SUBJECT
title
A Resolution of the City of Laredo, Texas formalizing the continued establishments of the Laredo Youth Council, rescinding the previously adopted bylaws, and adopting the Laredo Youth Council Program Handbook.
body
VIVA LAREDO PLAN ALIGNMENT
Alignment Rating: High
Supporting goal(s)/policy(ies): Education Goal 10.1: Support the improvement of the Education system of Laredo through coordination of efforts across all agencies. Policy 10.1.3: Enter into partnerships with school districts and the institutions of higher education to increase educational opportunities and improve student performance.
Summary of alignment: This action aligns strongly with the Viva Laredo Comprehensive Plan by advancing the City’s commitment to youth engagement, civic education, and leadership development. The continued establishment of the Laredo Youth Council (LYC) and adoption of its updated Program Handbook reinforce the plan’s goals to coordinate with educational institutions, foster partnerships that develop talent, and build civic pride and participation among future leaders. By broadening representation to include all Laredo high schools and Council districts, the LYC also supports Viva Laredo’s emphasis on equity, inclusivity, and community capacity building. Transitioning from bylaws to a program handbook reflects the City’s adaptive approach to sustaining programs that engage youth as active contributors to civic life and local governance.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION
City Council motioned to create the Youth Council on February 3, 2020. On October 18, 2021, City Council voted to approve the bylaws created by the first cohort.
BACKGROUND
The Laredo Youth Council has operated as a formal City committee since 2021. The original bylaws were drafted by the students themselves and later adopted by City Council, giving the program a strong starting point. After a few years of putting those bylaws into practice, it became clear that some sections needed to be re-evaluated. Because the group is made up of high school students who are not eligible to be registered voters, they do not meet the qualifications required for official committee membership. For that reason, the document is shifting from bylaws to a program handbook that better reflects the purpose and structure of a youth leadership program rather than a City committee.
Over the past two months, returning LYC members and students from additional schools worked with City staff to revise the document. The key changes include increasing the membership composition from seventeen to twenty-five to offer opportunities to more students across the city, ensuring representation from every Laredo high school including students in home based learning programs, ensuring representation from every Council district, adjusting volunteer program expectations and City Council meeting attendance to match the actual commitment of the program, and removing guidelines related to quorum, voting, and agenda requirements that only apply to official City committees.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
LYC students and representatives from schools have worked together on these recommendations.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommendation is to proceed with the updated handbook. Without the update, the LYC remains too small and rigid to fit the needs of Laredo Youth, along with clear representation from all Laredo areas.
end
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Year: Click or tap here to enter text.
Budgeted Y/N?: Click or tap here to enter text.
Source of Funds: Click or tap here to enter text.
Account #: Click or tap here to enter text.
Change Order: Exceeds 25% Y/N: Click or tap here to enter text.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Click or tap here to enter text.