10D
Date: September 23, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Aram Chaparyan, City Manager
By: Fran Fulton, Economic Development Manager | [email protected] Subject: Supplemental Material #1 for Agenda Item 10D
DISCUSSION
Supplemental material is being added seeking Council direction on the use of the City Council Friendship Cities Travel Budget.
On May 20, 2025, the City Council conducted the Second Public Hearing on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2027 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Plan under Agenda Item 9A. During the hearing, the City Council acknowledged that while international travel allows for building connections and growing economic development efforts, the Council requested the creation of a formalized process for travel requests related to friendship city engagement. Discussion at the time included allowing each Councilmember to determine their own use of the Friendship City budget to requiring Friendship City travel to come before the City Council to discuss who is traveling, destination locations, projected budget allocations, and the specific objectives of the travel. Additionally, a suggestion was made to have a comprehensive summary of feedback and outcomes prepared subsequent to such trips. The City’s adopted budget includes $70,000 for Friendship City related travel by City Councilmembers, which was based on an estimated two trips per City Councilmember at $5,000 per trip.
At this time, Council is requested to determine whether they would like to pursue one of two options to guide the use of the adopted Friendship City travel budget appropriation:
1. Use of Friendship City travel funds is to be limited to $10,000 annually per City Councilmember at their discretion provided the use is specific to an already approved Friendship City, a City under Friendship City exploration by the City or travel that receives majority council approval for said travel; or
2. Use of travel funds by a City Councilmember(s) for Friendship City related travel that has been sanctioned by the majority of City Council.
1 City Council
September 25, 2025
Of note, City Council does not currently require City Council approval for Councilmember conference registrations and travel arrangements and is guided by individual Councilmember preference and budget funded limits.
2