DATE: September 15, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Derek Schweigart, Parks and Recreation Director
Tiffany Oren, Recreation Manager
Madeline Koval, Recreation Coordinator
DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
SUBJECT: APPOINTMENT OF FIFTEEN MEMBERS TO THE YOUTH
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached resolution appointing the following fifteen (15) members to the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to annual full terms for the 2025-2026 school year.
Name, School, Grade
*Medha Chellapilla, San Mateo High School, 9
*Jakob Gowdy, Hillsdale High School, 11
Arav Gupta, San Mateo High School, 12
*Amperly Hom, San Mateo High School, 12
*Anoushka Kashyap, San Mateo High school, 11
*Navya Kayath, San Mateo High School, 10
*Emily Meng, Burlingame High School, 12
Maanyaa Mishra, San Mateo High School, 10
*Isha Misra, San Mateo High School, 11
*Raneem Motalib, San Mateo High School, 12
Scarlett Pawlick-Ward, San Mateo High School, 10
*Nolan Quan, Hillsdale High School, 11
Sona Rajput, Aragon High School, 11
*Meilin Rife, Aragon High School, 12
Saachi Sinha, Bowditch Middle School, 8
*Denotes returning members
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff conducted interviews with all new and returning applicants. Staff interviewed 38 applicants for YAC for the 2025-2026 school year. Based on the interview process and evaluation, staff recommend the above 15 applicants be appointed to the YAC for the 2025-2026 school year.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
YAC was developed to encourage greater participation of youth within Foster City. The Committee’s goal is to explore youth/teen issues and report recommendations and results to City Council.
YAC has been operating successfully with 15 members (down from 25), since 2011.
The decrease in committee size was supported by City Council, who felt that this number would continue to effectively involve a large cross section of the youth/teen community.
The YAC size is large enough to efficiently plan and implement activities; all members can actively participate and work as a team; and the Parks and Recreation Department staff liaison is able to spend more time guiding and advising each individual member.
Staff and YAC members saw a need to create the classification of ‘Member-at-Large’ positions due to the overwhelming interest in being involved in YAC activities.
Members-at-Large do not sign the YAC commitment contract and do not have voting privileges. They do, however, attend meetings. The addition of Members-at-Large meets the needs of the Foster City youth when they cannot commit to attending eighty percent of the required committee meetings.
The process of choosing YAC committee members includes reviewing completed application forms and responses to questions that focus on the applicant’s involvement in school and community activities. The following criteria are used to select applicants:
Outstanding level of commitment in previous years serving on the YAC School Representation
Grade Representation
Involvement in community activities
Interview
This year, staff liaison, Madeline Koval, conducted interviews for YAC. Of the 43 applications received, 38 candidates scheduled for an interview for staff to assess their interest and alignment with the committee's goals. Overall, the process highlighted the importance of effective outreach and careful evaluation to select committee members. 15 YAC applications are recommended for approval
Upon City Council approval, YAC would consist of fifteen active members for the 2025- 26 school year.
Staff recommend that the above applicants be appointed as outlined in this staff report.
California Environmental Quality Act
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
City Council Operations and Improved Community Engagement ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 - Resolution
Attachment 2 - Contract
Attachment 3 - Application