##VIDEO ID:AJoCUeBSu4g## e e e e okay here we go get ready I don't see the monitor on at all if that's supposed to be on to the monthly uh city of New Alm sister cities Commission meeting for January 6th 2025 here we are in the city hall council chambers with the meeting to begin here at 5:15 my name is Tom schmidtz and uh I will call the meeting to order now and then the next item on the agenda item 2 one um is or two is roll call so what we like to do at this time is go around the table and have people introduce themselves and a position if they have a position so let's start over here with J please Jane Mayday hooki Carolyn Marty Smith Larry Mack Tom schmidtz Ellie Sweeny secretary foror Tony barick Kathleen backer mayor thank you very much again welcome um and for the record we have no uh observers in the a studio audience here at City Hall tonight um so let's go on to 2.1 sister City's appointments for 2025 um Ellie Sweeney to my right um is planed to be reappointed to a three-year term um by the city council tomorrow um and myself Tom schmidtz there's a change to the agenda um I will be resigning from the commission um there's other uh boards and commissions that I'm told uh will be directed my way as a new city councelor so um we have an agendum at the meeting so please keep in mind at the end of the meeting we'll move into the addendum to see if anyone wants to take over as chair of the commission for the remainder of uh 2025 all right I don't know if there's anything else to say at this time we will move on to the next item uh item three 3.1 is approval of the minutes from our last meeting of December 2nd 2024 uh you've all had those minutes in the packet and I would entertain a motion to approve those minutes please I'll offer a motion to approve the minutes as presented thank you and I'll second that motion okay M vork uh any discussion on the minutes at all okay um all those in favor of the motion on the table signify by saying I I opposed same sign motion carries unanimously thank you very much we will move on to the financial report item of our agenda 4.1 and that is to approve the financial reports dated uh for the period ending December 31st 2024 you've seen those documents in the packet so a motion to approve um the financial report um is an order at this time I would entertain a motion please I make a motion that we approve thank you may a Hy a second please I'll second that motion thank you all right Carolyn Marty Smith so we will move on to um see if if there's any discussion on the financial reports we can take a few minutes to just kind of uh review those again and see if there's any um discussion related to those financial ports we got revenues expenses we've got pretty much the whole year here so this is a good snapshot of a typical year for us I will point out um denoted in our expenses is the stien that we approved um for the Narin of $500 for their soon to be trip to uh Germany um any other comments or discussion on the motion on the table with the financial reports if not we will vote all those in favor of the motion please signify by saying I I oppose same sign motion carries unanimously thank you very much we will move on to item 4.2 in the financial section and that is um we need a motion um and authorization to move forward with our annual membership invoice to the sister City's international program uh and this amount for 2025 is $440 it's in our budget so I would entertain a motion to uh approve that expense please I'll offer a motion to approve the 2025 annual membership from the sister cities International in the amount of $440 and I'll second that motion thank you very much we have a motion and a second any discussion on that motion please okay then we will vote all those in favor of the motion please signify by saying I I iose same sign motion carries unanimously awesome thank you very much we will move on to the next item on the agenda item 5.1 the hos cultural Exchange program uh where uh the application period for the outbound participant this is an individual who goes to Germany on our behalf for a period of time and works uh for a number of weeks and then of course comes back so we're very fortunate to have three app applications that came in before the deadline of uh new uh New Year's Eve and we have a subcommittee that will be scheduling a meeting very soon hopefully within a week or two to take place here um at the council chambers in which we will be interviewing these three candidates and uh making a recommendation the subcommittee will then form a recommendation to bring to um the entire commission at the February meeting um is my understanding and when we will finalize um choosing which of these three applicants we plan to send to Germany uh this later this year any discussion uh Mr chair is uh Lisa gonna email the committee um like a um Survey Monkey for a scheduling a time I think it's a great idea because we not only need to coordinate two or three I mean the subcommittee um and then of course the three applicants so there will be some sort of a scheduling survey email that goes out um I will uh contact Administration Lisa pel tomorrow to make sure we start to get that scheduled um do not necess necessarily have to happen within the next week or two but it should certainly happen in the next month or so any other comments related to the program um or the three uh applicants um let's see here let me bring up our past list subcommittee list um let's see here does anyone remember right off hand who is on that subcommittee I know I am okay Larry I remember that um I think I may have been the chair was always uhhuh okay and uh I'm thinking it was uh maybe SE Booth I'm not positive right off hand I think it was chair I think it was yeah the chair and vice chair so we certainly will have um Larry and uh dick on that subcommittee dick SE booth and then um the chairperson unless there's anyone else right here right now that wants to step up and say hey I'd like to be on that subcommittee anyone wanting to jump onto that subcommittee I know we're all on uh a variety of subcommittees I could do it uh I think I sat in on it last year although I wasn't uh officially on it so okay thank you John thank you um all right so I will make sure that Administration upstairs has um this information and sends out an email to coordinate um surveying a schedule for the uh interviews in this meeting it would be probably you know between one and two hours the total length of the uh the meeting um to make that to interview the applicants any other um discussion on this topic um we certainly are don't have to make any decisions right here any other discussion okay so that's where we're at with hos moving forward again on on our annual uh schedule we'll move on to Old business item 6.1 um the potential for a German language Day Camp um later on this year and we have a wonderful F subcommittee of uh Carolyn Ellie and Jane and uh let's see I did just send an email to the three of you because I came up with another individual who may be a possible helper I think she was a former teacher at ISD 88 um actually in the Deutsch uh curriculum area um I'm not positive how to get a hold of her but uh um she may be someone to talk to it uh Christy Lindquist as a teacher yeah okay didn't get that from you yet is it coming I I sent it yeah by email like just before the meeting started oh okay so any discussion on the potential for the Youth German language Day Camp um possibly to happen this coming summer sometime the committee is still working on it committee is feverishly working um if there's any you know formal meetings they certainly need be scheduled here with Administration you know at least three days in advance and held here um but there can be some uh some background footwork done by the subcommittee uh any other comments discussion related to that all my ideas yes I love your I had an idea of maybe putting out a Facebook post on the New Alm now and then if anybody would be interested in doing something like that somebody we may not know that speaks German and would like to do something like that so we're gonna Caroline's gonna work on that yeah I think that's a great idea also the municipal Facebook page I would uh work with Lisa helel upstairs and admin to find out if that can be put on the city Facebook page and or the city uh web page itself okay sounds great any other maybe we could have uh Brian philson talk about it on uh anj yes it's a great idea boy the ideas are just pouring out here great any other thoughts related to the potential for this youth summer language dayc well maybe Caroline could go on the radio and talk about it with Brian passic that would be okay all right anything else we will move on to the next item on our agenda and that is item uh old business of 6.2 um our annual uh recognition award the recognition subcommittee met on December 9th um and that was Phils and voror and schmidtz the three of us um and SE Booth I think we had four of us there yes and that the minutes of that are in your packet and so I think I will turn over um comments or discussion at this point uh John do you have anything you'd like to uh as a key member of that subcommittee um no not really with the uh with what's in the packet it's pretty much the gist of everything that we discussed at the meeting if you look at that um we had some a number of them uh that uh very good potentially but um we did come up with a decision for that and U we thought that uh Keith rolloff would be one for that award yeah that was the recommendation by the subcommittee as you see from the minutes we kind of established um a list of potentials and a list for future consideration also you see there um and the subcommittee's recommendation to the entire commission was to posum usly award that to Keith rolloff so um I think we should vote on that now um if the commission is ready to do so I would entertain a motion from the floor from the commission to um award the 2024 recognition award posum misly to Keith Roloff I'd entertain that motion please I would move to go ahead with offering that to uh Kei we have a motion from uh Ellie Sweeney a second please I'll second that second from voror wonderful okay any discussion on the motion on the table then we'll go ahead and vote all those in favor of the motion on the table please signify by saying I I oppose same sign motion carries unanimously wonderful okay so then we will need to um try to choose a date time and location for the reception um and uh you know the preferred month for us to normally do that is January it may not necessarily have to be held in January if it doesn't work for the parties involved um so what I would suggest maybe is that at least one key person of the subcommittee contact UM the Keith rolloff family to set that schedule um Mr chair uh we might have to look at getting the award made too absolutely so that we have that yes you know in conjunction I think in the past it's been printware Graphics yes printware and I can go out there and order that again sounds great thank you Commissioner of our work he will get the plaque ordered you can't imagine it will take uh couple weeks usually two to three yeah sounds great okay so then are you um is someone willing then to are you also willing to work with philzon maybe to try to contact uh the rolloff family to get a uh date time and location scheduled for the presentation I I think we can do that reception wonderful thank you okay so um would we try to line up the kgle club as our that's been our traditional traditional reception location it it's not mandatory or mandated I don't think um and we'll certainly leave that up to the subcommittee to formulate that with Bor and philson and chair and vice chair and of course the rollof family Mr chair maybe you want to explain to Mr barck the process being he's new tonight that about this about the award about the award or what we do at the Kel if you know yes so this is an annual award uh Tony barick our new commissioner um to the sister cities commission um we uh award a sister cities um plaque to an individual or a group on an annual basis who have shown particular interest in our programs and um have offered assistance to one or more of our various programs um we have a list of past recipients too that we can make available to you okay um and then we we've often had that reception along with some of our other receptions for the um hos Exchange program out at the uh the kegle club on the north end of town it's a nice venue for casual receptions um and of course the entire commission is invited to those along with the friends we have a friends group also of non-c Commissioners that we invite to events like that anything else to add then traditionally you know they have some appetizers provided by kigle and soda uh other beverages on your own and then uh it's a potluck so we bring different foods at times you know especially when we have an exchange student that way they get a little taste of different foods mhm sounds sounds great thank you um I know that um we see these on the minutes from the recognition subcommittee some of these other names that have been mentioned in the past and we do have the Narin going over to Germany in just a matter of weeks um and I know there's been a significant interest in um asking the Narin to present um something to the tis family um I don't know if that's something you want to discuss now um they commissioner Marty the 29th of January and they are meeting with the mayor although she didn't have a date I talked to Sue Hogan about this and I thought since they meet with the mayor and some of our students some of our interns who've been here it would be and since there was you can see the bregman put a great deal of effort into writing about ulie and hul GZ and if they had something to present them with it wouldn't have to be the same thing but just to recognize their participation in sister cities then the narn could present it and I don't know I just thought it would be a nice do we have any idea if the tzas um are available during the time I know they've been there weren't they there with when you went Nar are going to over there were they with you I was I had dinner with them in September in M haven't had any communication with them since then I haven't written to them because I didn't want to talk about this if they weren't going to be the selected two people which is fine it's just I haven't said award to them so they don't know I mean they know that I'm sure they know that they were up for the award because the Brans must have talked to them about it I think they're in close contact with them well maybe you could email them and ask them their or message them and if they're available or to meet with our local narn that we may have a you know visit we could I mean if we started like tomorrow and wrote up something and got a little plaque it doesn't have to be as beautiful as the plaque that we right I mean I think it could simply be um a motion I I think we can go ahead and do this um at the meeting here a motion to authorize a um an amount of money that could be used for um a gift um some sort of a gift to the te family that that the Narin could present would it be like an honorary award instead of not the uh person of the year but the honorary family of the year uh may I make a comment um I could as the mayor do uh what we call it's an accommodation award recognizing them for their service and support of our sister City's relationship and that's usually done up on parchment paper and then in a nice um what you say folder lovely that could be done and then it could be officially from the the city of New Al and the sister cities commission that could add in the in the language if that's something you'd want to consider once we find out when they're meeting with the Mayors I mean it's already scheduled we'll just I we just I write them I have them on Facebook we can write them we would hope that their pres available we would hope that the Tas are are available yeah then um so that sounds great do you think that we need to authorize you know up to $100 or some amount for a gift or a frame for the certificate or I don't think so Tom I think that's I think something from the mayor would be lovely going to have to be transported over there and someone's going to have to bring it in their suitcase well well if it's in a folder which most of them are and that's how we do our mailings of them as opposed to on a in a frame it's in a nice looking folder with a little gold on the on the front of it and that could easily you know slip into somebody's uh carryon or suitcase okay so I mean that's if if you'd want me to take care of that I could and there wouldn't have to be money involved in it as well I like that very much I think it would be a wonderful compromise on that okay I I I think since the narn are going to be there in person I think something like that is certainly appropriate so maybe the narn can get a photo and share that back and then that's something put our Kos so let's go ahead and make a motion and act formally on this to um ask the mayor to uh prepare a document to recognize the Tas I entertain a motion to that effect please I'll make a motion that the mayor um make a proclamation and we present it to the narn thank you a second of the motion please second that second may I make a a correction it wouldn't be a proclamation it would be a letter of accomodation letter of accomodation for the record please letter of accommodation excellent okay um so we have a motion of a second any discussion on this topic okay all those in favor signify by saying I I oppose same sign motion carries for that thank you very much okay we really don't have much left on the agenda here um that concludes the old business the new business is committee assignments for 2025 our new year now um is that in the packet yeah it is and it says there be hard copy oh there it is yes okay I've not seen any hard copies um at the meeting but uh maybe what we're supposed to do now is actually try to kind of formalize those um so the first one in the packet I mean you see the last page of the packet there's four subcommittees advertising and promotion sub committee the German language subcommittee the hos exchange committee and the recognition committee so we would hope that um each commissioner is on one or two committees um can we start at one end of the table here Jane are you uh now you're already on one or two of those committees do you want which committee preferences are yours for 2025 the German language committee and the H your exchange committee perfect awesome okay so Jane is requested to be on the German language committee and the hos exchange committee Carolyn do you have preference for one or two subcommittees this year I'll do the German language committee again and um the newspaper article that was I don't know what does that come under I did advertising and promotion okay I did that so is that done for the year I was it oh last year now you got this year are you interested in that one or it was like you do the kiosk I do the Kos that's aing oh that's true I do the Kos and like to get the article written we had because there's Travis because I gave it to Clay and then clay gave it to Travis roseno and then it was and he didn't have any of it and or any of the right stuff so it was like two or three nights of calling like Wade to get a picture of downtown Al and but it it that lifestyle page in the journal was fantastic um I I've got mine at home I was going to bring it today but I didn't so if you have not seen that recent lifestyle page in the New Alm Journal please go to the library or the internet and review that thank you so very much dick SE did a lot of the backstory which I really thought was great to have in it and then I noticed one of the people who are applied one of the three people who applied she asked a question about that she said I read in the journal so thank you yeah thank you so are you interested in those two subcommittees for 2025 Carolyn in my limited capacity yes I'll I'll do I'll do the kiosk and okay uh commissioner Mack what's your interest for 2025 sub do the H joles exchange committee and I will work on advertising and promotion okay thank you very much okay commissioner Sweeney do you have one or two I would do the German language and I am working on it with Caroline and Jane and I would do the recognition Okay thank you commissioner voror do you have one or two preferences for this year uh I recognition committee I would do that again um and I can also help with the hanso thank you very much and commissioner berick um one or two possible subcommittees I could help with the advertising and promotion thank and wherever else you need me I guess other than that it doesn't really matter okay all right um Note Taker Sweeny do we have a subcommittee that only has two people on it maybe or recognition only has two okay commissioner berick would you be willing to be on the recognition subcommittee sure most be two new people and one regular guy so you know what you're doing right but we still have other Commissioners to ask couple three Commissioners absence I think so well they'll have to email in their preferences to leave maybe we can ask Lisa to contact them and good okay thank you very much okay Larry and John um item eight on the agenda is announcements does anyone have any announcements before we go to suspend the rules for the addendum yes okay I want to announce that I will not be available to take notes for the February or March meeting be out of town so just in case anybody would might need to take note yes so Commissioners be prepared to uh be a temporary volunteer notetaker at each of our next two meetings the uh uh the first Monday of February and the first Monday of March will I help temporary not oh good in the past yes wonderful thank you'll work at all any other announcements uh yes Mr chair um this isn't directly sister cities however um Keith rolof used to coordinate the flower watering uh team and uh we are putting out a request for somebody to assume responsibility to coordinate the flower watering team and do some recruitment we do that in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and you know planting the flowers and then watering the flowers also it's rather late but um by default I took on the responsibility to coordinate our annual flower watering appreciation dinner which will be on March 17th and I extend that invitation to those of you who are on that team or any of you interested in finding out more about uh the flower watering program to join us it is going to be held at the Shell's Tap Room on the 17th of January Ary from 6: until 9:00 and if you're interested please let me know so we can put you down as a yes and or uh year plus one okay so January I thought I had also heard somewhere in there March I I yeah I misspoke the first time it is January 17th the evening of January 17th appreciation for the flower waterers um and anyone willing to step forward to assist with that this year here in 202 so that is a Friday then y okay great thank you very much mayor any other announcements from anyone okay then we will move on to the addendum and i' entertain a motion to suspend the rules for action on the addendum a motion please I'll offer a motion to suspend the rules for the addendum thank you back uh second on the motion please I'll second that Marty Smith thank you Motion in second any discussion on that motion all those in favor signify by saying I I oppose same sign motion carries unanimously okay so this is the uh topic that um I am resigning from the commission um as serving city council Ward 3 uh my first city council meeting will be tomorrow Tuesday January 7th and my understanding is that um the city has other um responsibility assignments that they will be directing my way um and so I've had a great um short time here on sister cities commission I will certainly be a friend of the sister cities commission forever um as well my uh my wife um and so what we need to do since I was uh looking I was uh elected as uh chair for this year 2025 we need to um since I'm resigning we need to elect a new chairperson for the sister cities commission here in 2025 um is anyone willing to step into the role of chairperson for the sister cities commission um the remainder of this year 2025 any volunteers second call for nomination third call for nominations okay um and so what will happen is my understanding that um we haven't had anyone step up at this moment it will be tabled and placed on the formal agenda for our next meeting the first Monday of February and that is the 3 right back here at City Hall 5:15 is our monthly meeting schedule so do come prepared um to step forward as chair of the commission for the remainder of this year or to nominate someone as chair um who's willing to accept it please I have a question so is Dick a co-chair dick SE Booth is our vice chair he was elected last month as Vice chair so he's do they normally go into the chair afterwards and not necessarily I don't don't think there's any uh code ordinance or regulation governing that um or tradition or tradition so actually our newest commissioner um Tony berick certainly could have the ability to do that um please think about that and uh ask questions of anyone any other um comments or discussion on this topic you know the fact that you've got three good candidates who aren't here tonight yes uh that may step up as well uh and it suggest that be in you know conversation with them prior to the meeting yes so please uh do that um think um over the next month and talk over the next month about filling that position at our next meeting thank you very much uh my understanding is we have uh completed all items on the agenda and so with there being no further business I declare this meeting adjourned e for