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Petoskey Youth Advisory Council outlines year of learning, tours and summer volunteer plans
Summary
Students from the Petoskey Youth Advisory Council presented a year-end summary of tours, civic-learning activities and planned summer volunteer events, including park tours, public works visits, and outreach at local events.
Students on the Petoskey Youth Advisory Council presented their 2024–25 year’s work to the City Council, describing tours of city parks and public works facilities, outreach and recruitment efforts, and planned volunteer participation at summer community picnics.
Charlie Olsen and Taylor Keeswetter, co-chairs of the Petoskey Youth Advisory Council (PYAC), described how the advisory group operates: student officers meet with a city liaison to set agendas, the council records minutes to comply with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act, and new officers transition during the summer.
Students recounted a public-parks trolley tour that highlighted the city’s 24 parks and accessibility features such as ramps at Bayfront West Park. Sam Ingalls summarized a public-works deep dive including visits to the Northman Wellhouse, the water tower and the wastewater treatment plant, noting the city operates seven groundwater wells and 12 pumps covering city water operations. Taylor Keeswetter described a visit to the Public Safety Department that included presentations, a shooting-range overview and hands-on forensic demonstrations.
Bridal Duane and other students discussed recruitment outreach for the coming school year, noting outreach at Petoskey High School, Saint Michael’s, Concord Academy and homeschool networks and that offers for the 2025–26 council will be sent before summer. Jillian Faivas described volunteer coordination with municipal staff for summer events including Arlington Park, Curtis Park and Lockwood Park picnics and a planned public-safety open house.
Councilmembers thanked the students and staff liaisons for the year’s work; Mayor Murphy and other councilors praised the experiential learning and predicted some members might return to serve the city in official roles in the future.
No formal council action was required; the presentation concluded with council appreciation and staff and councillors noting continued liaison support.
