The City of Soledad’s Parks and Recreation Department will run the Soledad Youth Council for the 2025–26 year, the department’s director, Jessica Potts, told the City Council on Aug. 6, 2025. The city has onboarded three youth commissioners — one returning and two first-year appointees — who will work 6 to 10 hours per week in paid roles to support youth outreach and council logistics.
Potts said the department assumed day-to-day leadership of the program in April after the district liaison position became vacant and after outreach with the school district did not produce a continuing co-managed model. “We’re coming back, using that feedback, to restructure it under parks and recreation so that we can provide some better consistency, oversight, and alignment with city goals,” Potts said.
The move follows a program evaluation and discussions with youth participants. The returning commissioner is Giovanni Bravo; new commissioners are Marilyn Ramirez Pena and Cindy Alcaraz. Potts said the program will meet twice monthly and focus on civic engagement, youth advocacy, citywide outreach, and leadership and workforce development. She told the council the role of the paid commissioners is to “support youth council logistics, city outreach, youth engagement projects” while all members will participate equally in decision making.
Council members welcomed the shift. Councilwoman Banuelos and others said they want the youth council to help recruit incoming freshmen, shape city projects — including the general plan update, parks master plan and Toledo Basin development — and increase youth representation on local government matters. Finance staff confirmed payroll for the paid commissioners will come from Measure S funds, council members said; Parks and Recreation staff said they had confirmed the finance source during the meeting.
The department said it employed 37 area youth for summer programs this year using Measure S dollars and that youth workforce development programs are a continuing focus. Council members suggested increased outreach, publicizing the paid positions and inviting council engagement with the youth council’s work.
Potts said the department would return to council with more program details and welcomed council feedback as the program prepares service and advocacy projects and outreach activities.