Student, 15, Applies To Sit On Council Committee
Savannah Says She'll Bring "Fresh Approach" To Meetings
CENTERVILLE - The city could get its youngest-ever committee member in the shape of a 15-year-old.
Savannah Lee, the daughter of Council Member Tom Lee, has applied for one of the vacant seats on the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Her application has sparked debate among city council members, who were split on the subject of such a young candidate.
But Savannah, a student at Centennial High School, is convinced she has much to offer.
"I thought I could really give them a younger opinion," she said.
"Most of them are kind of older. At one meeting they were talking about the parks, and I thought it would be a good idea to speak for my age group."
She first attended a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting in November as part of her community service for her American government class.
Three meetings later, she was hooked, and asked for an application form to sit on the committee.
"I've only told two of my best friends," she said, "but they think it's pretty cool."
At the council meeting on Feb. 13, council members debated whether to interview Savannah, or to introduce a policy governing the appointment of young people to the city council and committees.
"I would prefer to bring it up to those committee and commission members to see how they feel," explained Centerville Mayor Mary Capra.
But council members Linda Broussard Vickers and Michelle Lakso disagreed, voting in favor of interviewing Savannah at the next city council meeting on Feb. 27. "I think it's kind of neat that we have someone that young interested for the first time ever," added Broussard Vickers.
The city of about 4,000 has had trouble attracting candidates, and has had several empty seats on the 7-member committee for some time.
Jeanette Bach, research manager for the League of Minnesota Cities, said, "It would be my impression - no hard data survey - that an independent application by a 15-year-old youth to participate on a city commission is unusual."
She added that the cities of Hermantown and Moorhead, Minn., had previously considered or made available non-voting positions on the city council or commissions for youth members, and that the city of Richfield, Minn., had high school students serving on three commissions in 1991.
Meanwhile, Savannah says she is nervous at the prospect of the interview, which will be the first she has faced, but is excited to get started.
"I think it would be a good idea to have more kids' programs [in Centerville]," she said.
"During the summer, maybe there could be a weekend where all teens could get together in the park and have some live bands and a couple of skateboard competitions.
"It would be really cool, and would get teenagers involved in the community."