City of Baltimore - File #: 14-0169R

• File #: 14-0169R
• Version: 0
• Name: Giving Youth a Voice in Community Decisions
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 4/7/2014
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 3/23/2015
• Title: Giving Youth a Voice in Community Decisions FOR the purpose of calling on all neighborhood community associations to make a greater effort to involve young people in their discussions by including at least one youth representative on their executive boards.
• Sponsors: Brandon M. Scott, President Young, Helen L. Holton, James B. Kraft, Carl Stokes, Nick Mosby, Sharon Green Middleton, Warren Branch, Bill Henry, Mary Pat Clarke, Edward Reisinger, Robert Curran, William H. Cole, IV, Rochelle Spector, William "Pete" Welch
• Indexes: Resolution

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
3/23/2015	0	City Council	Adopted
3/23/2015	0	Education and Youth Committee	Recommended Favorably with Amendment	Pass
3/19/2015	0	Education and Youth Committee	Recommended Favorably with Amendment	Pass
10/6/2014	0	Education and Youth Committee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing
4/10/2014	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
4/7/2014	0	City Council	Introduced
4/7/2014	0	City Council	Assigned

* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*

CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)

Introduced by: Councilmember Scott



A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Giving Youth a Voice in Community Decisions
FOR the purpose of calling on all neighborhood community associations to make a greater effort to involve young people in their discussions by including at least one youth representative on their executive boards.
body

Recitals

Baltimore’s many community associations play an important role in organizing neighborhoods and providing a forum where residents can reach a consensus on the issues most relevant to their part of the city. Input from these associations is extremely important to officials throughout City government who must make decisions that will impact neighborhoods for years to come.

Community associations are most successful when they reflect the entirety of their neighborhoods in all their diversity and give everyone a voice. And yet, many community associations have no formal way for young people to participate in their discussions. In fact, many associations specifically exclude minors from membership in their bylaws and make no effort to offer an alternative way for them to be heard.

The absence of youth voices in community association deliberations is especially troubling because many times these associations are tasked with debating issues that will specifically impact young people. Even when a discussion doesn’t touch on youth-specific issues, decisions about long ...