by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
The City of Garretson will be adding two GHS students to its city council roster this fall. On Friday, Kaitlyn Steinhoff and Eliza Potter were announced as the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) representatives.
Both are seniors, are looking forward to the experience, and are "super excited to get started," according to GHS Blue Ink.
Initially proposed by Mayor Bruce Brown at the July meeting, the Youth Advisory Council will be a way for students in the school district to give input on how the city is governed and learn how local governance works.
In the July 2024 council meeting, Mayor Brown proposed that two students be recruited to sit on the council as an advisory committee. He had contacted the school last April to suggest the idea.
"This is a resolution that I'm proposing. I worked with the school, and talked to a number of people about having some students take part from government class, take part in city council meetings."
As the YAC, the students will be able to participate in discussions, give input, bring ideas, and act as student liaisons with their peers. However, they will not be able to vote.
"The motive behind the creation of the council is to give young people in our community a direct voice in shaping decisions that impact them," said Garretson High School Social Studies teacher Reece Moehlenbrink.
While there was some consternation within the initial council discussion as to whether every student who would be interested in the program would be given a fair opportunity to participate, the council ultimately left the administration of the program up to the school.
With that, the school handed the reins over to Moehlenbrink. He introduced the program to the students, and requested that students who were interested sign up. He then let teachers and staff know what the program was and the qualities the council was looking for, and had them fill out a form to vote for their top two choices.
"We’re involving students in brainstorming sessions and encouraging them to share their input on everything from recreational spaces to local events, and even broader community development initiatives," Moehlenbrink said. "The goal is to make sure that our youth in Garretson feel heard and valued, and that their ideas are taken seriously in city planning and development. It’s been really exciting to see how engaged students have been during brainstorming sessions and the creative solutions they come up with for improving our community. The students are really excited about having the opportunity to have this platform for their thoughts and concerns to be heard in our community."
Steinhoff and Potter had their initial meeting last week with Mayor Brown, and will officially be starting at November 4th's regular city council meeting after observing in October.
