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AND SO, UH, CHAIRMAN, YOU[Veteran Affairs Commission on January 11, 2024.]
ARE READY TO GO.IT'S, UM, 12 0 1 34 35, AND, UH, WE HAVE QUORUM.
SO WE'RE CALLING THIS, UH, MEETING FOR JANUARY THE 11TH.
UM, VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
UM, FIRST ORDER ON THE, UH, AGENDA IS, UM, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TWO, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH YOU STAND.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL WAS JUST HERE.
UM, OKAY WITH THAT, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS IS THE NEXT, UM, ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR ITEMS THREE THROUGH SIX.
AND EVERYONE HAS HAD A, A CHANCE TO, UH, READ THE, THE MINUTES THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON TO APPROVE FOR THE MINUTES FOR, UH, DECEMBER THE 14TH MEETING, AND GIVE EVERYBODY A MINUTE FOR THAT IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSIONS.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR DECEMBER THE 14TH? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
THERE'S A, A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
IT'S FOR SECOND BY COMMISSIONER AYS AYERS.
MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR DECEMBER THE 14TH, 2023.
SO, JUST A REMINDER, UH, THIS IS EM, REMINDER THAT AS YOU'RE SPEAKING TO JUST CLEARLY SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE AND TO STATE YOUR NAME.
AND AS WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, I WANNA JUST MAKE A CLARIFICATION.
SO, I DO APOLOGIZE WITH HAVING SENT, UH, MORE THAN ONE VERSION OF THE REPORT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS WITH REGARDS TO, EXCUSE ME, WORKING ORIGINALLY ON WORD AS A DOCUMENT THAT MICROSOFT, THAT SOMEHOW THE FORMATTING, UH, WHEN SAVING IT AS AN ADOBE FILE, SOMETHING WENT OFF.
UM, THE FORMATTING AND ALL OF THAT SORT OF STUFF.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO, AND I, AND I PRINT IT OUT AND I SHARED WHAT I HOPE IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT, OR A COPY OF VERSION THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, VOID OF THOSE FORMATTING ISSUES, BUT TO BETTER FACILITATE TODAY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, MEETING, I, I DO HAVE THE WORD DOCUMENT AVAILABLE SO THAT IF NEED BE, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL WITHOUT ANYTHING OF, UH, OF ANY OF THOSE FORMATTING ISSUES.
UM, EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
AND THIS IS THE REASON WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY IS THAT, UH, GET THIS ANNUAL REPORT, UM, SUBMITTED OR WORKED ON, YOU KNOW, AND VOTED ON.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN COMPLETED TODAY, UM,
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THE FIRST PAGE IS, UH, THE CHAIR'S, UH, MEMO.UM, I READ IT AND IT, IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY BASIC.
UM, AND IT'S KIND OF REALLY FOLLOWING THE LAST, UH, ANNUALS REPORT.
UH, I THINK AS YOU NOTICE, THERE'S A TABLE OF CONTENT AT THE BOTTOM, AND THAT'S PART OF THE FORMATTING.
I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I, I THINK THAT THAT TABLE OF CONTENT, AND I THINK I SUGGESTED THIS, UH, SHOULD BE ON A SEPARATE PAGE.
IT SHOULD BE ON, ON THAT PAGE WITH THE, UH, CHAIR'S MEMO.
AND THIS IS WHERE, UNFORTUNATELY, PART OF THE, THE SPENDING SPEAKING AGAIN, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS IS PART OF THAT FORMATTING ISSUE THAT I WAS REFERRING TO JUST A MOMENT AGO.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN OF, OF THE FORMATTING IS THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, VOID OF THOSE ERRORS.
SO HOPEFULLY, IF ANYTHING, UM, THEY'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE ACTUAL FINAL PRODUCT.
THOSE MISTAKES WILL NOT BE THERE IN THE FINAL, UH, REPORT.
SO WHAT, WHEN WE GET THE FINAL REPORT, THEN, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE SEE IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA PRESENT TO US AS A, THE COMMISSION.
AND THIS IS OUR CHAIR ES I'M SPEAKING TO NEXT BIG IDEA, SAY SPARKLY KETCHUP.
GRAMMARLY'S TONE SUGGESTIONS CAN HELP PITCH IT WITH CONFIDENCE TO GET RANGE.
SCALISE, I'M SOMEBODY'S, UH, SPENDING SPEAKING, SOMEBODY'S, UH, SOUND CAME ON.
I DUNNO IF IT'S A RADIO OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT.
SO IF IT'S OKAY, JUST, UH, KEEP YOURSELF MUTED UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK.
AND THEN WHEN YOU DO, JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
WAS THAT YOU SPEAKING? MY APOLOGIES.
MY CAM, MY, UH, MICROPHONE WAS NOT MUTED.
THE NEXT PAGE IS, UM, AND I DID INQUIRE ABOUT THE VACANT.
UH, I INQUIRE ABOUT THE VACANT, UM, POSITIONS FOR 8, 10, 12.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE 15 IS A, I THINK THAT, IS THAT THE MAYOR? OR IS CORRECT? SO WHAT I WAS TOLD IS THAT DISTRICT 15, WHICH ISN'T THE DISTRICT THAT'S THE APPOINTEE FROM THE MAYOR DIRECT THE APPOINTEE OF THE MAYOR.
THAT, THAT'S JUST MY OWN PERSONAL, UH, CONCERN FOR ANY VACANCIES ON THIS COMMISSION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL JUST PROBABLY BE PART OF, PART OF THE REPORT.
AND ON THIS PART ALSO, THERE'S GONNA BE AN, UM, A SUGGESTION BY COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL ABOUT THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, THE RANK AND, UM, THE, I WHO EXACTLY, UM, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, DO YOU WANNA EXPAND ON WHAT YOU, WHAT WE, YOUR EMAIL? YEAH.
WELL, THE THING IS, UH, YOU KNOW, VETERANS CAN GET WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE ABOUT THEIR RANK AND ALL THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS TAUGHT BY MY DAD AND EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY THAT YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR CHEST SHOWS YOUR RESUME AND YOUR RANK SHOWS YOU WHO YOU ARE.
UM, AND IN A VETERAN'S, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENT, IT HELPS US TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BY THE STRICT PROTOCOL, YOU KNOW, THAT MAJORS EAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE CAPTAINS KIND OF THING WHO EAT AFTER THE LIEUTENANTS THING.
BUT IT KIND OF HELPS US TO KNOW WHO WE ARE, THAT WE ARE NOT JUST DIVERSE IN RACE OR ECONOMIC STATUS AND FROM AROUND THE CITY, BUT ALSO IN WHICH BRANCH, WHAT MOS UH, WHAT RANK.
BECAUSE IF WE WERE ALL CAPTAINS IN THE ARMY, WE WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE.
IF WE WERE ALL FROM THE COLD WAR, WE WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCE OF THAT.
SO I THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL BE HONEST, I EARNED MY RANK AND I'M PROUD OF IT.
AND AS A WOMAN, I'M OFTEN ALSO THOUGHT TO BE THE, AND THIS HAPPENED AT A VETERAN'S MEETING LAST WEEK, WHERE I'M ALWAYS THOUGHT TO BE THE GUEST OF SOMEONE OR THE WIFE OF SOMEONE,
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AND IT KIND OF GETS OLD.AND SO I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE PARTICULAR ABOUT IT THAN THE MEN ARE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD OF BEING A CAPTAIN.
I MEAN, THAT'S A LOW RANK, BUT I'M PROUD OF IT.
IF WE DON'T, I'LL LIVE, I'LL SURVIVE.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE REPRESENTING THE VETERANS COMMUNITY, THAT THAT'S PART OF IT IS OUR RANK AND OUR BRANCH OF SERVICE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, THIS IS SCOTT CHASE.
COULD I, UH, UH, SAY SOMETHING? YES.
I WANTED, I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO, UH, UH, UH, COMPLIMENT DIANE FOR, UH, EXPLAINING WHY SHE, UH, UH, WANTED TO HAVE THE RANK AND, AND AS A, AS
UH, BUT I COULD CERTAINLY SEE IT.
AND SO, UH, I WAS KIND OF NEUTRAL IN THIS WHOLE IDEA UNTIL DIANE'S TALKED.
AND I GUESS I'M, I'M FEELING THAT MAYBE WE OUGHT TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THE RANKS IN THERE.
THIS IS CHAIRMAN, UH, MS, THIS, ANYONE ELSE? ANY SUGGESTIONS, OPINIONS? YEAH, THIS, THIS IS DR. ROBERTSON, UH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE.
AND I, I APPRECIATE, UH, UH, THE SENTIMENT REGARDING THE, THE RANK FOR THE COMMISSION.
HOWEVER, I ACTUALLY, I, I DISAGREE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL OUT OF THE MILITARY.
WE, THE RANK WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE RELEVANT.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY, I ONLY ON PAPER MADE IT TO E FOUR AND AS AN E FOUR PETTY OFFICER, THIRD CLASS FOR ME.
UM, I DIDN'T GET TO, YOU KNOW, PUT CAPTAIN ON OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD BE LIKE, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOTEM POLE.
AND ALTHOUGH I SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, WE WERE UNITED AND IN OUR EFFORTS, I JUST FEEL LIKE IF WE ADDED IT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BRING THE, THE NECESSARY VALUE THAT IT WOULD IF WE WERE ALL ACTIVE DUTY.
UM, SO IT'S NOT THAT I'M NOT PROUD THAT I DID, I SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY BECAUSE SERVING IT BROUGHT ME VERY FAR.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL TO UNCLE SAM NONETHELESS, I JUST DON'T SEE THE VALUE BECAUSE AS A E FOUR, WHAT DID, WHAT, WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE? IT DOES OFFER DIVERSITY, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE IT ADDING VALUE TO WHAT, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR ACTUAL CATEGORY OF BRANCHES THAT WE SERVE IN MY, MY TAKE.
ANYONE ELSE? THIS IS CHAIR MEES.
UH, AND, UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, DR. ROBINSON, OR COMMISSIONER ROBERSON.
UH, I THINK JUST WITH THE BRANCH OR THE SERVICE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PURPOSE AND WITH THE PURPOSE AND THE MISSION, IT'S ALL, I GUESS IT'S PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
IT SAYS THAT AT LEAST FOUR MEMBERS MUST BE CURRENTLY SERVING OR HAVE PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, AND THAT INCLUDES THE RESERVES AND THE NATIONAL GUARD.
SO WE'RE JUST REQUIREMENTS FOR FOUR PEOPLE.
WE COULD ACTUALLY BE IN ALL CIVILIAN
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED.
AND I THINK, UH, IT SHOULD BE THE OPPOSITE THERE, THAT THERE CAN BE FOUR, UM, MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT A, A MILITARY OR, OR RELATED, BUT, UH, THAT WE MAKE THIS A, A, A MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, A VETERAN, A VETERAN, UM, COMMISSION, UNLESS I'M READING THAT WRONG, BUT THE WAY I'M READING IT, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.
AND THAT'S UNDER SECTION, UH, 2 72 71 DALLAS CITY CODE.
SO WE LEAVE IT AS IS JUST, JUST A BRANCH.
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NEXT PAGE, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS THE ONE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, BUT, UH, UM, I'LL TAKE ANY FEEDBACK OR, OR, UM, SUGGESTIONS OR OPINIONS ON THE HISTORY, THE MISSION AND PURPOSE,NOW, ROBERTSON, AGAIN, DISAGREE.
ARE WE READING THIS LIKE IN OUR HEADS AND THEN DETERMINING IF WE, IF WE LIKE IT, IF WE'RE GOOD WITH IT? IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? I'M SORRY, I WAS THAT A QUESTION? I I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET IT.
UH, I WAS ASKING, ARE WE READING, LIKE THE MISSION, THE HISTORY, THE MISSION AND PURPOSE IN OUR HEADS RIGHT NOW, AND THEN RESPONDING IF WE, IF WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT? IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? UM, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY READ THAT.
UM, AND JUST MAKING SUGGESTIONS ON IT.
COMMISSIONER ROBERSON, UM, I, I, UM, I REALLY LIKED, UH, WHAT YOU WROTE ABOUT THE HISTORY.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO, TO, UH, SUGGEST IS THAT THE HISTORY, THE MISSION, WHICH THE MISSION ITSELF SHOULD HAVE A MISSION STATEMENT.
AND THEN, UH, THE PURPOSE BE THREE STANDALONE, UH, HEAD HEADINGS OR, OR, UH, THREE STANDALONE, UM, STATEMENTS.
UH, HISTORY AND MISSION, I THINK COULD GO ON ONE PAGE.
THE PURPOSE, THE PURPOSE IS REALLY OUTLINED IN, UH, TWO, TWO, UH, CITY CODE TWO SECTION, UH, 1 71.
AND THAT, THAT SHOULD PROBABLY, THAT'LL TAKE A WHOLE PAGE JUST BY ITSELF.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE FORMATTING.
UM, I DID WRITE A STATEMENT OR A MISSION STATEMENT.
UM, IT'S NOT UP THERE, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO, UH, SEND IT OUT IF ANYBODY LIKE TO READ IT OR, OR HAS A SUGGESTION FOR A MISSION STATEMENT, OR EVEN THAT'S SOMETHING ANYBODY WANTS TO DO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO AGREE ON IT.
SO, UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE STATEMENT.
I CAN PUT IT IN THE CHAT AND THEN WE CAN ALL KIND OF SEE IT.
DR. ROBERTSON, LET ME, UM, I'LL PULL, I'LL PULL THAT UP.
SO,
YES, I'M TRYING TO PULL IT UP HERE.
COMMISSIONER SMITH FROM DISTRICT 14 JUST WAS WONDERING, I'M LOOKING AT IT AND IT SAYS CITY CODE 2 1 7 IN THE MISSION AND PURPOSE.
AND THEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION, IT SAYS TWO DASH 1 71.
WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SEND US THE MISSION STATEMENT THAT KATRINA WROTE.
IF, IF IT'S SHORT, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST READ IT? I, I'M SURE IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
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I THINK I'LL SEND IT TO YOU IN A, IN A EMAIL, BUT, UM, SO I CAN READ IT TO YOU FROM HIS EMAIL.UN UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THE, UH, THE PROFICIENCY YET OF BEING ABLE TO SWITCH BETWEEN SYSTEMS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT, BUT EXCUSE ME, UM, I'LL READ HIS EMAIL THEN.
IF YOU READ IT, I CAN WRITE IT INTO THE CHAT.
UM, HE WROTE, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO DASH ONE 70, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ZERO SHOULD BE A ONE OR WHAT THE CASE IS, BUT ANYWAY, I'M READING WHAT'S THERE OF THE CITY OF DALLAS CODE ON JANUARY 27TH, 2021.
APPOINTED MEMBERS ARE SERVING TWO YEAR TERMS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, AND INITIAL NOMINATIONS OCCURRED AUGUST, 2020 FIRST, AND WILL HAPPEN EACH ODD NUMBERED YEAR THEREAFTER.
ALL MEMBERS MUST POSSESS A KNOWLEDGE OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES CONCERNS, ISSUES, AND OR BE AFFILIATED WITH A SERVICE PROVIDER TO VETERANS.
THEIR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS AT THESE FOUR MEMBERS MUST BE CURRENTLY SERVING OR HAVE PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY IN PARENTHESES, INCLUDING THE RESERVES OR NATIONAL GUARD.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT SOME OF THE HISTORY AND SOME OF THE MISSION WERE PUT INTO A COUPLE COMBINED ALMOST.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH WHETHER IT WAS WR THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN THE FIRST TIME.
SO, UM, IF, IF, UH, THE CHAIRMAN WANTS TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING, THAT'S FINE WITH ME, BUT I I, I SEE THERE WHERE, UH, KATRINA JUST SAID MISSION STATEMENT IS SIMPLE AND BRIEF.
WHAT, WHAT WE JUST, WHAT WE JUST HEARD IS NOT A MISSION STATEMENT.
I, I DIDN'T REALLY GET THE WHOLE QUESTION, BUT, UH, IT'S REALLY TO, TO KIND OF CUT DOWN ON THE REPETITIVENESS OF, OF WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT THE, UH, WHAT I SAW FROM THE LAST REPORT.
AND, UH, A LOT OF THE WORDING FROM, UM, THE MISSION AND PURPOSE WERE, WERE COMBINED.
AND, AND I, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE LIKE, AGAIN, UH, SEPARATE, UH, HEADINGS, SEPARATE EVEN, UH, THE FORMATTING.
IT SHOULD BE, UH, UH, A PURPOSE SHOULD BE LIKE IT'S ON ITS OWN STANDALONE, UH, PAGE.
'CAUSE I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, QUITE A FEW ITEMS ON THE PURPOSE OR WHERE IT COMES UNDER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS.
THAT'S ALL PART OF THE PURPOSE.
AND THEN THERE'S A, THERE'S QUITE A LIST OF THAT.
UH, THIS COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, AGAIN, DISTRICT THREE I, UM, IT'S IN MY OPINION THAT THE HISTORY IS SUFFICIENT, NOT JUST BECAUSE I WROTE IT, BUT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SUFFICIENT.
IT'S, IT RELIES ON WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE CHAIR THAT THE MISSION, THERE SHOULD BE A MISSION STATEMENT AND THAT MISSION STATEMENT, UM, I JUST PULLED IT UP REALLY QUICKLY OFF OF GOOGLE.
A MISSION STATEMENT IS A SIMPLE AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION THAT ENCOMPASSES THE PURPOSE OF A COMPANY OR, OR AN ORGANIZATION OR A BODY DEFINING ITS CULTURE, GOALS AND VALUES.
AND THEN THE PURPOSE, UH, AGAIN, I AGREE WITH YOU WITH THE CHAIR, THAT THAT COULD ALSO BE A SEPARATE SENTENCE, SOMETHING VERY SHORT, SOMETHING VERY BRIEF.
UM, AND THE PURPOSE COULD VERY WELL BE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PARAGRAPH.
SO WE WOULD SEPARATE OUT MISSION AND THEN ALLOW PURPOSE TO BE THE STATEMENT THAT BEGINS TO REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY VETERAN COMMUNITY.
ANY THOUGHTS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS? IN ARMS? THIS IS COMMISSIONER SMITH.
DR. ROBERTSON, THIS IS COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, JUST AS A TEACHER, THE FIRST SENTENCE IS AN INCOMPLETE SENTENCE TO REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY VETERAN.
IT SHOULD BE, THE MISSION OF THE COMMISSION IS TO REPRESENT, ARE HEY SMITH HERE FROM DISTRICT 13.
UM, ALL SOUND LIKE GOOD EDITS.
I THINK THE, UH, DOCUMENT'S GOING IN A SOLID DIRECTION, NO OTHER CHANGES.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT, COMMISSIONER? I, I AGREE WITH THE EDITS THAT, UH, THE OTHER TWO COMMISSIONERS JUST MADE.
UM, I THINK IT'S GOING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.
NO, NO OTHER RECOMMENDED CHANGES FROM WHAT I CAN SEE.
SO IF I MAY, THEN ON THE SCREEN, WHAT I'M
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GOING TO DO IS, UH, APPLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.I'LL TAKE THE PURPOSE ALONG WITH THE PARAGRAPH BENEATH IT, MAKE IT ITS OWN, UM, ITS OWN, UM, PARAGRAPH, ITS OWN STATEMENT, AND THEN UNDERNEATH PERMISSION, IF YOU HAVE THAT, UH, CONCISE STATEMENT, IF YOU WANT TO DRAFT IT NOW, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT COMMISSIONER ROBINSON.
AND ALSO TO ADD IN THE PURPOSE STATEMENT TO MAKE IT A COMPLETE SENTENCE PER COMMISSIONER BURWELL, UM, JUST THE PURPOSE IS TO REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY.
WHAT, WHAT DID WE DECIDE ON AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL MISSION ITSELF? OKAY, I'M, I'M SORRY.
UM, THE CHAIRMAN HAD MENTIONED THE MISSION SHOULD HAVE A STATEMENT.
SO BOTH HISTORY AND MISSION CAN BE ONE PAGE.
THE MISSION STATEMENT, THE MISSION OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION IS TO SERVE ALL MILITARY VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS WITH DIGNITY AND COMPASSION, AND TO ADVOCATE FOR ENSURING THAT MILITARY VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SUPPORT AND A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY EARNED IN SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, AGAIN, I, I LIKE THE VERBIAGE.
I'M WONDERING IF IT, IT'S A WAY TO MAKE IT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCISE.
UM, BEING A SCHOOL TEACHER, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? COMMISSIONER SMITH, PLEASE CHIME IN.
YEAH, MY ONLY THOUGHT IS THAT IT, IT A LITTLE LONG, BUT I THINK WE CAN, I THINK IT HITS ON THE RIGHT STUFF.
UM, I'M TYPING UP KIND OF A, A JUST SHORTENED VERSION.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, DID YOU, WERE YOU ABLE TO TRANSCRIBE THAT MISSION STATEMENT INTO THE CHAT? I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR IT.
IF NOT, I'LL LOOK TO QUICKLY TYPE IT IN.
UH, IT, IT, YEAH, NOT ALL OF IT.
UM, IF YOU, I'LL LOOK TO TYPE IT IN THERE AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
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OKAY.THAT IS THE, THE, UH, MISSION STATEMENT.
AS PER CHAIRMAN'S EMAIL, UH, ENTERED IN, ONTO THE SCREEN, ONTO THE DOCUMENT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MISSION AS IT IS, OR MAKE A, LEMME SEE THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH HAS ENTERED A SUGGESTED EDITS IN THE CHAT.
YEAH, I JUST, I JUST ADDED IN, UH, MORE OF LIKE A ONE SENTENCE JUST TO MAKE A LITTLE LESS, A LITTLE LESS REDUNDANT.
I GUESS I THINK FOR ME, A MISSION STATEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF ASPIRE TO.
UH, THERE'S PROBABLY A CONVERSATION IN HERE ABOUT LIKE, WHAT'S A VISION STATEMENT, WHAT'S A MISSION STATEMENT OR WHATEVER.
UM, BUT WE, BEING IN THE MILITARY, A MISSION IS SET TO ACCOMPLISH SOME TASK OR GOAL, RIGHT? UM, AND OUR TASK AND GOAL IS NOT, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE LIKE, SOME THING THAT WE ARE GOING TO GO DO.
UH, IT'S JUST A KIND OF WAY OF BEING AND ORGANIZING AND ACTING FOR SOME LONG PERIOD OF TIME, NO MATTER WHO'S ON THE COMMISSION, RIGHT? IT'S JUST ABOUT SERVING AND EMPOWERING THE VETERANS OF DALLAS AND, AND THAT KIND OF BROADER COMMUNITY, WHETHER YOU ARE A VETERAN OR YOU'RE A CAREGIVER, OR, AND I GUESS MY, I I ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE CAREGIVER KIND OF THING, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THIS THAN JUST HEALTH, RIGHT? WHEN WE SET OUT, WE TALKED ABOUT JOBS, HEALTHCARE, HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND EDUCATION.
RIGHT? THERE ARE LIKE OUR FOUR BIG PILLARS.
THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER RAMOS.
'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, TWO DASH TWO DASH 1 71, UH, MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE DALLAS VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
AND IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT CAREGIVERS, AND I DON'T WANT TO DEVIATE FROM THAT.
AND ACTUALLY, THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE DALLAS VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION, IT'S, IT'S GOT ONE SENTENCE, AND I THINK THAT'S OUR MISSION.
THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION WILL REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR MISSION GIVEN TO US BY THE CITY.
SO, I, I, I, I THINK THAT THIS MISSION STATEMENT, THOUGH, IT IS, IT IS A FAIR AND, AND, AND, UM, A ADEQUATE AND, AND, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S ASPIRATIONAL AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ATTACH TO IT, IT DEVIATES A BIT FROM THE MISSION GIVEN TO US BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WHAT I SUGGEST IS THIS, WE GO BACK TO WHAT, WHAT THAT ONE SENTENCE FROM TWO DASH 1 71 IS, AND JUST THE VETERANS AFFAIR COMMISSION WILL REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY VETERAN COMMUNITY.
UH, COMMISSIONER RAMOS, I'M GONNA TRY AND, UH, WRITE THAT IN AS YOU, AS YOU SAY IT TO ME.
I'M GONNA TRY, SO PLEASE DICTATE IT.
THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION WILL REPRESENT THE CITY'S MILITARY VETERAN COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S, THAT'S STRAIGHT OUT OF TWO DASH 1 71
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OR WHAT, WHATEVER THAT WAS.UM, DID I COPY THAT CORRECTLY? YES.
SO ARE WE OKAY WITH YEAH, KEEPING THE THIRD, WHICH WITHIN THE 2 1 71 AND THE LEADING THE, THE PREVIOUS TWO, HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AMONG YOURSELVES AND LET'S SEE WHAT WE'LL DECIDE.
HEY, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT TOO.
AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THAT LANGUAGE IN THE SECOND ONE COME FROM.
I THINK THIS IS JUST LIKE IN THE ANNUAL REPORT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE, UH, TO MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC IN HOW WE REPRESENT THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
LIKE, AND MAYBE IT COMES OUT IN A PURPOSE, LIKE MAYBE THAT IS THE MISSION STATEMENT.
THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION WILL REPRESENT THE CITY'S VETERAN COMMUNITY.
AND THEN IN THE PURPOSE, WE TALK ABOUT THOSE FOUR PILLARS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ASSIST IN.
UM, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL, I, I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WRAPPING OURSELVES AROUND THE AXLE.
AGAIN, IF, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS THE SIT, YOU KNOW, ON TWO DASH 1 71, THE DALLAS VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION SHALL ACT AS AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT, WHAT, WHY ARE WE HERE EVERY MONTH ON ISSUES THAT, UH, IMPACT THE COMMUNI, THE CITY'S VETERANS AND FAMILIES? END OF STATEMENT.
IF WE START SAYING EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE AND HOMELESSNESS, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT JOB SEARCH.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORTATION THAT GOES UNDER PURPOSE AND OTHER THINGS AND THINGS.
BUT A MISSION STATEMENT, I MEAN, COME ON GUYS.
WE, WERE ALL IN THE MILITARY MISSION STATEMENT IS SHORT AND TO THE POINT, AND IT'S ALREADY THERE IN THE, IN THE THING.
WE ARE THERE AS, WE ARE HERE AS AN ADVISORY BODY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR, AND THE STAFF ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE VETERANS' COMMUNITY.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME AND TOO MANY WORDS.
YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE IN THE MISSION, TO ME IS ALMOST THE SAME THING.
AND THEN WE CAN GO INTO, THEN HOW WILL WE DO THAT? WHAT IS OUR FOCUS? WHAT DO WE WANNA LOOK AT? THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE.
BUT IF WE START MENTIONING IN OUR MISSION TOO MANY SPECIFIC THINGS, THEN IT LIMITS US TO THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD JUST STICK TO THE FACTS OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE DRAGNET BACK IN THE SIXTIES, YOU KNOW, WE SHALL ACT AS AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL ON ISSUES, LOCAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE VETERANS' COMMUNITY.
I, I AGREE WITH, UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMOS.
I, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BURWELL.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE COME FULL CIRCLE, BUT I, I, I WOULD BE, UH, OKAY WITH JUST DELETING THE MISSION SEC SECTION AND JUST, WE HAVE THE PURPOSE.
WE HAVE WHAT THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS, AND I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH.
I'M TOTALLY COOL WITH GOING WITH PARAGRAPH THREE.
YOU MEAN THE THIRD SENTENCE? I MEAN, THE THIRD PARAGRAPH IS IN THAT ONE SENTENCE.
I MEAN, JUST TO, I, I, I THINK THAT IF WE TAKE IT ALL OUT, THAT'S NOT RIGHT EITHER.
THIS IS THE MISSION THAT WAS HANDED DOWN TO US BY DALLAS CITY COUNCIL.
SO JUST REITERATE THE FACT THAT THIS IS OUR MISSION, AND THEN MOVE ON TO PURPOSE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE TALK ABOUT JOBS, HOMELESSNESS, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, REPRESENTATION, ET CETERA.
RIGHT? DON'T, THE ONLY THING WE TALK ABOUT ALL THAT LATER, WHAT, THE SECOND ONE IS, AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK BACK ON TWO DASH 1 71, WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE? OUR PURPOSE IS TO ADVISE.
THAT WE DON'T PASS LEGISLATION OR POLICY OR CODE.
THE VERB, THE ACTIVE VERB SHOULD BE ADVISE, OR THE NOUN USED SHOULD BE ADVISORY.
WE'LL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY, AND THEN WE CAN ADD WHATEVER ELSE WE WANT AFTER THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, IT SAYS, IT'S DEDICATED IN SERVING AND EMPOWERING OUR VETERANS
[00:40:01]
COMMUNITY.THAT'S MORE OF A NONPROFIT STATEMENT.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE?
SO THEN WE CAN THEN GO BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND TELL 'EM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO WHEN THEY PASS A BUDGET OR CHANGE THE ZONING LAW OR START A PROGRAM.
AND I, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE JUST MAKING TOO MUCH ON THIS.
I THINK YOU AND I ARE IN VIOLENT AGREEMENT ON THIS.
UH, THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION WILL REPRESENT THE CITY'S VETERAN COMMUNITY.
IT LIKE THAT SENTENCE IS WHAT DALLAS CITY COUNCIL PUT IN THE CITY CODE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY CODE, LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY OUR MISSION IS.
WE REPRESENT THE VETERAN COMMUNITY TO THE CITY.
I THINK WE'RE IN VIOLENT AGREEMENT.
HI, THIS IS VERONICA BARZA WITH CAO HERE.
UM, AND I WAS JUST CHIMING IN TO SAY THAT, UM, SECTION TWO DASH ONE 70 C AS, UM, I THINK ALMOST VERBATIM WHAT YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THAT'S WHAT THE CA I'M SORRY.
THAT'S WHAT THE VETERAN AFFAIRS, UM, COMMISSION IS CREATED TO DO.
AND THEN I THINK WHAT, UM, THE, THE COMMISSIONER I'M HAVING, UH, DR. ROBERSON, WHICH SHE'S REFERRING TO, IF YOU GO FURTHER DOWN TO THE NEXT SECTION, IS THE FUNCTIONS, LIKE HOW THE COMMISSIONS WILL FUNCTION, AND, UM, BASICALLY LIKE THE DUTIES.
SO, UH, NONE NECESSARILY IN EITHER PARTY IS RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT ONCE SECTION TWO DASH ONE 70 C IS PRECISELY, UM, THE SENTENCE THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED.
SO THEN, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, IS IT ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? CORRECT.
THEN IF WE WERE TO DELETE THE PREVIOUS TWO PARAGRAPHS AND KEEP THE SENTENCE THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED AS THE MISSION STATEMENT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON, I THINK YOU COULD PROCEED THAT WAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU, THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION WAS CREATED TO DO.
AND IT'S SPELLED OUT IN TWO DASH ONE 70 C.
UM, AND I COULD PUT A, A SCREENSHOT OF THAT IN THE, IN THE CHAT.
AND THEN I, I THINK WHAT, AS THE DISCUSSION CONTINUES, AND AS YOU TALK ABOUT THE PURPOSE, UM, HOW YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU CAN GO IN MORE DEPTH, UM, THAT'S FINE.
BUT JUST AS Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL CODE AND, AND WHAT IT STATES AND WHAT THE FUNCTIONS ARE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT THAT WAS THE, UM, PURPOSE AND WHY THE VETERANS ADMINIS VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION, I'M SORRY, WAS CREATED.
IT'S 1245 AND WE'RE STILL ON THE FIRST PAGE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
WELL, NO MORE SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONER WALKER, ONLY COMMENT I BEHALF FOR THAT SENTENCE.
I THINK THE WORD ADVISORY SHOULD BE IN THERE SOMEWHERE.
SO, SO I HIGHLIGHTED WITHIN THAT FIRST, UH, SENTENCE THERE, THE BEGINNING OF THAT SECTION WHERE IT DOES MENTION THAT, UM, AGAIN, YOU'RE MORE THAN FREE TO, UH, WORDSMITH WHAT'S ON THE DOCUMENT, BUT AS WAS MENTIONED BY COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL THAT IT'S ALREADY 1245 AND WE'RE STILL AT THE VERY BEGINNING, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE FINISH UP IN TIME.
SO JUST BEAR IN MIND, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, THIS IS SCOTT CHASE.
UM, I HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AT ONE 30, SO I NEED TO LEAVE BY ONE 15 IF WE CAN.
WELL THEN, MOVING RIGHT ALONG THEN.
UM, YOU HAVE THE, THE FIRST, UH, STATEMENTS UNDER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DALLAS VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION IS HIGHLIGHTED.
SO LEAVING THAT AS IS, IS THAT, OR WAS THAT SOMETHING WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS? THAT I THINK
[00:45:01]
THAT'S, WE, WE CAN'T, WE REALLY SHOULDN'T CHANGE WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ADOPTED THE CODE.THAT TWO DASH SHOULD, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER RAMOS SAID THE SAME THING.
WE, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE CODE, UM, INTACT AND NOT, NOT DEVIATE FROM IT.
AND I'LL WORK ON THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN GET THE C AND THERE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, SO IT'S SETTLED BY ITSELF.
SO IF WE'RE GOOD TO GO WITH THIS, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE, THE NEXT SECTION, WHICH IS, UH, THE LOCAL DATA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE LOCAL DATA? I THOUGHT WE WERE, I DON'T KNOW.
I COULD HAVE SWORN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT SECOND BULLET LAST TIME OF BEING EXTREMELY LOW, THAT THERE WERE 365 VETERANS FOR HOMELESS IN DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTIES.
THAT JUST SOUNDED WAY LOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY IT'S AN INCREASE, BUT I DON'T REALLY WANNA DEBATE IT AT THIS POINT.
I COMMISSIONER, MR. COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER BURWELL, I THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT WAS DONE, KIND OF LIKE THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WITH THE HOUSING FORWARD INITIATIVE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY COUNTED AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
SO THAT'S THE DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED.
SO THAT'S THE DATA WE'RE GONNA GO WITH AT THIS POINT.
ANYWAY,
AND SHE DID SAY THAT IT IS BASED OFF OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH IS AN APPROXIMATE COUNT WHERE BASICALLY VOLUNTEERS ON THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT THAT IT'S COMING UP VERY SOON.
AND AN EMAIL WAS SENT OUT TO ALL OF YOU, UM, WHERE VOLUNTEERS GO OUT AND THEY BASICALLY APPROACH WHOMEVER MAY BE HOMELESS, AND THEY BEGIN WITH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
AND IF THE PERSON RESPONDS, THEN THEY GO AHEAD AND THEY WILL IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE QUESTIONS ASK.
I, I, MYSELF HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, IN IT IN THE PAST, I'M ATTENDING IT THIS YEAR, BUT THAT IS AN APPROXIMATE COUNT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU HAD MENTIONED THE LAST TIME, DR. ROBERTSON, WHERE YOU WANTED TO TRIANGULATE THE, THE DATA BASED OFF OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DALLAS VA, THE POINT AND COUNT AND THE THIRD ENTITY, THAT WOULD STILL BE SOMETHING THAT IS HELPFUL.
UM, AND THAT CAN CERTAINLY BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT AND BENEFIT FROM FOR FUTURE INFORMATION.
UH, BUT AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW IS CONCERNED, THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE OF DATA THAT IS ACCURATE ACCORDING TO THEIR ACCOUNT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO JUST GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING I HAD ABOUT IT, UH, WHEN THEY DID THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, WE FOLLOWED UP, I ASKED, UH,
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW THEY, THEY MEASURED THE, THAT FOR, FOR MY COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE MOVING ON.
SO, CHAIRMAN, EVEN FOR THAT POINT, I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH, UM, HOUSING FORD.
AND WHAT THEY MENTIONED WAS THAT ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THAT HISPANIC LATINO IS NOT A RACE, THAT IT'S AN ETHNICITY THAT THEY PLACE WITHIN, UH, THE WHITE RACE.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY DON'T HAVE IT SPECIFIED AS, AS WHAT FEDERALLY ARE, WHITE, BLACK, UH, PACIFIC ISLANDER, NATIVE AMERICAN, WHATEVER THOSE DESIGNATED RACES ARE.
UM, SO YEAH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
OBJECTIVES AND, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
IT'S A LISTING OF THE BRIEFINGS, ALL THE, UH, PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE MADE.
UH, AND WE DID, WE DID, UH, AND PROBABLY GOES BACK TO WHAT THE COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL WAS SAYING, THAT WE DID ESTABLISH A HOUSING COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH,
[00:50:01]
FOR, FOR OUR COMMISSION.UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET MORE INVOLVEMENT, UH, AND, AND FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS, BASICALLY, UM, FOR SUBCOMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO, TO, UH, AND THIS WAS COMING UP IN, IN THE PURPOSE OF THE MISSION AND EVERYTHING THAT, UH, TO REPRESENT THE CITY, UM, WE CAN'T MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IF WE DON'T PUT EFFORT INTO IT AND GET THE INFORMATION AND THE DATA THAT'S NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE JUST CAN'T THROW STUFF ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND HAND IT IN.
SO WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE INVOLVEMENT AND, UH, PARTICIPATION FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS.
BUT, UH, WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB, I THINK FOR, UH, MY, MY PERSONAL OPINION FOR 2023.
UH, WE REALLY HAD SOME GREAT, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
DR. ROBINSON, OR THIS IS, UH, CHAIR MEES, DR. ROBINSON, UH, OR COMMISSIONER ROBINSON.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DID TO TRY AND GET THIS, UH, DALLAS VETERANS, UH, DAY PARADE GOING.
UH, THE WEATHER DIDN'T PERMIT IT, BUT, UH, IT WAS STILL, WAS STILL A GREAT EFFORT.
GOING BACK TO THOSE EVENTS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER RAMOS.
SHOULD THOSE BE 2023 INSTEAD? 2022.
SO I, I
THIS REPORT COVERS FISCAL YEAR, SO FISCAL YEAR, UM, 2022 TO 2023.
SO IT'S, UM, INCLUSIVE OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN OCTOBER 1ST, 2022, UH, TILL, UM, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023.
I MADE THAT ADJUSTMENT, THE CORRECTION ON THE DOCUMENT.
ARE WE GOOD WITH THE COMMISSION ACTIONS AS WELL?
THE NEXT, UM, HEADING IS THE IDENTIFY THE NEEDS.
AND, UH, AND THEN UNDERNEATH THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AGAIN, TO REC TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS, WE'RE GONNA NEED SUBCOMMITTEES.
WE JUST CAN'T, WE CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE PRESENT, YOU KNOW, MAKING PRESENTATIONS AND WE'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH ACTUALLY GREETING OUT IN THE STREETS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP ON, ON THE, WHAT INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION AND A SUGGESTION.
AND MR. CHAIR, WHY DON'T YOU PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH THAT WE, UH, DISCUSS THE SUBCOMMITTEES? THANK YOU.
NEXT IS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, WE DID, UH, RECOMMEND AND, AND WE DID, WE DID GET THE, UH, RESOURCE CARDS.
WE, UH, WE STARTED OUT THE SUB, UH, THE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, WHICH THAT, THAT CAN, THAT CAN GO OFF INTO
[00:55:01]
MANY DIRECTIONS, BUT AT LEAST WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT I THINK NUMBER SEVEN ON THIS ONE.UH, COMMISSIONER BIRDWELL MADE A POINT THAT, UH, TO HAVE, UH, MEMBERS ON OUR HOUSING, UH, COMMITTEES, UH, WE CANNOT, THEY HAVE TO BE PART OF THE COMMISSION TO BE MEMBERS OR, OR WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE ATTENDING.
NO, WHAT I HAD SAID WAS, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE NUMBER SEVEN, REQUESTED STAFF MEMBER COME TO ALL THE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, NOT BE A PART OF THE COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE WE'RE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS MADE OF THE WHOLE, COMES FROM THE WHOLE, THEY'RE NOT PART OF US, BUT WE NEED TO MEET WITH THEM MORE OFTEN, UM, AND EITHER MEET WITH THEM WHEN WE'RE HAVING OUR MEETING OR HAVE THEM CALL US OVER THERE.
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER GOES WITHIN THE RULE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, AGENDAS AND ALL THAT STUFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, OF AN, TO HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND ON THIS, LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE HOMELESS ISSUE IN DALLAS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THE RECENT, THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.
I KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS, PEOPLE DON'T ANSWER.
SO WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FORCE ON THIS FOR THIS COMING YEAR, I THINK, IS THAT WE START PUSHING PEOPLE, DEVELOPERS FOR ANSWERS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BUILDING 372 NEW APARTMENTS, APARTMENTS IN OAK CLIFF.
HOW MANY ARE RESERVED FOR HOMELESS VETERANS? HOW MANY ARE RESERVED FOR SENIOR CITIZENS? ARE THEY AADA A COMPLIANT? YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE NEED TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE ON THAT.
IT'S COMMISSIONER MR. UH, I, I AGREE.
I I TOTALLY AGREE AND I KNOW I'LL, I'LL MAKE MORE OF AN EFFORT TO HAVE MORE MEETINGS.
UH, UH, ONCE A MONTH IS KIND OF AT THE, AT THE MINIMUM IT IS GOOD, BUT, UH, THE MORE INFORMATION WE GATHER, IT MAY REQUIRE MORE MEETINGS.
SO, 0.7, JUST TO REMIND US, BASED OFF OF LAST MONTH'S MEETING, AND IT'S IN THE MEETING MINUTES, THAT'S A CORRECTION OR MODIFICATION TO WHAT WAS INITIALLY STATED OF HAVING, UH, MEMBERS FROM OTHER OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS BE WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
THE CITY ATTORNEY AT THE TIME, STEVEN MCFADDEN, SAID THAT THE ONLY FOLKS WHO CAN BE MEMBERS WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE ARE YOURSELVES.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN HAVE THEM ATTEND.
YOU CAN REQUEST THAT THEY ATTEND AND THEY, THERE'S NO NUMBER TO WHO CAN ATTEND, HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN WITH REGARDS TO YOUR MEETINGS.
AND THEN THE SECOND POINT OF WHAT HE MENTIONED WAS THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEES CAN CERTAINLY MEET WITH WHOMEVER IT MAY BE, OF THESE DIFFERENT, UM, FOCUS GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON THE FOCUS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND THEN WHEN, UH, THE ACTUAL MONTHLY MEETING TAKES PLACE, YOU CAN PLACE THAT WITHIN THE AGENDA AS AN UPDATE FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS A FISCAL YEAR 2024, AND PROPOSED OBJECTIVES.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, ARE YOU STILL THERE? OKAY, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON, AND I JUST NOW NOTICED A NEW ENTRY, OR I DIDN'T SEE IT.
THIS, UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, UM, PROPOSE AN OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS, DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH ADDITIONALLY INITIATE AND OVERSEE THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE VETERANS DAY PARADE.
AS A RESULT, THIS EVENT WOULD TAKE PLACE OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION IN NOVEMBER.
I THINK IT MAY BE A TYPO THERE,
[01:00:01]
BUT, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DISCUSS? WE'RE, AND ITS ORIGINATION, AND ARE WE ALL IN AGREEMENT OF THAT? BECAUSE I, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS ONE OR SEEING THIS ONE.NUMBER C, THIS COMMISSIONER MISSED THIS.
UM, I THOUGHT LETTER CI THOUGHT WE DISCUSSED IT.
AND UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALREADY A, A MILITARY MONTH, WHICH IS MAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS MILITARY MONTH.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, UH, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT OR WHO, WHO WOULD WE FIRST HAVE TO SPEAK TO? HI, IT'S VERONICA ZO, THE CAO.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STILL HAVE QUORUM.
I CAN'T REALLY SEE ON MY SCREEN.
HOW MANY DO WE HAVE PRESENT AT, UM, CITY HALL RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE I SEE TWO, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
'CAUSE I SAW THE TWO LEAVING, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT LIKE THE ORIGINATION, IS THAT SOMETHING WE ALL AGREE ON? UM, SHOULD THAT BE SEPARATE? THE VETERANS DAY COMMITTEE, THE VETERANS DAY PARADE, HAS BEEN OPERATED AND OVERSEEN FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS BY THE GREATER DALLAS VETERANS' DAY FOUNDATION.
AND TO MAKE THAT PROPOSAL, I BELIEVE IT'S A FEW MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS BODY CAN JUST, UM, MAKE THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE IT OVER.
SO JUST TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON LETTER C.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO WE WOULD FIRST HAVE TO SPEAK TO.
UH, WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT AND, AND, AND GATHER THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, UH, CHRISTINA OR MAY KNOW SOMEONE THAT WE CAN BRING INTO THE DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK, I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THAT, UM, PROPOSAL CAME FROM ONE OF, OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
I, YEAH, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY NEED TO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER.
UM, FROM WHAT I'M READING FROM THE LETTER C, UM, WHAT WE COULD DO WITHOUT HAVING TO CONSULT ANYONE IS PROPOSE AN OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS DESIGNATING NOVEMBER AS A NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH.
THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION AND OEI STAFF CAN DEFINITELY DO.
UM, AND SO IF IT'S, UM, I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD JUST BE EASIER TO REMOVE THAT, THOSE LAST TWO SENTENCES.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE LATER ON, IF, IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH PARTNERING IN A, I GUESS, BIGGER WAY WITH A GREATER DALLAS, UH, FOUNDATION TO HELP LEAD THE PARADE, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE JUST DISCUSSED AT A LATER DATE.
UH, LET ME INTERRUPT JUST FOR A SECOND.
UM, WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE JUST SAID ADDITIONALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE.
I UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM WITH INITIATED AND OVERSEE, UM, BUT I, AND ALSO IT WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF OUR, OUR MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
AND WITH THAT NOTE, I, I HAVE TO GO TO MY DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.
IS THAT GONNA THE QUORUM OR NOT? OR CAN WE JUST ADUR WHEN I IT'S QUORUM
SAY AGAIN? I THINK THAT'S THE LAST PART, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER, IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANOTHER PAGE? UH, THIS MR. CHAIR? I THINK WE FINISHED THE, YEAH, IT'S JUST THE APPENDIX THAT'S JUST, UM, LISTING THE LINKS THAT WERE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAH, THE REPORT.
SO I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH DONE.
I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WE NEED IS A VOTE TO APPROVE THE REPORT.
SO IF WE COULD DO THAT BEFORE COMMISSIONER CHASE LEAVES.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A MOTION AND THERE'S BEEN SECONDED.
YOU'VE HAD A QUORUM WITH IN THE PAST.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS COMMISSIONERS.
SO, UH, I SEE A LOT OF SMILEY FACES, SO THAT'S GOOD.
UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER ROBERTSON.
[01:05:01]
ONE THING TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS THAT ARE REMAINING.UM, I KNOW THAT WE RAN OVER, BUT I'VE SEEN IT A MILLION TIMES HAVING BEEN WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR 17 YEARS.
WHEN YOU GET 14, 15 BRILLIANT MINDS TOGETHER, IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO I'M HOPING THAT IT DOESN'T DETER US FROM SHARING OUR THOUGHTS WHEN WE'RE REPRESENTING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT WE'RE REPRESENTING VETERANS, I THINK THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
SO IF WE JUST CONSIDER WHEN WE DO HAVE OUR MEETINGS, GIVE OURSELVES SOME GRACE.
I DON'T EVER WANNA FEEL PUSHED OR PRESSURE TO, OH, I THINK SHE'S, I THINK YOU WENT ON MUTE, DR. ROBERTSON.
OH, I DON'T SEE THAT SHE'S SPEAKING ANYMORE, SO, UM, OKAY.
WELL, I GUESS SINCE WE'VE LOST HAS THE MEETING SINCE WE LOST QUORUM.
IS IT DO THE MEETING? I CAN'T CONTINUE UNLESS WE HAVE THE SEVEN MEMBERS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THE LAST THING THAT WE NEEDED TO WAS WE WERE ABLE TO OFFICIALLY HAVE A QUORUM TO MAKE THE VOTE OF THE ANNUAL REPORT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY OTHER ACTION ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA.
UM, SO THE MEETING HAS TO BE ADJOURNED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A COURTROOM NOW.
WELL, THIS CHAIR MESSED US UP, SO THE AGENDA HAS BEEN, UH, COMPLIANT WITH, BUT I DID HEAR THE AGENDA APPROVED.
I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE, UM, ANNUAL REPORT WAS APPROVED YEAH.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, I, UM, WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER ROBESON WAS SAYING THAT, UH, NEVER WANNA FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING PUSHED TO DO ANYTHING THAT THAT AFFECTS VETERANS AND, AND THEIR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, I KNOW WE WERE ON A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME CLOCK, BUT JUST, JUST FOR THE QUORUM PURPOSES.
BUT, UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, IT'S 1 0 8 AND, UM, WE DID DO, IT'S 1 0 8 AND, UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS HERE.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL IN THE NEW YEAR.