Riverton council backs plan to create Youth City Council, aims to begin fall recruitment

Riverton City Council members on April 8 agreed in principle to establish a Riverton Youth City Council and to solicit applications this summer so the group can begin work in the next school year.

The idea, drafted and presented to the council by a group of Riverton High School students, would create a youth advisory council whose members would provide regular feedback to the city and carry out community projects. “We greatly appreciate you each taking the time to review our proposal and sample resolution to establish a Riverton Youth City Council,” student organizer Ayanna Mejorado told the council.

Council members said the proposal responds to a need to give young people a direct voice in local government and civic life. “I’m incredibly supportive of this. I think giving our youth a voice is something that’s desperately needed in our community,” Councilwoman Rebecca Pearson Lewis said during the discussion.

City staff and councilors asked the students to tighten details before the council adopts a resolution. Key points the council settled on in the working-session discussion: the council will bring forward a resolution to create the youth body; staff will advertise broadly this summer and again at the start of school; selections will be made so terms can begin in September; the initial membership target is nine members with the option to specify a range later; and eligibility will be limited to students residing inside School District 25 boundaries.

Council members debated term lengths and staggered seats to balance continuity and opportunity. Several members favored two-year staggered terms so the council does not turn over completely in a single year; others argued for one-year terms to let more students participate. Councilmember Mike Bailey and others suggested a mix—some one-year seats and some two-year seats—or allowing juniors and sophomores to seek two-year appointments while seniors be limited to one-year terms so senior seats open more quickly. The draft proposal allows the initial council to recommend final bylaws and term structures.

On selection and oversight, the proposal calls for initial appointments to be made by the full city council, with a smaller interview committee (three council members recommended in discussion) to make recommendations in later cycles. Council and staff also discussed whether the city administrator or another department should be the administrative contact; the city administrator asked to be listed as the designee and said staff would help stand the program up and reassess department placement later.

Students and councilors discussed practical details: the council will meet at least monthly, will be expected to send liaisons to city council meetings, and may be tasked with defined projects such as creating a new-citizen packet, running recognition programs, or doing community outreach. Council members noted advertising and startup outreach carry modest costs and suggested placing that expense in the council’s cost center in the FY26 budget.

The council and students agreed on a tentative timeline: advertise broadly in late spring and through the summer, accept applications with a recommended closing around mid-August, interview and select members in late August or early September, and have terms begin in September to align with the school year. Several council members recommended allowing eighth-graders and incoming freshmen to learn about and apply for the council during summer outreach.

The students who presented emphasized the program’s goals of leadership development, civic education and improved lines of communication between youth and city government. “A youth city council gives students the chance to make a real impact on their community,” presenter James Pearson said.

Next steps: staff will prepare a draft resolution and application/selection timeline for a future meeting; the council directed staff to begin planning outreach and to include any modest advertising costs in the FY26 budget process.