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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2507-4962CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, August 18, 2025 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM     Agenda Item     C.Inaugural Youth Climate Advisory Board Annual Report; CEQA Status – Not a Project City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS Lead Department: Public Works Meeting Date: August 18, 2025 Report #:2507-4962 TITLE Inaugural Youth Climate Advisory Board Annual Report; CEQA Status – Not a Project RECOMMENDATION This report is provided for information only and requires no Council Action. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board (YCAB) is an advisory body of high school students dedicated to sustainability and climate stewardship. Members contribute to and provide feedback on Palo Alto’s climate initiatives and policies and bring Citywide sustainability efforts to local high schools. The YCAB was developed in partnership with the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition. The inaugural YCAB meeting convened in September 2024. This staff report summarizes the accomplishments and achievements of the eleven members of the inaugural Youth Climate Advisory Board. BACKGROUND In the fall of 2023, Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition (PASCC) members Julia Zeitlin, Angelina Rosh, and Theo Waltuch met with the City to discuss their proposal for creating a Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board (YCAB). Their idea was to create a student board, similar in structure to the Palo Alto Youth Council, that would address issues about sustainability and climate action that are relevant to the youth community and support the work of the Office of Sustainability. The City worked with PASCC to develop and refine the YCAB proposal, resulting in adoption of Youth Climate Advisory Board By-laws in April 2024. YCAB members are expected to dive into complex issues and invest time and energy into making the City and Palo Alto schools more sustainable. Board members must attend high school in Palo Alto and are expected to attend monthly board meetings as well as additional subcommittee meetings. Board members commit to a full, year-long term, from September the year they are appointed to August the following year. The YCAB is led by a Chair and two Vice Chairs, elected by the student board members and staff leadership. The Chair facilitates board meetings, with the Vice Chairs recording attendance and minutes. The Chair and Vice Chairs serve as youth liaisons and attend City staff’s Sustainability Leadership Team meetings. Working with PASCC co-founder Julia Zeitlin, the City developed an outreach strategy, application, and application process for the inaugural YCAB. A selection committee of City staff, a PASCC representative, and a teacher at Fletcher Middle School reviewed the YCAB applications. The selection committee selected eleven Palo Alto high school students for the inaugural YCAB. ANALYSIS The inaugural Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board formed in September 2024. The eleven members of the inaugural Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board represent the following Palo Alto High Schools: Castilleja School, Henry M. Gunn High School, The Kehillah School, and Palo Alto High School. The members of the inaugural board are: Elsa Lagerblad, Chair Caitlin Hopkins, Vice Chair Aiden Miao, Vice Chair Anika Agrawal Donovan Carlson Laura Cheunkarndee Maya Mazin Jenna Mu Aaron Nance Yuna Ng Kiara Yoon The eleven members of the Board not only worked on a wide range of projects to champion sustainability and climate action, they also helped shape the structure and framework of YCAB, which will serve as a blueprint for future Youth Climate Advisory Boards. The inaugural YCAB focused their work on the following subcommittees: Media, Transportation, Water, and Zero Waste. The board members worked with schools, community members, and local agencies and businesses in their mission to advocate for youth voices on climate issues. A summary of the work of the inaugural YCAB and the accomplishments of each subcommittee can be found in Attachment A: Youth Climate Action Board 2024-2025 Annual Report. This summer, the board continues their work on several projects, including a Sea Level Rise communications and engagement project. The Board is also drafting recommendations to present to the Palo Alto Unified School District Sustainability Committee to guide a vision and plan for a sustainable school district that could be included in a Sustainability Master Plan. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT Current and future initiatives will be managed and funded by the Office of Sustainability. Staff does not currently anticipate the need for additional resource requests as part of the annual budget process. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Stakeholder engagement about the Youth Climate Advisory Board is wide-reaching and coordinated with multiple departments. Efforts include direct engagement, social media and other digital marketing/outreach, website updates, leveraging the City’s communication platforms, and more. Stakeholder engagement by the Youth Climate Advisory Board members included direct engagement with Palo Alto high school students, the Palo Alto Unified School District, community members, and local agencies and businesses; participation in City and school events; social media and other digital marketing/outreach; providing content for website updates; providing content for the City’s communication platforms; and more. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This report is for informational purposes only with no action required by the Council and is therefore not a project subject to CEQA review. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Youth Climate Advisory Board 2024-2025 Annual Report APPROVED BY: Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer 2024-25 Annual Report INTRODUCTION PREFACE This was the City of Palo Alto Youth Climate Advisory Board’s (YCAB) inaugural year, and the 11 members on the Board worked tirelessly to establish frameworks that will benefit the Board for years to come. We’ve reached schools, community members, and even local agencies and businesses in our mission to advocate for youth voices on climate issues. We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve accomplished, and as such, what follows is a report by each subcommittee on its accomplishments. We hope that this report will serve both as an update on what we’ve done this year and as a guideline for what youth in Palo Alto want and need when it comes to climate action. We hope that our efforts will help the City and others make more intentional decisions that reflect the needs of the next generation, taking steps to protect the city and planet that we will inherit. Members Aaron Nance Aiden Miao Anika Agrawal Caitlin Hopkins Donovan Carlson Elsa Lagerblad Maya Mazin Jenna Mu Laura Cheunkarndee Kiara Yoon Yuna Ng Elsa Lagerblad Head Chair Aiden Miao Vice Chair Caitlin Hopkins Vice Chair ZERO WASTE SUBCOMMITTEE Summary The Zero Waste Subcommittee is focused on reducing waste produced by the City of Palo Alto, aligning with the Zero Waste category of the Palo Alto Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP). By increasing youth awareness of zero-waste strategies as well as developing concepts for new Zero Waste Ordinances and assisting in the implementation of preexisting ordinances, the Zero Waste Subcommittee hopes to foster a sense of responsibility toward waste reduction in our community. Members Maya Mazin Jenna Mu Laura Cheunkarndee Kiara Yoon Yuna Ng Impact ●Raised youth awareness of Zero Waste strategies and ordinances ●Created outlines for future projects and developed relationships with local organizations and schools MAIN INITIATIVES Fletcher Presentation Presented to over 120 students at Ellen Fletcher Middle School about the importance of living sustainably and offered actionable steps to help them incorporate zero-waste practices into their lifestyles. Additionally, introduced the students to the City’s S/CAP and encouraged rising ninth graders to apply for next year’s Board. Zero Waste Ordinances Received legislative resources from City staff and met with Vice Mayor Veenker to build upon policies for next year. Researched Zero Waste ordinances and recommended concepts for future ordinances that would support the City’s Zero Waste goals. Obtained auditing materials to help regulate and oversee actions taken by local businesses for Zero Waste ordinances. Future Work Drafted ideas for citywide events, including a recycling art contest and mug-decorating event that can be implemented next term. Established relationships with local organizations that will streamline implementation next year. WATER SUBCOMMITTEE Summary The Water Subcommittee focuses on sea-level rise policy and water conservation efforts in Palo Alto. Its members are developing youth workshops to highlight the value of water conservation and designing a civic journalism project to raise community awareness on sea level rise and its effects on residents Members Anika Agrawal Donovan Carlson Kiara Yoon Impact ●Highlighted resident voices in the realm of public water policy ●Learned about Palo Alto’s water policy and spread awareness to youth Future Work This year we planned a rain barrel painting workshop targeting water-related outreach to youth. The goal was to raise awareness about rainwater collection through hands-on engagement by having youth paint the barrels and then donating them to PAUSD schools. We recommend that the Water Subcommittee complete this project in the 2025-2026 term and prioritizes building off previous workshop ideas (e.g., drip water irrigation and watershed protection). Main Initiatives Communication Reached out to local nonprofit Save the Bay as well as City staff who are experts on the issue of water conservation. Learned about active efforts to mitigate sea level rise and the technologies Palo Alto uses to track water usage. Received valuable information on ongoing initiatives in the City (e.g., the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan). Youth Workshops Assisted with planning and preparing for a succulent garden planting workshop at Rinconada Library on June 14. Drafted curriculum for City workshops aimed at educating students about water conservation and sustainability practices, including a planned rain barrel painting initiative for Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) schools. Sea Level Rise Initiative Met with city experts to discuss a sea level rise project and revised approach to prioritizing being informative, especially through city resources. We will continue this work during the remainder of our term by synthesizing a graphic of the city’s current efforts regarding sea level rise and joining the city in talking with residents. TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE Summary The Transportation Subcommittee aims to help youth and Palo Altans move through the City more sustainably. Current initiatives include studying micromobility (e.g., e-bike and e-scooter rentals), expanding bike infrastructure to support road safety, and demonstrating youth interest in public transit. Our mission is to ensure that getting around Palo Alto is safer, smoother, and more sustainable for all. Members Aaron Nance Aiden Miao Caitlin Hopkins Elsa Lagerblad Jenna Mu Impact ●Gathered data on youth interest in public transportation from 10+ public and private schools in Palo Alto, with youth noting their appreciation for our work toward better transportation ●Shared these insights with the City, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and PAUSD in hopes of having youth voices be more represented in the decisions made by these groups ●Other goals include having more bike and public transportation infrastructure in South Palo Alto (around Henry M. Gunn High School) and incorporating public transit education into school curricula ●Helped lay the foundation for reactivating micromobility in Palo Alto Main Initiatives Youth Transit Survey A major accomplishment of the Transportation Subcommittee has been creating and executing a survey that aimed to gauge the interest of Bay Area youth in public transit. We distributed this survey through school announcements, YCAB- based events, and members’ networks to over 220 students from over 10 Palo Alto middle and high schools. The survey data provided concrete insight into the demand and necessity of reactivating previously shut-down shuttles and improving the shuttle accessibility. Safe Streets for All Recommendation The Transportation Subcommittee provided a joint recommendation on the Safe Streets for All and Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan. We drew on findings from the Youth Transit Survey to suggest the implementation of new Caltrain pedestrian and bike corridors. Future Work The Transportation Subcommittee collaborated closely with City staff to analyze the need and generate ideas for an e-bike and e-scooter rental system in Palo Alto. We analyzed the City’s previous micromobility attempts in 2013 and are currently working to conduct a feasibility study for Palo Alto. We recommend that the Transportation Subcommittee continues to prioritize this project in the 2025–2026 term. MEDIA SUBCOMMITTEE Summary The Media Subcommittee works to engage with the Palo Alto community, particularly youth, through social media and printed infographics. We aim to facilitate communication and collaboration with the City on YCAB’s goals. We organized the YCAB Earth Day Festival table and are currently developing content for the City website to promote YCAB’s initiatives and increase youth engagement. Members Donovan Carlson Laura Cheunkarndee Maya Mazin Yuna Ng Kiara Yoon Impact ●Created media to accompany YCAB initiatives to raise environmental awareness ●Developed a unique aesthetic for YCAB Future Work We recommend that in the 2025-2026 term, the Media Subcommittee work with the City to create an editorial calendar for YCAB media, which may include photos of the YCAB Board, videos highlighting subcommittee initiatives, member testimonies, and sustainable actions and topics for teens to get more involved in sustainability and climate action. We also recommend continuing to collaborate with other subcommittees to promote subcommittee-specific initiatives. Main Initiatives YCAB Earth Day Festival Fliers Designed fliers to promote public engagement, spread the word about YCAB applications, and help the Transportation Subcommittee reach a broader pool of respondents for their Youth Transit Survey. Communicated with the City about organizing the Earth Day Festival. Baylands Coloring Sheet Designed a themed coloring sheet for kids with fun facts about biodiversity in the Baylands, environmentally friendly recreation in the city, and landmark sustainability initiatives in Palo Alto to educate youth on the importance of climate stewardship and boost enthusiasm for sustainability efforts in Palo Alto. YCAB Website Organized photos and bios of YCAB members to display on the City website.