Meeting Minutes – August 6, 2014

Call to order – 09:30, Invocation – Pledge of Allegiance –
Greetings: Recognition of visitors and guests –
Announcements – Ralph Donais, Chairman – Jerry Kyser, Vice Chairman.      

MN Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV)- Kathy Vitalis

  • Second day of annual Stand down event today
    • Close to 800 people yesterday
    • Able to expand with Boy Scout and Charter school areas used
    • Next stand down is in Virginia on August 21st
    • Stand down in Duluth on August 22nd
    • Minneapolis VA stand down on September 9th
    • St. Cloud  stand down on September 23rd
    • Bemidji stand down on September 24th
    • Grand Rapids stand down on September 25th
    • Marshall and Mankato stand downs scheduled after that
  • Annual MACV Fundraising Dinner in late September
  • The support of MACV is doing wonderful things for the Veterans

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea was there, as well

    • She is going to handwrite thank yous to all of the legal volunteers

 

1. State Agencies and MN Veteran Assistance Organizations

MN Veterans 2010 Legislative Info -Mike McElhiney

  • Concentrating on implementation
  • Construction in South East MN
    • Still expecting letter detailing funding from Federal VA
  • Working with MN Housing Finance Authority to check on need that Veterans have
  • Working with Department of Administration to implement Veteran Owned Small Business Certification process
  • Our part is certifying Veteran status with a letter- just waiting to ensure that the flow will be manageable
  • Fairly far into the 2016-17 budget for the agency
  • Well into the initiative process as well to share with all of the stakeholders
    • Note that the more developed your initiative is, the more support we can provide
    • Fairly sure of the money they are getting

 MN Military Affairs – Don Kerr

  • Two new Yellow Ribbon companies were proclaimed in July
    • Cargill and Northern Tier Energy (Super America)
    • Thursday, August 7th: City of Redwood Falls  will be proclaimed
    • August 15: McCloud County will be proclaimed
    • Total Yellow Ribbon Networks: 211 cities, 24 counties, 38 companies
  • Successful engagement with CODEL in D.C last week
  • Still in initial planning process for legislature
  • Friday, August 22nd: Tee it up for Troops ( Veterans golf free at Bunker Hill)

Military Action Group (MAG) –  Jerry Kyser

  • Next meeting is August 19th at 10 a.m. at State Office Building
  • Representatives all in stages of reelection (Senate not in reelection)
  • Working with Department of Admin and Governor’s office to get the money to facilitate Veteran owned business certification process

 

2. Federal Agencies

VA Regional Office – Director, Antione Waller – Peter Panos PAO

  • New Secretary of Department of Veteran Affairs: Secretary Robert McDonald
    • He has a good vision and plan to resolve issues
    • Wants to connect better with service organizations
    • Wants every regional VA office and hospital and cemetery to attend a town hall meeting
  • Antoine Waller will be transitioning during the last week of office before leaving for Baltimore
    • In meantime, the assistant directors, Kay Anderson and Donna Meyer-Hickel will lead
  • About 25% of claims are being done online now
  • Education benefits are being processed in about 4 days ( 3.7 days is average )

VISN 23 -Janet Murphy- Director VISN 23 – Director Patrick J Kelly
Mpls VA HCS – Director Patrick J Kelly-

  • Newsletter is in the back
  • Fortunate to have Kathy in MACV
  • VHA releases updated information about access to all VA facilities
  • Accelerated care initiative: calling Veterans and offering care I the community for those Veterans with appointments outside of 60 days
    • Biggest backlogged areas are Orthopedics, Audiology, Eye clinics
    • Care in the community is not always readily available either, but try to work together
  • Result in Minnesota from Access Audit: 2 sites on list requiring further review
    • Minneapolis and Rochester
    • Unsure of who will complete extra review or when it will take place
  • Director Kelly has been visiting CBOCs in last month
    • Discussing core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence
    • Will be continuing visits every month
  • Productive meeting with commanders to ensure good service and access inside of clinics
  • President is signing VA Reform bill
    • Intended to expand clinics and hire more providers
    • Issue surrounding Veterans choice card
  •  Hosting a hearing on affordable housing
    • Have some extended use lease quarters with 140 units available to Veterans at about $400/month
    • Also obtaining additional units by leasing land to developer, government recovers lands after long lease: Veterans must account for 51% of tenants
  • Moving Compension & Pension section over to Whipple Building next summer
    • Construction underway
    • Will be co-located with Regional Office
    • Will include imaging, audiology and other tests normally given in hospital
  • Will then create Chronic Pain Management Center here
    • Will be sending cohort of 20 Veterans through for a 3-4 week period
  • Recently established hearing services at 3 clinics
    • Northwest Metro- Ramsey, Twin Ports, Maplewood
    • Increasing booths
  • Eye Clinics is busy because of small size
    • Will expand from 10 to 31 eye lanes in September
  • Associate Director resigned
    • Kurt Theland, current Business Manager, will be interim AD

St Cloud VA HCS – Director Barry Bahl –  Barry Venable

  • Just finished walking path on campus (3/4 of a mile)
  • Plans to have spaces reserved for memorial areas: If interested, contact Patricia, Voluntary Service Chief
  • Dental Clinic is up next to open
  • New sidewalks are almost done
  • New mental health building should be done in late fall, new kitchen is next on schedule, rehabilitation center is the last building on the schedule to be done
  • Meetings with stakeholders: normal quarterly CVSO meeting:
    •   August 18th at 10 a.m. in building 96
    • VA Voluntary Services Committee meeting at 4 p.m. in auditorium
  • Flyer for Veterans Rendezvous event on September 6th
    • Designed to ensure a good time and build a connection with the St. Cloud VA
  • Regarding Veterans’ Choice Act: 90 implementation period, so everyone needs to be patient with transitional period of act

Vets Employment & Training Service [VETS] – Davis Seay

  • Still funding available for stand downs, but it is dwindling fast
    • $7,000 for 1 day, $10,000 for 2 day event
    • Call at 651-259-7511 to learn about eligibility criteria and submission process
  • State of MN received $430,00 for Disabled Veterans Outreach program
  • MN Veteran unemployment rate is down to 4.2%
  • USERRA: Uniformed Service Employment Reemployment Rights Act
    • Boom in cases last year
    • Focusing on outreach, and working with employers
    • Been decrease in investigations for USERRA claims

 

3. Federal Congressional Representatives and Senators

Senator Amy Klobuchar- General (RET) Tim Cossalter Not Present

Senator Al Franken- Nicole Ly Not Present

3rd District Representative -Eric Paulson – John Paul Yates Not Present

4th District Representative – Betty McCollum – Bem Peterson

  • Congresswoman did support and vote for Veterans Reform Act
  • Question about National Defense Authorization- expecting Senate to look at it in September
  • Visits: MACV metro and Fisher House on July 19th
  • Attended stand down-wonderful event
  • Congresswoman will attend joint ground breaking event for  Fire Station Readiness Center along with Stillwater leadership and National Guard on August 22nd

5th District Representative – Keith Ellison – Mike Siebenaler Not Present

6th District Representation – Michele Bachmann- Nicole Pelzer

  • In recess, so not very much to report
  • Currently working with Representative Detmer about Prosthetics and Sensory Aid Services
    • Looking for others to partner with to raise cap from 3 to 10 thousand
  • Veterans casework is on the rise- many Veterans looking for their records for medals
  • Academy season is near so preparing for nominations
  • Jessica Foust is no longer with the office -moving into private sector
  • Brian Gordon, who primarily handles Veterans casework, will be coming to UVLC when Nicole is absent

7th District Representative – Collin Peterson -Jodi Dey – Not Present

8th District Representative – Rick Nolan-  Rick Olseen

  • Let’s Go Fishing- taking seniors/Veterans out fishing
    • Had a good visit with an Honor Flight participant
  • Congressman Nolan reported on 9 bills supporting Veterans
  • Has been hosting a lot of roundtables for Veterans
    • Veterans have been able to voice concerns
    • This is a good bill for the legislature to pass
  • Opposes going into Iraq
    • Feels as though there is no way to ever help win these Religious wars
  • 6 out of 12 appropriations bills still not set when going into recess
  • Hidden Heroes Congressional Caucus for Military Caregivers
    • Goal to help find funding for caregivers
  • 3 calls concerning care at the VA lately mostly caused by bureaucracy

1st District Representative – Tim Walz -Shawn Schoesser  Not Present

2nd District Representative – John Kline – Chaz Johnson

  • HR3230: Veterans Access
    • Only 5 against the bill, 420 were in favor
  • House Resolution 596: Recognizing Hmong for Supporting U.S. Troops in Vietnam
    • Congressman Kline is co-sponsor for that
  • Planning for Service Academy Information Night
    • September 22nd at Diamondhead Education Center in Burnsville from 6-8:30
  • Met with General Nash this morning to discuss future of MN National Guard
  • Comment from Nicole: Kudos to Mike and Nathan Anderson for their website- Congressional Corner

 

4. Announcements –

  • Veteran had his weapons taken away for being irate about his care
    • How do we deal with this issue of protecting out Veterans’ rights?
    • Unsure of court outcome
    • Seized his weapons and locked him up
    • Need more information so Veterans can feel safe getting help/treatment without fear of getting rights taken away
  • Thank Tom for sending out information on benefits
  • Veterans Day at the State Fair: Booth from  9-6 on August 26th
    • Volunteer at your groups’ tables

 

5.       Meeting in Recess for 10 minutes   

  • Business Meeting Not on Recorder

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.” – George Washington, 1789