City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: _06/09/08_ Item Number: A-1
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of the Formation of a Culver City Youth Advisory
Committee (CCYAC).
Contact Person/Dept.: Pam Robinson,
Acting Recreation Manager
Phone Number: (310) 253-6632
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master E-Mail Notification List (06/04/08); Youth Making Changes
(06/04/08); YMCA Youth in Government Program (06/04/08).
Department Approval: William La Pointe,
Director of Parks Recreation and
Community Services (06/02/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (06/02/08)
Fiscal Impact Review:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (06/02/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (06/04/08)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council consider the formation of a Culver City Youth
Advisory Committee (CCYAC).
BACKGROUND:
Over the past several years, City Council has expressed an interest in getting Culver
City youth more involved in local government. For example, in 2004 the “Student
Shadowing Program” was implemented as a collaborative effort between Culver City
High School and the City of Culver City. The purpose of the program was to
familiarize youth with city government by assigning a minimum of two students per
Councilmember to “shadow” the Councilmembers as they performed their official
duties. Results of the program were mixed, with some students showing great
enthusiasm and commitment and others losing interest and dropping out of the
program. The program has since been dissolved and has not been reinstated.
In considering the appropriate structure and function of the Youth Shadowing
Program, staff also did research on Youth Commissions/Councils in 2004. A table
summarizing California Youth Commission/Council models that was provided to the
City Council (along with additional information) in a memo dated June 6, 2004 is
provided as Attachment 1.
A June 6, 2006 staff report titled, “Consideration of Establishing a Youth Advisory
Commission,” which outlines the recent history of this issue, contains many relevant
attachments (including the results of a survey of other cities) and is the most recent
report on this topic presented to City Council is provided as Attachment 2. An City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
excerpt of the minutes of the June 6, 2006 meeting is provided as Attachment 3. A
summary of the actions and activities leading up to this staff report and the
subsequent action taken by the City Council are summarized in the table below.
DATE ACTION / ACTIVITY
10/18/2004 City Council directs staff to come back with a report on the
establishment of a Youth Council / Commission
01/04/2005 Parks and Recreation Commission requests that City Council
direct the YAC item back to the Commission for review and
recommendation
01/10/2005 Council considers Commission’s request and refers the YAC
issue back to Commission for review and recommendation
02/01/2005 Parks and Recreation Commissioners James and Daly
Redholtz appointed to a subcommittee (later titled the “Youth
Outreach Subcommittee”) in order to research the feasibility of
YAC, attend the Teen Center’s Youth Advisory Council
meetings and report back to the Commission
03/01/2005 Youth Outreach subcommittee makes an verbal report to the
Commission
05/03/2005 Commission considers the YAC issue and gives further
direction to the Youth Outreach subcommittee
July
through
September
2005
Youth Outreach subcommittee meets with staff, continues
discussing the YAC issue, contacts the School District to
assess student interest and conducts one-on-one interviews
with youth.
11/16/2005 Commission reviews Subcommittee’s report and takes action
to indicate to Council that they do not recommend the
establishment of the YAC at this time, however, there are other
related ideas that the Commission would like to further explore.
06/13/2006 Staff conducts and email survey of California Cities on Youth
Advisory Commissions / Committees
06/26/06 City Council considers the establishment of a Youth Advisory
Commission and takes action to support the recommendation
of the Parks and Recreation Commission not to establish a
Youth Advisory Committee at this time and (that the
Commission) explore other options related to this issue.
At the May 5, 2008 City Council meeting, it was expressed that although the City of
Culver City has many wonderful youth activities, there is no program in place that
involves youth in local government. It was stated that involving youth in local
government will make future leadership stronger and be beneficial to Culver City.
Consensus was reached that the discussion of the creation of a Youth Advisory
Commission be agendized for an upcoming meeting.
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
DISCUSSION:
Teen Center Youth Groups / Projects
“Youth Making Changes” (aka the Teen Advisory Council) is a group based at the
Culver City Teen Center that discusses Culver City issues and engages in activities
that directly benefit the City such as their “Global Youth Services Day” projects. The
Parks and Recreation Commission’s Youth Outreach Subcommittee attended a
meeting of this group and spoke individually with its members as one way to
determine if there would be enough youth interest to form a YAC. One
recommendation the Commission made to the City Council was to explore forming a
relationship with this group in order to gain the perspective of youth on some of the
issues facing the City instead of forming a new group for this purpose.
“Project Citizen” is an exciting new program that was implemented at the Teen
Center last year. It is a curricular program for middle, secondary, and post-
secondary students, youth organizations and adult groups that promotes competent
and responsible participation in local and state government. The program is funded
by the U.S. Department of Education and helps participants learn how to monitor
and influence public policy. Project Citizen participants engage in structured
projects that involve several steps, including identifying a public policy problem in
their community, researching the problem and developing solutions, communicating
these solutions to public officials and holding a public hearing before a panel of civic-
minded community members. A Project Citizen presentation to City Council is
scheduled for June 23, 2008. Since youth involved in this program have an interest
in public policy, the members may have some suggestions for City Council with
regard to the formation of a CCYAC.
Gauging Community Interest in a Youth Advisory Committee
Based on information previously gathered by the Parks and Recreation
Commission’s Youth Outreach Subcommittee and on the City’s experience with the
“Student Shadowing Program,” it seems clear that the key to a successful YAC will
be the interest and willingness of local youth to participate. Some steps that Council
may consider taking to determine the current level of youth interest in a CCYAC
include: (1) direct staff and/or the members of the Youth Outreach subcommittee to
conduct a survey of local schools and youth groups and then report the findings to
Council; (2) enlist the aid of Youth Making Changes and/or the Project Citizen
participants in gauging community interest in the CCYAC by doing a group project
for this purpose; (3) refer the issue to the Council’s Joint Unified School District/City
Council Liaison Subcommittee and the Parks and Recreation Commission’s Youth
Outreach Subcommittee as a joint project for review and recommendation; (4) refer
the issue back to the Parks and Recreation Commission for their review and
recommendation; (4) form and properly fund the CCYAC, direct staff to raise
community awareness of the group through public outreach and then evaluate if
enough participation is generated to make the group viable. City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The fiscal implications of several scenarios based on different possible
organizational structures of the Youth Advisory Committee are outlined in
Attachment 2. If City Council determines that the members of the CCYAC will not
receive a stipend, then the cost of staff time and materials costs in supporting the
formation and operations of the Committee will be the main expenses to the City. If
City Council determines that the members of the CCYAC will receive the standard
$50 per month stipend, it should be noted that the resulting $3,000 cost for the year
has not been identified and will need to be allocated by City Council.
It should also be noted that a CCYAC is not a part of the Parks, Recreation and
Community Services Department work plan for 2008-2009 and therefore if staff time
is to be used we will need to eliminate proposed work plans, or reduce the scope of
other work plans in order to accommodate this added responsibility. It is also likely
that the Department would need to hire a part time contract Secretary to attend
meetings, prepare and post agendas, take minutes and transcribe the meeting into
minutes. The cost for this service is estimated to be approximately $500 per month
or approximately $7,200 per year. As with the stipend for the CCYAC members, this
cost has not been identified in the budget and would need to be allocated by City
Council.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Summary of California Youth Commission/Council Models
2. June 26, 2006 City Council Agenda Item A-1. “Consideration of Establishing a
Youth Advisory Commission”
3. Excerpt of the Minutes of the June 26, 2006 City Council Meeting
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Direct staff and/or the members of the Commission’s Youth Outreach
subcommittee to conduct a survey of local schools and youth groups to gauge
the interest in the formation of a CCYAC;
or
2. Enlist the aid of Youth Making Changes and/or the Project Citizen participants in
gauging community interest in the CCYAC;
or
City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
3. Refer the issue to the Council’s Joint Unified School District/City Council Liaison
Subcommittee and the Parks and Recreation Commission’s Youth Outreach
Subcommittee as a joint project for their review and recommendation;
or
4. Refer the issue back to the Parks and Recreation Commission for its review and
recommendation;
or
5. Direct the formation of and authorize the funding for the CCYAC, and direct staff
to advertise for applications for membership on the CCYAC.
MEETING DATE: June 9, 2008
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of the Formation of a Culver City Youth
Advisory Committee (CCYAC).
ATTACHMENTS
Page
1. Summary of California Youth Commission/Council Models
1-2
2. June 26, 2006 City Council Agenda Item A-1.
“Consideration of Establishing a Youth Advisory
Commission”
3-50
3. Excerpt of the Minutes of the June 26, 2006 City Council
Meeting
51-52
1
Attachment 1
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Attachment 2
34567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950EXCERPT OF THE MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING OF THE June 26, 2006
CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF CULVER CITY, 6:00 P.M.
CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
The meeting of the City Council was called to order at 6:00 P.M.
Present: Mayor Gary Silbiger
Vice Mayor Alan Corlin
Councilmember Carol Gross
Councilmember D. Scott Malsin
Councilmember Steven Rose
o0o
Item A-1
(out of sequence)
Consideration of Establishing a Youth Advisory Commission.
Bill LaPointe, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services gave the staff report.
The following members of the audience addressed the City Council:
Margaret Lindgren/Carlene Brown/Rebecca Rona
Christopher Armenta, City Clerk read written comments submitted by the following:
Jeanne T. Black
Discussion ensued regarding the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The
Parks and Recreation Commission did not recommend establishing a Youth Advisory
Commission. The Parks and Recreation Commission did recommend exploring the use of the
Teen Advisory Group of the City as well as representatives of the middle and high school
leadership classes for youth input; exploring with teens a “Round Table of Civic Affairs Day”;
and exploring the development of a web database email blast information request and other ideas
as they come up.
Councilmember Rose proposed a motion to support the recommendation of the Parks and
Recreation Commission. Councilmember Malsin seconded the motion.
Mayor Silbiger offered the following substitute motion: That a Youth Advisory Commission be
created; the City Council choose five members each for a total of 15 members on the
commission; that the commission members would receive no stipend; that the commission would
have staff support; and the commission would be funded out of Council Discretionary funds.
There was no second for Mayor Silbiger’s motion.
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Attachment 3
51
Further discussion ensued regarding communicating with other youth organizations in the City;
and the ongoing involvement of the subcommittee of Parks and Recreation commissioners
formed to explore this issue.
Following discussion, the following motion was voted on:
MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER ROSE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER MALSIN
AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT THE
RECOMMENDATION OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION.
o0o
52