Sunny is a senior at Los Gatos High School and is the chairwoman of the newly formed Los Gatos Youth Commission.

"It's the first year," said advisor and Police Chief Scott Seaman. "It's a year of exploration. It's an evaluation year to report back to the council. It's really to provide a voice for the youth of Los Gatos to bring issues forward."

But Sunny said it can be intimidating to be sitting in the council chambers, especially when council members drop by to listen to discussions.

"That can be kind of scary," she said. "They are so important, and we want to look like we're doing something important."

Sunny is aided in her duties by Vice Chairman Forest Gallien, a Los Gatos junior. The 15 commissioners and five alternates serve the town in an advisory capacity on the commission, according to Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department Sgt. Joe DePrima, one of the commission's advisors.

The students come from Los Gatos, Archbishop Mitty and Notre Dame high schools and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School, and participants range from grades 8 to 12. Commissioners must all reside in Los Gatos.

The youth commission has formed subcommittees that meet outside of monthly meetings to discuss and research issues such as movies and music, teen surveys, a youth commission website, publicity and merchandise. The subcommittee members then report back to the commission about their progress during meetings.

"They are definitely involved," DePrima said. "They've got some really good thoughts about things. It's a great forum for them, and they see how government works and they have a say in their community."

"They are representing the kids," added Irene Shrier, another advisor, who serves as recording secretary for the commission. "It definitely is a leadership group. It's pretty much self-run by the kids."

Half of the commissioners serve two-year terms, while others serve one-year terms through June 2005. The students were elected this past June out of a pool of about 100 applicants and sworn into office in September.

Additional advisors include Capt. Dave Gravel of the police department, along with Town Manager Debra Figone, Assistant Town Manager Pamela Jacobs and Mike Loya, director of A Place for Teens.

Commissioner Jourdan Risoen, a Los Gatos High sophomore, said by attending the meetings and voicing his opinion he's helping to make a difference on teen issues. The commissioners have been working on a survey they'll distribute to high school and middle school students to find out what the top issues are in the community for teens and hopefully plan events to address those needs, Risoen said.

Addressing teen concerns has been a tough task and slow-moving process, Risoen added. However, he said the diverse group is generating solutions and learning about how the town functions through presentations from various departments.

"It's a lot of really smart people, and everyone stays on task," he said.

Commissioner Jacqui Kemp said another goal of the group is to spread the message that the youth commission exists. Kemp said the youth commission and teen interest in civic affairs came as a result of the "Alive ... and Loving Life" group. ALL is an organization composed of elected officials, school administrators, citizens and students committed to providing a safe community while supporting youth to remain healthy, capable and confident.

"Teens really need more of a say in what happens in the community, and they decided a youth commission would be a perfect opportunity for that," Jacqui said.

During a Monte Sereno City Council meeting on Feb. 1, council members were in the process of forming a youth commission for students who live in Monte Sereno. They are seeking five commissioners, in grades 8 to 12, to serve one-year terms. But the ordinance establishing the commission is still pending a second reading and adoption.