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SR-301-002-02 (2) 4t Santa Monica, Ca1ifornia~eptember 27, 1978 3tJ/~tJoz-tt:rz tr OCT 2 4 1978 TO: FROM: Mayor and City Council City Staff SUBJECT. Youth Advisory Council Introduction This staff report recommends certain changes in the existing Ordinance No. 925 which created the Youth Advisory Council. Background The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) was established in September 1973, by the City Council. The purpose of the Youth Advisory Council is to act in an advisory capacity to the City Council in all matters pertaining to the youth of the City of Santa Monica The Youth Advisory Council performed its function for several years with few problems. Attendance by YAC members was sporadic and, due to ~ts size, continued to function. During the last few years fewer youth have sought appointment to the Youth Advisory Council and replacements have been difficult to find. The existing ordinance calls for one member from each of the public. private, and parochial schools along with one member of every organized youth group with a membership of over twenty youth, plus two Council appointed members at large. Presently, the Youth Advisory Council is not functioning. During the past year no meetings have been held as all of the past members lor OCT 2 4 '978 TO: Mayor and Ci~ Council sep~ber 27, 1978 -2- terms have expired and a sufficient number of new appointees were not recommended by the various youth groups or schools. The existing ordinance makes all appointments for a one year term. This makes it extremely difficult for the Youth Adv1sory Council to function with a constant change over of members with no experience and little knowledge of past actions of the YAC. Staff has reviewed the present problem and is recommending certain changes to the ordinance. The changes suggested basically are as follows 1. Set YAC membership to nine (9) members. 2. Establish a Youth Council Advisor from the Recreation and Parks Department staff. 3. Establish two year staggered terms of office for members. 4. Establish attendance requirements at meetings 5. Procedure for filling vacancies It is the opinion of staff that if the suggested changes to the ordinance are made the Youth Advisory Council will have a better chance to function as originally intended by the City Council. Economic Impact None. The Youth Advisory Council will require staff time from the Recreation and Parks Department. This is estimated to be twenty hours per month. TO Mayor an~ity Council ~ember 27, 1978 -3- Alternatives 1. Approve the recommended changes in Ordinance ~o. 925, and direct the City Attorney to amend the ordinance 2. Continue to seek members under conditions of the existing ordinance unt~l enough appointments can be made to start the YAC again. 3. Abo1~sh the Youth Advisory Council. Recommendation Staff recommends Alternative No. 1 that the Santa Monica City Council direct the City Attorney to amend Ordinance No. 925 as requested for introduction at the November 14, 1978, City Council meeting. Prepared by. Donald T Arnett, D~rector Recreation and Parks Edward W. Adams Recreation Superintendent DTA:EWA pp Attachment e e ORDINANCE NO. (City Council Series) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ~1ENDING CHAPTER 10 TO ARTICLE II OF THE SANTA MONICA MUNI- CIPAL CODE IN ORDER TO CREATE A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 10, Article II of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is amended to read in its entirety as follows: CHAPTER 10. YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL. Section 2910. Creation and Composition of the Council. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1000 of the Santa Monica Municipal Charter, the City Council does hereby create a Youth Advisory Council. The membership of said Council shall be appointed by the City Council and shall consist of nine members, and in addition. shall be served with a Youth Council Advisor from the Recreation and Parks Department in a non-voting capacity. All Council members shall be residents of the City or attend a school within the City of Santa Monica at the time of their appointment and during their term of office. Members shall be between their thirteenth and nineteenth birthdays at the time of their appointment. Section 2911. Appointment of Members of the Youth Advisory Council. To facilitate the recruitment and selection of e e Council members all schools with grades ]-12 and all youth service agencies will be informed of Council vacancies by mail. Interested applicants may file a request for an appointment through the City Clerk's office. Names of qualified applicants will be presented to the City Clerk for consideration and approval by the City Council. Section 2912. Terms of Office. Terms shall be for two years effective from January 1st to December 31st of the following year. Terms shall be staggered so that five terms begin in odd numbered years and four terms begin in even numbered years. Initially, four commissioners shall be appointed for one year, and thereafter all appointments shall be for two years. Reappointment must be with City Council approval. Section 2913. Vacancy. Appointments to fill vacancies in the Youth Advisory Council shall be made for the unexpired term by the Mayor with City Council approval. Section 2914. Attendance. Council members are expected to attend and participate in all regular meetings held on the first Thursday of every month. Any member who is absent from two consecu- tive regular meetings without the approval of the Youth Council shall be deemed to have resigned from the Council and the chairperson shall notify the City Clerk. Section 291S. Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. At the first regular meeting after October first every year, the Council members shall select from their membership a chairperson and a vice chairperson to serve one year terms. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms as either chairperson or vice chairperson. -2- e e Section 2916. Meetings. . a. All regular meetings will be presided over by the chairperson or by the vice chairperson in the absence of the chairperson. b. A majority of the regular members shall constitute a quorum. c. All regular meetings shall be conducted in the following sequence~ roll call, personal appear- ances, scheduled items, old business and new business. d. Ad hoc committees can be called together by the chairperson or by a majority of the Youth Advisory Council, e. The assigned Youth Council Advisor will attend all meetings and shall provide such general advice, counsel, guidance, and staff assistance as necessary to insure the effectual functioning of the Youth Council. f. Minutes of the regular monthly meetings shall be taken by a City staff member and be filed with the City Clerk. The City Council shall receive minutes of all Youth Advisory Council meetings. Section 2917. Powers and Duties of said Council. The Youth Advisory Council shall have the power and be required to perform the following: a. Act in an advisory capacity to the City Council -3- e e in all matters pertaining to the youth of the City of Santa Monica, b. Assemble information on problems and their possible solution for the youth of the City; c. On its own initiative make recommendations to the City Council on matters within its purview; d. Act to create coordination between existing and proposed programs for the youth of the City of Santa Monica; and e. Create an executive board of a size and composition mutually agreed upon by the members of the Youth Advisory Council, which executive board shall have the powers and responsibilities granted to it by the said Council. SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent herewith, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed. SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdic- tion, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof, irrespective of the act that anyone or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional. -4- e e SECTION 4. The Uayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official news- paper within fifteen days after its adoption. This ordinance shall become effective after thrity days from its adoption. ADOPTED this day of , 1978. Mayor Attest: City Clerk I do hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was duly and regularly introduced at a meeting of the City Council on the day of , 1978; and that thereafter the said ordinance was duly adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the day of , 1978, by the following vote: Ayes: Noes: Absent: Council 1-1embers: Council Members: Council Hembers: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORH: City Attorney -5- /