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Satellite Beach Youth Council adopts environmental outreach focus and plans community events
Summary
Youth council members prioritized youth involvement and environmental outreach — including lagoon cleanups, social-media campaigns, an 'adopt‑a‑drain' mural project and participation in the Ocean Reef Festival — while staff cautioned about Sunshine Law limits on out‑of‑meeting discussions.
Members of the Satellite Beach Youth Council spent the bulk of their Oct. 28 meeting brainstorming priorities and early projects, placing an emphasis on environmental outreach and tactics to increase youth participation.
Council members proposed lagoon cleanups, oyster-mat or mangrove‑planting efforts, and a social‑media campaign using Instagram (to reach peers) and Facebook (to reach parents). Member Serena Videla volunteered to serve as secretary and several students offered to lead social-media and design efforts. One member said she can leverage contacts at the Brevard Zoo teen program to obtain seeds for planting projects.
Staff and adult volunteers urged the youth council to coordinate with existing city boards — the beautification board and the adult sustainability board — to avoid duplicating work and to secure maintenance and approvals. Council staff also suggested an 'adopt‑a‑drain' mural project (modeled on another Florida city) to signal that storm drains flow to the lagoon; staff said adult boards could assist with an application and upkeep plan.
Members discussed outreach tactics to boost visibility, including tabling at the Ocean Reef Festival, participating in Founders Day parades in future years and running youth-focused events (drunk-driving awareness, anti‑vaping presentations, and waterfront activities such as paddle‑boarding clinics). They also agreed on creating a youth council shirt that could be used at events and cleanups.
Staff reminded members that under Florida’s Sunshine Law they should not conduct substantive council business outside public meetings, but they may do preparatory work (designs, draft posts) and then present results at a meeting. Staff offered limited start‑up funds and technical support for social‑media setup and event promotion.
