Chapter 2.45
SISTER CITY COMMISSION

Sections:

2.45.010    Establishment.

2.45.020    Purposes.

2.45.030    Duties and powers.

2.45.040    Sister city committees.

2.45.050    Proposal acceptance.

2.45.010 Establishment.

There is hereby created the Fairbanks North Star Borough sister city commission, consisting of nine members. Chapter 2.21 FNSBC shall govern the operation of this commission. (Ord. 2003-84 § 2, 2004)

2.45.020 Purposes.

The commission shall seek to develop sister city relationships that serve one or more of the following purposes:

A. Development of international trade and tourism;

B. Education of our citizens;

C. Enhancement of our citizens’ cultural awareness and sensitiveness;

D. Fostering of communication and understanding between people of the world. (Ord. 2003-84 § 2, 2004)

2.45.030 Duties and powers.

The commission shall have the duty and be empowered to:

A. Advise the mayor and assembly on establishing sister city affiliations and promoting within the borough international communication;

B. Formulate a comprehensive sister city program consistent with the purposes of the commission;

C. Gather information to publicize activities of the commission;

D. Solicit public participation and contributions for sister city programs and activities;

E. Establish and monitor sister city committees which will be responsible to the commission;

F. Prepare and submit to the assembly a yearly report of commission activities;

G. Develop public interest and participation in sister city programs by coordinating with educational institutions, community groups, and interested persons. (Ord. 2003-84 § 2, 2004)

2.45.040 Sister city committees.

To assure that new sister city affiliations are genuinely reflective of the community, and are managed by citizen committees with resources equal to the task, a committee shall:

A. Have enough active members to make a success of their proposed program;

B. Have a broad community base, and shall not be derived exclusively from groups of citizens who share an ethnic heritage with the prospective sister city;

C. Present to the commission a proposal that includes:

1. Committee goals;

2. A factual, audio-visual presentation about the prospective sister city;

3. A budget for the first year’s activities, detailing any funds available and indicating how the committee plans to fund its activities in the future;

4. A comprehensive 12-month program that outlines how the committee will further the commission purposes;

D. Have a counterpart committee or similar group in the prospective sister city with which the borough committee has corresponded and reached positive written indication from the government of the prospective sister city that a sister city relationship would be welcome;

E. Translate into English and present to the commission on a regular basis all correspondence;

F. Follow through with the proposed program in a timely manner, and keep the commission advised of any changes or additions to the program. (Ord. 2003-84 § 2, 2004)

2.45.050 Proposal acceptance.

A. The commission shall consider proposals from sister city committees. It is desirable that:

1. A prospective sister city have a major university or some other major economic or geographic aspect that is similar to or complementary to the character of the borough;

2. A prospective sister city be an active or potential participant in significant international trade with the borough and/or have an economic character consistent with the borough’s desire to increase trade and tourism through development of meaningful sister city relationships;

3. The citizens of the borough and the prospective sister city have expressed interest, support and commitment to the proposal.

B. It is required that:

1. There be only one sister city committee for each proposed country;

2. The committee fully established a sister city relationship and program with one sister city before proposing or obtaining additional sister cities in that country;

3. The proposed program be open to public participation.

C. After considering the proposal the commission shall then advise the mayor if the above criteria for affiliation have been satisfied, and if the commission recommends adoption of the new sister city. If the mayor determines that all the criteria have indeed been satisfied, and that the proposed affiliation is supported by the commission, and that it is in the best interests of the citizens of the borough, the proposal shall be forwarded to the assembly for consideration.

D. If progress with the proposed program is significantly lacking, or momentum fails because of lack of support or unreasonable bureaucratic delays, the commission reserves the right to terminate that city’s sister city status and review applications from other cities within that country. (Ord. 2003-84 § 2, 2004)