City Council Meeting Date: May 20, 2025
To: City Council
City Administrator
From: Mayor Erica Zweifel
Title
Consider Approval of Mayoral Board/Commission Youth Appointments.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the Mayoral board/commission youth appointments as indicated below:
Arts and Culture Commission
Emerson Carlson (c) - voting youth representative
Sam Froehle - non-voting youth representative
Khyla Thieling (c) - non-voting youth representative
Quinn Weitz - non-voting youth representative
Economic Development Authority
Owen Jacobi - non-voting youth representative
Pablo Torres Bermudez - non-voting youth representative
Environmental Quality Commission
Ava Podracky (c) -voting youth representative
Alex Halverson - non-voting youth representative
Heritage Preservation Commission
Teagan Noetzel - voting youth representative
Astrid White - non-voting youth representative
Housing & Redevelopment Authority
Abby Kauffeld - non-voting youth representative
Kaylee Swanson - non-voting youth representative
Human Rights Commission
Mae Berglund - non-voting youth representative
Xiomara Conde Arenas (c) - voting youth representative
Dean Kvestad - non-voting youth representative
Aya Haider - non-voting youth representative
Library Board
Tara Alaniz (c) -non-voting youth representative
Cedric Cusack (c) - non-voting youth representative
Alaia Douah - non-voting youth representative
Mayor’s Youth Council (all voting members)
Ian Bartlett
Evie Bauer (c)
Megan Cina
Alex Fortner
Aurelia Graves
Aksel Johnson
Ian Johnson
Nicholas Livingston (c)
Greta Marohl
Elizabeth McCormick (c)
Josephine Mewes
Charles Murphy (c)
Osiris Perez Dorantes (c)
Sonya Pick (c)
Alex Salinas (c)
Gwen Tapper
Martin Waddell (c)
McCoy Weitz (c)
Northfield Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention
Lindsey Clark - voting youth representative
Michaela Gummow - voting youth representative
Mya Haak (c) - voting youth representative
Henry Keane (c) - voting youth representative
Park and Recreation Advisory Board
Isaac Rich (c) - voting youth representative
Luken Weitz - non-voting youth representative
Planning Commission
Apollo Holmen - non-voting youth representative
Abby Pape - non-voting youth representative
(c) = returning member
Summary Report:
The City Council is being asked to approve the youth appointments as noted above. The MYC and youth appointees to boards and commissions act in an advisory capacity to the boards, commissions and City Council for the purposes of advising these groups on perspectives and issues important to Northfield youth in order to assure a youth voice in civic affairs, and working with community partners and other youth initiatives to help design and recommend solutions and options to address opportunities and areas of concern in the Northfield community. Youth members are appointed/reappointed annually. Applications to serve on the MYC, boards and
commissions are completed and submitted to the Adult Advisor, Martha Lundin. The applications are assembled and reviewed by the Adult Advisor and current members of the Youth on Boards program (as they are able). Recommendations for appointments to fill vacant or expired positions are made to the Mayor based on the review and the desire to create a MYC, and appointees to boards and commissions, that are gender, ethnic and age diverse. Members shall thereafter be appointed by the Mayor, with the approval of the City Council.
In addition to the youth that will serve on City Boards and Commissions during the 2025-26 school year, there are currently 53 additional youth serving on further Boards or Councils within the community that are part of the Youth on Boards program. These include the District Youth Council and the Community Education Advisory Board, both part of the Northfield Public Schools system, and 15 local non-profit Boards (Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, League of Women Voters, Clean River Partners, Northfield Area Family YMCA, Northfield Arts Guild, Healthy Community Initiative, Northfield Historical Society, Northfield Shares, Northfield Youth Choirs, Rice County Area United Way, Friends of Downtown Northfield, Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library, Northfield Chamber of Commerce, Northfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and Women in Northfield Giving Support (WINGS)).
The Youth on Boards program is funded collaboratively between the City of Northfield, Youthprise and Healthy Community Initiative, with strong support from the Northfield School District.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
To allow for time for orientation, new youth members will not start their terms until September 2025, although they are welcome to attend meetings as their schedules allow.