Sacramento Youth Commission Regular Meeting — November 2, 2026

The Sacramento Youth Commission met on Monday, November 2, 2026, at 5:30 PM at the City Hall Complex, 915 I Street. Chair Reyes Rios presided. Roll call established quorum with Commissioners Shaddai Roland and Ori Vanderdrift absent. No minutes were available. The meeting included a land acknowledgement, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition certificates signed by the mayor for commissioners completing their terms. No members of the public signed up to speak on any agenda item. The meeting was extended by one hour, to 8:32 PM, and adjourned at the end of the available time.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Youth Commission draft meeting minutes dated October 5, 2026, and the Youth Commission Follow-Up Log (File IDs 2026-00053 and 2026-01895). A motion and second were made; the voice vote passed with Commissioners Roland and Vanderdrift absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speakers were called on the consent calendar or any discussion item. Written comments, if submitted, were not read aloud.

Discussion Items

• State and federal legislative platform (Item 3; File ID 2026-01900): Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, presented the city’s state and federal legislative and budget advocacy and the 2026 platform. She described the platform as a public statement of city priorities that lets the city take positions without returning to council for every bill, and said it is intentionally broad to cover mid-year issues. She highlighted state budget shortfalls, housing and homelessness funding, climate and water resources, local authority, federal election uncertainty, earmarks, and conditions attached to federal funding. Commissioners asked about youth representation, public outreach and deliberation, evaluation of advocacy outcomes, and community engagement. Commissioners expressed support for prioritizing youth substance abuse prevention, transit and road safety, youth employment, protections related to increased federal/ICE activity, and reducing political polarization. The item was received and commented on; no vote was required.
• Youth Program Scholarship Fund (YPSF) update (Item 4; File ID 2026-01932): Anthony Munoz, Recreation Manager, reported that YPSF serves youth ages 0–24 from families with financial need and covers registration and membership fees for eligible Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment programs. In FY26, approximately $243,000 in youth program scholarships were awarded, benefiting more than 5,001 participants, and approximately $110,000 in sports field fees were waived. Applications for 2027 opened September 16 and approved scholarships are valid January 1–December 31, 2027. The program was originally funded at $200,000 annually and is now also supported by a Measure L grant; staff does not project running out over the next three years. Commissioners asked about outreach, enrollment trends, fund rollover, and sports field fee waiver criteria. Staff said full waivers can apply to free youth-serving organizations with no paid coaches, while a 50% reduction can apply to organizations charging small registration fees and not paying coaches or operating elite travel teams. The item was received and filed; no vote was required.
• Sacramento Children’s Fund implementation update and third-year review (Item 5; File ID 2026-01923): Julie Garen, interim program manager, reported that the fund receives 40% of the cannabis business operations tax. The FY26 amount is $8,410,200, a decrease of $633,800 from FY25, partly offset by more than $500,000 in interest. The five-year plan oversees roughly $43 million. The guaranteed basic income program for transitional-age foster youth launched with applications October 1–31; more than 250 applications were received, and 100 eligible applicants will be selected by lottery. Participants ages 16–23 will receive $900 per month for up to two years or until age 25. Staff outlined changes for the second notice of funding opportunity/request for proposals, planned for February or March 2027 with awards in summer 2027: a 20-point priority population scoring category, stricter documentation for 10 SEED/COI preference points, a 45–60 day application period instead of 30 days, stipends for panelists, a higher audit threshold for small and emerging CBOs, and possible increase of the $375,000 small/emerging set-aside to $500,000 or more. The prior round received 121 applications and funded 24 programs. Commissioners asked about youth and lived-experience panelists, grant monitoring and evaluation, clawback authority, scoring and conflict-of-interest processes, updated SEED data, and annual reporting. The item was reviewed and commented on; no vote was required.
• 2027 workplan focus area workshop (Item 6; File ID 2026-01924): Dominique Herndon, program coordinator, led discussion of the commission’s 2026 focus areas—youth mental health, community partnerships, and Sacramento Youth Voice—and whether they should continue in 2027. Commissioners reported strong momentum in youth mental health and community partnerships, including the mental health project and community-partnership work with UC Davis and district outreach. Sacramento Youth Voice was described as having struggled because of resignations, new members, and an unclear mission; several commissioners said it should be redefined toward civic engagement and advocacy. Emerging needs identified included youth mental health, substance abuse, youth employment, increased federal/ICE activity, know-your-rights resources, support for youth with disabilities, and local civic engagement. Because of time, staff tabled two questions—2027 opportunities and maintaining momentum/transition planning—for written commissioner feedback. Staff said the draft annual report would return to the commission in February.
• 2026 Community Connection Day (Item 7; File ID 2026-01901): The Youth Mental Health focus area presented the July 24, 2026 Community Connection Day held at City Hall with Semester at City Hall. The event included a youth-led mental health panel facilitated by Commissioner Bernardo and an art activity where students painted safe or happy places in nature. Resource tables included the Trans Queer Youth Collective, Sacramento LGBTQ+ Community Center, Teens Create Dreams, and Alcove. There were 43 attendees; the audience was described as diverse and relatively young, with a majority Asian attendance. Presenters discussed barriers such as fear of judgment, taboo, and lack of knowledge, linked the lack of conversation to higher suicide rates especially in male-dominated spaces, and noted successes in participant engagement and areas for improvement in panel pacing and length. The item was received and commented on; no vote was required.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved: October 5, 2026 draft minutes and the follow-up log.
• No public speakers appeared on any item.
• Items 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were received/commented on or received and filed; no votes were required on those substantive items.
• The meeting was extended by one hour by voice vote, setting an adjournment target of 8:32 PM; the meeting then adjourned around 8:31 PM.
• Staff will send the remaining 2027 workplan questions to commissioners for written responses and incorporate feedback into the draft annual report, which is expected back in February.
• Commissioners completing their terms received recognition certificates signed by the mayor.