Title
Phoenix Sister Cities, Inc. Contract 154617 - Authorization to Amend (Ordinance S-52819) - Citywide
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or designee, to amend City Contract 154617 with Phoenix Sister Cities, Inc. (PSC) to increase funding. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. The additional expenditures will not exceed $275,000.
Report
Summary
PSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1972. It exists to create people-to-people relationships between the residents of Phoenix and its Sister Cities through commercial, educational, cultural, and artistic exchange programs and events that create and sustain global, long-term, international partnerships, and business opportunities for Phoenix. The City has contracted with PSC since the mid-1980s. The organization is administered by a Board of Directors composed of PSC Commission members appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council, at-large Board members, the chairpersons of the 11 Sister Cities committees, and the Disability Awareness Committee.
Beginning Fiscal Year 2023-24, PSC expanded beyond its traditional role and provided support to the City’s International Trade Strategy. To meet this expanded role and continue the work already undertaken, funding for PSC’s current contract included costs associated with the Phoenix Global Forum, an annual international economic development conference, in partnership with the International Economic Forum of the Americas. The first Phoenix Global Forum was held on May 2, 2024, and the second held on April 8 and 9, 2025.
The 2026 Phoenix Global Forum, to be held on May 13, 2026, will convene international business, government, and institutional leaders around issues central to Phoenix’s economic development strategy, including international trade, supply chain resilience, advanced technology, workforce development, and cross-border collaboration. The Forum is intended to strengthen Phoenix’s visibility as a global business destination and support the City’s broader international trade and investment efforts.
Additional funding is requested to support final planning and delivery of the 2026 Phoenix Global Forum, as well as limited-term contract support to maintain continuity of protocol, delegation, and related program functions during a staffing transition period following the retirement of a long-tenured PSC staff member. This short-term support will help maintain service levels during an active period of international delegation and program activity while recruitment and transition efforts proceed. Due to these additional needs, staff requests authorization to increase the PSC contract by an additional $275,000.
Contract Term
The original contract term remains unchanged, ending on June 30, 2026.
Financial Impact
Upon approval of $275,000 in additional funds, the revised aggregate value of the contract will not exceed $2,300,000. Funding for the additional amount is available in the Community and Economic Development Department's operating budget.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council authorized this contract on May 19, 2021, through Ordinance S-47575 and approved revisions to the term and spending authority on June 28, 2023 (S-49904 and S-49942), May 29, 2024 (S-50938), and June 4, 2025 (S-52008).
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Ginger Spencer and the Community and Economic Development Department.