8H
Date: November 18, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John La Rock, Community Services Director
By: Gia Boysen, Administrative Assistant | [email protected] Subject: Community Services – Accept and File Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA) Annual Report and Financial Statement and Approve Grant Request. Expenditure:
$5,000 (General Fund).
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council:
1. Accept and file the Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA) Annual Report and Financial Statement; and
2. Approve TSCA Grant Request for $5,000 .
FUNDING
Funding is available in the Adopted Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget.
DISCUSSION
To promote mutual exchange and strengthen the ties of understanding and goodwill, the cities of Torrance, California and Kashiwa, Japan have enjoyed a Sister Cities designation and relationship since 1973. The City and the Torrance Sister City Association (TSCA) also have a long-standing partnership to support the sister city program.
During this time, there have been annual exchanges of students, City officials, Torrance educators who have taught in Kashiwa, and various other cultural activities and programs. Activities of the Torrance Sister City Association such as the annual Bunka-Sai Festival, share Japanese culture with the community and raise money for the Student Cultural Exchange Program.
Lasting friendships have formed between residents of the two cities and TSCA has fostered these relationships. Through the Association’s efforts, Torrance has a program that has received numerous awards from Sister Cities International.
TSCA annually presents a request to City Council for grant funds and provides a financial and annual report for the previous year. TSCA has submitted their grant application requesting $5,000 for 2025-26. The requested amount is allocated in the City’s Adopted FY2025-26 Budget. 1 City Council
November 18, 2025
The grant funds will be used to maintain and enhance TSCA programs for and in cooperation with Sister City representatives from Kashiwa, Japan.
ATTACHMENTS
1. TSCA 2024 Annual Report
2. TSCA 2024 Financial Statement
3. Grant Application for 2025
2 ANNUAL REPORT
Torrance Sister
City
Association
YEAR:
202
4 Executive Board members: Liaisons to TSCA
President: Karen Wheeler
City
Council: Jon Kaji
Vice President: Werner Willoughby
City
Manager
’
s Office: Viet Hoang
Secretary: Amie Campbell
Community
Services: Monica Harte
Treasurer: Stephanie Ewing-Warner
Kashiwa:
Mutsuko Tsukamoto
The 2024 board members were:
Karen
Wheeler, Werner Willoughby, Amie Campbell, Stephanie Ewing- Warner, Sumi Arnheim, Brian Diederich, Keith Glassman, Eleanor
Hom Jones, Leon Lee, Kathi Matsubara,
Felipe Segovia, Mayoori Shetti, Alyssa Yamauchi
Student Board members: Gia Solarzano-Kaats, Franco Lee
January:
The Alumni Reunion was held.
The
Adult Leader of the 2024 Student Delegation was introduced, along with the student applicants.
New
Board members were sworn in by the City Clerk.
The Student Selection process began for the 2024 Delegation to Kashiwa.
This
continued through
March. The Selection Committee
reviewed applications, interviewed students and parents, inspected homes of student hosts, arranged events for students to get to know each other and for the Adult Leader to assess them in the group setting.
Bunka-Sai Festival planning meetings began. These continued monthly until March-April, when extra meetings were added to clear up loose ends prior to the event itself, in April, 2024.
Tasks
and Booth
chairs were designated; equipment and supplies were purchased; volunteers were recruited from adult and student groups; performers and vendors were chosen and scheduled; County Health permits were obtained; portable toilets and extra tables were rented; signage was made; publicity in the form of social
media, flyers, press releases, etc., was produced.
The
Cultural
Arts Center facilities staff worked with
table layout, etc.
A Monthly Association meeting was held in January, and each month thereafter, except for August (due to Kashiwa students’ scheduled activities), and December (Executive Board meeting).
A new newsletter editor was sought.
We
ultimately got our website designer to do our Newsletter for a few months, for a small
stipend, until we could find a volunteer again.
February:
Our Treasurer worked on gaining State approval for the annual Bunka-Sai Raffle. The approval ultimately did not come through in sufficient time to have a 2024
Raffle.
A
different fundraising
approach was
tried— an online auction of gift baskets. This was labor intensive, but ultimately deemed a success.
KIRA sought responses to a survey about their 50th Anniversary festivities. TSCA also decided to create a survey about TSCA 50th Anniversary events, to aid in planning
the 55th Anniversary year (in 2028).
ATTACHMENT 1
3 Past President Donna Dunlap and President Karen Wheeler attended the Emperor’s Birthday Party at the Japanese Consul’s home in Los Angeles. This was a networking
opportunity to meet people from
Japanese-oriented business and cultural organizations.
March:
The Student Delegates were selected, and were introduced at the Monthly Association Meeting. The Student Selection Committee wrapped up their duties.
The
Student Orientation Committee took over
the preparation of the students for Japan, holding
about eight meetings between March and June.
The
student’s parents were familiarized with volunteer expectations for Bunka-Sai and hosting
Kashiwa
students.
The
students were taught Japanese cultural norms for introductions, meals, home life, gift- giving, etc. They also learned more about Torrance.
The President and Treasurer completed the process of getting banking
signatures changed to reflect the
new office-holders.
Volunteers and student delegates planned for staffing a booth at the Cherry Blossom Festival, on April
7. The Student Club had a beach hang
-
out and potluck on March 16.
The Executive Board met to formulate the 2024 Proposed Budget. (The December 2023 meeting for this purpose had to be postponed.)
The entry way display case at the Katy Geissert Library was decorated by volunteers with a TSCA theme for the month of March.
The Adult Leader Selection Committee and Student Selection Committees began the process of moving the applications online, instead of accepting
paper applications.
The August Activities committee
began to develop the schedule for the visiting Kashiwa
Delegation.
Meetings, research, ticket purchases, volunteer coordination, and event preparation continued for the next several months.
The
tasks included coordination with Torrance Transit, organizing
three
different
dinners for up to 100
people each (Welcome Banquet, Chili
Cook-Off, Sayonara Banquet), and
cooperation with the Mayor and City Council, local
businesses, SCROC,
Torrance Farmers Market, and the
Torrance Historical
Society for tours. They also planned the three
-
day side trip to San
Diego for the
Kashiwa
students.
The airline reservation process for the Student Delegation was in progress.
Students
needed to provide
passports and a deposit. The President
coordinated with a Japanese travel agency for a group
reservation.
Kashiwa
reached out for specific information about the students which helped them plan the Kashiwa itinerary.
April:
TSCA participated in the Cherry Blossom Festival.
The
student delegates publicized Bunka-Sai and taught
origami to children.
The Bunka-Sai Festival
was held April
20 -
21, 2024.
Set
-up and food prep began on Friday morning, April
19. The final
tasks (verifying pick-up of rented tables and portable toilets) occurred Monday, April
22,
2024. Dozens of community volunteers worked at the Festival. Dozens of performers and vendors participated.
There
was a post-event wrap-up meeting, with reports submitted and saved, for making improvements next year.
The Host Family subcommittee of the August Activities Committee became active.
Between
April
and
August, all
18 time slots of approximately one week duration were filled by student delegate
families and
4 TSCA member families. All hosts needed to be recruited and vetted for appropriate lodging and readiness for responsibilities for meals, transportation, etc.
May:
The newly appointed City Council Liaison to TSCA, Jon Kaji, met with the TSCA president.
A new volunteer Newsletter Editor was brought on board.
The Bunka-Sai wrap-up meeting was held.
One of the Torrance English teachers who was working in Japan assisted the North Torrance High
School
student group who traveled to Kashiwa.
The
other English teacher remotely assisted TSCA delegates
with preparing
their welcome and farewell speeches in Japanese.
TSCA student delegates began to prepare their pre-trip reports on a topic of interest
to them about
Japan.
While
in Japan, they deepened their knowledge
of the topic, and afterwards they create a final
report to present
to the Board.
June:
TSCA
Student delegates were introduced at the City Council Meeting.
They
learned who their host
families in Kashiwa
would be, so they could start communicating
with them.
Council Member Jon Kashi attended the Monthly Association Meeting, and informed us of the new friendship cities of Oshu and Bizen.
The Student Club started an Instagram account, @tsca_student club.
Air ticketing for the Kashiwa trip was finalized.
TSCA coordinated with Cultural
Services Liaison Monica Harte to reserve
meeting and event space for
late 2024 through 2025.
July:
The 2024 TSCA Student Delegation left for Kashiwa
on July 9, 2024.
They
returned July 30. Photos were
sent every day from Kashiwa and shared on a Home Room Drive.
Everyone who volunteered with TSCA more than 30 hours per year got fingerprinted and background checked. Every adult residing in a Host Family home during
the time of the Kashiwa student visit did
this, as well.
It
is a one-time procedure, paid for by TSCA.
The Host Family Orientation Meeting was held. Week 1 and Week 2 hosts met and coordinated details with each other.
Tickets and available openings for August Activities became available. Student delegates were highly encouraged to attend all
open events, with tickets covered by TSCA.
California
-
Japan Sister Cities Network reached out to ask TSCA to host their September meeting and speak on how we interact with businesses in Torrance.
The English Teacher Recruitment Committee began
the process of replacing one English teacher who
would be on their last year, by updating and posting a flyer for the job opening in the Newsletter.
August:
The Kashiwa student delegation arrived on August 5 and departed August 22, 2024. Excursion leaders and Translators were finalized.
Activities
while they were here included:
Welcome
at airport and
meeting arriving bus.
Welcome
Potluck. Mayor and City Council meet and greet. Farmers Market and Fire Station. Tour of Torrance with Historical
Society. Square Dance and Chili
Cook-Off.
Tours
of Oriental
5 Motors, Kings Hawaiian factory, Torrance Bakery, Fox Sports Studios, JANM. Dodger game. Circus.
Sunset cruise on tall
ship. Beach party. Pool party.
Trip
to San
Diego, including
San Diego Mission, Zoo,
Old Town, Cabrillo National Monument, Japanese Fishermen memorial. Disneyland.
Del
Amo Mall.
Sayonara Banquet.
Weekend
activities with Host Families.
There
was a brief
trip to the Torrance Memorial
emergency room when one Japanese student had a torn
contact lens fragment safely removed from his eye. Medical
billing and insurance correspondence
followed, in coordination with KIRA.
The Adult Leader Selection Committee began to accept applications to lead the 2025 Student Delegation.
A
couple of early applicants were able to attend some August activities.
September:
City grant received from 2023. At the City Council Meeting on September 10, the Annual Report was presented, along with the Grant Request for 2024.
The California
-
Japan Sister Cities Luncheon was held September 14, in the Nakano Theater. Past TSCA President Hazel Taniguchi spoke about collaboration with local
businesses, along with Andy from Andy’s
Termite. About 100 members of Sister City organizations from around California
attended.
Bunka-Sai facility requests were made for 2025, 2026, 2027.
Five of the 2024 Student Delegates presented their Final Reports at the Monthly Association Meeting.
The rest, with the Adult Leader, gave theirs at the October meeting.
October:
The first planning
meeting took place for Bunka-Sai 2025.
The remaining Final
Reports were given by the student delegates and their Adult Leader at the Monthly Association Meeting.
Insurance forms were submitted.
The Adult Leader Selection Committee met and interviewed applicants.
They
also inspected applicant’s
homes for suitability for hosting the Japanese Adult Leader in August 2025.
Annual Membership Forms were printed and sent out.
New Board members were nominated by the Nominating
Chair
and voted on by the Association
Members.
November:
The Student Selection Committee
began to receive Applications. Publicity efforts were in full
swing
at all
Torrance High
Schools.
The Holiday greeting postcards were generated and mailed.
The Student Club elected three officers:
Anoop
Ghuman President, Mia
Segovia Vice President, and
Maria
Nadsady, Secretary.
December:
6 The Alumni Reunion Potluck planning committee prepared for the January 2025 event. This included coordination with Central Services for the event program and Certificates of Appreciation, and also with Cultural
Arts Center facilities staff for layout, equipment and support. There
was coordination of
volunteers, invitations to dignitaries and Partnership awardees, confirmation of reservations and insurance coverage, set-up and decor. The student delegation created the slide show presentation of the 2024
s
ummer
program.
The Executive Board met to create the Proposed 2025 Budget.
Ongoing tasks that arise through the year:
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.
We have a Historical Committee that keeps the important mementos, and compiles a yearbook.
Our Hospitality Chair
sends hand-made cards to members and supporters for gratitude, condolences, and congratulations.
Our Membership Chair
maintains ongoing
registration of members and publication of the annual
membership directory.
Our Newsletter Editor and supporting
members produce and disseminate the Newsletters.
The Website Liaison communicates with our website operator to keep current news and images posted at torrancesistercity.org
.
The President collects the TSCA mail from Cultural Services, reserves meeting and event spaces, maintains insurance policies, co-signs checks. She also communicates with our liaison in Kashiwa to coordinate the student exchange and maintain relations.
The Treasurer’s job of paying
bills, depositing
funds and complying
with state and federal tax and non-
profit corporate reporting requirements is ongoing through the year. 7 Torrance Sister City Association
Financial Report December 31, 2024
Money Market Account Balance as of December 31, 2024 $ 116,301.20 Checking Account Balance as of December 31, 2024 $ 39,535.57 *Inlcudes Anniversary Fund of $21,780.94
Total Assets on Hand as of December 31, 2024 $ 155,836.77 GL Income for December 2024
Acct Description
Income
110 Membership $ 2,355.00
120 City Grant $ 5,000.00
125 Refund of City Facility Rental Fees
130 Donations $ 619.04
140 Bunka Sai
150 Torrance Ambassador Participation Payments
151 Kashiwa Payment for San Diego Trip
155 August Activities (Paid Ticketed Events)
160 Anniversary
170 Yard Sale
180 Interest - Checking Account $ 2.88
185 Interest - Savings Account $ 255.85
190 Reserve
Total Income $ 8,232.77
Expenses for December 2024
Expenses
205 Bunka Sai
215 City Facility Rental Fees $ 1,425.00
305 Anniversary Funds
310 Anniversary Expense
405 Exchange Program
505 Alumni Reunion
510 Partnership Award
605 Membership Committee
610 Historical Committee
615 Hospitality Committee
620 Other Committee
705 Publicity/Website
710 Zoom/Peachjar
805 Storage $ 857.00
810 Insurance
815 Postage
820 President's Expense
825 Filing Fees
1 ATTACHMENT 2
8 830 Bank Service Fees
835 Payal Fees $ 78.42
840 Fingerprinting and Background Check
845 Miscellaneous
Total Expense $ 2,360.42
Net Gain/(Loss) $ 5,872.35
Checking Account Balance - beginning of month $ 33,919.07 Checking Account Balance - end of month $ 39,535.57
Savings Account Balance - beginning of month $ 116,045.35 Interest $ 255.85
Saving Account Balance - end of month $ 116,301.20
Total Assets on Hand $ 155,836.77
Submitted by: Stephanie Ewing-Warner
2 9
Torrance Sister City Association
Financial Summary 2024
TSCA Checking
Beginning Balance as of January 1, 2024 $26,936.61
Revenue $12,598.96
Ending Balance as of December 21, 2024 $39,535.57
TSCA Money Market
Beginning Balance as of January 1, 2024 $112,569.11
Interest Earnings $3,732.09
Ending Balance as of December 21, 2024 $116,301.20
1 10
Torrance Sister City Association
Financial Summary Checking Account 2024
Year to Date: January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Beginning Balance - Checking Account as of January 1, 2024 $ 26,936.61 Income (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024):
Membership $ 11,088.71
City Grant $ 7,000.00
Refund of City Facility Rental Fees $ 2,500.00
Donations $ 4,126.72
Bunka Sai $ 43,499.97
Torrance Ambassador Participation Payments $ 10,163.00 Kashiwa Payment for San Diego Trip $ 36.00
August Activities (Paid Ticketed Events) $ 3,646.19
Anniversary $ 3,153.00
Yard Sale $ 0.00
Interest - Checking Account $ 44.53
Reserve $ -
Total Income $ 85,258.12
Expenses (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024):
Bunka Sai $ 12,786.35
City Facility Rental Fees $ 6,819.00
Anniversary Funds $ 0.00
Anniversary Expense $ 0.00
Torrance Abassador Expenses $ 17,999.97
August Activities $ 17,775.63
Alumni Reunion $ 42.52
Partnership Award $ 130.95
Membership Committee $ 0.00
Historical Committee $ 0.00
Hospitality Committee $ 0.00
Other Committee $ 0.00
Publicity/Website $ 1,209.50
Zoom/Peachjar $ 0.00
Storage $ 9,388.00
1 11
Insurance $ 4,549.67
Postage $ 868.51
President's Expense $ 50.00
Filing Fees $ 30.00
Bank Service Fees $ 72.00
Payal Fees $ 79.18
Fingerprinting and Background Check $ 662.00
Miscellaneous $ 195.88
Total Expense $ 72,659.16
Ending Balance - Checking Accounts as of December 31, 2024 $ 39,535.57 2 12
ATTACHMENT 3
13 14