Mount Pleasant Youth Council

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNT PLEASANT YOUTH COUNCIL Thursday, May 5, 2022 6:00 PM Mount Pleasant Municipal Complex Council Chambers 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 MINUTES Ms. Sims called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Youth Council Members Cally DeMoura, Garrett Griffin, Grace Griffin, Willa Jones, Geneva Kowbeidu, Caroline Tiller and McKenna Young were all present. Mr. El Hassan arrived at 6:03 p.m. 1. Public Comments [No Public Comments.] 2. Approval of the minutes from the April 7, 2022 meeting Ms. DeMoura moved to approve the minutes, seconded by Ms. Young. All present voted in favor. (Mr. El Hassan was not present for the vote. Mr. El Hassan arrived at 6:03 p.m. and moved forward with the next item. 3. Discussion regarding priority project closeout Ms. Sims stated there have not been many toiletry donations received from the schools. Ms. Young stated when she dropped the bin off at Bishop England, no one was at school. Ms. DeMoura stated the bin is still in the main hallway at Wando and suggested leaving the bins in place for another week to collect donations. Ms. Kowbeidu stated she was in favor of leaving the bins for another week and the other members concurred. Ms. Sims asked them to please drop the donations off by next Friday or contact her to make arrangements for pick-up. 4. Sign up for the May 11 Mental Health Awareness Event Ms. Sims stated the Mount Pleasant Police Department will be holding a mental health awareness event in the lobby of Town Hall and Sgt. Labrie will be there along with several different groups who will have displays set up to inform attendees of the services they offer. There is no charge for participation and the Police Department is asking for Youth Council volunteers to assist with staffing these display tables and to circulate through the attendees and assist as needed. Ms. Sims said there will be a brief message from Mayor Haynie and Chief Arnold at 6:00, and then there will be Narcan training. The Police Department is asking for people to pre- register for the training so they have an adequate number of supplies. Ms. Sims also asked for a list of those that could work the event and said Sgt. Labrie would be in contact with them. Ms. Sims stated she just returned from Columbia and Representative JA Moore, who represents North Charleston and is a professional chef, was instrumental in helping to get a bill passed for mental health resources in the schools. Ms Sims stated she asked Rep. Moore about the bill that Youth Council was interested in and if there is an appetite to potentially refile the bill with the new session for next year. He relayed that there is interest and that Governor McMaster put $2 Million in the budget for mental health assistance and specifically mental health counselors in schools but the problem they are experiencing is that the pay is not sufficient to attract enough qualified people. There will need to be creativity in looking at ways to recruit or to provide resources in another way, such as by levering partnerships with other organizations. 5. Discussion regarding June conversation with CCSD staff regarding mental health support in schools Ms. Sims stated Interim Charleston County School District Superintendent Don Kennedy presented to the Education Committee of Council in April. He discussed the topic of teen mental health and some of the things they are doing to address it within the district. She stated Councilman Iacofano informed him of Youth Councils passion for this issue. Ms. Sims forwarded Youth Councils letter requesting support for additional mental health funds  in schools to Mr. Kennedys office. Ms. Sims stated Mr. Kennedy immediately contacted her and wanted to speak with Youth Council at their June meeting along with their Chief Transformation Officer, Anita Huggins. She asked the Youth Council Members if they were interested in meeting for the purpose of discussing this topic with Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Huggins. The members agreed they would like to meet. Ms. Sims stated the June meeting would be on the second and asked if 5:00 would be a convenient time for the meeting. The members agreed on 5:00 p.m. Ms. Sims stated she would attempt to get some specific questions that they would be asking and encouraged the members to seriously think about and prepare responses as this would be a very important opportunity to speak on behalf of their peers. 6. Adjourn There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Christine Barrett Clerk of Council May 5, 2022