Q&A
Debate on creating standards for VAB attendance and appointments
0:26:44
ยท
5 min
Commissioner Hendon and Council Member Holden debate the pros and cons of codifying the relationship between the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and the Veterans Advisory Board (VAB), focusing on attendance standards and appointment processes.
- Commissioner Hendon expresses concern about potentially limiting VAB's autonomy through codification.
- He highlights the risk of creating dependencies that could hinder the board's ability to act independently, especially in times of disagreement with the administration.
- Council Member Holden argues for the need for some standards, particularly regarding attendance and appointments.
- The discussion touches on the balance between maintaining VAB's independence and ensuring its effectiveness through clearer guidelines.
James Hendon
0:26:44
I wanna I wanna go deeper on this one because this is it's very important with the we have a very good relationship with VB right now as far as, you know, the the current commissioner, current chair.
0:26:54
I worry about the I love the idea of the board having its autonomy.
0:27:00
Now say if there's someone who's on the board before coming in the seat, What if you have a spirit where there's tension between the veterans of ours, which reflects the community, and us as government?
0:27:08
If you codify things, if you get to a point where there's dependency between us, if there's tension, that can kneecap any autonomy that board has.
0:27:16
You can go back in time to 2014, the beginning of the last mayor's time, when there was a lot of advocacy around establishing DVS, supposed to have being the mayor's office of Veterans Affairs.
0:27:26
It's a lot of friction, where the board was on one side of this and administration was on another.
0:27:30
And so when I look at this right now, we're in good times, but you gotta think a worst case scenario of how do we do this in a way where we can still be thoughtful and try our best to make sure they have what they need logistically, but not get caught up where we've got, you know, deals or, you know, things signed between people who come and go between board members and commissioners that could, in different circumstances, be used to go against that committee as far as against the board.
0:27:54
So that's my big worry about codifying.
0:27:56
And that's why I say I'm fine with doing it if we do it in law, so it's something where no matter what Well, that's
Robert Holden
0:28:00
a broad stroke, though.
0:28:01
There there are certain things that need to be codified, so we have some some standards.
0:28:06
We don't wanna make it very strict, but we wanna make it where there has to be some, some rules.
0:28:13
You know, you have you have bylaws.
James Hendon
0:28:15
But this strikes at the heart of it, mister chair.
0:28:17
We are guests who are invited to speak at these meetings that the Veterans Advisory Board holds.
0:28:23
And so I'm just wary about when we talk about codifying things, when we are another just like, you know, you've had representatives from your team, you've come and spoken.
0:28:30
We are so I just wanna be careful about how ingrained we are in the form and and execution.
Robert Holden
0:28:36
But I I think we can go back and forth on this, but you do need some standards for attend I mean, I this is my opinion, and I we'll hear from the committee members and also we'll hear, from you from your office but there has to be some standards that we have to create whether it's the mayor the the mayor's going to appoint 7 individuals to VAV.
0:28:58
Wanna make sure they're showing up.
0:29:00
Same thing with the speaker's office.
0:29:01
The fact that we left, our side left a vacancy is disgraceful, and we will make sure but but, again, just getting that information is difficult because of where do you find this stuff?
0:29:16
And then when you do look on the website, it's not accurate.
0:29:19
So that's what that's why I think we need and I I can't even tell you, and we'll we'll hear from VAB, but I can't tell you who's not showing up, who's you know, if we're gonna appoint somebody, at at least the speaker side, the city council side gonna gonna appoint somebody, we'll make sure they're showing up.
0:29:37
So that that I think needs even though they're volunteers, they still are signing on to to be
James Hendon
0:29:43
on the board.
0:29:44
And I don't disagree with that, mister Chai.
0:29:46
I just think that if that's to occur, if that's a remedy we'll have for the attendance issue you pointed out, that that should be done through law.
0:29:51
That's just what I'm saying.
0:29:52
I feel as though it's, you know, it's not I don't wanna get in the realm of being, of us managing or having control over this independent board.
0:30:01
I I just wanna be mindful of that.
0:30:03
And so I have no issue with what you're saying.
0:30:04
I just think if we do something
Robert Holden
0:30:06
Well, they're they're independent they're independent, but not totally.
0:30:10
Right?
0:30:11
Because you they have nothing to say about or at least, I will hear from the VAB, but they have nothing to say about appointments.
0:30:18
I mean, we do and you do.
0:30:20
Your the city council does and the mayor's office.
0:30:23
So that's not you know, you're you're, you're actually, you know, they're they're not separate and apart.
0:30:29
They do have, we we have to provide, you know, I mean we provide certainly, we're we're looking at, the VAB.
0:30:39
We're doing a hearing on the VAB now.
0:30:42
And, so we we have to provide oversight.
0:30:47
Your office should provide oversight also.
0:30:50
In your in your role, I mean, we already saw that the website hasn't been updated.
0:30:55
So that's something that we we found out, we looked at it, and we said, why not?
0:31:00
And then, well, you know, that that's not doing the VA the board any service by having it lag behind for a year and a half or 2 years, and the and the and the information not accurate.
0:31:13
So anything we could do I mean, I'd like to, make sure that the website and that could be done, you know, within 1 or one day.
0:31:21
So I think and and the fact that in our side that we don't we have a vacant seat for years now, like I said, is a disgrace.
0:31:30
And I'll I'll I'll, make sure that we address that.
0:31:34
The where as you know, we'll we'll come up with recommendations for, replacements or at least, appointments, you know, and it could be a collaborative effort from your part, you know, yours and the VAB.
0:31:48
But I'm not gonna say we're gonna just, you know, turn everything over and not provide oversight.
0:31:52
We will.
0:31:53
That's fair.
0:31:53
Supporting veterans engagement, let's let's go into political process.
0:31:57
In 2,000 23 annual report, the VAB call for investing in resources to encourage and support veteran engagement in the political process, including placing veterans on community boards, which is near and dear to me.