HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Futures Committee - 09/09/2024 -1
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
FUTURES COMMITTEE MEETING
Date: September 9, 2024
Location: Zoom
Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Committee Members present:
Councilmember Melanie Potyondy
Councilmember Julie Pignataro
Councilmember Tricia Canonico (arrived late)
Additional Council members present:
City Staff:
Caryn Champine
Additional Staff present:
Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Theresa Roche, Human Resources Director
Sue Schafer, Volunteer Services Program Manager
Melina Dempsey, FC Moves
Meeting called to order at 4:30pm
Approval of Minutes:
Councilmember Pignataro moved to approve the June 2024 minutes. Chair Potyondy seconded.
Motion passed 2-0.
Chairperson Comments:
Chair Potyondy noted a focus of the recently adopted Economic Health Strategy Plan is to support talent
and workforce development in Fort Collins and stated the Committee had some curiosity about leading
edge programs that are preparing the community’s youth for the workforce and changing dynamics of the
job market, including one in the City’s Volunteer Services Program.
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The Future of Building a Talent Pipeline, Sue Schafer, Volunteer Services Program Manager
Topic Overview: There is no doubt that a proactive approach to engaging younger community members
allows us to reap the benefits of recruiting a new generation of employees. In this session, Sue Schafer
will discuss how the City of Fort Collins is currently innovating with the talent pipeline in our community
through the volunteer and internship programs. As a partner in PSD’s Future Ready initiatives, Fort
Collins Volunteer Services launched the NextGen Serve teen volunteer program that introduces teens to
municipal careers. Our internship program also provides an entry point for students to learn City
systems and network and build social capital. We will also look ahead to explore how we can be future
ready for more innovation in building a talent pipeline.
Traditional Youth Engagement
• Sports
• Education
• Camps
• Events
National Trends
• Engaging Youth as an Advisory Board
• Job Shadowing
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Internships
• Leadership Opportunities
• STEM Education
• Utilizing the Power of Peers – Creating a Community
City of Fort Collins Volunteer Services
Mission is to strengthen the Fort Collins community by activating volunteerism guided by stewardship,
inclusion, and impact. Vision for a talent pipeline that starts in middle school when teens are just starting
to think about their future, making the City organization feel more accessible, and continuing the talent
pipeline into college. Volunteering is the perfect way to gain work experience and network with talented
City staff. Additionally, there is alignment with Council priority 10 to make government more accessible,
approachable, and fun. Examples of programs in Fort Collins include:
• Project Hort and Jr. Hort at the Gardens on Spring Creek
• Natural Areas Club Outdoors with the Boys and Girls Club
• Youth Advisory Board
• Recreation employs youth as young as 16
NextGen Serve Volunteer Services Program
• Why:
o Promote Civic Engagement
o Provide Career Exploration
o Expand our Talent Pipline
o Increase the Diversity of Volunteer Pool
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• Who:
o City Volunteer Service Club for Youth Ages 13-18
o A Welcoming Space for All
• What:
o Learn valuable job skills and explore municipal careers while providing meaningful
service.
• Gives teens the space to feel seen, heard, and valued.
• Work with PSD to employ teachers in the summer possibly for continuing education credit with
Future Ready Program.
• 2024: 34 teens visited 15 different City departments, partnered with several local non-profits
Ella Killen, NextGen participant, spoke about her experience with the program and learning about
possible career opportunities with the City.
Internships
• Improve and Expand City Internships
o Clear definitions
o Standardized experience
o Funding for paid internships
o Training for intern managers
o Collaborations across departments
• Investing in interns leads to an investment in the workforce
Samantha Dickson, Talent Development Coordinator, discussed her experience starting with the City as a
student intern and intern crew leader for NextGen Serve.
Vision for the Future
• Expand Engagement
o Year-round opportunities for teens
o New experiences for NextGen
o Encourage teens to engage more deeply with City programs
• Build a Community
o Work-based learning
o Community of peers
o Leadership ladder
• Path to Employment
o Improve City internship program
o Provide networking opportunities
o Career coaching
Discussion
• Councilmember Pignataro asked about the competitiveness of the programs. Schafer replied
Project Hort is quite competitive and enjoys having the same teens return year after year.
Additionally, the Jr. Hort program was developed to expand the program’s capacity to 6th graders.
The goal of NextGen is to grow it to allow for participation by as many children as possible,
ultimately in a year-round capacity.
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• Schafer stated the NextGen promotion currently starts in January and there is an application and
interview process that helps children think through the commitment to the majority of the
summer. Funding from Otter Cares helped pay for paid staff to run the program – hope is to get
more funding to double the size of NextGen.
• Councilmember Pignataro asked about the competitiveness of the internship program. Schafer
replied it varies depending on the department and other factors, thus the need for a more
standardized experience.
• Councilmember Pignataro asked if most City departments are familiar with how to use interns or
if there is room for improvement in that space. Schafer replied there is room for improvement
and a suggestion has been to create internship liaisons in departments.
• Chair Potyondy thanked Ella Killen for volunteering with the City and asked if there are parts of
the City operations that teens might be interested in knowing about, and if so, what is the best
way for the City to get teens involved. Killen replied she was previously unaware of TAC212
and suggested using Xello to provide information on opportunities as it is already utilized by
students in PSD. Schafer noted NextGen is promoted on Xello.
• Councilmember Canonico asked if there are ideas on the horizon for internships or youth
engagement. Schafer replied she would like to partner closely with PSD and that students who
have gone through NextGen will be prepared for deeper internships in areas such as IT.
• Chair Potyondy asked if NextGen has absorbed the Summer in the City program. Schafer replied
in the affirmative.
• City Manager DiMartino asked Ella Killen and Samantha Dickson what the City should be
focusing on that it may not be paying enough attention to. Dickson commented on falling in love
with Fort Collins immediately and stated there are always options for youth. Killen suggested
increasing awareness for the programs in schools.
• Theresa Roche, Human Resources Director, stated many high school and college students do not
understand what local government does unless they have studied public administration or public
policy. Roche commented on City staff members, and even Councilmembers, going into schools
and CSU to make presentations. Additionally, Roche noted Fort Collins will be hosting a group
of Purdue students who want to learn more about public service.
Additional Committee Updates
• Report back from German Marshall Fund Convening – Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
o City Manager DiMartino reported on the German Marshall Fund’s work related to local
government and cities having a unique ability to innovate in the strength of democracy
space. Topics of focus for recent gathering:
▪ Increasing polarization: building common ground
▪ Advancing multi-racial inclusive communities
▪ Exploring best practices to fortify democracy
o Participants are a mix of elected and appointed officials: six cities from the United States
and six from Europe, most of which are much larger than Fort Collins.
o Takeaways:
▪ Challenging trends with disinformation and disengagement
▪ Focus on youth: what is working and what is failing?
▪ Creating spaces and opportunities for connecting: superblocks
▪ Fort Collins viewed as a success story in many spaces, including NextGen
▪ City Manager DiMartino spoke on the Futures Committee: pause, perspective,
place-making – possibly start engaging youth in the Futures Committee
o German Marshall Fund has a focus on healthy democratic practice and democracy actions
in cities.
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o High level of trust exists within Fort Collins City organization.
• Preview of November 2024 session
o Dempsey reported the next meeting will be November 18th and the speaker will be from
the American Futures Institute out of Duke University who will be speaking on Shaping
the Future with a Three Horizons Framework.
• Explore additional topics for 2025
o Innovative use of City buildings
Councilmember Canonico made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Pignataro, to adjourn the
meeting. Motion passed 3-0.
THE MOTION CARRIED.
Meeting adjourned at 5:45 pm
MINUTES APPROVED AT THE NOVEMBER 18, 2024 COUNCIL FUTURES COMMITTEE
MEETING