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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05252010 - C.49RECOMMENDATION(S): SUNSET the Countywide Youth Commission, and AUTHORIZE District Supervisors to establish local, district-specific Youth Commissions, as recommended by the Internal Operations Committee. CLOSE the permanent referral on the Countywide Youth Commission to the Family and Human Services Committee. FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact to the County from this action. Funding for the Countywide Youth Commission was eliminated by prior Board action. BACKGROUND: On April 13, 2010, the Board of Supervisors approved a referral to the Internal Operations Committee regarding a recommendation to sunset the Countywide Youth Commission. The Internal Operations Committee reviewed and acted upon this referral at its April 19, 2010 meeting. The Internal Operations Committee recommended that the Board of Supervisors suspend the Countywide APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 05/25/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: May 25, 2010 David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: KATHERINE SINCLAIR, Deputy cc: C.49 To:Board of Supervisors From:Internal Operations Committee Date:May 25, 2010 Contra Costa County Subject:Sunset the Countywide Youth Commission BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) Youth Commission, while preserving the option for each District Supervisor to establish, at his/her discretion, a local, district-specific Youth Commission. The IO Committee noted that if the County's financial condition were to significantly improve in the future, the matter could be brought forward to the Board of Supervisors for reconsideration either by a local Youth Commission or by a Board member. This recommendation was made by the Internal Operations Committee in recognition of the difficulties the Countywide Youth Commission has faced with respect to funding constraints, recruitment and retention, and the diversity of issues facing youth in each district. On March 15, the County Administrator's Office received a request from Joan Tomasini, Volunteer Adult Coordinator of the Countywide Youth Commission, to take the following recommendation forward to the Internal Operations Committee: “On behalf of Shelley Murdock, County Director – UC Cooperative Extension and Joan Tomasini, Volunteer Adult Coordinator of the Countywide Youth Commission, we are recommending that the Countywide Youth Commission be sunset for the following reasons: • Funding for the Countywide Youth Commission was cut and without funding, it is very difficult to run the program as there are no supplies, postage, and no (paid) adult coordinator. • The Commission’s role and responsibilities has weakened as the County has become more diverse and issues vary by area of the county – issues important to West County teens may be very different than the issues to South County teens and, again, different than the East County teens. • The economic challenges make it difficult to find teens committed to attending monthly meetings as many teens are finding the need to work, to study more and have transportation challenges. • It has been very difficult to find teens interested and committed to the Commission. • Teens want to be a part of something very local and the Commission is a broader subject without local action. Optional recommendation: Have the Commission sit idle for a few years and/or bring it back as local commissions based out of each Supervisor’s office so they have the direct voice of their district’s youth. The youth from each district could meet twice a year to discuss common issues and solutions.” The Countywide Youth Commission was established by the Board of Supervisors on September 13, 1994. The Commission was structured to include twenty six (26) members. (25 and one At-large alternate.) Three members (ages 12-18) are nominated per each Supervisorial District, ten At-large members, and one At-large Alternate. In addition to the 26 members, there should be one (non-voting) Adult Volunteer Coordinator per each Supervisorial District (appointed by the District Supervisor) to provide advice, counsel and transportation to the three representatives of that District. In the triennial review of advisory bodies conducted by the CAO staff, the final report that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 3, 2009 included the following recommendation with regard to the Countywide Youth Commission: “The Countywide Youth Commission had its budget eliminated for FY 2008-09 due to a required reduction for the UC Cooperative Extension department. The CAO recommended suspending the Commission in the Recommended Budget. The IO Committee, however, recommended that the Commission continue to operate with volunteer staff support and that funding be sought to support the commission from grant opportunities or a sponsoring organization. If a Supervisor wishes to sponsor the commission, its current status should be reviewed and recommendations on how to proceed should be developed.” No grant opportunities or sponsoring organization been identified to support the Countywide Youth Commission.