ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: June 2, 1995
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Finance, City Clerk and Director of
Economic Development
SUBJECT: Yokohama Delegation to Vancouver
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve the expenditure of up to $5,000 for
hosting a delegation from Yokohama led by Mayor Takahide.
The source of funds to be the Sister City Grant budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Corporate Services RECOMMENDS
approval of the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
In the 1995 operating budget, Council allocated no funds for
receiving delegations from Vancouver's sister cities. However,
it allocated $15,000 for grants to Vancouver's sister city
societies. The guidelines for such grants were set out by
Council at the meeting of March 24, 1992 and are as follows:
1. Each society to provide an accounting for the expenditure of
the previous year's grant before the next year's grant
application is considered.
2. Each society to present an outline of its plan for the next
twelve months along with information on the projects it
would like Council to support.
3. Grants to a sister city society for a specific project
should be no more than 20% of the total funding for that
project.
4. Maximum grants per society should be no more than 40% of the
total sister city grant appropriation for any year.
5. A significant portion of the expenditures for the projects
supported by the City's grant should be made in Vancouver.
BACKGROUND
The various Sister City Societies were invited on February 23,
1995 to make application for funds from the Sister City Grant
allocation. Both the Vancouver-Guangzhou Sister City Society and
the Vancouver-Los Angeles Sister City Society have indicated
requests will be forthcoming, but they have not yet been
received. The Vancouver-Yokohama Sister City Society has made a
request for $6,400 for an art exhibition but has not provided the
necessary accounting required under guideline #1 above for the
$5,700 grant provided to it in 1992. Because of a recent change
in society officers it is unlikely that there will be an
accounting.
DELEGATION FROM YOKOHAMA
1995 is the 30th anniversary of the twinning of Vancouver and
Yokohama. To honour this event the City of Yokohama is sending
an official delegation of 10 people to Vancouver along with
several citizen delegations totalling 300 people. The official
visit will be from June 28 to July 2 followed by several private
days of sightseeing.
City staff have been working closely with an ad hoc committee
from the business and cultural communities to plan for a
suitable, yet economical program to honour this anniversary and
the interest expressed by the City of Yokohama.
A series of co-operative arrangements have been made through the
Economic Development Office with Canada Place Corporation,
Tourism Vancouver, U.B.C., Vancouver Port Corporation and many
others to ensure that our guests are suitably entertained at
minimum cost to the City. An extensive program has been designed
for the members of the official party, and a public event on July
2, 1995 at Canada Place will present performances from both
cities in honour of the anniversary.
Key elements of the program for the official delegation are:
June 29 - Arrival
June 30 - Tour of 2" x 4" construction projects hosted by
the Export Council of Canadian Architecture
- Luncheon, tour of Tokagawa Map Collection and
Nitobe Garden hosted by Dr. Strangway, U.B.C.
- Meeting and private dinner with Mayor Owen
July 1 - Cruise and tour of harbour hosted by Vancouver
Port Corporation
- Guests of Canada Place for dinner and fireworks
for Canada Day celebrations
July 2 - Joint Vancouver and Yokohama picnic lunch at
Canada Place
- Anniversary celebration and cultural performance
with sponsorship from Canada Place Corporation.
FUNDING
In previous years, the City had budgeted $10,000 for the hosting
of one official Sister City delegation per year but no funds were
allocated for 1995. Because of the considerable co-operation of
other parties it should be possible to keep the City's cost of
hosting Mayor Takahide and his delegation to about $5,000. Those
funds would cover part of the costs of accommodation, local
transportation, mementos and some of the production costs for the
July 2nd public event. As no funds were allocated this year for
hosting Sister City delegations, it is proposed that $5,000 from
the Sister City Grant budget be used for this purpose.
SUMMARY
Staff is not supportive of the Yokohama Sister City Society's
grant request for an art exhibition as there is no accounting for
the previous grant as required under guideline #1. However,
since a Yokohama delegation led by Mayor Takahide will visit
Vancouver from June 28 to July 5, it is proposed that Council
allocate $5,000 from the Sister City Grant budget to the City
Clerk for hosting the Yokohama delegation.
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