Council accepts New York Community Trust grant for youth programs and approves youth‑bureau training and travel

The Mount Vernon City Council on Aug. 14 authorized the mayor to accept foundation funds from the New York Community Trust and its Westchester Advisory Board to support expansion of Mount Vernon Youth and Common Advocacy Council programming. Council members noted that youth from the program observed a previous meeting and had asked substantive questions. A council member said the grant was one of the first written by the Youth Bureau to a private foundation and congratulated Director Burrell Butler for the award. “This is a private foundation and 1 of the first grants that were written by the youth bureau to a private foundation,” the council speaker said. The council also approved a transfer of funds within the Youth Bureau budget to cover salary expenses for the Workforce Development Academy for Youth and approved travel and attendance for Youth Bureau staff at national conferences as part of related agenda items. Roll calls show those items passed. The transcript does not specify the grant dollar amount, any reporting requirements tied to the foundation funds, or precise travel budgets; those details were not stated during the public meeting.