On September 10, Fairfield Commissioners held a retreat at the PAL Center from 10 AM to 3 PM. The purpose of the training was to welcome new appointees from the following schools: Armijo, Rodriguez, Fairfield, Vanden, Public Safety Academy, and Grange. The morning started with a Leadership Ice Breaker, and a focus on the mission of the Youth Commission. One goal of the Commission is to improve and increase opportunities for youth. The 2016 Youth Needs Assessment Survey results show that safety is an issue at the high schools and in the downtown area. Youth would like more teen job training programs, and career counseling. Teens also reported that they are not aware of volunteer opportunities, or where to go for more information on volunteering. They said that Fairfield needs more fun events geared specifically towards teens.

After a break for lunch, City of Fairfield Staff Liaison, Ms. Heather, talked about the ethical responsibilities of a Commissioner, and how to follow Robert’s Rules of Order during official meetings. An effective meeting requires an agenda with objectives, along with follow-up meeting minutes that document delegated tasks and assigned deadlines. Based on the 2016 Youth Needs Assessment Survey results, Commissioners formed the following committees:

Violence Prevention: Jack Curry, Alina Chavez, Kiana Sabugo

Brighter Futures – Life after High School: Andrew Zheng, Arsh Sharma, Laura Wadsworth

Communications and Marketing: Jordann Ford, Royce Guo, Arianna Mestas

Fun Events: Aaron Minhas, Simran Kaur, Raven Rainey, Tom Zheng

Each Committee is responsible for preparing a mission statement, with individual goals, and setting up a meeting schedule. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in joining one of the committees, please contact Heather Sanderson at 707-249-1379 or [email protected].