Calistoga residents press council to restore teen center funding; council to revisit decision
May 21, 2024 | Calistoga, Napa County, California
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Dozens of residents and teenagers urged the Calistoga City Council on May 21 to restore municipal funding for the Calistoga Boys & Girls Club Teen Center after the council reduced the program’s support at a prior meeting.
Trent Yaconelli, executive director for the Boys & Girls Clubs at St. Helena, told the council the clubs and the city have partnered for about 20 years and that the city provides roughly $40,000 a year in operating support plus use of the Monhauf Building. “These kids do care about the teen center,” he said, urging council to “reconsider your decision.”
Students, staff and longtime volunteers described the teen center as a safe place that offers counseling, retreats and tutoring. Graham Grove, a junior at Calistoga High School, said the teen center “provided a place where teens are supported in ways that they couldn’t be anywhere else” during the COVID period and asked the council to reverse its funding decision.
Boys & Girls Club board members and staff told council the nonprofit invests hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in local services, and that the city’s contribution is a small share of the total support the program provides. “We can balance the budget without defunding the teen program,” said Chris Birdwell, the club’s board president in Calistoga, urging the council to reconsider.
Council members said they heard the public’s concerns. After discussion about Brown Act constraints on taking action during oral communications, the council directed staff to bring the budget item back for formal consideration at a future meeting so the full council can revisit the decision with public input.
The council did not take immediate action at the May 21 meeting; the mayor noted the budget was not final and that numbers could change before adoption. The council instructed staff to include additional information and to schedule the item for a future agenda so members can vote with full notice.
Why it matters: supporters said the teen center serves teens who otherwise lack supervised after‑school options and runs programs adopted as a national model; opponents of the earlier funding reduction had argued the city needed to reallocate limited funds to other priorities including investments in the fairgrounds. The council’s direction to bring the item back leaves the final budget outcome unresolved but ensures another public vote with further staff analysis.
What’s next: staff will prepare a report for a future meeting that includes the fiscal details, any proposed utility‑coverage changes and options for restoring the service agreement; the council may vote on adjustments at that subsequent meeting.
Trent Yaconelli, executive director for the Boys & Girls Clubs at St. Helena, told the council the clubs and the city have partnered for about 20 years and that the city provides roughly $40,000 a year in operating support plus use of the Monhauf Building. “These kids do care about the teen center,” he said, urging council to “reconsider your decision.”
Students, staff and longtime volunteers described the teen center as a safe place that offers counseling, retreats and tutoring. Graham Grove, a junior at Calistoga High School, said the teen center “provided a place where teens are supported in ways that they couldn’t be anywhere else” during the COVID period and asked the council to reverse its funding decision.
Boys & Girls Club board members and staff told council the nonprofit invests hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in local services, and that the city’s contribution is a small share of the total support the program provides. “We can balance the budget without defunding the teen program,” said Chris Birdwell, the club’s board president in Calistoga, urging the council to reconsider.
Council members said they heard the public’s concerns. After discussion about Brown Act constraints on taking action during oral communications, the council directed staff to bring the budget item back for formal consideration at a future meeting so the full council can revisit the decision with public input.
The council did not take immediate action at the May 21 meeting; the mayor noted the budget was not final and that numbers could change before adoption. The council instructed staff to include additional information and to schedule the item for a future agenda so members can vote with full notice.
Why it matters: supporters said the teen center serves teens who otherwise lack supervised after‑school options and runs programs adopted as a national model; opponents of the earlier funding reduction had argued the city needed to reallocate limited funds to other priorities including investments in the fairgrounds. The council’s direction to bring the item back leaves the final budget outcome unresolved but ensures another public vote with further staff analysis.
What’s next: staff will prepare a report for a future meeting that includes the fiscal details, any proposed utility‑coverage changes and options for restoring the service agreement; the council may vote on adjustments at that subsequent meeting.
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