Several residents and high-school students urged the Sunnyvale City Council on Nov. 18 to create formal seats or clearer pathways for youth to participate on city boards and commissions.

Peggy Schonbruster, vice president of the Sunnyvale School District, told the council the city should "listen to the voice of the people" and build pipelines to bring youth into civic roles. She said youth involvement teaches leadership and helps the city shape future policy. High-school students who spoke remotely—Satya Adindi and Joshua Charnota—said many students do not know they are eligible to serve and recommended better outreach, especially via Instagram and other social platforms. "If young people knew that these opportunities existed, I'm confident many of us would apply," Satya said.

Council members discussed logistics and next steps after public comment. The city manager said the item would be referred to the council subcommittee that handles boards and commissions for follow-up. Council member Srinivasan framed the issue as twofold: whether youth should sit on commissions directly, and how to ensure young people receive timely notice of agendas and meetings. He urged staff to explore mailing lists and social-media forwarding to youth networks.

Several council members emphasized careful design. Council member Mellinger supported nonvoting youth seats as well as improved commission feedback on the annual budget but asked how a dedicated youth seat would interact with already appointed young commissioners or charter commissions. Vice Mayor suggested the subcommittee draft concrete proposals and solicit direct input from youth who would participate.

Council and staff also discussed leveraging existing groups: Chair Rivera noted a teen advisory committee that already participates in planning conversations and suggested the city explore those connections as a practical first step. Staff cautioned that some advisory committees are staff-appointed and that asking them to report directly to council could raise Brown Act and structural issues; council directed staff and the subcommittee to identify workable options.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken on Nov. 18. The council closed public comment on the item and instructed the boards-and-commissions subcommittee to return with proposals, outreach plans and any recommended changes to application questions or appointment rules.