San Diego’s long-struggling Youth Commission is about to reconvene. Does it have what it needs to succeed?

Melanie Yau wants to see a wider range of perspectives in San Diego government.

Angela Ortner wants to inspire other young people to get into public service.

And Sadie Wheeler sees chances to get young San Diegans more mental health resources.

These students are three of the new members of the San Diego Youth Commission, a city advisory body that aims to bridge the gap between young people in San Diego and the city’s leadership.

The panel is convening this Saturday for the first time in more than a year, after repeated struggles to draw enough participation to function and even to draw enough interest from potential members to join at all.

But several new appointments have made the commission a reality once again.

“I’m really excited to have the meeting and see what happens,” said Yau, a 17-year-old senior at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla.

Today, only 13 members serve on a commission that has 20 available seats. Vacancies still exist in Districts 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and in one seat that must be appointed by the mayor. The Mayor’s Office says it’s currently finishing interviews to fill that seat.

At Saturday’s meeting, the group will establish a chair and vice chair. But beyond that, their priorities will be up to the commissioners themselves....