Veterans Affairs Commission - Regular Meeting

Courtney, can you hear me? All right, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this meeting underway today. Stand up and salute the flag.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice,

All right, thank you very much. Let's everybody silence our cell phones so we don't interrupt the meeting. That means going to airplane mode does not count. The clerk would do a roll call, please.

District 1 Commissioner Smith. District 1 Commissioner Fisher here. District 2 Commissioner Reynolds. District 2 Commissioner Mullins Becker. District 3 Commissioner Culver here. District 3 Commissioner Aguilar. District 4 Commissioner Welch here. District 4 Commissioner Thompson here. District 5 Commissioner Norton and District 5 Commissioner Milham. Thank you, thank you.

Alright, welcome to the June Veterans Affairs Commission meeting. At this time, I'd get the adoption of the agenda and approval consent calendar. Make any necessary additions, deletions, or corrections to the agenda. Determine the manners to be added or removed from the consent calendar. And with one motion, adopt the agenda and approve the consent calendar. Anybody have any changes, additions, deletions, corrections? Is there any public comment on the consent calendar?

We are now taking public comment on the adoption of the agenda and approval of the consent calendar. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating through Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record.

20 bucks.

Any public comment in the room? Any public comment online? No public comment.

Since there's no further discussion, the commission members on this item, I'm making a motion that we adopt the agenda and approve the consent calendar.

I'll suck up the motion I got.

And do a roll call vote, please.

Yeah.

District 1, how do you vote?

Aye.

District 2, how do you vote? Aye. District 3, how do you vote?

Aye.

District 4, how do you vote?

Aye.

And District 5, how do you vote? Aye. Perfect. Motion passes. Thank you.

Thank you. I didn't get an agenda. I didn't get an agenda. I didn't pick one up. I'm sorry.

Yeah, I didn't either. Oh, thanks.

Thank you.

No, that's okay.

Thank you, David. I got it. Oh, you want one? I got one. I picked it up.

Oh, you want one? Please.

First item we're going to go over is item number 26-0994, the Transportation Community Review Obstacles, or items they have found that have hindered their abilities to provide transportation to the veterans. Do we have any input from that?

Tim?

Nope. Your agenda item. You're up already. Todd is calling me for some reason.

I don't see him as an attendee unless he has a different number.

Tim Thompson for the Transportation Committee. And I was trying to pull. That's why I wasn't paying attention. Because I was preparing.

Well, you want to take a minute, Tom, Tim? You want to take a minute?

No, I'm ready. I'm OK. Just by way of information. Tim Whalen shared with me that they gave a gasoline credit card to a veteran so he could go to security officer training school. Because the price of gas has gone up so high, that card was for $300. Tim Page hasn't done anything he's been on standby, but he hasn't driven anybody, and the problem he brought up, I thought you should know, is that he says he'll pull up to a house to give a veteran a ride, and he says there'll be three or four other family members there, three or four cars there, and people who could drive that veteran, and I know Tim, he's going to do it anyway. So I'm speaking for him, I think. I heard a little resentment there and thinking that he's being taken advantage of. And I thought I'd bring it before you people and what you think we should do.

So it sounds like he pulls up and there's six people sitting around on a porch drinking a beer and he's going to take that veteran for a ride. When you guys are dispatched to pick up a veteran, do they ask any questions about our, is there anybody else who can give you a ride? Are there any other vehicles?

I don't know.

Okay.

Dave may know.

Pardon me? Don't you? Diane, do you have any?

Diane, you're head of Military Family Support Group, EDVR. So yeah, they do. They qualify it typically, and it tends to be the same individuals calling again and again. But I can't ask them to ascertain if they're, you know, to ask that question specifically. Because usually it's, like I said, it's the same person, and they know that there is another family, but apparently that's changed. So I can have them... have them do that and expand it a little bit because they're all dispatched through DVR. Tim's our only driver right now, and we have not had a lot of call for it. So that's something we're looking at expanding and trying to get additional drivers. And just FYI, it was $400 for that veteran because David also gave him $100.

All right.

Well, why don't I meet with EDVR and see if we can come up with a solution.

Okay. I know that Tim was working on something with the county, and he had several VA transportation options. Does that ring a bell, Diane?

It does, but nothing's come to fruition yet.

Okay. All right. Have you had any issue, Tim, with the county not helping you out or have we talked to the county at all about- No, I haven't.

Dial a ride? Okay.

All right. Okay.

Can I ask the question? A while back, I talked to the bus company up here, El Dorado Transit, and they have different things set up for veterans. And there was a lady that I actually talked to, but they have a gentleman that would be tickled to death to come down and brochures. And that guy gave some to Courtney there about the transportation.

When we're offline, you can give me your info. Is that all right?

I didn't know.

You can give them the information offline.

Oh. Yeah, after the meeting. After the meeting? Yeah.

Yeah, I had the same problem. I didn't wear mine today either. Okay.

Well, all right, Tim, it sounds like you're grinding along there. Yeah, if you could work with Military Family Support and EDVR and see what they have, that would be great.

I'll do that. Right behind you, Linda has that brochure that you want.

Hopefully everybody can take one, and it'll be something that will help.

Hey, Courtney, Todd's saying the link isn't working.

Some information up here about dial-a-right. Okay, I'll work on this and plan to report back to you. Thank you, Tim.

Yes.

David, like to add something? I don't know what the protocol is.

While Tim was talking, I was contemplating. So Amanda Keck of the Towel Coalition for the Homeless, she's been giving rides to one of our veterans who lives on oxygen and things. I forgot the name of the case worker up at the Navigation Center, but she's been giving rides to one of the folks up there so we can get to court. So there are... i guess they're county contractors but anyway there are people out there other ride providers um well i i have under court order i hauled a guy from jail to victory village you know so okay yeah you know that yeah yeah from there all right yeah a lot of a lot of a lot of wheels pardon the pun thank you yeah maybe if you kind of maybe work with tim a little bit kind of give him

him a list or something like that if you have especially like people are in the area like tahoe coalition he may not be familiar with some of the people up there uh yeah we talked okay all right perfect perfect anything else for this agenda item from the board

You might also, David, talk to Diane on that, too. I mean, that way, well, that way her staff would have the additional people or numbers that are available that they could call, too, to say, hey, can you give this person a ride besides Tim? I'm just throwing an idea out there.

Yeah, Diane and I do talk on almost a daily basis, much to her chagrin. But anyway... yeah that's right yeah but but those people are assigned by their um agencies to work with that particular veteran so it wouldn't be the same as the more random rides that come into edvr does that make sense yeah yeah yeah all right okay thank you anything further

Okay, you open that agenda item up to public comment. Madam Clerk.

We are now taking public comment on agenda item 260994 for the Transportation Committee. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating by Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record. Any public comment in the room? Any public comment online? No public comment. Thank you.

We don't need to do a vote for that, no? No, I mean, there wasn't anything votable, pardon the pun. Moving on to agenda item 260995, Veterans Affairs Commission to review the Veterans Affairs Transit Occupancy Tax Committee membership. We've been kicking this around and kind of going at it from several different directions, and I don't think we've heard back from county council on if we can just do it as we have been as basically a regular meeting as long as the agenda is open to the public. open to when you come up and oh yeah um because yeah our understanding the concern was is that if we had more than three members three districts represented on the meeting we would have a quorum of the veterans affairs commission correct and then we talked about if it was open and agendized to the public and as long as we followed the brown act we would be okay it's

No, it still is a stand. So you're subject to the TOT committee subcommittee is still subject to the Brown Act requirements as a standing committee.

Can you turn that a little more? We can't quite hear you. I can.

There you go. So as a standing committee, it's regardless of the makeup, it is subject to the Brown Act.

Okay.

So any of your standing committees, which are ongoing subject matter, committees that versus an ad hoc committee that is temporary short-term you know specific task focus and has an end time um ad hoc committees aren't subject to brown act standing committees are okay so tot is ongoing subject matter continuing subject matter jurisdiction it's subject to Brown Act. As you said, the concern is the makeup with more than when you have multiple members, you could potentially be meeting as the VAC versus the subcommittee. But as long as we abide by the Brown Act, are we... No, so what we've learned is that it should be... to to no more than two districts represented so you could have the primary from two districts and the alternate from two districts on your subcommittees but no more than two district members from two districts representing two districts on those subcommittees okay otherwise it's not a subcommittee you're it's the full commission

So that's kind of the issue. It turns into the full commission if, oh, okay.

Can we have more alternates on there?

as long as it's alternates from the same district as the primaries that are on there. So the simplest way to think about it is two districts, primary and alternate. So you could have up to four primary from two districts, but the primary from district, for example, District 1, and the primary from District 2, and their alternates could be part of it.

Right, but I'm asking, can we have an alternate from District 3? No.

No, because then now you have three districts.

Yeah, you create a quorum. Could we have it as a non-voting, like from district? So you have district one, district two, primaries or alternate. Could you have the district three alternate there? Well, as a non-voting.

I believe if they're participating as a member of the public and not an alternate, they're not in their role as an alternate, then that I think would probably be okay.

Yeah, but you're still going to get into a quick gray area because someone's going to say, well, they're a district. They're a representative. Okay.

Yeah, well, that's what I would ask. So the difficult part with that is because of the number of... Well, the grants, just the total. The number of grants that we receive is difficult for four people to go through. Like this year, we had 20 grants. I mean, it's difficult for the time allotted. I mean, we took two hours, even with five of us.

I understand.

And it's okay. Yeah. All right.

So what I have to do is we're going to have to, um, decide who is going to be on the, uh, TOT committee, only two members. Um, I think maybe we should roll this over to the next meeting and people can kind of chew on it and think and see, do they want to be on the meeting? Do you want to be on the board? or do they want to be on the committee or would like to basically step back? Because we currently have Madam Clerk, who's on the TOT committee?

So we have five members. We have Roger, Donna, Gary, Tom, and you. Okay.

All right. So of those, we're going to have to figure out who wants to remain on the committee and who would like to get off the committee.

Who's allowed to be on the committee?

My understanding is just the representative from that district, quote, and their alternate would be ideal. So you'd have District 1 and District 3, District 2, District 5.

Right, but that's the only people allowed are the districts. So it can't be like another veteran.

Now, can we have an outside person such as John, since he has no affiliation with the...

He would be a public participant.

He would be a public participant.

Yeah.

Okay.

So could, under that, would John, as a public member, be able to make a comment about a, let's say on a grant? Would he be able to say? Anybody can make a comment.

A public member can make a comment. Okay.

A public comment. Sure, sure. Okay. Gotcha.

Okay. All right. Thank you. Let's table this and we'll discuss it because of the fact that I'd like to see this become not a standing committee, but because we only meet.

Public comments coming up later. Just wait.

How hard would this be to turn it into an ad hoc committee?

It won't change anything. It's

It's still, you're still, even on ad hoc, you still are going to create a quorum with three district members.

That's the bottom line. Gotcha. And ad hoc is just for, you know, something that's not ongoing. And TOT grants are ongoing.

Would... Would we be able to create an ad hoc committee to review just the grants when they come in and then the standing ad hoc committee would monitor the grants throughout the season? Is that a capable, I'm just thinking of, you still have the issue with the quorum, yeah. Dang the Latin words.

But if they were able to do that, could they have two districts represented in this ad hoc and then two separate districts in this standing? Or is that?

Possibly we'd have to consult with county council.

Could you do that?

Sure.

Thank you.

Sorry.

No, that's a valid question.

We actually technically only meet for a couple months, and then the rest of the year, we're pretty much off until the next round of grants.

So you're saying you'd want to create a separate ad hoc committee to only review the annual mini-grants?

Yeah, we would even call it the annual mini-grant ad hoc committee.

Right.

She's like, what the devil? All right, so I'm going to make a motion that we table.

So we're going to do public comment first, and then we can do a motion.

Excellent point. Yeah. Let's have public comment.

Okay.

We are now taking public comment on agenda item 260995 for the TOT committee membership. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating through Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record.

I would really like some clarification from the county council on this.

Oh, sorry.

I would like some clarification from county council on this because I pulled this up and I went through the Brown Act, both 2003 and 2026. Nowhere in there does it state that there has to be less than a quorum. on a standing committee. It says that the final act does not set a specific numerical limit on how many board members can participate in standing committee meeting. Instead, the law governs who can speak and attend and when meetings can be closed. So if you look at it from that point, this group right here should be able to determine who sits on there. But I really question the quorum part of it. I really do. It's a standing committee, which is a part of this commission. So all of these members could attend and they could vote. So because it is a meeting, a part, a standing committee meeting of this commission, And it's agendized, and we have a place for meetings. So I really would like some clarification on that. I really would. Because I couldn't find anywhere in the Brown Act that it said it couldn't be more than a quorum. In other words, you couldn't have more three or four, because it would then be a meeting of the VAC. Well, it already is. It's a standing committee. So I just would love some clarification on that. just so that we have a really clear understanding of how to operate all of our standing committees. And perhaps maybe it's time to review our resolution and do away with standing committees. That's all I have to say.

Thank you, Donna.

Any other public comment in the room? Any public comment online? No additional public comment. Thank you.

I would like to make a motion that we table the Veteran Affairs Committee review on who can be on the membership until we get clarification from County Council.

I'll second that.

TOT, yes, TOT Committee.

Yes.

A vote, please.

District 1, how do you vote?

Aye.

District 2, how do you vote?

Aye.

District three, how do you vote?

Aye.

District four, how do you vote?

Aye.

And district five, how do you vote? Aye. Motion passes. Thank you.

Thank you. Moving on to the ex officio report. All right, Mr. Brown.

Veteran services update. There's no real update. Just... As reported last month, the Veterans Services Office has been attending training with the CACVSO. I want to say thank you to everyone that helped get the word out. There are still two Tuesdays of training remaining. We will return to normal walk-in services on Tuesday, 6-30-26. Legislative update. H.R. 2102, a.k.a. Major Richard Starr Act, Those who serve their country, were injured in combat, and forced to retire due to medical issues currently pay what is known as the warrior tax. They lose all or part of their retirement pay when they receive VA disability compensation. Their VA disability award reduces their medical retirement pay dollar for dollar. However, if they retire after 20 years of service, they're able to receive their full retirement along with their full compensation award concurrently as long as they have a rating of 50% or higher under CRDP, which is concurrent retirement and disability payments. Also, there's another benefit known as CRSC, combat related special compensation, which is a DOD program that reimburses some or all of the retirement pay forfeited when a veteran receives VA disability compensation. The major Richard Starr Act, if enacted, will be law. It will give retired veterans with less than 20 years of service a choice to continue with CRSC or switch to the Major R. Starr Act and receive their full retirement and compensation award concurrently without any offset. So please let your lawmakers know that you support HR 2102 if you do. so we can get it passed and these medically retired veterans can receive all of their pay. Monthly contact report for May 26, 296 phone calls, 72 scheduled appointments, 108 walk-in visitors, 37 approved CalVet college fee waivers, South Lake Tahoe services were also impacted by the training the VSRs are attending. However, the days were changed to Thursday during the weeks we are training and have to operate the South Lake Tahoe office. So there's no loss of coverage. That concludes my report. Thank you.

Moving on to committee reports.

TOT?

No report must I ask for the...

Donna Becker, District 2. All of the one-time funding has been released by the foundation. So they were either sent out by certified mail or they were allowed to come in and pick that particular check up. So that portion of it has been done. And I know that Kathy has also released all of the letters along with the terms of agreement for our mini-grant applications that we approved. So at this point, those will all be...

be effective on july 1 moving forward thank you rules committee there's no report housing no report legislative he is still having problems logging on for some reason yeah i'm not sure why i've sent him the link twice i'm not sure what's going on i don't know i'm going to say no report at this time Transportation, we heard from you. Thank you, Tim. Unless you have anything else to add? No? Okay. Budget? Education and employment. Oh, budget. Budget, I'm sorry. I thought you were done talking.

Not again. Seth and I attended the budget hearings on Tuesday that was before the board. And then later I had a conversation with Timlin and got some real clarification on what the budget's gonna look like. Seth and I both advocated that our supervisors support us to continue to support us with the usual 175,000 when they have. And so all of that went well, but here's the clarification on the budget. It says on there what the CAO recommended was 133,000. Okay, that kind of set our wheels going. But the bottom line is there's a fund balance within the county. And that's approximately about $44,000. And that represents unredeemed funding that we approved back in 21 and 22, and even some into 20. And that was like South Lake Tahoe Community College, they didn't redeem theirs. Sierra Chaplaincy didn't redeem theirs. The Alliance, and Snowline Hospice, I'm sorry. So those all totaled up to 44. So if you add that 40,000 that's sitting still in the county as a fund balance and add to what they're recommending to take from the general fund of 133,000 for 26, 27, that brings us up to 175,000. So we're in good shape. They will be reviewing this and they will actually adopt the agenda in September, I believe. Sometime in September. So I believe that all of our efforts that we had getting reaching out to our supervisors and that has been proactive. And of course, staff, we have to give kudos to our staff because they've supported us all along and everything going forward. So we should be good for 26, 27. It's imperative that we do use that money and use it wisely. I think staff is still gonna give us any increases in salaries and benefits. for the positions at the VSO so that we can incorporate that into our budget of our contracts that we want. And we'll bring that forward to you in July for your approval. And of course that will be pending whatever the final budget is in September. And those monies are actual contracts that the nonprofits have through the county and whatever's left over is what will go to the foundation to fund any mini grants that we might have for 26, 27. And I would really like to see the commission speak with foundation in regards to moving the mini grants applications that bring it forward so that we're not dealing with it at the end of the year. So maybe we open it up in March instead of April, that sort of thing, but that's something to talk about at a later time. So that's my report. Thank you.

Making notes.

Outreach.

I'll reach, and I'll report.

Thank you.

What about education and employment?

Oh, I saw Mullins-Becker. It's OK. Education and employment.

I have an update regarding education. Upcoming webinars for CalTAP workshops on June 18th, CalVet College Tuition Fee Waiver, California Department of Veteran Affairs along with CalTAP San Mateo County Veteran Services Office invites you to a virtual workshop on the CalVet College Tuition Fee Waiver for dependents. will cover the application process, eligibility requirements, and available plans. Guest speakers will be available for questions after the presentation. And then there's another webinar coming up through CalTAP on June 26 regarding claim sharks with veterans through the Legal Institute virtual event that will focus on how to avoid claim sharks and alternative resources for filing for VA claims. Guest speakers will be available to answer questions following the presentation. All service members, veterans, and their families are welcome to attend. For more information, you can call the 1-800-952-5626 or email the caltap at calvet.ca.gov for more information regarding the webinars. Thank you. That's all I have to report for education at this time.

Thank you.

Now outreach. No report. Thank you.

You can open a public comment, please.

We are now taking public comment on the committee reports. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating through Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record.

Am I limited to three minutes since I'm an alternate? I'm joking. I don't know if I can say hi in three minutes. On behalf of the TOT committee, I would like to offer our sincere appreciation for all the work that Donna put into this thing. I don't know how many hours she did, but I know I spent a number of phone calls and texts and emails that she and I went back and forth on various things, keeping all of us up together and having her keep this thing organized. I think we owe her a round of applause.

I agree.

And on a personal note, on behalf of Post 795 with the money that we received, I am pleased to report that we have paid off our Liberty utility bill. So our power is not going to get cut off at the end of the month. We paid off our insurance. So we're going to have we'll be saving seven hundred dollars a month for the next eight months or so instead of making monthly payments. That's that was taken care of. We paid off the personal loan. That was back to me. And we also paid our property taxes, which goes to El Dorado County, which we were told one of our supporters paid the property taxes. But we have seven parcels. She only paid two of them. So we had to pay the other five. And because we didn't have it on time, we had to pay a penalty. But I did go over and talk to the people at the property tax assessor's office or whatever office that is. And they did say that the one parcel that we have our building on, we would be able to get some kind of a waiver on that. So he gave me the application to fill out. But it was eye-opening for me to serve on that committee, and I'm looking forward to serving on it next year. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Any additional public comment in the room? Any public comment online? No additional public comment. Thank you.

Moving on to communication reports. Veterans Memorial Building.

There was a House Council meeting last week. Oh, thanks. There were introductions of speakers. Tucker Anderson was present. to provide an update about his Eagle Scout project concerning the Vietnam banners that are going up in downtown Placerville. These banners will be about two feet wide by about five foot high. That's his Eagle Scout project. And he has reached his financial goals that's totally paid for. There's going to be 60 veterans that you'll see the banners hanging on the street lamps down in Placerville. So he's hoping to have the project ready by November 11th, 2026. Fleet Reserve from Reno made a donation to Tucker to help out with any additional costs also. Sue Young was there to thank Marine Corps League for all her efforts getting a brick for Joe, her husband who passed away. Joe Theisenberg Joe Theismann, I'm sorry, was present. Vice Chair Commander Leonard MacAdams was present. Secretary Seth was present. Treasurer Diane Moore was present. Trustee Bud was present. And Trustee Alan Amaro was present. The minutes were approved. The treasurer's report, Diane went over the treasurer's report. The House Counsel, They went over the meetings, all of the calendar events, service officer report. And that is pretty much the big ones. The new business.

Here, I'll do it.

Yeah, one thing that the House Council is going to do, they have looking to update the bylaws. They haven't been done since, I think, 1991.

Right.

Was the last time they were done? Joe? Yes, sir. 2008. 2008, but it wasn't its original, the 1991 one, and then it was 2008, and then? 1978. 78, okay, yeah. So that's just an issue, and they're going to bring it up for a motion was made to meet in August, give people time, a chance to review and make any amendments to the bylaws. One of the big ones, Victor Mansfield from the Marine Corps League, is going to represent the Marine Corps League at a NASCAR race in San Diego between June 17th and June 20th. He's going to be down there waving the flag. I guess they're going to put a Marine Corps League logo on a NASCAR. It's going to be a pretty good social event, so hats off to the Marine Corps League for representing El Dorado County and Victor Mansfield. I think that was it. The next meeting will be August 6th, but they're not going to have a July meeting because of the conflict with the 4th of July. Did I get it? I think I did.

You got it.

American Legion service officer.

I always wonder what I'm going to talk about because it changes every moment. So today's crisis. So thanks to the front office staff. I think it was on Tuesday when you were in training. They gave me some space to work with a homeless veteran. And we did a Victory Village application. And Victory Village has accepted him. Now all I have to do is find the homeless veteran.

Wandered off.

And, you know, he's got a car. And he's not answering his phone, which is things that he does. So who do I... So I have all my spies out there, you know, looking for him. So I've contacted the upper... Before this meeting, I've already contacted the upper room. They're good spies for me. I've contacted Eldorado Veterans Resource Center. I spoke to Jennifer, who's working today. And so... you know he's sort of kind of in the system jennifer confirmed he got food yesterday at the veterans building so that we have he was alive yesterday and um uh and then my follow-up phone calls i'm going to phone a tile coalition for the homeless uh there's a case worker that knows him i'm going to phone the navigation center where he has historically stayed but he's not there now and i'm also going to phone what used to be the hot team they're now called the heat team homelessness, enforcement, and I don't know what the, do you know what it stands for? Assessment with a T, it's still a team?

Okay.

I'm not sure why the sheriff wanted to change the name a little bit, but they're a little bit handicapped because we've got Deputy Josh Sprague, I think, but the other two that were on the team, both were among those wounded when the guy was shooting at the PG&E worker. so they're still not so he's his hands are a bit tied but maybe he can look at figure out the car license and put out an all-point bulletin so we can find him sir you have a house uh so that's one adventure today um well i should say a little bit about a couple things I'll just throw this out there. When I have a homeless veteran, I can place him. I often phone the ER. There used to be HPAC, Homeless Primary Care Team, and someone with a gun shot it up or something at Mather, so they don't have HPAC per se, but if you go to ER, they can sort of dummy up an HPAC, homeless primary care team, and then the homeless veteran can get immediately into radiation. I didn't do it. Okay. Immediately into radiation and get a chest x-ray. So you almost always need to have a chest x-ray for them to take you into the various shelters. So I can boom, boom, get that instant service. Uh, geez, what else? And I've been sharing adventures. I don't want to bore Diane though. She just heard me last night. Um, Well, Diana and I had a win. I'll just put that one out. Among the various criminal justice things that we do, we go to Veterans Court. And for the first time, I got the Veterans Court team to accept using the Vet Center as the modality for the care during the year that the vet will be in Vet Center. And the reason... So when you're... vet court it has to be a connection between the crime and the military service and then you don't just get to hang out for a year you have to do stuff during the year usually it's work on alcoholism it's almost always duis and they have to work on alcoholism but there are various tests and assessments particularly the probation has and not everyone who got a dui is an alcoholic who will benefit from the usual aa or whatever type they call it arts at va and stuff like that type of meetings and so this guy's not meeting those criteria but he is a combat veteran we know he's got issues and so um they have accepted for this particular veteran using uh tim whalen and the citrus heights vet center as a modality for his care uh so i don't know there's probably as soon as they sit down say oh i should have mentioned that but anyway i'll stop thank you thank you sir

Veterans Alliance, I think, is online.

Jack, you can talk.

Oh, thank you very much. Can you hear me? Yes, sir. OK, thanks for everybody that helped clean up at the monument before the ceremony and also the participants that played in it for Memorial Day. Well, next thing is Veterans Day. If anybody has some neat ideas for the 250th, please let me know. That's also when we do Veteran of the Year, so be thinking about that. Our next meeting is for the Veterans Alliances at the Memorial Building, July 14th. We're still working on some of the admin for the bricks and stones. We are following the criteria if anybody wants to talk about that at length. But please don't go to the pool place for the bricks and stones. Go either online and or the VSO's office. uh and the improvements we're trying to look at again we're still working at putting an atlas in the middle of that honor circle that was the original plan it just ran out of money so we're looking at that and possibly some new uh some more uh stone or granite slates for uh honorees in the future on the honor wall any questions no questions for me anybody on the board questions

No.

Thank you, Jack.

Sure. Military Family Support Group. Maybe you or Tim. Is Tim online?

Tim is not online.

We have a report from EDVR.

She's on her way.

She's on her way. Okay. Well, she gave me that look.

She was like... She gives everybody that look.

Did she give you the look? Could have chilled a beer.

That wasn't for you, sorry. That was at him. So yeah, the big deal that we're working on right now is the stand down, which is scheduled for September 11th and 12th. And we are working out some issues with dental that we think we have come to fruition on with the Eldorado Community Health helping us with that. and then the money that we received from the tot grant to continue to pay for dental care for those veterans that need it and so that's been our big one so far again we continue to deal with the rides and we do the food giveaway the fresh food giveaway the second and fourth wednesday of every month we'll do that through the summer until winter and we're looking at continuing on after that but we're still looking for volunteers and we are looking for volunteer drivers so we can ramp that program back up And we're also going to start advertising that we have the mobility equipment and say like the clipper and different things like that. Because we have no more room in the bunker. We've received so many wheelchairs and things recently. So if you know anyone who needs that, please. let us know. And we're also working with the Stars and Stripes Dog Rescue, looking for the five veterans in El Dorado County that the grant was given for. The dogs, the next group of dogs goes into the prison on the 29th of this month, and they'll be there for four months. So if you have people in El Dorado County that you know need a PTSD dog or a mobility dog, that's something that they do work with. So, and we're working with her on that. Okay.

Thank you.

I'm sure you said you need volunteers for the food giveaway?

For the food giveaway, because right now it's just those are three same ladies. And they don't want to be out in the cold in the winter, which I don't blame them. So we're just looking to expand that. I think it's something that has been very beneficial. We did 16 families this past week, and we've been up to like 19 or 20 families. And so it's something that certainly, especially in this pandemic, era right now with the how much groceries cost has been a huge benefit so we are looking for volunteers to continue helping that throughout different months so like getting people that they wouldn't have to do it every single time but maybe they do it on the second wednesday this month or that kind of thing that's and that's your your every other wednesday or your wednesday food giveaway okay second and fourth not second and fourth that's right um yeah i got my head bit off for that yeah um and then the uh I absolutely just lost that in my... Oh, sorry. The only other thing is we have finally gotten control of our website. So we will be issuing the new... email address. The concept is that EDVR will become the clearinghouse for veterans that call for aid. We've been having, with the lower number of people available to give aid, as well as they just shop. Sometimes a veteran will just shop from group to group to get what they can. And we weren't always communicating very well. So that will all be going through EDVR. If someone calls VFW, they will say, okay, we'll call EDVR. EVR will do the intake and make sure that they are a veteran, they qualify, and then they'll send out an email to all the groups to see who's able to help. And we'll do it that way. And we obviously have to be more discerning than we've been in the past, David, because we just don't have the funds that we've always had.

Thank you.

Moving on, regional veterans events. Oh, we're just being courteous, Mac, okay. I know that we discussed the stand down. Is there anything else coming up that we can think of? Just the stand down, right? For regional veterans events. Regional events, just, yeah.

There is Yuba Sutter stand down as an office.

Okay, what are the dates of the Yuba Sutter stand down?

I'm going to have to post some of those. Tim sent me some posts. Okay, great. They'll be out on the webpage.

Great.

I'm sorry, Facebook page. Great.

Okay, thank you.

Clerk will open it up for public comment on the committee reports, communication reports.

We are now taking public comment on the communication reports. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating through Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record.

I've passed my brain stone. So I meant to also say in my report. So with the, I don't know what you call it, urgent grant, the emergency grant, whatever. So the Elbrow County Fire Safe Council usually use them to help veterans with their defensible space, but they're about three or 400 projects behind. And so they asked me to take a break. But I do have a buddy who's a veteran who's a manager at Christlike Services. And I've received requests for weed whacking. And so I think there's at least three projects that are in the queue now. And there'll be a few thousand dollars that will go out for weed whacking for safety. And we're emphasizing fire safety, too. So they have plastic implements. And I'm asking everyone to have hoses out and things. Yeah. Those projects might be done by the end of June even. One's already been done up in Rancho Del Sol. So that's sort of the, Donna asked me to spend it differently than I do everything else. So that's some of the different things that wouldn't have done otherwise, but for those grants. Can't promise everything will be different, but that's where it's going so far. Thank you. Thank you.

Any additional public comment in the room? Any public comment online? No.

No public comment. Thank you. Moving on for the good of the order.

Commissioner announcements. I have something for the good of the order. On Monday, May 18th, I volunteered at the El Dorado County Food Bank. I personally helped create and load 75 boxes of food boxes designated for military veterans. I confirmed the number by my count and from two different persons on staff at the food bank. My goal, as I've stated before to you, Seth, is to help deliver the food boxes eventually in the future and make person-to-person contact with our military veterans in the community. I just want to give a good positive update. We've given them to the food bank mini grants, and they use it to awesome, amazing purposes. proportion and to do very good work within the community. I just wanted to pass on the good news.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

I have, it's been brought to our attention about the bylaws and the policies that are in place that I think they need to be reviewed again and possibly updated. One of the issues that we've talked about in the past has been the standing committees that we have. I've talked to Supervisor Vierkamp about some of these standing committees and he's sort of in agreement that some of them, we don't really need to have an ongoing standing committee for some of these functions that we do and i don't know where they came from i don't know if they were designed from the very beginning but i think we need to go back and look at the policy and bylaws of the council of the commission and maybe start to modify them and clean them up a little bit that is something we can bring up at another meeting i know that donna you you have a copy you sent me a copy of it

Yes, it was a resolution from 2020 for the Veterans Affairs Commission. And Roger and I spoke to Supervisor Turnbull about it, too. And he's in agreement that perhaps we need to take a look at this resolution and bring it up to date as it applies to the way the commission is operating now and the things that we want to move forward with. So yes, it's, it's out there and, um, perhaps maybe this is a good opportunity for us to have an ad hoc committee.

I was about to say that.

I mean, that the commission could set an ad hoc committee, um, that would a one-time committee that would look at the resolution, work with staff, work with our supervisors and things like, and County council as well to look at how we could redefine it and bring it, um, more in tune with what we do and how we report things. So it's just an option. And I'd like to see the commission set it as a goal for 2026, 27.

So Courtney, could we make that an agenda item for next month to create an ad hoc committee to review the bylaws?

I don't, why not? Would we need a vote on that?

How would that work?

Just make an agenda item. Okay, yeah, we can do that.

Okay, yeah, and then we could select committee members who would want to be on the ad hoc committee for that.

And then I do have copies of the bylaws if anyone wants to take one home.

Great, thank you. Yeah, I've got a copy. So it would be great if everybody could get a copy to look at it. And also folks out in the audience, if you'd like to be part of that ad hoc committee, can I do that? I'm looking down.

No? Yes, no, maybe so? No?

Just commissioners?

Okay. I do have a question. Since we're doing an ad hoc committee, it's okay for us to have multiple?

Nope. Nope. We still only have... Go back down to that two people. Two people. Or two districts. Two districts.

Two districts.

Well, that'll be something we can beat the tar out of next month. Yeah.

If I may, I would like staff to clarify that because could we through an ad hoc, um, request a non-profit veteran agency to send a member to be a part of that committee because i know we have done that in the past um like with parks and rec commission they've had an ad hoc to review a certain area and they have pulled members from that community let's say the river group you know to participate in that and that ad hoc so if we could get some Right, right. And in this instance, perhaps a member from the VFW 2680 or something to that effect. So if we could get clarification on that, that would be great.

That'd be great, yeah.

I don't think it should just be a commission thing. I think we should have some public input on that. It would help with the public hearings that we'll have to go through. Sure, yeah. Anyway, just something to look at.

I mean, there's only a ton of us. Yeah, yeah.

Okay. Speaking of ad hoc committees, Mr. Thusen, the discussion with the monument improvements ad hoc committee, do we want to bring that up as another ad hoc committee? If I could get input from Mr. Thusen, comment on the Marine Corps.

My name is Joe Thusen. I'm the Secretary for the Veterans Alliance Friends of the Monument and also the Commandant for the Marine Corps League. Regarding your question, Seth, that would be probably most appropriate. Like what we talked about, what Jack just talked about, which we need some additional marble that's on the wall. We need to complete some of the items that were started 20 years ago, but just ran out of funds. So I think that would probably be appropriate to have an handout committee to have folks from the Veterans Alliance Friends of the Monument in addition to the commissioners sit down and kind of chat about what's the future, what's the next 20 years or the next 200 years of the monument.

So would we be able to, let's say, maybe form a committee in July of other members who would be on a, basically a monument improvement, not a monument improvement, what would you call it?

What would be a monument improvement or upkeep?

Maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance. Right now we have marble on the wall, but there's... four open positions to add to increase plaques on the wall. The map that Jack spoke about, that was supposed to be done 20 years ago. 20 years ago. It's still pending. You know, that's something that, where do we get the funds? Who does it? Contractors, all that kind of stuff. We're doing with the county facility. So it's definitely an ad hoc committee, I think, opportunity.

Okay. Okay. Thank you.

Gen item.

Can I make that an agenda item for next month as well, that we create an ad hoc committee to review monument improvements, upgrades, and maintenance? Thank you. Okay, that's all I have for the good of the council. Any good of the order? Anybody else have any good of the order?

No?

We'll move to open forum then.

Hello. Hi, it's Timlin. Sorry, you guys. Can I just add a little bit more about the ad hoc committee? So the ad hoc committee is an ad hoc of the Veterans Affairs Commission. So it's a group of the Veterans Affairs Commission that is less than quorum. Who the ad hoc committee chooses to work with is, for that specific limited term item is up to the ad hoc committee. So the committee members are Veterans Affairs Commission members, and that's where Amy was speaking to. It would have to be no more than two districts represented. However, those committee members can choose to meet with and include constituents and other veterans organizations to obtain input and feedback. So when they're evaluating the bylaws or things like that, they can gather information from other people. They're just not technically part of the committee because they're not commissioners. Does that help clarify?

Yes, that is. That's excellent. Perfect.

Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

You're welcome.

Does that mean that we can act as an independent?

No. You're still a commissioner. You would still work with, like you said, Friends of the River, those people.

They have no say in it.

They have no say, but you can gather input from them, and you can say this is what they would like to see or what they would like to do. Yeah, that would be great. Okay. Anything else for the good of the order?

Open forum.

We are now taking public comment for open forum. Individuals will have three minutes to address the commission. Public comment will be taken first from those participating in the commission room and then from those participating through Zoom. For those participating by Zoom, please make sure you unmute yourself when called upon and please raise the hand button. Please voluntarily state your name for the record. Any public comment in the room? And I do have public comment online. Okay. Jack, you can talk.

Yes, ma'am. The... There's also a time capsule on the memorial grounds, which would be fairly interesting to do something for the 250th. Also, the security at the ceremony, there was a man there with a big briefcase, even though I knew what was in it, because I'd seen it before. It had things from his father and stuff like that. But I asked him to leave, get the briefcase out of there during the ceremony, just in case of... what might be in it and secure that to make everybody nervous, but we need to keep our eyes open for things going on like that. That's all.

Thank you.

Any other comments from open forum?

Any additional public comment online? Nope, no additional public comment.

Thank you, ma'am. All right, the next meeting will be July 9th at 12 p.m. in this building. With that, I adjourn the meeting at 13.05 hours.