PURPOSE

The purpose of this staff report is to bring back to Council for their consideration, Council Member Ramos� proposal to use the remaining unappropriated Close-Up Program funds  of $10,000 to send Burbank students on the summer 2003 Burbank Sister City Student Exchange with Ota, Japan. 

BACKGROUND

The concept of the Sister City affiliations between the United States and other nations began shortly after the Second World War.  It developed into a national initiative when then President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the people-to-people program at a While House Conference in 1956.  It was President Eisenhower�s intention to lessen the chance of future world conflicts by involving people at all levels of our society in personal citizen diplomacy.

The Burbank Sister Cities program was launched in June 1960 when the mayor of Burbank appointed a committee to choose a suitable Sister City. Solna, Sweden was selected because of the city�s many characteristics in common with Burbank.  Affiliations with Incheon, Korea in 1961 and Gaborone, Botswana in 1975 were individually City Council approved by minute motion and then all three together by formal Resolution in April 1975.  While Burbank maintains communications with these cities, there has not been a student exchange to date with any of these sister cities.

In 1984, a Japanese-initiated relationship began between Burbank and Ota, Japan.  Burbank was home to Lockheed Aircraft, the company that manufactured airplanes used in World War II against Japan and Ota City manufactured the �Zero� airplanes, used against the United States. 

The first student exchange between Burbank and Ota City occurred in 1984, when Burbank entertained a group of inbound Japanese students.  Since that time, students from each city have visited the other city on alternate years.  Summer 2003 is the tenth outbound group of Burbank students to travel to Ota and the twentieth year of the exchange program between our two cities.

The exchange student selection process is open to all high school age Burbank residents.  It consists of a written application, signed by the student and parents, copies of grade reports, letters of recommendation, and an oral interview of the student.  Separately, the parents are interviewed to verify unconditional willingness to continue in the program and participate as a host family the following year. Two chaperones accompany selected outbound students on each visit. Chaperones have historically been teachers, school administrators, and well-known community members.

While Japanese government officials coordinate the Sister City Program in Ota, Burbank�s Sister City Committee is comprised of parent volunteers and interested community members.  The Committee falls under the guidance and control of the Library Services Department.  Each year the Council allocates a modest budget of $4950, located as a line item in the annual Library budget.  This money is used to host and help defray inbound student expenses and permits entertainment of visiting dignitaries from all of our Sister Cities. 

Traditionally, once an exchange student arrives in Ota for their visit, the day-to-day expenses of the student are covered by the hosting government and families.  The student is only financially responsible for their souvenirs and mementos of the trip.  However, the Burbank program does not cover the expense of the airfare to Japan and this must be paid by the exchange student.  Any fundraising activities by the students prior to the trip are credited toward the airfare.

ANALYSIS

Each year the Burbank City Council allocates $20,000 in the budget to send Burbank students to Washington, D.C. as part of the Close-Up Program.  In 2001-2002 no students were sent on this trip due to safety concerns following 9/11.  As a result, that $20,000 was carried over to this fiscal year.

At the January 14, 2003 City Council meeting, the Council allocated $30,000 from the $40,000 total to the Close-Up Program to send students on the annual Close-up trip to Washington, D.C.  $10,000 remains in unappropriated funds. 

Council Member Ramos suggested that the Council consider allocating the remaining $10,000 to the Sister City Committee.  Providing $10,000 for the summer 2003 student visit to Ota will buy airfare for 12 students.  Chaperone airfare is purchased from the Library Services expense account budgeted for that purpose.  Like the Close-Up Program, students must be Burbank residents to participate in the Student Exchange Program.

FISCAL IMPACT

The unappropriated Close-Up Program funding is currently available in City Council expense account #001-CL01A-62015 and if approved, $10,000 can be transferred to the Library Services account #001-LB01A-62690.

RECOMMENDATION

It is staff�s recommendation that the City Council approve an allocation of $10,000 to the Sister City Committee to pay for the airfare to send Burbank students on the summer 2003 Burbank Sister City Student Exchange with Ota, Japan.

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