Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

COMMISSION ON VETERAN AFFAIRS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024 The COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS convened in a REGULAR Meeting on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024, at the City of Austin Permitting & Development Center at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752. Chair CHRISTOPHER WILSON called the COMMISSION ON VETERANS AFFAIRS MEETING to order at 7:01pm CST. Commissioners in Attendance: Christopher Wilson (Chair) Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Amber Schleuning Armando Gonzales Curtis Wyman Mark Balch Maria Brown-Spence Patrick Bissett Philip Reichert William Dahlstrom Commissioners Absent: Kevin Lenau (absent) Staff in Attendance: Jesus Simental – Veterans Administrator, Office of Civil Rights PUBLIC COMMUNICATION – GENERAL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. The minutes from the meeting of 11/15/2023 were approved on Chair Christopher Wilson motion, second by William Dahlstrom on a 9-0 vote. K. Lenau was absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Commissioner Maria Brown-Spence stated she had no update on working group to research nonprofits that service veterans of Austin and Travis County. Chair Wilson volunteered to research these nonprofits. Question was asked if there is a list anywhere that list all these nonprofits in an effort to seek out areas where the Veterans Affairs Boards and Commissions can assist. Question was also asked as to where the funding goes that the city receives for veteran programs. Commissioner Maria Brown-Spence agreed to find someone that can speak on this subject. 3. It was determined that no other alternative locations will be considered and that the Commission on Veterans Affairs will continue meeting at it’s current location at PDC. 4. Discussed the best method to solicit speaks is by finding a list of nonprofits and have Chair Wilson solicit organizations to speak in an effort to determine the needs of our veterans in our community. Target speakers will be the Veterans Administration and nonprofits that assist veterans. 5. Discussed the status of the needs assessment that was submitted in July 2023, each of the commissioners agreed to reach out to their appointed council member to inquire of the status of the request. In addition, the commissioners inquired about studies that have been done in the past to include the city funded study by Combined Arms and other needs assessments studies funded by the state including a study by Texas A&M University conducted in 2020 and a study conducted by Texas State University conducted in 2017. Staff liaison, Jesus Simental, agreed to forward the study to all commissioners. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 6. Austin Veteran’s Day Parade ADJOURNMENT END: 8:10 PM Chair C. Wilson made the motion to adjourn. P. Bissett second the motion. Pass unanimously 9 – 0. K. Lenau was absent. The minutes were approved at the 21 February 2024 meeting on Chair Christopher Wilson’s motion, Patrick Bissett second on a 9-0 vote. Amber Schleuning and Philip Reichert were absent.