26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 16-22, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com in city matters is a win-win. She sees the Soledad Youth Council as a local pipeline for potential government workers. “I see the challenges that we have, sometimes hiring people locally, and [bringing in] people who better reflect the community that we serve,” she says. Soledad has implemented a summer internship program hiring six to eight interns, mostly high school students, to work on projects with departments including IT, public works and communications. Hunter has experience in planning the future makeup of a city. Before joining Soledad, she was the director of Salinas’ Community Development Department, where she worked on projects that will come to fruition 10 or 20 years from now and will impact things like traffic, housing production and commercial areas. “In 20 years, they’ll be 38,” Hunters points out. “These are obviously going to be the key residents, the key demographic at the time that these plans are sunsetting.” One reason Salinas Valley cities are seeking youth involvement is demographics. According to the U.S. Census, 30 percent of the population in Gonzales is under 18; in Greenfield, it’s 36 percent; in Soledad, it’s 23 percent; in King City, 36 percent; and in Salinas, 31 percent. (That’s higher than Monterey Peninsula cities, as compared to 16 percent of the population in Monterey, 18 percent in Carmel, 19 percent in Pacific Grove, and 21 percent in Marina.) “More towns should have a youth council because the future of the cities is with the youth,” Negrette says. Without including voices from residents under 18, “It’s not the full representation of the city itself.” Not every jurisdiction has embraced the idea of formalizing a youth council. One thwarted effort came from the Monterey County Gang Violence Prevention Initiative, when staff were trying to address underlying issues related to violence: things like homelessness, continuity of services for youth in foster care, mental health services, immigration status, poverty, gang and drug activity. Rosemary Soto, then the manager for the violence prevention initiative, and Jessica Perez, a CSU Monterey Bay student, were part of a team that was looking for solutions in 2013. They came across Watsonville’s Teen Action Council and liked the model; they proposed tailoring it to a county structure. “We really felt what would have been impactful here was to develop a youth council or commission,” Soto says. The team’s proposal was to provide a platform for teens from different backgrounds—including lived experience with various risk factors—to participate in local government and advocate for change in their communities. Soto was working in violence prevention and she knows firsthand that teens with behavioral issues, and those who are in the justice system, don’t have the same access to get involved and participate in school and their community as their peers. “Youth who are experiencing those challenges are not always presented with those opportunities,” Soto notes. She believes that giving leadership opportunities to teens with challenges could be life-changing: “It could really set them on a path that they probably never would have imagined or even thought of,” she says. Plus, their own experiences could bring a different light to the issues. “I’ve always believed that those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution,” Soto says. “It was a key opportunity for bringing in community voices that were going to also impact systems change.” Soto and former assistant County Administrative Officer Manny González say the county wasn’t prepared for this project back then— including a request for ongoing funding—and the concept failed to gain approval from an initial advisory board. “It was a good idea that got squashed quite early,” Soto remembers. “We never really got the chance to present it formally,” González adds. There are other county government programs for youth. During the summer, supervisors Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez offer the Young Supervisors Program. Participants learn leadership skills, collaboration and problem solving. They also learn about community engagement with local government and higher education institutions. Soto has followed the rise of local youth councils in Gonzales and Soledad. “I’m very, very proud of the success that they’ve seen,” she says. “Many of the youth that have been a part of it have gone on to college and come back and now serve in their community in different ways.” “I don’t think there was ever a question whether I wanted to come back home and serve my community,” says former SYC member AguilarCastañeda, who attended UC Berkeley and now lives in Soledad, her hometown, where she is still amplifying young voices. She has worked with nonprofit Partners for Peace to launch a pilot mentoring program in Soledad. She’s also hoping to help bring a Youth Commission to Greenfield. The impact that youth councils have had on local cities can be seen in different areas. It’s as simple as having free Wi-Fi at a local park, or hidden inside municipal code and ordinances on issues like underage drinking and flavored tobacco. “When we talk about the future of our communities, we really need to engage our youth because, after all, they are the future,” says Orozco, the former Gonzales mayor. Even more than specific achievements, youth councils give teens an opportunity to share the same space with adult stakeholders and city officials. “We’re sitting right next to the board members. We’re not just in the audience,” Negrette points out. Perhaps the biggest change is for young participants, who say they now see their hometowns as places they can return to instead of escape from. Cesar Quintero Jr., a senior at Soledad High School and ASB president, says serving on Soledad Youth Council helped him see Soledad through a different lens. Before, he was counting down the time to leave the city where he grew up. Now, he thinks: “This town has so much potential, and we can help change it.” Quintero’s goal is to study liberal arts and become a high school history teacher. And returning to Soledad is in his plans. He says he plans to apply what he’s learned in the future. “I would like to run for council when the time’s right,” he says. “I would like to see a new and younger face at the council.” Above left: Aliyah Castillo recieves a diploma recognizing her work with the Gonzales Youth Council during the 2022-2023 school year. Right: Castillo makes a point during a Youth Council meeting. “In 20 years, they’ll be 38. These are obviously going to be the key residents.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
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