Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Council topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Paradise Valley formally recognizes student-run Youth Advisory Council after yearlong trial
Summary
The council approved Resolution 2026-10 recognizing the Paradise Valley Youth Advisory Council as an independent, self-governing student organization after a year of volunteer activity; the resolution limits official town control but allows limited support such as facility use and assistance with conference participation.
The Paradise Valley Town Council voted unanimously on June 11 to approve Resolution 2026-10, formally recognizing the Paradise Valley Youth Advisory Council and granting the student group a limited, non-regulatory relationship with the town.
Students who founded the youth council, including Mia Steinmetz and Sanaya Dubeidi, told the council the group of 8–10 high school residents has volunteered at town events, toured the police department and courthouse, and seeks “credibility” from formal recognition to expand outreach to local high schools. "Our group is for high schoolers in grades 9 through 12, specifically Paradise Valley residents," said Mia Steinmetz.
Town Manager Andrew Ching described the model staff proposed: an autonomous, self-governing council that can use the community room under the same rules as other resident groups and that would not report to the council in a way that triggers open meeting or public-record obligations. Ching said the town would consider limited support where appropriate, such as facilitating attendance at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, noting the league limits attendees to six and current registration is $90 per registrant (staff estimated about $30 more per identifying polo shirt if the town were to provide them).
Several councilmembers praised the students’ yearlong “beta” of volunteer work and suggested minor edits to the draft resolution to clarify membership and liaison functions. Councilmember Moore asked that certain structural language be tightened to preserve autonomy and to specify membership parameters; staff agreed to follow up with edits. Vice Mayor LaBelle and others said formal recognition would give the students the credibility they need to recruit from a wider set of Paradise Valley schools.
The resolution, modeled in part on the town’s long-standing HOA forum, was approved with the amendments discussed in the study session. The council asked staff to circulate the revised language to members before the business meeting moved forward.
The immediate outcome: the youth group will be able to present itself as town-recognized for recruitment and potential representation at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns conference, while remaining largely self-directed. The town manager and staff will return to the council with final language and any related administrative steps.
What’s next: staff will circulate the redlined resolution reflecting study-session comments and confirm logistical details for limited town support of conference participation.
