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Consider Youth Representation on Park and Rec Commission CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.111 0 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us 3 MEMORANDUM TO: Park and Recreation Commission FROM: 111 Todd Hoffman, Park and Recreation Director DATE: July 31,2008 SUBJ: Consider Youth Representation on Park and Recreation Commission Attached please find a report entitled "Youth Pat1icipation in Local Government" prepared by Mitch Johnson, our 2008 Department Intern. The report is focused on the appointment of youth members to Park and Recreation Commissions. Commissioner Stolar is interested in discussing the merits of investigating the implementation of a student or youth member program for commissions in Chanhassen. Chanhassen is a Community for Life. Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow J Youth Participation in Local Government By: Mitch Johnson 30 May 2008 Many communities believe that it is important that today's youth be encouraged to take interest in local government decision-making activities and that opportunities be created to foster civic participation by young people. The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities states that, "Nothing is more important to the health of our democracy than the active engagement of young people in representative government at the local level." Through extensive research, I have found that the following Minnesota cities have youth representation in their municipal government: Cambridge . Parks, Trails, & Recreation Commission . Did not respond to interview request. Apple Valley . Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee . Interview with Park & Rec Director Randy Johnson: My phone interview with Randy Johnson was very beneficial to my research. Mr. Johnson is a major supporter of youth involvement in municipal government. He informed me that Apply Valley has had a youth representative on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee for about 10 years. Along with a youth representative, Apple Valley also places a senior citizen on this committee as well. That way they are sure to get opinions from the both spectrums of the community. Randy Johnson explained to me that not many youth in the city are unaware of the opportunities available to get involved with their city government. Instead of trying to market the program to the youth, he recruits students from the two local high schools. He usually contacts both the principal and the athletic director to see if they have any students in mind they would recommend or who would be interested in such a position. Once he gets a few names from them, he contacts them individually and explains the progr~m and the application process. Once all applications are in he generally interviews about three students for the position. Once the youth representative is selected, he has what he calls a "coaching session" with the individual. He explains in more detail the responsibilities and what they can expect at their first meeting. He also lets them know that they commission does value their opinions and reminds them not to be intimidated by the other members of the committee. In the last 10 years, Mr. Johnson said they have only had one individual who has had issues with regularly attending meetings, other than that they have had not major issues with any of their youth representatives. My final question to Randy Johnson was if he recommended other cities to develop a program involving youth in government. "Without a doubt," he said. He firmly believes in this program and believes that the commission receives a lot of great feedback from the youth representative. Mankato . Community, Environment, Transit, Park, and other committees . Director was out of town on a family emergency. Minnetonka . Park Board . Economic Development Board . Did not respond to interview request. Bloomington . Parks, Art, & Recreation Commission . Human Rights Commission . Interview with Parks & Recreation Manager Randy Quale: Randy Quale, Bloomington Parks & Recreation Manager, is another supporter of getting youth involved in local government. He said the program has been around for at least 11 years, since he has been employed in Bloomington. He stated that it provides youth with a sense of pride to serve their community. In addition, the Parks Commission receives an insight from a youth's perspective on any issues or concerns. In Bloomington, the youth representative is a full voting member and has the same duties and responsibilities as any other commission member. The only difference is that youth serve just a one year term. Bloomington adjusts the length of the term to correspond with the ~ school year. Youth representatives serve from September 1st through August 31st. When I asked him if there were any drawbacks to the program, he informed me that it does take a few years for the program to get rolling. There have been a few years where they haven't received any applications at all. However he said that in the last 5 years or so that the program has really taken off. He contributes the success to past representatives. Word has really started to spread throughout the community about the position, which has resulted in numerous representatives' friends and siblings submitting applications. I also asked him if the youth take great pride in their position, which he definitely thought they did. He added that there have never been any major issues involving the youth representative. Bloomington requires all members to attend at least 75% of meetings, otherwise they lose their seat on the commission. Randy Quale definitely believes that other cities should get youth more involved in local government, especially on Park Commissions. He stated that a majority of the programs they offer are catering towards youth, so without a doubt they should have an opportunity to voice their opinion. He also mentioned that it will only be a matter of time before a majority of cities offer positions for youth representatives. Conclusion While youth participation can be very beneficial, it is also important to address all aspects of the process. It can be very time consuming to develop youth positions on local commissions. In addition, the position must be posted and adequately marketed to the appropriate audience, applications reviewed, and individuals then interviewed for the position. Numerous hours and tax payer dollars could be spent on this process and conclude in disappointing results. Through my extensive research of meeting minutes, the youth representatives were absent a majority of the time. In Cambridge, the youth representative was present at only 2 of the 7 meetings. I also found that their participation at the meetings they did attend was very limited. The dialogue rarely mentioned any comments or statements made by the youth. This leads me to believe that either they were either uninterested in the discussion or perhaps ignorant on the subject matter. Another issue several cities face is the ability to attract youth to the position. According to San Bruno, California, a city with a population of approximately 40,000, they struggled to receive any applications to fill the vacancy of the youth representative on the Park & Rec Commission. It is great to allow individuals the opportunity to participate, however it is important to find individuals who are interested in being actively involved, rather than someone who is solely interested in putting something on their resume. Local governments, who are willing to engage youth in community leadership roles, contribute to their development as productive members of society. Involvement can be empowering for anyone, including today's youth. According to the National Civic Review, "Youth can playa fundamental role in addressing important issues; their participation in the decision-making process of community organizations can reenergize communities." If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me (952) 227- 1197 or via email atmiohnson@ci.chanhassen.mn.us. Mitch Johnson Intern, Park & Rec Department City of Chanhassen (952) 227-1197 miohnson@ci.chanhassen.mn.us