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Following up on a campaign promise, Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) is reaching out to East County seniors and youth for new advisory boards that her staff says will help her make informed decisions.

The boards, which are set to kick off in the next few months, will discuss issues faced by both age groups and how the councilwoman can address them before they escalate into serious problems, her staff says.

"We basically want to give a voice to these communities that may not be given the attention that they deserve or have as strong a voice as they could—or should," said Alexis Reed, legislative aide to Navarro, who will run the youth board. "We have a large senior population in District 4, and it's really important to make sure that the seniors' needs are addressed.''

Jonathan Jayes-Green, a Navarro employee and John F. Kennedy High School student who will be on the youth advisory board, said he was hurt to see his high school in the news recently for video of a fight that was posted online. He's hoping the board can address school violence and gang issues before it becomes a news story or a viral Internet video.

"If there are issues going on in our community, I would think it would be important for someone to reach out to us [high schoolers], because we're the ones that are going to have to deal with that, and it's important to get our input," he said. Two students—one female and one male—from each high school in District 4 will be on the board, which is set to have its first meeting in early November.

It's an important step, especially as the county works on construction for the Mid-County Community Recreation Center and develops programs, Reed said.

"Oftentimes in the district, when people are trying to develop programs for the youth, they just want to do basketball or fashion shows," she said. "Maybe not all the youth are interested in that, which is why they're not participating."

The fact that youth have told her they are bored is a sign that programs in East County are not effectively targeting youth, she added.

Meanwhile, legislative aide Dolly Kildee is working on informing seniors in the area of their complementary advisory board. She said she is meeting with local retirement-community management to learn about the major issues and inform them of her plans for the first meeting in January.

She said she wants the board to have representatives from each of the district's retirement communities and neighborhoods, and the representatives will be chosen by the communities themselves.

So far, the meetings have already generated conversation about inconvenient Ride-On schedules at stops near retirement communities and dangerous crosswalks near The Oaks at Four Corners, things the councilwoman is trying to change, she said.

"You get it right from the people who know best what they need and are most familiar with the issues," she said.