CITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORTCITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: 2026 Youth Education and Service (Y.E.S.) Leadership and Mentoring Program Meeting Date: March 24, 2026
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council will receive and file an update on the 2026 Commerce Summer Youth Education and Service (Y.E.S.) Leadership & Mentoring Program beginning July 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS:
Over the past years, the Human Resources Department has administered a very successful and valuable Summer Youth Educational and Service Program. This program affords Commerce youth meaningful job placement and enhances community awareness of City services. The program has been mutually enriching to both youth and the City.
This Leadership & Mentoring program is designed to provide Commerce youth with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and serve their City. City of Commerce staff who supervise the youth will also serve as mentors and pass on valuable work/life experience to the students that they supervise.
In 2010, the City Council approved Resolution No. 10-23, establishing the following criteria for this program:
Current City Resident Activity Card is required for program participation.
Grandparent Resident Activity Cards are excluded from eligibility.
Pre-qualified applicants will be selected for employment with participating departments based upon a lottery process. Those applicants not selected by any of the departments will be replaced with applicants from additional lottery drawings.
Participants must be age 14 to 19 to participate in the program.
Participation is limited to two (2) summers maximum eligibility.
Staff recommends compensation for program participants at the California minimum wage rate of $16.90 per hour for the 2026 Y.E.S. program. Staff also recommends maintaining participation at 100 hours per participant, with a program target of 50 participants, based on currently budgeted funding levels.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funds are included in the Human Resource’s General Fund budget for FY 2025-26. The City Council previously appropriated $240,000 for this program. No additional appropriation is required.
Recommended by: Marlo Revilla, Human Resources Manager Fiscal Impact Reviewed by: Alvaro Castellon, Director of Finance Approved as to form: Noel Tapia, City Attorney Respectfully submitted: Ernie Hernandez, City Manager