Youth in Government

Training the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

By Baraka Noel

Mark Hagler has resigned from the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council, following a notice to vacate the seat after three consecutive absences. Another seat, belonging to Karina Rettig, is being held for 30 days pending response to a similar notice.

Barbara St. John of the Central council has suggested the possibility of adding a youth seat.

Doug Epperhart, Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council president, spoke about his experience with the Coastal Neighborhood Council and his thoughts about having youth representatives on the board. “Coastal’s never had a youth rep,” he explained. In fact, “the only council I think in the whole Harbor Area that’s ever had one is Northwest and they’ve had one I think almost from the beginning.”

Eighteen-year-old Adrian Fernandez expressed an eagerness to run for the neighborhood council.

The San Pedro High student spoke with enthusiasm at October’s Central Neighborhood Council meeting and took some time to share his thoughts in a conversation downtown just before Halloween.

“I was doing a government project and after the meeting was over I needed to get the paper signed,” he recalled. “That’s when I ran into Barbara St. John.” The councilwoman “happened to be the chair of the outreach committee. So she invited me to the outreach committee” in October. Adrian “had an idea planned, a job fair for people in the community. And she was one hundred percent on board with that, and it’s kind of taken off from there.”

He told me about his roots in town. “I go to San Pedro High. That’s in the district.” The high school senior communicated thoughtfully, with jovial confidence. “My dad lives in the district” and “so, I do have that kind of connection to Central San Pedro. And I thought that that would be another good opportunity for me; to make some type of change, make some voices heard.”

The aspiring council member talked about local leaders he admires. “Mr. Crowley. He is my journalism teacher” and “what he’s done with LGBTQ students” seems to have left a strong impact. “He’s been the advisor for Pride Club at San Pedro High for the last 20 years now,” with a reputation for manifesting “a safe space for students.” Known as “a very chill guy, you know … he’s someone where it’s like — I can say” some incredibly “personal things too, and he’d understand or we can have a little laugh here and there.”

Adrian expounded on the strengths of San Pedro: “How connected members are of the community … you walk around and you know someone because you’ve worked with them or you went to school with them at San Pedro High.” A town of “very supportive people.” Adrian spoke with pride, “A lot of small businesses are very famous here.”

The teen continued passionately. “People are not really getting out there as much and really looking around at what’s going on in our community.” He expressed concerns that youth “don’t really go out as much, or they’re really disconnected. We’ve had a drop in grades at San Pedro High.”

Still, Fernandez expressed hope and gratitude for the reopening of Channel Street Park. “Bringing a skate park back, where everyone can connect. I think that was such a great thing and very admirable.”

He theorized on how to raise youth civic engagement. “It’s a very small group of people, too, who care.” Briefly interrupted by a parade of costumed children, Adrian went on; citing a need for events to “really bring each other together.”

“More involvement of our members should kind of lead a way towards community engagement,” the young man advised. “Little events like food distribution, or job fair;” and “movie events” to celebrate the town’s diverse heritage with cultural touchstones. “I believe those would be great ideas. But common, every month or so. Not just — oh — here and there, I think. If we have a consistent touch on a consistent base of our members, I believe it can go a long way.”

He bid me farewell with a smile. “We should have more representation.”

Councilwoman Barbara St. John of the Central Neighborhood Board offered a statement on the subject.

“I think that it would help our board tremendously to have more voice from the youth in our community and we do have two high schools in our boundaries, along with Dana Middle School and two Boys and Girls clubs. I think we should definitely reach out more to get input and collaborations from them!”

Epperhart expressed mild reservations.

“If a person is going to come and serve on a neighborhood council board, they should be a full voting member,” Epperhart said. Unfortunately — because they’re under 18 — youth reps can’t vote on anything involving money. They can vote on other things.

“The other thing is, I feel that people serving on boards should be elected,” Epperhart said. But “the way the city wants youth reps set up is you appoint them, they don’t have full voting rights. There is an age limitation, which I find a little bit problematic because what’s the difference between a high school senior who’s 17 and a high school senior who’s 18, for instance? I mean you literally have a situation in which — and in fact Northwest had this — where they had a youth rep and the kid turned 18 … they had to be taken off the council. I mean, okay, that’s stupid.”

In Mr. Epperhart’s opinion, there is more value to the public in participation on individual committees — which are open to everyone in the community. “The work is done in committees.” Anyone can join. “All they have to do is go to the website, show up at a meeting, and say I want to get involved.”

More information is available at CSPNC.org.

He emphasized that “everybody’s opinion is valuable,” adding; “it’s real simple. Go to the website” and “Right now we have a vacancy because one of our board members just went to work for Tim McOsker. You can go to the website and apply … for the vacancy on the board. Just fill out the form. And, you know, I think we’re going to do the appointment … in the December meeting because the deadline — I think — we put for applying to the vacancy is Dec. 11 … I’ve already got one person who’s interested.”

The councilman continued, “What the neighborhood council is — more than anything else — is the open door to city government. Not that anybody in their right mind would want to walk through it.”

That said, “I wish everybody in the city would come and spend even six months serving on a neighborhood council. We might actually make a change in this city. But most people don’t. They’ve got lives to lead. They don’t have time for this. I don’t blame them. Believe me, if I was a high school student, I would have no interest in neighborhood council.”

Thomas Norman is the current Northwest president. His son Ben Norman has been appointed as youth rep to the current NW council. According to Norman senior:

“As I had a conflict I was not involved in the process when it involved my son. However, I am very proud of NW for providing this position and recommend each Neighborhood Council consider creating this position. At Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council the youth rep serves on Youth and Outreach Committee and one or two other committees. Their views are very valuable.”