14 Teens Named to Advise City on Children’s Issues

The City Council has appointed 14 teenagers to its Youth Advisory Committee, a special panel of teens who will make recommendations concerning children.

Those selected represent the city’s four geographical areas and come from both public and private schools.

The 14 committee members were chosen from a pool of 26 applicants, and the remaining 12 are alternates.

“I was very impressed looking through the applications,” said Mayor Peter Buffa.

Members, who are expected to hold monthly meetings beginning in July, range in age from 14 to 18. One of the first issues they are expected to examine is transforming the Costa Mesa High School Farm property into an athletic park.

The advisors do not possess policymaking power but are, like parks and recreation commissioners, called upon to advise the City Council on important issues.

The new commissioners are Griffin Crogan, Laura Cote, Mathew Mueller, Conor Friedersdorf, Myra Dimson, Farshid Kazi, Diana Morelli, Jason Cabico, Kim Daniels, Regan Hanold, Carmen Cardenas, Meera Gumpta, Reuel Prather and William Schwartz.

Alternates are Adriana Diaz, Cara Dixon, Jim Erickson, Andrew Evans, Chris Gravis, Bryan Howard, Patrick Keefer, Evelyn Powers, Jesse Salas, Andrew Sears, Heather Tangen and Matt Wehr.

Terms last one year.

Feeling that the perspective of young people was underrepresented at City Hall, Councilwoman Libby Cowan first presented the idea for a youth commission when she was campaigning for the City Council post she won in November.