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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSister Cities Committee Oct. 4, 2005 PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2005 - 3:00 P.M. ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Talboys called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent Patricia Bannon Mark Talboys, Chair Donna Jean Darby John Marman Rolf Hoehn Nancy Jo McIntosh, Vice-Chair Rose Mary Ortega Gilbert Slagel Frank Villar Gary Walker Jean Whitney Staff/Others Present: Stephen Aryan, Assistant to the City Manager Ignacio Otero, Ex-Officio Member Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Mr. Slagel reported on his visit to the Maori Art Exhibit in Salem, Oregon. He stated that San Francisco, Salem, and Seattle were the only three cities in the world chosen to host the Maori Exhibit. He said there were 300 pieces of artwork displayed and that the exhibit would run until mid-December. Ms. Whitney reported that she has worked with the people of Thailand for the past fifteen years and would be traveling there for a month. She asked the Committee if it would be interested in her researching the possibility of Thailand becoming a sister city. Mr. Hoehn said the last time the Committee discussed the issue of acquiring an additional sister city, the consensus was to wait until the Committee obtained non-profit status. Mr. Walker felt since Ms. Whitney would be in Thailand, she should take that opportunity to gather information and materials for the Committee to review. Ms. Darby mentioned that Graeme Baxter approached the Committee a couple of years ago regarding his hometown of Sterling, Scotland. She said she didn’t know much about Thailand, but if the Committee wanted to consider acquiring another Sister City, it should consider both Scotland and Thailand. APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 Upon question by Ms. Whitney, Mr. Hoehn responded that inviting Thailand representatives to the golf tournament would be great and, in fact, she could sell them a sponsorship. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 Rec: By Minute Motion, approve as presented. B. REPORT ON BUDGET AND TRUST ACCOUNT Removed for separate consideration under Section V, Consent Items Held Over. Please see that section of the Minutes for Committee discussion and action. Mr. Harris asked that Item B be removed for separate discussion under Section V, Consent Items Held Over. Mr. Walker moved to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar. Motion was seconded by Mr. Harris and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER B. REPORT ON BUDGET AND TRUST ACCOUNT Mr. Aryan distributed and discussed the Committee’s 2005-06 budget document. A discussion ensued about individual program budget amounts. Mr. Aryan said he would keep the Committee apprised of all current and ongoing budget transactions. Mr. Harris requested a monthly business statement for the Committee’s information. Mr. Aryan said he was in the process of creating a budget summary that would be accurate, clean, and easy to understand. Mr. Slagel moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the report on the budget and trust account. Motion was seconded by Ms. Ortega and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. KEY PAL PROGRAM Ms. McIntosh stated that the Committee approved the concept of the Key Pal Program and directed ACE to gather information and begin the process. She said all of the Key Pal participants have begun the process, and she requested that the Committee give its final approval for the Program. Ms. Darby moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the Key Pal Program between St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, Palm Desert and Lizardi Institutein, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Motion was seconded by Mr. Walker and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. 2 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 B. DISCUSSION ON YOUTH DRUG REHABILITATION CENTER (Added item by unanimous vote.) Ms. Ortega stated that the Youth Drug Rehabilitation Center project was proposed to the Committee during the Sister Cities U.S./Mexico conference in June 2005. At that time, additional information was requested from Ixtapa’s Sister Cities Committee. The information Ms. Ortega received was as follows: The Youth Drug Rehabilitation Center was a non-profit organization located in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Its eleven-member board consisted of nine Rotarians and seven Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Sister Cities Committee members. The board raised $11,000 to date, and its request to Palm Desert Sister Cities was a contribution of $2,000. The Center’s target opening date was November 1, 2005. The board indicated to the Committee that its donation to the project would include having its name or any name it would like to propose on the Center’s library. She said the Center’s current sponsors included the State and Federal Government as well as patrons of the community. Upon question by Mr. Hoehn, Ms. Ortega responded that Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Sister Cities Committee was only requesting the Committee’s participation for this one time; however, if the Committee thought the Project was worthy of continued participation, the Humanitarian Subcommittee could certainly explore that opportunity. Upon question by Ms. Darby, Ms. Ortega responded that this donation would come out of the Humanitarian budget. Ms. Darby moved to, by Minute Motion, approve support of the Youth Drug Rehabilitation Center in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in the amount of $2,000, to be funded from the Humanitarian subcommittee budget. Motion was seconded by Mr. Harris and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. C. CONSIDERATION OF THE GASTRONOMIC EVENT (Added item by unanimous vote.) Ms. Ortega reported that Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Sister Cities received communication from Mr. Talboys stating that the Gastronomic Event had been postponed. She stated that they were disappointed and concerned about how the Hotel Association and Hospitality Industry would respond to the postponement. She felt the Committee should discuss the possibility of reconsidering a definite postponement of the Event. Ms. McIntosh noted that the Culinary Event was to have taken place during the same time period as the Golf Cart Parade. The chefs wanted to participate in the parade and help decorate the golf carts. She briefly explained the obstacles Mr. Talboys encountered with the local restaurants. She and Mr. Marman spoke about Community Day and suggested to Ms. Ortega that perhaps it could be scaled down. She said there was $1,500 in the budget that could be used to host the event. 3 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 Mr. Hoehn reiterated the events that occurred prior to the TED Subcommittee’s decision to postpone the Event. The TED Subcommittee decided to postpone the event because it felt it could not stage a successful event in such a short period of time. Mr. Harris suggested that the Event take place at St. Margaret’s Church. He said the church hosted dinners for 300 to 400 people all of the time. He noted that there was a kitchen, outside tables with heat lamps, and plenty of parking. He also suggested that they could tie the reception in with the Key Pal Program and decorating the golf carts. If the Committee were interested in using the church, he would need to secure its permission. Ms. Ortega reported that the chefs requested that the Committee find the reception space with a kitchen. They would bring food, beverages, and personnel. Hotel accommodations for the chefs and personnel were secured by the Hotel Association. The Committee was asked to find home hosts for the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Sister Cities members. Ms. Whitney raised concerns about insurance and the liability of bringing chefs here from another country to cook and serve food. Ms. McIntosh asked Ms. Ortega to check to make sure the chefs had the proper identification and insurance. Mr. Harris responded that the church carried liability insurance for those types of events. Ms. Ortega suggested that the Committee could purchase a one-day liability policy should it become necessary. Mr. Hoehn thought the church was a marvelous idea, and other venues could be explored as well. Ms. Ortega said she would also like other locations explored. She suggested maybe three or four locations including Desert Willow, as it would be available on a Sunday. She was aware that the Golf Cart Parade was Sunday; however, the reception could be an evening event. Mr. Walker stated that Mr. Talboy’s original idea was a simple reception to kick- off the main event, which was the Golf Cart Parade. If the Committee could approve going back to that original idea, it would be good. The Committee discussed whether it should attach an amount to the event. Mr. Aryan suggested that the Committee return with a budget to not exceed a specific amount. Ms. Ortega moved to, by Minute Motion, approve that the Gastronomic Event move forward and that the TED subcommittee gather information, explore opportunities, and put together a preliminary budget for the Committee to review at its meeting in November. Motion was seconded by Mr. Walker and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS A. SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE UPDATE Mr. Harris proposed that the Committee approve a $500 reimbursement for travel and lodging for those members who wish to attend the June, 2006, Sister 4 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 th Cities International 50 Anniversary conference in Washington, DC. He felt strongly about supporting the Committee members who had been nominated to receive awards. He calculated the cost of attending the Conference to be around $1,200. Mr. Harris stated that asking for the $500 reimbursement for this type of event was reasonable and would help ease the burden on individual Committee members. Ms. McIntosh asked what Committee members would be interested in attending the conference. Four Committee members raised their hands. Mr. Aryan reported that he received an email from Mr. Talboys expressing his disagreement with the proposal of a $500 reimbursement for Committee members. Ms. Darby expressed her concern about the possibility of the nominees not being chosen to receive an award. Mr. Harris felt confident that the two Committee members who were nominated would receive awards. Ms. Ortega stated that she spoke with Mr. Talboys, and he too felt strongly about the nominees being chosen. Ms. McIntosh felt confident that the two nominees would be honored as well. She also felt strongly that the members needed to support their Committee and the City Council. Mr. Hoehn was concerned that the proposal would set precedence for future travel. He questioned if reimbursements were really the purpose of the budget. He had no problem with subsidizing members who were nominated, but he did have an issue with paying subsidies for everyone else. Mr. Walker’s major concern was the budget. He did not believe that the proposed $500 reimbursement would be precedent-setting. He said the th situation was unique; it was the 50 Anniversary of Sister Cities International. He felt the point about supporting Committee members was important. Ms. McIntosh asked the Committee to not lose sight of the benefit of attending the conference. There would be sessions and workshops to attend, as well as networking possibilities. She added that it was hard work, and socializing was just a small part of the conference. Mr. Hoehn responded that the educational benefit should have been addressed during the budget planning process. Ms. McIntosh added that the Committee had always been budget-conscious and never approved to send any more than two members fully paid. A discussed ensued about the importance of attending conferences, members educating themselves about the Sister Cities International programs, and networking. Ms. Whitney asked what would happen when Sister Cities becomes a non-profit organization and if the budget would cover everyone if they decided they wanted to go. Mr. Harris responded that the Committee would hold fundraisers. Ms. Darby noted that the Committee should keep in mind the email from Mr. Talboys, which was not read into the record. It was her understanding that he 5 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 was not in favor of the $500 proposed reimbursement. Mr. Aryan stated that Ms. Darby was correct; Mr. Talboys was not in favor of such a motion. Mr. Hoehn stated that the memo should be read into the record. Mr. Harris challenged the memo because his own concerns were not brought to the Committee during any of his absences. Mr. Walker commented that Mr. Talboys would not be voting, so it would not make a difference. Ms. Ortega stated that Mr. Talboys was not in favor of any motion that would open the opportunity for anyone over the two nominees to attend the conference. Mr. Hoehn responded that Mr. Talboys was not against anyone going to the conference; he was against reimbursement for anybody other than the honorees. Mr. Harris moved to, by Minute Motion, approve reimbursement for travel and lodging th associated with the attendance at the Sister Cities 50 Anniversary Conference in Washington, DC in the amount of $500. Motion was seconded by Ms. Bannon and carried 6-4 by a show of hands. Two abstained and two opposed. VIII. OLD BUSINESS A. CONSIDERATION OF NAME CHANGE FOR NON-PROFIT STATUS Mr. Aryan reported that Mr. Talboys asked that this item be brought back to the Committee for reconsideration. He stated that Mr. Talboys suggested that the name be changed to “Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation” from “Palm Desert Sister Cities Inc.” Ms. Ortega also felt that “Foundation” would be a better name for the organization than “Inc.” Upon question by Mr. Hoehn, Mr. Aryan responded that he came across the following names: “Association,” “Society,” “Foundation,” and “Organization.” Mr. Walker moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the name change from “Palm Desert Sister Cities, Inc.” to “Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation.” Motion was seconded by Mr. Harris and carried 10-0 by a show of hands. IX. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. CITY COUNCIL City Manager Carlos Ortega reported that Mayor Crites was very busy in Gisborne with the Sister Cities schedule. Mr. Hoehn reported that he met with Mayor Crites to discuss an agenda and identify areas of opportunity in education, humanitarian, and the arts. He asked Mayor Crites to explore economic issues such as agriculture, waste management, and other community based programs. He also asked Mr. Crites to inquire about space in Gisborne’s Visitor Center for a permanent Palm Desert Sister Cities display, and in turn, a display of Gisborne Sister Cities items could 6 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 be placed in the Palm Desert Visitor Center, which then could be inaugurated during Mayor Meng Foon’s visit to Palm Desert in 2006. Ms. Darby stated that the Committee took materials to Gisborne several years ago and was uncertain where those items may have been placed. B. COMMITTEE CHAIR Ms. McIntosh received an email from Mr. Talboys thanking the ACE subcommittee for all its hard work with the Artist-in-Residence program. He applauded the effort it took to schedule the events and to bring the program together. Ms. McIntosh distributed a report written by Pat Armstrong, a teacher and attendee of the Aesthetic Education Program from Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, regarding a workshop that she held at her school using the techniques learned from the Aesthetic Education Program. Ms. Darby stated that the report from Ms. Armstrong was proof that the Aesthetic Education Program was successful and that Kajsa Thuresson-Frary will be very, very thrilled to learn of Ms. Armstrong’s report. C. COMMITTEE MEMBERS Mr. Villar congratulated Mr. Ortega, the City Manager, for his recognition by the City Council. He said Mr. Ortega was valuable to not only the City Council but to the City at large. D. SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS - Art, Culture & Education 1. Artist in Residence DEBORAH SCHWARTZ, staff liaison to the Artist-in-Residence program, gave a brief overview of the reception event. She said she sent 110 to 115 invitations. She brought extra invitations for the Committee members so they could deliver them to individuals they personally would like to invite. Ms. Darby announced that Ms. Cameron would be at the National Monument all day Saturday, October 28, 2005. She said the Native American Indians would be participating in activities and that O’Jay Vanegas has asked Ms. Cameron to participate in their tent area. 2. Golf Tournament Funds Raised Ms. McIntosh reported that the memo regarding the funds being donated to the schools was in the agenda packet. 7 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 Mr. Aryan stated that monies approved for the schools would have to go before the City Council for its consideration and approval. He recommended that letters be sent to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Gisborne requesting an acknowledgement of funds and an end of the fiscal year progress report. He said those processes were put in place to ensure that money donated was utilized for the purposes intended. 3. Subcommittee Member List & Projects - Tourism & Economic Development 1. October Update to Committee 2. Subcommittee Member List & Projects - Humanitarian 1. Status Report on: a. Lifeguard Program b. Wheelchair Program c. Youth Drug Rehabilitation Center Ms. Ortega distributed the Subcommittee Members List & Projects information to Committee members. - Public Relations & Promotions None E. STAFF Mr. Aryan reported that he received a telephone call from a Coachella Valley resident by the name of Ms. Westfall who indicated to him that she was part of a group that traveled to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo in the 1980s. He stated that Ms. Westfall had photographs of that trip and wanted to know if the Committee would be interested in having those photos. The Committee members said they would like to see the photographs. Upon question by Ms. McIntosh, Ms. Wimbish reported that she was working on acquiring a storage unit for the Committee and would continue to provide updates as to that progress. X. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m. _____________________________ Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary 8 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE OCTOBER 20, 2 005 *Reminder: Our next meeting will be held November 17, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. 9