Q&A
Veteran resource center usage and expansion plans
1:10:52
ยท
128 sec
Council members and DVS representatives discuss the usage of veteran resource centers in council offices, focusing on successful examples and plans for improvement and expansion across all council offices.
- Discussion on the reduction of veteran resource person visits from twice to once a month in some offices
- High demand and extended hours for veteran resource persons in certain council offices
- Plans to survey all 51 council offices to assess veteran resource center usage
- Commitment from DVS to work with successful offices to improve implementation across all council districts
Jason Loughran
1:10:52
Vicky,
Robert Holden
1:10:53
you you've done the veteran resources, like, like twice twice a month you used to have.
1:10:58
Now Yes.
1:10:58
Now when now we only get once a month because a
Vickie Paladino
1:11:01
huge disappointment to, the people who come to my office Right.
1:11:05
Because they really were counting on Tanya twice a month.
1:11:08
So it was, now that it's down to once a month, I'm telling you, she stays sometimes till 6 o'clock.
Robert Holden
1:11:15
Yeah.
1:11:16
She's busy.
1:11:16
She I have the same, resource person in my own.
1:11:19
Tanya's great.
Vickie Paladino
1:11:20
She's amazing.
Robert Holden
1:11:21
But when we had we were the only 2 council members that had
Vickie Paladino
1:11:24
it.
1:11:25
Right.
Robert Holden
1:11:25
Yep.
1:11:25
We had twice a month.
1:11:27
And then when they the council funded it for all 51 officers, we lost a day.
1:11:34
And that did hurt us, but we're willing, you know, we we're willing to share.
1:11:39
But it is a problem.
1:11:42
And but our office or, you know, both of our officers were very busy.
1:11:46
Tanya was always working extra, actually.
1:11:48
She wouldn't take a lunch sometimes.
1:11:49
No.
1:11:50
She she because she couldn't.
1:11:53
But that's why we need to focus on if you could look at the 51 and do a survey with the council officers, are they getting, veterans coming in?
Jason Loughran
1:12:04
And, Chair and and councilwoman, we wanna just thank you guys for being the trendsetters here that got us to where we are today.
Robert Holden
1:12:14
I know.
1:12:14
But thank you for it was your I your your ideas to have that person twice, and that was, that was a godsend.
1:12:22
It really was.
Jason Loughran
1:12:23
We will be reaching out to to your offices for, your guidance and support on how we best, how the VFW will best roll out this veteran resource center because to your astute point there, we certainly do not want to be using city council funding to send somebody to an office that they're not going to see anyone for the day.
1:12:41
Right.
1:12:41
And so, whatever your experiences have been and how you've made a very successful, veteran resource center, we're gonna have to mirror that same success and teach the other city council members how to do what you guys have done.
1:12:55
Great.
1:12:55
So you'll be hearing from us and and VFW over the next, month or 2.
James Hendon
1:13:00
Also, I had to answer council member Marauder's question as far as how this breaks out right now.