Attachment 1
Community Services Department
DATE: May 3, 2022
TO: Council Youth Services Committee
FROM: Lauren Eck, Recreation Coordinator
Greg Milano, Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT: Youth Advisory Committee Applicant Selection and Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION
Review the staff recommendation to reappoint nine current members and appoint six new members and eight members-at-large to the Youth Advisory Committee for the 2022-23 term and forward a recommendation to the City Council for approval.
BACKGROUND
On September 11, 2007, the City Council approved Resolution No. 17235 establishing the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). The resolution states that the YAC consists of a combined maximum of 15 middle school and high school students that are Mountain View re sidents. The YAC members are selected through an application and interview process facilitated by the Community Services Department—Recreation Division and appointed by the City Council.
ANALYSIS
On June 22, 2021, the City Council appointed 15 members to the YAC for the 2021-22 term. Of the 15 members, nine are eligible for reappointment and six members are graduating from high school, therefore making them no longer eligible for the 202 2-23 term. All current members chose to reapply for another term.
Staff requests the Council Youth Services Committee (CYSC) consider the following nine returning YAC members as candidates for reappointment:
• Anya Andrzejek, senior at Mountain View High School
• Ashley Rowe, senior at Saint Francis High School
• Bridget Lui, junior at Los Altos High School
• Estefani Domingo Angel, junior at Mountain View High School Youth Advisory Committee Applicant Selection and Recommendation May 3, 2022
• Jasleen Sidhu, junior at Los Altos High School
• Natalie Chan, sophomore at Saint Francis High School
• Nolan Murphy, junior at Woodside Priory High School
• Ryan Wang, junior at Los Altos High School
• Yonu Oh, senior at Castilleja School
Earlier this spring, Recreation Division staff recruited stu dents to apply for the 2022-23 term.
Recruitment efforts included making virtual school announcements, delivering applications to local schools, talking to students at career fairs, posting applications on the YAC web page and The View Teen Center , a recruitment ad in the Activity Guide, postings to the Mountain View Recreation Division and The View Teen Center social media accounts, and emailing applications directly to school staff to share with students . A total of 33 applications representing students from 16 different schools were received for the 15 available spots.
Staff conducted virtual interviews via Zoom in early-April, and requests the CYSC to consider the following six new candidates recommended for appointment:
• Amy Galindo, eighth-grader at The Girls’ Middle School • Cindy Cruz, freshman at Menlo School (current member-at-large) • Jade Tissera, sophomore at Mountain View High School
• Leonard Fomin, senior at Mountain View High School
• Meital Zayats, seventh-grader at Graham Middle School • Simon Braun, junior at Pinewood School
Each of these applicants effectively articulate d their desire to be a member of the YAC , communicated how they may contribute to the overall goals of the YAC, and showed commitment to the 2022-23 term.
In addition to the staff recommendation of 15 candidates for appointment, staff requests that the CYSC recommend the following eight candidates be named as members-at-large should one or more vacancies occur during the 2022-23 YAC term. The purpose would be to establish a list of prequalified youth to fill future vacancies and to provide additional civic engagement opportunities that may increase their qualifications to become a YAC member. Members -at- large receive ongoing YAC communication, an invitation to attend meetings as a nonvoting public participant, and opportunities to volunteer at YAC and City-sponsored special events.
• Hannah Meng, senior at Mountain View High School
• Jonathan Lee, senior at Mountain View High School
• Leilani Montano, seventh-grader at Graham Middle School • Linda An, junior at San Domenico School
• Maya Sriram, junior at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley • Misty Mukherjee, junior at Mountain View High School
Youth Advisory Committee Applicant Selection and Recommendation May 3, 2022
• Shahana Rajasekaran, freshman at Los Altos High School • Zach Gillette, senior at Mountain View High School
Based upon the interview process and the limited number of positions available, of the 33 applicants, 10 were not forwarded for appointment at this time. Of those 10, one applicant did not show for a scheduled interview and did not respond to staff.
NEXT STEPS
Following CYSC consideration and recommendation, staff will forward the list of recommended candidates to the City Council for formal appointment at the June 14, 2022 City Council meeting.
GM/8/CSD
256-05-03-22M