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2026 Sister Cities Exchange <br /> <br />Executive Summary <br /> <br />Sister Cities International was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, to <br />promote peace through people-to-people diplomacy. Thirteen Minnesota communities have <br />Sister City relationships. St. Anthony Village and Salo Finland have shared a sister city <br />relationship since 1985. <br /> <br />A small city delegation traveled to Finland and was hosted by Salo June 15-18, 2026. The <br />delegation included: Mayor Wendy Webster, Council Member Lona Doolan, and Fire Chief Izzy <br />Diaz. Salo International Affairs Director, Terhikki Lehtonen prepared a program to accommodate <br />learning objectives expressed by city delegates:: <br />1. City operations <br />2. Sustainability initiatives <br />3. Economic development and supporting local businesses <br />4. Community engagement <br />5. Zoning and local planning <br />6. Local vs. federal rule-making authority <br />7. Fire, emergency medical services & disaster preparedness <br />8. Elections administration <br /> <br />During the August 25, 2026 City Council Worksession, delegates presented a summary of key <br />learnings from their time with Salo staff: <br /> <br />Challenges <br />● 2009: consolidation of 11 municipalities doubled population (51 member council) <br />● 2016: largest employer (Nokia) stopped production (6,000 employees, + 4,000 related), <br />1M sq ft empty complex <br />● 2023: Rescue Services shifted to Wellbeing Service County <br /> <br />Strategies <br />● Multiple strategies to Identify & deliver desired services <br />● Investment in IoT Complex to maximize skilled workforce <br />● Investment in Waste to Energy to reduce environmental impacts and energy costs <br />● Investment in Sports complex for better health outcomes and resident satisfaction <br />● Expand Cottage industry to create income from real estate and expand local spending <br />● Capitalize on 2-hour commuter service to half of Finland to become destination of choice <br /> <br />Themes <br />● Innovation <br />● Collaboration <br />● Sustainability <br />● Focus on People <br />● Forward Thinking <br /> <br />Key Learnings <br />● Strong collaboration between public and private sectors <br />● Collective mindset of supporting the wellbeing of people <br />● SafetyNet allows for long-term, planful thinking <br /> <br /> <br />21