Decatur commissioners approved establishing a youth council lin the fall, with the group of nine students from Decatur High and Academe of the Oaks recently sworn in.
The council, which meets the first Wednesday of every month, grew out of the city’s 2010 strategic plan. Olivia Burrell-Jackson, one of two city staffers overseeing this group, said that after two meetings the adolescents have already surprised their elders.
“We thought they might address teenaged drinking or bullying, or something like that,” Burrell-Jackson said. “But they are more focused on the environment and on walkability. They all mentioned how Decatur doesn’t have anything that caters to them like a teen center, a coffee shop or a special area in the recreation center.”
Burrell-Jackson added that another priority is creating and programing an event strictly for teenagers, something that doesn’t exist in a city known for its festivals.
Planner Courtney Frisch is the other staffer co-leading the group with Commissioner Brian Smith on the advisory board. All members must live within Decatur city limits.
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