COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM City of Austin Permitting & Development Center 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Room 1406 Austin, TX 78752 CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Manuel Jimenez (Chair) Sabino Renteria (3) Adrenne Mendoza (Vice) Vanessa Fuentes (2) Alfred Bingham – Natasha Harper-Madison (1) Maria Brown-Spence – Mayor Steve Adler Jose Carrasco – Greg Casar (4) Charles W. Cupp – Mackenzie Kelly (6) CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA Elisabeth Collura-Rosenberg – Kathie Tovo (9) Jason Denny – Ann Kitchen (5) Thomas Just – Paige Ellis (8) Kevin Lenau – Allison Alter (10) Pete Salazar – Leslie Pool (7) Speakers who register will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1) APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) Discussion and possible action regarding approval of the minutes from the Commission on Veterans Affairs regular meeting on November 17, 2021. 2) OLD BUSINESS None 3) NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion and possible action regarding Commission Working Groups and the Commission’s 2021-22 goals. (Sponsors: Pete Salazar, Manuel Jimenez) i. Create and fund a Veterans Office ii. Identifying any veteran encampments and number of homeless veterans located in the City of Austin iii. Organize a task force to work with other commissions to organize a Veterans Festival b) Discussion and possible action on the recommendation to rename the Veterans Service Office to HRD USERRA program. (Sponsors: Pete Salazar, Manuel Jimenez) c) Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to correct or revert the park name “Veterans Pocket Park” to read “Veterans Park.” (Sponsors: Manuel Jimenez. Jason Denny) d) Presentation by Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager, City of Austin Office of Sustainability, followed by discussion and possible action on the food planning process and emergency operations. (Sponsors: Manuel Jimenez, Pete Salazar) 4) STAFF UPDATES None FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS NOTE: Next meeting is Wednesday, February 16, 2022 ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 Hours) before the meeting date. Please call Jonathan Babiak, Office of Civil Rights, at 512-974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Veterans Commission, please …
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Veterans Affairs Recommendation Number: (20220119-3b): Rename the Veterans Services Office to HRD USERRA Program WHEREAS, the City of Austin Human Resources Department Veteran Services Office (HRDVSO) supports City employees who are veterans, guard, and reserve members of the armed forces. HRDVSO Office is a resource for individual employees, City departments, and City management. WHEREAS, the HRDVSO was created to ensure compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and is an inward-facing program meant to assist city employees in the National Guard, Reserves, or those ordered to active duty. USERRA applies to members of the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard, and other "Uniformed Services" (including the National Disaster Medical System and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service). WHEREAS, Texas Labor Code §302.151 assimilates United States Code 38 USC §101(2) and defines a Veteran as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. Active services include full-time duty in the National Guard or a Reserve component, other than full-time for training purposes. In accordance with the various statues, Veterans are no longer serving in the armed forces. The primary purpose of the Veterans Service office was to assist city employees who are National Guard and Reserves. The majority of those that fall under USERRA are not Veterans; however, they are Guard and Reservists who have not yet become Veterans since they have not been discharged from service and met specific requirements. WHEREAS, over 50,000 veterans living in the Capital area are not city employees who are often seeking veteran services. The name, City of Austin Veterans Service Office insinuates that they provide services for veterans. This misnomer has led many in the Veterans Community to believe the City of Austin offers services to Austin veterans. The name Veteran Service office does not reflect their primary function of assisting non-veterans who are National Guard and Reservist who are city employees. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission on Veteran Affairs recommends that the name of the City of Austin Human Resources Department Veterans Service Office be changed to the HRD USERRA program. This action will alleviate the confusion and assist with the efficient delivery of services. Date of Approval: January 19, 2022 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 7-0 vote, Commissioner Denny motion, Commissioner …
COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS MINUTES The Commission on Veteran Affairs convened in a Regular Meeting on January 19, 2022 at the City of Austin Planning and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, Texas 78752. REGULAR MEETING January 19, 2022 Chair Manuel Jimenez called the Board Meeting to order at 7:01 PM. Board Members in Attendance: Manuel Jimenez - Chair Alfred Bingham Maria Brown-Spence Jose Carrasco Jason Denny Kevin Lenau Pete A. Salazar Staff in Attendance: Jonathan Babiak, Business Process Consultant, Office of Civil Rights (OCR); Flynn Lee, Investigator, OCR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chair Jimenez asked the Commission members to review the minutes from the regular called meeting on November 17, 2021. Commissioner Denny made a motion to approve the meeting minutes, Commissioner Lenau second. Motion passed on a vote of 6-0 with Chair Jimenez and Commissioners Bingham, Brown-Spence, Carrasco, Denny, and Lenau in favor. 2. OLD BUSINESS None 3. NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion and possible action regarding Commission Working Groups and the Commission’s 2021-22 goals. (Sponsors: Pete Salazar, Manuel Jimenez) i) Create and fund a Veterans Office ii) Identifying any veteran encampments and number of homeless veterans located in the City of Austin City of Austin iii) Identifying any veteran encampments and number of homeless veterans located in the The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS MEETING MINUTES b) Discussion and possible action on the recommendation to rename the Veterans Service Office to HRD USERRA program. (Sponsors: Pete Salazar, Manuel Jimenez) The Commission discussed this item. Chair Jimenez read the draft recommendation. After discussion, Commissioner Denny moved adoption, Commissioner Salazar second. The recommendation was adopted on a vote of 7-0 by all members present. c) Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to correct or revert the park name “Veterans Pocket Park” to read “Veterans Park.” (Sponsors: Manuel Jimenez. Jason Denny) The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. d) Presentation by Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager, City of Austin Office of Sustainability, followed by discussion and possible action on the food planning process and emergency operations. (Sponsors: Manuel Jimenez, Pete Salazar) The Commission discussed this item. The presenter was not available. By unanimous consent the item will be returned to a future agenda. The Commission took no action on this item. 4. STAFF UPDATES None ADJOURN: Chair Jimenez …
