New Youth Panel to Advise Council

Fourteen teens from across the city are expected to be appointed to the newly created Youth Advisory Committee at Monday’s City Council meeting.

The committee, which will advise the council on youth-related matters, was proposed by Councilwoman Libby Cowan to give young people a greater voice in government. Only two other Orange County cities--Brea and Irvine--have comparable programs, officials said.

Members of the committee are expected this summer to advise the council on how to develop the former Costa Mesa High School farm property into an athletic park. Terms, expected to begin in July, would last a year.

Twenty-six teens who were interested in committee appointments gathered last week at City Hall to see how they would fare as municipal advisors. The panel was selected from middle and high schools after a campaign to seek representation from each of the city’s primary neighborhoods: Eastside, Westside, Mesa Verde, College Park and the South Coast Plaza area.

The group reviewed a recent council decision to ban a nightclub, deciding they would have ruled otherwise. Then 14 members of the group, ages 14 to 18, were elected to compete for the council appointments.

They are Diana Morelli, Conor Friedersdorf, Kim Daniels, Matthew Mueller, Meera Gupta, Reuel Prather, Farshid Kazi, Jason Cabico, Carmen Cardenas, Laura Cote, Myra Dimson, William Swartz, Regan Hanold and Griffin Crogan.

Twelve are expected to be appointed as committee members and two as alternates. The panel will meet monthly.

Information: (714) 754-5276.