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Home My WebLink AboutVillage of Bensenville Jt Sister City Co-op Agmt � �M ,�� CITY OF PALM DESERT OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER STAFF REPORT REQUEST: APPROVAL OF A SISTER CITIES COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALM DESERT AND THE VILLAGE OF BENSENVILLE, ILLINOIS. SUBMITTED BY: Stephen Y. Aryan, Risk Manager DATE: November 14, 2013 CONTENT: 1. Draft Statement of Cooperative Agreement 2. Sister Cities International Affiliation Policy Recommendation By Minute Motion, authorize the Mayor to execute a sister cities cooperative agreement between the City of Palm Desert and the Village of Bensenville, Illinois. Backqround On November 12, 2013, the Village of Bensenville, Illinois, will welcome an official delegation from Palm Desert's Sister City of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo to execute a sister cities agreement. Sister Cities International will recognize a new sister cities affiliation between a U.S. and International community, even though another affiliation may exist between that international community and a different U.S. community, only if a cooperative agreement among all involved communities is filed with Sister Cities International. Therefore, the Village of Bensenville respectfully requests that the City of Palm Desert approve the attached cooperative agreement correspondence. Staff has spoken with the President of the Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation, who indicates that they have no objections to this new sister cities relationship. Staff Report: Sister Cities Cooperative Agreement between City of Palm Desert and Village of Bensenville, Illinois November 14, 2013 Page 2 of 2 Fiscal Analvsis Approval of staff's recommendation will have no fiscal impact. Submitted By: �� ---- - s Step n Y. ,�ryan, isk anager Approval: _, n M. Wohlmuth, City Manager CiTY COUNCILACTION APPROVED ✓ DT:NiTD RCCEIVED OTHER MF,CTING DATE ��-�� avES: ,C'�+°11,5LL�S �+°��,�.:T1[-L111c°1 /�J�h�i, /-�om i K. NOES: N��' AI3SE1�1T: ►.1rne , ABSTAIN: ��`��- VERIFIED BY: �K-�r� Original on File with City Clcrk's Office I November 14, 2013 Honorable Frank Soto Village President Village of Bensenville 12 S. Center Street Bensenville, IL 60106 Subject: Sfatement of Cooperative Agreement Dear Mayor Soto, With reference to Sister Cities International's affiliation policy that states: Sister Cities Internationa/ will recognize a new sister cities affiliation between a U.S. and internationa/ community, even though another affiliation may exist between that international community and a different U.S. community, only if a cooperative agreement among all involved communities is filed with Sister Cities International. I, Jan Harnik, Mayor of the City of Palm Desert, California, do hereby agree to the request of the Village of Bensenville, Illinois to officially enter into and recognize their sister city affiliation with Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Sincerely, JAN HARN I K MAYOR cc: City Council Rosemary Ortega, President, Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation John M. Wohlmuth, City Manager Stephen Y. Aryan, Risk Manager � �iSt�r�iti�S Affiliation Policy/T es of I NTERhIATIONAL " �� C:«r�r��c.t glc'�t>�Ily. T1��riva l�:�;��Ily. l'1f f��a l��n Only dues-paying members in good standing with Sister Cities International will have their sister city partnerships formally recognized, - New partnerships will be considered official only when Sister Cities international has received signed copies of the sister city agreement(s). The documents must be signed by the top elected/appointed official of both communities. - Sister Cities International will recognize a new sister cities partnership between a U.S. and an international community, even though another partnership may exist between that international community and a different U,S. community, only if a cooperative agreement among all involved communities is filed with Sister Cities International, - Sister Cities International's former policy of U.S. communities partnering with only one sister city in an international country no longer applies. Sister Cities International members can now recognize more than one sister city partnership in any given country. - Sister Cities International will consider a relationship to be active unless notified otherwise. Sister Cities International will provide guidance in periodically evaluating a relationship. Sister Cities International will also assist in revitalizing a relationship or in terminating a relationship, if the partners agree it is not working out. Inactive partnerships may be designated as a "Sister City Emeritus." Under this category, relationships which are no longer active will still be honored, but the international city will be available for another sister city partnership. - Sister Cities International will recognize sister city partnerships in countries where formal U.S, diplomatic relations have not been established, provided that the U.S. government has at least an "Interest Section" operating in that country and provided that no federal funds are used by Sister Cities International to support the partnership, The only country immediately affected by this policy change is Cuba, Sister Cities International will now officially recognize United States- Cuba sister city partnerships, upon receipt of a copy of the signed sister cities agreement. 1, A Sister City or Sister Cities relationship is formed when the mayor or highest elected official (or, if elections do not take place, highest appointed official) from a U.S. community and a community in another country or territory sign a formal agreement on behalf of their communities endorsing a "sister city/cities" relationship. Sister city agreements shall be considered active/valid unless otherwise indicated by one or both of the respective communities. Sister relationships may also include counties, municipalities, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, territories, towns, villages, or any other subnational administrative distinction. Around the world various terms are sometimes used to describe these partnerships, including twin cities (Russia, United Kingdom), partner cities (Germany- partnerstadt), friendship cities (Japan and China), or twinning (France-�umelage), 1 �tSt�i'�Iti�S Affiliation Policy/Ty es of I N T E R N A T 1 O N A l " " � ;;�7r�r��;c:t ylr�k��Ay. Tfi��fiv�;lc��.�ily. 1'1f��C�l.��n 2. Sister Cities International shall formally recognize only those relationships by cities/members in good standing (i.e. who are current on membership dues} in its Membership Directory or on its website. However, Sister Cities International shall not assert as invalid or otherwise impugn the legitimacy of those relationships formed by non-members. 3, A Friendship City or Friendship Cities relationship is often formed by cities as a "stepping stone"to a more formal "Sister City" agreement.Typically Friendship City agreements are referred to as such in the formal documents that are signed, Sister Cities International shall recognize Friendship City relationships by members in its Membership Directory and website, 4. As per Sister Cities International Board of Directors; Sister Cities International will recognize a new sister cities affiliation between a U.S. and an international community, even though another affiliation may exist between that international community and a different U.S, community, only if a cooperative agreement among all involved communities is filed with Sister Cities International. If a cooperative agreement is denied, or no response to the request is received within a reasonable amount of time, Sister Cities International will recognize the partnership as a friendship cityand it will be delineated as such with a symbol in the membership directories, The cooperative agreement must be sent bythe Mayor/County Executive/Governor of the requesting community, and must be sent to the Mayo�/County Executive/Governor of each of the existing partnership communities. Although the Mayor/County Executive/Gove�normay request input from, or may be given input by, the sister cities program, it is up to the discretion of the Mavor/Countv Executive/Govemorto si�n the cooperative a�reement. Although Sister Cities International will help with the cooperative agreement process, it is up to the requesting community to get the agreement signed and Sister Cities International will not, in any way, force a community to "share" and sign the cooperative agreement. 5, To place a relationship into Emeritus 5tatus, the mayor or highest elected official of the U.S. community must write a letter to the mayor of the foreign city indicating that they wish to remain sister cities, but understand that the relationship will remain inactive until such time as both cities are able to sustain an active relationship. Sister Cities International should be informed in writing by the mayor of the U.S, city of the situation. Sister Cities International will then place the partnership into Emeritus Status and will reflect this status in directories and all lists of sister city programs. 6. If a community wishes to terminate a sister city relationship, then a letter from the mayor or highest elected official of the U.S. city should be sent to the mayor of the sister city. Sister Cities International should be informed of this action in writing by the mayor of the U.S. city and Sister Cities International will then remove the partnership from its directories and all lists of sister city programs, 2