REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Resolution No. 6047 Relating to the Youth Commission Selection Process and Action on Appointment of Youth Commissioners for the 2019-20 Term
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara Youth Commission was established on June 6, 1995 by Ordinance No. 1673 (Attachment 1). The Commission provides opportunities for youth involvement in, and access to, City government through a formal commission. On July 25, 1995 Council passed Resolution No. 6047 (Attachment 2) which further defined eligibility criteria for membership and granted powers and duties to the Commission, such that the Youth Commission is comprised of 15 residents of the City of Santa Clara, aged 12-19, who serve a one-year term with a maximum term of service of four calendar years, who don’t hold paid office or employment in the City, and include at least one representative from each high school and middle school in the City. The Youth Commission serves in an advisory capacity to Council and makes recommendations on matters pertaining to the youth and teen population, especially as related to municipal programs and City projects, and is under supervision of a staff liaison designated by the City Manager.
DISCUSSION
Following past practice, on March 23, 2019, 27 candidates for the City of Santa Clara Youth Commission were interviewed by a panel including the Commission’s Staff Liaison, a Parks & Recreation Department supervisor, and the outgoing Youth Commission Chairperson. The applicants were screened for the eligibility criteria listed above and evaluated on how well they would represent the City’s youth and teen population on the Youth Commission. However, while Council Resolution No. 6047 states in paragraph 3(b) that the Staff Liaison will coordinate the interview process, the selection process did not include the two specified steps found in sections 3(c) and 3(d), which is to have volunteer college students from Mission College and Santa Clara University interview candidates and make the recommendation to Council. In fact, the selection process has not included these two steps for over 20 years, since they were found to be impractical and required additional recruitments, interview times and orientation that did not add value to the selection process. Therefore, staff recommends an amendment to Resolution No. 6047 (Attachment 3) to codify the current selection process that has worked efficiently and effectively for over 20 years.
There are currently nine returning Commission members eligible to be reappointed, and six vacancies and two alternate positions to be filled by Council appointment
Following the current interview process, the selection panel recommends six of the candidates to serve on the Commission and two candidates to be alternates. Alternate members are not voting members of the Commission but will attend meetings and assume a position on the Commission should a member be unable to complete their term. Each Commissioner will serve a one-year term beginning in August 2019 and ending in May 2020. Each candidate recommended for appointment meets the requirements outlined above.
Table 1 below contains fifteen candidates recommended for appointment to the 2019-20 Youth Commission including: (a) nine members from the 2018-19 Youth Commission returning for reappointment, and (b) six new appointments. There are also two candidates (c) to be appointed to serve as alternates.
|
Table 1. City of Santa Clara Youth Commission 2019-20 |
|
Name |
Grade |
Entering Fall of 2019 |
|
(a) Returning 2018-19 Youth Commissioners eligible for the 2019-20 Term |
|
Jasmine Kelly-Tanti |
9 |
Santa Clara High School |
|
Vincent Kloes |
12 |
Wilcox High School |
|
Adrianne Krivokapic-Zhuo |
11 |
Santa Clara High School |
|
Kayla Phan |
11 |
Santa Clara High School |
|
Siya Sharma |
12 |
Saint Francis High School |
|
Meera Suresh |
12 |
Cupertino High School |
|
Smrithi Suresh |
11 |
Wilcox High School |
|
Natasha Yen |
11 |
The Harker School |
|
Sanjana Yerramaneni |
12 |
Wilcox High School |
|
(b) Recommended Candidates (2019-20 Term) |
|
Aarva Gupta |
8 |
Stratford Middle School |
|
Ahmad Ismail |
10 |
Wilcox High School |
|
Colin Lim |
11 |
BASIS Independent Silicon Valley |
|
Raksha Sen |
12 |
Saint Francis High School |
|
Kavya Sriram |
11 |
Wilcox High School |
|
Amy Zuo |
11 |
Lynbrook High School |
|
(c) Recommended Alternate Candidates |
|
Palak Parikh |
10 |
Wilcox High School |
|
Rajvi Khanjan Shroff |
9 |
Cupertino High School |
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff support, Commissioner training and meeting expenses are the only fiscal impacts relating to approval of appointments to the Youth Commission for the 2019-20 term.
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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Adopt a resolution amending Resolution No. 6047 to change the Youth Commission selection process; and,
2. Reappoint nine returning Youth Commissioners, appoint six new Commissioners, and appoint two alternates to serve on the 2019-20 City of Santa Clara Youth Commission based on the selection panel’s recommendations.
Staff
Reviewed by: James Teixeira, Director, Parks & Recreation Department
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Youth Commission Formation Ordinance No. 1673
2. Youth Commission Resolution No. 6047
3. Resolution - Youth Commission Selection Process