AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL CEREMONIAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH ORLAND, NORWAY
Staff Contact: Jean Moreno, Executive Officer Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects
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Purpose and Recommended Action
Recommendation [enter the recommendation here]
This is a request for the City Council to authorize the execution of a Sister Cities International Ceremonial Partnership Agreement to allow the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors to establish a formal sister city relationship with Orland, Norway on behalf of the city of Glendale.
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Background
At the City Council Workshop on August 20, 2013, a Council Item of Special Interest was brought forward regarding interest in utilizing a local citizen group within the City of Glendale to officially become Glendale’s ambassador organization to participate in a sister city program. A majority of the Council supported the idea and directed staff to identify a private or non-profit organization in Glendale that would fund, staff and administer the Sister Cities International program for the City of Glendale.
On October 22, 2014, a memorandum was issued to the Mayor and Council announcing that the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors had accepted the responsibility of serving as the City of Glendale’s official Sister Cities International ambassador organization. The Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors are an organization of citizens with a deep sense of pride in their community dedicated to enhancing the economic, social, and cultural vitality of Glendale. The Sister Cities International program is complementary to the work they currently engage in to represent the city.
It was agreed that as Glendale’s ambassador organization, the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors would be solely responsible for:
• Paying annual dues to the Sister Cities International organization to maintain membership in the official Sister Cities program;
• Determining which cities to pursue for sister city relationships; and,
• Staffing and administering the program through the direction of the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors’ Board.
Through this partnership, the City of Glendale agreed to provide official support as needed to meet the requirements for formalizing sister city relationships.
Analysis
The Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors have been exploring potential sister city relationships. In May of 2016, the President of the Civic Pride Ambassadors contacted the city of Orland, Norway after a delegation of representatives from that city had recently visited the city of Glendale to discuss the potential for a sister city relationship to which they agreed. The city of Orland is located in the northern part of Norway with an estimated population of just over 5,000. Orland is also home to Orland Main Air Station which is the base for Norway’s F-16 fighter aircraft as well as the future site of Norway’s F-35 fighter aircraft that will begin arriving in the latter part of 2017.
Orland, Norway was identified by the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors as an ideal city to participate in the Sister Cities program with Glendale because of the shared experience as home to an airbase; and, both cities have a shared participation and support for the F-35 program. The Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors believe the commonality between Glendale and Orland will provide the foundation for both cities to further benefit from potential cultural, municipal, business, trade, and educational opportunities.
Community Benefit/Public Involvement
Established by President Eisenhower in 1956, the mission of Sister Cities International is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation - one individual, one community at a time. Allowing the Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors to serve as Glendale’s program ambassadors benefits our community by creating the opportunity to celebrate and appreciate other cultures and build partnerships. Participation in this program can include everything from basic cultural exchange programs to shared research and development projects between cities with relationships which will serve to add value to the Glendale community.
Budget and Financial Impacts
There are no budget or financial impacts associated with this action.