REMARKS
Need for codifying VAB roles and responsibilities
0:21:37
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Council Member Holden emphasizes the need to codify certain aspects of the Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) structure and operations to improve clarity and effectiveness.
- Holden suggests codifying VAB bylaws to eliminate contradictions and ensure clear structure.
- He proposes implementing attendance policies for board members, similar to those for community boards.
- Holden recommends against term limits for volunteers, arguing that long-serving members who contribute should be allowed to stay.
- The council member highlights the benefits of offering both in-person and remote options for VAB meetings.
Robert Holden
0:21:37
And and some contradictions.
0:21:38
And not only but you said that the bylaws need to be I think that's where, you know, we'll question VAB, that the bylaws are internal to to VAB.
0:21:48
So that needs to be, like, we need to codify certain things and make sure that it's very clear there's no contradictions.
0:21:55
Because the structure is very important.
0:21:57
Mhmm.
0:21:57
If there's no structure to it, then people start to drop by the wayside.
0:22:01
Also, you know, we we talked about, like, people not showing up.
0:22:05
If you I mean, they're volunteers.
0:22:07
And I understand it conflicts with schedules, but, and again, it's not up to, maybe, up to your your agency, and then we'll question VAB, that we attendance policies for the board members, probably needs to be codified.
0:22:24
I mean, that's what I'm looking at.
0:22:25
Like, some kind of standard, like, you know, they do that for community board members, but it doesn't always trickle up to the borough president, let's say, to enforce it.
0:22:37
So we need some the agency, probably your agency, to enforce, the attendance policies.
0:22:43
And, you know, we we've heard things about also term limits for which, you know, I I personally feel term limits for volunteers should not be put on there.
0:22:56
I mean, you know, so somebody serving 20 years, it's not it's not if they're contributing, that's and they wanna do it and they're good, that they should stay on.
0:23:05
So, we've heard a lot of criticism on how to change it or how to struck make it more structured, but, we need to tread lightly on that, at least to again, these the people that are the veterans that are volunteering should should actually we should work with them.
0:23:23
So, and and these you have the option to do both.
0:23:28
You could you can go physically to the location, and you could also work, remotely at the at the hearing.
0:23:35
So that that's a good we didn't always have that, which is good.
0:23:38
That's one thing out of, that came out of the pandemic.
0:23:42
Zoom came out, and we we were able to have more meetings that way.
James Hendon
0:23:46
Mister chair, I want I wanna just, be clear.