The Aurora City Council is set to vote on the first student to be appointed to a city board or commission.
Aldermen will vote at the Tuesday regular meeting on the appointment of Michael Handzic, a Metea Valley High School junior, to the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board.
He would be the first student to be appointed to one of the city’s more than 40 boards or commissions since the City Council made that possible by revamping its requirements for boards and commissions in 2021.
That does not count the 17-member Aurora Youth Council, which advises the mayor on youth issues and engages in outreach and engagement with the city’s youth, and is made up entirely of students.
The Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board is an advisory body to the City Council, on the planning and development process for bicycle, pedestrian and public transit facilities.
Alex Minella, of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, is the staff liaison with the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board. He said it is the first among the city’s advisory boards to further civic engagement by reaching out to students.
“The board, in order to enhance public outreach, education and gather suggestions from the first users of the system, young and active residents, decided to reach out to interested students who could advocate for safety, recommend improvements …,” Minella said.
One member of the board is a teacher at Waubonsie Valley High School and he recruited candidates, Minella said.
In 2021, Aurora revamped its more than 40 boards and commissions to standardize things like size, how they do agendas, how they take public comment and handle other business.
When they did that, they also made it possible for students in the city to serve on boards. Handzic would be the first to do that.
“We’re very happy to have him on board,” said Alex Voigt, deputy chief of staff in the mayor’s office.
Bicycle paths and traffic patterns on the far East Side, which includes the Metea Valley area, have been a big concern with residents. The area has several high-traffic areas near both Metea Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools, and residents have complained they are dangerous to bike riders and pedestrians, many of whom are students.
slord@tribpub.com
