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Meeting Minutes Mayor’s Youth Commission Regular Meeting September 12, 2023, 5:00 p.m. Chandler City Hall 175 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chair Nigam at 5:01 p.m. Roll Call Commission Attendance Chair Arnav Nigam Vice Chair Nivid Singhania Secretary Shea Lee Commissioner Ananditha Sivakumaran Commissioner Isaac Ming Teck-Ong Commissioner Makenzie Cole Commissioner Olivia Lu Commissioner Jackson Heinkel Commissioner Joseph Bushard Commissioner Nikhil Dholakia Commissioner Shripal Dupati Absent Commissioner Josh Victoria Commissioner Maria Gonzalez Commissioner Sanjana Balaji Commissioner Julianna Henderson Commissioner Victoria Jagdon Commissioner Aashika Dupati Commissioner Ashwin Vijayaraghavan Commissioner Anthony Bushard StaffAttendance Alexis Apodaca, Government Relations Senior Program Manager Scheduled Public Appearances None. Unscheduled Public Appearances None. Action Agenda 1. August 8, 2023 Minutes. Approval of the August 8, 2023 Mayor’s Youth Commission minutes. Action Agenda Motion and Vote Commissioner Ananditha Sivakumaran moved to approve the August 8, 2023 Mayor’s Youth Commission meeting minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Nivid Singhania. Motion carried unanimously (11-8-0). Briefing 2. Maricopa County Tobacco Prevention Presentation: Shannon Armijo, STAND Coordinator for Maricopa County Public Health, introduces a partnership opportunity to Commissioners. The board of EYL, which stands for empowered youth leaders attend Ironwood high school and are partnered with Maricopa County Public Health. They have worked with many cities to spread awareness about tobacco and e- cigarettes, and explain how dangerous they are. Their overall goal is to limit tobacco in the parks and to get support/give resources to those who are smoking in parks. The reason why vaping is such an important issue to tackle is because vapes are not only harmful to the people who smoke and to the environment, but to others around them, such as children and pets. EYL wants MYC’s support so that more people are educated and are more safe in Chandler. The goal from this collaboration is to increase anti-vaping signage in the community. If people are caught smoking on public property by park rangers they will receive a card with tobacco cessation resources. The City of Phoenix is now tobacco free and the City of Peoria and Glendale is on the way. EYL's goal is to now help the City of Chandler to be involved to achieve this goal. 3. Neighborhood Resources Department Overview: Misty Gustafson, Homeless Programs Supervisor, discusses the homeless outreach programs the city engages in. Chandler Connect is a Homeless Outreach program. There are seven navigators in the city who reach out to individuals experiencing homelessness in Chandler. This program helps people receive support, get social security, build a resume, get actively employed, and find a shelter or housing. The city has multiple housing options such as a non-congregate hotel to help individuals get back on their feet. Some other programs the city offers are the housing stability program that helps people to maintain housing and another that helps people who have gotten out of touch with their family to reconnect with them. The city also helps with case management. Every January, there is a PIT count and they count people who are experiencing homelessness, complete a survey, and give them resources. 4. Government 101 Presentation - Alexis Apodaca, Government Relations Manager Alexis reviews the roles of the City of Chandler and other levels of government with Commissioners. The commissioners talk about the interesting facts about Chandler, such as the approved budget (1.66 billion dollars), 2090 lane miles of streets, 61 municipal buildings, 29000 street lights, and how there are 285078 residents in the City. Chandler is one of the largest cities in the US. The City of Chandler has a Mayor and Council that is elected by the residents. They decide what the city will focus on and create the strategic framework. The City Managers focus on day to day operations. The city has a city charter which is similar to a constitution for the city. The city has many different departments and they are all responsive to the residents of Chandler. The Commissioners each did research on a specific department and shared with the rest of commissioners information such as the objective of each department, what work they do in the City, and how they affect the residents of Chandler. Commissioners learn why local government is important and how as a Commission, they are important to let youth voices be heard. 5. League of Arizona Cities and Towns Conference Recap Commissioners Shripal Dupati, Makenzie Cole, Jackson Heinkel, Ananditha Sivakumaran, and Issac Ong provide an overview of their experience at the League conference. At the conference, they talked about substance use, mental health, sex trafficking, homelessness, invasive species in the state, and more. The commissioners talked with the Mayor and Council and networked with other cities, comparing what each city focuses on. 6. Professional Development Opportunity – City Council Meeting and City Hall Tour, September 18th. Chair Nigam and Alexis discuss the Commission's September professional development opportunity, which is attending a Council meeting. Commissioners will be there for the meeting and will tour the city, as well as represent the Mayor’s Youth Commission at the City Council Meeting. 7. Volunteer Opportunity – Woofstock, November 18th Alexis discusses the Commission's November volunteer opportunity, which is attending Woofstock. This will be the first time the Commissioners will volunteer at this event. This is a fun opportunity where there will be dogs up for adoption, a dog fashion competition, and the Commissioners will be able to spend time with dogs. 8. Icebreaker before Alexis’ presentation The group completes an icebreaker called “three things,” which requires them to break into pairs to find three things in common with each other. The most obscure commonality “wins. ” Member Comments/Announcements Commissioner Ananditha Sivakumaran provided an update to the group on the Commission’s National Youth Council Coalition application. The Commission filled out a form and is waiting for a response. Calendar 9. Mayor's Youth Commission Meeting – Tuesday, October 3rd at 5:00pm at Downtown Chandler Library, Copper Room 10. Council Meeting and City Hall Tour – Monday, September 10th at 5:00pm 11. For Our City Day – Saturday, October 21st 12. Woofstock – Saturday, November 18th Informational Items Adjourn Motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Ananditha Sivakumaran, seconded by Commissioner Issac Ong. The meeting was adjourned at 6:41 p.m. Alexis Apodaca, Secretary Arnav Nigam, Chair