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Norwalk
Youth Services Advisory Board Minutes
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JUNE 12, 2007
ATTENDANCE: Peter Wien, Chairman; Darlene Young, Officer Gregory Riley,
Norwalk Police Department; Maria Borges-Lopez; Michael Mocciae, Recreation and
Parks Director Jessica Fogg,
(4:20 p.m.); Candace Mayer, Norwalk Housing Authority (4:35 p.m.)
STAFF: Linda Wilock, Director of Youth Services
OTHERS: Larry Manzi, Information Technology, Katherine Pytleski, Grants
Coordinator
CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Wien called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF MAY 29, 2007
** MR. WIEN MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF MAY 29, 2007 AS SUBMITTED.
** MS. YOUNG SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Mr. Manzi asked whether these minutes should be posted on the website. Ms. Wilock said that she would email a copy to him. Mr. Wien asked whether the Board Members could have the minutes emailed to them in advance. Ms. Wilock said that she would do so.
Mr. Wien said that Ms. Pytleski had some information that she wished to present to the Board at this time.
Ms. Pytleski said that she was working on a grant application for OJJDP Fiscal Year 2007 Gang Prevention program. She said that this was not a grant to prevent gangs from forming, since there were already a number of gangs existing in Norwalk, but a grant that would provide funds to enhance the local, State and Federal resources for gang coordination strategies. The pilot program would have room for 30 youth. These participants would most likely be drawn from the Juvenile Justice Review Board or other sources, including youth at risk. The participants would all be Norwalk residents and under the age of 21. Ms. Pytleski said that she was still gathering information even as she was writing the grant because there is a very narrow three week application window.
UPDATE ON WEBSITE PROJECT
Ms. Wilock reported that she and Ms. Young had met with Mr. Manzi and Ms. Del Vecchio about creating a website for Norwalk youth. Mr. Manzi said that it would not be a problem to host it on the server. Mr. Wien asked about maintenance. Mr. Manzi said that someone would have to be responsible for monitoring the site and that the calendar would have to be maintained.
Ms. Fogg joined the meeting at 4:20 p.m.
A discussion about how to manage the site, passwords and updating the calendar then followed.
Ms. Mayer joined the meeting at 4:35 p.m.
The discussion continued about possible guidelines and creating policies for the site. The Board also considered what kind of parameters would be used and whether the site would be specific to Norwalk or cover Fairfield County.
Mr. Wien said that he had hoped the kids could have their own corner and had not envisioned something that was adult driven.
Ms. Young said that the IT Department would have two summer interns starting in July and that the IT Department could be identified as an intern site.
Mr. Manzi said that it would be possible to create a feedback area and also a link to “other cool stuff”. Mr. Wien agreed but said that he felt the feedback area would need to be locked and monitored for approval.
Ms. Fogg asked if it would be necessary to find sponsors. Mr. Manzi said that there would be no cost to host it on the City server. Mr. Wien said that if the Board discovered that it costs money to run the site, then the Board would have to consider grants.
Ms. Wilock reminded everyone that the original reason that this project was created was because the kids said that there was not enough to do. Mr. Wien agreed and said it probably would be best to start with a basic website and build on from there. Mr. Manzi said that he would have a template set up by the time the summer interns start on July 2nd.
UPDATE ON YOUTH SURVEY
Ms. Fogg distributed copies of the Norwalk Youth Survey 2007 form. She said that someone had already expressed concern about the category of “Church activities”, but she did not know what other term to use. The Board members then gave her other suggestions.
There was also a discussion regarding what contact information the Board could ask for on the form and when it would be handed out during the training for the summer jobs program. There was an additional discussion about other locations that the form could be distributed. Mr. Wien pointed out that it would be very important to have the form distributed and collected at the same gathering rather than distributed and have the forms mailed into City Hall.
The discussion then moved on to what age group the website was targeting. It
was determined that the age group would be between 12-18. Ms. Mayer suggested
that the form title be changed from Norwalk Youth Survey 2007 to Norwalk Teen
Survey 2007.
This was agreeable to all.
Ms. Young asked when the target deadline for this project was. Ms. Wilock said that she hoped the website would be up and functional by the beginning of September when school starts.
ADJOURNMENT
** MR. WIEN MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MS. YOUNG SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon L. Soltes
Telesco Secretarial Service
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