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Home My WebLink About04-28-2026 Youth Commission MinutesMINUTES TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026 SARATOGA YOUTH COMMISSION 7:00 P.M. GENERAL MEETING Chair Xia called the Special Meeting to order at 7:00 PM ROLL CALL Present: Commissioner Chiu, Commissioner Xia, Commissioner Chen, Commissioner Fugman, Commissioner Jain, Commissioner Agarwal, Commissioner Miin Absent: Commissioner Aribi, Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Anand Also Present: ● Jocelyn Binn, Administrative Analyst ● Jadyn Kao ● Summit N. Greer ● Era Dhardwadkar ● Arush Savla ● Ahaana Goel ● Austin Zhao ● arjun, Public Attendee (ZOOM) ● Devraj Bora, Public Attendee (ZOOM) ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS AGENDA ITEMS: Commissioner Lee arrived at 7:00 PM. 1. Youth Commission Minutes Recommended Action: Review and approve the minutes from the January 27, 2026 regular meeting. Commissioners reviewed the 3/24/26 meeting minutes. Commissioner Agarwal pointed out that the apostrophe in the word “Farmers’ Market” was misplaced and that her name (Agarwal) was misspelled twice in Agenda Item 2. Once the review was completed, Chair Xia made a motion to approve the minutes with the changes and Commissioner Fugman seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. 2. Recap Past Events Recommended Action SED Talks, Community Hike; share feedback on what went well, what could have been improved, and overall thoughts Commissioner Chiu said that the SED Talks event was very successful, noting the speakers were interesting and the audience was engaged. Commissioner Jain commented that attendance was a bit low, and that should be a focus for improvement next year. The Commission discussed methods of outreach for future commissions, including contacting teachers, improving information available on flyers, and improving social media presence. Commissioner Agarwal said the hike location was very beautiful. Commissioner Suh noted that because of a shortage of Commissioners attending the hike, they were not able to do some of the activities planned. They also said that there should be a chaperone set beforehand. They suggested that future groups do a full run-through with their temporary committee, follow up more with guests, and do more outreach through flyers and social media. Commissioner Suh suggested that the location for next year’s hike be closer to the general Saratoga community, which would require collaboration with the Parks & Recreation Commission. The Commission discussed more potential improvements for next year, including earlier coordination, working more closely with partner commissions, and better communication. Public Attendees suggested various methods of publicization for Commission events. Commissioner Aribi arrived at 7:11 PM. 3. Discuss Future Events Recommended Action: Blossom Festival, year-end presentation, end of year activity; review agenda planner Staff Liaison Binn reiterated information and logistics for the Youth Commission Year-End Presentation. Temporary Committee heads need to submit slides for events by May 17th to Staff Liaison Binn. After receiving the slides, she will pass them on to Co-Marketing Chairs Chiu and Chen, who will compile them into a formal presentation. Staff Liaison Binn requested that Commissioners email her their summer availability for end of year activity. She will decide the date after reviewing Commissioner availability. Commissioners reviewed end-of-year activity options and voted on their top picks. Mini golf received 1 vote, Top golf 4 votes, Water park 2 votes, Bowling 3 votes, Great America 3 votes, Arcade 4 votes, Trampoline park 4 votes, and Escape Room 0 votes. The Commission drafted volunteer schedules for Blossom Festival, which will take place on June 13th from 10-4PM. There will likely be two shifts with two Commissioners each, but the Commissioners present during those shifts have not been finalized. 4. Discuss Subcommittees and Reports/Memo Recommended Action: Farmers’ Market, Bingo Night, Coffeehouse, and Movie Night The Farmers Market Temporary Committee Head, Commissioner Agarwal confirmed that this event will be a partnership with the Cultural Connections organization. They will have a poster board about culture for people to contribute to. They will also create a “tree of Saratoga” poster, where people can add leaves with messages describing what they love about Saratoga. The Temporary Committee plans to create a Youth Commission decoration “banner” to hang up, and Commissioner Agarwal requested input from the Commission for what to write on it. She also asked the Commission for input for the prompts for the general activity. Commissioner Chiu suggested a coloring activity for kids. The Bingo Night subcommittee head, Commissioner Lee, informed the Commission that SASCC has canceled Bingo Night. Staff Liaison Binn suggested that the Commission remove Bingo Night from this year’s plan given the limited time available to plan a new event. The Coffeehouse temporary committee head, Commissioner Chen, said that TAB will cover the food, material, and prize costs for the event. The signup form is open to input, and the flyer needs to be confirmed, then distributed. Commissioners gave suggestions for where and how to publicize the event. Commissioner Jain noted that the stress ball activity from last year was popular despite some hiccups, and it would be relevant to this year’s movie, Elio, as well. Staff Liaison Binn brought up the possibility of running a food donation drive, like last year’s Movie Night. There will be a popcorn machine at the event for snacks. 5. Saratoga Youth Engagement Survey Recommended Action: Explore the opportunity to develop a survey to better understand the needs and perspectives of Saratoga youth Commissioner Xia asked the Commission for suggestions regarding questions to include on the Youth Engagement Survey. In addition to collecting demographic information, the survey will cover themes like school satisfaction, community connection, and availability of opportunities. It also provides youth the opportunity to give feedback on the Saratoga city government and community. Commissioners suggested including sections to respond with information about the school district they are a part of and feedback from Youth Commission events (if the respondee has attended any). The Commission discussed offering incentives for filling out the survey, such as gift cards for Saratoga local businesses and popular toys. Staff Liaison Binn suggested that the survey contain an estimate of time required to complete it. Six Commissioners expressed interest in participating in this project, but that number will need to be narrowed down due to legal restrictions. Commissioners discussed working with schoolteachers to coordinate extra-credit assignments for completing the survey. Staff Liaison Binn also noted that it may be a good idea for the Farmers Market Temporary Committee to distribute flyers at their event. Chair Xia motioned to create a temporary committee containing Commissioners Xia, Lee, Agarwal, Chiu, and Chen to work on this survey project. A public attendee suggested adding a question to the survey about attendance to Youth Commission events and cross-referencing that with demographic data to understand the demographics of those who attend Youth Commission events. One other public attendee suggested creating a peer connection group for teens struggling with mental health, and another suggested including a question about what is causing stress for Saratoga teens. 6. Youth Commission Apparel Recommended Action: Receive updates on apparel Commissioners who didn’t receive their apparel last meeting collected their sweatshirts. 7. Marketing Chair Report Recommended Action: Receive report from Co-Marketing Chairs Co-Marketing Chair Chiu explained that the Farmers Market poster is in the process of getting approved. The Coffeehouse committee flyer has been completed, but needs to be edited, and will be sent for approval soon. Co-Marketing Chen addressed some questions about Youth Commission social media presence that had been brought up earlier in the meeting. Commissioner Xia suggested creating a Marketing temporary committee for next year, but Commissioner Chen explained that the two-marketing-chair system has been effective this year. 8. Treasurer Report Recommended Action: Receive report from Treasurer The commission has $1566.35 left. Movie Night will likely require around a $50 investment. Commissioners discussed possible pre-purchases for next year given the possibility of a lower Commission budget. 9. City Report Recommended Action: Receive report from staff of City updates and review attendance and participation and parent chaperones Staff Liaison Binn informed the commission of upcoming events and activities taking place in the city, including the Mayor’s office hours at the Farmer’s Market, the Saratoga Rotary Art Show at West Valley College, and the Mayor’s coffee shop office hours on May 22. Staff Liaison Binn asked the Commission if they are available to represent the Youth Commission for the Fourth of July event, and Commissioner Agarwal confirmed she is available on that date. Staff Liaison Binn also informed the Commission about the Saratoga 70th Birthday Party on August 22nd later this summer. Commissioner Chen inquired about a possible opportunity to play in or attend the Fourth of July Saratoga Band performance. ADJOURNMENT Chair Xia adjourned the meeting at 8:32 PM Minutes respectfully submitted: Vice Chair Fugman