TO:City Council
FROM:Youth Commission
DATE:June 9, 2026
SUBJECT: Youth Commission Annual Report
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive Youth Commission (YC) Annual Report.
2. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Staff time and costs for coordination and preparation of the YC Annual Report are included in the Adopted FY 2025-26 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The YC was established by City Council in 1985. It consists of 13 members between the ages of 13 – 18 years old. On September 14, 2021, City Council approved Resolution No. 2021-045, rescinding Resolution No. 2011-037, establishing the following updated functions and duties:
1. Review and provide input on any matters referred to the YC by the City Council, City Manager, or their designee regarding a City departmental action, project, service, or development concerning matters which may directly impact youth.
2. Provide outreach assistance to youth for City projects or services as assigned by City Manager or their designee.
Youth Commission Annual Report
June 9, 2026
3. Serve as liaisons to youth agency committees as assigned by City Council, City Manager or their designee, including attendance at public meetings and providing regular reports on liaison agency activities to City Council.
4. Submit an annual report to City Council on Commission activities and any other periodic reports as assigned or deemed appropriate.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
In FY 2025-26, Youth Commissioners accomplished the following functions and duties:
1. Review and provide input on any matters referred to the YC During the FY 2025-26 term, the Youth Commissioners engaged with knowledgeable speakers from City departments and the community to establish relationships and provide input on referred projects and programs that impact youth. Meetings included:
Month Topic Presenter
September
2025
Coastal Cleanup
Brown Act
Jason Seigert, Environmental
Compliance Analyst, City of Thousand
Oaks
Noel Doran, Assistant City Attorney,
City of Thousand Oaks
October
2025
City of Thousand Oaks
Communications
Alexandra South, Director of Strategic
Communications & Public Affairs, City
of Thousand Oaks
November
2025
Conejo Schools
Foundation Services
Lana Clark, Executive Director,
Conejo Schools Foundation
December
2025
Conejo Valley Unified
School District
(CVUSD) Technology
and Child Nutrition
Services
Dr. Victor Hayek, Deputy
Superintendent/Chief Business Official,
Henry Ortiz, Director of Technology
Services and Sarah Phillips, Director of
Child Nutrition Services, CVUSD
January
2026
Many Mansions
Services
Rick Schroeder, President & CEO,
Many Mansions
February
2026
Community
Conscience Services
Robin Britt, Executive Director,
Community Conscience
March
2026
CVUSD Student
Resources
Amber Bowman, Student Support
Services Coordinator, CVUSD
April 2026 Greater Conejo Valley
Chamber of Commerce
Danielle Borja, President/CEO, Greater
Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
Youth Commission Annual Report
June 9, 2026
2. Provide outreach assistance to youth for City projects or services The Youth Commissioners provided outreach to youth by supporting the following activities:
Youth Leadership Summit
The YC provided outreach to youth by hosting the 2026 Youth Leadership Summit on March 25, 2026, at the Kavli Theatre Founders Room. The event brought together 22 community leaders and 66 youth from the City.
The program consisted of Community Leader Roundtables and Youth Focus Group Discussions, followed by youth reporting on the outcomes of their discussions. There were several important conversations that took place and many positive outcomes. The YC compiled a comprehensive report included as Attachment #1.
Environmental Beautification
The Youth Commissioners assisted with the annual Coastal Cleanup on September 20, 2025, by helping to recruit youth to participate and pick up trash.
The event cleared trash and plastic pollution from inland waterways near Borchard Park.
The Youth Commissioners planned and executed a Youth Tree Planting Day on March 28, 2026. With the assistance of the City’s Public Works Department, youth and parents planted 14 trees along East Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Via Merida.
Young Artist Contest
The Youth Commissioners organized a Young Artist Contest in connection with the 2026 Youth Leadership Summit, encouraging youth to creatively interpret the theme, “Stronger as One,” through visual art. The contest offered youth an opportunity to engage with the Summit theme while showcasing their artistic talent.
Four winners were selected from 18 submissions and recognized for their creativity, thematic interpretation, and use of artistic materials. The winners had their artwork on display in the Thousand Oaks Grant R. Brimhall Library Teen Space and on toaks.gov/youth for the month of April.
3. Liaisons to Organizations
In FY 2025-26, Youth Commissioners served as liaisons to an array of organizations that serve youth in the community. Each month, Commissioners deepened relationships across the community, as well as provided updates and Youth Commission Annual Report
June 9, 2026
information regarding these organizations at the monthly YC meetings. The liaison positions include:
• Alex Fiore Teen Center: Commissioner Cipriano, Commissioner Hacioglu, Commissioner Lee, and Commissioner Little
• CVUSD Student District Advisory Council (SDAC): Commissioner Ahmed and Commissioner Levesque
• Thousand Oaks Library Teen Advisory Committee: Commissioner Cipriano and Commissioner Negrete
The Youth Commissioners have compiled a summary of their experience with 2025-26 committee and liaison assignments in Attachment #2.
In program year 2026-27, the YC will be seeking direction from the City Manager’s Office on potential projects and providing outreach to relevant youth agencies or activities that support the duties of the YC.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts, Youth and Senior Programs).
PREPARED BY: Rayna Doshi, Youth Commission Chair
Chenya Kwon, Youth Commission Chair
Alijah Hernandez, Cultural and Community Services Analyst Attachments: Attachment #1 – 2026 Youth Leadership Summit Report Attachment #2 – 2025-26 YC Committee and Liaison Summary Report
CCS: 115-01\ah\H\COMMON\Community Services\City Council Items\2026 Staff Reports\06092026 YC Annual Report\Youth Commission Staff Report.docx