The Malibu Youth Commission, in its first year, is still trying to find ways to develop fun and safe activities within the city, which will hopefully appeal to Malibu youths as a substitute for Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, Hollywood clubs and high school parties.
“The reality is that any kind of commission takes a little bit of time to get on its feet,” said Paul Adams, Malibu’s director of Parks and Recreation.
Established in memory of late Councilmember Harry Barovsky, who first brought the idea to the City Council, the Malibu Youth Commission is made up of 15 teens, the majority of whom attend Malibu High School, with Adams presiding over meetings. The 15 teens replied early last year to an ad in a local paper.
According to Adams, other cities have such commissions to target the needs of youths. He added that the commission primarily serves as an advisor to the City Council about Malibu youth.
“The City Council recognized that there was an issue with there being nothing for the youth in Malibu to do,” said commission chair Alexis Bolter, a senior at MHS. “Our purpose is to create an environment for the youth in Malibu.”
“Our most difficult challenge has been trying to get things established, because this is the first year,” explained Bolter.
An early difficulty that the commission encountered was the sudden departure of Marilyn Stern, the City Council’s former recreation supervisor, who moved to San Diego earlier this year.
“We had Marilyn Stern helping us, who just left,” said Bolter. “We were trying to get some activities going, but due to her absence were unable to.”
The Malibu Youth Commission is not to be confused with the similarly named Malibu Youth Coalition. The main difference that sets the commission apart from the coalition, according to Bolter, is that the coalition is run by a group of parents whose focus remains more on middle school students, while the commission has chosen to focus more on high school students.
“The Youth Commission has a lot of potential with a lot of pull with parks and the city, but people need to get involved,” said MHS senior Jeremy Johnson, a member of the commission. He added that people are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Youth Commission meetings and submit their ideas.
Johnson says that the commission has spent the past months establishing a mission statement and official guidelines for the commission.
Events that the commission hopes to offer later this year include a basketball tournament, coffee clubs and a free concert for local teens in Malibu Bluffs Park later this spring. Funds for these events will be provided by the commission.
“Basically, we want to have events where the Malibu youth will be able to hang out,” said Bolter.
According to Bolter, the commission is conducting a needs assessment to aid it in better serving the youth of Malibu.
For those who want to submit ideas or attend a Youth Commission meeting, meetings are held at City Hall, in the large conference room, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month.