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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/20/2014 SCC Minutes MINUTES (Draft) MOUNT PROSPECT SISTER CITIES COMMISSION st 1floor Village Hall Community Room Nov. 20, 2014 Attendees: Mayor Arlene A. Juracek, Evelyn Dorman, Janice andSkip Farley, Lorrie Huber, A. John Korn, Judy McGinnis, Paula and Gary Randant, Diana and Rafi Sahakian, Mary Ann and John Sibrava, Marianthi Thanopoulos, Judy Thorne, Rachel Toeppen, Robert and Pat Usnik, Barbara and Steve VanArsdale, Irvana Wilks. Not Attending: Patricia Fusilero;Paul Seils Guests: None I.The meeting was called to order at 5:34 p.m. by Judy Thorne. II.The minutes of the Sept. 18, 2014 meeting were approved by consensus on a motion by Bob Usnik, seconded by Skip Farley. III.Citizens to be heard: None. ’ Mayors Comments: IV.Mayor Arlene Juracek noted thereceipt of a thank-you card from Prospect High è School regarding the French exchange involving 18 students from Svres, France.She also said that the ’ Commission hasnt heard much from its French contingent there and that it may take more time for the ’ new mayor to establish his government. The Commissions 2015 visit may need to be more of a diplomatic mission to reestablish tiessince there alsois a new person in charge of Sister Cities in France. Meanwhile, the Commission hopes to communicate via Skype with its counterparts in France in the near future. ’ Chairs Comments V.: Thorne reported that the report on the Commission was presented at the Nov. 6 ’ Village Board meeting detailing the mission of the Sister Citiesprogram and current activitiesto date. ’ She also recently met with Prospect High School teachers regarding the high schools relationship with the Sister City program. Thorne shared with the Commission the Proclamation of National French Week. ’ Treasurers Report VI.:Skip Farley presented the report which was approved on his motion and seconded by Bob Usnik.He noted that all expenses had been paid except for the Retro Bistro Cooking Lesson event in October. This expense is missing from the report, even though a check had been rendered to pay it. The true balance is $12,318. Committee Reports VII.: – French Market a.Final Thorne recommended that the Commission rely more on online publicity to help save moneyin the future. Marianthi Thanopoulosreported that by doing so, the Commission saved$250. Diana Sahakian suggested selling moreitems. It was also discussed that new vendors should be sought in addition to using recorded music to economize. Thanopoulossuggested that for ’ next years event, the Commission consider a budget to anticipate costs. – French Cooking DemoFinal Report b.Co-chair Judy McGinnis moved to issue a $100 check to Retro Bistro as a tip for the October event. Rafi Sahakian seconded the motion which was passed by consensus vote. – Fall Wine TastingFinalReport c.Paula Randant reported that the November event was not much of a draw possibly due to being in November. Some improvements to the wine tasting table arrangement and wine selection were also suggested. Still, the Commission continues to enjoy a good working relationship with Fresh Thyme personnel. é– Book Crossing/Lectures Croises -Final Report d.Mary Ann Sibrava reported that about 375 library ’ patrons interacted with the Book Crossing this year. The Farmers Market Story timewas the most popular program. Book Crossing events are not fundraisers and are no cost to the Sister Cities “” Commission. Overall, Mount Prospect continues to show an interest in all things French,and the è exposure for Sister Cities, the Mount Prospect Public Library and the Svres connection are significant, è– her report states. Participation on the Svres end was limited due to renovation of their library the èéèè Bibliothque-Mdiathque de Svres (BMS) -fromApril until December. – German Sister City Subcommittee e.Skip Farley reported that after several overtures, there still is no response from Germany regarding a future partnership. Efforts to contact a Northern German city are ongoing and it may be more advantageous to contact them via phone of our interest. Thorne è suggested sharing with potential German contacts a video of the Svres connectionand a video clip of è Mount Prospect asSvreshad sent us to show off the town. Irvana Wilks mentioned the possibility of seeking interested parties throughthe International Sister Cities organization. – Brochure f.No report. – Facebook connection g.Rafi Sahakian reported that the Facebook page attracted more than 6,800 people when it announced the French Market, but that fewer people viewed the smaller events like the wine tasting and cooking demonstration. Trending on the page is being studied. Rafi urged Commissionersto share the page with friends to boost exposure. – Trivia Night2015 h.Handoutsannouncing the event Jan. 23 are to be made in-house. Admission costs are $10and tickets are available to those who can sell them, reported Judy Thorne. Commissioners will meet a week before to discuss logistics. – Library Display in April i.Volunteers are needed for this event.Lorrie Huber and Pat Usnik volunteered to do the library display again. – Sevrien distribution VIII.Judy Thorne reported that recent French Exchange host families had requested è copies of the Sevrien for the Prospect High School French Exchange. Svres only sends a limited number of copies, but the magazine is also on the website archives. – Mystery Event IX.Rafi and Diana Sahakian reported they are investigating the feasibility of a fashion show/lunch fundraising event with the Eiffel Bistro Restaurant in Barrington.They reported that the owner is open to Commission involvement. The Commission would be able to charge $40 to $45 and splitthe proceeds with the Bistro. The event would need to attract between 35 to 50 people to be profitable. The Sahakianswill serve as chairs. Paula Randant moved that a fashion show be added to the activities calendar for early to mid-March. The motion was seconded by Lorrie Huber. – Open Discussion X.Irvana Wilks proposed that a group dedicated to fundraising be formed. Adjournment XI.-The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:59p.m. on a motion by John Sibrava and seconded byPaula Randant.The next meeting will be Thurs., Jan. 15, 2015, at 5:30 p.m.