Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Richmond Municipal Council formed the "Sister City Twinning Committee" on February 11, 1974, by resolution 157. Modelled after a similar committee developed by the local government in Wakayama, Japan, the Sister City Twinning Committee was given the responsibility to oversee Richmond's existing Sister City Twinning Program; it was established to formalize efforts and coordinate the administrative and operational matters concerning Richmond's relationships with its two sister cities. Richmond officially twinned with Pierrefonds, Quebec on January 23, 1967, as a part of the Centennial Project of the Union of Quebec Municipalities, and with Wakayama, Japan on July 16, 1973. The objectives of the Richmond Sister City Program, according to the 1988 City of Richmond Policy 1201, are to enhance friendship and mutual understanding, to foster cultural exchanges, to foster student and athletic exchanges, and to foster trade and other economic linkages. The Committee's responsibilities include: authorizing all sister city visits, arranging all aspects of visits, recommending to Council the annual budget, administering the budget, determining the number and duration of official visits, recommending the number of official visitors to be sent, and inviting other persons to participate in official visits. On October 7, 1991, Richmond City Council approved the request of the [Richmond] Sister City Twinning Committee to change its name to the "Richmond Sister City Committee." The Mayor is responsible for appointing the chair, vice chair, Council representative, and member of city staff to the Committee. Past chairs of the Committee have included: Jim C. Murray (1974-1976), Mel Goodwin (1977-1979), Ernest R. Ball (1980-1984), Ted M. Youngberg (1985-[1987?]), Mel Goodwin ([1988?]-1994), and Gordon Ellis since 1994. A representative from, and selected by, the School Board also sits on the Committee. The Richmond Sister City Committee additionally invites other representatives of other organizations or individual citizens to be members.