By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

Thirty Alabaster teens are looking to have a say in the city’s future, and will interview for seats on Alabaster’s first Teen Council over the next week.

On March 7, Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon said she had received applications and essays from 30 teens interested in serving on the 12-member Teen Council. Twenty-two of the applicants are Thompson High School students, four are students at Kingwood Christian School and four are students at Evangel Christian School.

“I think it’s important that we have all of our schools represented,” Handlon said.

During the week of March 10-14, Handlon and a panel consisting of representatives from the Alabaster YMCA, the city of Alabaster and other area organizations will interview the 30 applicants before seating the Teen Council in late March.

“I am real excited about the panel we have assembled,” Handlon said. “We will talk to each one of the applicants. I feel that is very important.”

The council will be open to Alabaster teens in grades nine-11, and likely will meet about two times per month, Handlon said.

Once seated, the council likely will form three committees: A government liaison committee to work with the Alabaster City Council, a community service group to plan and implement civic projects and a recreation committee to help plan teen-friendly events.

Alabaster City Council members and other civic leaders have agreed to serve as mentors to the kids selected to be on the Teen Council.

The Alabaster Sports and Entertainment Foundation, which operates the city’s concession stands, has agreed to help the Teen Council with fundraising, and said the Alabaster YMCA has offered meeting and event space, Handlon said previously.

Handlon said those not selected for the first Alabaster Teen Council term should not be discouraged, as they could still serve on the council’s subcommittees and could re-apply for the council in 2015.