Youth is served: Lodi's Mayor for a Day pitches kid-friendly policies
May 18—It is a sunny day and Kunal Nandwal, a fifth-grade student at John Muir Elementary School, is riding his bicycle to school.
Suddenly, a car pulls up next to him, and the occupants pull him inside.
"I don't know where they are taking me, who these people are and what is going to happen," he said. "This fear and concern are not only the fear of my Mom but many parents who rely on their kids to ride a bike to school while they can work to put food on the table."
Citing a passage in author Julie Low's book "Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids," Nandwal said if children are sheltered by their parents, they will not know how to make sense of good or evil.
It was for that reason, he said, that if he were mayor for a day, he would pass ordinances focused on child safety, as well as provide economic benefits to the city so parents could earn a living without having to worry about their students during the day.
Nandwal placed first in the City of Lodi's Mayor for a Day contest, and will spend a day in the near future shadowing Mayor Lisa Craig,
He'll also take a tour of Lodi City Hall, meet with city officials, brainstorm and propose ideas for the city, and participate in a Lodi City Council meeting.
Nandwal was one of 11 finalists among Lodi Unified School District students who submitted essays, poems, art projects, videos, or other media, explaining what they would do if they were mayor for an entire day.
Speaking during a special recognition ceremony at Wednesday's Lodi City Council meeting, Nandwal said the ordinances he would pass include free daycare for families, free taxis for youth during certain hours of the day, and increased law enforcement.
"The reason why I will make free daycare an ordinance is because in today's times, there is a huge disparity between cost of living and wages, especially for middle and low income households," he said. "Since daycare prices have been going up, it is very difficult for these classes to afford the daycare services and often parents don't have the extra help to assist them with raising with child-raising duties. So there is a constant struggle between working and raising kids."
Nandwal said these daycares would be operated through the use of volunteers, donations, fundraising and grants, and provide services such as extra educational activities and social skills.
"This could really help a lot of parents who have work and are not able to take care of their children without having to take out a chunk of their check just for daycare," he said.
His second ordinance, Nandwal said, would be to implement self-driving "robotaxis" for children. The taxis would provide safe transportation to school and extracurricular activities, he said.
"This car will be programmed to stay in the borders of Lodi and can't go anywhere else for the safety of children," he said. "If children try to go out of the Lodi boundaries, the car will refuse to do it. I prefer parents should have a tracker or phone with the child just in case it's needed for emergency contact between the adult and each child."
Nandwal has also proposed an ordinance that would require stores, theaters, cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues, like the Lodi Bowling Alley, to set aside three to four hours, one day a week, for children only.
"This will create a safe and age-appropriate environment for children to socialize and engage in recreational and social activities," he said. "This initiative might promote healthier lifestyles by encouraging more children to spend more time interacting face-to-face, rather than through digital formats. The ordinance could contribute to the well-being and development in their confidence and social skills."
For the first three ordinances to be successful, Nandwal said, he will also increase law enforcement presence in Lodi, specifically during the designated hours for children laid out in his previous proposal.
"This measure is to prevent potential risks or incidents that may come up in crowded places during these times and that businesses adhere to the ordinance and maintain safe environment," he said. "Deterring criminal activity will not only provide protection for the kids, but also peace of mind and assurance for the parents. Increasing law enforcement can also lead to fostering a positive trust cooperation and respect between law enforcement and the community."
Nandwal added that if his four ideas become ordinances, Lodi could become a safer city for both parents and children.
"All the proposed ordinances will contribute towards a brighter future for children and Lodi," he said. "As of right now it's just these four ideas that could help Lodi. But if we put our minds into strategizing more ideas we could improve Lodi day by day, step by step."
Second place in the competition went to Reese Elementary School sixth-grade student Carly Stroud, while Live Oak Elementary School second-grader Monserrat Santiago Ramirez placed third.
Honorable mention went to Vinewood Elementary School fifth-grader Arley Barrington and Reese sixth-grader Mason Mayer.
Students Tillie Esparza, Dash Thruston, Ezekiel Park, Mason Barrington, Rilpey Lamby and Ishika Bakta were all recognized for their participation in the contest during Wednesday's meeting.
Each student's submission will be available for viewing at www.lodi.org in the coming days.
Craig said the competition was a fun experience.
"Obviously they understood the importance of public service and they took the time to enter into this competition," she said. "I'm glad we had an opportunity to recognize our young people, because they're going to be up here sooner rather than later."
