[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6184831,"mediaKeyId","5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df","parentId",5086374,"title","Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board approves minutes, elects Robert Cantor chair and keeps Stephanie Chill as vice chair","audioSeconds",779,"startMs",101000,"endMs",880000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df&start=101&end=880","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df/thumbnail_101000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6184831/Clearwater/Pinellas-County/Florida/Clearwater-Sister-Cities-advisory-board-approves-minutes-elects-Robert-Cantor-chair-and-keeps-Stephanie-Chill-as-vice-chair","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6184831-fbe263bfe39b9a64623a25ddfdeae021/orig.mp4?Expires=1775346226&Signature=jS6~BZHxq6lEd2v6rT-ueEhEFbLsH7NpQ5gb-yn6wSp1gDuigQjPxNidbT7Z3DvRC~tt0p6QhFYEAHB5J8orLe-A6VbtoHBQOmmBzR8GymWE7UlF60v8n1G524mkpWaYVwYCcAU0FH4Lu0zW7pIqVHM30mE5a2w3Beqm2WdCs4b81Y1NJlbpfcfksZIwOa9iKYXUq47f-UdFXOv8JmmZWwj85fcnEqaDKlcazAP3DafBCnAHt7Sv0MpoDemE0BP3AE53UWJerNRDkTV9wkbDQyHZwQQNr3bYqYmjWx55aA2iOQ7UbappqguX-BsOuCkWrxAZ22XDZqMcVMVGYza7BQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Clearwater, FL","date","2025-06-27T08:25:57Z","article","The Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board approved the minutes of its previous meeting and elected new leadership for the advisory board at today’s meeting.

Lina Takeda, vice mayor of Clearwater, moved to approve the minutes of the prior meeting; Stephanie Chill seconded the motion and members voted unanimously to approve.

On board leadership, Takeda nominated Robert Cantor for chair. Cantor accepted the nomination. A motion to elect Cantor as chair was moved and seconded; the board voted unanimously to elect Robert Cantor as chair. The board then conducted a separate motion to appoint Stephanie Chill as vice chair; members again voted unanimously.

\"Robert Cantor is our new chair, and Stephanie Chill will remain vice chair,\" board members announced after the vote.

Why it matters: the appointments set who will lead the advisory board for the remaining scheduled meetings (August 28 and October 23, as noted by staff). The elected chair will preside over the August and October meetings, and the vice chair will assume duties when the chair is unavailable.

Other business and reports: board members heard a director’s report on recent exchanges and discussed outreach to the Mexican community in Clearwater. Vice Mayor Takeda also reminded attendees of the city’s July 4 \"Clearwater Celebrates America\" event at Coachman Park and BayCare Sound with festivities starting at 5 p.m.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of previous meeting minutes: Unanimous approval (moved by Lina Takeda; seconded by Stephanie Chill).
- Election of Robert Cantor, chair: Unanimous approval (mover/second: not specified in roll‑call transcript).
- Appointment of Stephanie Chill, vice chair: Unanimous approval (mover/second: not specified in roll‑call transcript).

There were no citizen comments recorded during the meeting and no other formal votes or budget actions taken.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Clearwater - Sister Cities Advisory Board - 6/26/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Advisory board approved previous meeting minutes and unanimously elected Robert Cantor as chair; Stephanie Chill was reappointed vice chair. The board also discussed outreach and upcoming events but took no additional formal actions.","taxTitle","Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida","taxId",4656,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6184835,"Clearwater discusses Mexico sister‑city ties; city officials propose starting with official and collegiate exchanges",85,213000,298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df&start=213&end=298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df/thumbnail_213000.jpg","/articles/6184835/Clearwater/Pinellas-County/Florida/Clearwater-discusses-Mexico-sistercity-ties-city-officials-propose-starting-with-official-and-collegiate-exchanges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6184835-a41219b9e8cf60a5349e3f90676de405/orig.mp4?Expires=1775346226&Signature=nzUi2Fmj5tTTrnaEmJpwAcoLkkrILWfHMq0EwWp3FQLxZmAGiIxAGXdcDJA67JoafkOba78QWbtyMSnZZ0NwjfxYxUUU0cwJITXCLoFgyqcGzS60nWMfXoh4TjepTtKbZ3I-PJ5insyhwf7cgth0EL1dYemueRz4zNopLb7DHhzSEY9O3ntLREBmJoaRlf4M4703zRU-y0M4Ry0JJXGvcgbAbcSvyPb~Nb6unf3aMJdtS0EC3pABnTohkVz4krI6LfuqiOlHqXgryp2mIcSDqosPC2kzASEFZzV-4s8Yk7I8g051cZQOtiNb3xoUGfINY8SwHnIjyJ2hxln-u7P98A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and members of the Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board reported a June meeting with the Mexican consulate in Orlando and described next steps for the sister‑city relationship with a Mexican municipality.

\"On Thursday, June 5, myself and Stephanie Chill, president of Clearwater Sister Cities, met with members of the Mexican consulate in Orlando to discuss the sister city relationship with and opportunities for future exchanges,\" Amber Bryce, the city’s arts and cultural affairs manager, said during the meeting.

Bryce said the group agreed a city‑official exchange should happen first and that a collegiate exchange could be a practical next step because many colleges have established international programs and the administrative processes to support exchanges. \"Additionally, we discussed the possibility of organizing a small delegation visit within the next couple of years,\" she said.

The Clearwater Sister Cities nonprofit board will take a larger role supporting investigations and navigation of exchanges, the meeting notes show. Stephanie Chill said she has had an initial conversation with the international programs director at St. Pete College, which expressed interest in exploring possible programs that could range from short cultural visits to semester‑length exchanges or faculty exchanges.

Context and precedent: board members noted that Clearwater’s student exchanges with Nagano grew gradually; student visits did not begin until decades after the sister‑city relationship started. That historical point was raised to temper expectations about how quickly student exchanges might begin with Mexico.

No formal budget, dates, or partner Mexican municipality were finalized at the meeting. Bryce told the board that the first practical step would be pursuing college exchanges and that a budget and additional logistics would be required before an official visit takes place.

The board did not vote on any action related to the Mexico discussions at this meeting; staff and the nonprofit will continue outreach with potential academic partners and the consulate.","City staff and the Sister Cities nonprofit met with the Mexican consulate in Orlando and agreed a city‑official exchange should precede possible collegiate exchanges; the nonprofit will take a larger role in investigating exchanges and pursuing local partners such as St. Pete College.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6184840,"Clearwater reschedules Nagano delegation; student exchanges adjusted and business meetings added",573,397000,970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df&start=397&end=970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5086374-58a5f6be84978afc6a3c818c43ba14df/thumbnail_397000.jpg","/articles/6184840/Clearwater/Pinellas-County/Florida/Clearwater-reschedules-Nagano-delegation-student-exchanges-adjusted-and-business-meetings-added","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6184840-28846b29f8df56ba451453eebab3b4bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775346226&Signature=ZLCusRODzp9E4XnUm6fKJ5MTumSzzOnxReTKOEf75gXhNuVIFqomuRc9hsr8A-ZNQFZmvj9luZtyC3wEqSkbFaJcbs2O-umTRSRey4giBWah06~N4~AS03CoS2FtCeifxzsixNHpf30yuGdAE6NRT~sNwDycBKPYCPFvK2mVz0MeuvSoqXw5OeNRVQkwc5OyR0Sh6OURouwe7MJ49OgJfjP7dWpyXLzZ91RG4uLpY61qM8ekeu~Gn0-FOMPAZcEutQgP81ksBwoHoFDdweiS0G8l8DEzaS1Bnh7Iz5LpqnxVBnZaZI6zjOlhR8OEuLAa4xvz4xk74qZWGv9m7xOccQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board heard that the official delegation trip from Clearwater to Nagano, Japan has been rescheduled to July 20–30 after an October 2024 visit was canceled because of a hurricane.

Advisory board members and staff said the itinerary was shortened and refocused on Nagano. \"The delegation will now spend 3 and a half days in Nagano visiting schools, government offices, local businesses, and key historical sites,\" Amber Bryce, arts and cultural affairs manager for the City of Clearwater, told the board.

Why it matters: the trip mixes cultural and economic outreach. Bryce said the delegation will include meetings in Tokyo with Japanese companies interested in Clearwater, and specifically named Daiso as one company that has expressed interest in expansion. Those business meetings are scheduled to run alongside school and cultural visits.

Board members described practical changes and local benefits. Bryce said the Kanazawa stop was removed from the itinerary and that city officials, council members and invited nonprofit board members will travel; guests who bring companions (\"plus ones\") will pay their own travel costs. \"It is recommended that everyone going on the trip review the advisory board meeting from last July, which includes a presentation covering the cultural norms, etiquette, helpful tips, and traveling to Japan,\" Bryce said.

The board also discussed how the rescheduling affected reciprocal and student exchanges. Bryce told the group that, \"due to the continued decline of the yen\" and an upcoming election in Nagano, \"the city of Nagano has decided to cancel their reciprocal trip to Clearwater, and they will not be resuming that trip until the seventieth anniversary. So potentially another 4 to 5 years before they come to Clearwater, unfortunately.\" That means no official Nagano delegation to Clearwater in the near term.

Stephanie Chill, president of the Clearwater Sister Cities nonprofit and director of international exchanges, reviewed recent student activity and next steps. She reported that a March 2025 middle school exchange did occur and that \"we had 8 students, and 2 chaperones go over.\" The group visited Zenkoji Temple during a day in Nagano and later attended the World Expo in Osaka; the Florida Wakayama Association and Wakayama Prefecture hosted additional school visits and homestays.

Because Nagano could not host both the official delegation and the usual high school exchange this year, the high school student exchange was canceled for 2025 and is expected to resume in summer 2026; applications are expected to open in the fall, according to staff. Board members said the nonprofit’s experience and relationships in Japan will help the delegation and student exchanges when travel resumes.

Board members emphasized the economic angle of the trip and the value of having advisory board members who have recent travel experience in Japan attend and assist the delegation. The board did not adopt any new travel policy or budget at the meeting.

Looking ahead: staff advised travelers to review prior advisory‑board materials and cultural briefings before departure. The city will report details of business meetings and any formal agreements after the delegation returns.","City staff and Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board said the official delegation trip to Nagano, Japan was rescheduled to July 20–30; Nagano’s reciprocal visit is on hold until its 70th anniversary, and high school student exchanges are deferred to summer 2026. The trip will include school and business meetings, including talks with Daiso.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Clearwater Sister Cities advisory board approves minutes, elects Robert Cantor chair and keeps Stephanie Chill as vice chair

Clearwater discusses Mexico sister‑city ties; city officials propose starting with official and collegiate exchanges

Clearwater reschedules Nagano delegation; student exchanges adjusted and business meetings added