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Meeting Information



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CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO

VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION

MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009 MEETING

415-554-6036

 

President Levin called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. & led the Pledge.

Commissioners present: Regalado Baldonado, John Caldera, Renie Champagne, George Gibbs, Chris Gruwell, James Guglielmoni, Wallace Levin, Michael Thompson, Edwin Wilkerson, Dara Wong & Raymond Wong. Jill Buck, Veronika Cauley & Robert Varni were excused. Margaret Champagne, Stephen Noetzel, Matthew Shea & Deputy City Attorney Wayne Snodgrass were also present. 11 commissioners present & 3 excused.

 

Comm. Caldera moved approval of agenda, 2nd by Comm. Guglielmoni. Motion passed.

Comm. Guglielmoni moved approval of minutes of Oct. meeting, 2nd by Comm. Caldera.

Motion passed, with one abstention (Gruwell).

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS – Stephen Noetzel, Vietnam War Veteran, & Matthew Shea, Afghanistan War Veteran, have both applied for the commission position held by the late Bud Wilson. They both presented their qualifications for that appointment, which will come before the Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Nov. 5th.

 

REPORTS AND OTHER ACTION ITEMS – Motion by Comm. Guglielmoni, 2nd by Comm. Thompson & Caldera for the commission to support Trustee J. Michael Myatt's report and the War Memorial Board of Trustees unanimous vote at their Oct. 8, 2009 meeting, to not give any more extensions and to stop direct payments of tax payers money to the American Legion War Memorial Commission, until they resolve questions and any discrepancies concerning the commission's income and expenditure statement for 2007 through 2009 and that they confirm that the commission has adequate financial controls and practices in place to manage future income and expenditures on behalf of the posts of the American Legion. Motion passed with 9 for & 2 abstentions (Gibbs & Wilkerson).

 

Motion by Comm. Raymond Wong, 2nd by Comm. Dara Wong, to send a letter from the commission, to Assemblywoman Mary Salas thanking her for her great support to veterans. Motion passed.

Motion by Comm. Guglielmoni, 2nd by Comm. Dara Wong appointing Comm. Wilkerson, Thompson, Champagne & Baldonado to the Nomination Committee. Motion passed, with one abstention (Gruwell). Their nominations will be presented at the December meeting, followed by nominations from the floor. Nominations will also be open prior to the election in January, with the new officers terms starting at the February meeting.

 

PRESIDENTS REPORT – President Levin reported that thanks to Supervisor Bevan Dufty, the Board of Supervisors will honor veterans & the commission at the Board meeting held on Nov. 10th, at 3:30 p.m. All members of the commission are invited.

Copies of the new proposed By laws were passed out. Members of the commission were urged to study them, so that they can be discussed at the December meeting.

 

 

 

SPECIAL REPORT – Comm. Gruwell reported that Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier had introduced legislation to increase the size of the Veterans Affairs Commission from 15 members to 17 members and that it would come before the Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Nov. 5th. No one on the commission had heard anything about the change and there was general surprise that the Board had not given us the courtesy of at least informing us about the change and giving us a chance to give input.

 

EMPLOYMENT – Comm. Thompson reported that the 20th Annual Veterans Employment Committee Job Fair will be held at Fort Mason, on May 12, 2010. Invitations to employers in San Francisco & San Mateo County will go out in January.

 

HOMELESS VETERANS – Comm. Gibbs reported that the Veterans Connect Event would be held on Nov. 10th, at the SFVAMC Downtown Clinic, at 401 3rd Street.

 

LEGISLATION EVALUATION – Comm. R. Wong reported on Federal Legislation HR 2319, will remove the 25 year limitation on veterans home loans & HR 2756, pertains to veterans home loan refinancing.

 

NATIONAL VETERANS GROUPS – Comm. Guglielmoni reported that the DAV would have a veterans service event on Nov. 21st, at the Veterans Building.

Comm. Guglielmoni, R. Wong & D. Wong attended the October California Department of Veterans Affairs meeting in Sacramento. The meeting was held to inform veterans organizations what was taking place at the Department.

 

VETERANS DAY PARADE – Comm. Champagne reported that thanks to the JROTC

units, there would be 90 units in the parade.

 

HONORS REPORT & ADJOURNMENT – in memory of the 5,150+ Americans killed in Iraq & Afghanistan, the homeless veterans that died in San Francisco, the veterans that died because of suicide during the month of October and the 8 Coast Guard & 2 Marine members killed in the air crash off San Diego in October.