Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
SECOND SUBSTITUTE - That the City of Madison works with its 10 Sister City committees to strengthen and reinvigorate Sister City partnerships through the creation of an ad hoc governing committee designed to raise the profile and expand the benefits of these relationships.
Body
WHEREAS, on September 6, 1988, under Mayor F. Joseph Sensenbrenner, Jr., the Madison Common Council approved Second Amended Resolution Number 44,907, ID Number 2567 developing a process for creating sister city agreements; and,
WHEREAS, in 1988 the first Sister City agreement with Freiburg, Germany was approved; and,
WHEREAS, since that time eleven sister city relationships have been approved under this resolution, including, in alphabetical order: Ainaro, East Timor; Arcatao, El Salvador; Bac Giang, Vietnam; Camaguey, Cuba; Cusco, Peru; Freiburg, Germany; Managua, Nicaragua; Mantova, Italy; Obihiro, Japan; Oslo, Norway; and Vilnius, Lithuania; and,
WHEREAS, numerous delegations from the City of Madison have traveled to sister cities to formalize sister city agreements, meet local residents, organizations and dignitaries, provide humanitarian assistance, enjoy cultural exchanges, share policy ideas, establish organizational and business partnerships, and foster international awareness, understanding and solidarity; and,
WHEREAS, as recently as June 2008 Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and City staff joined a delegation from the Madison-Freiburg Sister City Partnership to experience Freiburg, Germany; and,
WHEREAS, on November 6, 2001 under Mayor Susan J.M. Bauman, the Madison Common Council approved Resolution Number 58,852, ID Number 30500 establishing the Sister City grant program and evaluation; and,
WHEREAS, since the creation of the Sister City grant program local Sister City groups have benefited from these collaborations and experiences; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor's Office proudly displays numerous gifts from our Sister Cities depicting local art, culture, and civic pride; and,
WHEREAS, Madison residents, organizations, cultural, humanitarian and educational programs and businesses stand to benefit from greater knowledge of these partnerships; and,
WHEREAS, Madison has historically been a center of international solidarity, cross-cultural and humanitarian efforts,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that a Sister City Collaboration Board Committee be established and coordinated by the Mayor's Office;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board Committee is made up of a representatives from each of the ten Sister City Committees, the Madison Common Council, the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, and the Madison Arts Commission and three (3) representatives from humanitarian, cultural and educational groups, and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board Committee would be tasked with raising the profile of Madison Sister City partnerships, making connections with cultural, educational and humanitarian programs, setting and achieving fundraising goals (including considering hosting an annual fundraising event), maximizing educational and business opportunities for Madison companies in the regions or countries of our Sister Cities, reviewing inactive Sister City partnerships, exploring potential for joint initiatives, and setting criteria for the addition of new Sister City partnerships.