September 13, 2022
Mayor's Office
DATE: September 13, 2022
TO: Vice Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Tom Butt
Subject: Travel Authorization – 2022 Obi Matsuri Festival FINANCIAL IMPACT: $9,200
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond has been in a sister city
relationship with Shimada, Japan since 1961. Mayor
Someya of Shimada, Japan has invited Richmond
officials to attend the Obi Matsuri Festival being held on October 9-10, 2022.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE international travel request from Mayor Tom Butt, Councilmember Demnlus Johnson III, Chief of Staff Vernon Whitmore, and Council Liaison Trina Jackson-
Lincoln to Shimada, Japan to attend the Obi Matsuri
Festival and to discuss the continuance of the sister city exchange program – Mayor’s Office (Mayor Tom Butt
510-620-6503).
DISCUSSION:
AGENDA
REPORT
September 13, 2022
The Richmond City Council has been in a sister city relationship with Shimada, Japan since 1961. The Richmond-Shimada Friendship Commission has organized a delegation of city officials and commissioners to attend the 110th Obi Matsuri Festival in Shimada, Japan from October 8th through October 10th. In addition to attending the festival, city officials and commissioners will meet with Shimada officials regarding the current youth exchange program and sister city program.
Mayor Someya of Shimada has sent an invitation to Mayor Butt requesting a delegation from Richmond to participate in the festival. All cost for lodging, food, and transportation while in Shimada will be covered by the City of Shimada. The estimated cost of airfare from San Francisco to Haneda, Japan is $2,300 per person. The cost to the general fund is approximately $9,200 for four city officials. There is sufficient funding in the Mayor’s Office and City Council budgets to cover the travel cost for the four city officials listed below. The commissioners will cover they own travel expenses.
City Officials:
Tom Butt, Mayor and Delegation Leader
Demnlus Johnson III, Councilmember
Vernon Whitmore, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office
Trina Jackson-Lincoln, Project Coordinator, City Council Office
Richmond-Shimada Friendship Commissioners:
Evan Sirchuk, Chair
Jamie Brown, Commissioner
Valerie Snider, Commissioner
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Letter of Invitation