Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NextGen group to pivot from single-event pilot after low turnout for ‘Adulting 101’
Summary
Board members reviewed last year’s Adulting 101 pilot event, which had low attendance, and discussed shifting toward agenda-driven advocacy and targeted outreach rather than single large public events.
The Next Generation Advisory Board reviewed its Adulting 101 pilot — an event intended to help young adults with topics such as first-time home-buying and credit — and several members concluded the project did not meet expectations.
“To be super transparent, it was a total flop,” said a board member who helped run the event, citing low turnout and limited marketing. Members said the pilot produced useful content (lenders and credit information were present) but failed to draw a wide audience.
Several members recommended shifting the board’s emphasis toward producing a concise annual agenda of priorities for council and pursuing targeted outreach via existing community events and partner groups. “I would like to see a change in direction, instead of being a resource for city council to reach out to people. I think it'd be more successful for us to reach out to city council,” said Mackenzie, a board member.
Board members proposed an operational change: make a standing item on each meeting to review the upcoming City Council agenda so the NextGen board can identify opportunities to comment and prepare recommendations in advance. Staff liaison Chris Nelson and the clerk’s office encouraged the group to focus on a few prioritized initiatives and to use staff and city resources for outreach and presentations.
Members emphasized the need to broaden promotion if the board again hosts public events, and suggested partnering with existing civic groups and community activities to reach younger residents rather than attempting to create a new single “must-attend” event.
The board did not take a formal vote to end the Adulting 101 project, but members agreed to discuss program strategy and potential agenda items before the next meeting.
