Homer City Council passed Resolution 23-128 at their last regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 27, supporting the creation of a sister city donation account to help contribute to an anniversary celebration of Homer’s relationship with Teshio, Japan.

The City of Homer established a sistership affiliation with Teshio, which is located in the Rumoi subprefecture in Hokkaido, on April 7, 1984, according to the City of Homer website. Since then, Homer has enjoyed a “strong and enduring” relationship “fostering cultural exchange, understanding and friendship” with Teshio, the resolution states.

2024 will mark the 40th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Homer and Teshio.

As such, the city of Homer is looking to “celebrate this milestone with events and programming that enhance the experience for visitors from Teshio.”

According to the resolution, there is both a desire in the Homer community to provide a level of hospitality to visitors from Teshio that currently exceeds the city’s budget and resources, and strong interest among city residents to contribute to the visit’s success and provide financial support. The dedicated donation fund supported by Resolution 23-128 will “allow residents, visitors, businesses and organizations within the community to actively participate in and contribute to the success of the 40th anniversary celebration.”

Resolution 23-128 was passed as a consent agenda item during the Nov. 27 meeting. No discussion was held on the resolution during the meeting.

For more information about Homer’s sister city relationship with Teshio, visit www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citymanager/sister-city-program.