Junior Council Members Sworn In

From the Rush:

The future of Williams Lake was on full display at last night’s city council meeting.

The Lake City’s very first junior council was sworn in by Mayor Kerry Cook. It consists of seven students from area high schools, and has several goals.

Perhaps the most important of those goals is to provide a forum for youth issues.
Junior Councillor Elsa Navratil says education is her biggest issue and says she’d like to see more activities available for youth in Williams Lake.

Navratil and her council colleagues will meet two to four times a month and are expected to attend council meetings, and to complete council related activities.


From the City of Williams Lake:

Seven young people from Williams Lake high schools were sworn in to the city’s first-ever Junior Council at Tuesday evening’s council meeting.

Mayor Kerry Cook administered the oath to Grade 11 student Talia Baptiste, Grade 12 students Brittany Rook, Elsa Navratil of Williams Lake Secondary School, Grade 11 students Abbi Taylor, Patrick Newsome, and Ana Lomavatu and Grade 12 student Katie Lawson of Columneetza Secondary . The oath was very similar to, and modeled on the oath taken by City Councillors.

As part of serving on the Junior Council, modeled after a similar program in the Town of Clearwater, the high school students will organize and hold meetings, communicate to the City the issues, needs, and recommendations of the youth, and make presentations to City Council, among other initiatives. Last fall, the City allocated $500 per school year to the Junior Council program.

The purpose of the Junior Council program is to provide an opportunity for the youth of Williams Lake to acquire a greater knowledge of and appreciation of the local government system through active participation in decision-making and to assist Council of the City of Williams Lake to obtain input from youth in decisions before Council.

The goals are to serve the youth of Williams Lake by:

Communication to the municipality the issues, needs and recommendations of youth;

Helping the municipality to communicate Council decisions and actions that affect youth;

　

Working with the Mayor, the Council Standing Committees and community to provide service and leadership opportunities

"I am so excited to see our Junior Council take form, and now to see them begin their terms," says Councillor Natalie Hébert. "I know our Junior Councillors will have some great ideas on how to make our city an even better place."

"Williams Lake is a progressive city, always looking for new approaches to move our community forward," Mayor Kerry Cook says. "This is another example of how a collaborative, consultative approach will lead to good things for our city."
Media please note: The City will not release contact information for Junior Councillors. Please contact Annie McKitrick for media inquiries concerning the Junior Council.