The East Palo Alto City Council showed unanimous approval for a new youth commission and task force for engaging students in local policy on Jan. 6.
Proposals for a youth representative group have been circulating for over 10 years, according to current City Council member Mark Dinan. According to Vice Mayor Rueben Abrica, who has served in local government since 1983, a lack of funding and resources is a reason for the proposal’s previous lack of traction.
“Frankly, it has come down to money and resources because, again, anytime you establish a commission, you’re gonna have to support it financially,” Abrica said. “Oftentimes, management, the ones who run the city day to day, would say, well, it’s gonna cost so much money. It’s gonna require staff and time, so it tended to kind of fade away in a way.”
Now that approval has been shown for the commission and task force and funding is on the table, Dinan expects the commission and task force to be formally approved and implemented in the next three to six months.
The main goal of the program is to introduce teenagers to local policy and government, with the primary target being high school students.
“It’s important to engage the youth of East Palo Alto in civic issues,” Dinan said. “And it’s a great opportunity for students to learn about how government actually works and what the variables and decision-making process looks like.”
Abrica believes that East Palo Alto was pushed to finally implement the initiative because in the majority of high schools, opportunities to explore local government are typically very limited.
“Most of the time, they study about the national government, which is important,” Abrica said. “They study the state government, but they don’t study their own communities where they live.”
Along with the lack of schooling in relation to local communities and government, high school students often feel that their voices are not adequately heard.
“I feel like students don’t usually have a lot of input in what goes on with our community,” Palo Alto High School sophomore Genevieve Leighton said. “So having some kind of representation would mean a lot.”
East Palo Alto Mayor Webster Lincoln also believes that opportunities for youth to be involved in local affairs have been scarce and that having their voices be heard is critical for success in city policymaking.
“It’s something I wish I could’ve participated in because as a young person there’s not a whole lot of opportunity,” Lincoln said. “A lot of people don’t get involved with commissions and boards until after they graduate college and come home.”
Abrica predicts that the commission will begin with several members, either hand-selected by council members or through an application process. Once the members have been determined, they will select a chair to head the meetings and find staff to set up work sessions.
Students will most likely not be participating in active decision-making; however, they will be able to provide advice on issues the City Council will debate.
“It can be a bridge to the student community as to what decisions we’re making, why we’re making them,” Dinan said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to engage with student leaders and explain decisions or discuss issues.”
Oftentimes, the connection between the youth and the community can be vague, and few people choose to forge that connection unprompted.
“Theoretically, you know, you can show up at a city council meeting. Nothing keeps you from going to a city council meeting and expressing your opinion.” Abrica said. “But having a commission would […] be a better process where you would have reports given to you, you could have different opinions, you could hear from other young people that come to the meeting.”
The commission and task force would allow students to become active participants in their community, weighing in on a variety of issues, ranging from street safety and policing to parks and recreation.
“It’s going to be important for you to be involved and have direct communication with the city council’s staff,” Dinan said. “And I think it’s going to be important to have a formal way to hear from the youth.”
According to Lincoln, it is important to foster youth involvement in local policies because ultimately, decisions made in the governments of their communities affect them the most.
“A lot of the rules are created by people who have come before them, and this is their opportunity to contribute and to make sure that they’re in control of their own future.”