OFFICIAL MEETING NOTICE

VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 – 6:00 pm

Hosted Remotely via MS Teams

https://tinyurl.com/y4rrvmba

Call in (audio only)

+1 415-906-4659,,180661142#

VICTOR OLIVIERI, PRESIDENT

IKRAM MANSORI, VICE-PRESIDENT

STEPHEN MARTIN-PINTO, SECRETARY

WILLIAM BARNICKEL, MATTHEW BRAUER, DOUGLAS BULLARD, HANLEY CHAN,

DEBORAH DACUMOS, GEORGE ISHIKATA, JEFF MARSHALL, CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD, COURTNEY MILLER, MYLES TUCKER, RAYMOND WONG

AGENDA

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL

COMMUNICATIONS

Officers’ Reports

 

• President Olivieri

  • New supervisor liaison reports sent out.

 

• Vice President Mansori

  • Mayor’s certificate of appreciation for notable veterans or veteran organizations in the community

 

• Secretary Martin-Pinto

  • Changes to procedures for posting minutes and announcing meetings

  • Notify secretary for business card requests

 

Committee Reports

Legislative Committee

• Cmr. Miller is working to find space for the San Francisco Veteran Center in San Francisco

• Needs 3500 sq ft of first floor space with up to 10 spaces of parking

• Recommendation made to work with CVSO

• Work with local legislators on Psychoreactive substance legislation to treat PTSD

 

Communications Committee – Commissioner Bullard

• Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for commission is live

  • Keep track of data on followers

• Difficulty finding IT support for Email account creation

• Proposal made to write quarterly newsletter

 

Finance Committee

• Data on statewide funding of CVSO gathered

• County is primary funder of CVSOs

• California CVSO has funds set aside for subordinate county CVSOs

 

Events Committee

• Proposal made to attend all forthcoming job fairs

• Proposal made to attend family day at 23^rd Marine Regiment, US Marine Corps reserve station in San Bruno

• All commissioners need to stay aware of upcoming events and let Cmr. Barnickel know

• Proposal made to plan a Hack-a-thon event

 

Rules Committee

• Nothing significant to report

 

Ad hoc Committee

• Find landlord who has space for SF Veteran Center

  • Proposal made to contact Presidio Trust

  • Contact American Legion War Memorial Commission

 

Liaison Reports

District 1: Sup. Chan – Commissioner Ishikata

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 2: Sup. Stefani – Commissioner Miller

• Cmr. Miller contacted Sup. Stefani and proposal was made to contact Presidio Trust for SF Veteran Center

 

District 3: Sup. Peskin – Commissioner McDonald

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 4: Sup. Mar – Commissioner Wong

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 5: Sup. Preston – Commissioner Dacumos

• Discussion made about set aside for veterans at new housing proposal at 730 Stanyan at Haight

 

District 6: Sup. Haney – Commissioner Mansori

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 7: Sup. Melgar – Commissioner Martin-Pinto

• Discussion about non-profit fraud (Beyond a Buddy program)

• Discussion about lack of funding for secretary and even basic items such as business cards, stationery, etc…

• Sup. Melgar offered to write draft legislation modifying BMR qualification legislation to include veterans. She will present to Cmr. Martin-Pinto to present to Commission before April Meeting.

 

District 8: Sup. Mandelman – Commissioner Marshall

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 9: Sup. Ronen – Commissioner Chan

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 10: Sup. Walton* – Commissioner Tucker

• Nothing significant to report

 

District 11: Sup. Safai – Commissioner Bullard

• Nothing significant to report

 

APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES

• February Regular Meeting Minutes

  • Cmr. Barnickel made motion to approve

  • Seconded by Cmr. Chan

  • Motion passes – minutes approved

• Veteran Retreat Meeting Minutes

  • Cmr. Barnickel made motion to approve

  • Cmr. Tucker seconded

  • Motion passes – minutes approved

 

AGENDA CHANGES

• Motion made to modify agenda to include discussion about writing formal letter to mayor, city administrator, and city attorney to ask for staff support for the commission, clarification of where in the organizational structure the veteran’s affairs commission is, and writing of formal letter to request badges for the purpose of executing duties on behalf of the veteran’s affairs commission.

  • Cmr. Martin-Pinto made motion to approve

  • Cmr. Marshall seconded

  • Motion passes – agenda amended

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Veterans Preference in BMR [Discussion Item]

• Add veterans on to the 4 qualifying categories for BMR preference

• Shall 100% disability be a qualification to lower demand

• AMI is driver of need

• Sup. Melgar drafting proposal to add veterans on to the 4 qualifying categories for BMR

• Motion is made to continue item to next meeting

  • Cmr Barnickel made motion

  • Cmr. McDonald seconded

  • Motion passes

 

Support staff funding for Veteran Affairs Commission

• Motion made to draft letter to mayor, city administrator, and city attorney to delineate funding procedures, IT support, and placement within organizational structure of cityu government

  • Cmr. Ishikata made motion

  • Seconded by Cmr. Mansori

  • Motion passes

 

Update from County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) [Information/Discussion]

• John Gallagher

  • There is a formula used to calculate funding dispersal to counties

  • Funding streams come from county, state, and federal sources

  • DMV license fees also a source

  • Confirmation of adequate funding from state

  • 30% of funding to county CVSOs should come from state

 

NEW BUSINESS

Veteran’s Policy Summit

• Propose list of invitees

• Motion made to hold Veterans Annual Policy summit on 13 April during daytime

  • Motion made by Cmr. Olivieri

  • Seconded by Cmr. Mansori

  • Motion passes

 

Letter to delineate funding

• Motion made to draft letter to send to Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAS) asking them to delineate funding source for commission before next DAS commission meeting by Cmr. Mansori

• Seconded by Cmr. Marshall

• Motion passes

 

Review of Applicants to vacancies on the Veteran’s Affairs Commission

• First recommendation – Dr. David Corman

• Second recommendation – Jason Chittavong

• Third – Matthew Bell

• Fourth – Nicholas Russanoff

  • Shall the commission endorse the named applicants in order listed for vacancies on commission?

    • Motion made by Cmr. Ishikata

    • Seconded by Cmr. Marshall

    • Motion passes

• Shall the commission take a position on endorsing Cmr. Ishikata for re-appointment?

  • By person vote

  • Commission agrees to not have position

 

GOOD WELFARE

• Recommendations

  • Christopher Bowman

    • Statistician who assisted in collection of voter data and statistics

  • Nicholas Rusanoff

    • Advocate for Veterans preference in BMR program

 

PUBLIC COMMENT

• Nicholas Russanoff thanks commission for assistance in finding him housing in the BMR program

 

HONORS REPORT AND MOMENT OF SILENCE

ADJOURNMENT at 2053