City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: March 20, 2023
FROM: Carmen Gil, Community Engagement & Strat. Partnerships Dir.
THROUGH: Trevin W. Barber, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Engageent and Strategic Partnerships Activity Report Gonzales Youth Council
1. The Gonzales Youth Council continues to meet biweekly. The three major action projects that they are diligently working on continue to be pedestrian safety, school and city beautification and mental health. They are working on a pedestrian safety pop-up demonstration with Ecology Action and TAMC and are connecting a city beautification activity to the temporary buffered bike lane effort being conducted by Ecology Action.
2. Gonzales Youth Commissioners Sherlyn Flores-Magadan, Luke Naegle, and Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Director, Carmen Gil talked about the Mental Health Action Project with reporters of Voices of Monterey Bay. Interest continues to grow around the topic and their work given that mental health continues to be a major concern for young people.
3. Finally, the GYC are working hard to prepare for a meeting with the School District Superintendent and the GHS principal. The GYC will be sharing about their action projects but will also be addressing some topics of interest to them like the bathroom situation at the high school which is substandard and the opportunities for change and improvements through the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LACP).
AGENDA
ITEM
7 COVID-19 and Community Engagement
1. COVID-19 testing has picked up slightly for the CHWs. MediCal applications have also been an interest to the community and CHWs are getting additional training as to how to support the application process for those who qualify.
2. The CHWs are also preparing to support the Blue Zones showing of El Susto in March. El Susto is a movie that explains how sugary drinks contribute to Type 2 Diabetes. The Movie will be shown at the Fairview school cafeteria and will bring together partners like our Fire Department and others to talk about healthy alternatives and diabetes prevention.
3. The CHWs were also recognized by County leadership for their efforts and support during the January storms. Leaders from FEMA and the County reached out to acknowledge their presence at the Office of Emergency Services and at the resource center in Spreckels. Below is a card that the leadership team there put together for them to thank them for their support. Senator Caballero’s office has also reached out and will be presenting each of the community health workers with a certificate for their work during our Council meeting in March.