PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joe Bello, Former VAB Chair, on NYC Veterans Advisory Board Challenges and Recommendations
2:06:03
ยท
8 min
Joe Bello, former VAB Chair, testified on the challenges facing the NYC Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) and proposed recommendations for improvement. He highlighted issues with the VAB's effectiveness, transparency, and independence from the Department of Veterans Services (DVS).
- Bello expressed concerns about the potential merger between VAB and the VA's Community Veterans Engagement Board, citing lack of communication and legal complications.
- He proposed legislative actions including term limits for board members, codifying officer positions, designating a DVS liaison, and improving outreach efforts.
- Bello emphasized the need for regular oversight hearings to ensure the VAB is fulfilling its mandate and serving the veterans community effectively.
Joe Bello
2:06:03
Testing.
2:06:04
Yeah.
2:06:05
Thank you.
2:06:09
Before I begin, I I just like a point of information, and around transparency.
2:06:15
I've heard testimony today by the, commissioner and others about the, the VA's Community Veterans Engagement Board merging with the VAB.
2:06:27
Lo and behold, I happen to be the the chair or was the chair.
2:06:31
I I all I can tell you is that in the prior administration, it was coming to an end.
2:06:37
I had a conversation with the Veterans Experience Office down in DC, and they had let us know that that everything was on hold because the administration might not be continuing the Veterans Experience Office.
2:06:49
Now if commissioner Hendon was having conversations, I certainly would have appreciated a phone call from him to let me know what was going on, but I didn't get that.
2:06:56
Part of the problem with that too is the CVAB is a federal entity.
2:07:01
The VAB is a city chartered board.
2:07:05
So you I I I'm not trying to figure out how are we adding the members onto the CVAB, which is, well, something different.
2:07:12
Or are we saying we're going to rewrite the law and kinda merge federally or locally the CVB into the VAB?
2:07:20
So I just wanted that point of information because that's very confusing.
2:07:24
So with that, chairman Holden, members of the veterans community, thank you for the opportunity to testify.
2:07:33
Under the city charter, the VAB's primary role is to advise the commissioner of Department of Veterans Services on all matters affecting veterans.
2:07:40
The board performed several additional functions including community engagement, advocacy, and advisory and policy recommendations.
2:07:46
While the VAB has grown over the years, including legislation, in 2022, which expanded the membership, its effectiveness has noticeably declined.
2:07:54
This decline has been particularly evident in the public engagement sector.
2:07:58
Having served on the board for several years and had a hand in writing the 2023 report, I wanted to share my thoughts on some of the challenges challenges facing the VAB.
2:08:08
Although the VAB is mandated to operate as an independent entity, it heavily would depends on DVS for both logistical and operational support.
2:08:17
This support includes assisting assisting with meeting locations, which to be clear is not in the city charter.
2:08:24
So there have been instances where the commissioner has turned around and said, look, the agency is not interested in helping the VAB find a location, and we've had to find locations by ourselves.
2:08:34
But this is something that's not in the city charter and go actually goes back to Lori Sutton.
2:08:39
Publishing
Robert Holden
2:08:40
Could could you do so what are you suggesting?
Joe Bello
2:08:43
I'm suggesting we're gonna have to, prop and then I get further into it.
2:08:47
We're gonna have to, augment the legislation to where the the the DBS absolutely has a hand in finding, particularly if I mean, I know that they said they wanna do it at VA locations, but, VA locations are gonna be quite challenging as well.
2:09:04
So are we doing it at the St.
2:09:06
Albans CLC, out in St.
2:09:09
Albans?
2:09:10
Are we doing it in the Brooklyn Hospital?
2:09:13
I mean, where, Jason Largo, when he was here, testified about looking for central locations.
2:09:18
So I'm curious as to where where we're gonna find central locations
Robert Holden
2:09:23
Alright.
2:09:23
I'm sorry.
2:09:23
You can go over
Joe Bello
2:09:24
your testimony.
2:09:25
Alright.
2:09:27
This support includes assisting with MENA locations, publishing board information, archiving minutes, videos, and reports on its website.
2:09:34
Unfortunately, this reliance has resulted in issues such as delayed meeting notifications, missing minutes, no transcripts, unarchived videos, and outdated or incomplete member information on the VAE web page, which I appreciate you bringing up that they updated that that site yesterday.
2:09:50
Additionally, as the chair may recall, concerns were raised in 2022 regarding the potential influence of d DVS officials on council speaker appointments.
2:09:59
Those concerns have not diminished.
2:10:01
Finally, in recent years, many have observed VAB meetings being overshadowed by DVS presentations, leaving little room for meaningful local discussions.
2:10:11
The meetings also seem to be constrained by informal 2 hour time limits through video with minimal efforts by the agency to address veterans questions from one meeting to the next, and that's the agency, not VAB.
2:10:23
These issues have significantly undermined transparency and trust in the board.
2:10:28
To address these challenges and strengthen the VAB, I would propose a package of legislative actions for the commit committee to consider.
2:10:37
Term limits.
2:10:38
The lack of term limits on the VAB has stifled the introduction of fresh perspective of ideas.
2:10:43
While some board members have served for extended periods, others participate minimally.
2:10:47
You heard you've heard testimony on that.
2:10:50
Further further diminishing the board's overall effectiveness.
2:10:55
I also wanted to point out that, the commissioner did testify that, start and end dates for the members have no rhyme or reason.
2:11:03
They are not uniformly staggered.
2:11:04
But in the last, introduction where we introduced the cold stop, it was it was the the commissioner that in that was pushing for these term limits and that that, appointees only serve the remainder of unexpired terms left by their predecessors.
2:11:22
That's been a problem.
2:11:24
I would propose legislation allowing new appointees to serve full 3 year terms from the date of their appointment.
2:11:31
This would ensure appointees have adequate time to contribute meaningful meaningfully to the board while reducing any perceived influence from the agency or the stakeholders.
2:11:40
Additionally, I recommend introducing 2 term 6 year limits for board members.
2:11:44
This change would foster fresh leadership, ensure continuity, infusion of new ideas, and help the VAB remain dynamic and responsive in addressing the needs of New York City veterans.
2:11:56
The city charter calls for the VAB to elect a chair and vice chair annually.
2:12:01
To strengthen governance and improve documentation, I would recommend legislation codifying the position of secretary and amending the charter to extend the term of each officer to, instead of annually to 2 years, allowing for greater continuity and stability.
2:12:16
Additionally, the lack of a legislated DVS lay liaison to the VAB has caused frequent turnover in this role, which disrupts continuity and support.
2:12:25
Since 2008, the VA's b annual reports have consistently called for funding resources from DVS to support reckon keeping and ensure continuity.
2:12:35
In the absence of a dedicated funding in the upcoming 26 budget, I proposed legislation that would designate a DVS position, probably intergov, to the position as liaison of the VAB, as well as mandating meeting location support.
2:12:50
This position with defined duties would ensure dedicated communication and operational support for the board.
2:12:56
Expanding outreach is essential to increasing awareness of the VAB's role and encouraging greater participation.
2:13:02
Currently, the charter only requires DVS to post VAB meeting notifications on its web page at least 1 week prior to each public meeting.
2:13:12
And I wanna note here that I went back during this hearing and looked at x.
2:13:16
And the last time they posted on twitter slash x about a VAB meeting was February 21, 2024.
2:13:24
However, many veterans do not frequently check DVS's website, leaving them unaware of the board's meetings or purposes purpose, which limits its reach and impact.
2:13:33
Additionally, DVS is required to maintain and periodically update contact information for veteran organizations when the sit within the city, and notify them of meeting details by regular or electronic mail.
2:13:46
During my tenure on the board, particularly as secretary, I never saw evidence that this requirement was ever met.
2:13:52
I recommend legislation requiring meeting notifications be published at least 2 weeks in advance, and are included in the last two editions of DVS's Friday newsletter prior to the meeting date.
2:14:03
It's worth noting, that the last oversight hearing before today occurred in 2017.
2:14:09
To ensure the VAB is fulfilling its mandate, I recommend this committee hold oversight hearings at least every 2 years.
2:14:16
Regular oversight hearings will provide an opportunity to assess the board activities, deficiencies, and to give the VAB a voice to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the veterans community.
2:14:26
Inclusion, the VAB is a vital advocate for veterans concerns.
2:14:30
By addressing its challenges and implementing some of these proposed recommendations, we can strengthen the board, promote greater accountability, and ensure it fulfills its mission serving those who have served.
2:14:40
Thank you, council member.