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Council refers proposal for Youth Advisory Board to solicitor for review
Summary
Councilmember proposed a South Kingstown Youth Advisory Board; council voted to refer the idea to the town solicitor for advice on composition, ages, parental consent and legal mechanics.
Councilmember Jay Wedgemont on June 16 proposed creating a South Kingstown Youth Advisory Board to provide a formal platform for residents ages roughly in their teens and early 20s to advise the council.
The council discussed possible composition (the proposer suggested five to seven youth members aged 14–22 plus a University of Rhode Island student representative and an ex‑officio member), desired outcomes such as leadership development and youth engagement, and operational questions including parental consent for minors and staff liaison responsibilities.
Several council members expressed support for the idea but also raised concerns about staff bandwidth: council staff and department liaisons already attend many meetings and some members said adding a new, recurring advisory body could strain staff capacity. Council members asked whether the committee should focus on municipal government topics (rather than school issues handled by the school committee) and whether the membership age range should be narrowed so high school and college students would not be mixed.
The council voted to refer the proposal to the town solicitor for advice on the legal mechanism to create the committee, rules for members under 18 and options for staffing or alternative liaison arrangements. The referral passed by voice vote.
