/family $25 per City, $10 per student N/A
SCI MEMBER Yes Yes Formerly, but not
currently
7 Sister Cities International (SCI)
Both Burbank and Pasadena are part of Sister Cities International (SCI), which serves as the clearinghouse for local programs nationwide, providing services such as compiling statistics, publicizing the efforts of sister city programs, projects and volunteers, recognizing young artists and international scholars, and offering various grant programs to its members each year. The cost to join this program for a city of our size is $1,030/year. One of the benefits is the ability to have the organization’s sister city relationships showcased on their website as well as one-on-one guidance to Sister City strategy. A full list of membership benefits is included here:
• Connect with foreign communities
• Access to the SCI affiliations database and SCI guidance and support during the affiliation process
• Technical assistance on building, funding, and managing a local sister city program
• International training, cross-cultural expertise, protocol advice, and development materials
• Participation in virtual global roundtables linking cities around the world, including networking with ambassadors/diplomats
• Access to municipal professionals and political leaders throughout the world • SCI publications, including SCI News, Report to the Membership, the SCI directory, and the annual convention and awards programs • Reduced registration and exhibit fees for regional, national, and international conferences
• Eligibility for innovative grant programs, from youth exchange to municipal training
• Discounted group and incentive travel programs
• Networking opportunities through state, regional, bilateral, and international SCI conferences and meetings
• Networking with other world leaders in the SCI network Exhibit 3, a Guide to Establishing Sister City Relationships prepared by the Sister Cities International (SCI) has helpful information on operating a robust sister city program. 8 Program Components
Staff is seeking Council input on the following seven program components:
• Type of relationship
Council has the option of deciding to focus relationships with sister cities as more formal or less formal. A more formal relationship is called a sister city and a less formal relationship is called a friendship city. a) Less formal relationship (friendship city)
Ceremonial/Information Exchange/Exploratory
b) More formal relationship (sister city)
Actionable/Programs
• Program Focus
Council has the option to narrow down to one or more categories as listed below or prefer to keep a more generic focus.
If Council chooses to be more specific on the focus area, it could be for a limited duration or indefinitely.
a) General vs. City Specific
Economic Development
Arts and Culture
Government Administration/Governance
Learning and Education (Student Exchange)
Entertainment & Tourism
Other
b) Timeframe for Focus Area(s) (limited duration vs. indefinitely) • Process for New Cities
Council may provide direction on the process for establishing new city relationships.
It should be noted that a recent request to form a sister city relationship was received from the Town of Noyemberyan in Armenia. This request is pending Council’s discussion and direction as part of this staff report. a) Initial Conversation by City Council members or staff Identify mutual area(s) of interest
b) Letter of Request and/or Formal Application
c) City Staff Review
d) Council Review & Consideration
Determine Sister vs. Friendship status
9 Memorializing relationship - Upon Council approval, the two cities should sign formal documents to memorialize the relationship. The agreement can range from ceremonial, with language focusing on each city’s commitment to fostering understanding, cooperation, and mutual benefit to the precise, with particular areas of interest, specific programs/activities, or more concrete goals.
• Delisting Process
Staff is seeking direction on the delisting process for inactive sister cities:
a) Number of years of inactivity before delisting
b) If delisted, Council can consider “Sister City Emeritus” status c) Ways to re-engage delisted cities
• Engagement
Council may provide direction on engagement with potential or existing sister cities:
a) Actively engage new sister cities
b) Re-engage with existing sister cities
• Reporting Back to Council
Council may provide direction for the frequency of providing status updates to Council, on an annual or more frequent basis.
• Community Outreach
Staff has identified a couple of ways that the program outreach can be enhanced, such as a dedicated city webpage and proactive social media posts based on Sister City milestone and activities. Council may provide other ideas to enhance outreach.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. The cost to join Sister Cities International (SCI) for a city of our size is $1,030/year. If Council directs staff to enhance the program, fiscal impacts may be realized commensurate with Council’s direction. Requests for additional funding (staffing and/or program costs) will be brought back for Council consideration.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This activity is exempt from CEQA as it involves governmental and quasi-governmental administrative activities for which there is no reasonable possibility it could have a significant impact on the environment.
1 CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1) Maintain the Sister City program as is.
2) Maintain the Sister City program as is with the addition of rejoining Sister Cities International.
3) Enhance the Sister City program by modifying the Sister City program objectives and guidelines.
4) Council may choose another alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Prepared by:
Stephanie Mkhlian, Legislative Affairs and Communications Manager Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: City of Glendale Sister City Objectives and Guidelines Exhibit 2: City of Glendale Sister City Status Chart
Exhibit 3: Sister Cities International (SCI) Guide to Establishing Sister City Relationships