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Durham council removes termination clause, approves sister‑city agreement with Quang, China
Summary
After a request from the local Sister Cities organization, DurhamCity Council amended the draft sister‑city agreement to remove a 60‑day termination sentence and authorized the mayor to sign an agreement with Quang, China at an anticipated November ceremony.
Tom Harris, president of Sister Cities of Durham, asked the council to remove a final sentence in section five of a proposed sister‑city agreement with Quang, China after organizers reported the Chinese counterpart objected to that clause. Harris said the mayor of Quang planned to travel to Durham in mid‑November to sign the agreement.
Council members discussed whether the sentence was necessary; the city attorney described the documents as agreements of goodwill rather than contracts and said no penalties or remedies for breach were identified. A motion to amend the agreement to remove the last sentence of section five passed, and the council then voted to authorize Mayor Leonardo Williams to execute the revised agreement. The motions passed with unanimous recorded support.
Tom Harris and city staff said the city will host a public reception and ceremony when the Quang mayor arrives. The council did not adopt further policy changes tied to the agreement; the action authorizes the mayor to sign the amended goodwill agreement.
