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Commission considers youth participation, agrees to study options in subcommittee
Summary
Commissioners discussed adding meaningful youth voices to the commission, debated statutory and practical limits, and agreed to have the Community Forum subcommittee explore options (including non‑voting subcommittee seats and outreach forums) rather than immediately changing commission membership.
Commissioner Salcedo raised an agenda item after a Pasadena forum noting a lack of youth voices at commission events and asked the body to consider ways to include younger participants. Commissioners generally agreed on the importance of youth input but warned against tokenism and emphasized the need for meaningful, not cosmetic, participation.
Commissioner Roybal and others recommended sending the question to the Community Forum subcommittee for detailed exploration of tradeoffs, including whether to use subcommittee slots, create non‑commission youth advisory roles, or pursue a legislative change to expand commissioners. Staff reminded the body that statute fixes commission size and any expansion would require legislative action; subcommittees can host non‑commissioners and thus offer a practical near‑term pathway.
Commissioners also noted practical barriers — meeting times during business hours and the need for multiple youth voices rather than a single representative — and suggested the subcommittee consider definitions (e.g., age range), selection process, support and compensation, and multiple‑member youth participation to avoid isolation.
The commission did not vote on a membership change but supported referring the topic to the Community Forum subcommittee for a detailed recommendation to return at a future meeting.
