2019-06-12 Youth Commission MinutesPage 1.1.1
Youth Commission Meeting Minutes 6/12/2019
Commission Members Present: Commission Members Absent:
Alissa Berman Caroline Wills
Caitlin Chung Treasurer Cole Albaugh
Nathanael Perdomo Emily Sanger
Owen Lee Secretary Kaleb Nichols Co -Chairman
Stephany Janssen Chairman Noah Erickson
Sydney Pearson
Staff Present:
MrSTIN
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Stephany Janssen called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm in the Red Twig Coffee
Shop.
II. DISCUSSION OF EDMONDS CURRENT EVENTS
- The commission spent ten minutes looking through My Edmonds News to find relevant
current events to discuss
- Crowd at Edmonds Library For Housing Discussion
- More than 200 people in plaza room
- Many speakers and personal accounts
- Shows it's an important issue to the community
- Youth probably also care
- Not a lot of support for people who are homeless, Edmonds growing more
expensive
- Hate Crime in Edmonds
- Guy from Fiji with convenience store
- "Financially and emotionally devastated"
- Police are investigating
- Shows there is still hate in the community, which the commission knows is
important to address
- Guy Opposing Connector Between Sunset Ave. and Brackett's Landing
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Emergency pathway proposed
Expensive
Ugly
Disrupt wildlife
Should Dogs Be Allowed in Edmonds Parks?
- Many rules considered about feeding wildlife, drug use, changing park hours,
clarifying rules about allowance of motor vehicles
- Update Responses to Oil Spills From Trains
- Oil spills are extremely harmful
- Want to update requirements to improve the ability to rescue/rehabilitate
affected wildlife
- Small trains are more likely to spill, want to prevent them from carrying crude oil
Diversity Commission Doing Storytelling Project
- Submit stories about how diversity makes the community stronger
- Show diversity in the community
- The commission could gather more youth opinions/stories about any issues that
impact them and find ways to fix problems/spread stories
For the Waterfront Connector, Inaccuracies were Found
- The city doesn't have enough money to build the connector if the city doesn't
get federal money
What It Takes To Make Edmonds Beautiful
- Flower baskets around Edmonds are pretty and distinctive
- It takes a huge amount of volunteer time
III. COMMISSION STATEMENTS DISCUSSION
Statements:
- Are based in fact
- Don't express political opinions
- Talk about Commission as a whole
Statements:
"The Edmonds Youth Commission wishes to speak on one of the most important issues
in our city today: the conservation of the Edmonds City Marsh. The Edmonds Marsh is
an important watershed for insect life, birds, marsh -dwelling flora, and salmon, which
are not only iconic in our area but important for the conservation of, in particular, orca
populations. In response to recent developments, the Youth Commission would like to
express its agreement with the budget proposed by the City Council. The budget
proposed by the Council matches the priorities of Edmonds youth, who consider the
Puget Sound of utmost importance. The Youth Commission's work plan will focus
further on the marsh and Puget Sound in the future, and we urge our youth to assist in
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events relating to the conservation of the marsh. By working together as the youth, we
can strengthen our voice to make a difference in our community."
"The Edmonds Youth Commission stands for the youth and advocates for their success.
Therefore, it is our responsibility to speak about the lack of affordable housing in
Edmonds and the detrimental effect that has on the youth of Edmonds. Countless
studies have demonstrated the correlation between students' success in school and
later in life with a stable housing situation. The struggles in Edmonds with affordable
housing impact families and youth. As a commission we believe that the City of
Edmonds should take steps to provide affordable housing to all in order to benefit the
youth."
"The Edmonds Youth Commission would like to remind all that the Edmonds Arts
Festival is this coming weekend, starting Friday, June 14, and ending Sunday, June 16. It
is a great way to get involved in the arts of the community and a way for youth to
express themselves and even potentially connect with people of other generations."
"The Edmonds youth commission believes that the Edmonds bridge connector would be
an expensive building that would take away from natural wildlife in the area and
obstruct views of the ocean from above. Construction would take a relatively long time
to build and cause damage to nearby trees and plants."
"The Edmonds Youth Commission wishes to express great gratitude to the class of 2019.
Most graduates have lived in Edmonds for their 18 years of life. We congratulate the
class of 2019 and remind them that their last day of school is Thursday, June 13th. The
Edmonds School District is reminding students that they can buy back their
Chromebooks for $20! The Edmonds School District point in this is to promote the
senior's futures. The Youth Commission supports this action of the Edmonds School
District because it helps lower the cost and stress for lower -income students that
struggle with money. Since most college students need a computer for college. This is a
low-cost solution to many Edmonds School District low-income students going into high
school."
IV. QUARTERLY YOUTH FORUM TOPICS
- Issues:
- Mental Illness (including social anxiety); Alissa Berman
- Unhealthy School Environment
- Depression
- Social Anxiety
- Lack of Support in Schools
- De -stigmatizing Mental Illness
- Non -judgemental discussions in school
- More support from counselors and teachers
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Sexual Harassment; Caitlin Chung
- Addressing and Being Aware of Sexual Harassment in Schools and
Community
- Being Aware of Signs of Sexual Harassment
- Resources and Support
Homelessness; Owen Lee
- Comparing Seattle to Other Cities
- Youth Homelessness
- Why Homelessness is on the Rise
- What People Are Doing
General Puget Sound Environment (Orcas, Marsh, etc.)
- Affordable Housing
Violence Prevention
Diversifying Edmonds and schools
Social Media; Sydney Pearson
- Addiction in Regards to Phones
- Cyberbullying
- Effects on Mental Health
- Culture/Pressures
- Using Social Media for Good
Transportation Lines?
Hate (Crime) in Edmonds; Nathanael Perdomo
- Washington State Hate Crime Laws and Guidelines
- How to Define Hate Crime
- How to Target Hate Crime Without Infringing On Free Speech
- Why Hate Crime Is a Touchy Subject
- Plans to Reduce Hate Crime
V. ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Stephany Janssen adjourned the meeting at 7:28 pm.