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I reach out to you this way because the voice and opinion of youth and young people matter. The handbook referenced was created in September and distributed in early October. Had those policies truly been in effect, the Youth Commission would not have been the way it was a year ago. In fact, never does it explicitly state the residency requirements of commissioners beyond the requirement that they have residence in the city. I am registered to vote in Santa Ana, I pay taxes in Santa Ana, and I am a product of Santa Ana. The state of California itself state that residency is maintained on the basis of two years minimum. It is not specific in stating the definition of "relocation", in explicit language. If you vote to adopt the residency requirement, a person who attends UC Irvine and lives in the dorm while school is in session but lives with their family in the El Salvador neighborhood will not be eligible to be a commissioner. Same applies to a student at Cal State Fullerton who lives in the dorm but has residence at her family's apartment in the Logan neighborhood, or a Chapman University student who lives in the dorms, but helps her family pay the mortgage for the house and calls Santa Ana home. Those are not our values. We do not turn our backs on family or friends. I am registered to vote, I pay taxes, and I am a product of Santa Ana. Passing the residency requirement would also bar students, technically, from Coastline Community College or Orange Coast College or Irvine Valley College because if a commissioner is required to attend school within the city limits, they would only be eligible to be a commissioner if they attend Santa Ana College because all of the schools mentioned here are not located in Santa Ana. What is my solution? The commission is not ready yet; when I was appointed at first, I was the only commissioner who showed up. I have had experience playing with roles in government, like State Senate and Assembly committees, in the California YMCA Youth and Government organization. I am now an intern, helping other high school students learn civic participation and the legislative process. The question, however, is not whether I am qualified. The questions is if the City Council feels that the commission is ready to use city funds without adequate structure. I encourage a work study session and that members of the council and the mayor attend this weeks commission meeting on Friday so commissioners can receive feedback from you, and so you can hear feedback from them. Then from there, please make an informed decision on the future of the commission. Thank you, Ivan Enriquez Chairman I City of Santa Ana I Youth Commission California State University, Sacramento I Government, BA I Class of 2019 Godinez Fundamental High School I Santa Ana, CA I Class of 2015 ivan.enrigna,icloud.com 1 (714) 975-0924