|
<br />
<br /> STAFF REPORT
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />TO: Mayor Keis and Members of City Council
<br />
<br />FROM: Chris Heineman, City Administrator
<br /> DATE: October 9, 2019
<br /> RE: Consider Creation of Sister City Advisory Committee
<br />
<br />BACKGROUND:
<br />A sister city is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. Sister
<br />City relationships help to foster community engagement, and often include local residents, volunteers,
<br />and elected officials in ongoing partnership activities. In 1977, the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario was
<br />asked to be a Sister City of Little Canada. Since then, Little Canada and Thunder Bay have come
<br />together for a weekend of food and fun, celebrating their international friendship on an annual basis.
<br />Other Minnesota sister-city relationships include the following:
<br />
<br />Minneapolis
<br />• Cuernavaca, Mexico
<br />• Eldoret, Kenya
<br />• Harbin, China
<br />• Ibaraki City, Japan
<br />• Kuopio, Finland
<br />• Novosibirsk, Russia
<br />• Santiago, Chile
<br />• Tours, France
<br />• Uppsala, Sweden
<br />• Najaf, Iraq
<br />Saint Paul
<br />• Changsha, China
<br />• Cuidad Romero, El Salvador
<br />• Culiacandan, Mexico
<br />• Manzanillo, Mexico
<br />• Tiberias, Israel
<br />• Lawaaikamp, South Africa
<br />• Nagasaki, Japan
<br />• Neuss, Germany
<br />• Novosibirsk, Russia
<br />
<br />Rochester
<br />• Moosburg, Germany
<br />• Xianyang , Shaanxi, China
<br />• Shiheung City, South Korea
<br />• Kathmandu, Nepal
<br />• Akita, Japan (Project City)
<br />Duluth
<br />• Thunder Bay, Canada
<br />• Ohara/Isumi City, Japan
<br />• Petrozavodsk, Russia
<br />• Vaxjo, Sweden
<br />Bloomington
<br />• Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture,
<br />Japan
<br />Columbia Heights
<br />• Lomianki, Poland
<br />Elbow Lake
<br />• Flekkefjord, Norway
<br />Fergus Falls
<br />• Nordhordland Region, Norway
<br />Hibbing
<br />• Waldsrode, Germany
<br />Moorhead
<br />• Druskininkai, Lithuania
<br />• Vimmerby, Sweden
<br />New Ulm
<br />• Neu-Ulm, Germany
<br />• Ulm, Germany
<br />Paynesville
<br />• Paynesville, Liberia
<br />Red Wing
<br />• Ikata, Japan
<br />• Qyizhou, China
<br />Saint Peter
<br />• Petatlan, Mexico
<br />Shoreview
<br />• Einhausen, Germany
<br />St. Anthony
<br />• Salo, Finland
<br />Winona
<br />• Bytow, Poland
<br />• Misato, Japan
<br />Worthington
<br />• Crailsheim, Germany
<br />While most cities have an established Sister City Committee or Commission to carry out the goals and
<br />activities of these partnerships, Little Canada has relied on the efforts of a few key individuals and
<br />informal relationships that have been established over the years. Establishing a formal Sister City
<br />Committee may help to sustain this Sister City relationship for another 40 years.
<br />
<br />REQUESTED ACTION: The City Council is asked to review the attached information on Sister City
<br />programs and provide guidance to staff regarding how to proceed.
|