The Town Council has voted to terminate its Sister City relation with Kasterlee, Belgium. Established in 1999, this was Fountain Hills’ first Sister Cities relationship.

The staff report to the Council states that over a number of years the Sister City relations between Fountain Hills and Kasterlee have become dormant. There have been attempts by the Fountain Hills Sister City Corp. and the Town of Fountain Hills to revive civic and cultural relations.

Due to the inactivity and unsuccessful attempts to resume relations, the Town’s Sister Cities Advisory Commission voted in May to recommend terminating the relationship.

With the Council vote, the next step is for the Town to formally communicate the termination of Sister City status to the mayor of Kasterlee and to Sister Cities International.

Councilman Mike Scharnow served on the Sister Cities Commission and has visited Kasterlee. He said it is unfortunate that the relationship cannot be revived, and he moved the termination.

The staff report states that there is interest on the part of the Fountain Hills Sister Cities Advisory Commission and FH Sister Cities Corporation to develop relationships with other communities around the world as a potential Sister City. The termination with Kasterlee will help pave the way for those efforts, according to Town Manager Grady Miller.

The Town of Fountain Hills maintains Sister City relationships with Dierdorf, Germany; Ataco, El Salvador and Zamosc, Poland.