Salt Lake City encourages your involvement with the Sister Cities Program. Each year we receive numerous requests for new Sister City relationships, so in effort to address these requests and ensure the success of a Sister City relationship, our Sister Cities Board has adopted a policy to first establish a Friendship City relationship.
About Friendship City Status
Before a Friendship City can be promoted to a Sister City, there must be strong community support for the relationship, and the benefits of participation must accrue to both cities in the relationship during a two to three year assessment period. This assessment period will provide the opportunity for relationships to be evaluated by the Board to ensure that the partnership is a good fit for both cities.
About Sister City Status
Sister City status will be granted if it is determined that the practices of the Friendship City benefit both cities in participation. Sister City relationships shall be reviewed at least every four years and in the event that a Sister City has no contact during a four-year period, or the relationship no longer significantly furthers the stated purposes of the Salt Lake City Sister Cities Program, the relationship will be placed on an emeritus status by the Board. In the event a Friendship City has no contact during the three-year assessment period, the relationship shall be terminated. All recommendations relative to retention or termination shall be made by the Board of Directors to the Mayor.
Support
Given the continuous administrative changes, in an effort to protect and strengthen our Sister Cities program, Salt Lake City Staff has drafted a city ordinance to govern the sister cities program and created an official Board to oversee the program. The adoption of the ordinance ensures the programs protection as well as its Board, a strong commitment and support by the current Mayor and City Council.