---
date: 2025-11-20
title: Youth Council Advisory Committee Agenda Packet
source: 2025-11/2025-11-20_Youth Council Advisory Committee_Agenda Packet.pdf
pages: 1
---

STOCKBRIDGE Youth Council Advisory
YOUTH COUNCIL Committee
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Meeting Agenda
Dr. Alfreda Renee Gourdine, Chair
November 20, 2025 6:30 PM
Ayesha Gambles, Vice-Chair
Joc’Quelyn Carter, Treasurer
Sharika Zellars, Student Liaison
Dr. Samuel Valme, Secretary
Valerie Richmond-Reese, Parliamentarian

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Tykera Goins
Candis Jones
Paige Jones III
Georgia McIntyre
Denita Minnis
Dr. Thomas Smith
STOCKBRIDGE CITY HALL

4640 NORTH HENRY BLVD.
STAFF LIAISON
Cassandra Lester STOCKBRIDGE, GA 30281

Website: www.stockbridgega.org

Phone: 770-389-7900

Fax: 770-389-7912
AGENDA
YOUTH COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025 6:30 PM
[IGNORE_INDENT]

I. Call to Order
1. Invocation Followed by Pledge
2. Roll Call
3. Approve Agenda
4. Approve October 21 SCM Minutes
II. Old Business
5. City of Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony
6. SYC Winter Wonderland - January 2026
7. AC Board Position(s)
8. Area Beautification
III. New Business
9. SYC Food Drive Initiative - Update
10. GA Cities 2026 - Atlanta Georgia
11. 3rd Quarter Calendar
12. Budget Review/Update
13. Track it Forward - Community Service Tracker
IV. Adjourn

The Youth Advisory Council Committee is to make recommendations to Council based on the following Terms
of Reference.
1. To identify and advise on youth issues in the City of Stockbridge.
2. To advise Council on the development of policies that are responsive to the needs of youth.
3. To consult with local youth and feedback results of consultations to Council.
4. To assist in the ongoing development and delivery of youth-targeted projects and programs.
5. To create opportunities for youth leadership development by acting as a resource for youth activities.

Note: This Committee meets monthly on selected dates.
Stockbridge Youth Council Advisory Committee Special Call Meeting Minutes
October 21, 2025

I. Call to Order
a) Quorum was met, and the meeting was called to order at 18:39

1. Invocation led by Paige Jones III
• Pledge of Allegiance: recited in unison

2. Roll Call

Roll Call Members Absent:
Dr. Renee Gourdine Paige Jones III Dr. Thomas Smith
Ayesha Gambles Tykera Goins Georgia McIntyre
Joc’Quelyn Carter Denita Minnis
Sharika Zellars Candis Jones
Dr. Samuel Valme
Valerie Richmond-Reese

3. Approve Agenda

Madam Chair: Proposed an amendment to the agenda to move the Bylaws Review and Update
to item number five and shift all subsequent items down, noting that it is the only agenda item
requiring a vote.

Tykera Goins: Motioned to accept the agenda with the amendment to move Bylaws Review
and Update to item number five and shift all subsequent items down accordingly.

a) Motion: Tykera Goins
b) Second: Valerie Richmond-Reese
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried

4. Approve September 16th 2025 Minutes

Madam Chair: Please review the September 16, 2025, meeting minutes. I will need a motion
to accept the minutes.
g) Motion: Paige Jones III
h) Second: Joc’Quelyn Carter
i) In Favor: All present
j) Oppose: None
k) Abstain: None
l) Motion carried

II. Old Business

5. By Law Review and Update

Open discussion on the by-laws for the Youth Council Advisory Committee and The Youth
Council.

Madam Chair: We will vote on each bylaw separately.

Madam Vice Chair: Regarding the SYCAC Bylaws, we have agreed to the following updates:

1. Add page numbers to each page.
2. Under “Board Members,” remove the virtual interview requirement.
3. Replace the wording “50%” with “70%” to reflect participation in all activities, calendar
events, etc.
4. Revise the statement to read: “Advisory Members are encouraged to support the Mayor
and Council events.”
5. Add an attendance report and calendar with quarterly breakouts.
6. Include a provision stating that approval may be granted for emergency situations.
7. Add one additional sentence to the Vice Chair role description.
8. Capitalize the first letter of every role title for consistency.

Madam Chair: I need a motion to accept the updated Advisory Committee Bylaws.

Valerie Richmond-Reese: I make a motion to accept the updated SYC Advisory Committee
Bylaws as presented.

a) Motion: Valerie Richmond-Reese
b) Second: Paige Jones III
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried

Madam Chair: Motion carries. The SYCAC Bylaws have been amended. We will now move
on to the SYC Bylaws.

Madam Vice Chair: Regarding the SYC Bylaws, we are proposing the following updates:

1. Add page numbers to each page.
2. Increase the number of members to twenty (20).
3. Revise the attendance policy to require participation in 70% of all meetings, work
sessions, and calendar events.
4. Align attendance calendar and tracking procedures with those of the Advisory Committee
(AC).
5. Increase the budget under Financial Paragraph 2.3 to $31,500.
6. Change the title of Article IX from SYC Ambassadors to Leadership Roles.
7. Add a sentence stating that participation will be monitored and members will be subject to
removal if they are not in compliance.

Madam Chair: Would someone like to make a motion to accept the updated SYC Bylaw
amendments?

Valerie Richmond-Reese: I make a motion.

g) Motion: Valerie Richmond-Reese
h) Second: Tykera Goins
i) In Favor: All present
j) Oppose: None
k) Abstain: None
l) Motion carried

Madam Chair: Motion carries.

Valerie Richmond-Reese: I just want to confirm that you have the note to update the revision
date.

Madam Vice Chair: Yes, it will be revised as of today, and I’ll send it out to everyone once
the updates are made.

Sharika Zellars: Shouldn’t it also be approved by the Mayor and Council?

Madam Vice Chair: Don’t we revise it first and then send it to them for the work session?

Joc’Quelyn Carter: Yes.

Madam Vice Chair: Okay, so it will be revised as of today, and we’ll send it afterward.

Valerie Richmond-Reese: I think what Sharika is saying is that if the Mayor and Council have
any questions or pushback, we may need to revisit and make additional changes.

Joc’Quelyn Carter: Then label the documents as Proposed Revised.

Madam Vice Chair: I’ll mark both documents as Proposed Revisions with today’s date.

6. Fall Festival
Madam Chair: Let’s move on to the Fall Festival. The Fall Festival is coming up this
weekend, Saturday, October 25, 2025. We have the event support divided into two groups.
Ayesha, can you go over the groups?

Madam Vice Chair: Yes, we have two shifts. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The shifts are as follows:

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Not Attending:

• Dr. Samuel Valme • Dr. Renee Gourdine • Georgia McIntyre
• Tykera Goins • Ayesha Gambles (until 2:30 p.m.) • Paige Jones III
• Candis Jones • Denita Minnis • Valerie Richmond-Reese
• Dr. Renee Gourdine • Joc’Quelyn Carter • Dr. Thomas Smith
• Joc’Quelyn Carter
• Ayesha Gambles

Madam Chair: What about the students?

Madam Vice Chair: I don’t have that information.

Sharika Zellars: I have it. The students have already signed up for shifts, and they are split
evenly. I’ll share the list in GroupMe.

Madam Chair: That’s fine, please share it there. The arrival time is 11:00 a.m. Any questions
about the Fall Festival? Alright, see you all there. The uniform is the SYC T-shirt, jeans, and
sneakers. If it’s chilly, wear your hoodie.

7. Youth Symposium Post Brief

Madam Chair: Next, we’ll move on to the Youth Symposium Post-Brief. Sharika and Ayesha
attended and will provide an update.

Madam Vice Chair: We had to request additional per diem funds due to unforeseen issues
with the van. However, overall, the trip went very well once we arrived. I believe the students
gained valuable insights and new ideas they’d like to bring back for implementation in our
county. One thing we learned about was the upcoming National League of Cities event. I
believe we may have participated in that before, Ms. Carter, do you recall?

Joc’Quelyn Carter: Yes, we attended twice; once in North Carolina and once in California.

Madam Vice Chair: This is what Sharika proposed to the council when requesting a budget
increase since we want to ensure our students can attend these kinds of events.

Sharika Zellars: Next year’s Symposium will be held in Nashville. The previous event was in
Utah.

Madam Vice Chair: Did you have anything else to add about the Symposium?
Sharika Zellars: I believe the Symposium was very effective. The students learned a lot and
were genuinely excited about the experience. That’s why I included the National League of
Cities event in the proposed budget, the students asked why they couldn’t attend such events,
and I want to create as many opportunities for them as possible. Overall, it went well. The
students even discussed the idea of hosting a Symposium ourselves, which hasn’t been done in
quite some time.

Madam Vice Chair: Ms. Carter, when was the last time we hosted a Symposium?

Joc’Quelyn Carter: We hosted one at the Merle Manders Conference Center. It’s a lot of
work, but yes, we’ve done it before.

Sharika Zellars: If we decide to host a Symposium again, it needs to be planned and budgeted
for well in advance. I don’t think we’d be ready before 2027, especially since we don’t yet
have our operating budget. The City would also need to agree to support the event, as it would
be a city-sponsored event, not just a Youth Council initiative.

Joc’Quelyn Carter: I recall that we did some fundraising and secured sponsorships when we
hosted it previously.

Madam Chair: That’s a good point. Let’s add this to our calendar for next year. If we decide
to move forward, we’ll need to start planning early and notify GMA of our intent to host.

8. Area Beautification

Madam Chair: Next on the agenda is Area Beautification. This item will always appear under
old business. We just need to ensure that we remain present and available. The Friday option
will be offered if Ms. Ayesha and Dr. Valme are available to participate.

Madam Vice Chair: November will be the last one since it’s starting to get dark earlier.

Madam Chair: So, we’ll only conduct the Friday option from August through November,
during daylight saving time.

III. New Business

9. City Budget Meeting/SYC Budget Update

10. 2nd Quarter Calendar

11. Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony

12. SYC Winter Wonderland

Madam Chair: Next on the agenda is the City Budget Meeting/SYC Budget Update. Everyone
should have the slides from the budget meeting that Sharika and Ayesha prepared. It would be
very beneficial for us to attend the budget meeting; I don’t think everyone has done that before.
The new City Manager wants each group to present their budget and provide updates on their
activities. I’m not limiting this to just myself, Sharika, and Ayesha; any of us should be
prepared to present.

Thank you, Sharika, for stepping up to brief. We now have a quarterly briefing with the
Council, and Ayesha will handle the next one on October 28th. It’s important for us to stay
informed about what’s happening within SYC, as the Council now expects us to deliver our
own briefings every quarter.

Sharika Zellars: During my presentation, there was discussion about the line item for security.
The Council mentioned they may move that cost to another line item or the City may absorb it
entirely. They will update us on how that will impact our requested budget increase. We listed
security as a major expense, but if the City covers that cost, those funds could be redirected to
student-related events.

Madam Vice Chair: It’s my understanding that we’ll likely receive the $31,500 we requested.

Madam Chair: Any further updates regarding the budget meeting?

Sharika Zellars: We may need to establish a recruitment team.

Madam Vice Chair: It was noted that Eagles Landing currently has no students on the Youth
Council. However, the consensus is that we may not need to create a completely new
recruitment team at this time.

Madam Chair: Where do we currently stand with the budget?

Madam Vice Chair: It’s shown on the second-to-last page; our remaining balance is
$2,713.05. Like Valerie mentioned, we already have plans for these funds as follows:

Madam Vice Chair: For the 2nd Quarter Calendar (November–January), the following events
are planned:

1. Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony – City event; we normally give out gifts and
candy to the children. Estimated cost: $300 (suggested change: stuff stockings this year).
2. SYC Winter Wonderland – Will need promotion; the budget is to be determined, but
advertising will be necessary.

Joc’Quelyn Carter: I suggest we make one motion to approve all expenses together. Here are
the proposed allocations:

• Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony: $300
• Storage: $200
• Apparel: $700

The current remaining budget is $1,413.00 due to outstanding expenditures. The revised
allocations are:

• Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony: $680
• Storage: $200
• Apparel: $700
• Promotion: $300

Tykera Goins: I’d like our advertising budget to cover Instagram and a Canva account.

Dr. Samuel Valme: I would like to refocus everyone back to the vote on the table.

Joc’Quelyn Carter: My motion is as follows for the remaining budget:

• Stockbridge Tree Lighting Ceremony: $300
• Storage: $200
• Winter Wonderland: $680
• Advertising: $300

If the $680 is not fully used for Winter Wonderland, the remaining funds may be redirected to
Apparel.

Valerie Richmond-Reese: I second the motion to allocate the funds as identified.

a) Motion: Joc’Quelyn Carter
b) Second: Valerie Richmond-Reese
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried

IV. Executive Session (if needed)
1. Not required

V. Adjourn
a) Motion: Ayesha Gambles
b) Second: Joc’Quelyn Carter
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried
g) Adjourned at 20:10
