Title
Recommendation to Establish an Alameda Youth Council/Commission. (City Manager 2110)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Eric Levitt, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ensuring the well-being of the City's young people is a longstanding priority for the City of Alameda. Alameda is known for its award-winning schools, dynamic recreation programs, and youth sports and activities. Young people in Alameda are our future, and it is important that their viewpoints are taken seriously and play a role in shaping our community.
This year has been unlike no other, and we have seen our youth organize the entire community around issues including racial justice and police reform. Many young people have asked for more ways to become involved with advising the City Council and communicating with staff. Staff recommends establishing an Alameda Youth Council/Commission that would meet this need and help expand the City's outreach to young people across the island.
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda established the Alameda Youth Advisory Commission (AYAC) in 2008. The purpose of AYAC was to provide City policymakers with the unique perspective from the community's youth on municipal issues and matters of concern to young people, to provide a forum for discussion regarding how the City can better serve its youth, and to encourage the participation of youth in local government. Members were nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the City Council. When the AYAC was established, there were eleven regular members and one ex-officio member. In 2011, the AYAC was reduced to seven regular members as part of a restructuring of numerous City Commissions.
In 2014 the AYAC was dissolved. At the time, there was another group, the Alameda Youth Committee, which worked in parallel to the AYAC but met more regularly and had significantly more participation by a broader, more diverse group of young people. In contrast, the Youth Commission had a high vacancy...
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