Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Youth Commission  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Wednesday, June 18, 2025  
5:30 PM  
Hybrid meeting: Attend in person  
in Room 354 of the City County  
Building or virtually via Zoom  
Interpreters must be requested in advance; please see the bottom of the agenda for more information.  
Los intérpretes deben solicitarse con anticipación; consulte el final de la agenda para obtener más  
información.  
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The Wednesday, June 18, 2025 Youth Commission meeting will be conducted in hybrid fashion. Members  
of the public can either attend in person or virtually via Zoom.  
The public can attend in person in Room 354 of the City County Building.  
The public can access the meeting virtually with the Zoom application or by telephone.  
To join the meeting in Zoom, click the following link (after you fill out the form, the meeting link and  
access information will be emailed to you):  
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Lc1qvSxmRLiSDQK1fupfcA  
This link will be active until the end of the meeting.  
To join the meeting by phone, dial-in using one of the following three toll-free phone numbers:  
1-833-548-0276  
1-833-548-0282  
1-888-788-0099  
When prompted, enter the following Webinar ID: 966 8472 3330  
PROCESS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT:  
IN PERSON: Any members of the public wishing to register to speak on/support/oppose an agenda item  
can register in person at the meeting using paper registration forms. IT IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO  
REGISTER VIA THE ZOOM LINK ABOVE EVEN IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING IN PERSON.  
In person registrations to provide public comment will be accepted throughout the meeting.  
VIRTUAL: Any members of the public wishing to register to speak on/support/oppose an agenda item  
MUST REGISTER USING THE LINK ABOVE (even if you plan to attend using your phone). Virtual  
registrations to provide public comment will be accepted until 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the  
meeting.  
In order to testify (provide public comment) virtually, you must be in attendance at the meeting via Zoom  
or phone, you will then either be unmuted or promoted to a panelist and provided time to speak to the  
body.  
If you want to submit a written comment for this meeting, or send handouts for board members, please  
send them to: meinen.megan@danecounty.gov  
A. Call To Order  
Staff present: Bonnie Erickson  
Chair Vella called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.  
8 -  
Present  
Absent  
MEGHAN BENSON, Vice Chair ASHLEY PLETZER, CHRISTINE BENEDICT, Chair  
PRAGNYA VELLA, Supervisor HENRY FRIES, ISABEL CHIRIBOGA-PINEDA,  
VISHNU KATA, and KORBY WHITE  
3 - CHELSEY TUBBS, EMILY MASCIOPINTO, and Supervisor DAVID PETERSON  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
MINUTES FROM MAY 21, 2025  
2025  
MIN-126  
Attachments: 2025_0521_Youth Commission Minutes  
A motion was made by BENEDICT, seconded by WHITE, that the Minutes be  
approved. The motion carried on a voice vote 8-0.  
C. Action Items  
1. Election of Chair  
Chair Vella called for nominations for Youth Commission Chair. Benedict  
nominated Kata. Vella called two more times for nominations and there were  
none.  
A motion was made by FRIES, seconded by BENSON, that Kata be elected as  
Chair of the Youth Commission. The motion carried by a voice vote 8-0.  
Attendance Update  
Tubbs joined the meeting.  
9 -  
Present  
MEGHAN BENSON, Vice Chair ASHLEY PLETZER, CHELSEY TUBBS,  
CHRISTINE BENEDICT, Chair PRAGNYA VELLA, Supervisor HENRY FRIES,  
ISABEL CHIRIBOGA-PINEDA, VISHNU KATA, and KORBY WHITE  
2 - EMILY MASCIOPINTO, and Supervisor DAVID PETERSON  
Absent  
D. Discussion Items  
1. Election of Vice Chair Scheduled for Next Meeting  
2. Review of Guns and School Safety Discussion From May Meeting  
The Youth Commission plans to look in more detail at the data gathered on guns and  
school safety on the Dane County Youth Assessment (DCYA.)  
Benson will review DCYA data across demographic groups and will share this out in  
the next meeting.  
Megan Meinen will send out the full DCYA survey to Youth Commission members to  
review.  
The Commission wishes to look into ways to partner with organizations doing work in  
this area such as Focused Interruption, Public Health Violence Prevention group,  
allies with BIPOC youth, Alderman Glenn, etc. There was discussion of partnering  
with law enforcement, including Captain Shannon Blackamore of the Madison Police  
Department.  
The group reviewed school survey climate results from Waunakee High School.  
The Youth Commission will consider ways to disseminate DCYA results in the  
community, such as joining with another summit or planning a DCYA event like Voice  
of Our Youth in 2018. The group discussed communication needs around planning an  
event.  
3. Dane County Staffing  
Erickson will now serve as the Dane County Department of Human Services'  
liaison to the Youth Commission.  
4. Next Meeting: August? Agenda Items?  
A presentation to the Health & Human Needs Committee has been postponed until  
November 13th at 5:30pm. The Youth Commission will discuss what will be  
presented at this meeting and by whom. HHN received an overview of 2024 DCYA  
data previously.  
A survey will be distributed to Youth Commission members to gauge availability to  
help determine the best day and time for meetings.  
E. Reports to Committee  
None.  
F. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
Next meeting: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the City County  
Building and via Zoom.  
G. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
The Youth Commission plans to provide special recognition for Megan Meinen  
during the August meeting as she ends her time as Dane County Department of  
Human Services staff liaison to the body.  
I. Adjournment  
A motion was made by BENEDICT, seconded by BENSON, that the meeting be  
adjourned. The motion carried by a voice vote 9-0 and the meeting was  
adjourned at 6:45 p.m.  
Minutes submitted by Bonnie Erickson pending Commission approval.