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THREE.[Veteran Affairs Commission on October 9, 2025.]
TOLD WE HAVE SUFFICIENT MEMBERS HAVE A FORUM.SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH, UH, ROLL CALL DISTRICT ONE.
DISTRICT TWO, COMMISSIONER SEATTLE.
MR. SHERMAN, I SEE THE CAMERA PRESENT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME PRESENT? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU.
YES, HE IS CAMERA COMMISSIONER.
PLEASE HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON PRESENT ACCOUNT FOR THAT WAY WE KNOW IT'S YOU.
DISTRICT NA MR. HUNTER, DISTRICT 11.
DISTRICT 12, PRESENT ACCOUNT FOR DISTRICT 13.
MR. SMITH PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR MR.
THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE THE PLEDGE.
SINCE THERE'S NO FLAG HERE, WE'LL JUST POLLUTE YOU GUYS.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE, TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY.
AND JUST OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS UNDER ALL BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF, UH, SEPTEMBER MEETING.
DO I HEAR, UH, ANY COMMENTS? I MOVE APPROVAL THIS COMMISSIONER CHASE.
UH, WITH, WITH THE PROVISO THAT THAT MISTAKE IS CORRECTED, I HEAR A MOTION TO, UH, ACCEPT.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? SEVEN, SECOND.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES WITH THE PROVISO, THEY'LL BE, UH, UH, APPROVED BY SAYING AYE.
MOTION CARRIES THE MINUTES OF THE, UH, SEPTEMBER MEETING, UH, HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED.
THE SECOND ORDER OF, UH, BUSINESS OF THE WHOLE BUSINESS IS AN UPDATE BY THE, UH, SU GROUP ON THE WELL VETERANS WELLBEING ASSESSMENT.
UH, DO I HAVE, UH, SOMEONE PRESENT? YES, THIS IS, UH, DR.
UM, WELL, FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, MOST OF THE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE GEOSPATIAL BASED STUDY.
SO YOU SEE A PARAGRAPH THERE EXPLAINING WHAT HAS GONE ON THERE.
UM, JUST SITTING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS, UH, DR.
UM, SO I'VE NOT BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS PIECE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'VE BEEN A TON, TON OF THINGS GENERATED.
AND, UM, SO THEY ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO, UM, FINISHING OUT THAT PART OF IT.
SO THEY'VE BEEN MAPPING, UM, USES A MAPPING ANALYSIS TO MEASURE VETERAN POPULATION AND LOOKING,
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UM, TO, UH, FIGURE OUT WHERE, UH, PRIORITIES MIGHT LIE IN, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE GEOLOCATION OF SERVICES VERSUS WHERE VETERANS LIVE.UM, AND THEY, UM, I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN TRADING EMAILS OR, AND I HAVE BEEN TRADING EMAILS ABOUT POTENTIALLY HAVING THE, UH, SOME OF THE TEAM, UH, PRESENT TO YOU ON THE END OF DECEMBER MEETING.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET A MUCH MORE THOROUGH UPDATE ABOUT THAT PART OF THE PROJECT YET, BUT THEY'VE BEEN MAKING GOOD PROGRESS THERE.
UM, THE OTHER, UH, WE ARE STILL ON TIME TO DO OTHER THINGS.
WE, UM, I, WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE THE CODING OF THE VIIF DATA, THE FORUM DATA IN, UM, ALL OF IT DONE BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
IT'S, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE COMPLETE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
AND I HAVE BEEN DOING MY PART TO, UH, ANALYZE WHAT WE HAVE, UM, UH, AND THEN HOPE.
AND THEN I WILL UPDATE THAT ONCE THE CODING IS COMPLETE.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AS WE HAVE ACCESS TO WEBSITE CALLED MEASURING COMMUNITIES.ORG, WHICH IS A WEBSITE THAT IS MAINTAINED BY PURDUE, THEIR MILITARY FAMILY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, I BELIEVE IS WHAT, UH, MFRI, MILITARY FAMILY RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
AND THEY HAVE, DO HAVE SOME, UM, INFOGRAPHICS WHICH ARE SPECIFIC TO TEXAS.
I SAID, I'VE ATTACHED AN EXAMPLE, BUT I BELIEVE I FORGOT TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, THEY HAVE, UM, INFORMATION ON, UH, VARIOUS PARTS OF TEXAS.
THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE IS FROM HOUSTON, I THINK, BUT, UH, I DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING RELATING SPECIFICALLY TO DALLAS.
SO, UM, I NOTICED THOUGH I WAS SEARCHING FOR VARIOUS, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE DALLAS AREA, AND THEY HAVE ONLY ONE MILITARY FAMILY SERVICE CENTER, WHICH IS IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ONE IN DALLAS THAT THEY JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
SO THAT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND STILL WORKING ON THE TECH SPACE ANALYSIS FOR, OF SOCIAL MEDIA USING REDDIT.
SHE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM THERE, WE HAVE SOME TASKS THAT WE WILL HOPEFULLY COMPLETE, UM, BY THE END OF OCTOBER TO, UH, FINISH THE CODING, UM, AND ALSO EXPLORE THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER DATA SOURCES.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT AND TRYING TO INTEGRATE, UM, ALL THE DATA FROM ALL ARMS OF THE PROJECT.
UM, STILL TRYING TO SCHEDULE A FULL TEAM MEETING FROM OUR SIDE.
THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO WITH ALL OUR CONFLICTING SCHEDULES.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
I'M WONDERING IF THAT MEASURING COMMUNITIES, UH, IS MEASURING SOMETHING MORE THAN VETERANS AND, UH, WHICH IS OUR FOCUS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MILITARY FAMILY SERVICE CENTER MIGHT BE CURRENT SERVICE MEMBERS, BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME OF THE OTHER VETERANS, UH, ASSISTANCE GROUPS.
THERE'S ONE IN MESQUITE, I THINK.
I'M SURPRISED THEY DON'T HAVE SOME OF THEM, SOME OF THOSE, UH, SERVICE GROUPS, UH, IN THEIR DATABASE.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY'RE GATHERING THEIR DATA.
UM, ONE OF MY KIND OF THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, UM, TRY TO FIND A, A, GET A, ACTUALLY TRY TO MEET WITH ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS, BUT THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING.
YOU SEND EMAILS AND THEY DON'T RESPOND.
SO KEEP KEEP TRYING TO, UM, GET SOME SORT OF, UM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE AND HOW THEY GET IT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST AN OBSERVATION.
SO THERE IS DOWN IN DALLAS, A VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER THAT'S JUST BELOW THE VETERANS HOSPITAL.
I LET BETTER, AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY, UH, DR. MCGEE, THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO AND TAP THEM BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU'RE AT THE VA AND THEY CAN'T DEAL WITH YOU RIGHT THEN, THEN THEY WILL PUSH THEM TO THIS PARTICULAR CENTER.
AND YOU SAID IT'S OFF OF LEDBETTER? UH, NO, THAT'S WHERE THE VA IS.
THE, UH, VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER.
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UH, AND IT'S, IT'S A NONPROFIT, SO THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO, TO TALK.BUT I'LL GET, I'LL GET WITH YOU AND I'LL, I'LL SEND THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
IT IS ON LANCASTER, JUST SOUTH OF THE VA HOSPITAL.
SO, UH, GOING BACK TO THE PRIOR POINT ABOUT GEOLOCATION, WERE WERE THESE VETERANS LOCATIONS AND MOBILITY PROJECT, WAS THAT GONNA BE PUT INTO THE GEO LOCATION PART OF THIS PROJECT TOO? YES.
WE PLANNED TO INTEGRATE, UM, AS MUCH OF THE DATA AS WE CAN SO THAT IT'S, UM, WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE VARIOUS PIECES OF OUR PROJECT.
WELL, I'M WONDERING, UM, THE, THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION ACTUALLY I THINK HAS A LIST OF, UM, VETERANS GROUPS, VETERANS ASSISTANCE GROUPS.
UH, HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU PLOT PLOTTED THEM INTO YOUR GEOLOCATION? I BELIEVE SO.
I BELIEVE WE'VE RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION AND WE, UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, RIGHT.
SO I, WE, THAT GROUP HAS COMBED ALL PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, UM, INFORMATION FROM THE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION WEBSITE AND ALSO FROM YOUR MEETINGS.
UM, FROM VIDEO AND AUDIO OF THE MEETINGS.
SO I'M SURE THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN DOUBLE WITH THEM.
AND I'LL, I'LL RE ARE WE REFERRING TO THE VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER ON LANCASTER AND, UH, WHAT'S THE OTHER ROAD? LEDBETTER? YES.
SO THAT ADDRESS, MA'AM, DOCTOR, IT'S, UH, ONE A RESOURCE FROM GOOGLE MAPS.
IT'S 4,900 SOUTH LANCASTER ROAD IN DALLAS.
ZIP CODE 7 5 2 1 6, AND GOOGLE MAPS PRETTY ACCURATE ON THAT LOCATION.
THEN THEIR, UH, WEBSITE SOURCE, UM, IT'S VETERANS SOURCE CENTER.ORG.
UM, TI IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE, ON THE CHAT? SO, YEAH.
AND, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE GONNA BE HOLDING THEIR ANNUAL VETERANS STANDOUT THIS MONTH ON THE 23RD.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AT THE SAME ADDRESS, THE SAME LOCATION STARTING AT 9:00 AM AND, UH, POSSIBLY GOING THROUGH UNTIL ABOUT TWO.
SO, DR. MCGEE, THIS MAY BE SOMETHING WHERE, UH, SOMEONE FROM YOUR TEAM CAN BE PRESENT AND, AND BE ABLE TO, TWO THINGS.
ONE IS YOU CAN DEFINITELY GET SOME NUMBERS ON THE DIFFERENT, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS OF VETERANS THAT FLOW THROUGH.
AND I FORGOT WHAT THEY MENTIONED.
UH, HOW MANY WERE THERE LAST YEAR? I'M THINKING IT WAS AROUND 800 OR SOMETHING.
CLOSE TO THAT RESOURCE GROUPS THAT ARE PRESENT.
AND IF YOU MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO GET SOME QUALITATIVE INFORMATION AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, MEETING WITH THEM.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE, I WILL SHARE THE INFORMATION FOR THE COORDINATORS FROM THE VA THAT ARE, THAT ARE SETTING THIS UP.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, I HAVE ONE.
MR. HES, I HAVE ONE COMMENT WHEN THE STUDY IS COMPLETE, CAN WE FORWARD THE INFORMATION TO PURDUE SO THEY CAN UPDATE THEIR DATABASE FOR DALLAS? UM, THAT WOULD DEPEND ON ME BEING ABLE TO MAKE, UH, CONTACT WITH THEM, BUT I WILL DO MY BEST TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, AND UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S KIND OF ON MY LIST TO DO ANYWAY, IS TO GET, TRY TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM THERE AND SEE IF SOMETHING, THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE JUST AREN'T EASILY ACCESSIBLE FROM THEIR WEBSITE.
'CAUSE ALL I'VE BEEN DOING RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO CLICK AROUND THEIR WEBSITE AND PERHAPS HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S, UM, SOMEWHERE THAT I'M NOT SEEING.
I'VE MADE CONTACT WITH, UH, WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION OR THE COMMUNITIES, UH, UH, PROGRAM.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL FORWARD THE EMAIL AND I'LL EVEN COPY IN, UH, THE SHARES WITH YOU.
OTHER COMMENTS? SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO JUMP, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THE WELLNESS STUDY QUESTIONS FOR DR.
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I SAID, NO, SIR.ALRIGHT, THE NEXT, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS UNDER WHOLE BUSINESS IS AN UPDATE ON THE VETERANS DAY PARADE.
SORRY, I'M NOT ABLE TO JOIN YOU GUYS TODAY.
UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE UPDATE OF THE VETERANS PARADE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 11TH, WE'RE STILL, UH, SET.
I'VE BEEN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH PAT, WHO IS THE ONE RUNNING THE SHOW FOR THAT.
UM, I'VE BEEN HELPING HIM WITH, UH, GETTING CONNECT CONNECTED TO, UH, PEOPLE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND SMOOTHLY FOR HIM.
UM, SO THE, THE, THE PRAYER AT FAIR PARK AND ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST FROM 11:00 AM TO NOON, THERE'S GONNA BE A MEDIA DAY AT THE FRONTIERS OF FLIGHT MUSEUM IN LEFT FIELD.
UM, THEY'RE REQUESTING VETERANS TO COME IN UNIFORM IF THEY'RE ABLE.
AND, UH, YEAH, THEY'RE JUST GONNA SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE VETERANS PARADE AND HOW, UM, THEY'RE EXCITED TO FINALLY GET THIS GOING AGAIN, UM, AFTER A COUPLE YEARS WHERE COVID AND WEATHER HAS, UH, BEEN IN THE WAY OF GETTING THAT DONE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I'VE BEEN ALSO TALKING TO PAT ABOUT THE VETERANS COMMISSION BEING MORE INVOLVED NEXT YEAR.
RIGHT NOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE, BUT I DEFINITELY WANT US TO GET MORE INVOLVED NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO, UH, AFTER, AFTER THE VETERAN, UH, AFTER THE PARADE, I DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE A, A DISCUSSION, UH, WITH YOU ALL, HOW WE COULD BE MORE INVOLVED, UM, WITH PLANNING AND BEING A PART OF THE PARADE.
WHY, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE TO COME ONE OF OUR MEETINGS? YEAH.
I, I, I, YEAH, I THINK THAT'D BE A GREAT IDEA.
I COULD, WE COULD DEFINITELY DO THAT.
AND WE COULD EXCHANGE IDEAS, YOU KNOW, JUST, YEAH.
IT'LL, AND I THINK IT'LL BE A NICE, NICE WAY TO PUT A FACE TO NAME, UH, WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL, UH, TO KNOW WHO PAT IS.
UM, WHY DON'T WE TRY FOR DECEMBER? SO, ERIC, OKAY.
STILL FRESH IN, IN EVERYBODY'S MIND, UH, FOR OUR DECEMBER MEETING TO HAVE THAT.
WE'LL GET WITH AND, UH, UM, ALSO HAVE THE, THE ROUTE MAP FOR THE PARADE.
SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE THAT TO, OKAY.
MY OTHER COMMENT IS, DO WE HAVE, DO THEY HAVE AN INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN? THEY DO NOT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PLAY IT, UH, AS WE GO.
HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY WEATHER'S NOT AN ISSUE THIS TIME.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR, OR LIAISON WITH THE VETERANS DAY PARADE? NORMALLY THE, FOR THE MEETING IN NOVEMBER, WE PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE, AND THAT COUNTS AS OUR MEETING.
UH, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY REASON NOT TO DO THAT, THAT'S PERFECT.
UH, FOR THE COMMISSION TO PART I'M SORRY, CHAIR.
ARE YOU ASKING THE LAWSUIT? ARE YOU ASKING FOR A MOTION TO NO, I'M JUST ASKING, JUST SAYING THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
DO WE WANNA VOTE ON THAT OR ARE YOU JUST ASKING OUR INTEREST? WE CAN DO I HEAR VOTE? I WOULD LOVE VOTE ON THAT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION THAT OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, THE, IN THE VETERANS DAY PARADE, IN LIEU OF A MEETING LIKE THIS, O SO MOVED SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE.
AND SECOND, DID YOU HAVE, UH, OUR NOVEMBER MEETING COINCIDE WITH THE PARADE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
SO THE MEETING IN NOVEMBER WILL BE ON THE 11TH AT THE PARADE.
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ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE PARADE? ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS AN UPDATE, AND I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE.TOTALLY SLIPPED MY MIND AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, 250TH, UH, ANNIVERSARY, UH, OF THE NAVY AND MARINES.
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY I MISSED THAT.
YEAH, SO THAT WOULD BE ME AGAIN.
SO THE EVENT THAT WE HAD ON TUESDAY, THE 250TH BIRTHDAY FOR THE NAVY MARINE CORPS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH US HAVING TO PIVOT, UM, BECAUSE THE COMMANDING OFFICER FROM FORT WORTH WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT DUE TO THE SHUTDOWN.
AND, UM, LUCKILY, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, STEVEN COLE STEPPED UP AND HE WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THAT EVENT.
UM, AND YEAH, NO, IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SPOKE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER GAVE A FEW REMARKS.
UH, CONGRESSWOMAN JULIE JOHNSON WAS ALSO THERE.
AND, UM, WE GOT TO SWEAR IN FOUR NEW RECRUITS.
UM, I HAD THE HONOR OF, OF, UH, SERVING AS MASTER OF CEREMONIES.
AND, UH, I WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO SHADI AND CHRISTINA FOR GETTING US THE CAKE.
AND IT, IT WAS A GOOD, IT WAS A GOOD PUBLICITY FOR US FOR THE COMMISSION.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, UH, SHARED THEIR APPRECIATION ON THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND THE LOCAL MEDIA WAS ALSO THERE, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WE DO.
UM, SO IT WAS A GREAT, UH, GREAT EVENT.
WELL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER COLE FOR HIS EFFORTS.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE.
A WONDERFUL DISTRICT, NOT, IT WAS A VERY GOOD EVENT.
UH, AND VICE CHAIR COLE DID A GREAT JOB, UH, WITH HIS, UH, SPEECH.
AND ONLY COMMENT I'D MAKE IS, UH, I DIDN'T SEE ANY UNIFORM, MARINE, MARINE CORPS PEOPLE THERE.
WERE THEY INVITED OR, YES, YES.
SO RE REID DID REACH OUT TO, UM, THE RECRUITING, UH, TO ALL OF THE RECRUITING STATIONS IN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS.
AND THE NAVY WAS THE ONE THAT, UH, THAT VOLUNTEERED TO SEND, UH, RECRUITS OUR WAY TO, UM, UH, ENLIST THEM THE OATH OF ENLISTMENT.
SO, UM, I KNOW WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT FOR, FOR THE MILITARY TO, UM, BE MORE INVOLVED.
UM, SO I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET FOUR RECRUITS THERE.
I I WAS REFERRING TO ANY, ANY UNIFORM MARINES.
NO, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE ANY UNIFORM MARINES, NO.
UM, BUT IT WAS, IT WASN'T, IT WAS AN OPEN INVITATION.
UH, THIS WAS SENT OUT MEDIA, UH, FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE.
UM, IT WAS A PUBLIC EVENT, AND THIS WAS SENT OUT TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, ALL VETERANS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T SEE ANY MARINES, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS, THERE WAS MARINE VETERANS, BUT THEY WERE JUST NOT IN UNIFORM.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
WE OR, UH, GUEST SPEAKER FELL THROUGH.
BRING US UP TO DATE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS.
SO, UH, THE COORDINATOR, NAJA SPEAKING.
SO WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, LEADERSHIP AS A WHOLE.
AND THEY RECENTLY HAD MENTIONED AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT THE FISCAL YEAR BASICALLY BEGAN WITH OCTOBER 1ST.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, ANY ONE OF COMMISSIONERS OR BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN RENOMINATED, THAT THEY GO INTO A HOLDOVER PERIOD IN STATUS, WHICH I BELIEVE THEY SAID WAS ABOUT SIX MONTHS OR SO.
UM, THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A NEW, UM, SOFTWARE THAT WE'RE USING ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS CALLED GRANICUS, AND IT'S EVOLVING, BUT ON THERE IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE POSTING ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN RENOMINATED.
SO THE CURRENT LIST FOR THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION OF NEWLY RENOMINATED COMMISSIONERS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
SO FOR DISTRICT ONE, UH, CHARLES IERS, AND HE WAS ALSO NOMINATED AS THE CHAIR BY THE MAYOR.
AND THEN FOR DISTRICT TWO, TWO, UH, JUAN PRECIADO, DISTRICT SEVEN, SERGIO ORTEGA, DISTRICT 13, RAY SMITH, AND
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DISTRICT 14, MATTHEW BELL.SO THAT IS FIVE OF THE CURRENT NINE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, BEING NOMINATED.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FOR THE REMAINDER, UH, ASIDE FROM COMMISSIONER HUNTER, WAS PARTIAL THAT, UH, I'M FOLLOWING UP ON WHY HE WASN'T AUTOMATICALLY RENOMINATED, BUT FOR THE REMAINDER, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS LIAISON AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, IF IT IS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING RENOMINATED, JUST SO THAT THIS WAY TIME-WISE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, IT IS A, A NEW, A NEW FISCAL YEAR, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT YOU DON'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND AS WE HAVE ONLY NINE AND WE NEED SEVEN FOR QUORUM, IT'S MAKING IT, UH, VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO MEET THE QUORUM.
SO WE DON'T WANNA HAVE THAT HAPPENING MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, MAIN MA MAJOR THINGS HAPPENING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHAT VETERANS WELLBEING ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S BASICALLY HALFWAY THROUGH.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH WE'RE GONNA HOPEFULLY LOOK TO HAVE READY FOR YOU GUYS VERY SOON.
UH, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, MAKE YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE AND LET THEM KNOW YOUR INTENTION FOR WANTING TO REMAIN ON THE COMMISSION AND TO HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD WITH NOMINATING YOU OR RE NOMINATING YOU TO THE COMMISSION IN THE NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEETING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THOUGH THERE ARE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY HOLDOVER OR AN APPOINTMENT, IS THAT RIGHT? SO THERE'S THREE VACANCIES FOR SURE, AT LEAST.
SO WE HAVE SIX VACANCIES CURRENTLY.
SO HAVE, HAVE THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS BEEN TOLD THAT THEY NEED TO GET A, A, A, AN APPOINTMENT? UH, PARDON ME.
WHICH ONES ARE YOU REFERRING TO? THE SIX THAT ARE VACANT OR THE CURRENT? YEAH.
I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M A HOLDOVER, SO, UH, BUT THE SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY APPOINTMENT AT ALL, UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THOSE WOULD BE, UH, THE FOCUS AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO OUGHT TO DO IT.
BUT, UH, HAVE, HAVE THESE SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS BEEN, UH, ACTIVELY TOLD THAT THEY HAD, THERE'S AN APPOINTMENT THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE.
SO TO UPDATE THE COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY AS OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING IN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT INFORMATION WAS COMMUNICATED TO THEM, WHETHER THERE WAS ANY, ANYTHING, UH, FORMALLY HANDED OVER TO THEM.
BUT FROM THOSE SIX ARE THE ONES, THREE OF THEM WERE THOSE WHO, WHO RESIGNED.
WE HAD THE FORMER CHAIR, RONNIE MISTA, WHO RESIGN, UH, DOMINIQUE HASKET, WHO RESIGNED, FRED WALKER, WHO RESIGNED.
AND, UH, THE OTHER THREE FROM, FROM BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE DETAILS.
KATRINA, THE LATE KATRINA, UH, WHO, WHO, HER POSITION WASN'T FILLED, BUT THAT, THAT IS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR ME TO TRY TO INDIVIDUALLY REACH OUT TO THEM.
BUT TYPICALLY WHAT SHANI, WHO IS THE, UH, THE MANAGER FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WHAT SHE SAID IS THAT THEY HANDLE THAT.
AND SO THEY, THEY KIND OF WANT US AS COORDINATORS TO BE A LITTLE HANDS OFF AND LET THE COORDINATOR, THE, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, COORDINATION, BASICALLY BE THE ONES WHO REACH OUT TO AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LET THEM KNOW FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE 40 SOMETHING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WHICH OF THEM ARE HAVING VACANCIES THEY NEED FILLING.
BUT I'LL JUSTLY NUDGE AND SEE IF WE CAN MAYBE, UH, LOOK TO, TO GET THOSE OTHER ONES ADDRESSED AS WELL.
I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
NOT, NOT TOO LONG AGO WE PUT TOGETHER A LETTER TO SEND TO THE COUNCIL, UH, SAYING ESPECIALLY TO THOSE THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE CA UH, THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, CAN WE RESEND THAT LETTER THROUGH THE COORDINATING BODY AND YES, I'LL LOOK TO MODIFY IT, TO UPDATE IT, RIGHT.
AND, UH, TO REFLECT OUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND THEN I'LL LOOK TO, TO PASS IT THROUGH
UH, ANY OTHER, DOES ANY COMMISSION MEMBER HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT BRING UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME? NO, SIR.
IF NOT, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? OUR MEETING MOVED.
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AYE.THEREFORE, I SAY THAT THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
SO YOU GUYS, UH, AT THE PARADE NEXT MONTH.