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Anna interns present youth-engagement plan and draft youth-council ordinance; commission tables formal action
Summary
Two summer interns presented a slate of youth and civic-engagement proposals, including a draft ordinance to establish a youth advisory council. Commissioners praised the work but voted unanimously to table formal advice to council until members can review fuller materials.
Two summer interns presented detailed proposals for youth engagement and public-art projects at the Neighbor Engagement and Inclusion Advisory Commission meeting on July 28 in Anna, Texas, and the commission voted to table formal action on creating a youth advisory council until members can review additional materials.
The presentations were led by Kimberly Winarski, City staff in the city manager’s office, who supervised the interns; Keeley McGrath, a summer intern and Anna resident; and Ahmed (Ahmed) Shah Sherzad, a summer intern. Keeley described public-art research and logistics, and Ahmed presented a draft ordinance and a 12-month plan for a proposed youth advisory council.
Why it matters: The interns’ proposals include a formal ordinance to create a youth advisory council, recommended membership and meeting rules, and several outreach and incentive ideas (including résumé and college-application support). Commissioners said the proposals could increase youth civic participation, but asked for more time to review legal and operational details before sending formal advice to the city council.
Keeley McGrath said much of her work focused on public art and engagement. “Most of my projects were about public art or, like, built environment stuff, also cultural stuff like the time capsule and also ADA transition stuff,” McGrath said, summarizing research on mural programs, a proposed downtown city display case, and a “portal” painting project for elevated manhole covers along the Pecan Grove Trail.
Ahmed Shah Sherzad presented a draft ordinance for a formal advisory body and a week-by-week, 12-month plan for youth engagement. “I also draft a youth council ordinance. It’s a formal draft ordinance to establish the Anna Youth Advisory Council as an official advisory body to the city council,” Shah Sherzad said, noting the draft includes membership appointments, terms and meeting procedures.
Intern proposals also included programmatic items such as a youth entrepreneurship memorandum, a database of summer job and internship opportunities, senior-inclusion recommendations for libraries and emergency check-ins, and ideas to make youth events more appealing to juniors and seniors who might list the experience on college applications.
Commissioner Jody Foster praised the interns’ work. “I think the fact that you two have spent so much time and effort on this is very commendable,” Foster said.
Action and next steps: The commission did not forward the draft ordinance to council at the July meeting. Commissioners unanimously voted to table formal action and asked staff to circulate the interns’ materials for review. A staff member said the presentations and associated documents will be sent to commissioners ahead of the next meeting for consideration.
Staff and interns said the internship program is supported by the Bob Turner Scholars program and included two scholarship placements from the International City/County Management Association. Interns said some supporting materials (databases and links) are available in documents linked in the meeting packet.
The commission indicated it will revisit the youth-advisory-council proposal at a future meeting after commissioners have time to review the ordinance draft, the 12-month plan and implementation details.
