FORT PIERCE YOUTH COUNCIL
MEETING MINUTES
MEETING MINUTES
Fort Pierce Youth Council - Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 4:00 p.m.City Hall - 2nd Floor Conference Room, 100 North U.S. #1, Fort Pierce, Florida
1.
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Iyonee Allen called the meeting to order at 4:13 pm.
2.
ROLL CALL
3.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a.
Approval of Minutes from February 15, 2024 Meeting
Motion was made by Vice Chair Tyanna Gore, seconded by Janessa Diaz to approve the minutes of the February 15, 2024 meeting.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
b.
Approval of Minutes from February 29, 2024 Special Meeting
Motion was made by Vice Chair Tyanna Gore, seconded by Janessa Diaz to approve the minutes of the February 29, 2024 meeting.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
c.
Approval of Minutes from March 7, 2024 Special Meeting
Motion was made by Vice Chair Tyanna Gore, seconded by Janessa Diaz to approve the minutes of the March 7, 2024 meeting.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
4.
ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion was made by Vice Chair Tyanna Gore, seconded by Tenelia Garner to approve the agenda as set.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
5.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this Agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to no more than five (5) minutes, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The Youth Advisory Committee will not be able to take any official action under “Comments from the Public” section.
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this Agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to no more than five (5) minutes, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The Youth Advisory Committee will not be able to take any official action under “Comments from the Public” section.
Susan Parry requested an update of the Empower Youth! Day of Giving event.
6.
OLD BUSINESS
a.
City of Fort Pierce Presentation
The members discussed scheduling their presentations for two events before the Commission. They identified the last meeting in May as the deadline. With the date for the presentation now set, responsibilities were assigned. Additional discussion regarding the content and materials for the presentation followed. The members focused on coordinating their efforts, sharing photos for the presentation slides, and finalizing their scripts. Clarifications were made regarding who would be handling which presentation, ensuring that everyone would be prepared for the upcoming meeting.
b.
Community Service Award Submission
As an update, Ms. Moore informed the members that the Community Service Award submission had been sent to the Florida League of Cities. The submission is currently under review, with the outcome expected in May.
c.
Youth Award Recognition Program
Ms. Moore directed the members' attention to the folders containing three nominations, explaining that three others were disqualified for not meeting jurisdiction requirements. She asked the members to review the nominations and informed them that they would soon receive a form to score them. Ms. Moore emphasized the importance of confidentiality during the process, and they would reconvene in May to discuss the scores and recommend winners to the Commission.
7.
NEW BUSINESS
a.
Annual Open Government Training
Fort Pierce City Attorney Sarah Hedges discussed open government laws, focusing on the Sunshine Law, during her presentation. She emphasized the importance of adhering to this law, which required board discussions to be held in open meetings. Ms. Hedges highlighted the consequences of violating the Sunshine Law, ranging from fines to potential jail time, citing an example of severe violations in Sebastian. She stressed the need for board members to conduct all discussions within official meetings to avoid legal repercussions.
Ms. Hedges also covered public records laws, explaining that these laws granted public access to records upon request unless exempt or confidential. She emphasized the importance of preserving records, even personal communications related to city business, and advised board members to maintain records diligently. Regarding conflicts of interest, Ms. Hedges highlighted the importance of transparency and abstention from voting when conflicts arise. She recommended disclosing conflicts and filing necessary forms, as well as seeking legal advice when needed.
Overall, Ms. Hedges underscored the City Attorney's role in advising on matters that protected the city's interests and encouraged board members to seek legal advice for personal matters, providing resources for further exploration of ethics and legal guidelines.
Ms. Hedges also covered public records laws, explaining that these laws granted public access to records upon request unless exempt or confidential. She emphasized the importance of preserving records, even personal communications related to city business, and advised board members to maintain records diligently. Regarding conflicts of interest, Ms. Hedges highlighted the importance of transparency and abstention from voting when conflicts arise. She recommended disclosing conflicts and filing necessary forms, as well as seeking legal advice when needed.
Overall, Ms. Hedges underscored the City Attorney's role in advising on matters that protected the city's interests and encouraged board members to seek legal advice for personal matters, providing resources for further exploration of ethics and legal guidelines.
b.
EMPOWER YOUTH! Day of Giving Debrief
Chairperson Iyonee Allen transitioned the discussion to the Empower Youth! project, expressing satisfaction with the outcome. Ms. Moore acknowledged the hard work of the participants and provided details about the cleanup efforts at various locations. She commended the groups for their dedication and mentioned the nomination for a Community Service award. Ms. Moore encouraged the board members to start planning future projects and acknowledged Janessa Diaz for recruiting the most volunteers. The Youth Council applauded Janessa's achievement. Ms. Moore reflected on the positive aspects of the project, including community engagement and interaction among the participants. She concluded by urging the members to consider their future impact on the community.
c.
May Meeting
Ms. Moore mentioned that the May meeting would be the last one of the year and outlined the agenda, including reviewing the presentations for the Commission and acknowledging the members who would be leaving. A member suggested doing something for the members who would be leaving. Ms. Moore clarified that they would likely bring the departing members before the Commission in June to acknowledge their service. The members expressed their willingness to organize something for the departing members.
8.
COMMITTEE AND STAFF COMMENTS
City Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson requested permission to speak as a Staff member under Staff Comments. He expressed his excitement about participating and learning from the Youth Council members about their activities and contributions to the community. He shared ideas about engaging with the student government associations (SGAs) from local high schools as a valuable resource for generating ideas and fostering community engagement. Commissioner Johnson emphasized the importance of branching out from the school level to engage with local government and suggested reaching out to SGAs for collaboration. Mr. Bradley, the SGA coordinator, echoed Commissioner Johnson's sentiments, highlighting the potential for increased engagement and involvement by connecting with SGAs and expanding outreach efforts. Commissioner Johnson underscored the importance of being the voice of the people as a Commissioner and encouraged the Youth Council to continue their efforts and expand their impact. He also hinted at sharing insights about navigating social media in the public and private spheres in future interactions.
9.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion made by Vice Chair Tyanna Gore, seconded by Janessa Diaz to adjourn the meeting.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
All members were in favor. Motion passed.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 286.26, Florida Statutes, persons with disabilities needing special accommodation to participate in this meeting should contact the City Clerk’s Office at (772) 467-3065 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.