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HomeMy WebLinkAboutYouth Commission Minutes 060922 City Hall 55 W. Tompkins Street Galesburg, IL 61401 309-343-4181 www.ci.galesburg.il.us Youth Commission Minutes, May 12, 2022 City Hall, Galesburg, IL Meeting Called to Order: Precious Dortch and Joy Basosa-Nzumba called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. Attendance: Members Present: Joy Basosa-Nzumba, Eciel Burns, Precious Dortch, Mia Haneghan, Chantiara Jackson, Brother Shabazz, Courtney Wallace, Zakary Warfield City of Galesburg: Elizabeth Varner, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation Jackie Smith -Esters, City Council Member Absent: Deion Crider, Paula Johnson, Jennifer Foubert Guests: Anthony Law Minutes: Minutes from May 12, 2022 meeting were approved, with motions from Mia Haneghan and Eciel Burns. Parks & Recreation Report: Interim Director of Parks and Recreation, Elizabeth Varner, provided a report of various programs offered by the City of Galesburg Parks and Recreation. This past week there was a Teen Swim Night at Lakeside Water Park with 66 participants. She explained this is great, especially since it was the first one. There will be another one in July. Additional programs for teens included tennis, G-Force volleyball, softball league, pickleball, kickball, disc golf, swim lessons, lifeguard training, kayak club, e-sports, and craft classes such as macrame. Elizabeth also emphasized many FREE and LOW COST programs, such as, the fishing derby and touch a truck held in May, Jr. lifeguard training in July, nature program, mobile playground, nature in your neighborhood, drop in sand volleyball, and swimming at the beach. The Mobile Playground and Nature in the Neighborhood are unique in that these programs are free and will move all around Galesburg throughout the summer. The Mobile Playground will be at HT Custer on June 11th and Lombard on June 21st. Everyone was encouraged to attend the FREE Family Movie Night at Lake Storey Park on Friday, July 8, 2022, showing Disney Encanto on a big inflatable screen. The Mobile Playground will be there, as well as FREE popcorn, thanks to our sponsor, IHMVCU. There was a great deal of discussion regarding the many program offerings by the City of Galesburg. The Youth Commissioners then suggested having a Babysitting class, which would also cover First Aid and CPR. They would like additional days for the Fishing Derby. There is interest in the Junior Lifeguard program and the Movie City Hall 55 W. Tompkins Street Galesburg, IL 61401 309-343-4181 www.ci.galesburg.il.us Night. Elizabeth will send out the information for these two programs. Mr. Anthony Law and Brother Shabazz expressed interest in more FREE programs and transportation. Council Member, Jackie Smith-Esters suggested that the Youth Commissioners could potentially seek out assistance for transportation. Elizabeth also explained that as Youth Commissioners, they can make a difference in many ways and should realize they are an example of leadership for others and need to keep that in mind. Jackie provided additional examples. Old Business: Open Meeting Act Training- Youth Commissioners participated in an Open Meeting Act Training for the Youth Commission, which started at 3:00 p.m. There was almost 100% participation. College Visits: Elizabeth reported she contacted Mr. Anthony Law, who helped establish contact with Ms. Zoe Kudla-Polay, for a visit to CSC. Elizabeth had a flyer for the Youth Commissioners to review. She stated that the City of Galesburg could handle the registration, with a maximum of 30 enrolled, as agreed. It was suggested to add a QR code to the flyer for registering. Elizabeth explained the time frame was changed to assist with the CSC schedule. Other suggestions were to include a line stating a support person could attend with the student, add that accessibility accommodations are available and have a few questions added to registration. The questions would ask what areas interested the student and if they had an accessibility issue. Elizabeth will have the flyer updated. Youth Commissioners plan to share this information on social media while the Interim Director of Parks and Recreation will prepare a press release. Youth Commissioners signed up for the college visit day and time. They agreed to assist with checking in the youth as they arrive. 10:00 a.m.-Noon – Zakary Warfield, Precious Dortch 1-3:00 p.m. – Chantiara Jackson, Eciel Burns, Courtney Wallace Mia Haneghan plans to attend, but will let us know if she is coming for the morning or afternoon. Brother Shabazz will be available to assist as well. Youth Surveys Precious Dortch reported youth surveys were not finished or completed in the schools. Adopt A Park / Clean Up: The Youth Commission is still planning to meet at Lombard Park on Tuesday, June 21 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. to clean up the playground area. Commissioners are encouraged to bring family and friends to assist. Elizabeth stated that the City of Galesburg will provide gloves and bags for everyone to use while City Hall 55 W. Tompkins Street Galesburg, IL 61401 309-343-4181 www.ci.galesburg.il.us picking up trash/debris. These will be checked out and returned to the Mobile Playground, which will also be on site. Clean up Sign to Work: Yes—Zakary, Mia, Precious, Eciel, Courtney, and Brother Shabazz Chantiara and Joy will let Elizabeth know if they can attend. Election Opportunity: City Council Member, Jackie Smith-Esters, has talked to the Director of Elections, Lisa Watson, and will arrange for her to be a guest speaker at the September meeting to provide a 10-minute presentation. There was discussion on voter suppression and NAACP voting. Jackie gave an example that the Youth Commission could decide where to put voting sites. Youth Commissioners are interested in more guest speakers. New Business: There was no new business. Youth Commission Reminders Youth Commissioners were reminded to check their emails for meeting reminders and activity updates. Zakary Warfield will provide the Youth Commission report at the next City Council meeting. Brother Shabazz will help him prepare a report for the meeting. Elizabeth will ensure that a Youth Commission report is added to the agenda. Next Meeting: Thursday, July 14, 2022 _____________________________________________ Interim Director of Parks & Recreation, Elizabeth Varner City Hall 55 W. Tompkins Street Galesburg, IL 61401 309-343-4181 www.ci.galesburg.il.us