Logansport officials have hired a consultant to help the city continue its relationship with China.
The city's board of public works and safety approved an agreement 2-0 with Indianapolis-based W Long Consulting Group Inc. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. It followed city council's 6-0 approval of the contract on Monday.
W Long Consulting Group's scope of work will span across education, Logansport's Chinese sister-city relationship, economic development and ongoing contact with Chinese officials and organizations, according to the agreement.
The education component will include exchange opportunities in Logansport for Chinese students and faculty and in China for Logansport Community School Corp. and Trine University students, the contract continues.
W Long Consulting Group will assist with Logansport businesses wanting to do business in China and Chinese businesses wanting to do do business in Logansport, according to the agreement.
The contract states the firm will provide regular reports on its work to officials.
The one-year agreement calls for the firm to be paid $55 an hour and adds compensation won't exceed $40,000.
Logansport Mayor Dave Kitchell said at Wednesday's board of public works and safety meeting that the firm's managing director, Weilin Long, also consults for the state of Indiana and the Global Chamber and worked for the city's previous administration.
City Councilman Larry Hood said by phone Wednesday that he supports enlisting the services of the consulting firm as long as it leads to worthwhile results. He added Logansport has fostered ties with China over at least the past two city administrations and doesn't have as much to show for it as he figured there would be.
"At this point I am in it for a year," Hood said of his support for the contract, which expires at the end of 2018. "But if I do not see results, my opinion will probably change after the year."
Logansport has been hosting Chinese students and school faculty while China has been hosting Logansport students and school faculty through a sister-school relationship for the past several years.
The city hosted the consul general of the People's Republic of China in Chicago in 2013. That same year Indiana Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, and former Logansport Mayor Ted Franklin visited China to pitch the city to businesses. Officials from Jiashan, China visited Logansport in 2015 and signed a memorandum of understanding formalizing both municipalities' desire to work together on education and economy while promoting prosperity and development.