Sister Cities Committee seeks permanence, adds history goal and outlines Halifax, choral and hospitality plans

The Blue Ribbon Sister City Committee moved to amend the draft ordinance that would make the group a permanent city committee and agreed to add an explicit goal recognizing the historical basis for its sister and friendship-city relationships.

At the start of the meeting the committee chair (identified in the transcript as Unidentified Speaker 2) summarized a draft ordinance that would establish the Sister City Committee’s mission “to foster international friendship and understanding through cultural, educational, and economic exchanges,” set membership to include one city councilor, three community members and the library director, and list goals spanning cultural events, exchanges, student programs, business connections and tourism promotion. Committee members discussed timing and process for the ordinance’s first reading at an upcoming city council meeting; the chair said the draft had been submitted to the council agenda and could be amended before first reading.

Unidentified Speaker 1 moved to add a ninth goal explicitly recognizing and supporting the historical basis for sister and friendship-city relationships; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The chair said she will add that amendment before the ordinance is presented to the council for first reading.

The committee also handled several other items. Members voted to send a recommendation to the Public Art Review Committee about a Santa Carlo artwork gifted to the city, noting the mayor’s preference for Vaughan Mall as a potential installation site and agreeing to accompany the referral with background materials previously provided by the donor.

On international outreach, members described a recent holiday Zoom that included the mayor of Halifax and noted shared historical and economic ties; the group agreed it could express committee-level support for exploring a Friendship City relationship with Halifax while following the city’s formal processes. Several members volunteered to research historical newspaper records and to check Boston’s sister-city listings to avoid overlapping formal ties.

The committee discussed low-cost ways to sustain engagement across sister cities. Unidentified Speaker 1 said Portsmouth High School’s chorus had been asked to contribute a recorded performance to Porto­mouth, England’s centenary global concert launching May 21; she said she would share sheet music with the high-school choral director. Members characterized the chorus participation as an easy, low-cost way to participate in the international event.

Committee members also began planning practical support for visiting delegations, proposing a tiered program of recommended hotels and transportation partners that could offer preferred rates or at-cost services. The idea is to provide appropriate accommodations that respect visiting officials’ optics while avoiding ad-hoc arrangements that previously left hosts scrambling.

School involvement in exchanges was emphasized: members urged regular attendance by a school representative or teachers at least twice a year to coordinate scheduling and budgets. Several participants said they will gather cost spreadsheets and identify staffing and timeline needs once the proposed sister-city fund and its legal paperwork are finalized.

The meeting concluded with routine motions to approve minutes and adjourn; the committee adjourned after a final unanimous vote.