Rockville Youth Commission First Official Meeting of 2026-2027 Term - October 16, 2026

Note: The meeting transcript begins with "today is Wednesday, October 14th, 2026," but the provided meeting date is 2026-10-16. This summary follows the given date but notes the discrepancy.

The Rockville Youth Commission held its first official meeting of the 2026-2027 term on October 16, 2026 (per provided date), chaired by staff liaisons Jordan Perry and Melinda Norton. Commission members introduced themselves, and the meeting covered approvals, elections, goal-setting, and partnership discussions.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from the previous meeting were approved with a correction to Catherine's last name. A motion was made and seconded, and the vote was unanimous with no opposition.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the community forum portion of the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Staff Liaison Report: Jordan Perry and Melinda Norton reported on upcoming city events, including the annual antique car show (Saturday, time unspecified) and a nature center event (6–8 PM on the same day). A Halloween haunted carnival for middle school students is scheduled for the following Friday; 89 RSVPs had been received as of the meeting. The city is working on the FY28 budget (beginning July 2027). A youth well-being kickoff meeting was held with school and community partners. The report also noted a brief council liaison report was not given due to the council member's absence.
• Chair and Vice Chair Elections: Alan Getch nominated himself for chair and was elected by acclamation with no other nominees. Catherine Bexa (spelling corrected) nominated herself for vice chair and was also elected unopposed. Alan then took over running the meeting.
• Term Goals and Discussion: Members discussed continuing youth town halls at Lincoln Park and Thomas Farm community centers (following a successful Twinbrook hall), building on feedback gathered. Goals include launching social media (Instagram account already created), appointing a marketing coordinator, and possibly exploring a youth exchange program with Rockville's sister cities in Germany and Taiwan. Members stressed acting on existing survey and town hall data, particularly around mental health, creative arts, and sports equipment for elementary schools. A motion to move on from this discussion was approved.
• Opportunities for Participation: Melinda Norton encouraged members to join city grant review panels (deadline had passed but late applications were likely accepted). Discussion ensued about SSL hour opportunities for youth, noting a disconnect between availability and sign-ups, especially during the school year.
• Partnership Proposals: Two proposals were reviewed: one from a group in Texas proposing a new framework for youth commission communications with city council, and another from a cultural exchange student from Turkey (Balkore exchange) interested in establishing connections. Members decided to invite the Turkish student to speak at a future meeting (virtual or in-person) rather than pursue the Texas framework immediately.
• New Business: No formal new business was raised, but members shared updates from their schools, including Gloco events, homecoming trends, and mascot changes. Cora volunteered as the marketing chair/liaison for social media, with others welcome to join a committee.

Key Outcomes

• Elections: Alan Getch elected Chair; Catherine Bexa elected Vice Chair (both by acclamation).
• Marketing Lead: Cora appointed as marketing chair/liaison, responsible for coordinating social media content through staff liaisons.
• Partnership Decision: Invite the Turkish cultural exchange student to present to the commission; no action on the Texas framework proposal.
• Next Steps: Staff liaisons will resend grant panel information to interested members; town hall subcommittees for Lincoln Park and Thomas Farm to be formed; social media framework to be developed.
• Meeting Adjourned: 5:01 PM.