City of Goleta Looking for Two Outstanding Youth to Fill Openings on the Public Engagement and Parks and Recreation Commissions
Applications Due by July 23rd
GOLETA, CA, July 14, 2021 – The City of Goleta has a special opportunity for two local youth to get great experience and community service hours by serving on one of two City Commissions. The City is accepting applications for one Youth representative opening on the Public Engagement Commission and one Student representative position on the Parks and Recreation Commission. This is a unique opportunity to get involved in local government at a young age and make a difference. Applications are now being accepted at https://tinyurl.com/goletaboards-commissions. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 23, 2021.
To be eligible, applicants must be City of Goleta residents between the ages of 15-21 (Public Engagement Commission) or a student 15 years or older (Parks and Recreation Commission). Both Commissions are comprised of seven-members and have six regularly scheduled meetings per year. Youth Commissioners can choose to receive community service hours or the $50/meeting stipend.
Jonika Ronkainen, a recent graduate from Dos Pueblos High School, is the outgoing Parks and Recreation’s Student Commissioner. She said, “I loved having the opportunity to participate in discussions about the exciting new projects being undertaken in my hometown and investing a bit more time into getting to know Goleta’s shared spaces, the importance of which has been especially highlighted over the past year and a half of isolation. I encourage anyone looking to become more engaged in the Goleta community to apply and wish I had done so sooner.”
Vinesh Manian, who also recently graduated from Dos Pueblos High School and has served on the Public Engagement Commission for the past three years is grateful for the experience he had. He said, “I initially applied for the Youth Public Engagement Commissioner position because I wanted to do something to give back to my community. I have really enjoyed working with my fellow Commissioners on some very cool projects such as the Census. The skills I have learned in this position will help throughout my lifetime.”
The Parks and Recreation Commission advises the City Council on all issues related to parks and recreational opportunities in Goleta, including the acquisition, development, maintenance, and improvement of the City’s public parks, recreational services, and open spaces.
The Public Engagement Commission (PEC) is charged with looking for opportunities and ways to increase public engagement in City government. Currently, the PEC is assisting with the district mapping process to determine district lines for the City’s first District Elections in November of 2022.
Applications can be completed online here or dropped off or mailed to:
City of Goleta
Attn: Deborah Lopez, City Clerk
130 Cremona Drive, Suite B
Goleta, CA 93117
For questions or more information, please reach out to cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org or call (805) 961-7505.
