Time for More Inclusion: Establishing a City Youth Council and Changing of the Day

Dear Editor:

In order to form a more perfect union in our community, we urge the People of Douglas to rally behind two petition drives. It is time to establish a City Youth Council and to change the day of Regular Meetings to the Second Tuesday of every month. When our collective voice becomes reality, these two initiatives will include more of our Citizens in government, foster better community relations, and serve as shining examples to our sister cities.

It is time to establish a City Youth Council that:

* Mirrors the Mayor and Council

* Is presided over by a City Youth President of high school age elected to serve a one year term

* Is comprised of Youth Ward Representatives of high school age elected to serve one year terms

* Establishes standing committees to include our Middle Schoolers

* Meets monthly in venues that can be livestreamed

* Is invited to all public meetings of Mayor and Council

* Has a voice at the Regular Meetings as a part of the agenda

* Recommends resolutions and ordinances to Mayor and Council

* Drafts and submits grants for youth-based programs (e.g. sports leagues)

* Sponsors recurring town halls for Mayor and Council

* Sponsors elections workshops

* Sponsors award and benefit events (e.g. Student/Teacher/First Responder/Service Member of the Quarter and humanitarian/disaster relief projects etc.)

* Serves as ambassadors of our City to media outlets

* Serves as ambassadors to other elected bodies in our state, nation, and world

A City Youth Council will do the above and more with the help of screened adult advisors. It will empower and include our youth. It will educate them in representative government, parliamentary procedures, and our City Charter. It will provide a tremendous mentorship opportunity that will impact and launch our City and youth in ways that cannot yet be imagined.

It is time to change the day of the Regular Meeting to the Second Tuesday night of every month so that:

* more youth and young adults may attend and participate

* more service organizations and non profits may attend and participate

* these organizations may volunteer to serve food and refreshments to City Staff and Mayor and Council who have to skip dinner

By changing the day, we will encourage more awareness of City business by encouraging more attendance. By changing the day, we will open the door to organizations, which are busy serving the community midweek, to have a voice in their community’s business. By changing the day, we will encourage them to serve on committees and even run for elected offices themselves. By changing the day, we will provide an opportunity to foster good relations before executive and regular sessions.

We urge you to sign our petitions when presented them and to voice support for these initiatives to the Mayor, Council, and City Staff when you speak with them. A public Facebook event has been created by our Light the Fire Foundation (www.facebook.com/groups/lightthefirefoundation) where you can learn more and invite your friends to support these initiatives. Additionally, we will provide regular updates and open our chat lines to you on our Voice of Douglas program every Wednesday night at 9PM Mountain Standard Time (www.livestream.com/voiceofdouglas).

Thank you for joining a movement that will realize what so many have called for and dreamed of in the past. Thank you for including more of our community’s Youth and Servants in the governing process of the community they live and serve in. Thank you for shaping a more unified Douglas!

Very Respectfully,

Danny dj and Martha Morales