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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-28 Info Packet r w w City Council Information Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY March 28, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule April 2 Work Session I132. Work Session Agenda IP3. Memo from Deputy City Manager: Information regarding considering establishing a Sister Cities Program IP4. Pending City Council Work Session Topics Miscellaneous IPS. Memo from City Clerk: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda Items for April 15 IP6. Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula [See correspondence from Ellen McCabe.] IP7. 2023-2024 Iowa City Deer Management Annual Report IPB. Civil Service Examination: Animal Services Officer I139. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker II - Streets IP10. Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker III - Streets IPI 1. Civil Service Examination: Mass Transit Operator I1312. Civil Service Examination: Operations Supervisor- Transportation Services Draft Minutes IP13. Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 18 I1314. Library Board of Trustees: February 22 IP15. Library Board of Trustees: February 29 March 28,2024 City of Iowa City Ir `""� ®'■�� City Council Information Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY March 28, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule i IP1. Council Tentative Meeting Schedule April 2 Work Session IP2. Wo Session Agenda IP3. Memo om Deputy City Manager: Information egarding considering establish' g a Sister Cities Program IP4. Pending Ci ouncil Work Session Top' s Miscellane us IPS. Memo from City Cie : Joint Enti 'es Meeting Agenda Items for April 15 IP6. Memo from Neighborho & evelopment Services Director: Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed anges to the Distribution Formula I137. 2023-2024 Iowa City D er Ma agement Annual Report I138. Civil Service Exami ation: Anima ervices Officer IPS. Civil Service Ex ination: Maintenan a Worker II - Streets IP10. Civil Service xamination: Maintenance orker III - Streets IPI 1. Civil Sery a Examination: Mass Transit Op ator IP12. Civil S rvice Examination: Operations Supervis r- Transportation Services Draft Minutes IP13. d Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 1 I1314. Library Board of Trustees: February 22 IP1 S. Library Board of Trustees: February 29 March 28,2024 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP1. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule Attachments: Council Tentative Meeting Schedule City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule nil Subject to change CITY OF IOWA CITY March 28,2024 Date Time Meeting Location Tuesday,April 2,2024 4:00 PM Special Formal Meeting City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session 410 E.Washington Street 6:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday,April 15,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall Hosted by the City of Iowa City 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,April 16,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, May 7,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, May 21,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,June 4,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,June 18,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Monday,July 15,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by the City of North Liberty Tuesday,July 16,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,August 6,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,August 20,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,September 3,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,September 17,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,October 1,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday,October 15,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Monday,October 21,2024 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting TBD Hosted by the City of University Heights Monday, November 4,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, November 19,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Tuesday, December 10,2024 4:00 PM Work Session City Hall,Emma J. Harvat Hall 6:00 PM Formal Meeting 410 E.Washington Street Item Number: IP2. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Work Session Agenda Attachments: Work Session Agenda Subject to change as finalized by the City Clerk. For a final official copy, contact the City Clerk's Office 356-5041 If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Kellie Grace at 319-356-5041 , kgrace@iowa- city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Iowa City City Council - Work Session r Agenda ,_;'t� bt�, Work Session "'®'�� Apri 12, 2024 - 4:00 PM CITY OF IOWA CITY Emma J. Harvat Hall 410 E. Washington Street www.icgov.org City of Iowa City Land Acknowledgment can be found at: icgov.org/landacknowledgement Meeting Rules can be found at: icgov.orglmeetingrules You can watch the meeting on cable channel 4 (118.2 QAM) in Iowa City, University Heights and Coralville, or you can watch it online at any of the following websites: • h_ttps:/icitVchannel4.com/live • https:iiwww.youtube.comtuser/citychannel411ive • https://facebook.com/CityoflowaCity Following the 4:00 PM Special Formal meeting 1. Discussion related to Sister City programs 2. Clarification of Agenda Items 3. Information Packet Discussion [March 21, March 28] 4. University of Iowa Student Government (USG) Updates 5. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees Item Number: IP3. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Memo from Deputy City Manager: Information regarding considering establishing a Sister Cities Program Attachments: Memo from Deputy City Manager: Information regarding considering establishing a Sister Cities Program r � ®,, CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: March 25, 2024 To: Mayor and City Council From: Redmond Jones II, Deputy City Manager Re: Information regarding considering establishing a Sister Cities Program. Mayor Teague and Councilmember Salih recently expressed an interest in learning more about how Sister City relationships are established. Sister City programs are generally established as a formal relationship between cities internationally, often based on common interests, cultural ties, or economic opportunities. Through these programs, participating cities engage in various activities and initiatives to promote friendship, cooperation, and exchange between communities. Although UNESCO itself was not the direct motivation forforming Sister City Programs, these organizations share similar goals of fostering international understanding, cultural exchange, and cooperation among cities around the world. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister City International (SCI). Currently, this nonprofit volunteer organization serves as a global network connecting over 140 countries and 2000 cities worldwide. According to the SCI website and membership toolkit, a sister city program is one of the most important organizations a community can have due to its ability to create: Cultural Exchange — providing opportunities for residents to experience different cultures, traditions, and perspectives through exchange programs, cultural events, and international visits. Economic Development— by stimulating the business environment with trade opportunities and foreign investment in each other's communities. Diplomatic Relations—enhancing relations and people-to-people ties between communities contributing to global peace through understanding and cooperation. Community Engagement — allowing residents to engage in international activities and initiative promotions, community pride, friendly sporting events, and other activities that nourish a sense of belonging to a global community. The process of formalizing a sister city relationship can move as fast or as slow as desired by the communities involved. The structure of these programs can be staff intensive, volunteer driven, or a hybrid model. SCI has helpful toolkits, agreement templates, and other resources to help cities looking to establish partnerships. If the City Council wishes to explore a sister city connection, then it will want to start with a discussion on the goals for the programs. It is typical for a local government to appoint an ad-hoc Commission or task group to move this effort forward, perhaps with one or two Council March 28, 2024 Page 2 members joining in on that exploratory process. The success of sister city programs largely depends on community involvement and thus most are managed by a city commission or non-profit entity in the community. Staff resources are limited for this effort, but I have had experience with this type of work in the City of Davenport and would be happy to help in this effort should this become a City Council priority. SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally. Thrive locally. How-to13ui I d a Sister Cities Program How to Build a Sister Cities Program In Your Community What is a sister city? When a community of any size or characterjoins with a community in another nation to learn more about each other and to develop friendly and meaningful exchanges,the two may propose a formal affiliation leading to official designation as"sister cities."The ideal affiliation involves a large number of citizens and organizations in both communities who are engaged in continuing projects of mutual interest. This interchange helps to further international understanding at all levels of the community on a continuing long- term basis.Within the program,cities and their citizens exchange people, ideas,and culture in a variety of educational, municipal,professional,technical,and youth projects. The sister city program was launched at a White House conference in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for massive exchanges between Americans and the peoples of other lands. Hundreds of American cities responded to that call,and are continuing to carry out meaningful exchanges with their partners in 136 nations around the world. Why have a sister city? A sister city program enables the citizens of both communities become directly involved in international relations in unique and rewarding exchanges that benefit everyone. It enables all who participate to:exchange ideas and develop friendships with their counterparts in another culture on a direct personal basis;establish an identity as members of the global family involved in the constructive process of building world peace;develop a way for the many and diverse elements of each community to come together to enjoy and profit from a cooperative program; open new dialogues with the people of another culture to find unique solutions to improving the quality of life of all citizens;participate in a program with a real partner in another country so all members of the community can feel they are contributing to international understanding in a direct, personal way;and better understand their own community by interpreting their way of life to the people of another culture. What to do first? Hundreds of communities of all sizes around the world have discovered the rewards of participating in an international program in which each member can realize deep personal satisfaction and benefits.Your community can join this growing movement,but you should first develop support for the idea in your own community. This can be easy and fun.You will have a lot of help from Sister Cities International,the national membership association for sister city programs in the United States,as well as from hundreds of volunteer leaders across the country who are available to share their experiences in the program. 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tell 202-347-8630^(fax)202-347-8630,infonsister-cities.cm SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Hove-to Build a Sister Cities Program The sister city concept, like all good programs,must have broad support if it is to succeed.If your community understands the program,it can succeed and the rewards will be well worth the effort.Once you've secured community-wide support for a sister cities program, begin your search for a partner. Nearly every member of your community,young or old,belongs to some kind of organization or another.Nearly everyone works in a business or industry, has a hobby,goes to school,belongs to a service or professional society,orvolunteers his or her time in any number of local organizations that can be linked to counterparts in another country.Thus,the linking of skills,crafts,and interests of people and organizations in both cities can enrich your newly formed sister city committee,open new avenues for program adventure,and secure the initial contacts you'll need to find an appropriate partner community. No catalog could possibly list all the ways in which sister cities operate because the varieties of exchanges are only limited by the imagination and resources of the two communities. There are two principal objectives to keep in mind when planning your activities.You don't establish and maintain friendships by a single effort. It requires continuing activity.You do establish such continuity by a broad base of activity in which many people and organizations participate. Everyone Can Participate The concept is simple once two communities have taken the initial step of actually affiliating as sister cities.A catalog of organizations should be developed that will give you an idea of the potential areas of exchange possible. Don't forget to include your schools,hobby groups, business and professional organizations,scouting groups,service clubs,and so on.This list can then be sent to your partner to determine which organizations they have in their community to match yours. In some cases,a similar organization won't exist. Perhaps you can start one. Sister city programs must always strive to ensure that each project undertaken by its members reflects the diversity of its network.Specifically,you should promote the inclusion of ethnic and racial minorities,people with disabilities,youth,women,and people of diverse socio-economic status in all sister city activities. Each project should be planned with the knowledge that each person will be able to individually become a part of a person-to-person,organization-to-organization,city-to-city approach to citizen diplomacy. Above all, remember that the uniqueness of the sister city program is that it is two-way.The give and take is shared by both communities through planned and continuous contact. Projects You Can Do Sister City programs and projects are developed-out of-mutual desires and interest.There is no cut-and-dry- - pattern.Through visits and exchange of correspondence, cities discuss the types of projects they would like to carry out.When one or more projects are agreed upon,the program is developed and can take place. As you start out,send promotional materials(e.g., photographs,brochures,videos)to offer a comprehensive introduction to your community. Remember,language barriers can be overcome very easily through simple visual 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor-Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoasister-cities.om SiSt@rCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. HOW-to Build a Sister Cities Program presentations.Your new partner city may want to publish these in their local newspaper.You should ask for photos and news of the city as well so your local newspaper can acquaint your own citizens with your sister city. Here are some of the types of projects that have been carried out successfully by other communities.The projects you choose may be more comprehensive,depending upon your resources and ingenuity. — Exchanges of visitors,officials, prominent citizens,musicians,students,teachers,professionals,media, radio and TV,labor,etc. — Organized tours,including hospitality and ceremonies forvisiting groups. — Club affiliations,such as the development of relationships between such groups as Rotary,Lions,Boy and Girl Scouts,women's clubs,hobby clubs,and more with their counterparts in the sister city. — School affiliations can be a stimulating activity if organized within your educational system.They can be a strong adjunct to your school's language, history,cultural,and other programs.There is no end to the fascinating projects young people can engage in to enlarge their horizons of learning. — Technical and professional exchanges can have benefits both communities far in excess of the limited costs involved.Many communities have exchanged experts in transportation,housing, health care,the environment, public safety,and more. — Radio contacts between sister cities can be made by amateur radio operators.Special broadcasts on records ortape can be made for use abroad. — Art exhibits. Both school children and members of local art clubs exchange art work with their overseas counterparts.The material is often exhibited in public buildings and merchants'windows in both communities. — Photo exhibits.Camera clubs exchange stills,slides,and documentary motion pictures. — Sending of mementos, not on a charitable basis,but of mutual interest and respect.Gifts are generally modest. — Exchange of music,recordings,and plays. — Publications and preparation of food recipes from the foreign country. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington, Q.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(absister-cities.org �V SisterCities Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL Building � � �+ Connect globally.Thrive locally, Bui l di ng Your Sister Cities Program INTRODUCTION A sister city program is one of the most important organizations a community can have. Sister city programs lead their communities toward global integration,using new technologies and techniques to support trade,health care advancement,democratization and the environment.Sister city programs are at the forefront of community development,working at the grassroots level to assist their partners abroad. Sister city programs and their volunteers represent all sectors of the city and all aspects of its society,diversity,history and ambitions. A sister city program is a community's international salutation. No longer narrowly defined as an organization linked with a specific city in a single country,sister city programs are involved in much of a community's international relations,often acting as a city's international visitor center, protocol office and friendship society. Internationally aware,sister city members and volunteers are a community's citizen diplomats, providing cross-cultural expertise,foreign language skills and knowledge of foreign lands and cultures.A strong sister city program serves its community well. At the foundation of every successful sister city partnership lies a strong local program with volunteers who are willing to commit time,talent and resources to develop a long-term relationship with their counterparts abroad. It is vital for sister city programs to outline their goals and objectives clearly both to their members and municipal representatives,and to their sister city partners.A successful sister city program builds on the history of cooperation between the two cities, incorporates the present needs of the communities and prepares for the needs of the program as it matures,adapts and expands. Sister Cities International(SCI)has revised and expanded Building Your Local Program to meet the needs of its rapidly growing and changing network.This guide is designed to help SCI members structure and strengthen their sister city program,whether they are searching for their first sister city,have recently entered sister city partnerships,or have been linked with several sister cities for many years. The information provided in this guide is relevant to a community-wide coordinating body responsible for multiple affiliations,a program with a single sister city affiliation,or a committee searching for its first partnership abroad. Sister Cities International (SCI) Founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower,SCI is the national, nonprofit,volunteer membership organization representing the sister city programs of more than 1,100 U.S.cities and their 2,000 partners in more than 120 countries worldwide. As the premier organization for citizen diplomacy in the United States,SCI leads the national movement for local community development and volunteer action in the global arena. SCI motivates and empowers municipal officials,volunteers and youth to conduct long-term programs of mutual benefit and interest with their sister city counterparts abroad. The goals of SCI are to: - Develop municipal partnerships between U.S.towns,cities,counties,states and similar jurisdictions in other nations 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(ftister-cities.orp SlSterCitieS Member Toolkit I NTE R N A T I O NAL Building � � Connect globally.Thrive locally. 01II I di ng Your Sister Cities Program Create opportunities for the citizens of sister cities to experience and explore other cultures through long- term community partnerships Create an atmosphere in which economic development and trade can be developed, implemented and strengthened Stimulate environments through which U.S.and foreign communities can creatively learn,work and solve problems together Collaborate with organizations in the United States and other countries sharing similar goals Building Community Partnerships Worldwide SCi is unique in that it officially links municipalities from the united States with foreign cities through sistercity agreements signed by the respective mayor of each city and ratified by each city council,or its equivalent. To be official,a sister city relationship must have the endorsement of the local authorities,who support the efforts of community volunteers. This dynamic process empowers all sectors of a community to participate constructively in the global arena,thus unleashing citizen diplomacy at the grassroots level. SCI supports and serves an expansive network of volunteers dedicated to promoting citizen exchange and community-based leadership. This network includes: State Coordinators,who serve in a voluntary capacity in each state,providing program development assistance as field staff to local level sister city committees. Local program leaders and municipal officials,who represent the vast volunteer network in more than 1,100 cities throughout the United States Community volunteers,who number in the hundreds of thousands at the grassroots level and who are members of the local sister city programs SCI staff and local sister city committees administer a wide variety of innovative grant programs,covering many different themes,which provide new ideas and direction to the national sister cities movement.Recent programs have included support for municipal education and training,youth community service learning,technical assistance,trilateral exchanges and independent newspaper management. Joining the sister cities network Membership in the SCI network benefits the local sister city program in several ways. SCI is the clearinghouse for local programs nationwide,providing services to its members,compiling statistics, promoting the SCI mission, publicizing the efforts of excellent sister city programs, projects and volunteers,recognizing young artists and international scholars and offering various grant programs to its members each year. Dues-paying members receive: — Access to the SCI affiliations database and SCI guidance and support during the affiliation process — Technical assistance on building,funding and managing a local sister city program — International training,cross-cultural expertise, protocol advice and development materials 915 15th Street, NW-4th Floor#Washington, D.C. 20005• (let)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoQsister-cities.org r..' iSterCifi8S Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally. Thrive locally, Building Your Sister Cities Program Access to municipal professionals and political leaders throughout the world Up-to-date information on leading NGOs,foundations and government initiatives that support sister city activities — SCI publications,including SCI News, Report to the Membership,the SCI directory, and the annual convention and awards programs — Guides and brochures for program development, practical training,teacher and youth exchange, fundraising and proposal writing — Reduced registration and exhibit fees for regional, national and international conferences — Voice and vote for SCI leadership and association policies — Eligibility for innovative grant programs,from youth exchange to municipal training — Eligibility for the annual awards program — Discounted group and incentive travel programs — Eligibility for the Young Artist — Access to 1-1 Visas for practical training and various insurance policies — Invaluable networking opportunities through state, regional, bilateral and international SCI conferences and meetings. Sister city programs tap SCI's resources to find contacts,to network globally and to glean ideas about how to develop projects that benefit U.S. communities and their affiliations. Popular sister city activities include: 1.School agitations 2.Perforaning/visual art exchanges 3.Commutrity development programs Health,EmMromnent Humanitarian AAWssame Tm*m,Economre developmew Telecomtmmications 4.Business/trade delegations 5.Foreign language inshoction 6.Club or organizational links 7 Newspaper oolur exchanges 8.TV station links 9.Video exchanges 10 Commune ce serviprojects 11. Museum exchanges exx changes 12. Radiostationlinks Although one person may serve as the driving force to start a program, all successful sister city programs have many people involved in the planning process.This ad hoc group of citizens guides the sister program while it is being structured and organized. It is not necessary to have a sister city to establish a sister city program and become a member of SCI. 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor-Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630-info(rDsister-cities.orq SisterCiti@S Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally Thrive locally, Building Your Sister Cities Program Usually,a community has a potential city or cities in mind, but the process of formalizing the sister city relationship takes time,allowing the fledgling program an opportunity to build community support and to fine- tune its organization. Taking the first steps New sister city programs usually follow a six-step organizational process: 1. Selecting a sister city 2. Incorporating the program 3. Building membership 4. Forming committees 5. Designing the budget 6. Generating publicity Selecting a sister city Sister cities find each other in different ways. Examples of how partnerships are begun include: - A group(service club,ethnic association,health clinic)or individual (student,teacher,businessperson, doctor)in the community with a particular interest in a region,culture,economic market or development issue form a committee and lobby their elected leaders - Two mayors or city officials meet,discover common interests and then encourage their communities to initiate exchanges - SCI introduces cities to each other through requests that come directly to the national headquarters through individuals or organizations with which SCI works(the staffs of SCI's counterpart organizations in foreign countries, Peace Corps Volunteers, U.S.embassies and - U.S. Department of State officers,U.S.government representatives,colleagues in non-governmental organizations(NGOs)and private voluntary organizations(PVCs) SCI requests U.S.cities looking for a sister city abroad to fill out a Community Profile Form to provide as much information as possible to share with prospective partner cities. In addition,cities are encouraged to send SCI multiple copies of excellent brochures,books or videos that promote the U.S.city.SCI puts U.S.and foreign cities into a database and lists"cities seeking cities"on its Web site. Deciding to accept a foreign partner,one which shares the U.S. program's goals and objectives,is often one of the most important first tasks upon which the sister city committee embarks. Normally, it takes one to two years to make the necessary contacts,to build solid sister city programs on each side and to develop good communication links.SCI strongly advises cities to have at least one official delegation from each city visit their prospective sister 91515th Street,NW•4th Floor-Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(a2sister-cities.orp 4 SlsterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T 1 O N A L p� � Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program city. Ideally,the delegation should consist of at least one senior city official(the mayor or a city councilperson) and key representatives from the community. Structuring the strong program Here are questions community members should consider when establishing their sister city programs: — What is our mission? — How do we accomplish it? — What are our short-term and long-term goals? — Why are we important in our community? — What do we have to offer our community? — With whom should we partner abroad? — What are our criteria for choosing a sister city? — What do we have to offer our sister city? — Do we want more than one sister city? — If we have multiple affiliations,will we structure an umbrella organization? — Who is in the program now? — Who would we like to join our organization? — How can we build a diverse,multi-generational membership? — What provisions have we made to have people with disabilities participate in our program? — What provisions have we made to have people of all socio-economic levels participate in our program? — How can we include ethnic and racial minorities in our program? — Who are the leaders? — Whom would we like as leaders? — How can we design our program so that people will want to join and leaders will get a chance to lead? — What are the responsibilities of the leaders? — Who chooses the leaders? — Who makes decisions? — Who gives them authority to make decisions? — Who does the work? — How can we share the work? — How can we teach new people the skills we already have and learn the ones they have? — How will we raise money? — From whom do we solicit funds? — Can we design a structure that is flexible enough to change when our members,goals or community changes? 915 15th Street, NW-4th Floor-Washington,D.C. 20005- (tell 202-347-8630-(fax)202-347-8630-info(ftister-cities.org ` SisterCities Member Toolkit INTE P NATIONAL Connect globally. Thrive locally. 13ui I di ng Your Sister Cities Program Do we want to design a structure chat is flexible enough to change if our sister city counterparts change their priorities? Does the state's statute covering nonprofit corporations allow the formation of a corporation to participate in the type of activity the group envisions? Are there any operational problems that can be foreseen? What are the tax consequences arising from the organiza-tion or operation of the group? Over the years,SCI has carefully documented the successes and problems of its members. Although a program can have unexpected difficulties during any of its sister city activities,strong sister city programs endure. Such programs have several common attributes: -- Memorandum of Understanding:One of the most important documents developed between potential or affiliated sister cities is the Memorandum of Understanding,a clear,concise statement of the program's goals,objectives and planned activities. Memorandums are updated and revised throughout the lifetime of the sister city relationship,often every two to three years. — Diversity and Innovation: Integral to the success of a sister city program is its ability to develop beneficial, needs-specific projects that lead to deeper ties between the two communities,such as using new technologies,promoting sustainable environmental and economic development,creating cross-cultural learning and training opportunities for bath sides or initiating multilateral programs that involve more than one sister city partnership. — Reliable Communications:Strong sister city programs establish and sustain reliable communication links that utilize the best technology available(phone,fax and e-mail)and professionally trained staff(whether volunteers or city officials)who have a good understanding of the cross-cultural dynamics of the relationship. — Broad-based Community Involvement: Linking as many organizations(newspapers,service clubs,scout troops)and institutions(schools,universities, hospitals)in the two communities as possible strengthens the sister city program.Several venerable sister city programs have more than 100 organizations and institutions linked between the U.S.and foreign cities. — Evaluation and Follow-up:Periodically,successful sister city programs re-evaluate their partnerships to reaffirm commitment,to discuss minor problems each side might be experiencing and to plan for new, innovative projects,which are adapted each year to reflect the changing needs of the communities. Encouraging youth participation A strong sister city program has active youth participation.Sister city relationships offer young people unique opportunities to develop beyond their local boundaries within a global family of communities. Welcomed as neighbors in cities and towns worldwide,sister city youth volunteers learn first-hand about other societies and 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630-(fax)202-347.8630•info0sister-aities.om SisterCitieS Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Building , � Connect globally Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your Sister Cities Program diverse perspectives and about their own potential for making a positive international contribution on the local level.Sister city youth are active in grassroots diplomacy efforts,cross-cultural leadership training and educational exchanges,activities which teach them skills and knowledge necessary to lead their communities into the future. Sister city youth activities have long-term impact in the participating communities. These youth activities strengthen and diversify the sister city partnerships by involving new groups,institutions and individuals in the relationships. Exploring the Internet Sister city programs in many countries use telecommunications technology in schools to offer students of diverse background the opportunity to participate in global dialogue almost everywhere,almost instantly, regardless of gender, religion,race,ethnicity,disability or socio-economic status. Youth active in participating in online discussion groups,designing Web sites and engaging in community service activities extend their reach beyond their desks,classrooms and schools. In school projects,students choose themes such as local and global environmental issues,health and human services,cross-cultural understanding, peace and conflict studies, political issues, international trade and the arts to explore with their sister schoolmates via e-mail and the Internet. Through such projects,students begin to sense their role in the global community. With this new global access comes a new global responsibility.Students who engage in dialogue with their foreign counterparts must interact responsibly and respect inherent cultural differences. This recognition helps youth build a foundation for substantial international diplomacy by developing cross-cultural understanding and tolerance for different world views. Sister city programs can develop Internet projects that will support youth as they acquire leadership and technical skills,develop a sense of global responsibility,and act cooperatively both locally and internationally to improve the quality of life in their communities. Working with City Hall An official sister city relationship does not exist in a community without a document, a sister city agreement, signed by the respective mayor of each city and ratified by each city council,or its equivalent. Although the mayor and City Hall may not always be active in the sister city program,SCI recommends that the city and program establish a good rapport and a close working relationship with the mayor and City Hall. Eight techniques for strengthening the sister city relationships with municipal government: 1. Involve local elected officials to participate in the sister city program.Invite officials on exchange programs to the sister city. 2. Appoint city government officials to the sister city board;. 3. Provide sister city officials the opportunity to speak at a sister city events. 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washin0ton,D.C. 20005- (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-6630•info(dZsister-cities.om SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Building � � Connect globally Thrive locally. O1li I di ng Your Sister Cities Program 4. Provide the opportunity for an elected-official to serve as a host family of a visiting delegate. 5. Establish a liaison in the mayor's office or in City Hall.Recruit an employee at City Hall to participate on the program's board of director's. 6. Address financial and other issues up front with the local government.Obtain financial commitments from the city council,city manager or mayor's office. Funding should be inclusive for all sister city committees. If funding is secured through local government,make certain to keep these branches of local government informed of all administrative decisions made by the board of directors. 7. Develop projects with the city's chamber of commerce,economic development and parks and recreation department. 8. Create a partnership between the sister city program and local government. Ask the city council or mayor to help choose sister city programs that are of interest to them. In doing this, be cautious that city hall does not completely control the sister city agenda and do not allow the sister city program to become too political. Choosing a program structure What is best for a small town is not necessarily best for a large city.The three basic types of structures sister city programs use are:the association,the city commission and the corporation. The Association An association is a group of people joined with a common purpose,often without a formal structure. Ordinarily it is not incorporated, but an association uses the same methods and forms used by corporations. In fact,the association is often treated by regulatory and tax authorities as a quasi-corporation.This treatment is more likely if the organization and operation are governed by a written agreement of its members.This type of structure is usually found in small-to medium-size cities with a very informal sister city program,as well as and among programs with little community-wide fundraising or funding. Disadvantages: — The governing laws are inadequate and vague — The number of unincorporated associations has dwindled in recent years The City Commission — Even when membership changes within the organization,the corporation has a continued existence. A city commission is put together formally by municipal ordinance and carries out its functions as an arm of city government. How it works: 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(ftistercities.org i SisterCitieS Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL Building ,� Connect globally.Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your Sister Cities Program The Mayor usually appoints the members of the sister city commission The commission is responsible for affiliation policy and direction The commission reports to the mayor and/or city council The chairman and members serve for specified periods of time Disadvantages: — When the current mayor leaves office,the commission may undergo a change of leadership or may not be a top priority for the incoming mayor — This type of structure may make a sister city program subject to the leadership of the city — There may or may not be continuity of the program if the commission's mandate is not endorsed or encouraged by the new mayor The Corporation The corporation is a legal entity with its own name. It is made up of individuals that must follow the laws regarding corporations. Advantage: SCI strongly suggests moorporation orsista city programs. It is also wise to apply far tax-exempt status under the statue 501(c)(3)of the rM tax code. This allows contributors to make tax-deductible donations to the program. The step-by-step process for mcorpomting a sister city prognan begun on page S. The Coordinating Body When selecting the type of organization that best suits a community's needs,the sister city program should consider the future growth of the program. Many cities enter the program with the intention of linking with only one sister city. Once communities realize the benefits of a sister city affiliation,however,interest is generated in the community for additional affiliations in other countries. SCI suggests forming an umbrella structure under which additional sister city partnerships may be organized and maintained. This umbrella organization functions as a coordinating body for the sister city committees in your community. The umbrella structure gives sister city programs numerous advantages: — Gives sister city committees the added power associated with being apart of a larger organization in terms of recognition and clout in the community. All sister city committees can speak with one voice in the community on issues that are a concern to each. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202347-8630-(fax)202-347-8630•info0sister-cities.org ` SisterCltleS Member Tool kit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Bui I di hg Your Sister Cities Progra m STRUCTURE FOR A MULTIPLE SISTER CITIES PROGRAM Officers _____ Mayor,Honorary Presided,Vice President,Secretary,Treasurer Chairman Board of Directors Offices Representative from each Affiliation Executive Youth Chapter President and Adult Advisor Committee City Hall Liaison At-large Representative Committees Sher Chy A Sister City B Sister City C Sister City D Committees Caninittes committees committms Youth Chapter ---'--- Adult Advisor Club 1 Club 2 Club 3 Club 4 Club S Club 6 Sister Cities Association of i�Inc. Serves as the over-all sister cities corporation for the community with its tax-exempt status applied to all of the sister city committees. This will make it legally easier to start a new committee and avoid the confusion of having three to fifteen separate committees applying for their individual tax-exempt status. Represents and promotes each of the sister city committees, providing information to interested individuals and organizations,potential new volunteers and members,the media and City Hall. Serves as a forum for communication among the various sister city committees. The program can publish a monthly newsletter with information on the activities and programs of the individual committees. — Maintains the morale of a sister cities committee if relations with its sister city are in a down phase. — Facilitates fundraising for the individual sister cities committees. — Sets criteria for the selection of future sister cities for the community. This ensures that the proposal for a new sister city is backed by an enthusiastic and well-prepared group of citizens. SCI recommends the organizational flow for a multiple sister cities program. 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005- (tel)202-347-8630-(fax)202-347-8630•info(alsister-ciGes.org SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Wilding Your Sister Cities Program SCI suggests the following in establishing an umbrella structure for the sister cities program with multiple affiliations: -- Bylaws should state the name of the current sister city affiliations as subcommittees and should allow for future sister cities to be included in the framework. — A sister city program should obtain the authority of City Hall to be the sole group to recommend new sister cities. Proposals for new sister cities should be addressed to the sister cities program and should meet certain criteria established by the program as a quality control measure. Only after the sister cities program approves of the proposal should a recommendation be made to the mayor for city approval. — Some cities have established separate checking accounts for each of the sister city affiliation committees and for the coordinating body.Others cities operate with just one account for the entire organization.A sister city program needs to decide which option will most efficiently and effectively move and keep funds for the program and facilitate proper financial record-keeping. — Rather than dividing energies by establishing an individual youth group for each affiliation,SCI recommends that the sister city program form one youth chapter.There should be at least one adult advisor for the chapter, ideally one from each sister city affiliation. The chairperson of the youth chapter should be on the board of directors,carrying an equal voice and vote with the adult directors. INCORPORATING THE LOCAL PROGRAM After the committee has decided on a structure,it is time to make the program a legal entity. Some sister city committees seek legal help in preparing the necessary documents. This assistance is often provided free of charge or at a reduced rate,depending on the attorney approached. The legal capacities and liabilities of the corporation A corporation exists on its own,completely separate and distinct from its members. Incorporation means that members have no personal liability. A corporation may: — Deal in property — Execute contracts — Sue and be sued — Incur liability(note:any resulting judgments may only be claimed only against corporate assets,not against members assets) The corporation should consider purchasing liability insurance.This will protect the corporation from damages that occur or suits that result from a sister cities-sponsored event that involves the public. This liability insurance is not meant to replace the individual exchangee's accident or sickness insurance while on a sister cities sponsored exchange. Each participant should secure appropriate insurance coverage while on an exchange,or the group as a whole can purchase insurance for the duration of the exchange. Liability insurance is meant to protect the program and its events in the community. For the best type of insurance coverage for each program, 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630-(fax)202-347-8630•infoCcd_sister-cities.orq SisterCitieS Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T 14 N A L Building � � Connect globally.Thrive locally. alt i di ng Your Sister Cities Program SCI suggests that each program consult a local insurance agent familiar with nonprofit corporations. SCI may also assist by referring the local program to SCI's insurance provider,which can tailor policies that meet the needs of the local sister cities program. Please contact SCI for more information. The process of incorporation A sister cities program has 15 months to apply for tax-exempt status after it initiates the process of incorporation. Importantly,all contributions made during this time are retroactively tax-exempt. SCI advises the sister cities program to follow the steps below efficiently in order to legalize and to protect itself: — Obtain a federal employer identification number from the IRS. — Write the articles of incorporation and the bylaws. — Call an organizational meeting to:approve articles of incorporation and ratify bylaws,select board of directors and officers and decide on a bank for the program's account. — File the articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State in the program's state or a commissioner of corporations to become a nonprofit corporation. Although statutes vary from state to state,the corporation becomes a legal entity when chartered in one state. — File the certificate of incorporation with the city/county recorder of deeds. — Open a checking account. If the program will be soliciting funds from the U.S. Government,it may have to establish a non-interest bearing account. As a rule,the government requires that any grants be placed in these accounts. The program may also wish to open accounts for each sister cities affiliation. — Obtain an income tax exemption from the federal government under section 501(c)(3)of the IRS tax code.Although this is not necessary,tax exemption is VERY beneficial. The sister cities program will be exempt from all forms of tax including state,local,sales,use,and property taxes. In addition,all of your donors will be able to deduct their contribution from their federal taxes. Also,by claiming tax-exempt status,the sister cities program will qualify to receive funds from private foundations. Incorporation requirements may differ from state to state.SCI suggests each sister cities program check its state statutes and administrative agencies for local procedures and requirements. Points to consider: — A majority of incorporators may have to be residents of the state — Incorporators may be subject to examination by officials — A public hearing may be held — If the program fails to win approval for incorporation,it may appeal to an appropriate court for another hearing 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor-Washington,D.C. 20005- (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoQsister-cities.oig SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Federal employer identification number A federal identification number is to the organization what a Social Security number is to an individual.A nonprofit corporation must have this to fill out an IRS tax exemption application,federal,state and local tax reports and applications for checking and saving accounts.A sister cities program can apply for this number as soon as it decides that it will become nonprofit. Use form SS-4 from the IRS. Articles of Incorporation Drafting the articles of incorporation is the first step in forming the corporation.The articles will also serve as its constitution. At this stage,it is important for members to understand the difference between the corporation's articles of incorporation and its bylaws. Articles of incorporation are on file in a public office and are open for inspection for the public. The articles state the purpose of the organization,and declare the organization's existence. Bylaws are an internal document,which define management and operational practices of the organization. Only members have an inherent right to view the bylaws.The bylaws may be amended after they have been ratified without going through any legal process,whereas the articles of incorporation must be resubmitted. SCI suggests the following be included in the articles of incorporation: — Document's identity,whether it be articles or certificate of incorporation — Name of the statute under which incorporation is sought — Corporate name — Purpose clause — Statement regarding the corporation's nonprofit nature — Locality in which the corporation will conduct its business — Minimum or maximum number of directors needed — In some states,a statement that all those subscribing to the articles are legally qualified (i.e. U.S.citizens) — The name and address of the designated agent for service of process — The signators'signatures,addresses, and acknowledgments, — An approval statement from any government agency required to approve the document Bylaws Bylaws should be substantial enough to cover the operation and management of the organization, but not too long to inhibit a member from knowing what is included in the bylaws. It is preferable to issue comprehensive bylaws to cover any issues that may arise in the future of the organization. Bylaws should include: A restatement of purpose appearing in the articles of incorporation Membership qualifications, methods of admission,member's rights and privileges,initiation fees,dues, termination of membership by various means 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor-Washington, D.C. 20005- (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630-info@sister-cities.orp SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E H N A T I O N A L Building , � Connect globally.Thrive locally. �U� I di ng Your Sister Cities Program Directors'qualifications and their classifications,the manner and times of election,terms of office, powers and duties,meetings and sunset clause — Officer's titles,qualifications,powers,duties,terms of office manner and times of election or appointment and compensation for office Optional executive committee of the board of directors to exercise power between meetings Vacancies in offices or on the board or directors and how they are filled Detailed voting procedures and what number constitutes a quorum Meetings for elections and other purposes(general and special)including notice,quorums,agendas and voting qualifications Bonding or particular officers and agents Bank depository and which officers can handle funds — Property holding and transfer Fiscal details regarding year-end results Principal committees and their functions — The seal its adoption,custody,and method of use Principal office Methods and rules for amendment of charter and bylaws — Dissolution procedures and disposition of surplus assets upon dissolution Please see Appendix B for sample bylaws as suggested by SCI. The national office also has samples of bylaws in use by various sister city programs around the United States. Filing the Articles and Certificate of Incorporation After the articles of incorporation have been completed,they must be properly executed and legally recorded. Each incorporator must sign the certificate in its final form. In some states,the signing must be notarized. The certificate is then submitted for approval by the appropriate government-approving agency in the state,and the certificate is filed. The filing fee for the articles varies from state to state.The filing is carried out by sending the executed certificate and the filing fee check to the Secretary of State or some other designated officer in the state government. The Secretary of State approves the certificate and the corporation becomes legally"alive." Notice of approval is given in a receipt acknowledgment certificate mailed to the attorney and normally serves as evidence of the incorporation. This certificate is then filed with the recorder of deeds. 915 15th Street.NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(Qsister-cities.orq I ` SisterCitieS Member Toolkit INTE R NATIONAL Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Tax exemption: 501(c)(3) Certain nonprofit corporations are granted exemption from taxation.An incorporated sister cities program is one of these.By obtaining tax exempt status,the sister cities program may also receive other benefits as well, including exemption from state and local sales, use, property and other forms of tax.The sister cities program is eligible to attract charitable contributions from individuals and corporate donors.This status would therefore assist your fundraising efforts if donors could deduct this amount from their federal taxes. By claiming tax-exempt status,your sister cities committee will qualify to receive funds from private foundations. Many federal agencies can often only make grants to or enter into contracts with nonprofit organizations that are tax exempt. To obtain tax exempt status under section 5O1(c)(3)of the IRS tax code,the program must file IRS Form 1023. An annual tax return must be submitted on IRS Form 990,if the organization expects to raise at least$5,000 each year or an average of$5,000 for three years. Requirements for obtaining 501(c)(3)status state that your organization: — Must be organized and operated exclusively as a charitable and educational organization, — Must allow no part of its net earnings to inure to the benefit of individuals, — Must not engage to any extent in political campaigns for or against any candidate for public office and — Must not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities(i.e.the program may not be a fulltime lobbying organization). Failure to meet any one of these requirements will disqualify the program from being granted 5O1(c)(3)status. If the program engages in any of the prohibited practices mentioned above,it may have its tax-exempt status withdrawn. If the program is an integral part of local government(i.e.city commission), it will not qualify for tax exempt status.SCI suggests that programs contact their city officials to check whether the city has a separate status that covers nonprofit organizations. The benefits of incorporation are numerous: — Full or partial exemption from federal income taxation,with the same exemption granted at the state level — Special postage rates — Exemption from certain customs duties for art objects used for sister cities projects — Exemption from the statutory obligation to pay state or other unemployment compensation funds — The privilege of soliciting contributions, bequests and gifts, — Deductibility of charitable contributions by donors to the organization 91515th Street, NW-4th Floor-Washington, O.C. 20005• (tell 202-347.8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoOsister-cities.org ` SISteFiCltles Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T i 8 N A l Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program BUILDING MEMBERSHIP Recruiting volunteers Recruiting volunteer members is essential to the existence of a sister city program and should be an ongoing process. New volunteers rejuvenate the program, bringing new ideas and community contacts,which complement those of long-time volunteers and program participants. A potential members may be found everywhere in the community: — Friends and family — Local businesses and corporations — Chamber of Commerce,office of economic development — Civic groups: Rota ry/Kiwanis/Lions/J unior — League/League of Women Voters — Telecommunications technology groups — Travel/tourism groups — Environmental organizations — Senior citizens groups — Boy/Girl Scouts,Junior Achievement and 4-H chapters — Neighborhood associations — Municipal government services — Police officers/fire fighters — National Guard — Ethnic associations and cultural organizations — Artists,musicians, performing groups,theaters — Elementary/secondary schools/vocational schools and colleges/universities — Superintendents/principals/teachers/students — Hospitals/health clinics — Museums/historical preservation organizations/libraries — Churches/synagogues/mosques/temples/shrines — Newspapers/television/radio stations Potential members may be reached by various methods. The chapter Generating Publicity(page 16)outlines several strategies for building a strong membership base. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(ftlster-cities.orq SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Building � � Connect globally Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your Sister Cities Program i Organizing program participants Once assembled,sister city volunteers need to be organized, involved,and directed. The local sister city program should: — Create a system so that each volunteer can participate fully in the program — Assure that each subcommittee performs effectively Make the leadership responsible to all participants — Perpetuate the organization and help it grow — Promote the importance of the program in the community Board of Directors From the general membership of the new organization,a board of directors should be elected.The board serves three main functions: — Long-range planning through policy development and implementation — Financial management of the program Evaluation of program activities The powers and duties of the officers and board of directors should be clearly defined in the charter and bylaws. Board member should be more than figureheads without any real power to act on behalf of the organization. When outlining the powers and duties of the members of the board of directors,a term of office is established. Many committees have followed the general rule of a three-year term for members of the board. Board members may be elected on a three-year rotating basis with 1/3 of the board membership up for election each year. For example, if 12 members were to serve on a board during the first year of operation,four would be elected for a one-year term,four elected for a two-year term,and four elected for a three-year term. In the second year of operation,all candidates for the board are elected to three-year terms. SCI suggests including a sunset clause in the charter and bylaws. A sunset clause sets a certain limit on the number of terms a director can serve and can prohibit a director from serving consecutive terms. A sunset clause gives the program the opportunity for turnover,providing all members the chance to have a leadership position in the organization. From among the members of the board of directors,many committees elect officers. The duties of each are as follows: President/Chairperson: — Leads the organization — Serves as the spokesperson for the group — Chairs board meetings — Sets the pace for the board by raising funds — Motivates and challenges the whole group 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoosister-cities.ore SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your sister Cities Program Vice President Assumes the president's/chairperson's duties when absent -- Assists the president/chairperson with duties — Can serve as the president/chairperson-elect Treasurer — Is responsible for the overall financial management of the program — Prepares financial reports for internal use and tax reports — Is not in charge of fund raising Secretary Sends written notices of meetings to members Takes accurate minutes of meetings Provides internal communication and correspondence SCI recommends that the local program organize its members in a "pyramid"fashion. Programs should have a president or chairperson,a vice president,a treasurer,secretary,a board of directors and many committees. FORMING COMMITTEES The board of directors does not work alone;all work should be divided among task forces and committees. The level of the activity in a sister cities program determines the frequency of committee meetings. Depending on the program's agenda and goals, committees may meet bimonthly, monthly or quarterly.Special seasonal activities, such as summer youth exchanges,may prompt additional meetings. Typically,the board of directors meets monthly, and all volunteers come together at least once a year to review the past year's activities,to elect officers and to decide upon program activities for the coming year. There are three types of committees serving different functions: Standing committee,which oversees the internal management of the overall program Administrative committee, which is assigned to a particular program area Special committee,which is created as the need arises to deal with a one-time issue or an issue that needs special guidance Standing Committees Commonly, a sister cities program has two standing committees:the executive committee and the membership committee.The rules and responsibilities of these committees are outlined below. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(Wsister-cities.orq SisterCities Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL Connect globally. Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Executive Committee — Manages the organization when the board is not in session — Acts by a quorum and majority vote, unless otherwise specified — Has members that are appointed by the board and serve at its discretion — Has powers and duties that are spelled out in the charter(when the board of directors is in session,the power of the executive committee is suspended) — Is subject to the same rules that control the board of directors Membership Committee — Encourages new people to join the program — Assists new members in finding a place in the organization — Sets goals for the growth of the organization's membership — Conducts the annual membership drive Administrative Committees There are many ways to organize the administrative duties of your program. Listed below are some ideas on how to coordinate committees to take care of these responsibilities. Public Relations Committee — Creates positive attitudes and opinions of your program — Serves as the information link to your community and media(this includes writing news releases, developing personal contacts with reporters and responding to requests for information) — Arranges speaking engagements for sister city volunteers with other civic organizations — Prepares newsletters,information brochures,flyers and other printed material — Prepares slide shows and video presentations — Plans and carries out special events Fundraising Committee — Plans and organizes events to raise money — Solicits donations from local organizations,foundations and corporations Importantly,while the fundraising committee may be primarily responsible for fundraising activities,everyone within your program should be prepared to assist. Cultural Programs and Exchanges Committee Plans cultural events,such as educational exhibits, photographic displays,musical and theater performances and language classes Develops cultural exchanges with its sister city counterparts 91515th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(&sister-cities.orq SisterCities Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL p� , Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Highlights and promotes the important role that the sister cities program and volunteers perform in the community in terms of cross cultural exchange Municipal and Congressional Relations Committee — Serves as the direct liaison with City Hall and municipal government departments — Establishes and develops relationships with the state and federal congressional representatives Professional/Technical Committee — Arranges professional and technical internships and exchanges between the sister cities — Serves as the clearinghouse for counterpart professionals in both cities — Develops professional and technical training projects — Advises the programs on issues involving professional and technical development issues in the sister city programs with affiliates in developing countries may use this committee to lead assistance efforts Trade and Commerce Committee — Develops trade and business exchanges,seminars,exhibitions and trade fairs with businesses in the sister city — Acts as the liaison with the local chamber of commerce — Promotes industries and exports of the sister cities to local industries — Develops relationships with sponsors with economic interest in SCI Hosting Committee — Handles protocol for international visitors — Arranges tours,cultural outings and home-stays for visitors from the sister cities — Organizes receptions for sister city visitors — Arranges for visitors to meet their professional counterparts Education and Youth Exchange Committee Serves as the liaison with schools(primary,secondary, post-secondary),colleges and universities in the community Promotes"sister school" linkages and the introduction of the sister cities program into the city's educational curriculum Organizes youth and academic programs and exchanges between the sister cities 91515th Street.NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info@sister-cities.org o SisterCities Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL pp�� �� Connect globally,Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Youth Chapter — Encourages active representation and participation of youth in the sister cities program(there should be at least one adult advisor for this division) — Youth participants set their own guidelines and organize activities with support and assistance from the adult committees — Nominates one representative per affiliation to serve on the SCI National Youth Program Assembly Other-Committees Other committees may include a history and archives committee,an audit committee and an advisory committee. In addition,SCI encourages the local sister cities program to maintain close contact with the national office by appointing a committee or person to serve as the liaison between the program and the state coordinator and the SCI. The liaison is responsible for keeping the SCI informed about local program activities and submitting local newsletters,articles, photos,videos and other materials for SCI to share with the network and to include in its publications. Special Committees Special committees are formed sometimes on a onetime basis,or as events come up that may need special attention for a finite period. Two examples are: City Selection Committee — Establishes criteria for the selection of future sister cities(SCI has a list of criteria that the committee may use as a guideline in drafting its local criteria for future city selection.Common criteria include: population size,geography(e.g. mountain resorts or a ports), historical connection,previous collaboration by other organizations,similar names and similar industries/exports). -- Decides whether a proposal for a new sister city meets the program's established criteria -- Recommends proposals for new sister cities to the board of directors(this recommendation is then presented to the mayor for approval) Nominating Committee — Is appointed preceding an election for the board of directors — Interviews potential candidates and defines the job description and obligation of board members — Presents a slate of board of directors candidates to the general membership and conducts the election of new directors 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630-(fax)202-347-8630•infoesister-cities.orq SISterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally, Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program DESIGNING THE BUDGET An annual budget for a sister cities program should include both cash-on-hand and donated in-kind services. While some businesses may not be able to give cash,they may be able to donate their services. The value of their services is a legitimate income for the program. Membership dues for the local sister cities program are a way to raise some of the basic operating expenses for the program. The dues structure outlined below is based on a"typical'sister cities program for a medium-sized city with a population of 50,000. In many cases,that structure is altered according to the population of a city. Small cities have charged$2 to$5 for individual dues while larger cities have charged$20 to$25 for the same category. Initially,a sister city program may wish to start with a low figure for the first few years until it determines the actual cost of running the program. In general,expenses for trips to the sister city are not included in the annual budget since participants paytheir own way. Official representatives traveling to the sister city for a specific purpose other than vacation or touring, could deduct part of the cost of the trip from their taxes if the program is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. SCI suggests that the program consult with an accountant to determine which expenses qualify as tax deductions. Travel,for the most part,is paid by individuals or supported wholly or in part by special fundraisers the program may decide to undertake. The program,however,may want to support some type of annual travel expense from the annual budget for special types of exchanges,such as youth exchange scholarship or technical assistance projects. Expenses The following is a list of typical expenses that the sister city programs can expect to incur.Several of these expenses are one-time costs only,and many may be donated as in-kind contributions from members. — One-time incorporation fee — Publicity and printing(newsletter,program brochures,advertisements) — Hosting visiting delegations — Copying/postage/overnight mail — Telephone/fax/e-mail/Internet services — Web site design and storage — Annual membership dues to SCI — Gifts for sister city — Scholarship assistance for youth exchange programs — Technical assistance projects — Fundraising expenses(to cover the initial outlay before the event) 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoasister-cities.org SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Building . . Connect globally.Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your sister Cities Program Income Annual membership dues are probably the easiest way for a sister cities committees to generate funds. The following is a sample breakdown of membership dues for a city with a population of 50,000,as noted above: — Youth$10 — Individual adult$25 Family$30 — Sponsor$50 — Business$50 — Organization$100 Friend$200 Patron$500 — Benefactor$1,000+ Other sources of funding and methods to generate income include: — City government contributions — Corporate donations -- U.S.government and foundation grants — SCI grant programs — Direct mail solicitation Sale of items(recipe books,T-shirts, bumper stickers) Fundraisers(auction,raffle, international dinner) In-kind contributions(printing,complimentary hotel rooms forvisitors, legal services,meals, home-stays) Achieving Success in a Fundraising Program Fundraising has deep roots and a long history.While philanthropic traditions vary from nation to nation, results of generosity have been exceptional in many parts of the world. Unfortunately,fundraising sometimes has a tarnished reputation. Unethical and unprincipled practice has given it an aura of shame. Just as bad are some conventional attitudes about resource development it is begging,it is holding out the tin cup,it is demeaning. Many of these attitudes, however,are based on lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of the fundraising process. Fortunately,if sound fundraising principles are followed and practice is based on successful experience, much can be accomplished for nonprofit organizations. Well-meaning individuals perceive a need and immediately seek to remedy it by seeking funds. This kind of practice frequently results in failure or a disagreeable experience.The following is a brief description of steps involved in a successful fundraising program. Know basic market principles: Begin the fundraising process by realizing that it is a reciprocal relationship. Fees and other income rarely meet the budgetary demands of nonprofit services. Consequently,a nonprofit organization such as a sister city program,cultivates and solicits its clients and friends,many of whom become donors.A sister city program must remember that a donor has a right to expect something in return for a gift.As donors provide funds for programs and operating needs,they expect gratitude and recognition,as well as some intangible rewards such as a sense of belonging and making a difference. 91515th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, Q.C. 20005- (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630-infoOsister-cities.org SiiSterCit12S Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Building �. Connect globally.Thrive locally. f3!li I di ng Your Sister Cities Program Consider the environment and climate for fundraising: An organization's environment has an impact on the feasibility of fundraising. If government regulations,current economic factors,changing demographics and other factors are not considered,a sister cities program may find it difficult to meet its fundraising goals. Internal circumstances also dictate success or failure,such as an organization's readiness to raise funds. Are appropriate personnel in place?Is there an accounting and recording system? Has strategic planning been done?These and other questions must be answered before donors are approached. Create and examine case:A case includes the reasons someone should give money to an organization. Making a case means sharing the mission,goals,objectives and prospects. It includes describing programs and evaluation procedures and providing financial reports. A case should be the best way possible. It includes a statement of needs. What kind of financial support is required to carry out the programs and plans of a sister city program? Involve board and other volunteers: Board members are charged with securing and managing financial support. Therefore,boards of sister city programs should be involved from the inception of planning for programs and fundraising. Board members,as well as other volunteers, are the most effective persons to ask for funds because they represent commitment to a cause.The board should validate the needs and case before any further planning or activity takes place. Is the case representative of the sister cities program? Are the needs genuine? Is there an appropriate match between what the organization can do and what potential clients must have? Determine markets: Potential funders include foundations,corporations,associations,government,churches and,most importantly, individuals.What are the possibilities for acquiring funds from each market?Which are the best ones for the organizations to develop?Have all feasible funding sources been considered? Select programs and strategies: How will the prospects be solicited?For what programs? Programs for resource development include capital,annual fund,special projects,endowment campaigns and major gifts. Each of these should be evaluated as to its purpose,and the appropriate one(s)selected.Strategies for approaching donors include mail,telephone,special events and face-to-face solicitation.The more personal the approach,the more effective the solicitation. Research prospects:.A sister city program's constituent groups should be determined through research. Minimal research is required for those prospects who will make up the donor base;these include first time givers and repeat donors whose gifts are small. Individuals who will be asked for larger gifts will be more fully researched in order that they might be cultivated and solicited appropriately. Create,use and solicit the plan: Planning is a mean to determine what must be done, how it will be accomplished and who will do it. By now,prospects and donors have been selected and matched with strategies for solicitation. The fundraising vehicle has been chosen,the case has been prepared(along with materials that will express the case),board members and other volunteers have been involved in all steps,and the organization's readiness to raise funds has been determined.Now it is time to create a plan.A plan should be a workable and dynamic part of a fundraising program. Constituent groups,which include prospects and donors,must be told about the sister 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tell 202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630-infoasister-cities.orq SiSterCitieS Member Toolkit 7 I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program cities program and its needs, as well as achievements and opportunities.Communication lays the groundwork for successful solicitation,and can take many forms. Communication also includes feedback from constituents,which provides a basis for wise decision-making. Solicit the gift:After all this preparation,the time has finally come to ask for the donation.Thorough preparation, which may vary in intensity,time and detail,ensures the likelihood of success. Appropriate and timely recognition paves the way for the next step. Renew the gift: The best prospect for a charitable gift is the person who has already given. The opportunity to give and give again should be provided to all who are prospects and can be attracted to support a sister cities program's cause. Fundraising is a highly integrated management process.Each step in a successful fundraising program may not require the same emphasis for each organization,but no steps can be missed without diminishing the likelihood of favorable results. It is a privilege to raise funds for a worthy cause. Those who are willing to be engaged in such activity and do it with some level of success deserve a special honor because they have helped bring about needed and valuable results. [Adapted from an article by Lilya Wagner, Fundraising School in the Center of Philanthropy, Indiana University.] GENERATING PUBLICITY A comprehensive,well thought-out publicity(or public relations)plan will help the sister cities program create awareness,acceptance and understanding in the community.A successful publicity campaign will accumulate financial contributions, improve fundraising efforts, increase membership and advance community relations In developing a publicity plan,there are no limitations set on innovation,other than ethical ones,to achieve the local program's objectives. In order to successfully publicize the sister city program,members need to keep in mind two essential elements: good performance(a high-quality sister cities program)and good communication with the public. This section focuses on effective public communications. In planning publicity for the sister cities program, members should consider implementing the following three common publicity tactics: Publicizing the program using the local media One of the most effective ways to get the message out about the mission, activities and events of the sister cities program is to utilize the media outlets in the community.To do this effectively,a program needs to have extensive knowledge of its history,current activities and participants. In addition, it needs to know the sources of news,what makes news and how to generate news. 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005- (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(ftister-cities.org SisterCifies Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally Building Your Sister Cities Program There are two sources of news:events-something that has happened and situations-a permanent or long-lasting issue,condition or problem. When informing a news outlet of a potential story, be sure to use one or all of the following techniques to inform the media of program news. News(or press) release:This is a standard form to inform the media about news from the local program.A news release must be newsworthy,and it must get to the right person at the right time. Press conferences:This is a meeting called to inform members of the media about an event or situation,and to provide them an opportunity to ask questions.Be cautioned that holding a news conference on a "non-news" story may damage a local program's credibility. Direct media contact:Getting to know the reporters and editors personally is the keyto many successful publicity campaigns. It makes good sense to do a press release mailing,but even better sense to follow-up the mailings with a phone call and a personal visit. Feature Story:. Over the years,local sister city programs have had success placing feature stories about their programs in newspapers on television. A feature story is based more on interest or background than on news. There are no limitations to writing feature stories for the local media. Whenever a member finds something that can be made interesting to the public,consider submitting it to the editor of the local news outlet. Local access television: More than 80 percent of all households in the United States are cable-television ready. Each cable company provides its customers with a local access channel used for local city counsel and school board meetings, local events and activities. Local sister cities programs have a great opportunity to air special events or interview foreign delegations on this channel. Opposite Editorial(Op-Ed):This is a newspaper page devoted to written material by people not on the paper's press staff. In local papers,the subject matter usually pertains to a local issue such as the value of sister city programs. Other techniques to publicize the organization in the local media: — Letters to the editor — Public service announcements — Regular or guest column — Endorsement articles — TV/radio appearances — Editorial board meetings — Press kits — Video news release 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005- (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infopsister-oiGes.org �*' SisterCitieS Member Toolkit INTE R NATIONAL p� � Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Publicizing the program through sister city publications The writing and production of printed materials is a major activity in most publicity campaigns. Unlike using the media to get the message out,the program has total control over what and how it addresses issues in its publications,as well as control over the distribution and the audience. Types of publications: Newsletters:A newsletter is a letter that carries news about the organization to its members or people interested in the program. This material should periodically be sent out and should convey news,opinions or other information. Internet: Publishing news via e-mail and posting program activities on a Web site are effective means through which a sister city program can promote itself and attract members. Brochures: Brochures are used to give a thorough explanation of one specific subject such as membership in the sister city program. Almost anything that requires considerable detail may be covered. Leaflets: A leaflet is a single piece of printed-paper. It may be folded into several pages or consist of only one page. Because of their small size and low cost, leaflets are primarily used for notifying,welcoming or informing the public of an event or situation. Reprints:A popular way to publicize and add credibility to the local program is through reprints of positive news articles covering the program. For years,the entertainment and restaurant industries have reprinted positive quotes and reviews to promote their products in paid advertisements. If a positive story appears in the local newspaper,chances are that the primary audience did not see it. It pays to make reprints of the best publicity material and send them directly to members, political officials,business leaders,prospective members and others. Other printed material used in local sister city programs includes: — Board minutes — Posters — Return cards — Annual report — Postcards — Fact sheet — Illustrated cards — Questionnaire — Self-mailer 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005- (tell 202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-6630•infoasister-cities.org SiSte'CitieS Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Photos and artwork:Photographs,charts,diagrams, maps,cartoons,clip-art and other illustrations can perform an important role in every publication produced for the sister city program. They add interest, produce variety and often explain things better than words alone can do. Publicizing the program through community outreach There are many outlets for the ongoing promotion of the sister city program. The following list highlights a few ways that the members can garner recognition for its sister city program to increase membership recruitment, promote special events and increase local awareness of the program. Public speaking engagements:Give public speaking opportunities as often as the program can schedule them. This form of publicity reaches specific audiences,while enabling the program to have complete control of its message.When giving a speech,keep in mind the four basic types of speeches: informative, persuasive, entertaining and technical. Work with other local organizations: Every service club,women's group, political party,labor group,religious unit,association,civic organization,veteran's organization or other group is influential and essential to the program. Each group represents a segment of the community. Make a concerted effort to work with these groups. They can be reached by direct mail,speaking engagements,telephoning their members or interviewing their leaders. Hold seminars,roundtables and workshops: A very effective way of promoting the activities of the programs is to hold seminars,round tables and workshops. One advantage is that the program has complete control over the program and the audience invited.A properly planned seminar,roundtable or workshop gives the audience worthwhile, practical and timely information and knowledge about the program. Other successful ways to publicize the sister city program through community outreach: — Notices in church bulletins — Notices in other organizational and community newsletters — Participation in community affairs and events such as panel discussions — Floats in parades/fair booths/street banners — Announcements of meetings in town club rosters — Favors on hospital trays — Placing the program's newsletter in doctor's and dentist's offices — Exhibits/displays — Bumper stickers/lapel pins/T-shirts 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-6630-infoasister-cides.orq C A, SisterCities Member Toolkit INTER N A T I O N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. �i I di ng Your Sister Cities Program EVALUATING PROGRAM PROGRESS While the local program may be off to a good start,SCI recommends programs take care to avoid the following common pitfalls,which may slow the program's progress. The program is restricted to City Hall in both cities with the mayor or a city official actually running the affairs of the affiliation:Although working with City Hall is crucial,it is unwise to have the program too closely identified with a single prominent personality.Such affiliations tend to confine themselves to formal exchanges of gifts and occasional visits. Because administrations change,there are no guarantees that the new city official will want to continue a sister city program. It is best to strike a balance and to keep the power split between the mayor's office and the sister city volunteers. (SCI has printed material that suggests ways in which the community and City Hall should be involved.) The sister city program is run loosely without articles of incorporation,bylaws or membership provisions: This is inadvisable. In order to have a dynamic program,one in which volunteers are able to participate fully and the community members deem beneficial and regard as officially representing the city internationally,the program needs to have the basic elements of organization. The sister city program fails to hold regular meetings: In general,a sister city program that cannot design, implement or sustain regular activities cannot represent its community well. Once again,volunteers and community organizations will not be able to participate fully,and the program may not be regarded as an important city organization. The program with multiple affiliations does not choose an umbrella structure:When committees representing separate affiliations compete for finite community resources,including volunteers,the overall sister city program suffers and loses its singular voice in the community. Further confusion and negative results may be caused by separate committees approaching City Hall for recognition or funding. Programs rely upon one individual for communication: Committees that depend on just one of two correspondents in each city run risk of having delays in communication,which can cause significant problems. Faxing and e-mail have proven to be a very secure and cost effective means of communication. Learning citizen diplomacy Building your local sister city program, like citizen diplomacy,is not an exact science; no two programs are perfectly alike,just as no two communities are the same. During the past five decades,however,sister city programs nationwide have learned to use citizens'diplomacy to achieve similar results:cross-cultural understanding through long-term partnerships. In this guide,SCI has offered recommendations,not regulations,for creating and sustaining a successful, grassroots level sister city program. In many cases,fine-tuning a sister city program takes a myriad of meetings, 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoAsister-cities.orp SISterCities Member Toolkit INTERNAT1ONAl Building Connect globally.Thrive locally. Your Sister Cities grogram visits abroad and effective cross-cultural communication,accomplished through the extraordinary efforts,time and flexibility of volunteer members. SCI strongly encourages each sister city program to tailorthis guide to its specific needs,to share this guide with its counterparts abroad and to contact the national office any time for assistance. 91515th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoasister-cities.orq ®�,o SisterCities Member Toolkit IN T E R N AT I ON A L y Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program APPENDIX A: SAMPLE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION (NAME OF CORPORATION) OF(Any U.S.City), INC. Pursuant to (Statutory Citation of Jurisdiction) We,the undersigned,desiring to form a nonprofit corporation, pursuant to the provisions of(Statutory Citation of jurisdiction),do hereby certify: 1. The name of the corporation is: (Name of Corporation)OF(Any U.S.City), INC. 2. The life of the Corporation shall be perpetual. 3. The objects and purposes for which this Corporation is established shall not be changed and shall be exclusively educational and charitable in the furtherance of such purposes and for no other purposes: a. To cause the people of the City of(U.S.City)and the people of similar cities of foreign nations to acquire a consciousness of each other,to understand one another as individuals,as members of their community,as citizens of their country and as part of the family of nations. b. To foster as a consequence of such knowledge and consciousness,a continuing relationship of mutual concern between the people of the City of(u.S.City)and the people of similar cities of other nations. c. To undertake both in seeking and in consequence of such consciousness and concern any activities and programs as will provide to one another appropriate aid and comfort,education and mutual understanding. d. To participate as an organization in promoting,fostering and publicizing state and national programs of international municipal cooperation organizations,and thereby to encourage other organizations and residents of U.S.communities to engage and participate in such programs,to foster and promote friendly relations and mutual understanding between peoples of U.S. communities and peoples of friendly nations outside of the United States of America and to act as a coordinating body,committee,agency or counsel among those organizations,groups and individuals desiring to and engaging in the activities of such international municipal cooperation organizations. e. Provided that the Corporation shall not in anyway, directly,or indirectly,engage in the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence legislation. 915 15th Street. NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoAsister-cities.orq ..aSisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L �r Connect globally. Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program 4. In order to accomplish its objective,the Corporation shall have the following powers,which shall be deemed to be in furtherance and not in limitation of the general powers conferred upon educational and charitable corporations under the laws of(jurisdiction): a. To receive,acquire,hold,own, manage,administer,invest and reinvest any and all moneys, securities,evidences of indebtedness or other property,real or personal,as may from time to time be given,sold,transferred, rented,conveyed or assigned to it by any person,firm, committee, association or corporation;to take by devise or bequest or otherwise,within the limitations provided by law,any and all property heretofore or hereafter devised or bequeathed by Will,or otherwise,or in any manner granted or conveyed to it;to exercise,in respect to any and all such property,any and all rights, powers and privileges of individual ownership;from time to time to pay, apply or otherwise utilize the principal and income thereof but only for the purposes for which the Corporation is formed. b. To purchase,or otherwise acquire, hold,sell, lease,convey,mortgage or otherwise dispose of real and personal property or any interest therein. c. To cooperate with or engage the services of any person,firm, association,corporation, government or public agency which may assist in carrying out the corporate purposes,and in furtherance of such purposes to grant financial or other voluntary assistance thereto. d. To enter into affiliations,contracts,agreements,undertakings or otherwise within the limitations provided by law. e. To do any and all things which maybe necessary or proper in connection with its purposes. 5. The Corporation is not organized for pecuniary profit;it shall not have any power to issue certificates of stock or declare dividends;no part of its net earning shall inure to the benefit of any private member or individual; and no officer,member or employee shall receive or be lawfully entitled to receive any pecuniary profit from the operation of the Corporation,except a reasonable compensation for the services in effecting one or more of its purposes. Upon the dissolution of the Corporation,the Board of Trustees shall,after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Corporation,dispose of all the assets of the Corporation exclusively for the purpose of the corporation in such manner,or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable,educational,religious or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501(c)(3)of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the Corporation is then located,exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations,as said court shall determine which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes. 6. The members of the Corporation shall be composed of such individuals as maybe admitted to membership in the manner prescribed by the Bylaws of the Corporation. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(dtsister-cities.org SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I 0 N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Wilding Your Sister Cities Program 7. The Corporation will operate to some extent throughout the world,but its principal operations will be conducted in the United States. S. The principal office of the Corporation is to be located in (The Jurisdiction of any U.S.City). It may establish such other offices either in or outside of the United States as it may from time to time determine necessary. 9. The number of directors of the Corporation,until the first meeting of the Corporation,shall be(at least) the statutory minimum and the names and addresses of these persons who are to act in the capacity of directors until the selection of their successors are: a. Name Address 10. The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be elected in the manner prescribed by the Bylaws of the Corporation,and they shall have power to make Bylaws for the government of the Corporation and to alter,change or amend such Bylaws. 11. All the subscribers hereto are of full age and at least(the required statutory number)of them are citizens of the(the Jurisdiction). IN WITNESS WHEREOF,we have made,subscribed and acknowledged this certificate as of day of CITY OF STATE OF NOTARY PUBLIC 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor-Washington,D.C. 20005- (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630-info(a3sister-cities.orti ® SisterCities Member Toolkit INTERNATIONAL , Connect globally Thrive locally. ��I di ng Your Sister Citi es Program NX B: Sample Bylaws (Name of Corporation) OF(Any U.S.City), Inc. ARTICLE 1: NAME Section I.Name: The name of this organization shall be Sister Cities Association of(name of city),Inc. ARTICLE II: PURPOSE Section 1. Purpose: The purpose of this organization is educational and charitable.The organization's objectives are: a)To cause the people of the City of(name of city)and the people of similar cities of foreign nations to acquire a consciousness of each other,to understand one another as individuals,as members of their community,as citizens of their country and as part of the family of nations. b)To foster as a consequence of such knowledge and consciousness a continuing relationship of mutual concern between the people of the City of(name of city)and the people of similar cities of other nations. c)To undertake both in seeking and in consequence of such consciousness and concern any activities and programs as will provide to one another appropriate aid and comfort,education and mutual understanding. d)To participate as an organization in the promoting,fostering and publicizing of local,state and national programs of international municipal cooperation organizations,and thereby to encourage other organizations and residents of U.S.communities to engage and participate in such programs,to foster and promote friendly relations and mutual understanding between peoples of U.S. communities and peoples of friendly nations outside of the United States of America,and to act as a coordinating body,committee or agency among those organizations,groups and individuals desiring to engage and engaging in the activities of such international municipal cooperation organizations. e)The Corporation also has such powers as are now or may hereafter be granted by the General Not for Profit Corporation Act of the State of(name of state). ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Individual Membership: Membership in the Corporation shall be open to any person of good moral character residing or working in the City of(name of city)and vicinity. Section 2. Organization Membership: 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info@sister-cities.orq SisterCifies Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T 1 0 N A L Connect globally. Thrive locally. Bui I di ng Your Sister Cities Program Organization membership shall be open to any organization or business enterprise in the United States that endorses the purpose of the Corporation.An Organization Member shall designate one official representative to attend meetings and functions of the Corporation,who shall have the rights and privileges of an Individual Member,and who shall be registered annually with the Secretary. Section 3. Membership Dues: Any person or organization meeting the requirements of Article III,Section 1 or 2,may be admitted to the membership of this Corporation by acceptance of the membership application by the President and Secretary of the Corporation,and upon payment of the membership dues as determined by the Board of Directors: Individual $ Youth$ Business$ Sustaining$ Family$ Organization$ Patron$ ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS Section 1. Regular Meetings: A regular meeting of the members shall be held at the office of the Corporation twice annually,on the second Monday of and of each year;the first meeting to be held on the.for the purpose of election of a Board of Directors and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting. Section 2. Notice of Regular Meeting: The President shall order the Secretary to give members ten days'notice of a regular meeting by mail,stating in such notice the time, place and business to be transacted at said meeting. In case the office of the Secretary be vacant,any director or person designated by the President may mail the notice of meeting to members. Section 3. Special Meetings: Special meetings of members may be called at any time by the vote of the majority of the directors or upon petition to the Secretary by one-fifth of the members. At special meetings of the members, only such business as stated in the call for such meeting shall be transacted. The Secretary shall give the members ten days' notice of such meeting by mail therein stating time,place and the business to be transacted at the special meeting. Section 4.Quorum: At any meeting of the members,members present in person shall constitute a quorum for all purposes including the election of directors except when otherwise provided by law. 915 15th Street, NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005- (tel)202347-8630•(fax)202347-8630•infoosister-cities.org SisterCitIPS Member Toolkit INTER N A T I Q N A L Connect globally.Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Section 1. Numbers: The affairs of the Corporation shall be exercised,conducted and controlled by a Board of Directors consisting of members.At least one director shall be a youth of not more than 21 years of age,to represent the sister cities youth program chapter. Section 2.Qualifications: Directors shall be elected from the membership of the Corporation and must continue to be a member in good standing during their term of office. Section 3. Compensation: The directors shall receive no compensation or expenses from the Corporation. Section 4.Term of Office: The directors shall be elected for a three-year term and each shall hold such office until their successors are elected except that the term of the directors elected at the first membership meeting shall be as follows:one group of one-third of the directors for a term of one year,one group of directors for a two-year term and one group of directors for a three-year term. Directors shall not serve more than(number)consecutive terms. No member shall serve on the board in the same position for more than consecutive elected terms. Section 5. Election: The directors shall be elected by the members of the Corporation at the first regular meeting and thereafter, election of directors shall be held at the annual meeting of the members. Section 6. Vacancies: Vacancies in the board shall be filled from the membership by a majority vote of the remaining directors and such person filling the vacancy shall hold office until the expiration of the term being filled. Section 7. Regular Meetings: The first meeting of the directors shall be held immediately after their election by the members forthe purpose of election of officers.The regular meetings of the board shall be held quarterly. Section B. Special Meetings: The President,when he deems necessary,or three members of the board,shall call a special meeting of the Board of Directors and each call for a special meeting shall be in writing,giving ten days'notice to members of the Board and stating the purpose of the meeting. 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington,D.G. 20005• (tel}202-347.8630-(fax)202-347-8630•infoasister-6ties.org SiSterCitieS Member Toolkit I LATER NATIONAL pp°� Connect globally Thrive locally. Building Your Sister a ti es Program Section 9.Quorum: One-third of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. Section 10. Powers and Duties of Directors:a)The directors shall have the power to conduct,manage and control the affairs and business of the Corporation. b)The directors shall maintain a complete record of all their business transactions,their minutes,acts and proceedings of the members and present a full statement at the regular annual meeting of the members,showing in detail the condition of the affairs of the Corporation. c)The Board of Directors shall have the authority to create and fill the office and the position of executive secretary or executive director. ARTICLE VI:OFFICERS Section 1. All officers of the Corporation shall be elected or appointed by the directors from their numbers except as hereinafter provided. Section 2.Officers of the Corporation shall be the President,a Vice President,a Secretary and a Treasurer. Section 3.The Mayor of the City of shall,ex-officio, be a member of the Corporation and serve as the honorary chairman of the Corporation,with said membership dues waived. Section 4. Officers shall receive no compensation as salary from the Corporation,but may receive expenses for special activities in behalf of the Corporation and such special expenses shall be upon vote by the directors. Section 5. Powers and Duties of Officers: a)The President shall preside at all meetings of the directors and members. He shall sign,as President,all certificates of membership and all contracts and other instruments. b) The Vice President shall assume the duties of President in his absence and assume such duties assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors. c)The Secretary shall: 1. Keep records and minutes of all board and membership meetings. 2. Be custodian of the corporate seal. 3. Keep the membership book showing the name of each member and pertinent information relative to each member. 4. Sign,where required,all corporate papers in conjunction with the President. d)The Treasurer shall: 915 15th Street,NW•4th Floor•Washington, D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•infb a]sister-cities.orq 4 ® SisterCities Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T I O N A L �g� � Connect globally.Thrive locally. al li l d�ng Your Sister Cities Program 1. Be the custodian of all funds of the Corporation depositing such funds in banks designated by the Board of Directors. 2. Disburse funds only as prescribed by the directors and in no instance,other than petty cash,except by bank,bearing the signature of either the President or Vice President in addition to that of the Treasurer. ARTICLE VII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section 1.The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the officers and members of the Board of Directors as chosen by the board. The President shall serve as the Chairman of the Executive Committee. Members shall serve for one year,or until their successors are chosen. Section 2.The Executive Committee shall transact all routine business and shall exercise all powers of the Board of Directors in the interim between its meetings,and shall report all actions to the Board of Directors. One-half of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. ARTICLE VIII:COMMITTEES Section 1. Sister City Committees:There shall be a sister city committee for each of the sister cities with which the City of(city name)has a formal relationship. Each committee shall be chaired by an elected representative from within the membership of that committee and shall have the primary responsibility for developing a program with its sister city in furtherance of the purposes established by this Corporation.The President shall serve as ex-officio member of each committee. Section 2,The President shall appoint a chairman to each of the following committees,with the approval of the Board of Directors: Membership, Public Relations,Fundraising, Municipal Relations Organizational Liaison, Cultural Programs and Exchanges,Trade and Commerce, Professional/Technical,Hosting, Education and Youth Exchange,Youth Chapter Advisor and Liaison with SCI. Each chairman shall serve for one year and may be reappointed by the President for a second year. (NOTE:Each committee included in your bylaws should be followed by a brief description of its responsibilities.) Section 3.The President shall have the powerto call for the establishment of ad hoc committees for such occasions as the election of officers(nominating committee)and the selection of additional sister cities(city selection committee). ARTICLE IX:ADMINISTRATION Section 1.Offices:The Corporation shall have and continuously maintain in the City of (city name),a registered office and a registered agent whose office is identical with such registered office. This office shall be located at (City Hall or another permanent office). Section 2, Fiscal Year:The fiscal year shall commence on the first day of January. 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-6630•(fax)202-347-8630•infoCosister-cities.org i r SISteriCitieS Member Toolkit I N T E R N A T 1 0 N A L Connect globally. Thrive locally. Building Your Sister Cities Program Section 3. Financial Records: Financial records shall be open for inspection upon the reasonable request of any member. A complete statement of receipts and expenditures shall be presented at the annual meeting. ARTICLE X:AMENDMENTS These bylaws may be altered or amended at any annual meeting of the members or at any other meeting called for that purpose,by a vote of a majority of a quorum at a meeting duly called. The written assent of a majority of the membership is effectual to repeal or amend any Bylaws or to adopt additional Bylaws without the necessity of a formal membership meeting. ADOPTED: AMENDED. AMENDED AND ADOPTED: 915 15th Street,NW-4th Floor•Washington,D.C. 20005• (tel)202-347-8630•(fax)202-347-8630•info(dtsister-cities.org Item Number: IP4. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Pending City Council Work Session Topics Attachments: Pending City Council Work Session Topics r r� CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS March 21, 2024 April 16,2024 • Presentation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission May 7.2024 • Joint meeting with Parks Commission to review public input on City Park Pool conceptual designs FY23-25 Strategic Plan Action Item Topics Requirine Council Discussion: • Explore legal steps to discourage or prevent bad faith and predatory property investors • Advance prioritized recommendations in the 2022 Affordable Housing Action Plan. Work with partners to undertake significant-scale affordable housing efforts • Develop a vision statement for a singular regional transit system with metro Johnson County entities and obtain initial commitments to study a regional system from each entity's elected officials • Evaluate with the State of Iowa reverting Dodge and Governor to 2-way streets Other Topics: • Quarterly American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA-SLRF)update • Consider a strategic plan decision-making framework • Develop strategies to address equity gaps noted in the Parks Master Plan and plan for the equitable distribution of destination parks within an easy and safe distance of all residents. • Discussion on the impact of land use decisions on long-term City financial health • Discussion on City Charter • Discussion of board and commission appointment process • UNESCO City of Literature update • Review of the City's utility discount program • License plate reader technology discussion • Local Option Sales Tax and other alternative revenue streams discussion • Affordable Housing discussion • Update on efforts of the Childcare Coalition • Funding for immigrant led or served community organizations • Air quality discussion Note:Some items on the Pending List may require staff research and information gathering prior to scheduling. Item Number: IP5. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Memo from City Clerk: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda Items for April 15 Attachments: Memo from City Clerk: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda Items for April 15 Ir:.®�a CITY OF IOWA CITY n� = Q=a� MEMORANDUM Date: March 26, 2024 To: Mayor and City Council From: Kellie Grace, City Clerk Re: Joint Entities Meeting Agenda Items for April 15 The next joint meeting with City Councils of Johnson County municipalities, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the Iowa City School District and neighboring school districts will be held on Monday, April 15, 2024. The meeting will be hosted by the City of Iowa City. Please come prepared to discuss agenda items you would like to include on that agenda at the next Council work session on April 2nd. A complete agenda and meeting date confirmation will be available in your packet preceding the April 15th Joint meeting. Item Number: IP6. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula Attachments: Memo from Neighborhood & Development Services Director: Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula r 1�^ham® I, CITY OF IOWA CITY ,� =,Zqh MEMORANDUM Date: March 25, 2024 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Tracy Hightshoe, Neighborhood & Development Services Director Re: Affordable Housing Fund — Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula In FY17 the City established an Affordable Housing Fund which dedicates local general funds for affordable housing projects and activities. The budget for the fund has been $1,000,000 annually since FY19. A 3% increase is proposed in the upcoming FY25 budget for a total of $1,030,000. The City uses a distribution formula to outline how funds will be utilized to support affordable housing in our community. The distribution formula is updated periodically with the existing version in place since FY20. Recently, the City increased financial support to Shelter House to provide low barrier overnight shelter adjacent to the GuideLink Center through the winter months. To incorporate this activity, staff recommends the following changes to the distribution formula: FY24 Budget: $1,000,000 FY25 Proposed Budget: $1,030,000 Existing Distribution Proposed Distribution 50% Housing Trust Fund (HTF) $500,000 49% Housing Trust Fund (HTF) 1 $500,000 20% HTF- LIHTC Projects $200,000 15% HTF- LIHTC Projects $150,000 7.5%Opportunity Fund $75,000 7.5% Opportunity Fund $75,000 7.5% Healthy Homes $75,000 4% Healthy Homes $45,000 10% Housing Placement Services 11% Housing Placement Services ($70,000 Security Deposit/$30,000 ($80,000 Security Deposits/ Landlord Risk Mitigation) $100,000 $30,000 Landlord Risk Mitigation) $110,000 5% Emergent Situation 1 $50,000 1 5% Emergent Situation $50,000 Winter Shelter $0 1 10%Winter Shelter $100,000 $1,000,000 $1,030,000 'Administration allowed is 8%for regular fund, 5%for LIHTC projects. Proposed FY25 HTF Administration total is $47,500. A description of the set asides are provided for your reference below, along with a discussion of any proposed changes in each category. Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County (49% regular allocation, 15% LIHTC)— Provides no interest or below market loans to support affordable housing projects such as construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental, owner occupied, and transitional housing as well as shelter facilities. Loan funds that are repaid to the Trust Fund continue to be utilized for additional affordable housing projects in the community. The Trust Fund accepts applications on a quarterly basis for housing projects that benefit households with incomes less than 80% of area median income (the vast majority of funded projects benefit households with 60% or less area median income). City funds must support projects located in Iowa City and encourage housing and residential facilities throughout all neighborhoods in Iowa City. March 28, 2024 Page 2 Staff recommends a reduction of the set-aside for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. The Trust Fund holds one allocation round for LIHTC projects annually. If needed, the Trust Fund can utilize their regular allocation to supplement a LIHTC application. Opportunity Fund (7.5%) - Funds set aside for affordable housing opportunities that arise throughout the year. Prior unutilized land banking funds (from original distribution formula) and unused funds from the Healthy Homes and Emergent Situations set asides are applied to the Opportunity Fund at the end of the fiscal year. The current balance of this set-aside is $208,000. The funds can be spent on the purchase of available land for affordable housing, but also new programs that address the safety and accessibility of existing homes. Recent examples of housing activities utilizing Opportunity Funds include the purchase of the 724 Ronalds St. for the ICCSD Student Built House, relocation assistance to Forest View residents not eligible for ARPA funds, and additional funding to the Security Deposit Assistance program administered by CommUnity Crisis Services during the pandemic. No changes are recommended for this set aside. Healthy Homes (4%) - Program provides up to $7,500 in rehabilitation assistance to improve indoor air quality to income eligible households, renter or owner occupied. In the last few years, we have seen a decline in the number of referrals from the school based clinics and medical offices for children with asthma or other respiratory problems. Due to the reduced referrals, the City has used these funds to assist CDBG, HOME or GRIP recipients improve indoor air quality if a resident in the home has a lung disorder such as asthma or COPD, as verified by a medical professional. Due to the decreased referrals, the proposed amount is reduced. If the funds are depleted, but needed to assist a household, funds can be taken from the Opportunity Fund if available. Staff recommends reducing this set aside from $75,000 to $45,000. Housing Placement Services (11%) - Dedicated to programs that assist tenants with low incomes and those who find it difficult to find housing due to various reasons such as prior evictions, criminal histories or bad landlord references. The City provides $70,000 for security deposit assistance, administered by CommUnity Crisis Services. Due to demand levels, the funds are typically depleted before the end of the fiscal year. Due to the high need for security deposit assistance, staff recommends increasing this set aside from $70,000 to $80,000. Partnering with Shelter House, a landlord risk mitigation fund was capitalized last year with $30,000. The funds provide a protection for landlords willing to rent to the tenants identified above by covering excessive damages, lost rent or legal fees incurred beyond the security deposit, up to $3,500. The program began in July 2023 and to date, four tenants have been housed with two property owners using the security of risk mitigation funds. At this time, no claims have been submitted against this fund. The committing of funds for the landlord risk mitigation program has had a slow start. Staff recommends that if these funds are not utilized in the prior year, the balance is applied to security deposit assistance. For example; if $5,000 is paid out in claims in FY24, in FY25 an additional $25,000 will be allocated to security deposit assistance and Shelter House will be paid $5,000 to restore the risk mitigation fund to $30,000. Emergent Situations (5%)— Reserved for emergent situations where housing assistance is needed urgently, the unanticipated cost is due to actions not within their control, and the applicant can't wait for other funding opportunities. Prior examples include relocation assistance to income qualified residents required to move due to a redevelopment project or a mobile home park closure, and winterization of mobile homes. March 28, 2024 Page 3 No changes are recommended for this set aside. Winter Shelter (10%) — Provides a temporary, low barrier shelter adjacent to the GuideLink Center for up to 40 additional beds for residents during the winter months. With increased financial support, Shelter House will operate the shelter for 15 weeks starting in December each year, maintain two employees present for all hours of operations, and have an employee with brain health and crisis services expertise available to serve the winter shelter exclusively. Staff recommends that 10% or $100,000 in FY25 be allocated to the winter shelter. Absent alternative direction, the above-described changes to the distribution formula will go in effect on July 1, 2024. � r ni TI rrr�at City Council Supplemental Meeting Packet CITY OF IOWA CITY April 2, 2024 Information submitted between distribution of the Supplemental Meeting Packet 1 (if any) on Monday and 3:00 pm on Tuesday. Late Handout(s) 9.a. Rezoning - 302-316 E Bloomington Street - Local Historic Landmark - See Protest of Rezoning from Gary Skarda and correspondence from the following: Northside Marketplace Business owners, Jaque McClure, Bobby Jett, Margaret Eginton Carmichael, Marybeth Slonneger, Kasey & Dennis Befeler, Paul Jensen, Emmaline R Light, Lynda Leidiger, Amy Weismann 9.c. Rezoning - 1810, 1816, and 1828 Lower Muscatine Rd - See correspondence from Joan and Tom Cook 10.i. Assessment Schedule - See revised Exhibit A /iP6. 1 Memo from NDS Director - Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes to / the Distribution Formula - See correspondence from Ellen McCabe. April 2, 2024 City of Iowa City Item Number: IP6. CITY OF OF IOWA CITY � fil COUNCIL ACTION REPORT April 2, 2024 Memo from NDS Director - Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes to the Distribution Formula - See correspondence from Ellen McCabe. Attachments: IP6 Correspondence from Ellen McCabe Ashley Platz ` p From: Kellie Grace Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 3:08 PM Late Handouts Distributed To: Ashley Platz Subject: Fwd:Affordable Housing Fund - Proposed Changes Please revise the late handouts to include Mayor Teague's request. (Date) Kellie Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Bruce Teague<bteague@iowa-city.org> Date:April 2,2024 at 3:06:21 PM CDT To: Kellie Grace<KGrace@iowa-city.org> Subject: Fwd:Affordable Housing Fund-Proposed Changes Kellie, Please ensure this is in late handouts for council. In Unity, Mayor Bruce Teague Begin forwarded message: From: emccabe@htfjc.org Date:April 1,2024 at 5:03:43 PM CDT To:*City Council<CityCouncit@iowa-city.org> Cc:Tracy Hightshoe<THightshoe@iowa-city.org>, Erika Kubly<ekubly@iowa- city.org>, Geoff Fruin<GFruin@iowa-city.org>,emccabe@hMc.org, Ellen Habet <ehabet@coralville.org>,Crissy Canganelli<crissy@shelterhouseiowa.org>, jessica@jcaffordablehousing.org Subject:Affordable Housing Fund-Proposed Changes RISK **This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system.Please take extra care opening any links or attachments.** Dear Mayor, City Councilors,and City Staff, Regarding the proposed changes to theAffordabte Housing Fund's distribution formula, I am compelled to share the downstream impact of the recommendation included in the March 28 Information Packet. 1 Transferring$50,000 away from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocation will result in a minimum of one fewer residence that would be income restricted for 30 years. In addition,while the City of Iowa City is no longer permitted by the State of Iowa to require landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers,the Housing Trust Fund is able to require this important component of affordable housing as a condition of accepting funding awards. In addition to the loss of at least one unit of housing,the 5%operational support attached to this specific funding is the lowest of our funding sources. Atthe same time, LIHTC projects require a substantial amount of work once the City refers interested parties to the Housing Trust Fund. The Trust Fund assists LIHTC applicants and simultaneously pushes them to get the most out of the projects with the funding available. For example,the most recent LIHTC applicant in Iowa City proposed to have all rental units for those with incomes below 60%of the Area Median Income(AMI)level which is toward the higher end of the low-income spectrum. We strongly advised that they include units at the below 40%AMI level(very low income)and they did within their final application.The applicant proposed that all below 40%units be one-bedroom units.The Trust Fund stipulated that those units be split between one-,two-and three-bedroom units to accommodate larger families. In Furthermore,the applicant proposed that the development be affordable for 15 years and the Trust Fund's award of$1,500,000 required the development to be affordable for 30 years.The Trust Fund is committed to serving those with the lowest incomes for as long as possible,whenever possible. Once LIHTC funding is awarded by the Iowa Finance Authoritythe development of loan documents is complicated as there are multiple funding partners and attorneys involved. The Housing Trust Fund goes onto provides support and oversight for the 30-year affordability period once projects materialize.We collect loan payments and award the principal paid to subsequent projects to create and preserve housing that is affordable through the Revolving Loan program. The$2,500 loss of operational funding being proposed is significant.The Trust Fund, with operational expenses that are not stagnant(auditing,accounting, insurance, rent, computer infrastructure, payroll, benefits, etc.),will need to coverthe proposed reduction through interest rates charged to those receiving funding awards. The Trust Fund will need to consider charging interest on loans that would have been at zero percent for smaller not-for-profit organizations serving those with very low incomes and/or increasing the below market interest rates attached to loans for larger not-for-profit organizations,etc. We absolutely agree with your decision to increase support for the Winter Shelter. And,we needed to let you know that the proposed action will have an impact on the development of long-term affordable housing on severalfronts. I will be present at the Work Session tomorrow should you have any questions. Thank you for your ongoing and admirable commitment to affordable housing, Ellen McCabe Executive Director 2 Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County (319)358-0212 phone P.O. Box 2446 Iowa City, IA 52240 PLEASE NOTE:THIS EMAIL IS SENT TO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH TIME-SENSITIVE INFORMATION.TO AVOID AN UNINTENDED "MEETING' IN VIOLATION OF THE IOWA OPEN MEETINGS ACT, PLEASE DO NOT"REPLY TO ALL." IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE CALL THE CITY MANAGERS OFFICE AT(319) 356-5010. 3 Item Number: IP7. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 2023-2024 Iowa City Deer Management Annual Report Attachments: 2023-2024 Iowa City Deer Management Annual Report 2023 - 2024 CITY OF IOWA CITY DEER MANAGEMENT ANNUAL REPORT The Iowa City City Council adopted a 5-year Deer Management Plan in 2019. This plan was developed in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and local public input and was approved through the Iowa Natural Resource Commission. The Plan includes one year of professional sharpshooting, four years of urban bow hunts, and ongoing public education. To learn more, visit www.icgov.org/deer. CONTENTS Background Deer Collisions + Complaints Non-Lethal Deer Management Deer Depredation Results Aerial Deer Survey Analysis & Looking Ahead BACKGROUND Iowa City's Deer Management Plan was formed in response to resident concerns about deer in urban and suburban areas. A deer count survey conducted in 2018 revealed the urban deer population had tripled since the City ceased its deer management program in 2010. After coordinating with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and soliciting public input, the City Council adopted a Deer Management Plan in 2019. This plan was submitted to the Iowa Natural Resource Commission (NRC) and included one year of professional sharpshooting, four years of urban bow hunts, and ongoing public education. A full timeline and history of the City's deer management response is available at www.icgov.org/deer. Public Input In 2018, a deer committee was formed of City staff and community members. On August 14, approximately 60 community members attended a public input meeting held to discuss deer population management. Staff offered additional opportunities to provide input for those unable to attend the public forum. This input, in addition to DNR and NRC feedback, formed the basis for the 5-year deer management plan approved by City Council in August 2019. In August 2020, City staff met with members of the Iowa City Deer Friends to receive feedback and incorporate their input into the rules for the 2020-2021 urban bow hunt. Members of the public also addressed the City Council during four City Council meetings at which the urban bow hunt rules and deer feeding ordinance were considered and approved. In July 2022, the City held a Deer Management Listening Session with City staff, DNR staff, the media, and members of the public. City staff provided an overview of the history and current deer management strategies and then opened the floor for public comment and questions. A summary of the comments is available in the 2022-2023 Deer Management Annual Report. Additionally, DNR staff shared the success of urban bow hunts in other Iowa communities. Finally, City staff encouraged participants to promote opportunities for both property owners and hunters to contact the City if they are interested in being involved in the hunt and shared that it will begin updating its deer management plan which expires in 2024. In July 2023, the City again solicited public input on its deer management efforts. By August 8, the City had received 43 comments, the majority of which expressed concerns about deer damage to property, dangers to drivers, and concerns about the spread of disease. Notably, several were long-term residents who provided longitudinal perspective observing a considerable uptick in deer levels in the last two to three years. 23 commenters explicitly supported lethal methods of management, 13 explicitly supported another round of sharpshooting, and 2 explicitly opposed any method of lethal management. Members of the public are also invited to provide ongoing input on the City's deer management activities by contacting City staff through a dedicated email or City Council members. Typically, this correspondence occurs when a property owner experiences a deer-related issue and wishes to share suggestions for managing the deer population. The City reports its deer management and population estimates to City Council annually and makes the report publicly available. In addition, residents may address councilors during the public comment period at any regular City Council meeting. State Collaboration The City maintains close collaboration with staff from the DNR regarding implementation of the Long-Term Deer Management Plan. The City has sought input from DNR staff before and after the previous urban bow hunts and have incorporated many of their suggestions. In preparation for the 2023-2024 urban bow hunt season, City staff again sought input from the DNR to discuss strategies for improving the effectiveness of the bow hunt program. The outcome of this collaboration was a pilot program allowing bow hunting on specifically designated public property, beginning with a portion of Sand Prairie Park at 1150 Covered Wagon Drive. City Council also set forth a process to designate additional public properties in the future. This feedback has been essential and has fostered continued growth and interest in the City's urban bow hunt program. Both City and DNR staff recognize that shifting social and political comfort levels with the program in Iowa City is a work in progress. Staff intend to continue refining the urban bow hunt program in collaboration with the DNR and NRC. However, the City believes it is necessary to pursue sharpshooting in targeted areas to help manage growing deer levels in the short-term while the Urban Bow Hunt program continues to grow and gain traction as a sustainable deer management tool. DEER COLLISIONS & COMPLAINTS Vehicle & Deer Collisions Between January 1, 2023 and December 31 , 2023, the Iowa City Police Department received 27 calls for service involving vehicular collisions with deer, with the associated total estimated damage costs totaling $104,400. All deer/vehicle accidents resulted in a call-for-service to police (minor collisions may be dealt with without police involvement). An interactive map ' Vehicle- Deero« ° showing locations of • • • . � • • vehicle-deer �. a • . • ' • collisions over the 1, - years is available at * j k • www.icqov.org/deer . • Ua,..R Iowa city 1 • man ee n.,. um.mziey ecoa sr xon nn 'F• MagM1b � W� •ns. py n est y ® • r West Lucas • a • • a i t �vF r Ji® 9 e d4 0 Eest Wcea reenway +�^. rage Se GW Oseyr51 s1 e HSE 2023 Vehicle-Deer Collisions (Iowa City Police Department) Date Location of Deer Collision Total Estimated Damage 1/2/2023 Mormon Trek Blvd $3,000 1/2/2023 Scott Blvd $2,500 1/17/2023 Dubuque St $1,500 2/2/2023 Mormon Trek Blvd $1,000 2/21/2023 2901 Melrose Ave $2,000 3/27/2023 218/93 S Bound $3,000 4/18/2023 Dubuque St $2,500 4/27/2023 Scott Blvd $5,000 5/11/2023 Foster Rd $2,500 5/13/2023 US 218 N/91 $5,000 5/13/2023 US 218 S/95.3 $4,000 5/25/2023 US 218 N $10,000 6/4/2023 US 218 N $2,000 6/7/2023 US 218 S $3,000 8/6/2023 1stAve/Ma field Rd $1,000 9/29/2023 US 6 W $3,000 9/29/2023 Mormon Trek Blvd $3,500 10/3/2023 IA 1 N $1,900 10/6/2023 180 West $2,000 10/10/2023 Ramp 180 E to IA 1N and 180E $3,000 10/11/2023 Dubuque St $4,000 10/22/2023 180 East $6,000 10/24/2023 Hanks Dr/Herbert Hoover Hwy $1,500 10/29/2023 180 East $26,000 11/21/2023 McCollister Blvd $2,000 12/20/2023 Camp Cardinal Blvd $2,000 12/6/2023 Keokuk Stand Keokuk Ct $1,500 Number of Deer-Vehicle Collisions in Iowa City 70 - 60 51 54 58 57 50 40 30 28 27 20 14 10 • 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2023 Deer-Related Calls and Complaints The City received 19 emailed comments and complaints related to deer in 2023. While this is two less than the number received in 2022, it is still higher than the number of complaints received in 2020 and 2021 combined. In addition, the City received several phone calls (which are not tracked as closely) and 12 deer-related complaints submitted through ICgovXpress, a digital platform allowing residents to report general concerns to the City. Nearly all emails from residents 2023 Map of Known expressed frustration that deer DYYA Q Q Complaint Locations population levels were too high, LANDIINGR concerns about traffic hazards and disease, complaints about landscapingR!v HOOVER and garden damage, and views that Ov. _ the City's needs to enhance current n MANN Q e y e �t�P deer management efforts. Notably, _ � � � multiple complaints mentioned y.,l,-, t =xuso sl 90 xfi EWasNiiplor -I observing groups of deer as large as yfa ekty � v ECo""5` LEMME 15 in their yards, and some individuals Lf'::E'iiy A u g �p� �{T shared longitudinal perspectives that � a deer-related issues have been s- K;, 00dF� 'hineA:aA F f4 r worsening, especially in the past two to _,ROOSEVeLT Q three years. In addition to concerns from the public, the City of Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department has reported that deer have become a significant threat to urban tree health in general and frequently observes damage to public trees caused by deer. NON-LETHAL DEER MANAGEMENT Iowa City's Long-Term Deer Management Plan includes a series of activities for the City to provide, consider, or develop. Non-lethal management actions taken to date include: • Publishing of a comprehensive set of deer I management related content at www.icgov.org/deer, which includes background , information, FAQs, non-lethal management tips, eer I&IIII links to resources, a map of deer-vehicle collisions, and other content referenced in the Long-Term Deer Management Plan. I1� it I • Passing an ordinance which prohibits the feeding of deer and issuing periodic communications irom becoming an all-you-can-eat buffet. notifying residents. • Issuing utility-bill inserts, news releases, and Sample section of social media posts that advise residents how to press release, April 2022 minimize deer damage using non-lethal methods. Currently, there are five Deer Crossing signs installed within Iowa City limits to help advise motorists to take extra caution. These are located at Dubuque Street, north of Linder Road; Dubuque Street, south of the 1-80 bridge; Rochester Avenue, east of First Avenue; Rochester Avenue, west of Scott Boulevard; and Dodge Street, west of ACT Circle. In an effort to deter deer from browsing on City-maintained plantings, the City has adopted a practice of planting allium species in place of more deer-friendly vegetation, such as hostas. DEER DEPREDATION RESULTS The Long-Term Deer Management Plan adopted by City Council and submitted to the Iowa NRC includes one year of professional sharpshooting and a bow hunt in years 2020 — 2024. Deer Harvest Summary by Year Year Hunters Tags Buck Incentive Deer Approved Purchased Earned Harvested 2019— 2020 Sharpshooting n/a n/a n/a 500 2020- 2021 Urban Bow Hunt 5 14 0 3 2021 — 2022 Urban Bow Hunt 5 15 1 4 2022 — 2023 Urban Bow Hunt 12 46 6 29 2023- 2024 Urban Bow Hunt 16 51 7 32 2019 — 2020 Professional Sharpshooting The City contracted with White Buffalo Inc., a wildlife management organization, to conduct the 2019-2020 professional sharpshooting deer cull. White Buffalo Inc. provided a full report of the cull results in March 2020. Approximately 500 deer were harvested through the sharpshoot. The meat from the deer (estimated to be approximately 30,000 pounds) was tested for safety by the Iowa DNR and then processed and donated to local food banks. 2020 — 2021 Urban Bow Hunt A total of 14 tags were purchased between the five approved hunters. Of those tags, three deer were harvested during the 2020-2021 urban bow hunt. All the deer were harvested on private property per the hunt rules. 2021 — 2022 Urban Bow Hunt A total of 15 tags were purchased between the five approved hunters. Of those tags, four deer were harvested on private property per the hunt rules and one buck incentive was earned. Prior to the 2021 — 2022 season, the City implemented several changes to the program as recommended by the DNR staff, including: lengthening the application period, opening the hunt season earlier, and increasing the quota from 75 deer to 200 deer. 2022 — 2023 Urban Bow Hunt The application period, quota, and season duration changes implemented in the previous bow hunt were maintained. Additionally, the City introduced new outreach efforts based on recommendations from DNR staff, best practices in other communities, and public input. These included asking private property owners to submit their interest in providing land for hunters which the City would use to help connect approved hunters with cooperative property owners; City outreach to key property owners in targeted areas with high deer densities; and collaboration with a local outfitter to promote the hunt with local hunting, outdoorsmen, and sportsmen groups. As a result, two private properties with large natural areas participated in the hunt, which improved hunter participation and significantly increased the number of deer harvested. Several other property owners expressed interest in participating in the future, but a few who expressed interest were deemed ineligible due to the 150' separation requirement. 2023 — 2024 Urban Bow Hunt All policies implemented in the 2022-2023 bow hunt were maintained. Additionally, City Council began allowing hunting on specifically identified public lands as recommended by DNR staff. Under the change, any new public properties recommended for use would be presented to City Council each year prior to the annual bow hunt season. During the 2023-2024 season, City Council approved the use of Sand Prairie Park at 1150 Covered Wagon Drive. The City's 2022- 2023 bow hunt season began on September 14, 2023, and ended on January 10, 2024. The City of Iowa City accepted applications for bow hunters until October 20, 2023. 16 hunters applied and all were accepted for the hunt. All approved hunters held a valid DNR hunting license, completed the required qualifications at Fin & Feather, and submitted the appropriate paperwork with the City regarding their hunt locations. A total of 51 tags were purchased, 45 of which were for antlerless deer. In total, 32 deer were harvested during the hunt. All the deer were harvested per the hunt rules. Seven hunters earned buck incentive tags, which means those hunters will be eligible for a buck tag for the 2024-2025 urban bow hunt season. Doe Button Buck Buck Total Harvest 866190879 3 1 4 712186386 1 1 4465621 3 3 1738095 3 1 4 2672145-455268 3 3 1000522239 0 586414070 3 1 4 2617694 2 2 1000277157 3 3 626058457 1 1 4446548 2 2 1000406124 0 RED100276 0 833696107 1 1 416035897 1 1 1000333634 3 3 Total harvested: 29 3 32 There was one complaint about the placement of a deer stand. Even though the stand was placed within the rules, the hunter agreed to move it to avoid conflict with the complainant. No reporting violations occurred. The voluntary participation of large private property owners and limited use of public lands resulted in continued growth in the number of deer harvested over prior years. However, it is important not to depend too heavily on private property owners as their participation is entirely voluntary and could change from year to year. As such, staff anticipates expanding the use of public lands for the 2024-2025 bow hunt following the process approved by City Council. AERIAL DEER SURVEY The Iowa DNR did not conduct an aerial deer survey in Iowa City for 2024 due to unconducive weather conditions. However, the City is initiating discussions with the DNR to identify alternative methods of tracking deer populations in the future to prevent reliance on a single data source. As a result, the most current deer survey data is from February 2023, at which time 382 deer were observed in all zones. Prior to that year, deer density estimates were also provided by zone, but DNR staff advised that the best data is the trend in observed deer numbers over a long period of time. Consequently, density estimates are no longer included. The DNR also advises that aerial surveys provide a snapshot of levels but that a variety of factors influence the day-to-day movement of deer throughout the area. Variance in numbers from aerial surveys year to year can be due to variables such as weather, food availability, days of snow cover, or other factors. Iowa City Aerial Survey: Deer Observed by Year (all zones) 800 698 700 604 615 600 556 563 m 500 415 0 400 351 382 318 302 'm 300 0 239 201 200 100 0 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2007 2008 2021 2022 2023 Note:Professional sharpshooting to manage deer occurred in 2000— 2009 and ceased in 2010. One year of professional sharpshooting was again completed in 2020 and culled approximately 500 deer. 000C i& 0 d 1 I a ANALYSIS & LOOKING AHEAD Looking holistically at the variety of datasets collected by the City (including deer-vehicle collisions, location of public complaints, and the aerial deer survey), top areas of concern for deer population levels include the belt stretching from Manville Heights east through Morningside-Glendale and Washington Hills and north around Hickory Hill Park and the Bluffwood/Shimek neighborhoods. While recruiting property owners for the last two bow hunts, the City identified potential bow hunting areas in Iowa City which met the 150' separation requirements. Fortunately, the participation of a few large property owners in the northeast region of Iowa City, where population levels are estimated to be the highest, resulted in a higher deer harvest count in the past two bow hunts. However, it is important to remember that property owner participation is voluntary and not guaranteed from year to year. Should one of these properties change use, ownership or otherwise decline to participate in future bow hunts, it is unlikely the City would see similar harvest results. As such, the lack of eligible hunting land in Iowa City remains a top concern about the City's ability to effectively manage deer population levels moving forward. The current Long-Term Deer Management Plan concluded with a final 2023-2024 urban bow hunt. The City is in the process of preparing for the 2024-2025 urban bow hunt and planning for a new deer management plan to be reviewed by the Natural Resource Commission in summer 2024. Item Number: IP8. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Animal Services Officer Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Animal Services Officer I � i ®4 ski CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 19) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org March 19, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination —Animal Services Officer Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Animal Services Officer. Amiah DeWolf Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wyss, Chair Item Number: IP9. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker II - Streets Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker II - Streets � � 1 " Jccc CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icg0v.0rg March 19, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker II — Streets Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker II — Streets. 1. Colton Tvedte 2. Christopher Stransky Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wyss, Chair Item Number: IP10. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker III - Streets Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Maintenance Worker III - Streets -tee. t- CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (3 19) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgov.org March 19, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker III — Streets Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker I I I — Streets. Ethan Krob Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick WysChair Item Number: IP11. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Mass Transit Operator Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Mass Transit Operator I r I III 0% Amio CITY OF IOWA CITY 910 East Washington Street Iowa Cily, Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.tcgov.arg March 19, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Mass Transit Operator Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person{s} as eligible for the position of Mass Transit Operator. Tammie Cathery Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wy;s, Chair Item Number: IP12. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Civil Service Examination: Operations Supervisor - Transportation Services Attachments: Civil Service Examination: Operations Supervisor - Transportation Services � r CITY OF IOWA CITY 416 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org March 19, 2024 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Operations Supervisor — Transportation Services Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Operations Supervisor— Transportation Services. Kennith Gatlin Iowa City Civil Service Commission Rick Wys , Chair Item Number: IP13. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 18 Attachments: Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission: March 18 March 18, 2024 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Wright House of Fashion Commissioners present: Louis Tassinary, Chad Simmons, Amos Kiche, Cliff Johnson, Chastity Dillard, Lauren Merritt, Wangui Gathua. Commissioners not present: Sikowis Nobiss. Staff present: Redmond Jones, Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 5:57 PM. Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Merritt read the Land Acknowledgement. Data Collected on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and What it May Reveal about Racial Injustice in Iowa City: Larry Schooler started with a review of the commission's agreements and considerations. The presentation referenced other TRCs and their work including Greensboro's TRC and their research strategies, Canada's TRC work related to indigenous people. Schooler then passed writing pads out for individuals to write down their thoughts on what a fact-tinding standard may be. The responses were read out loud and discussed amongst the commission. Slides from the previous meeting were reviewed to give context for the information presented in this meeting. New information presented included, ICPD traffic stops by race in the year of 2022 and 2023, a breakdown of the type of call for police service, and an additional potentially relevant case regarding racial profiling by police in Iowa City. Commissioners were given time to ask questions and have an open discussion concerning the data in the presentation and request additional information. Some of which included, additional information on disproportionate stops, individualized data on traffic stops, additional organizations doing similar work, fact-tinding survey sources, case investigations (unsolved suspicious deaths by race), police budgeting and public safety funding. The discussion was followed by an additional writing activity that invited commissioners to write down their conclusions based on the data they have received from the presentations. Preliminary Consensus on What to Include in a Future Final Report: Main conclusions shared included there is missing data that would help to better understand the ways in which the police protect the community,the ICPD is making an effort to improve their policing of all communities and reduce bias, a desire to see more detailed information on missing data, disproportionality in stops, locations, arrests and equity, and inadequacy in diversity on the police force and within diversity training. Additional conclusions found were a need for greater funding of health/health impacts and more data on discretionary and non-discretionary stops. Community data was also mentioned as a direction to move in. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM. To view the recording or listen to the audio of this meeting, visit this link. 1 O N b b b b rl N V �-I z 0 .. -. N M O CJ o 9 m F 0 �••, Gl a � N � M P. �. �. P. �. d �. P. � W N A C„J i./ Q U � ^��]i Gly P, �. �. P, �. d �. P, [�:=WyJ] W `I F F F � M a d � a N d � a I.: F � x � .. N a � a � N � a N P-i � P-i N N � d Q ti � Q.I 'y N � d � N � a .n.l yl �.d '� Py � N N N N N N N N � � O N7C a � N W M M M M M M M M M N N N N N N N N N ^�� �� �� A h R � �+ � W z ',°, e d ° a � � E a A C� � .°, > � Z � F� Item Number: IP14. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Library Board of Trustees: February 22 Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: February 22 ii�IOWA CITY r4W PUBLIC LIBRARY Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 22, 2024 111 Floor - Meeting Room D Regular Meeting - 5:00 PM DRAFT Tom Rocklin - President Joseph Massa John Raeburn DJ Johnk -Vice President Claire Matthews Dan Stevenson Hannah Shultz-Secretary Robin Paetzold Members Present:Joseph Massa,Claire Matthews,Robin Paetzold,John Raeburn,Tom Rocklin,Hannah Shultz,Dan Stevenson. Members Absent: DJ Johnk. Staff Present: Elsworth Carman,Sam Helmick,Anne Mangano,Brent Palmer,Jason Paulios,Angie Pilkington,Katie Roche,Jen Royer. Guests Present: None. Gall Meeting to Order. Rocklin called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm.A quorum was present. Approval of February 22, 2824 Board Meeting Agenda. Shultz made a motion to approve the February 22,2024 Board Meeting Agenda.Raeburn seconded.Motion passed 6/0. Public Discussion. None. Items to be Discussed. Director Evaluation.Carman presented a letter to the Board requesting his evaluation be conducted in a closed session.Stevenson made a motion to adjourn the meeting pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.5.1.i for the purposes of evaluating the Library Director.Shultz seconded.Motion passed 6/0. The meeting closed at 5:03 pm.Massa entered the closed session. Rocklin reconvened the meeting at 5:44 PM.The evaluation committee recommended increasing Carman's salary by 3.25%.Stevenson made a motion to approve the salary increase.Massa seconded. Motion passed 710. Policy Review:601 Collection Development.Mangano noted a small change to the policy and clarified the policy will keep to its regular review schedule.Mangano said this small and impactful change and will help staff be more upfront about what donations are accepted.Shultz asked how many gifts the library accepts. Mangano said several a week. Roche said many of the donations unfortunately cannot be accepted and staff would like to be respectful to donors. I{you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting,please contact len Royer,Iowa City Public Library,at 379-887-6003 or renniler-royerrc°tor¢ Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. 4*54 IOWA CITY PUBLIC Matthews exited at 5:45 pm. Rocklin clarified that books would still be accepted for the Friends Foundation but not for the collection.Roche agreed and shared books would still be accepted for the bookstore.Raeburn asked why an exception was needed in the policy language.Mangano shared the goal of building up the world languages collection,which is hard to do with current vendors.Mangano wishes to be able to communicate specific collection needs to ICPL Development staff who could then look for those donations.Roche said we will be able to build special relationships and pathways for this development. Shultz made a motion to approve the changes to policy 601 Collection Development.Raeburn seconded. Motion passed 6/0. Policy Review:812 Hours of Service.Raeburn expressed amazement at the number of times the policy has changed.Rocklin noted the requested revisions were to the policy history only.Stevenson made a motion to approve policy 812 Hours of Service.Shultz seconded.Motion passed 610. Set Calendar for Next Fiscal Year.Paetzold asked if the Block Party should be included. Pilkington said this was in the calendar the first year of the Block Party but in the past few hours haven't been extended.The past few years Carman,Palmer,Royer,and a few hourly staff have kept only the lobby open.The first year the library was kept open attendance was much lower than anticipated. Matthews entered at 5:50 pm. Paetzold asked if any union concerns were expected.Carman said no,in the past three years the library didn't stay open except for air conditioning,bathrooms,the lobby,and meeting rooms.Union staff are not expected to work.Matthews asked why the building sometimes closes at 4,5,or 6 pm and noted Veterans Day. Carman said the Library has defined holiday hours as 10-6,City holiday hours are 10-5,and closing at pm on Christmas Eve has been done historically.Paulios said there would be an impact if we extended hours to 10-6 as we would need additional staffing hours.Paetzold made a motion to approve the FY25 Building Calendar. Shultz seconded. Motion passed 7/0. Review Draft of Advocacy Committee Letter.Matthews noted the draft of the letter had become outdated quickly.Paetzold said the outdating is a bigger issue in itself.Matthews said this is an extensive draft and the spirit of it is still important.Matthews noted the length of the letter was too long and welcomed editing from Raeburn.Stevenson said the length of the letter was fair at one page.Paetzold asked how comfortable others were with the context of the letter. Paetzold said a challenge of the committee was they had pressing needs but in the time available to get the Board together to sign off,the letter became irrelevant. Paetzold said when the letter is reviewed the process of making a statement needs to be taken into consideration.The committee can't send an email to everyone because it would violate Open Meeting laws.Paetzold felt it was hard to let the issue sit and fizzle when the issue at hand was the existence of Library Boards.Paetzold requested input from Trustees on the letter and the feedback process.Shultz expressed comfort in emergency meetings.Massa agreed.Stevenson said Trustees only need 24 hours and a quorum for a special meeting.Paetzold asked if emergency meetings could be held via Zoom.Shultz said this was covered in the Bylaws review. Paetzold felt the issue at hand was not over and is an issue about local control in which the Board needs to take a stand. Paetzold shared Helmick can speak to this issue in detail. Massa asked if the bill would be dropped.Matthews said it was paused in the House,it had been voted in subcommittee and was paused in addendums,before going to the full committee.Matthews said there is another one in the Senate which is similar.Both are about who is in control of banning books and in response to Pella,IA.Paetzold said the context the ILA is taking is to avoid the book banning issue and focusing on local control and allocation of funding.Paetzold said ILA Lobby Day is on March 5th and there will be opportunity to speak with legislators.Matthews shared that Helmick said the pause is for more communication after March 51" Ifyou will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting,please contact Jen Royer,Iowa City Public Library,at 379-887-6003 or iennifer-roomer rco[org, Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. 400 IOWA CITY when ILA has met with legislators.Paetzold noted anyone can add comments to bills online. People were stunned to see the outcry across the state influence the stall of SSB 3168 and HSB 678. Massa noted Iowa City Council is not on the list of cities opposed to these bills and asked if any of the Council Members had said anything. Paetzold said the City Council Consortium is a little mixed but there are other City leaders saying don't do this. Paetzold noted Iowa City has been silent and believes there has been a fear of retribution. Carman said Redmond Jones frequently works with lobbyists and is in conversation about these bills.Carman sent Redmond Jones,Geoff Fruin,and Bruce Teague a message to make sure the legislation was on their radar and were aware of actions they could take with the petition.Carman suggested they could reach out to the City of Iowa City's Lobbyist or the League of Cities. Massa noted Iowa City,Cedar Rapids,and Des Moines were not on the list of cities opposed.Paetzold said one thing cities could be thinking is that if there are no longer designated funds at their discretion to do what they want with they might feel it is appropriate with their own city budget being decreased. Paetzold said if they want to increase their police force,funds that could have been designated to the Library previously could start going into those structures.However,that is not how the funds are generally voted on.Rocklin said he would imagine larger cities would be more comfortable with a semiautonomous Board.Rocklin said on the other hand when he worked at the University, bills would bubble up and there would be thousands of things they wanted lobbyist on,and the University would rightly focus on two of them.Rocklin said maybe that is the city's attitude too. Paetzold said libraries are different because they focus on intellectual freedom and protecting part of the democratic base.Matthews wondered if cities were interested in not having to have a public vote to utilize the money.Paetzold said the work of the Library Board would fall on City staff who are already heavily tasked if the bills go through.Shultz said in the past when Iowa City has signed petitions legislators have intentionally gone after the legislation and by not signing this the city is making a bigger statement.Rocklin suggested editing the letter in a more general way so future changes could be accommodated. Rocklin suggested publishing before March 51h.Matthews noted a special meeting would be required.Paetzold clarified this was a great deadline so it was ready before Lobby Day on March 511.Matthews felt the purpose of the letter was to encourage others to make a one-line statement on the bill in opposition.Rocklin said the intent was to share there is a great system in place with Library Boards being stewards of precious community resources and giving this to city councils will put these resources at risk. Paetzold clarified the ending paragraph should be a call to action and Rocklin agreed.Stevenson agreed with the letter and suggested more general language.Massa was surprised that conservative Iowans were wanting to centralize this,knowing they like local control.Rocklin said right now a community can have a referendum to vote.Matthews said currently City Council appoints Library Trustees;they have a say.Paetzold noted two communities have already have Advisory Boards.Rocklin suggested Trustees contribute editorial thoughts to Paetzold and Matthews who could then schedule a special meeting. Staff Reports. Director's Report.Carman gave huge credit to the number of library staff who are paying attention and up to date on fast moving legislation.Carman gave a brief CIP update.Going into the project staff believed the Boardroom table was solid wood and learned that it was not,there is a visible mar on the table.Carman is carrying on with the project and hopes to make good use of the resources available. Carman noted the details of the Board vacancy.For gender balance the vacant spot does need to be a female- identified person.Carman noted gender balance on Boards is also being discussed in legislation.Rocklin urged Trustees to encourage others to apply.Paetzold acknowledged the value and leadership Lucy Santos Green brought to the Library Board. Departmental Reports:Children's Services.None. Collection.Paetzold said Mangano's report had been shared across the state in multiple places. Rocklin Ifyou will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting,please contact Jen Royer,Iowa City Public Library,at 319-887-5003 or iennifer-ravergWptora. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. 491%,*IOWA CITY sr4W PUBI IC LIBRARY thanked Mangano. IT. None. Development Report.Rocklin said Roche was ahead on fundraising goals.Roche noted advocacy on upcoming ticket sales would be appreciated and was thankful for Rocklin and Barb McFadden's advocacy. Miscellaneous:News Articles.None. President's Report. Appoint Nominating Committee.Matthews,Raeburn,and Stevenson served on the committee and will present a slate of officers at the April meeting. Rocklin encouraged Trustees to attend Looking Forward fundraisers with authors Dave Eggers and Ilyon Woo. Rocklin encouraged Trustees to consider making a donation to the Friends Foundation. Announcements from Members. Paetzold thanked staff for their time and energy on legislative issues;they've demonstrated tremendous leadership.Matthews agreed and thanked staff for their comments and viewpoints.Paetzold said the ALA presidency election is coming up and everyone should look at the candidates as Helmick is on the ballot. Paetzold noted Trustee ALA membership is supported by the Library and that trustees should speak with Royer if interested in joining. Committee Reports. Raeburn said the Finance committee met and will review finances after each quarter on the Thursday before the Board meeting at 5 pm.They aim to consult and advise the Library Director if he feels a need for it.The Finance Committee will share quarterly reports. Raeburn is on the Friends Committee and said money is coming in. Communications. None. Consent Agenda.Shultz noticed an error in the minutes and noted the Consent Agenda vote should be 810 and not 8170.Shultz made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda with the proposed edit.Matthews seconded.Motion passed 7/0. Set Agenda Order for March Meeting. Rocklin shared the Community Relations policy,Library Programs policy,and departmental reports will be reviewed in March. Adjournment. Rocklin adjourned the meeting at 6:27 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jen Royer If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting,please contact Jen Royer,Iowa City Public Library,at 379-887-6003 or ienniler-rover0irol.oro. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. | . r . . . , . , . , \ . r , . . . , . . , } . . . . . . , . , Item Number: IP15. CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT March 28, 2024 Library Board of Trustees: February 29 Attachments: Library Board of Trustees: February 29 4d@&IOWA CITY SW PUBLIC UBRAPY Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 29, 2024 Jit Floor - Storytime Room Special Meeting - 5:00 PM DRAFT Tom Rocklin - President Joseph Massa John Raeburn D1 Johnk —Vice President Claire Matthews Dan Stevenson Hannah Shultz-Secretary Robin Paetzold Members Present: DJ Johnk,Claire Matthews, Robin Paetzold,John Raeburn,Tom Rocklin,Hannah Shultz,Dan Stevenson. Members Absent:Joseph Massa. Staff Present: Elsworth Carman,Sam Helmick,Angie Pilkington,Jen Royer. Guests Present: None. Call Meeting to Order. Rocklin called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm.A quorum was present. Approval of February 29, 2024 Board Meeting Agenda. Public Discussion. None. Items to be Discussed. Discuss Advocacy Letter on HS8678.Rocklin asked Trustees to read the drafted letter. Helmick entered 5:03 pm. Matthews said the committee is hoping to get the letter out by March 511.Paetzold said it should be published in the next day,so it is ready for Legislative Day. Rocklin requested a motion to endorse the letter as representing the sentiment of the ICPL Board of Trustees and to direct the director to disseminate it through appropriate channels.Johnk made a motion to approve. Stevenson and Shultz seconded.There was discussion about disseminating the letter.Motion passed 710. Adjournment. Rocklin adjourned the meeting at 5:09 pm. Respectfully submitted, Jen Royer If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting,please contact./en Royer,Iowa City Public Library,at 379-887-6003 orJennifer-rgyerC0iCpLora. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. o x o `s xox pox xoox xox a aux xoxoo � xoox a s r o = xo xa a ox a a ox a a S 9 ,s ea�aas � �oa o � wa u a w z c r otW¢i _ i-