REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Appointment of Youth Commission Members for the FY 2025/26 Term
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The Youth Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council and makes recommendations on matters pertaining to the Santa Clara youth and teen population, especially as it relates to municipal programs and City projects and is under the supervision of a staff liaison from the Parks & Recreation Department. The Youth Commission was established in 1995 by Ordinance No. 1673, with eligibility criteria, powers and responsibilities outlined in Resolution No. 6047. The candidate selection
and recommendation processes were updated in 2019 by Resolution No. 19-8706.
DISCUSSION
The Youth Commission is comprised of fifteen (15) appointed members and two (2) alternates. As of April 2025, there are ten (10) Youth Commissioners eligible for reappointment, leaving five (5) Youth Commission vacancies, and two (2) alternate position vacancies to be filled by Council appointment.
On March 15, twenty candidates for the City of Santa Clara Youth Commission were interviewed by a selection panel comprised of the Commission’s Staff Liaison, a Parks & Recreation Department Recreation Coordinator and the outgoing Youth Commission Chairperson, in accordance with the approved process. The applicants were screened for the eligibility criteria and then evaluated on how well they would represent the City’s youth and teen population on the Youth Commission.
Following the interview process, the selection panel recommends the reappointment of ten (10) eligible existing commissioners, the appointment of five (5) eligible candidates to serve on the Commission, and the selection of the two (2) eligible candidates to be
conditionally appointed as Commission alternates. The alternates are non-voting members of the commission but will attend meetings and fill a vacant position on the Commission should a Youth Commissioner be unable to complete their term. Each Commissioner will serve a one-year term beginning in September 2025 and ending in May 2026. Each candidate recommended for an appointment meets the requirements of a City of Santa Clara resident between the ages 12-19.
Table 1 below lists the candidates for reappointment, appointment, and conditional appointment to serve as alternates on the FY 2025/26 Youth Commission.
Table 1
(a) Returning Commissioner from the FY 2024/25 term eligible for the reappointment for the FY 2025/26 Term
Name Grade School Entering Fall of 2025
Allysa Domensino 10 Santa Clara High School
Namita Gaidhani 12 Cupertino High School
Srikha Gopisetti 11 Wilcox High School
Julia Arias Hernandez 12 Santa Clara High School
Neha Israni 11 Cupertino High School
Rebecca Kunze 12 Notre Dame High School
Malia Martin 12 Archbishop Mitty High School
Samaira Mehta 12 Archbishop Mitty High School
Brian Rong 10 Lynbrook High School
Samarth Suresh 12 Wilcox High School
(b) Candidates Recommended for Appointment for the FY 2025/26 Term
Name Grade School Entering Fall of 2025
Seoyun Chong 10 Archbishop Mitty High School
Mateo Espinal 11 Santa Clara High School
Drew Madriaga 11 Wilcox High School
Niharika Uppalapati 12 Santa Clara High School
Aneesha Vemu 11 Archbishop Mitty High School
(c) Candidates Recommended for Conditional Appointment as Alternates for FY 2025/26 Term
Name Grade School Entering Fall of 2025
Ayaan Mathur 8 Stratford Preparatory
Ibrahim Rayees 10 University Prep Academy
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impacts related to the approval of appointments to the Youth Commission for the FY 2025/26 Term include staff support, Commissioner training, and meeting expenses. Expenses related to Youth Commission activities are incorporated in the FY 2025/26 General Fund Operating Budget. No further funding is requested.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Reappoint Allysa Domensino, Namita Gaidhani, Srikha Gopisetti, Julia Arias Hernandez, Neha Israni, Rebecca Kunze, Malia Martin, Samaira Mehta, Brian Rong and Samarth Suresh as Youth Commissioners;
2. Appoint Seoyun Chong, Mateo Espinal, Drew Madriaga, Niharika Uppalapati, and Aneesha Vemu as Youth Commissioners; and,
3. Appoint Ayaan Mathur and Ibrahim Rayees as alternates to the Youth Commission
Staff
Prepared by: Gayle Ichiho, Recreation Supervisor
Reviewed by: Kimberly Castro, Recreation Manager
Approved by: Damon Sparacino, Director of Parks & Recreation