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Item 8A - MemoCity of Southlake Values: Integrity ♦ Innovation ♦ Accountability ♦ Commitment to Excellence ♦ Teamwork M E M O R A N D U M August 11, 2026 TO: Alison Ortowski, City Manager FROM: David Miller, Director of Community Services SUBJECT: Resolution No. 26-027, Approve a Sister City Agreement with Bad Homburg, Germany Action Requested: Approve resolution No. 26-027, authorizing a Sister City Agreement with Bad Homburg Germany. Background Information: Southlake Sister Cities (SSC) is a proud member of Sister Cities international and has been committed to foster global understanding and friendship through educational and cultural exchange and volunteerism since 1991. Currently, the City of Southlake and Southlake Sister Cities have one active Sister City relationship with Tome, Japan, a relationship that has been active since its formation in 1991. A longstanding goal of Southlake Sister Cities has been to establish a partnership with a European community. With more than 20% of Southlake residents having German heritage, identifying a Sister City in Germany has always been a top priority. Following an online introductory meeting in May of 2025, members of the Southlake Sister Cities organization and Southlake City Council visited Bad Homburg in December of 2025 where the discussion focused on obtaining a shared understanding of each other’s history and vision for the future. In early July 2026 a delegation from Bad Homburg visited Southlake in an effort to further mutual understanding between the two communities and at the conclusion of that visit, per the City of Southlake Sister Cities Policy, the Southlake Sister Cities organization submitted a proposal Item 8A Alison Ortowski Meeting Date – August 18, 2026 Page 2 of 2 City of Southlake Values: Integrity ♦ Innovation ♦ Accountability ♦ Commitment to Excellence ♦ Teamwork requesting the City enter into a formal Sister City Agreement with Bad Homburg, Germany The Southlake City Council must first approve resolution 26-027 which authorizes the mayor to sign the formal Sister Cities Agreement at a later date. Financial Considerations: There are no financial considerations linked to this item. Strategic Link: This item is linked to the City’s Strategy Map related to the Focus Area of Partnerships and Volunteerism and meets the corporate objective C2 enhancing the sense of community by proactively creating opportunities for community partnerships, volunteer involvement, and citizen engagement. Citizen Input/ Board Review: City Council will consider this item at their August 18th, meeting. Legal Review: The agreement has been reviewed by the City Attorney. Alternatives: Alternatives include: Approve as presented Approve with input as desired Decision not to approve Attachments: Attachment A: Resolution No. 26-027 with proposed agreement attached Attachment B: Southlake Sister Cities Proposal Staff Recommendation: Approve resolution No. 26-027 authorizing a Sister Cities Agreement with Bad Homburg, Germany RESOLUTION NO. 26-027 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS, APPROVING A SISTER CITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS, AND THE CITY OF BAD HOMBURG VOR DER HÖHE, HESSE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the City of Southlake, Texas (the “City”), is a home-rule municipality acting under its Charter and the laws of the State of Texas; and WHEREAS, the Southlake Sister City Program is a non-profit grassroots organization, dedicated to bringing the world closer through interchanges of culture and goodwill between countries, and in so doing further contribute to world peace and prosperity; and, WHEREAS, the City of Southlake has formed sister city alliances with Tome, Japan in 1991 and with El Fuerte, Mexico in 1997, Suzhou Wuzhong District, China in 2010 and currently still maintains a sister city alliance with Tome Japan and seeks to extend its realm of friendship to other countries; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Southlake, Texas, in the United States of America, and the citizens of Bad Homburg, Germany, do hereby desire a sister city alliance between the peoples of our two communities; and, WHEREAS, we accordingly agree to promote mutual understanding and goodwill for the welfare of our peoples and to accelerate the relationship between our two countries; WHEREAS, the City Council desires to approve the Sister City Agreement Attachment A Resolution No. 26-027 Page 2 August 18, 2026 attached to this Resolution as Exhibit “A” and authorize the Mayor to execute the Agreement on behalf of the City; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS: SECTION 1. All of the above premises are found to be true and correct and are incorporated into the body of this resolution. SECTION 2. The City Council hereby approves the Sister City Agreement between the City of Southlake, Texas, and the City of Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Hesse, Federal Republic of Germany, substantially in the form attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A.” SECTION 3. The Mayor is hereby authorized to execute the Sister City Agreement on behalf of the City. The Mayor is further authorized to approve and execute minor, non-substantive revisions to the Agreement, provided that any such revisions are approved as to form by the City Attorney. SECTION 4. The Sister City Agreement constitutes a nonbinding expression of mutual intent and goodwill. Neither this Resolution nor the Sister City Agreement appropriates or commits City funds or obligates the City to undertake any particular program, exchange, expenditure, or activity. Any future activity involving the expenditure of City funds, the provision of City resources, or the creation of a legally binding obligation shall be subject to applicable law, the City Charter, City policies, available appropriations, and any additional approval required from the City Council. SECTION 5. This resolution shall become effective on the date of approval by the City Council. Resolution No. 26-027 Page 3 August 18, 2026 PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 18th DAY OF AUGUST, 2026. CITY OF SOUTHLAKE By: ________________________________ Shawn McCaskill, Mayor ATTEST: _________________________________ Amy Shelley City Secretary SISTER CITY AGREEMENT City of Southlake, Texas, USA and Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Hesse, Germany Whereas, the City of Southlake and Bad Homburg vor der Höhe share the privileges of proud tradition and core community values; and, Whereas, western civilization and conservative principles are deeply rooted in both cities and represent a rich heritage to share and to preserve; and Whereas, after dedicated research and study, both Southlake and Bad Homburg recognize the advantages of a mutual agreement and belief the Sister City relationship between Southlake and Bad Homburg will be beneficial to the people of both communities at the economic, social, educational and cultural levels; and, Whereas, partnerships will be nurtured by promoting business and professional engagements, youth and education exchanges, cultural development and other fields that will improve the quality of life in our two communities. NOW, THEREFORE, the Cities express their mutual intentions as follows: 1.ESTABLISHMENT OF SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP The Cities hereby establish a Sister City relationship between Southlake and Bad Homburg for the purpose of fostering mutual understanding, goodwill, cooperation, and lasting friendship between their residents and communities. 2.NONBINDING NATURE; NO FINANCIAL COMMITMENT This Agreement is a ceremonial and nonbinding expression of the Cities’ mutual intentions and goodwill. It does not create a legally enforceable contract, financial obligation, partnership, joint venture, agency relationship, or third-party beneficiary right. Nothing in this Agreement requires either City to appropriate or expend funds, provide personnel or other resources, undertake any particular program, or enter into any additional agreement. Any future legally binding agreement or commitment of public funds or resources must be separately approved and executed in accordance with the applicable laws, governmental procedures, and authorization requirements of each City. Nothing in this Agreement waives any governmental immunity, defense, limitation of liability, or other protection available to either City under applicable law. 3.COUNTERPARTS AND LANGUAGES Exhibit A This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be considered an original ceremonial document. The Cities may execute English-language and German-language versions of this Agreement. Both versions are intended to express the same mutual understanding. Should any inconsistency arise, the Cities will consult in good faith to reconcile the language in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Agreement. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized, have signed this Sister City Agreement on this ____ day of _______, 2026 in a location to be determined. _________________________ _________________________ Mayor Shawn McCaskill Lord Mayor Alexander Hetjes Southlake, Texas, USA Bad Homburg, Hesse, Germany Southlake Sister Cities 1 To: Southlake City Council From: Jeff Wang, President, Southlake Sister Cities (817) 371-0456, President@SouthlakeSisterCities.org Date: July 16, 2026 Subject: Proposal of Pursuing a Sister City Relationship with Bad Homburg, Germany Southlake Sister Cities (SSC), a proud member of Sister Cities International, is committed to and actively engaged in fostering global understanding and friendship through education/culture exchange and volunteerism since 1991. While SSC volunteers have been diligently managing the exchange programs with our partner cities, the leadership has been constantly seeking opportunities to broaden its services to the community. On behalf of Southlake Sister Cities organization, I would like to request the City Council’s favor consideration for pursuing a sister city relationship with the Town of Bad Homburg in Germany. The Quest Finding a European partner city has been one of the organization’s top focuses. More than 20% of Southlake residents are of German ancestry so Germany is always on the top of our list. However, our effort produced very little progress in the past 15 years. Most European cities limit their exchange partners within the Union because of the ease of transportation and minimal financial commitment. We finally had a breakthrough last year with the Town of Bad Homburg in Germany. The Due Diligent We held an online introductory meeting with Bad Homburg officials on May 22, 2025, followed by an in-person visit to the town in December 2025. Earlier this month, an official Bad Homburg delegation visited Southlake. Through these engagements, we had the opportunities to discuss and understand each other’s history and vision. We found Southlake and Bad Homburg share many similar ingredients to be a great community while retain unique characteristics in other aspects. The table below exhibits the commonality and uniqueness of each of our two communities. Attachment B Southlake Sister Cities 2 Bad Homburg Southlake Quality of Living Location 15 miles/20 minutes from FRA airport 8 miles/10 minutes from DFW airport Land Area/Elevation 22.42 sq mi/663 ft 19.75 sq mi/820 ft Population 58,646 31,223 Financial Strength among the wealthiest towns in Germany ranked 4th in Germany for ultra high net worth individuals density among the wealthiest cities in US Economic Development healthcare, financial, tourism, hospitality financial, healthcare, hospitality, retails Corporate HQ Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Fresenius SE Co. KGaA (a $50 billion healthcare company) Sabre Holdings, Variosystems Political Environment Christian Democratic Union, conservative non-partisan, conservative Education two top-rated public gymnasiums, IB international school, Bad Homburg University of Applied Sciences national Blue Ribbon awarded Carroll schools Sports & Recreation Royal Homburger Golf Club (est. 1889) Bad Homburg Tennis Club (Wimbledon certified grass courts), nature trails and mineral springs Timarron Country Club, Dragon Stadium, Champions Club at the Marq and many top-rated sports facilities and programs The Uniqueness Incorporation 1622 (a medieval village) 1956 (a suburb between two major cities) Urban Planning clustered housing districts with neighborhood centers, commercial districts separated from homes by nature barriers. similar to the Rural Conservation land use concept in Southlake Comp plans low density residential housing, quality commercial developments, mixed-use developments with boutique shops and green space Commute walk/bike mostly, drive/bus between clusters drive almost all the time Strategic focus promote economic development while protecting historical/natural assets promote comprehensive to make Southlake the best place to live and raise children Southlake Sister Cities 3 Exchange Opportunities Because of both the similarity and uniqueness between Southlake and Bad Homburg, the opportunities of exchange programs can be across the field: Education: during our visit of Kaiserin-Friedrich-Gymnasium, the best high school in Bad Homburg, its head master was very excited about the possible student exchange program. Healthcare: both Southlake and Bad Homburg are deeply invested in the healthcare/medical sector. While Southlake is a place many medical professionals call home, Bad Homburg is known for its rehab centers and healing mineral springs. Sports: Southlake is known for its world-class youth sports and athletic program, Bad Homburg has the only Royal golf club (est. 1889) outside the Commonwealth. It also has the only Wimbledon certified grass tennis courts outside UK. Community: other fields of potential exchange are culture, arts, professional services and technology. Resources and Sustainability Southlake Sister Cities currently has sufficient resources, after the suspension of our China exchange last year, to lead and manage new exchange programs with Bad Homburg if a formal relationship is established. Should the exchange program be extended to the areas (such as business and/or sports), SSC may still be able to facilitate and manage the program by seeking the support and sponsorship from the business community and/or interest groups. We have received an overwhelmed support and encouragement from our community since the beginning of our Bad Homburg project. On behalf of the SSC leadership, I would like to request your favorable consideration and support to help this project cross the finish line. Southlake Sister Cities 4 Supplementary Information Fresenius Group Fresenius Group is a global healthcare company headquartered in Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, Germany. In fiscal year 2025, Fresenius generated €22.6 billion in annual revenue with more than 178,000 employees. As a healthcare company focused on therapy, Fresenius offers system- critical products and services for leading therapies for the care of critically and chronically ill patients. Lily Deutschland GmbH Lilly Deutschland GmbH, the German affiliate of Eli Lilly and Company, founded in 1876, is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bad Homburg vor der Hoehe, Hesse, Germany, estimated annual revenue of $368.6 Million Southlake Sister Cities 5 Bad Homburg - Medieval Origins to a Noble Residence Bad Homburg’s documented history dates back to 1170 with the construction of Hohenburg Castle on a ridge at the edge of the Taunus Mountain. The village below received its town charter in 1330. Its true political prominence began in 1622 when it became the center of the independent Landgraviate of Hessen-Homburg. In 1680, Landgrave Friedrich II (the famous "Prince of Homburg") expanded the old fortress into a Baroque palace In the late 19th century, Bad Homburg became the premier playground for the European elite. Kaiser Wilhelm II declared the Homburg Palace his official summer residence in 1888. Frequent visitors like the British King Edward VII popularized the "Homburg hat" and permanent trouser turn-ups during his visits for the town's fasting cures. This golden era also saw the construction of the Church of the Redeemer (sponsored by the Kaiser) and the establishment of Germany's oldest golf club within the Bad Homburg Kurpark in 1899. To distinguish it from other German locations named Homburg, the prefix "Bad" (meaning bath) was officially added to its name in 1912. Today, Bad Homburg is one of the wealthiest towns in Germany, known for its high purchasing power, international corporate presence, and the preservation of its royal spa heritage, as highlighted by City Marketing. The town name Homburg, which is derived from the castle "Hohenberg", first appeared around 1500, and in 1528 the town was also called "Homburg vor der Höhe". From the beginning of the baths, it became customary to call the town "Bad Homburg". On the one hand, the Landgrave was not happy with the addition of "Bad", as he felt that omitting the suffix "vor der Höhe" would diminish the centuries-old status of the residence of the landgrave's Hessian dynasty. The Kurverein argued that it would be in the interests of traffic, as there were around 25 towns with the same or similar-sounding names. In addition, the name Bad Homburg was particularly suitable for making the town better known at home and abroad as a spa resort. In 1912, it was the magistrate who agreed to the name suffix "Bad" and the historical addition "vor der Höhe". There was fierce opposition from the responsible ministry, so the matter was brought to the Emperor personally. His Majesty's special relationship with Homburg vor der Höhe decided in favor of the town being allowed to call itself Bad Homburg vor der Höhe from 22.11.1912 with "Allerhöchster Zustimmung". Southlake Sister Cities 6 Bad Homburg - Historical data at a glance 782 First mention of Dietigheim as "Villa Tidenheim" in the Lorsch Codex 12. Construction of Homburg Castle in the16th century on the site of today's castle courtyard 1354 Johann Brendel founds the Homburg dynasty of burgraves 1622 Founding of the landgrave dynasty of Hesse-Homburg by Frederick I 1680 Laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the landgrave's castle 1684 Opening of the first pharmacy in Homburg 1685 Founding of the new town of Homburg by Landgrave Friedrich II. 1771 Goethe's stay in Homburg ("Pilgers Morgenlied") 1834 Discovery of the Elisabethenbrunnen by Dr. Chr. E. Trapp 1841 Construction of the first Kursaal building by the Blanc brothers 1842 Foundation of the first casino by the Blanc brothers 1859 Opening of the railroad line to Frankfurt 1863 Completion of the second Kurhaus 1866 Incorporation into the Kingdom of Prussia 1867 King Wilhelm I of Prussia visits Homburg for the first time 1868 Consecration of the English Church 1872 Closure of the casino and transfer of spa operations to municipal management 1888 Emperor Wilhelm II declares Homburg his summer residence 1890 Homburg is granted self-government 1895 Consecration of the Catholic St. Mary's Church 1899 Consecration of the Russian Chapel 1899 Commissioning of the electric streetcar 1901 Incorporation of Kirdorf 1904 Opening of the hospital in Taunusstrasse 1907 Thai King Chulalongkorn (Rama V of Siam) visits Homburg for a health cure 1908 Consecration of the Protestant Church of the Redeemer 1912 Introduction of the official name Bad Homburg vor der Höhe 1935 First lantern festival 1938 Destruction of the synagogue 1945 Heavy bombing, destruction of the Kurhaus 1952 Inauguration of the new Kurhaus 1956 Foundation of the twinning ring with five twin towns 1965 Award of the European flag to Bad Homburg 1980 Opening of the "Taunus-Therme" thermal baths 1982 1200th anniversary celebrations