HomeMy WebLinkAboutHandouts_Special Meeting_Tab 06_06/03/2013 Youth Advisory Council of the Village of Tequesta
The Youth Advisory Council is an advisory body composed of local youth (between
high school and college) that will provide insight, perspective and counsel to the local
governing body and its affiliated advisory and regulatory boards, as well as other
local and community organizations.
I. Why should the Village of Tequesta have a Youth Advisory Council?
Youth Advisory Councils promote civic engagement among youth by:
-Giving them a formal role in local decision making
-Offering real-world experiences with elected and advisory bodies
-Teaching and educating roles that Village Council plays along with boards and
village administration
-Increasing voice and communication between youth and adults, and among youth
themselves
-Increasing youth involvement by actively recruiting individuals for the Tequesta
Internship program
-Enhancing education in regards to government, history and civics
II. Who benefits from a Youth Advisory Council?
-Young people can:
-Communicate their concerns regarding local matters that affect them
-Directly participate in local government
-Make decisions and take action to potentially improve their community
-Council can:
-Be more representative of the community as a whole
-Gain insight regarding the community's young or progressive perspective
-Encourage youths to be more actively engaged in the political process
-Improve the services that directly affect young people
-Be more sustainable
III. Who creates and oversees the Village Youth Advisory Council?
The governing body of the Village of Tequesta will create and oversee the Youth
Advisory Council. It is customary that the Youth Advisory Council be aligned with
the manager's or clerk's office for the purposes of housing the council's meetings. A
member of the Village Council will oversee the structure and operations of the Youth
Advisory Council. The Village Council can remove a youth from the Youth
Advisory Council for any reason and declare the position vacant.
IV. Appointment Process:
The Village Council will conduct interviews with applicants interested in serving on
the Youth Advisory Council. The interviews will demonstrate the student's ability in
a professional setting, how they handle practical questions and what they can bring to
the table as a member of the Youth Advisory Council.
When the student applies, he/she will indicate which board he/she is interested in
serving on. The Chair of the Citizen Advisory Boards and Committees will also
conduct an interview to determine if that student is acceptable for representation.
V. Term and Eligibility:
-Each term limit should be one year, unless grade 12 is being completed within the
term, in which the position will be declared vacant
-Tequesta youth considered first with consideration of neighboring communities as
needed to complete the required number of inembers
-Students ranging from grades (9-12 and college freshman and seniors)
-8�' grade students will be able to apply for the Alternate positions only and will be
mentored by someone that is serving on the Youth Advisory Council as to set up
continuity for the next year.
High S chool: 9�' grade (14-15 years old), 10�' grade (15-16 years old), 11 �' grade (16-
17 years old), 12�' grade (17-18 years old)
College: freshman (18-19 years old), sophomore (19-20 years old)
-Include students in public, private, charter, vocationaU trade and home schools
-Students with diverse backgrounds
-Consider minimum requirements in terms of GPA (minimum being 2.5 on a high
school level and 2.0 on a college level)
-Students that have a proven record of leadership and are willing to demonstrate
community involvement
-BE DIVERSE (students that are all just "student body president's" aren't really the
best, make sure to find student with leadership and also the ability to be a team
player)
VI. Structure and Qualifications:
The Youth Advisory Council will consist of five members including a Chair, Vice-
Chair, three Members and two alternates. The members will elect the Chair and Vice
Chair on an annual basis.
The Council Chair acts as a liaison between the Village Council and the Youth
Advisory Council. The Chair will attend regular monthly meetings of the Village
Council and report on the activities, findings, suggestions, etc. of the Youth Advisory
Council.
The Vice-Chair will serve as clerk at all meetings and take minutes.
Each Youth Advisory Council member will be assigned to one of the Citizen Boards
or Committees. -The preferred interests and duties of each would be as follows:
Board of Adjustment-This student can have a diverse background in many fields. It
is recommended that the student has a special interest in law. From a high-school
level to a college level, versed in history, politics, geography, mathematics,
economics, etc. This student should be willing to review the variances and the
ordinances of the village.
Planning and Zoning_This student working on this board should have a geography
and urban and regional planning background. This student should be versed in maps
and planning and also be willing to learn the Comprehensive Plan and work closely
with understanding the layout and zones of Tequesta.
General Employee Pension Board-This student should also be interested in finance as
well, but on a more human rescores end as well, since it is the General Employee
board. This student should have a strong sense of math and human resources to know
how to not only work with pension, but also able to work with all the employees of
the village as well.
Public Safety Pension Board-This student that serves on this board should preferable
be of the college level with a finance background. A student with the ability to serve
on this board should also seemingly want to be involved in some shape with public
safety (example: fire services, emergency medical services, police, etc.) and willing
to work in both sectors.
Historv Committee-The student that serves on this board should have a strong
background in history. Someone from the high school/college level that not only
enjoys history but also record keeping and keeping the village history pristine and
organized while working with the overall History committee and the Village Clerk in
historical preservation
