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January 09, 2020

Youth City Council Hosting Inaugural Meeting Tuesday (January 14)

Some of the students who will be participating in the newly-formed Youth City Council; they were on hand during an announcement event recently regarding the formation of the Youth Council. The first meeting will be held in Council Chambers Tuesday (January 14). Some of the students who will be participating in the newly-formed Youth City Council; they were on hand during an announcement event recently regarding the formation of the Youth Council. The first meeting will be held in Council Chambers Tuesday (January 14). City Photo/Darrell Shoemaker

YOUTH CITY COUNCIL HOSTING

INAUGURAL MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT

City Hall event will include swearing in of members;

Also election of officers, community social, formation of bylaws

RAPID CITY, SD--The inaugural meeting and community celebration of the Rapid City Youth City Council is scheduled for next Tuesday (January 14) from 6-8 p.m. at City Council Chambers, City Hall, 300 Sixth Street.

            The event will begin with a community social from 6-6:30 p.m. followed by the first meeting of the Youth Council beginning at 6:30 p.m., which will include the swearing in of 18 Youth Council members, election of officers and deliberation on a number of agenda items. The 18 members are serving one to two-year terms on the youth council.

            The formation of the Rapid City Youth City Council was approved by the Rapid City Common Council at its December 2 meeting.  City youth leaders approached Mayor Steve Allender in mid-September about the possibility and worked with staff of the Rapid City Area Schools to formalize a proposal to establish the Youth City Council.  As part of the resolution, the youth council would meet one Tuesday each month in City Council Chambers and would address issues relevant to youth in the community.  A Rapid City Council member, Lance Lehmann, has agreed to serve as a non-voting liaison to the group.

            Lehmann, along with City Council President Laura Armstrong and City Finance Officer Pauline Sumption will represent the City at Tuesday's meeting.  As with the Rapid City Council meetings, the Youth Council meeting will open with roll call and determination of quorum, the Pledge of Allegiance and the oath of office to be administered by Sumption.  Election of Youth Council officers, adoption of bylaws and establishing a calendar of meetings are among the business items.

            "The Youth City Council will help stimulate interest among youth in our community and in city government," Mayor Steve Allender said. "These young people are our future leaders of our community and why not introduce them to the tools of the government process and have them use those tools to consider issues that are important to them and learning the importance of civic engagement and community service."

                The Rapid City Youth City Council will advise the Common Council on issues related to youth, promote civic engagement among youth and require at least one member to attend City Council meetings to monitor or relay information back to the youth committee group.

            Rapid City Teen Up Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Rapid City Area Schools, Kristin Kiner, says youth leaders are excited about the Youth City Council.

            "We are excited about creating this platform for students to share their voice, develop leadership skills and serve their community," said Kiner.  "The Rapid City Youth Council will be mutually beneficial to the students and our community."

            The Youth Council is comprised of members in the 9th-12 grade and between the ages of 14 and 18.  Members to be sworn in for one-year terms on the youth council will be Hannah Churchill, Sadie Colbeck, Hunter Herzog, Rebecca Huang, Kwynn Morsching and Kaitlynn Wellman.  Serving two-year terms on the council will be Jordyn Kokesh, Rylan Barnett, Grace Bradley, Grace Dodds, Kiran Kelly, Jocelyn Konechne, Victoria Lujan, Raleigh Lunderman, Peyton Swallow, Charlie Swann, Tuswega Taoniye L. Mendoza, and Elizabeth Wright.

            For more information, contact Kristin Kiner at 310-4400.

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Thank you,

Darrell W. Shoemaker | Communications Coordinator

T: 605.721.6686 | M: 605.939.8551

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W: www.rcgov.org

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