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Mill Creek parks board and youth advisory highlight volunteer work and push for more youth participation
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Board and Mill Creek Youth Advisory Board reported accomplishments — including about 1,700 youth volunteer hours — and asked the council for simpler meeting summaries, more youth seats on boards and greater youth involvement on issues such as e-bikes.
Jeff Don, chair of the Parks and Recreation Board, and Arhan Sinha, the Mill Creek Youth Advisory Board (MCYAB) liaison, presented joint updates to the council on June 9, outlining accomplishments and asking for deeper engagement between boards and the council.
Don highlighted continuity on the Parks Board, recent membership changes and the board's involvement with Library Park design, park tours and the Adopt-a-Street volunteer program. Don said the board has adjusted its annual operating rhythm to align better with staff and budgeting timelines and identified three focus areas for 2026: operational alignment, a needs assessment and integration with the DRCC project.
"The top areas of focus are operational alignment, a needs assessment, and integration with the DRCC," Don said, asking the council to involve the Parks Board earlier in visioning and budgeting so the board can provide timely feedback.
Arhan Sinha, who said he is a junior at Henry M. Jackson High School and became the MCYAB liaison in March, said MCYAB recorded roughly 1,700 hours of community service in the past year, received about 60 new member applications and completed six officer transitions while continuing normal operations. He requested easier-to-read meeting summaries for city council discussions to make issues more accessible to youth, suggested expanding youth participation through official seats on boards and asked for more direct outreach such as city chats hosted at schools.
"Having easily accessible meeting summary notes will make it easier for people my age to understand the issues with the city and help maybe come up with potential ideas to help with the city," Sinha said.
Council members responded with suggestions and support. Councilmember Golbieski encouraged youth participation and suggested using social platforms beyond Facebook to reach younger residents; one council member offered to email meeting recaps and another suggested the communications staff could help craft Instagram-friendly summaries. Councilmember Cavalieri asked whether e-bikes are a safety concern for youth or an overreaction; Sinha said youth in his neighborhood find e-bikes "annoying" at times and supported exploring potential solutions. Members suggested the MCYAB consider hosting city chats at local schools to boost attendance and engagement.
No formal action or vote resulted from the presentations; council members thanked the boards and asked staff and the groups to continue collaborating on practical steps to increase youth engagement.
What this means: The boards will continue to provide input on park projects such as Library Park and support city initiatives; MCYAB's requests for simpler summaries and more seats align with council interest in improving youth outreach but will require follow-up and possible policy decisions on board membership or communications processes.
