Evaluation Process

It is the policy of the Board of Supervisors that the following process be used to evaluate prospective Sister County affiliations:

County Executive Office Review

1. The Santa Clara County committee would submit an Affiliation Application, to establish a new Sister County affiliation, to the County Executive, Office of Communications and Public Affairs (Office).
2. The Office will meet with the local committee to assess their affiliation application. 
3. The Office will review the affiliation application based on the Board’s adopted criteria.  The Office will meet with representatives of the local committee, and thereafter prepare a recommendation to the County Executive.  The County Executive will prepare a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for your review and approval.

Board of Supervisors Review

1. Board of Supervisors will hear from staff, the local committee, and the public at an “agendized” meeting.  The Board of Supervisors will then either approve or reject the proposed Sister County affiliation or ask that more work be done to demonstrate the viability of the group effort.
2. If the Board of Supervisors approves the proposed Sister County affiliation, the Office will work with the Board Chairperson and SCI to obtain recognition of the new partnership.  Thereafter, the Board Chairperson would prepare and send a welcoming letter to the presiding official of the new Sister County.  The County of Santa Clara group will work with the Board Chairperson’s staff and the Office of Public Affairs to coordinate official ceremonies sealing the affiliation.
3. To give a local group an opportunity for reconsideration, there will be a waiting period of one year for consideration of any Sister County affiliation the Board rejects.  In such cases, the group would be able to re-submit an application to the County Executive at the end of the required waiting period.

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