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 ...
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