Lakeville youth advisory commissioners outline outreach plans, cite attendance and communication hurdles

Three members of the Lakeville City Youth Advisory Commission on Tuesday described a year of civic learning but said attendance and communication shortfalls limited larger projects.

"We could use more communication in the group," said Olivia Schmidt, one of the commissioners who spoke during the commission's update to the Lakeville City Council. "Sometimes they will not be patient. . . we don't really see as much of the impact of results." Fadumo Mohammed and Addison Johnson joined Schmidt in presenting a slide recap of the group's work.

The commissioners told council they planned smaller, school-oriented outreach in the coming year, such as presentations for elementary students and hands-on volunteer activities. "I like volunteer work mostly, getting hands-on experience," Johnson said, describing the kind of projects the group prefers.

Council members and staff pressed for clearer expectations tied to time and attendance. Staff and commissioners said the commission set its regular meeting time as 6:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month and experimented with a midmonth Zoom to improve engagement; attendance dipped over the summer. Councilmember discussion focused on clarifying the time commitment during recruitment interviews and on encouraging commissioners to attend public council meetings to gain experience.

Staff said applications for the next term will open in August and that the city will run recruitment notices with the school districts in the first week of school. Council offered to participate in early meetings or interviews to emphasize commitments and expectations.

The update was a status report; no council action was taken. Council members thanked the youth commissioners for their service and asked staff to return with recruitment materials and clearer written expectations for applicants.