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was to treat this commission so much different than any of the others. Mr. Crow said they fill <br />their appointments now when they need to fill a vacancy. He said there have been times when <br />vacancies have gone for a long period of time. Mr. Crow noted that he was not trying to commit <br />a different pathway because Council has not been successful when they carved out a different <br />protocol. <br /> <br />Ms. Genice Self said the July date was chosen in order to get it organized before school started. <br /> <br />Ms. Jensen said this commission is different than the other commissions because there are <br />youth involved in it. She noted there is a huge need with things happening in the Loop and <br />problems going on with youth. There is a real need for this type of commission. Ms. Jensen <br />noted that several of the appointments are pre-set and do not need to have Council appoint. <br />She said she would consider this commission as a priority to get the youth back on track and <br />give them some alternatives. <br /> <br />Mr. Kraft asked what other commissions and what other cities did they compare this to. Ms. <br />Carter said she found San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Indiana and Georgia. Mr. Kraft <br />asked if they found any in St. Louis County and Ms. Carter said they had not seen any. Mr. <br />Kraft said the one that comes to his mind is the Florissant Youth Initiative and suggested looking <br />at that as a model. He asked what the first three issues would be of the commission. Ms. <br />Carter said the commission should look at the task force’s suggestion and then prioritize them. <br />Mr. Kraft asked Ms. Carter to give an example and what were some of the programs the other <br />commissions studied have done. Ms. Carter said one had a lack of activities for the youth, so <br />they worked with the Council to create activities for the youth. Mr. Kraft asked how they <br />handled the problems of gangs. Mr. Kraft said he talked to the people of the Ferguson Youth <br />not for profit; do work for the City and the <br />Initiative and noted they were set up as a 501c <br />3 <br />schools and have a huge amount of flexibility and are not constrained by being under an <br />umbrella of an organization. He noted that U City in Bloom is another 501cand are <br />3 <br />very effective and do a lot of good work. Mr. Kraft asked Ms. Carter her view of the <br />advantages and disadvantages of 501cversus a commission. Ms. Carter said she <br />3 <br />would not know. <br /> <br />Mr. Clay Ware said the 501c would be a broader reach as it could provide more <br />3 <br />funding for the programs. He said it would be a little more difficult to branch out and <br />partner with other organizations. Mr. Ware noted some of the initiatives that could be <br />put in place and said there would be numerous things in which the youth could get <br />involved in- more activity for the young that would prevent them from ending up in a <br />gang; working on a community garden; working with the police department; working with <br />Real Talk; and working in the homes. Mr. Ware said there were a vast number of things <br />that can be done and the commission would decide how to go about it. He noted on the <br />number of people on the commission to him would be to select those who would <br />represent the community as a whole. <br /> <br />Mr. Kraft said U City is used to working with 501c, so if the committee knows who they <br />3 s <br />want on the board, then they could set up their own 501c. He said the reality is that <br />3 <br />once the commission gets into the political arena, people will appoint people that are in <br />their ward and not a homeless kid. Mr. Kraft said in a 501c those show up, as U City In <br />3 <br />3 <br /> <br /> <br />