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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPalm Desert Youth Committee / Plastic Bag Recommendation / Anti-BullyingCITY OF PALM DESERT SPECIAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Accept Letters of Resignation from Palm Desert Youth Committee Members, Appoint New Members to the Committee, and receive presentations on the Plastic Bag Recommendation and Anti -Bullying Project SUBMITTED BY: Frankie Riddle, Director of Special Programs DATE: May 10, 2012 CONTENTS: FY 2012/13 Youth Committee Member Roster Letters of Resignation from Senior Members Plastic Bag Recommendation Anti -Bullying Project Update Recommendation By Minute Motion, 1. Accept letters of resignation from the following Palm Desert Youth Committee Members: Kevin Autran Laura Baldwin Adam Chaplin Marvin Chen Henry Clark Myko Marcinkevicius Brian Rohrbaugh 2. Appoint the following individuals to the Palm Desert Youth Committee: Roman Bloch Windy Chisem Yung Kim Andrew Mehta Tyler Newcomb Don Sandoval-Heglund Taylor Schmidman 3. Receive presentation on the Palm Desert Youth Committee's Plastic Bag Recommendation 4. Receive update on the Palm Desert Youth Committee's Anti -Bullying Project Discussion As a result of their graduation from high school, seven appointed Palm Desert Youth Committee members have submitted their letters of resignation. Subsequently, the Committee now has seven vacancies. Therefore, staff is proposing the appointment of seven individuals that are currently serving on the Committee in an alternate capacity. With STAFF REPORT PALM DESERT YOUTH COMMITTEE RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS MAY 10, 2012 PAGE 2 the appointment of these new members, in addition to the existing eight voting members and six alternate members, there will be a total of 21 members for the 2012/2013 year. Per City Council's request, oral presentations will be given on the Plastic Bag Recommendation and the Anti -Bullying Initiative that were undertaken by the Youth Committee. Fiscal Impact There is no fiscal impact related to this request. Submitted By: Frankie Ri e Director of Special Programs CITY COUNCTLACTION APPROVED,.!,DENIED MEETING DA Approval: i M. Wohlmuth Manager AVES:�"'L��inF� �, fllll����C� "��� cam,`.; r / NOES: 1JQ�e ABSENT: _A1 1 '— ABSTAIN: - 4� LA e VERIFIEDPY__ WI)�T Original on File with City Clerk'sl6flice COy o� (n0 mC < m � (D U) G) m o N O fl N (n a 0 _. N O (D m T (_(pp (p C 7 a O . 1 J (D c0 CO 0 O 0 O r m X Z m N `< m c 0 (D m 0 Ul n m 0 0 n 0 m A cn o W Z � cD `z T. fl- m= m O =r (n O d l< m 7 (D 3 m `� o 0o W W o ? (n m p 0 K (D (D m 0� C Q o 3 3' 7 < D) i (D C 7 a H N O A Resignation Letter April 24, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Kevin William Autran, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I have graduated from Palm Desert High School and will soon be attending the University of California, San Diego. I've had the honor of serving on the Youth Committee for four years and have had the pleasure of associating with many amazing people from the Palm Desert City Council, City staff, and members of the Palm Desert Community. I am very grateful for the many opportunities provided to meet people, be involved in the community, and learning how to be a leader in my community. Sincerely, Kevin William Autran 25 April 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Laura Baldwin, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I am graduating from Palm Desert High School and will be attending college next year. I've had the honor of serving on the committee for 5 years, which has been an amazing experience. I have learned so much about leadership and the community, met many people and have had great opportunities open up through Youth Committee. If it weren't for my time on the committee, I would have never been introduces to Sister Cities which has also been a great experience. From my time on the committee, I will take away leadership skills, experience with the city and community, and great memories! Sincerely, Laura Baldwin April 30, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Adam Chaplin, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I have graduated from Palm Desert High School and will soon be attending college. I've had the honor of serving on the Youth Committee for 4 years and have had the pleasure of associating with many amazing people from the Palm Desert City Council, City staff, and members of the Palm Desert Community. I am very grateful for the many opportunities provided to meet people, be involved in the community, and learning how to be a leader in my community. Sincerely, Adam Chaplin Lawrence, Amy From: mcchen1 @hotmail.com Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:53 PM To: Lawrence, Amy Subject: Resignation April 24, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Marvin Chen, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I am honored to have served for one year on the Youth Committee and to have had the opportunity to associate with many people from the Palm Desert City Council, City staff, and members of the Palm Desert community. I am very grateful for the many opportunities provided to meet people, be involved in the community, and be a leader in my community. I will be graduating from Palm Desert High School and will be attending a university next fall. I would like thank the City of Palm Desert for allowing me this experience as a member of the Youth Committee. Sincerely, Marvin Chen Sent from my Windows Phone April 24" 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Hank Clark, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I am going to be graduating from Palm Desert High School and will soon be attending Tulane University in the fall. I have enjoyed my time working on the Youth Committee for the past two years. It has offered me with an amazing opportunity to meet a diverse group of people who are dedicated to the Palm Desert Community. I am grateful for my experience on the Youth Committee and hope it continues to prosper. Sincerely, Hank Clark 24 April 2012 To Whom It May Concern: I, Mykolas K. Marcinkevicius, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I have graduated from Palm Desert High School and will soon be attending the University of California, Los Angeles. I have had the honor of serving on the Youth Committee as an alternate and a fully-fledged member for three consecutive years. I have had the pleasure of associating with many truly inspiring people from the Palm Desert City Council, City staff, and citizens of the Palm Desert Community. This has been a great learning experience for me and I am very grateful for the many opportunities provided to meet new people, become more active in the community, and set the standard for leadership in my community. Sincerely, Mykolas Kristijonas Marcinkevicius 4/23/12 To Whom It May Concern: I, Brian Rohrbaugh, hereby submit my resignation from the Palm Desert Youth Committee. I have graduated from Palm Desert High School and will soon be attending Pennsylvania State University. I've had the honor of serving on the Youth Committee for 2 years and have had the pleasure of associating with many amazing people from the Palm Desert City Council, City staff, and members of the Palm Desert Community. I am very grateful for the many opportunities provided to meet people, be involved in the community, and learning how to be a leader in my community. Sincerely, Brian Rohrbaugh CITY OF PALM DESERT PALM DESERT YOUTH COMMITTEE FOLLOW-UPS TO: Melissa Wightman, Sustainability Coordinator FROM: Members of the Palm Desert Youth Committee *Recommendation prepared by members Andrew Mehta and Daniel Sanford DATE: February 24, 2012 SUBJECT: PLASTIC BAG RECOMMENDATION At the January 9, 2012, Palm Desert Youth Committee meeting, the idea of a plastic bag ban/tax that would be imposed in the City of Palm Desert was given to the Youth Committee to provide a recommendation. Sustainability Coordinator Melissa Wightman helped to educate the Committee on the effects that plastic bags have on the environment and how the bags are destroying the environmentally clean look of the City of Palm Desert. As part of our research, the Youth Committee created a survey that would be taken by Youth Committee members, and a shorter, simpler version that would be distributed to the student body at Palm Desert High School (see survey attached). The questions included and their results are included in the "Statistics" section below. The Youth Committee members took the survey and 2,200 surveys were distributed to high school students for voluntary completion. Of the 2,200 surveys distributed, 402 were returned. Based on the data compiled from the surveys, to summarize whether students and Youth Committee members thought it would be a good idea to ban the usage of plastic bags in the City of Palm Desert, 59% voted for the ban. In contrast, 41 % of those surveyed voted for a fee to be implemented. To the question of what amount should be charged for each plastic bag (if any), 89% voted for a fee to be charged with 5 cents and 25 cents being the most popular choices (25% and 27% respectively). Overall the results of the survey showed a desire to have either a reduction or ban of the usage of plastic bags. Some questions and recommendations that were given to the Youth Committee on the issue as well as our suggestions for each are listed below: • If a tax were implemented in only Palm Desert, it would be very easy for someone to drive an extra few minutes to a neighboring city to do their shopping Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 2 so that they could avoid the tax. In order for a fully effective reduction to take place without stores losing customers, there would need to be a ban in a larger area than just Palm Desert. ✓ The ban/tax should be implemented in all of the Coachella Valley in order for an effect to be seen. • Another issue that came up was who would have to comply with the ban/tax. In addition to plastic bags being present in grocery stores, they are also available at retail stores, clothing stores, etc. Some of these stores are locally owned or run by a global corporation. Would they be forced to comply with the ban/tax? ✓ We believe that these stores should comply because they are part of the city and have to follow the same rules as local businesses. • Also, in addition to plastic bags, restaurants use many carry -out containers made of Styrofoam. These are also bad for the environment. Would restaurants be forced to get rid of the containers also? ✓ As this is not exactly pertaining to the task we were provided, we aren't as knowledgeable on this topic. So our uneducated suggestion is that they find a better material to produce these containers with. • If plastic bags were banned, people would use paper or reusable bags that they could either buy or bring from home. As it turns out, these are more expensive for the stores to buy and use compared to plastic. In order for people to want to use the different forms of bags would they be given an incentive or a reward for bringing/using the bags? ✓ Some stores currently do this. Albertson's, for example, deducts a dime for every reusable bag you bring in. This incentive system doesn't seem to be fully effective, but we can't expect the stores to do much more. Hopefully the ban/tax will be incentive enough for people to stop using plastic bags. At the home, plastic bags are used to hold trash and are reused a few times before being thrown away for good. If plastic bags were banned, people would purchase other alternatives such as trash liners, so the plastic would still be present. What do you do about this? Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 3 ✓ We believe that people can find alternatives. If you think about it, the plastic bag is an alternative in the first place. So paper would probably work fine, in fact it's sturdier. Or, citizens will probably come up with another alternative. The Youth Committee hereby recommends the following: 1. To make it easier for financially challenged citizens to obtain reusable bags, the city could send those who qualify one or two reusable bags to use for shopping; and 2. If a tax per bag were implemented, the tax should be large enough that it would make more sense for a customer to purchase a bag to save money and avoid the tax in the future. As mentioned before, this should not be so high that people start to shop in neighboring cities instead of in Palm Desert to avoid the tax. In conclusion, there are very many benefits to a ban/tax on plastic bags being imposed in the City of Palm Desert. Both the Palm Desert Youth Committee and a large group of Palm Desert High School students have realized the positive effects that the ban/tax could have on the city. The issue is very serious and action needs to be taken in order to limit pollution in the beautiful City of Palm Desert. CITY OF PALM DESERT PALM DESERT YOUTH COMMITTEE FOLLOW-UPS TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Members of the Palm Desert Youth Committee's Anti -Bullying Subcommittee DATE: May 10, 2012 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE ANTI -BULLYING INITIATIVE In 2011, members of the Palm Desert City Council requested that the Palm Desert Youth Committee come up with an anti -bullying initiative for schools located in Palm Desert. First, we formed a subcommittee which consists of seven Youth Committee members (three appointed members and four alternates). The subcommittee met on several occasions to discuss how to approach this task. It was decided that we would first focus on Palm Desert Charter Middle School (PDCMS) due to their receptive nature in working with the City on this issue. The first part of this initiative consisted of our creating a survey for PDCMS students to take so that we could assess their perception on the subject. Once the survey was created, it was sent to school administration for approval. Upon approval, the attached survey was given to all PDCMS students so that they could answer questions and express their opinions about any bullying experiences in their lifetime. Once the surveys were completed, they were returned to the subcommittee for data compilation and analysis. Below is a summary of the findings from approximately 300 of the 899 completed surveys (total enrollment at PDCMS is approximately 1300 students): - 67% of students stated that they had been bullied in their lifetime - 83% of students stated that they had seen someone else being bullied in their lifetime - The two forms of bullying that occur the most are cyber-bullying (e.g. Facebook, texting, etc.) and racial slurs Palm Desert Charter Middle School is a great school that many of the Palm Desert Youth Committee members have had the opportunity to attend. However, like most, if not all schools in the nation, PDCMS is not immune to bullying. Therefore, the subcommittee is in the process of preparing a presentation on bullying which will focus on the "problem areas" identified in the surveys. We plan to contact school administration in September/October to discuss the finalized presentation, as well as dates and times that it can be presented to the students. As part of our final presentation, we plan to add relatable stories from former PDCMS students. Once PDCMS students have viewed the presentation, it is our hope that we can provide the presentation to the students each school year. In addition, the subcommittee may look into revising the presentation making it age appropriate for presentation to Palm Desert elementary school students. cc: Sallie Frasier, Palm Desert Charter Middle School Shanna McCown, Palm Desert Charter Middle School BULLYING SURVEY — PLEASE COMPLETE BOTH SIDES Do NOT put your name on this survey. It is completely anonymous so please be honest. The following are hypothetical situations. Circle "Yes" if you think it is bullying, circle "No" if you do not. 1. Bill pushes Juan as they walk to class and calls him a loser almost everyday. Yes No 2. Martha and her friends call Suzie fat and criticize what she eats during lunch everyday. Yes No 3. Brad posts an embarrassing picture of his good friend Adam online. Yes No 4. Jose teases Fred about being a "nerd" every time Fred gets an A on a test. Yes No 5. Maria and Danielle sit in a corner and whisper about what Rachel is wearing. Yes No 6. Ryan and Anthony corner Jesse in the locker room and make him give them his math homework. Yes No 7. Lucy sees her best friend Meg and playfully says "What the heck is up with your hair today?" Yes No 8. Danny sits down at a lunch table where Jacob, Miguel, and Conner are sitting. The three boys just stare at him until he leaves. Yes No 9. A group of girls are at a sleepover and start gossiping about how Sarah kissed Brigitte's boyfriend. They post a Facebook status that says "Some girls should learn to keep they're hands off other people's boys. @Sarah" Yes No 10. Johnny posts a Facebook status that is a Shakespeare quote. Henry comments saying, "fag". Yes No 11. Marissa and Jackie are best friends. One calls the other a racial slur like "beaner" or "white girl" all the time in a playful way. Yes No 12. Joe and his friends call Julie a "book worm" because she reads in the cafeteria at lunch time every day. Yes No 13. Have you ever been bullied in any way? Yes No 14. Have you ever bullied someone in any way? Yes No 15. Have you ever seen someone be bullied in any way? Yes No 16. Have you ever tried to stop a bullying incident? Yes No If not, why? a. Didn't want to draw attention to myself b. The "bully" was my friend c. Didn't feel it was my place to get involved d. Other If yes, what did you do? a. Stuck up for the person b. Changed the subject/distracted the bully c. Got help from an adult d. Other 17. Where on campus do you feel bullying occurs most often? e. P.E./Fields f. Cafeteria g. Bathrooms h. Classroom i. Lockeroom j. Hallways k. Other Is there anything you would like to say about bullying in your school or in general?? Remember, this survey is completely anonymous. Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 4 statistics What type of bag do you or your family use or receive most often when you go shopping for groceries? ■ Plastic ■ Paper • Compostable ■ Reusable Which type of bag do you or your family use or receive most often when you go shopping for clothes or retail items? ■ Plastic ■ Paper a Compostable 0 Reusable Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 5 Which grocery store do you or your family visit most often? -.1 2% How often do you or your family shop at a grocery store? 2% 3% ■ Albertson's ■ Vons ■ Ralphs ■ Trader Joes ■ Stater Bros ■ Walmart Costco 99 Cents Store Fresh n' Easy Other ■ Daily ■ More than once a week ■ Once a week ■ Once every two weeks ■ Once a month ■ Other Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 6 Do you believe that requiring stores to ban plastic bags (in an effort to help the environment) would be a good idea? ■ Yes ■ No If no, do you believe that charging for the distribution of plastic bags is appropriate to deter plastic bag use? ■ Yes ■ No Palm Desert Youth Committee — Plastic Bag Recommendation February 24, 2012 Page 7 If a charge was implemented to distribute bags at stores, what cost (kept by the retailer) would make people change their behavior to bring reusable bags to the store rather than just paying the charge to use the store bags? 2% ■ None ■ 5 cents IN 10 cents ■ 15 cents ■ 20cents ■ 25 cents ■ 50 cents ■ 1 dollar What is your level of knowledge on the environmental effects of plastic bags on the environment? ■ Not ■ Somewhat Very