Good evening, welcome to the September 8th, 2025 Sacramento Youth Commission Business Meeting.

The meeting is now called to order.

Will the clerk please call role to establish a quorum?

Thank you, Chair.

Members, please unmute your microphones.

Member Sista.

Present.

Member Balassa.

Absence.

Member Caravello's absence.

Member Roland is absent.

Member Bernardo.

Present.

Member Perez Maganoy.

Present.

Member Corless.

Present.

Member Chan.

Present.

Member DeLeon.

Is absence.

Member Turk is absence.

Member Avila?

Present.

Member Longmire.

Present.

Member Ruprai.

Present.

Member Gowder.

Present.

And Chair Rios.

Present.

Thank you.

We have quorum.

I would like to remind members of the public of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins.

You have two minutes to speak when you are called on.

After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

We will now proceed with today's agenda.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous peoples and tribal lands.

To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Putwin Wind Tune Peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today, choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous People's History Contributions and Lives.

Thank you.

Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice proving on.

Our first business today is approval of the consent calendar that includes last month's meeting minutes as well as the follow-up log.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this consent on the consent calendar?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips.

Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item?

Is there a motion and a second for the consent calendar?

I motion.

We have a motion by Vice Chair Longmeyer.

I second.

A second by Commissioner Avila.

Will the clerk please call roll for the vote?

Thank you, Chair.

Members please unmute.

Aye.

Member Balassa is absence.

Member Caravill is absent.

Member Rowland is absent.

Member Bernardo.

Aye.

Member Perez Maganoy.

Aye.

Member Corless.

Aye.

Member Chan.

Aye.

Member De Leon is absent.

Member Turk is absence.

Member Avila?

Aye.

Member Longmire.

Vice Chair Longmeyer?

Aye.

Member RuPray.

Aye.

Member Gowner?

Aye.

And Chair Rios.

Aye.

Thank you.

The motion passes.

We will now proceed to the discussion calendar.

Item number three is summer at City Hall Recap.

All right.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Maria Vitas Medal, and I am one of the program coordinators for uh the summer at City Hall program.

Today we would like to share uh with you everything that happened this past summer.

And you know, so um I go ahead.

Okay.

So for the ones with us in the summer at City Hall, it's it is uh Sacred Wake Summer program where you're gonna have the opportunity to learn about how to be civically engaged and how to give back to your community.

This program it is for uh freshmen, sophomore juniors, high schoolers, and to be able to qualify for the program, you must attend any of the Sax City, Nathomas, Twin River Unified School District, or you must live within the city limit.

Okay.

Once you complete the program successfully, you will receive $500 stipend for participating and five highest school elected credits or community service hours for at large students.

So our partners, of course, Gypsy, Jose Park Community Enrichment, Sacramento Unified School District, Nathomas Unified School District, and Twin Rivers Unified School District.

Okay.

So some of the benefits of participating in the summer at City Hall program is you will obtain job experience and development of your skills with an internship.

So they needed to complete 20 hours of internship.

This year we uh actually Sarah did a great job to keep everybody within the city.

So we got all the 81 participants be able to be placed within any of a different department within the city.

Another benefit is that you will increase your network of peers, employers, and resources because we take students from all over the city.

You will have the opportunity to make new friends, you're gonna be able to connect with people that probably might be your uh employer, so you never know.

We have had experience in the past that once they go and do internship, uh then they offer a job because they do an excellent job uh in doing an internship.

Uh also you're gonna be learning how you can make change in your community and have your voices heard, and I already say like you will earn 500 stipend and five high school elected credits or community service hours.

Okay, so here are the details of the program.

The program is located here at the new city hall.

Um this past year, the program dates were June 23rd through July 24th.

They completed 20 hours of internship.

So we have a lot of good speakers.

We had the city clerk, city mayor, a lot of council members, um, the Sacramento Borders Registration, uh, the youth and workforce development, and we also had uh the credit union financial literacy.

Some of the field trips that we had uh this past uh summer, we went to the Capitol State, the Metro TV station, we went to the Sacramento Central Library, and we had a community service day uh cleanup day at the Southside Park.

And you can see some of the pictures.

Yeah, they were really into it, working and cleaning up the park, which is awesome.

All right.

As being part of the program, one of the major uh goals is to have the project City Hall.

So once you are part of the program, you will be broken into groups, and within your group, you will decide about an issue or concern that you do have in your community, and you will be doing that research, you will complete a billboard, which and then you will be presenting in front of the city council at the end of the program, which is an amazing experience because not a lot of people had the opportunity to come up to this podium and present and talk to you guys and the city council.

Um you can see we have two of the samples of the billboards created.

One of them was about the water pollution, and the other one about the uh to how to break that cycle, gun involvement increases induced violence by 30%.

So kind of kind of bring awareness to the community that we still have those issues in our city.

Uh so the way we do outreach for the program, uh we do have a lot of emails that I'm gonna go out, letting people know all the networks about uh that we are accepting applications.

Um, we rely a lot with the peer mentors.

They uh they need to complete five hours of outreach.

So whenever they go to different schools, that they will be reaching out to their peers and you know, different uh classrooms doing presentations, also whenever they have opportunities to have a table, uh they will do a have a table, and sometimes they will ask me to come over and kind of help them, which is also great.

Um, it's usually on the come out and play magazine, and also it is posted in our city website.

And we have some pictures of some uh places.

Also, we went to the Nathomas uh fair, the one the picture on top, um, and the RGC Valentino and some of the peer mentors and the bottom.

We went to Natomas uh Pacific Pathway uh High School to also to do uh during lunch to do a table event so we can pass that information.

Okay.

So for the ones who doesn't know what uh peer mentors and senior peer mentors are, so they're a group of students from previous summer city hall programs that graduated, and they have the opportunity to apply to be a peer mentor.

But instead of being a participant, they will be leading the new participants with their experience and guidance, and they will help them to make the process a little bit easier.

As we know, like peer-to-peer sometimes it's easier to understand, and you know, we have kind of like the same likes and feelings, so it is easier for us to have them uh lead them and communicate.

And past the past uh this past summer that was the first time that we added the senior peer mentors.

So that means now the peer mentors from last year will have the opportunity to apply again and become a senior peer mentor.

So that means there will be the one guiding the peer mentors and sharing their experience with them.

And doesn't mean that we're not around.

It's just uh we're always there to support, but but it's just uh easy way for us because like I said, peer-to-peer, we find out it's to seems to be a better way to communicate between uh young people.

Okay, so total uh we received 263 applications.

Okay, um we invite we invited 85.

From those 85, we had 82 that started the program.

And I have to say that this was the first year that we had the highest retention because from the 82 that started the program, 81 completed the program.

So it's an amazing you know, feeling.

Um from those 81 that graduated, 33 students were from Sac City Unified School District, 30 from Nathomas Unified School District, seven from Twin Rivers Unified School District, and 11 at large students.

Okay, and we also had 20 peer mentors, and we had six senior peer mentors.

And um, I guess that's conclude uh presentation.

If you guys have any questions.

Thank you for your presentation.

Um, I really enjoyed it.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips.

Are there any commissioners who speak on this item?

Okay, we have uh Vice Chair Longmar.

Hi, I just want to start off by saying thank you for your presentation.

Um I always love hearing about Summer City Hall.

It seems like an amazing opportunity for youth who are interested in uh policy and like just getting out in the community.

Um I have two questions.

My first question is about the outreach, is on um slide four of the outreach.

And I wanted to ask, like for the high school presentations, what exactly do they look like?

And I wanted to know like if it's more upperclassmen attending these or if it's more underclassmen, if you know.

Okay, so with the first one you say about the outreach.

Usually once we start the uh process, it usually takes around six weeks.

So what we do, I just start sending the emails first, and I will reach out to um our partners from Nathomas Succeed and Unified School districts, and we offer them that whenever there is an opportunity to go to schools, any tables.

So basically they connect connect me with um counselors at school.

So I do reach out to all the counselors, and um unfortunately not everybody get back to me, but the ones that they do and they invite me to go to their schools, so usually I go and we do uh presentations class to class, or sometimes we just do um table events, and or sometimes they just invite us, they're gonna have like a fair, so we come to the fair and just you know just do the table and pass that information.

And I'm sorry, the second question was do you know if it's more upperclassmen attending these presentations or lower classmen?

You mean at schools?

Yeah.

Um actually we open it to everybody.

Uh sometimes we do get seniors, which is sad because we don't take seniors, but we do get a lot of people from senior classes that would love to join, but because we don't take it.

Uh happily now we have semester at City Hall that means Dominic is taking care of and they're taking freshmen, sophomore juniors, and seniors.

And basically very similar uh summer at City Hall.

But uh for Summer at City Hall, it's just freshmen, sophomore, and juniors that will take.

But uh, even though when I get take seniors, I just tell them please share with your siblings, friends, so you know, try to get as many as we can.

And then um, my second question is on side six for the um school districts and the at-large ones, like the like how many people attended from each area.

Um, why do you think um the SCUSD and the NUSD are like more higher?

Like, do you think it's like because the counselors like they responded to you and you presented there, or they just high numbers?

Yes.

Um, the school districts, they do sign a uh memorandum of understanding.

And there is a contract where uh we're supposed to take 40 students from Sac City Unified School Districts, uh, 20 from Nathomas, and 10 from Tim Rivers.

And the rest will be uh at large students, and at large students, the city take the cost of those uh 100%.

So uh we always try to reserve those 40 spots for Saks City Unified, and um the reason we didn't get the 40 design because a lot of them when they get invited and they they change their mind because they maybe they're going on vacation.

And to be part of the program, you need to complete at least 70 hours of seat time.

That means they had to be in the class with the three credential features that we uh hire for the program.

And if they won't be able to complete the seat time, they're not allowed to participate in the program.

And the same thing with uh Nathomas.

Um this was the first time actually from Nathomas that we received a huge amount of applicants.

I think that was the highest that we got.

We go we got more than a hundred applicants from Natomas.

So um I guess uh I guess the outreach from the Thomas part is being bigger than other parts.

So that's something every time we uh after the program, we start looking at places that we need to start going out more frequently and try to reach out so we can make it even for the whole city.

Thank you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Commissioner Corlus or excuse me.

Uh hi.

I was uh curious because you mentioned the 20 hours of internships.

I was wondering how that was served.

Uh was it within the um program itself, or was uh the participants were expected to go out and uh find their own internships and uh if you could explain that please.

Yes.

Now uh we uh we take care of the internship part.

We set up the places where they're gonna be going to, and those are set up after the program hours.

So um the program it is Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

So they can go uh and do their internship after 2 p.m.

or also on Fridays that there is no program, or sometimes depending on what they do in their internship, they're required to go on the weekends too.

But we do set them up to go to the place.

And is the internships uh based on their interest, or is it a a way to find new interest of we try to do it with by their interest?

There is the uh form that is going out once they get accepted, and they will say what their uh interests that they have.

So we try to place them as much as we can.

Of course, we won't be able to make it to for everybody, because probably we don't have enough spaces to go, probably to a lot of people probably like to would like to go into politics and kind of do uh internship with the city council and here at City Hall, but uh it's hard to get that many uh spots for everybody to do it.

So probably some of them are lucky and get whatever they want, but some of them probably will have the opportunity to learn something different.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Commissioner Sisto.

Hi, Miss Maria.

It's so great to see you again.

Um first, before I ask my question, I just want to recognize uh the support and the help that you've had that you've given all of us throughout the program.

Um for the other commissioners who didn't know, I graduated the program, the Summer City Hall program as a peer mentor this summer.

Um in addition to that, I'd also like to recognize Ms.

Dominique and Miss Sarah's hard work as well throughout the program.

I know I know how much hard work they put into it every single day.

Um so I wanted to say thank you, and that I appreciate you for that.

Um one of my questions that I had for you is that I know that this year there were more participants and peer mentors who attended and participated in the program for this summer.

I wanted to ask if based on how you think um how much success we had this summer, do you think you would continue the program with admitting the same amount or maybe even a lesser amount of participants for upcoming summer city hall programs?

Um I guess that's something probably the how many probably will be a Sarah's decision, how many would like to take.

But uh we talk a little bit about it.

And um the reason we took probably the most uh peer mentors this time, 20, is because we want to provide as many opportunities as we can to everybody that would like to come back and be part of the program again.

But also I noticed it wasn't probably like a very good idea because it wasn't equally to everybody.

So I kind of said like probably take a little bit less, so everybody have a very meaningful opportunity, and everybody have the opportunity to learn more, like in the leadership role.

So at the end, like I said, that probably does something that Miss Sarah is the one who will decide who how many would like to take next year.

It's about budget, it's not about Miss Sarah deciding.

So you know, just like we were saying in response to Vice Chair Longmeyer's comment.

SAC City pays for 40 students, the Thomas Unified pays for 20 students, Twin Rivers pays for 10 students, the city pays for the at-large students.

So there's numbers, those numbers are set.

We also have a capacity, there's space limitations that we have here.

But obviously, we want to reach as many youth as possible, like Miss Maria was saying, it's our job to make sure that we can impact as many people as possible and make sure that they understand why civic engagement is important and why getting involved and having your voice heard is important.

So that's the main thing that we look for.

And we we look at making changes every year based upon our participants, as you know, we survey you very uh often, and um we take a lot of feedback and we make adjustments every year.

So, like Miss Maria was saying, maybe we don't take 20 next year, we may maybe we take a little bit less, but we're always trying to mold and um be different.

We try to stay fluid with our programs and make sure we reach as many as we can.

So I just want to clarify.

Thank you, Sarah.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Commissioner Bernardo.

Yeah, um, thank you so much for sharing on this presentation.

Um I've I haven't gotten to participate in this program, but like I'm always a big fan.

Um when I whenever I hear about it, I think it's great for youth, especially juniors and um other high school students to like get that experience in, get those internships in, especially with college running around.

Um and also like it's I also think it's like great for networking.

Um and also think the peer mentors that like lead the groups of students is also um like a really um like great thing about this.

I think um having youth-led initiatives is like really important, especially in programs like this.

Um my question was if there was like any spy like specific criteria for how these peer mentors are like selected, like if there's anything that you look for in these leaders.

Um I would say there is not specific, probably if they just want to commit to the time because it's gonna take uh you know some time for them to uh get ready because they don't do it and do just during the during the summer.

They have to start some training starting in February, and we meet every other Wednesday technically, because we try to kind of like help them grow their uh you know, some just development skills and kind of help them and get them ready for the summertime.

So they will gonna have to have the ability to come during those trainings and be part of it and participate and also be ready for the summertime, which also takes a long time, you know, take a lot of time for them to uh obviously be here during pretty much uh around since 8 a.m.

until 2 30 p.m.

every day, and sometimes they have to come on Fridays because we need to get ready for the following week, so it's a lot of time.

And we don't like to set it like in just a set skills, because as much as we would love everybody to be ready and have those leadership skills ready and be talkative and and you know and ready to jump, not everybody has the same potential, but we also believe even though when you're quiet, you will have the opportunity to you know step up a little bit and start little by little to grow and and develop your skills that they're just there, but we sometimes we just don't know that we don't have those skills hiding there.

So we like to take all kind of different personalities so we can you know give opportunity to everybody.

You're welcome.

Well Vice Chair Longmore.

Hi again.

Um I have questions about like the high school presentations, like how can schools or districts look into getting that and also like how can they go about getting a contract for like the other school districts?

Okay, um, so the school districts um we start meeting with them uh around January, and uh that's something that they start discussing and like uh Miss Sarah mentioned has to do a lot about budget, how much money they can they you know, how many students can they afford, how much money do they have to pay for to help us with the cost of the students?

So uh they have the opportunities every year to change their numbers, but thus probably the decision that districts is taking, then how many they will like to take uh and pay for.

And um, if we even though they take uh say sex city take their four students, if we do have the space available from our at large students that we can afford, probably we will try to pick up students from Sac City, Nathomas, whatever, you know, just to you know give them the opportunity.

So the decision on how many probably it does will be up to the school districts if they would like to take more.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

I know as a student in the Thomas Unified School District, the outreach was really great, and we had like emails all the time, um, different messages, and teachers at our school like reminding us about the opportunity.

So I wanted to applaud you for that um for the outreach on that.

Um, I also really liked how you mentioned like growth with peer mentors, you know, like how you weren't expecting like perfect peer mentors just to apply and appear, but also taking the time for them to grow skills and grow connections and networking as well.

So, yeah, thank you.

All right, thank you so much, everyone.

This item is received in comments, so no vote is required.

We will move on to the next item.

Item number four is 2026, the 2026 work plan focus area workshop.

All right, gonna hop in.

Good evening, Chair, Vice Chair, and Commissioners.

My name is Dominique Herndon.

I serve as the program coordinator for the Sacramento Youth Commission in the Youth Parks and Community Enrichment Department.

I'm here tonight to start the conversation and discussion around the focus areas for the 2026 youth commission work plan.

So we wanted to remind commissioners of the youth commission's mission as you all consider the 2026 areas of focus, ensuring that the focuses are aligned with the commission's mission, which is to protect, preserve, enhance, and advance the quality of life for Sacramento youth by advising city council and the public on issues relating to youth policies, programs, and opportunities.

As you all consider the upcoming year's areas of focus, ensuring that you all keep these in mind when discussing what your work will look like in 2026.

I won't read it all, but I'll highlight some things to provide recommendations and advice to city council, the youth development policy manager, and the youth parks and community enrichment department to assist in the promotion promoting of city services and the functions relating to youth, to assist youth in the understanding of the working of city government and to actively participate to conduct an annual workshop to review the city's budget and plans relating to youth programs and projects to conduct studies and coordinate with other youth groups regarding youth issues and to review complaints and other mattings pertaining to youth as requested.

So this year the youth commission has three areas of focus.

I'm sure you all are familiar.

Starting with SAC Youth Voice, focusing on outreach and awareness by tabling, presenting, gathering and evaluating survey data, and creating social media content to be posted.

Also, youth mental health focusing on the development and the implementation of a strategic outreach plan to distribute the youth mental health resource guide to youth citywide, and lastly, Aggie Square, focusing on the development of youth programming at the Aggie Square sites in collaboration with the Aggie Square staff, Wexford Science, and this is based on the data collected at the previous year's uh listening sessions.

All right, so to assist the commission with the conversation and the decision around what your 2026 focus areas and work plan will look like, staff develop three guiding questions regarding the commission's current areas of focus.

Those are do the three focus areas still reflect the most important needs and priorities for Sacramento youth in 2026?

Are there any emerging issues or opportunities that might need the commission's attention?

Does the commission believe the work in each of these areas have the ability to continue its momentum into 2026?

Staff also developed three guiding questions.

If you all are considering one or more new areas of focus.

Those questions are what are the biggest challenges facing Sacramento Youth right now that the Commission is not currently addressing?

What opportunities exist in 2026?

Events, projects, policy changes, partnerships that the youth commission could help shape, and which topics of the youth commission feel passionate about and believe commissioners can make a real and tangible difference in.

Another consideration that's not here is when talking about the focus areas and the projects is a collaboration with UC Davis Global Affairs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

UC Davis reached out to staff to inquire about ways that SYC can collaborate and co-create on a project.

UC Davis shared that they have multiple avenues in which the commission can possibly collaborate.

One through their college internship project, two, through working with various united nation, united nation entities, three, education and knowledge building around global affairs, four collaboration through the work that's currently happening within the Aggie Square focus area.

These are all very broad ideas and pathways that would have to be built out with UC Davis and SYC if the commission chooses to pursue this collaboration.

Staff would like to know if this collaboration is something that the commission would be interested in building out and pursuing in 2026 while you all discuss your current work plan or your plans for 2026.

And with that, I'll pass it over with that.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

But if you don't, I'm passing it over you over to you all to discuss how you would like to proceed.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

Always a great speaker and always a great presenter.

Never fails.

Are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?

Thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips.

Cool.

Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item?

I okay.

I guess I'll start off by saying the IG Square project that we have.

We've been working on it for a really long time.

Really interesting project, growing the opportunities that youth have there.

I am also really interested in the opportunities that UC Davis has as well.

I think that would be a really great addition to what we have going on there.

And if Aggie Square, I don't want to say slows down, but if like Aggie Square, I think we could almost combine both into the IG Square project if that makes sense.

Doing IG Square events as well, but also getting in touch with the college, was it the caller internship or college opportunity?

The global affairs.

The global affairs, yes, the global affairs office and then the UN leaders or whatever.

So sustainable goals.

This is yeah, the sustainable goals, yes.

Um, so that that sounds interesting too.

Uh, Commissioner Bullis, uh, Commissioner Zista.

Um, I believe that the current priorities and projects that we do have going on are still relevant to youth-related issues within Sacramento.

Uh however, I also do agree with um Chair Rios that the Davis projects are also very interesting, and they also uh shed light on like other opportunities and issues that could benefit uh the youth commission working on.

Um my question is are we okay?

Because I know you mentioned are did are all the different products projects that you mentioned with UC Davis, are they gonna be like separate projects that we would have to choose from, or is it like a whole project divided into like subsects?

So the way that it was explained to me, those are all four different projects that you could possibly engage in.

So I think one of the things that she mentioned was that this would be something that you all would co-create.

So there's nothing already created, there's nothing besides those kind of four buckets, but there's nothing a project specifically already created that they're looking for you to tap in and join, they're actually looking for you all to co-create something within maybe one of those four avenues.

Okay, and we if we were to also take on the Davis project, would we be limited to only choosing one of the projects, or would the commission or would the community commissioners um be able to like group up and kind of divide into each of the projects?

I don't have a specific answer for that.

I think it would really have to do with cap uh capacity of commissioners.

So if you are gonna continue with the work that you are currently doing, and then you want to continue and do like four different other projects, I think you want to consider capacity, but I think that if we could have a broader conversation maybe with the person over it to see what are some different options that you all can co-create, then maybe that could possibly work with trying to do something maybe in each of those buckets, but as she presented it, it was each of these avenues or something different.

Okay, thank you.

I kind of had a question for that too.

I I wonder if it would be possible to get almost sort of a presentation of what their like ideas are for that.

I don't know if that would be a time to do that in a business meeting or even in a capacity building training, just kind of like what they imagine, so we can kind of help them build off of that.

I we can we can work on trying to get a presentation in October.

Let me jump on real quick.

So it's it's more as a as an idea, right?

So the things that she mentioned, there's a college internship program very specific to UC Davis.

Um, but the UC Davis uh United Nations sustainability goals that could reach there's four 17.

There's 17 different goals that they reach in.

And so basically, UC Davis is very interested in collaborating with SYC.

So do we have to just today decide do we what project we want, or are we interested, or you all, not we, is the youth commission interested in collaborating with UC Davis to potentially look at some of these goals.

Um it doesn't necessarily have to be I I think because it is vague and it and it's it's just an it's an opportunity for us to explore another partnership that fits in with potentially all three of the things that we're already doing because UC Davis is a big advocate for Av Aggy Advocate.

They're directly partners with Aggie Square.

Um part of the sustainability goals is mental health.

That is one of yours.

And then SAC Youth Voice, it's all about youth.

It's all about youth.

And so I think what the opportunity that exists in front of us is it a collaborative opportunity.

So as Commissioner Sista mentioned earlier, I think what our three boxes, I'm gonna quote you, not me, but I think the three boxes that we do in are very relevant.

But here's an also an opportunity to partner.

So we don't have to make a decision today.

This is just a broad discussion topic, and and so it's great to hear that there's a big interest in partnering with UC Davis so far within the the conversation piece.

But there's also an interest in keeping our our current goals.

Um, as staff, we don't encourage us to take on more than three focus areas just because there are 19 commissioners and you all have a myriad of other things going on.

Um, you are not in one box by any stretch of the imagination.

So Dominique mentioned capacity.

Um that's a big deal, but we also have 19 commissioners, and so we have the opportunity if we have everyone appointed, and we're getting real close to that 19, um, to have more capacity.

So I think the discussion today is about um very interested in the collaboration, but also interested in keeping our three, or if some of you feel differently that our three current focus areas aren't relevant to our current youth base, then we want to discuss dropping one and maybe focusing just on a partnership with UZ Davis, or do you want to keep them all and then explore a collaboration?

There are a lot of opportunities, and we don't want to hand anyone a blank piece of paper, no one can create off of that.

It's very difficult.

So we're kind of giving you little ideas, and it's and and forgive us, we did just have this meeting Friday, Thursday, Friday.

So you know, it was an opportunity to kind of just provide some expansion to really what we're doing here.

Hopefully, that does that give everyone a little bit more of an idea.

Like Dominique did a great job explaining it, but I kind of want to provide it to a little bit more background information, so I'll stop at that point.

Thank you.

I think that make that made a lot of sense, and I think what we can do is like I know UC Davis is a really great partner when it comes to our goals that we already have, like Sarah mentioned, but also using that partnership to uplift these goals and just forming connections.

I mean, regardless, connections and networking is like so far so powerful, and so taking advantage of that, but also relating it back to the goals that we already have to grow partnerships, but also grow what we have already created.

Commissioner Albulow.

You said that maybe possibly that some of the focus areas could be absolved into the UC Davis partnership.

For my opinion, I think that mental health could be absolved into a partnership with UC Davis, just because, like you said, um their their values and their focuses um encompass a lot of ours and what our focus areas are doing.

And I think because youth mental health is such a broad um term and so much can be done, it's a constant problem or a constant um issue that we're facing that it could definitely be absolved into UC Davis.

Um that's just what I think personally.

I don't speak for the entire um subcommittee, but that's just my personal opinion.

Vice Chair Longmeyer.

Um I'm just a little confused.

Are we discussing like possibly dropping Aggie Square and changing it to like UC Davis partnership and state sustainability?

I okay.

I think I think it was now so I don't think we're like that broad.

I think it's kind of more just of an introduction of this is something that came up, an opportunity that came up, how can we build on it?

Whatever ideas about it, um, not necessarily jumping into like slashing things out or like making any super permanent changes, but kind of just having the space to talk about something.

Um I give a quick back.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I just want to give a quick background.

So every single year a commission takes on an annual report, or they they complete an annual report and then they complete a work plan.

The work plan sets forth the foundation of what they're gonna focus on in the following year.

So what we are deciding on right now is what we're gonna focus on in 2026.

In 2025, our three focus areas was were Aggie Square, and I think correct me if I'm wrong, we did two listening sessions in 2025 and got tons of feedback from hundreds of youth in the area about what types of programs would be wanted at Aggie Square.

Then we also had the youth mental health awareness um focus area, in which um a subset group of commissioners created a mental health res uh youth mental health health resource guide.

They put together tons of resources for youth in the area, links, websites, QR codes, and put this into this nice little package, and it's on our website, and we're uh that subset of commissioners are working on distributing it and looking at partnering and making sure that youth can get it.

Um the SAC Youth Voice focus area last year worked on putting together a marketing campaign as well as a social media campaign to spread awareness about the youth commission, because what was said prior was we don't you we don't think that enough people know about that there's a youth commission, and we're supposed to be the voice of youth in the year.

So, what we're deciding on today is do we want to keep these focus areas going into 2026?

Do we want to keep them and add an additional exploratory partner by saying, hey, let's engage with UC Davis and see where that can go with us and see if it can fit into one of these three focus areas.

Do we want to drop one all together and say let's pour a third of our resources or a third of our person power into 2026 into partnering with UC Davis?

Um, that's kind of what we're where we're at today and what we're deciding.

Um, so does that bring us up to speed on on some of those things?

Because you can absolutely drop that, but you want to get consensus amongst your commissioners to make sure that they all agree, hey, youth mental health, um, let's let's drop that and throw our our our focus into Aggie Square because I think that it can replace this because of XYZ.

You may not have a ton of background knowledge on that, and that's okay.

Um, but we're just trying to facilitate the discussion so staff can get a good base on what what the commission is interested in so that we can write this annual report, bring it or this work plan, bring it back to you, and you can all say, yes, this is our concite consent voice of what we want to focus on in 26.

Okay, good.

I understand now.

Right.

Commissioner Sisto.

Um thank you so much, uh Sarah, for kind of like summarizing all that up.

I think that cleared out a lot of things.

Uh I wanted to ask, um, I think Chair Rios also talked about this too earlier.

But if we but if we would were to be able to get like a brief presentation from UC Davis about their about those four projects, I think it would like help the youth commission a bit more to finalize if they want to drop the youth mental health project focus area and replace that with UC Davis's um project, whichever one of the ones correspond to youth mental health.

And if we're able to get that presentation maybe during like our next uh training or our next meeting, I think that would benefit us all.

Commissioner Perez Mog.

Um I was wondering about the the correlation between the SAC youth voice and then the possibility of a um UC Davis partnership because if we uh decide to partner with them and we take on the projects, the possibility for more work um or at least more um people to you know talk to talk about or have more people's voices when it comes to uh working with these projects, and if we want to use the sec youth voice, which I heard was about marketing, uh, which is about and finding new commissioners, that could be a way we could have we could find people to um help out with these projects.

So I'm wondering if there might be a uh because I was thinking of uh it may be downside or not downsizing, but lowering the not the significance, but the not maybe slashing the youth or slashing, um taking off the the psych youth voice and replacing it maybe with a project uh or of UC Davis, but if we at a partner with them, we might need more commissioners.

I'm not sure if that makes sense.

Um but maybe think about that.

Uh Vice Chair Longmar.

Um, so I was I'm okay.

I'm still a little confused on the correlation with like the difference between like Aggie Square and then the UC Davis like partnership, like can't that be combined since like Aggie Square, we've been working on it for so long.

So I feel like you're not doing well, I'm not saying like I'm not taking away y'all work, like y'all be working hard, but like y'all don't have to do as much because you already put in like the years and the workshops and all that for it.

So I feel like we can I personally think we can like change that one to like the UC Davis partnership, and then you're still doing like some things with Aggie Square, but then you're also exploring the partnership in that area, and then I'm also thinking about like mental health.

We've been working on that as well, possibly changing that to youth wellness instead of youth mental health health, so we can like start looking at other ways that you like really need help like mentally, and then I still personally think um that the SAC youth voice is a good thing to keep because like we still need outreach.

A lot of people like we had those three people come in the room and they're like, Oh, I didn't know there's a youth commission.

So I feel like that just shows like we still need like that outreach and the help that um for youth to like know about us and to get the help that we they need.

Yeah, I I definitely think that UC Davis is a really great partner to work with with the commission, and I don't think any group or focus area should be deprived of that part partnership.

So I think I know like youth wellness was a really good idea.

Um, also using um you mentioned it earlier about like taking not dividing, but you know, like dividing work to like accommodate to the youth commission and then UC Davis as well.

But I think as far as like with the Aggie Square project, we could use UC Davis's help there with um start the developers of the project to continue moving forward those programs.

Youth mental health can also use UC Davis's um help as well to focus on those UN sustainability goals and Sacramento Youth Voice.

I know uh part of the voice was what we heard at the Aggie Square workshops where they were um or listening sessions where they were saying that they really needed college opportunities and other uh financial help.

So I think part of the UC Davis's uh college opportunities plan could fit into that.

So kind of taking these ideas that UC Davis set out and breaking them up to fill in for each of the plans that we already have.

That that's what I'm thinking so far.

Okay, I I miss like understood what the the UC Davis partnership was, so it's like gonna be helping all the focus areas.

Yeah, I think uh I think we can interpret it that way.

Yeah, we can interpret it that way.

If we can interpret it as oh, you go ahead.

Okay.

Uh the partnership has the pre part of the question for at the end of the presentation was when just to gather interest.

And from what I'm hearing, everybody is interested.

So it's a yes that you all want to figure out a way to co-create and co co-create and co-collaborate on something.

So it's a yes, it's a go.

I think when it comes to each of the focus areas, you all can figure out a way how that could look because there isn't a specific way that they've already planned out.

Yes, they have these avenues, but it could look the way that you all co-create it.

So I just want you all to like be clear.

We we wanted to one first just gauge interest.

We're not trying to figure out what what is gonna be specifically, but number one, we wanted to know if this is something that you guys are even interested in doing, which it sounds like a yes.

The next step would then be okay.

What does that look like?

Is it cross-cutting through all of the focus areas, which I believe that she shared it can be?

So okay, what does that look like then if you all decide to keep the same areas of focus?

But I just want you all to know like nothing is built out.

Part of the work is building it out.

We just needed to gauge interest.

And you said that the college opportunities you see, was it already kind of developed a little bit, or like do they kind of have a little bit more to say about that or not as much?

Can you repeat the question?

The college opportunities pathway, the college internships?

Yeah, except yes, college internships.

There's more, but I don't have the specifics, so I would have to ask.

Okay.

We're also gonna be able to send you links to public websites that you all can can look into after the fact and kind of grab some more information.

We don't plan on bringing this item back until December.

So you have time to think about it.

You have time to we as staff have time, like Dominique said, it's very clear to us that you're interested, and that's great.

And so um we'll be able to take that interest and and look at what's most feasible and be able to present to you a couple opportunities in December with more specifics on who that would be, types of projects, and then once you approve that and we look at meeting in our under quorum groups um to discuss what those partnerships could look like.

That's when that build out, that's when that creativity and and how we can match them up.

Commissioner Albula or no, okay.

Um so yeah, I think any other comments questions or ideas.

Okay, uh again, this item is receiving comment and update, so no vote was required.

We'll move on to the next item.

Okay, so the next item is members' comments, ideas, questions, meeting conference report.

Um, for our newer commissioners, this is just again a time to say what has been um going on with item.

No, this item.

Yeah, no.

Is it's just a discussion item.

There's no vote.

What's the question then?

My question is Can you turn your microphone?

Sorry.

My question is is it consensus that we want that the commission wants to keep the same three areas of focus?

I didn't we're not getting consensus today, we're just listening, and we'll staff will meet and we'll bring the item back in December with some opportunities.

So today was to gather information on gauge interest and to hear feedback on the on the three items, and then we will bring the item back in December with opportunities.

Um wait, are we not at like going over the other questions?

Or was it just like the discussion of the three focus areas?

It's a discussion, there's no vote.

Like these questions, right?

Okay.

Are we not discussing this?

If you want to, you you can, but no one else came up on the speaker.

So when no one else is skewed up to speak chair, then moves on to the next item.

I thought we're going like question by question.

If you want to, you can you can request to circle back, I believe.

I don't think there's any problem with that.

If you want to hit the questions one by one, by all means.

Okay, okay.

So um you can yeah, go ahead.

Did I say like motion to go back?

I don't think we have to motion to that.

We're thinking uh no, we can we can circle back.

There was no motion made, and we didn't make it um into the uh commissioner comments at all, so we can consider it not moved on yet.

So sorry.

But um, for the are there any emerging issues or opportunities that the commission's uh attention that might need the commission's intention attention instead.

Sorry, um, I was thinking about like still trying to maybe make um oh my gosh, what's it called?

Like a toolkit or something for like rights for um youth, like either immigration rights or just basic rights in general, like so they they are more aware of like just like how did y'all know what I'm trying to say?

But yeah, I remember I think you brought it up like uh a past meeting, and I'm still thinking about that.

I feel like that'll be a good way to um bring that up.

I don't know if that's what the question's asking, but that's what I thought.

Yeah, I think that that's great input.

I know just recently I learned um from one of my professors that uh I was thinking a class and they said that they had to like lock the door or keep the door closed because like if you're in a classroom or if you're at home, even if you have like the door open, it's considered a public space, so like ice could just come to your house if you have your door open.

Uh so that's crazy.

Um so yeah, so even if it's your own house, it's considered a public space if you have your door open, same with the classroom.

So um classroom doors have to be closed now.

Uh but yeah, I think it's really important to uh touch on that toolkit.

I know we were also talking about a trafficking toolkit or something that we could do to spread awareness about that, uh especially because of Sacramento and like its history with that, uh, especially like in certain hotspots of the area, uh Commissioner Albilo.

Uh two points.

Uh first, um, I mean, obviously, everybody here is interested in the UC Davis um relationship partnership.

Um, like you said earlier, I just I was gonna build is that I think after receiving like a presentation from them and what their um like the directions that they want ahead and how it relates to us, then we like decide what to absolve and what not to absorb, like you said earlier.

Um then to build off um Vice Chair Lonmeyer, definitely like a know your rights card, um, especially for those who are undocumented.

Like I have personal back experience with like other organizations who do just like small like red cards for um those who are undocumented is like what to do if you're stopped by ice if you're stopped by a police officer, um, what your rights are in that situation, what to say what not to say, and just things like that.

Um to just inform um those youth who are in that situation of being undocumented and who are um like facing those fears every single day.

Um I think that's um something that we just probably don't acknowledge enough, and that a large large community and population of Sacramento youth is undocumented and is constantly in fear of being deported.

Um yeah, another great input.

Um I think having that sort of like card where we can have that information is really um essential to ensuring that youth feel safe.

We can we can't expect them to go to opportunities, um go to internships, go to events when they don't feel safe in their own communities.

And so I think that's really really vital part that we we take on that first um to ensure that just people feel safe.

So yeah, thank you.

Uh Commissioner Perez Maganoi.

Um yeah, so I just I don't want to read her exactly what Vice Chair Longmeyer said, but I do think that uh creating a toolkit uh of some sorts, uh whether it be pressure with our um our social media, youth voice, or just as a even an agenda item, I think it's just pretty important because also what Cheryl said about if our programs that we have for uh students and the youth in the our city and community, we if we want them to be fully um immersed in this, we want to make sure that they uh feel safe, you know, and feel like they like belong here because they do.

And if we don't like highlight the issues that are currently happening, then I think it's um good on our part.

Um so thank you.

Commissioner Abiel.

Yeah, uh another thought just came to mind is through that partnership with UC Davis, if it would be possible to pursue avenues like immigration rights and just topics topics of that source, just because I mean personally, I don't feel that um our focus, like focus areas at the moment really reflect um reflect that and just um that growing issue in our community.

Um so I just that's a thought that I want to put out there to um the rest of the commissioners is that through a possible relationship to focus in on an issue like immigration.

Uh Commissioner Corlew.

Yeah, I just want to um just say again, I also agree with uh Commissioner Longmeyer about that.

Um the rights toolkit and that it's easy to forget rights and uh not know the rights that you have under 18.

Uh a lot of the rights that we learn about are for adults, and that's a lot of times when we think about when we're thinking about ice raids or um getting stopped by police or serious crimes that often involve adults, but sometimes involve kids and when they do involve kids, it's harder to know what to do in that situation.

So I think that's not only because we're the youth commission, but because that's something that's so overlooked.

I think that's it's a great idea of something that we can add next year.

I was wondering too, as well, like if it was just like a card that we could create, if it would be something that like it would obviously take some obviously effort and everything, but how like I feel like the time frame for that would be a little bit shorter.

Um I think we it's something that we could push out with the people that we have.

Um and so maybe that could I could see that definitely fitting under uh youth voice for sure.

Um and even I don't know if it's is it possible for other people and other focus groups to like help with those initiatives as well.

We need to stay under quorum.

Okay.

Okay.

So if you're currently working on a focus area, um we ask that you stay there.

Um a couple things we want to make sure we consider is that we are staying within our scope of services, which means that we're we are putting things out that are youth specific.

I also want to make sure that um the city did put out uh I think the the police department did as well, and I know that a couple council members shared months ago um know your rights cards.

So take a look, they're on social media accounts for several of the um council members currently.

So maybe that's something that SAC Youth Voice when they meet as a under quorum group, they decide hey, we want to share on our social media platform a post made by a council member.

So there's a group of you that are already doing those things, and we can make it fit.

It just needs to fit within our scope of service.

I could also definitely see us like printing out those cards and like when youth voice or any of the Sacramento uh youth commission does like outreach to print those out.

We can even get like little carriers for them so that they stay protected and everything um and pass those out as like I guess you know when we pass out gifts and everything.

Um so yeah, I think that's a really great idea.

Any other comments or ideas?

Yeah, any so any other like big challenges you think um SAC you youth are facing in Sacramento right now that anyone would like to add on to or address.

Okay.

So again, this item is received in comments, so no vote was required.

We'll move on to the next item, which is the member comments, ideas, questions, meeting conference report.

Um so again for the new commissioners is just to check up on what you've been doing in your community, or if not, um just how you've been doing it in general.

Your focus areas as well.

I think we'll call a rule.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Sista.

Uh I haven't been able to do too much community work uh recently, but I am planning on um getting back and getting much more busier in the community.

Um but as of now with back to school, I just started college.

Um I think I this week I start my third week of college.

So that's been going okay so far.

Um and other than that, there's not.

I don't think I have any more information other than that.

Member Roland.

Uh yes.

So what I've been doing this whole time, I've been trying to find internships for uh just young high schoolers who are just starting to get into the shoes of a junior or just anything anything sort of like that, just trying to help them out, help them write write out resumes, helping them get their license and everything like that so far.

And also I've been doing ambassador work on the side and helping adults out with their vehicles.

That's pretty it.

Thank you.

Member Bernardo.

Um, yeah, not much.

Um just getting back into like school and then setting up um some future fundraisers that we're gonna have.

Um last month, uh me and Commissioner Rios volunteered at I think it was celebrate the Thomas.

So it was like really fun just to um be able to um just help out our community have fun and um yeah, just meet everyone.

Thank you.

Member Perez McGnoy.

Oh, uh excuse me.

I don't have much to say.

I did I've been in school for about a month now and just trying to get through my senior year.

Um I did start a uh college journalism class trying to um on mass media.

Um obviously in this day and age it's pretty important uh to be informed.

So go through that class.

Um thank you.

Member Corless.

Um yeah, not much to say.

I I started high school.

I guess the only notable um program that actually might relate to this that I've joined is for the third year now is the Sacramento as the model as the YMCA Youth and Government program, which uh I don't know if any of you uh heard of or in, but um it's kind of like model UN, which I know a lot of you probably done, and it's a great program for learning how government works and stuff like that.

So I'm excited to rejoin that member Chan.

Um I don't have much to say, but I've been just trying to get my volunteer work done.

Um and yeah.

Member Avila.

Uh personally it's just getting back into the school year, um, trying to stay on top of things, and then super swamped with um ASB student gov stuff in the beginning of the year, um, especially with football and dances, HOCO.

So that's just mainly been my focus recently, but hoping to get back into uh my broader community work um shortly.

Thank you.

Member or vice chair Longmire.

Um I'm I've also been working hard with uh ASB and leadership at my school.

Um yeah, I've just been like getting back into the hang of things senior year.

I hope it goes well.

Um outside of school, uh a couple weeks ago, I did um our fifth annual uh South Slack Festival with Councilmember Mighty.

Um I also MC'd for the second year in the row, so it was really fun.

Um what else did I do?

Oh no, yeah, just other like small committee stuff like cleaning up parks, feeding the homeless, all that, and yeah.

Member RuPry.

Um I just started high school recently, so it's been going good.

Uh a little tiring, but yeah, I also auditioned for a play.

Yeah.

Uh member Gowner.

Um for me, I'm just starting with a bunch of stuff.

Um for ASB.

Uh my like busy season is around October, November because we don't start planning out the blood drives and the canned food drives until then.

Um, but I'm also excited to start um the trainings for being a peer mentor for semester at City Hall.

Um that's gonna happen later in the fall, so it's gonna be exciting coming back to City Hall.

And um the first time we had Semester at City Hall, I was uh actually there learning, and so it's gonna be cool coming back and actually helping others and also working with Miss Dominique in it because it was a totally unique experience for me the first time I was there.

Um and then I also was uh have recently just been reaching out to uh my council member um that in the district that I live in, just um talking to him about possibly uh making a crosswalk in one of the public parks in my um in my neighborhood.

It's uh Lewis Park right next to uh DNL Didian Elementary School because like they like access to a crosswalk and then during busy hours, like the streets are super duper busy, and so just growing up there, I I always saw like it wasn't really safe for kids like kindergarten through sixth grade to like be trusted to um you know like cross the street on an unprotected road.

So yeah, and just starting with a bunch of new community stuff, so I'm excited for that.

And Chair Rios.

I'll go to Commissioner Sissy.

Do you have a comment?

Um I actually do have some one resource to share with you guys.

So the Greater Sacramento Urban League organization is hosting three different youth financial workshop series.

Um these aren't financial aid as in for like college financial aid, but they're just like general financial help for youth.

Um so if you guys are interested, they're hosting one on Wednesday, September 17th, Wednesday, October 15th, and Wednesday, November 12th.

Um of these sessions will be focusing on just like different important financial like tips and help.

Um each session will last like an will last for about an hour and it'll and it's located at the youth and family center on Alhambra Boulevard in Sacramento.

So if you guys want more information, um let me know, and I can send you a fire about it.

Yeah, I that definitely got really interesting opportunity.

I'll definitely share that with some of my uh friends who are um gonna be going to college this year.

I know financially it gets really stressful.

Uh for me, uh I obviously just started back school um again with ASB, there's obviously been a lot of work.

Um again with ASB, there's obviously been a lot of work.

Um, like you said, it's like busy season right now.

We're planning like Poco and different uh events.

I'm thinking we're planning basically to a lot of the fruit during school lunch just gets like thrown away like right after you get your uh tray because like you're required to get a fruit, and so a lot of that just gets thrown away, and so we're thinking um about making a separate bin for that and then kind of collecting all the fruit and then like washing it again and everything and then redistributing it to like families uh for fresh food um who need fresh produce because fresh produce isn't cheap, unfortunately nowadays.

Um so yeah, additionally, uh Yvonne and I volunteered at the celebrate Nits Homus event for our district in Sacramento.

So we were uh serving uh some serving food to people.

Um they had like live music and everything, so it was really fun to do that.

Uh later this month.

Hopefully, I'll be getting my license.

So I have my driver's test appointment.

Um, I'm looking forward to that because then I'll be able to attend a lot more events.

I know sometimes like I don't have a ride, so it's like it's hard.

Uh, but I'm looking forward to that.

So yeah.

Um, this the last item is public comments matters not on the agenda.

Clerk, are there any members of the public who should speak on?

So thank you, Chair.

I have no speaker slips.

Cool.

This concludes today's agenda.

Thank you everyone for your participation.

This meeting is a journey.