Sanger Municipal Code Div. 7 Sanger Youth Council

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, adopted Aug. 2, 2018, amended Div. 7 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Div. 7, §§ 2-186—2-193, pertained to similar subject matter, and derived from Ord. No. 1002, § 1, adopted Dec. 2, 1999; Ord. No. 1022, adopted Sept. 6, 2001; and Ord. No. 1118, adopted Feb. 3, 2011.

In order to meet the goals and purposes of this division, the city council, in cooperation with the Sanger Unified School District (SUSD) hereby create the Sanger Youth Council.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) The purpose of this council shall be to investigate and report to the city council or SUSD on all local matters of concern to Sanger youth, and such other duties and functions as may be specifically assigned to the youth council by the city council or SUSD.

(b) The goals of the youth council are as follows:

(1) To encourage young residents to actively participate in their city and school government in a positive and productive manner.

(2) To provide a mechanism which facilitates communication and a spirit of involvement by youth in municipal and school government.

(3) Provide a learning experience for youth council members that is conducive to leadership growth.

(4) Investigate, initiate, and facilitate services opportunities for youth.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) Youth council memberships shall be limited to residents of the city and/or current students of SUSD who are at least 14 years of age and at least in ninth grade and meet the requirements specified in section 2-191 of this division. Members of the youth council shall not exceed 19 years of age by end of their term.

(b) The responsibilities of all youth councilmembers shall be to:

(1) Attend all youth council meetings and other council functions.

(2) Participate in youth council communication(s) to the city council and provide information to the student representative to the SUSD board of trustees.

(3) Be a member of and participate actively in at least one committee.

(4) Solicit, receive, and relay to the city council, and/or student representative to the SUSD board of trustees input and suggestions about any matters of concern to the youth of Sanger.

(5) Participate in publicity and recruitment activities of the youth council.

(6) Complete any activity which the chair of [or] liaison may assign to the youth council.

(7) Attend all orientations and training programs.

(8) Seek reliable and complete information on all subjects.

(c) Members and alternates to the youth council shall be approved by the mayor, with the approval of the city council, from nominees recommended by the interview panels as specified in subsections 2-191(b) and (c). In the event the mayor and/or city council fails to approve a full membership for the youth council, further nominations shall be required in accordance with the procedures set out in section 2-191.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) Generally. The youth council shall consist of eight members. The eight members shall occupy the offices of chair, vice chair, sergeant-at-arms, secretary, treasurer, historian, public coordinator and community service chairman.

(b) Chair duties. The duties of the chair shall be to:

(1) Preside over all regular meetings of the youth council.

(2) Work with the liaisons in developing agendas for meetings.

(3) Provide for the completion of all projects undertaken by the youth council.

(4) Shall be an ex officio member of all committees.

(c) Vice chair duties. The duties of the vice chair shall be to:

(1) Perform said duties of the chair in his/her absence.

(2) Provide reports to the appropriate bodies of all viewpoints expressed by members of the youth council.

(3) Work with the liaisons and the chair to develop agendas for the meetings.

(d) Sergeant-at-arms duties. The duties of the sergeant-at-arms shall be to:

(1) Maintain order at regular meetings of the youth council.

(2) Notify all members prior to general meeting dates.

(e) Secretary duties. The duties of the secretary shall be to:

(1) Provide minutes for all general youth council meetings.

(2) Keep accurate permanent roll card records of youth council members, guests, and staff attending each meeting and notify the youth council and chair upon a members' second and third consecutive absence.

(3) Document in the official minutes that a quorum was present.

(4) Provide for the writing of all letters necessary for youth council business.

(f) Treasurer duties. The duties of the treasurer are as follows:

(1) The treasurer shall keep and maintain, or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate and correct books and records of accounts of the properties and business transactions of the youth council, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains and losses. The books of account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection.

(2) The treasurer shall request disbursement of the youth council funds from the city liaison according to the city purchasing policy and shall keep full and accurate records of receipts and disbursements. All receipts belonging to the youth council, shall be deposited in accounts designated by the city. All monies and other valuable effects including property and equipment in the name and to the credit of the youth council shall remain the property of the youth council and not of the individual members.

(3) The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the youth council as may be ordered by the youth council, taking proper vouchers for such disbursement, and shall render to the youth council, at their regular meetings, or when youth council so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the youth council.

(4) The treasurer shall perform such other duties and shall have such other responsibility and authority as may be prescribed by the youth council by a simple majority vote of its members.

(5) If the youth council chooses to elect an assistant treasurer or assistant treasurers, the assistant treasurers in the order of their seniority shall, in the absence, disability or inability to act of the treasurer, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the treasurer, and shall perform such other duties as the youth council shall from time to time prescribe.

(g) Historian duties. The duties of the historian are as follows:

(1) The historian shall keep record or history of achievements and/or activities of the youth council.

(2) The historian shall take pictures as record keeping for future references of meetings, events, programs, and activities as they relate to the youth council.

(h) Public coordinator. The duties of the public coordinator are as follows:

(1) Publicizes activities through, social media, newspaper, etc.

(2) Develops and maintains social media for the youth council.

(i) Community service chair. The duties of the community service chair are as follows:

(1) Planning, scheduling and executing youth council community service events.

(2) Ensuring chapter participation in other organizations' service events.

(3) Promoting and ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all service events.

(4) Maintaining calendar of community service events.

(5) Recording service hours earned by the youth council.

(6) This is a non-voting position.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 2-190(g) and 2-191, youth council members will be appointed to serve a term of two years, commencing on August 1 and ending July 31 of the second year.

(b) If there are three consecutive unexcused or excused absences, or five total absences during the term by a member or alternate, the seat of such member shall be deemed immediately vacant. Absences may be excused if previously approved or for extraordinary circumstances.

(c) When a selection district or at-large seat on the youth council becomes vacant, alternates shall be called upon first to fill the vacancy following in the order of their appointment.

(d) Members of the youth council shall coordinate all official communications to the city council, and SUSD staff through the youth council liaisons.

(e) Alternates shall be subject to the following limitations:

(1) Alternates shall not be allowed to vote, except to fill a quorum.

(2) Alternates shall not be allowed to hold the following offices: chair, vice chair, sergeant-at-arms, and secretary.

(f) A quorum of the youth council shall consist of one more than 50 percent of the current members appointed to the youth council. A quorum must be present at any meeting during which business is transacted, or a vote taken. In the absence of a quorum, meetings may be held to only present information and conduct discussions on matters of interest to members.

(g) For the initial appointment of the youth council the president and secretary shall serve three-year terms their successors shall be appointed for terms of two years as described in section 2-190(a).

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) Members and alternates will be restricted to youth who express an interest in representing their peers as members of the youth council, and who are able and prepared to participate in youth council activities and make the required commitment of time and energy. Reasonable effort shall be made to ensure that members and alternates are representative of the youth population as a whole. The youth council shall be selected from interested applicants by an interview panel consisting of the mayor and one city councilmember designated by the city council, two SUSD representatives, and the city liaison to the youth council, and the school liaison to the youth council.

(b) Each city council district shall have at least one youth council representative who lives in the respective district unless no applications are received in which case the seat/s will be considered open and at large and are to be filled in accordance to section 2-188.

(c) Each of the following school district area boundaries shall have at least one youth council representative who lives in the respective school district area boundaries, area 1, 2, 3, 4 unless no applications are received in which case the seat/s will be open and at large and are to be filled in accordance to section 2-188.

(d) Members must be a resident of the city and/or attend a school in the Sanger Unified School District.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

The youth council shall continue its duties and functions as established by this division of the Code and shall serve until this division is repealed by the city council. In the alternative, if the Sanger Unified School District ceases its participation in the youth council, the youth council shall suspend its operations. Upon such a suspension of operations, the members of the committee shall be considered to have vacated their offices as of the date of the suspension of participation by SUSD acting through its duly elected board of trustees.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)

(a) In addition to any procedures subsequently adopted jointly by the city council and school board of trustees, the following rules of conduct shall be applicable to the youth council:

(1) The youth council shall conduct itself in an orderly fashion at all meetings and shall follow and obey the standing rules.

(2) No member of the youth council shall use the title of youth councilmember on any form of communication unless, authorized by the youth council liaison and channeled through the youth council.

(3) The youth council shall not present or purport to represent any position, policy, or direction for the city and/or SUSD, without the prior approval of the city council and/or SUSD board of trustees.

(4) All meetings, minutes, and records of the youth council shall be open to the public.

(5) The staff liaison positions after initial appointment by the respective elected bodies of the city and school district shall be subject to appointment by the city manager and school superintendent or designee according to the rules and management procedures of each organization.

(6) The chair and/or vice chair shall establish the agendas for each meeting with the assistance of the staff liaisons. Agenda posting in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act shall be the responsibility of the city clerk. The youth council may form specific committees, working with staff liaisons, to develop agenda items on specific subjects for placement directly on the youth council agenda.

(7) The rules of parliamentary procedure codified in Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings not otherwise governed by these bylaws.

(b) Meetings of the youth council shall be conducted as follows:

(1) The youth council may act or conduct official business only at duly noticed meetings, operating under established procedures as set forth in this article and under the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act.

(2) By a majority vote, the youth council shall establish regular meeting dates for its meetings. In addition, special meetings may be called by the chair, a committee established pursuant to subsection (a)(6) above, by a majority vote of the membership, or by direction of either the city council and/or SUSD representatives. The secretary shall notify the city clerk of the regular meeting dates and any special meeting dates so that 24 hours' public notice may be given.

(3) The youth council may, by a majority vote, adjourn or continue any meeting to a future date.

(4) Citizen input will be recognized at each meeting on all agenda items, as well as other information that may be brought before the youth council under, public comment portion of the agenda at all regular meetings.

(5) Youth council interactions with the city and the school district shall be assisted by staff liaisons appointed by the city manager and the school superintendent.

(6) The youth council shall prepare its own operating procedures and bylaws, when necessary, for the conduct of meetings. Said bylaws and procedures shall be subject to review and/or modification of the staff liaisons. The youth council bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the general membership at any regularly scheduled meeting where a quorum is present. Notice of a proposal to amend the bylaws, and a reading of the proposed amendment(s), must be given to the chair one meeting prior to any discussion and/or vote on the issue.

(c) The youth council shall have the ability to form temporary or permanent committees to report back to the youth council on matters within the jurisdiction of the youth council subject to the following rules:

(1) A committee shall not have a quorum of the youth council at any scheduled meeting unless so desired by the council and duly noticed with agendas prepared and posted at least 72 hours in advance.

(2) Each committee chair is responsible for: scheduling meetings, notifying committee members of meetings, keeping minutes and a roll call for each meeting and keeping the youth council advised of all committee activities.

(3) Each committee shall be responsible for the completion of all aspects of duties assigned by the youth council.

(Ord. No. 2018-03, §§ 1, 2, 8-2-18)