Youths Will Get Voice on New Committee

Seeking to give young people a greater voice at City Hall, officials are forming a Youth Advisory Committee.

Eight to 10 commissioners, ages 14 to 18, will be appointed to advise the City Council, Planning and Community Services commissions and other agencies on policy matters that affect teens and young adults.

The council this week unanimously approved a proposal to form the commission and placed Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who developed the idea, in charge.

“One of my goals is to plan what Costa Mesa is going to look like long-term, and the kids should have a say in that,” Cowan said. “It’s going to be their community.”

Since most teens are too young to vote, they are sometimes not considered by policymakers, Cowan said. “It is a forgotten population, and these are the kids who inherit what we do pretty immediately.”

Cowan said the city’s Community Services Department in the next few months will seek qualified applicants by contacting faculties at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools and buying newspaper advertisements. The commission should be formed by June, she said.

“My goal is to get a good cross section from the community,” Cowan said.

After reviewing the applications, the City Council will appoint the youth commissioners.

Irvine and Brea have similar programs, and many Orange County cities appoint high school students to nonvoting positions on their councils.