* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. TURNING THE RECORDER ON. [00:00:01] THIS IS THE VETERANS COMMISSION MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16TH, 2024. OKAY. UM, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND AND DO, UM, ROLL CALL. ANTOINETTE HERE. JAMES GOODEN. HERE. VICTOR IS EXCUSED. ABSENCE. UM, JAMES HERE. NICK HERE. OKAY. UM, KEN IS COMING. HE'S COMING. OKAY. AND THEN OF COURSE, MYSELF. WE'RE HERE. UM, SO ANTOINETTE, IF WE COULD HAVE YOU LEAD US IN THE, UM, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. OH, SH . . A LITTLE SCARED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, WHAT DO I DO RIGHT IN YOUR HEART, RIGHT? YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LITERACY, JUSTICE, ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UM, FOR THAT. NO PROBLEM. UM, I WISH EVERYBODY WOULD SAY, DO WE HAVE ANY, BECAUSE NOW DEMOCRACY. OKAY. WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA. WE ARE GONNA, UM, IF WE COULD JUST, IF WE COULD JUST, UM, GET THROUGH THE AGENDA FOR RIGHT NOW. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO TAKE THEIR COMMENTS, UM, TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS. UM, UNLESS, UH, WE WOULD EXTEND THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A REPORT? OKAY. SMITTY ACKNOWLEDGED. UM, CAN YOU SCROLL DOWN ON THE AGENDA? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S NOT ALL AGENDA BEFORE I TALK ABOUT IT. UM, DO YOU WANNA TAKE A COPY OF THE, UH, IT'S ON THE BANNER PROGRAM, SO I'LL, I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE AGENDA DIE. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. YEAH. UM, SO OUR NEXT, UM, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL GIVE MY, UH, UM, I'LL GIVE MY, BEFORE I DO MY STAFF REPORT, I WOULD JUST, UH, LIKE TO SAY THAT ON THE AGENDA WE'RE GONNA MAKE A FEW, UM, WE'RE MAKING A FEW ITEMS. SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS ON OUR AGENDA, OUR PRESENTATION FROM, UM, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS, UH, FROM THE VA. WE'RE GONNA MOVE THAT ITEM TO NUMBER TWO BECAUSE OF TIME. AND IF YOU COULD GO ONTO AGENDA ITEM, YOU NOTED IN HERE, UH, ON, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER, RECOMMENDATION TO RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS THE, THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 VETERAN COMMISSION BANNERS, FUNDING REQUESTS. IT SAYS ANNUAL IT, IT SAYS ANNUAL REPORT ON YOUR AGENDA. THE WORDING ON THAT IS ACTUALLY, UM, UM, FUNDING REQUESTS. SO THAT'S A TYPO. THOSE ARE JUST, UM, TWO OF THE NOTED CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT BEFORE, BEFORE WE MOVE FURTHER ALONG ON THE AGENDA. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY. SO WITHOUT THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD. UM, VERY BUSY. WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON AT THE, UM, UM, AT THE COMMISSION. UM, JAMES AND I, WE ATTENDED THE OPEN HOUSE FOR THE NEW, UM, CITY'S, UH, OFFICE THAT THEY'VE SET UP TO, UM, ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY. WE KNOW THAT WE HAD THE, UM, UM, THE, THE LOAN SAILOR, WHICH WAS ON SUNDAY, RIGHT? MM-HMM . WE HAVE THE LONG SAILOR EVENT. WE HAVE, UM, TODAY WE HAD OUR VETERANS STAND DOWN. THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR THOSE THAT, THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE, IN THE COMMISSION AND ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UM, WHAT ELSE WE HAVE, UM, WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE, UM, TRYING TO PARTNER WITH WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR, UM, OF, UH, OF OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY. WE HAVE OUR UPCOMING, UM, BEACH STREETS VETERANS CELEBRATION, WHICH GINA WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AS WE GO THROUGH OUR AGENDA. AGAIN, WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR BEING, UM, FOR BEING PATIENT AND BEING FLEXIBLE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, A BIG TRANSITION PERIOD THAT THE COMMISSION IS GOING THROUGH. AND, UM, WE WILL GET, UH, RIGHT SIDED HERE SHORTLY, UM, AS WE MOVE, UM, AS WE MOVE THROUGH. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA FORGET IT AT THE END, IS AS WE ARE APPROACHING THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ARE OPEN FOR TAKING NOMINATIONS FOR OUR NEXT, UH, SET OF LEADERS. SO IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE A CHAIR OR A VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, WE'LL JUST ASK IF YOU COULD, UM, EMAIL GINA, BECAUSE [00:05:01] THAT WILL BE, UM, A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING THE CHAIR, THE VICE CHAIR, YOU KNOW, WELCOME TO THE COMMISSION. YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALL NEW, SO IT'S OPEN GAME, OPEN SEASON FOR ANY AND EVERYONE TO STEP UP. SO WE'LL JUST ASK FOR YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER THAT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DON'T BE SHY, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR BEING HERE. AND WITH THAT, GINA, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THE, FROM THE REPORT. OKAY. SO JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THESE AGENDAS DON'T SAY CHAIR REPORT AND STAFF REPORT BECAUSE THE, WHATEVER WE, THIS NEW SYSTEM, THE CITY DOESN'T WANT US TO DO THAT. SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT HERE, RIGHT AFTER WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DO THE CHAIR REPORT AND STAFF REPORT. SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT THE IMAGINARY AGENDA ITEMS. SO I JUST WANTED TO, FIRST OF ALL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND REMINDER THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING ON NON-AG ITEMS. AND THREE MINUTES IS MAX WHAT WE LIKE TO DO. UM, AND THEN AFTER EACH AGENDIZED ITEM, WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT TO, IS NOT MEANT TO BE A DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS. UM, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEED TO, NEEDS TO BE AGENDIZED AT A LATER MEETING, UH, PER THAT, THE THINGS THAT COME UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DO THAT. AND IF, UH, WE GET A QUEUE OF PEOPLE THAT WANNA SPEAK OUT ON SOMETHING, WE ARE GOING TO, AT THAT TIME CONSIDER LIMITING THE TIME TO ONE OR TWO MINUTES. SO, WENT TO COUNCIL LAST NIGHT AND I WAS KIND OF REMINDED, AND IT'S REALLY A FASCINATING POPE, FASCINATING POPE OF PEOPLE THAT COME UP AND COMMENT , IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN, UM, SO I WAS GONNA ASK KEN, BECAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING THE MEETING AS IF WE GET A, YOU KNOW, TO TIME IT TO ACTUALLY RUN A TIMER AND HAVE US, UH, KEEP TIME. SO AS, UH, JUAN SAID, WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA TODAY AND WE WANNA WRAP THE MEETING BY, I WOULD PREFER TO WRAP BY 6 45, BUT SIX 50 IS TO ME THE, WHEN WE REALLY NEED TO CLOSE OFF SO WE CAN CLOSE OUT THE LIGHTS. 'CAUSE THE THE DOORS ARE LOCKED TO THIS BUILDING AT SEVEN. AND SOME OF YOU ARE NEW AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT. AND I'VE BEEN LOCKED IN THIS BUILDING BEFORE. SO , IT'S NOT FAR. SO, UH, AND I ALSO WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT MEETINGS ARE RECORDED, AUDIO ONLY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY VIDEOGRAPHERS HERE, THANKFULLY. UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE STAND DOWN TODAY, AND I'M GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE MELANIE, WHO, WHO WAS VERY MUCH A, A, A FORCE IN ORGANIZING EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAW TODAY. UH, SHE AND BILL, UH, I'M, WHY AM I FORGETTING BILL'S LAST NAME? MORISSETTE. BILL MORRISSETTE. OKAY. UM, ALANIS MORISSETTE. I'M KIDDING. . UM, LET'S SEE. AND THEN WHAT ELSE? UH, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THE STAND DOWN AGAIN. AND MELANIE BEING HERE, WHO WAS AT THE STAND DOWN AT 6:00 AM SHE STILL AGREED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. SO THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING. THANK YOU. AND, UM, I WANTED TO, TO THANK I I SAW YOU WHEN YOU WERE LEAVING. I THINK YOU FINISHED LOADING UP VAN UH, ANTOINETTE DID, UH, VETERANS BENEFITS THERE. UH, KEN WAS THERE. GUS SHOWED UP. UH, RYAN, GUS AND RYAN BEING FORMER COMMISSIONERS ERICA SHOWED UP. ANNIE WHO'S THE, WHO DOES THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, POSTED A VIDEO. UH, SO THE EVENT TO ME REPRESENTS A MILESTONE AS FAR AS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VA, WHICH AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE, IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE VA WANTS TO WORK WITH US AGAIN. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK JOHN, OF COURSE, FOR, FOR ALL OF HIS WORK. AND THEN, UM, AGAIN, I'M NAME, I'M NAME CALL, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL? NAME DROPPING, NAME DROPPING. I'M LIKE, NAME CALLING. NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. UM, I WANTED TO ALSO THANK JIM GOODEN AND JAMES OTTER AND GUS AND SMITTY FOR BEING AT THE LONE SAILOR ON SUNDAY. UH, THEY SHOUTED OUT THE VETERANS COMMISSION A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING THE CEREMONY, WHICH WAS VERY NICE. AND, UH, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE? UH, WE DO HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER COMING IN FOR DISTRICT EIGHT. HER, HER NAME IS KIMBERLY. AND HE TOLD, UH, UM, JEFF WILLIAMS TOLD ME HER NAME TO LAST NAME TWICE, AND IT JUST, IF KEN WAS HERE, HE WAS LISTENING TO, SO HE'S ON THE HOOK TO REMEMBER HER, HER LAST NAME. AND THEN I ALSO WANNA BRING UP, AND WE CAN DECIDE ON WHAT WE WANNA DO VIA EMAIL. AND, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A STAFF REPORT AS OPPOSED TO AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, REGARDING OUR END OF THE YEAR, SORAY, WE'VE DONE IT IN JANUARY IN THE PAST, BUT SINCE, UH, UH, JUANITA WILL END HER FOR, UH, 150 YEARS WITH , OR NEARLY EIGHT YEARS WITH THE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 31ST. I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER HAVING THE END OF THE YEAR PARTY IN DECEMBER INSTEAD OF JANUARY. BUT THIS ROOM IS NOT AVAILABLE. SO I'M OPEN TO IDEAS IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT USING WHATEVER FACILITY THEY HAVE. WE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE IT, HEY, KEN, IN A NON-PUBLIC BUILDING, BUT IT STILL HAS TO BE AGENDIZED [00:10:01] AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IDEALLY YOU WOULD HAVE IT IN A PARKS AND REC SETTING, YOU KNOW, SOME CITY PROPERTY. IT CAN BE AT A RESTAURANT OR SOMEWHERE ELSE AS LONG. IT STILL JUST HAS TO BE PUBLICLY A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PLACE. SO OFFLINE, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AGENDA, I'LL SEND YOU ALL A MESSAGE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THE PARTY WHO'S BRINGING WHAT, PRETTY MUCH MM-HMM . SO, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS I WANTED TO ADDRESS. AND THAT'S, THAT'S IT. OKAY. UM, WELCOME KEN. HEY. UM, SO WE'LL MOVE TO OUR, UM, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR, UH, OUR, OUR FIRST AGENDA. UM, OUR FIRST REGULAR AGENDA ITEM. THAT'S SEAT. YOU HAVE ANY, IF WE CAN APPROVE, IF WE COULD, UM, OUR FIRST, UM, AGENDA ITEM IS RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO, UM, APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 11TH, UM, UH, AGENDA. UM, MINUTES MEETING. MINUTES. MINUTES. A MOTION. I, MOTION MOTION. JIM, AND THANK YOU JAMES AND JIM UHHUH. JIM AND JIM. JAMES AND JIM. OKAY. JAMES AND JIM, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH IN THAT. UM, CAN I GET, YEAH, CAN I GET A, UM, CAN I GET A, UM, A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A OKAY. HERE. OKAY. UM, IT, IT DOESN'T, YOU ACTUALLY, UM, CAN STILL VOTE ON, UH, YOU JUST HAVE TO READ THE MINUTES. I, I GOT CHEWED OUT FOR THAT ONE TIME BY THE CITY. OKAY. SO, SO ALL IN FAVOR EXCEPT FOR, UM, KEN SAIN. BUT IT IS TECHNICALLY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T, YOU WEREN'T THERE TO HEAR THE ORIGINAL TEXT PEOPLE SPEAKING. RIGHT. BUT THE, BUT THE CITY HAS SAID IT DOESN'T MATTER. I KNOW THE CITY SAYS AS LONG AS YOU READ THE MINUTES. YEAH. 'CAUSE I WENT OVER THAT WITH SOMEBODY HIGHER UP THAT SAID NO, IF THEY HAVE READ THE MINUTES AND THERE'S NO TYPOS OR RADICAL THINGS, IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO, WE'RE NOT PROOFREADERS. IS THAT THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. SO DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT OR ANY DISCUSSION ON THE SEPTEMBER, UM, MEETING MINUTES? NO CHANGES. EVERYBODY AGREE? OKAY, WITH THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN APPROVED. WE'LL GO TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT VETERAN AFFAIRS SUPPORT HUD VASH PRESENTED BY OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY FROM THE VA, MELANIE MARTINS WITH THE VA LONG BEACH. SO MELANIE, WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. AND IF YOU, BEFORE YOU DID THAT, IF YOU WOULD, UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND INTRODUCE THAT, WE'RE FINE WITH THAT AS WHAT, GIVE GINA TIME TO QUEUE UP THE PERFECT, I'LL, I'LL GIVE GINA A FEW MINUTES. UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GONNA FIND HER THING. IF, IF WE CAN JUST VERY QUICKLY GO AROUND THE ROOM AND JUST SAY WHO WE ARE. SO JAMES, WE'LL START WITH YOU WITH INTROS. JAMES, OUR DISTRICT TWO. MAKE SURE I MAY, WHAT DISTRICT ARE YOU WITH? OH, I DON'T KNOW. THERE YOU GO. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY. KEN OSBORN, THIRD DISTRICT S ONE, I BELIEVE. UM, SIXTH DISTRICT. JIM. GOOD TO THE FIRST DISTRICT. UM, WE NEED TO TALK ONE MORE. NINTH DISTRICT EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. UM, I'M MELANIE MARTIN. SO JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE STAND DOWN TODAY, UM, AND HELP WITH THE PLANNING. UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. UM, I'M WITH VA LONG BEACH. I'M THE HOMELESS OUTREACH SUPERVISOR AND THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM SPECIALIST, WHICH JUST MEANS I HELP I WORK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE OUR SERVICES ARE COORDINATED. UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO OVER WHAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OF THE LANDSCAPE OF HOMELESSNESS IN LONG BEACH FOR VETERANS. UM, YOU MAY ALL HAVE GONE OVER THE HOMELESS COUNTS. I'M NOT GONNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON IT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WANT TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT. UM, AND THEN THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS REGARDING HOUSING, UM, IN OUR CITY. AND THEN ALSO, UM, ELIGIBILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 'CAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO ELIGIBILITY. AND WHO QUALIFIES? SHE HAS, EXCUSE ME FOR ONE SECOND. YOU'RE GOOD. UM, YOU HAVE THIS, UNFORTUNATELY MY INTERNET IS NOT LOADING HER, HER POWERPOINT FOR ME TO SHARE IT WITH YOU. SO JUST PROCEED AND I'LL, I'LL RUN BACK TO MY DESK AND MAKE IT WORK ON THE DESKTOP. UM, SO JUST GOING OVER THE PICK COUNT RESULTS A LITTLE BIT FROM OUR MOST RECENT, SO LAST YEAR WE DO OUR PIT COUNTS EVERY YEAR WE HAD 361 VETERANS. WE WENT UP 19 VETERANS THIS YEAR. UM, ONE DIFFERENCE THAT YOU MIGHT SEE THOUGH, THAT IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING, EVEN THOUGH OUR NUMBERS WENT UP SLIGHTLY, IS THAT WE HAVE MORE VETERANS THAT ARE SHELTERED NOW VERSUS UNSHELTERED. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT HOMELESSNESS ACROSS LONG BEACH FOR VETERANS, IDEALLY WE WANT MORE SHELTERED VETERANS, THAT MEANS THEY'RE INDOORS. UM, THAT PROBABLY HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN FOCUSED NOT ONLY WITH THE VA BUT A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY VETERAN PROVIDERS. JUST GETTING VETERANS INDOOR QUICK INDOORS QUICKLY, UM, [00:15:01] INTO OUR GRANT PER DIEMS, WHICH IS OUR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING INTO SHELTERS IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GO TO OUR GRANT PER DIEMS. AND AT TIMES, UM, SOMETIMES SOME, UH, HOTEL VOUCHERS THAT ARE TEND TO BE SHORT TERM. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING EVEN THOUGH OUR NUMBERS HAVE KIND OF JUST BEEN STABLE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. UM, JUST TO KINDA GET AN IDEA OF THAT'S WHAT HOMELESSNESS FOR VETERANS IN LONG BEACH LOOKS LIKE. PREDOMINANTLY. SO MOSTLY MALE. UM, BUT WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY SEEING, AND THIS IS NATIONALLY AN INCREASE IN FEMALE VETERANS BECOMING HOMELESS, ESPECIALLY SEEING MOTHERS OF COLOR. UM, WE'RE SEEING A RISE IN THAT MORE AND MORE. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SEEING A RISE IN OUR OLDER ADULT VETERANS BECOMING HOMELESS. AND THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH JUST THE COST OF HOUSING RENT GOING UP AND PEOPLE BEING ON FIXED INCOMES. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE TWO POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN GENERAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO HERE AT WAGE FOR OUR VETERAN POPULATIONS. ALSO, FEEL FREE TO JUST JUMP IN AND ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL. LIKE, I ENJOY LIKE THE CONVERSATIONS, UM, DEFINING HOMELESSNESS. SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO GO OVER THIS WITH FOLKS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY ARE THEY ELIGIBLE, WHY AREN'T THEY ELIGIBLE? UM, SO WE USE THE GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US BY HUD. THOSE ARE THE RULES WE FOLLOW. WE GET FUNDED FEDERALLY, SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW HUD'S RULES. ANY HOMELESS PROGRAM THAT GETS HUD FUNDING HAS TO FOLLOW HOMELESS, THE HUD'S RULES. AND SO HOMELESSNESS IS DEFINED AS LITERALLY HOMELESS ON THE STREET IN A PLACE NOT MEANT FOR HUMAN HABITATION. SO SAY IN ABANDONED IS BUILDING THE TRAIN STATION. UM, A GARAGE THAT HASN'T BEEN CONVERTED THAT ISN'T MEANT FOR PEOPLE TO SLEEP IN ANY OF THOSE PLACES ARE CONSIDERED, UM, HOMELESS SHELTERS. SO JUST SHELTER HOMELESS UNFORTUNATELY, WHICH WE SEE A BIT OF THIS, UM, MORE IN LIKE YOUNGER STUDENT VETERANS. COUCH SURFING ISN'T CONSIDERED HOMELESS BY HUD NOR CONSIDERED HOMELESS, OBVIOUSLY BY ANY OF OUR HOMELESS PROGRAMS. WHAT I DO SAY THOUGH, TO ANY OF OUR PARTNERS AND TO OUR STAFF IS WHEN WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH VETERANS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXPLORING THEIR FULL STORY. ESPECIALLY YOUNGER STUDENT VETERANS TEND TO DO A LOT OF BOUNCING AROUND BETWEEN FRIEND'S HOUSE. MAYBE THEY SLEEP IN THEIR CAR, THEN THEY'RE BACK AT ANOTHER FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THEY'RE BACK IN THEIR CAR. UM, AND SO I REALLY, WE REALLY ENCOURAGE OUR STAFF TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. LIKE, TELL ME YOUR BIG PICTURE OF WHAT YOUR HOMELESSNESS LOOKS LIKE. 'CAUSE IF YOU TELL ME LAST NIGHT YOU SLEPT AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE, NOW THAT MEANS YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE. 'CAUSE ACCORDING TO HUD IS WHERE YOU SLEPT LAST NIGHT. BUT IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT, YEAH, I WAS AT A FRIEND'S LAST NIGHT, BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE I WAS IN MY CAR, OR I SPENT A WEEK IN MY CAR, THAT THEN COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE YOU ELIGIBLE IF YOU'RE KIND OF TELLING US THE BIG PICTURE. SO WE'RE ALWAYS HAVING THOSE EXPLORATORY CONVERSATIONS WITH VETERANS BECAUSE THE HUD, THE HUD CRITERIA IS VERY DISTINCT AND WE KIND OF HAVE TO FOLLOW IT. UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER DEFINITION YOU MAY HEAR, THE OTHER TERMINOLOGY YOU MIGHT HEAR IS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, WHICH JUST MEANS, UM, THAT IT'S JUST A SECOND SLIDE. UM, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS MEANS THAT SOMEONE'S BEEN HOMELESS FOR 12 MONTHS STRAIGHT OR WITHIN A FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THEY'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT EPISODES OF HOMELESSNESS AND THERE ALSO HAS TO BE A DISABLING CONDITION. SO GENERALLY OUR FOLKS THAT HAVE LIKE UH, MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS CONSIDERED A DISABILITY. PHYSICAL HEALTH THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE STREET A LONG TIME ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. AND WHY THAT DEFINITION MATTERS IS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S SPECIFICALLY FUNDED HOUSING OR DEDICATED HOUSING TO CHRONICALLY HOMELESS. THAT ALSO TENDS TO BE OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. AND SO THAT IS WHO WE GENERALLY PRIORITIZE IF RESOURCES GET TIGHT. UM, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE TWO MAIN DEFINITIONS OF HOMELESSNESS THAT WE USE. WHY ARE THEY HOMELESS? ARE WE GONNA GET TO THAT? UM, I CAN TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. UH, WHY ARE THEY HOMELESS? YOU KNOW, VETERANS HAVE GOT SKILLS, RIGHT? WHY ARE THEY HOMELESS? SO HOMELESSNESS, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BUT IT'S MULTIFACETED. UM, SOME VETERANS ARE HOMELESS DUE TO MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TREATED. SOME MIGHT BE SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SOME VETERANS, WHICH WE'RE SEEING IS JUST A COST OF LIVING. THEY LITERALLY CANNOT AFFORD RENT. UM, SOME VETERANS ARE ON THE STREET BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SOME VETERANS JUST DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT THEY NEED TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. SO THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF REASONS OF WHY VETERANS MIGHT BE HOMELESS. UM, IT'S, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ONE SPECIFIC REASON. LIKE I SAID, WE CAN KIND OF SEE PATTERNS LIKE WITH OUR OLDER ADULT VETERANS, WE'RE SEEING THAT BECAUSE THEIR RENT'S GOING UP AND THEY AREN'T GETTING INCREASES IN THEIR INCOME. SO THAT'S BECOME KIND OF A COMMON THEME. UM, ONCE AGAIN, WE SEE IT WITH STUDENTS BECAUSE OF JUST, UH, A LOT OF TIMES STUDENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT WORKING FULL TIME, THEY'RE GOING TO SCHOOL SO THEY ALSO CAN'T AFFORD RENT AND THEY'RE MANAGING DIFFERENT THINGS. UM, WE HAVE VETERANS THAT COME OUT AND DON'T NECESSARILY CONNECT WITH THE VA IMMEDIATELY OR [00:20:01] AT ALL. AND SO THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT SUPPORT SYSTEM BOTH WITHIN THEIR LIKE FAMILY FRIENDS AND ALSO AREN'T CONNECTED TO THE VA SO THEY END UP ON THE STREET 'CAUSE THEY HAVE UNTREATED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES. BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S COMPLICATED AND EACH VETERAN KIND OF HAS THEIR OWN STORY AS WELL. SO I ALSO DON'T WANT TO GENERALIZE, BUT THOSE ARE OUR MAIN REASONS THAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. UM, SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SHORT TERM, UH, HOUSING RESOURCES FOR VETERANS AND I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR LONG TERM. SO IN, IN LONG BEACH, WELL ACROSS ACROSS OUR COUNTY AND ACROSS OUR NATION WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED GRANT AND PER SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, WE CALL IT GPD, IT'S TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR VETERANS. THE CRITERIA FOR GPD IS PRETTY FLEXIBLE. UM, VETERANS DO NOT HAVE TO BE VA HEALTHCARE ELIGIBLE. UM, THEY CAN BE A RESERVIST. THEY UH, DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, YEAH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE TWO YEARS. THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE. SO IT'S PRETTY FLEXIBLE. AND A GPD IS MEANT TO GIVE VETERANS A PLACE TO STAY WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON PERMANENT HOUSING. NOW IT IS A CLINICAL PROGRAM. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS. SO THEY HAVE A PATHWAY FOR VETERANS THAT WANT TO WORK ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH OR THEIR SUBSTANCE ABUSE. THEY HAVE A PATHWAYS FOR VETERANS THAT HAVE A LOT OF BARRIERS AND KIND OF JUST NEED NOT AS MANY RULES AND THEY HAVE A PATHWAY FOR VETERANS THAT WANNA GET EMPLOYMENT AND ARE FOCUSING ON THAT. BUT ALL PATHWAYS, ULTIMATELY THE GOAL IS, IS TO LEAD THEM TO HOUSING. UM, THE GPD PROGRAMS, THEY ARE FUNDED BY OUR NATIONAL VA OFFICE, OUR HOMELESS PROGRAMS OFFICE, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED OUT TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS. BACK IN EARLY MID TWO THOUSANDS, 20 11, 20 12, THE VA SAID, HEY, OUR VETERAN HOMELESSNESS IS RISING AND WE NEED HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT KNOW HOW TO DO THIS, TO END IT, TO ADDRESS IT. UM, SO THAT'S WHEN THEY STARTED. PROGRAMS LIKE FOR GRANT PER DIEM, OUR SSVF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT. UM, SO THEY'RE ALL VA FUNDED BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY RUN BY THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE THE VA CAN'T BE EVERYTHING AND ALL THE THINGS. AND WE ALSO AREN'T ALWAYS THE EXPERT IN EVERY SINGLE AREA. SO WE REALLY WANT TO PARTNER WITH THESE COMMUNITY RESOURCES. SO HERE IN LONG BEACH OUR GRANT IN PER DIEM IS RUN BY US BS AND IT'S DOWN ON THE WEST SIDE. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY A, A FULL VETERANS VILLAGE THAT HAS BOTH THE SHORT-TERM HOUSING AND LONG-TERM HOUSING. UM, LEMME SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT I MIGHT MISS ON ELIGIBILITY. UM, I THINK THE MAIN THING, OH FOR OUR, OUR GPD SPECIFICALLY, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE CRITERIA THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AT THAT ONE THAN OTHERS JUST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A SCHOOL ON CAMPUS. SO ONE DISQUALIFIES, IF A VETERAN DOES HAVE A SEX OFFENDER BACKGROUND, THEY WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION 'CAUSE OF THE SCHOOL ON CAMPUS. BUT WE DO HAVE OTHER GRANT AND PER DIEMS ACROSS THE COUNTY THROUGH OUR WEST LOS ANGELES PARTNERS WHERE THEY COULD GO. SO THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS EVEN IF THEY WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE HERE. UM, AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT VETERANS ARE WORKING TOWARDS HOUSING THAT'S PART OF THE PROGRAM. UM, THE OTHER CHALLENGE I THINK IS THAT, AND THIS IS ACROSS SHELTERS IN GENERAL, UM, VETERANS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE WHAT WE CALL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY DAILY LIVING. WHICH MEANS YOU CAN TAKE YOURSELF TO THE BATHROOM, YOU CAN SHOWER YOURSELF, YOU CAN EAT. UM, SO SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE VETERANS THAT HAVE THOSE, WHAT WE CALL A DL NEEDS, IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO FIND A GOOD FIT BECAUSE OUR SHELTERS AND OUR GRANT PERMS AREN'T REALLY SET UP FOR THAT. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE KIND OF WHO WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THESE PROGRAMS. MOST VETERANS ARE A GOOD FIT FOR THESE. THEY CAN BE THERE FOR UP TO TWO YEARS, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T WANT THEM NECESSARILY THERE FOR TWO YEARS. WE WANT 'EM TO GET 'EM HOUSED. THE GOAL IS 90 DAYS. UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE THERE THAT LONG TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT DOES TAKE A WHILE TO GET YOUR VOUCHER AND MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR GPD? AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM VERY SIMILAR TO GPD. WE CALL IT OUR VERY LONG NAME HEALTHCARE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS CONTRACTED EMERGENCY RESIDENTIAL SERVICES. SO WE CALL IT OUR CS BEDS SIMILAR TO GPD. THEY ARE TRANSITIONAL BEDS BUT THESE ARE OUR CRISIS BEDS. SO WITH OUR GPD PROGRAM, IF YOU GO TO GET REFERRED TO GPD, IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT A DAY OR TWO TO ACTUALLY GET INTO THE GPD BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO VERIFY THAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE. AND THEN THE UH, US BEDS HAS TO DO THEIR INTAKE PROCESS. IT'S A BIT OF A LONGER PROCESS ONE TO TWO DAYS. WITH OUR CS BEDS, IT'S SAME DAY AND THESE ARE CRISIS BEDS. SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY OF THEM. WE HAVE EIGHT IN LONG BEACH AND EIGHT IN ORANGE COUNTY. UM, THESE ARE MEANT FOR VETERANS THAT MAYBE ARE JUST BECOMING HOMELESS OR JUST GETTING OUT OF JAIL OR OUT OF A FACILITY AND THEY'RE NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THEIR HOUSING PLAN IS. NOT THAT [00:25:01] THEY DON'T WANNA WORK ON HOUSING, BUT THEY'RE STILL FIGURING IT OUT. UM, SO THESE WOULD BE A GOOD FIT 'CAUSE THEY'RE THOSE CRISIS BEDS AND THEY CAN GET IN MUCH QUICKER. UM, IN OUR FOR RVA, OUR SERVES BEDS ARE ACTUALLY AT UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FACILITIES. SO WE HAVE FOUR BEDS. YEAH, WE HAVE FOUR BEDS OF SAFE REFUGE AND FOUR BEDS AT PHOENIX HOUSE. BOTH OF THOSE ARE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FACILITIES. OUR CONTRACTS FOR BOTH OF THOSE ARE ENDING AT THE, ARE ENDING NEXT YEAR. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS UM, THAT AREN'T JUST FOCUSED ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENTS. 'CAUSE IDEALLY WE WANT MORE CRISIS BEDS. UM, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE VETERANS THAT AREN'T QUITE ALWAYS READY TO GO INTO GPD BUT THEY NEED THAT SHELTER. SO THOSE ARE OUR TWO MAIN PROGRAM. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS ONE TOO AND GPD, REMEMBER I SAID GPD IS PRETTY FLEXIBLE BUT THEY'RE ELIGIBILITY. THIS ONE YOU DO HAVE TO BE VA HEALTH FOR ELIGIBLE. UM, IT JUST HAS TO DO WITH HOW THINGS ARE FUNDED. I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO ALL THE COMPLICATIONS, BUT FOR THESE CS BEDS VETERANS HAVE TO BE VA HEALTHCARE ELIGIBLE VERSUS LIKE OUR GPD. THEY DO NOT. UM, THEY LOOK PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THOUGH OVERALL. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, AT SAFE REFUGE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR SITES FOR OUR CS BEDS, WE ALSO HAVE A VERY SMALL GPD PROGRAM THERE. PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING'S HAPPENING. THEY'RE JUST DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES. SO, AND THAT'S JUST TO LET YOU KNOW IF YOU DO HEAR ABOUT GPD BEDS VERSUS SS BEDS, LIKE WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? THEY DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING. THEIR GOAL IS ALSO TO GET VETERANS CONNECTED TO HOUSING. UM, BUT THEY'RE MORE OF THAT CRISIS INTERVENTION RIGHT NOW WHERE LIKE GPD IS MORE, IT'S STILL THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH WORKING ON YOUR HOUSING. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO WERE. IT TOOK A WHILE BEFORE THEY MADE SENSE BECAUSE I'M LIKE THEY LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME BUT THEY'RE JUST LIKE, KELLY, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH. UM, CAN YOU JUST, UM, WHAT IS UM, VA HEALTHCARE ELIGIBLE? YEAH, WHAT THAT MEANS. SO IN ORDER TO BE VA HEALTHCARE ELIGIBLE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE EITHER A GENERAL OR AN DISCHARGE AND HIT YOUR 24 MONTHS OF SERVICE. IF YOU WERE UM, IF YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY AFTER 1980, I THINK THAT'S 1981 AT THE END OF 1981. OR YOU CAN HAVE A SERVICE CONNECTION. SO IF YOU DON'T HIT THE TWO YEARS BEFORE YOU HAVE LIKE AN OTH OTHER THAN HONORABLE DISCHARGE, BUT YOU HAVE A SERVICE CONNECTION, YOU'LL BE VA HEALTHCARE ELIGIBLE. OKAY. SO THAT'S USUALLY WHAT IT MEANS. THANK YOU. UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TOO BECAUSE OKAY. CRITERIA FOR OUR RESOURCES CHANGE FOR HEAD BASH AND HAS BROUGHT IN WHO WE CAN SERVE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? AND THEN IN THE END I'LL TELL YOU HOW TO LIKE CONNECT TO ALL THOSE RESOURCES TOO. UM, THE OTHER RESOURCE THAT WE USE HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE ACTUALLY WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HOMELESS SERVICES BECAUSE WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME VETERANS DO NOT WANNA GO TO VILLAGES AND CABRILLO OUR GPD PROGRAM. UM, AND SO WE USE OUR SHELTERS A LOT AND WE WORK WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR VETERANS ARE GOING, ARE ABLE TO GET TO SHELTER IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GO TO OUR RESOURCES. UM, OFTENTIMES JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SHELTER SYSTEM ACROSS OUR WHOLE COUNTRY, THEY'RE IMPACTED. IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME DAY AVAILABILITY. UM, AND THAT'S JUST THE BARRIER. I THINK THAT IS ACROSS MOST OF OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK, OH SHELTER, JUST GO TO THE SHELTER AND THEY'LL LET YOU IN. UM, I WISH, I WISH THAT WAS AN OPTION, BUT MOST OF OUR SHELTERS ARE PRETTY AT CAPACITY EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. UM, WE DO HAVE OUR WINTER SHELTERS THAT OPEN UP PRETTY, PRETTY SOON, I THINK NEXT MONTH. UM, IT OPENS UP SOME OF OUR CAPACITY BUT UM, AND ALSO OUR VETERANS WOULD BE COMPETING WITH THE CIVILIAN POPULATION TO GET IN THESE SHELTERS. SO NOT ALWAYS THE SAME DAY OPTION AS WELL, WHICH IS A CHALLENGE. UM, THE MSDS ARE A BIG PLACE. OH, I WANTED TO COMMENT BRIEFLY ON MOTEL VOUCHERS. SO DURING THE PANDEMIC MOTEL VOUCHERS WERE EVERYWHERE FOR VETERANS. UM, GOOD AND BAD STUFF CAME FROM THAT. UM, DURING THE TIME WE WERE ALL KIND OF LEARNING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HOW DO WE DO THIS? WE NEED TO GET VETERANS OFF THE STREET. WE NEED TO GET 'EM, WE NEED TO DECOMPRESS WHAT THEY CALL DECOMPRESSING OUR SHELTERS AND OUR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. SO CUTTING THE POPULATION IN THERE IN HALF. SO PEOPLE HAD UM, SPACE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE. SO WE HAD A LOT OF HOTEL VOUCHERING THAT WAS HAPPENING THROUGH OUR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES PROGRAMS OR SSVS. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN ADDITION TO GPD FUNDED THROUGH NATIONAL, BUT DONE BY THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND SO WE WERE JUST PUTTING VETERANS IN HOTELS. UM, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN ALL THE COVID FUNDING ENDED, SO DID ALL THE MONEY FOR ALL THOSE HOTELS AND THOSE VOUCHERS. UM, WE STILL HAVE VETERANS COME THROUGH AND ASKING FOR VOUCHERS, BUT THOSE ARE VERY, VERY, VERY LIMITED. UM, THEY'RE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF, UM, PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ARE TIED TO HOTELS SUCH AS OUR PROJECT ROOM, KEY PROJECT, HOME KEY. UM, BUT THOSE ARE REALLY, THOSE HAVE A REALLY LONG WAIT LIST. THEY'RE ALSO PRIORITIZED FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE FOLKS AND THEY'RE NOT [00:30:01] VETERAN SPECIFIC. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE PROJECTS CALLED OUR, UM, I ALSO WANNA CALL ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION, UM, WHICH IS FUNDING WE GET FROM THE COUNTY, NOT WE THE VA, BUT THE CITY GETS FROM THE COUNTY TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC ENCAMPMENTS. AND GENERALLY WHAT THEY DO IS LIKE THEY'LL PICK A DOWNTOWN ENCAMPMENT AND THEN A HOTEL NEARBY AND THEY'LL WORK TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THAT ENCAMPMENT INTO THAT HOTEL TO GET THEM HOUSED QUICKER. UM, BUT THOSE HOTELS ARE TIED TO THOSE SPECIFIC ENCAMPMENTS. SO JUST GENERAL I NEED, I WANT A VOUCHER, YOU KNOW, I NEED A VOUCHER ISN'T REALLY GONNA HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. THERE'S SOMETIMES SHORT TERM AVAILABILITY FOR EMERGENCIES. LIKE RECENTLY THE CITY HELPED US WITH, WE HAVE A, A VETERAN THAT HAD COVID AND THE SHELTERS AND THE GPD WOULDN'T LET HIM IN 'CAUSE HE HAD COVID BUT HE WAS ON THE STREET. SO THE CITY UM, GAVE HIM A VOUCHER FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS TO LET HIM RECOVER AND THEN BE ABLE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SHELTER OR OUR GPD. BUT THAT'S GENERALLY THE, THE LIMITATION OF OUR RESOURCES FOR MOTEL VOUCHERS. BUT, AND I GET THAT'S WHY WHAT EVERYONE WANTS. UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES REALLY ANYMORE. HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO PARTNERING WITH THE PROJECT THEY'RE DOING AT THE MOTEL SIX? YES. THAT'S THE PROJECT HOME KEY PROJECT ROOM KEY. SO THAT'LL BE TIED TO YOU GUYS OR NO, IT'S TIED TO THE CITY. DO YOU MIND THEY CAN GET THAT TIED TO YOU 'CAUSE SO IT WOULD BE SO CONVENIENT. DEDICATED BEDS? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. THE, THESE PRIVATE ROOMKEY, THERE'S ONE THAT OPENED UP A WALK FROM WHERE I LIVE UNDER, THEY HAVE MADE SERVICE AND MEALS DELIVERED TO 'EM AND I'M THINKING MAYBE THEY'RE BETTER OFF THAN I AM IF THAT'S TRUE. UM, THERE ARE, I BELIEVE THEY, THEY'RE GIVEN FOOD. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, I DON'T RUN THE PROJECT ROOM KEY OR THE HOME KEY, SO I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT. I, I HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH IT IN LA WHEN I WORKED WITH THEM. UM, BUT FUNDING'S CHANGED. SO SOME OF THAT MAY HAVE CHANGED. BUT YES, THEY GET FOOD. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MEALS. UM, BUT IT'S ALSO TIME LIMITED. SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY LEARNED FROM LIKE THE HOTELING IS LIKE WE HAVE TO SET SPECIFIC TIME LIMITS. UM, SO THEY MAY BE THERE FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE PURPOSE IS TO UM, MAKE SURE WE CAN ACCESS THEM AND GET TO THEM REGULARLY, HELP THEM COLLECT THEIR DOCUMENTS SO THEN WE CAN GET 'EM ONTO HOUSING. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT DELAYS GETTING A VOUCHER. THAT'S WHAT DELAYS GETTING HOUSING. IF I CAN ASK, UM, JUST REALLY BRIEFLY, UH, BECAUSE OF TIME, UM, IN, UM, IN REGARDS TO EQUITY, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR THOSE VOUCHERS. I KNOW A LOT OF STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, LA COUNTY, WE ARE PART OF LA COUNTY, BUT LONG BEACH KIND OF BEING, YOU KNOW, HAVING ITS OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF BEING REALLY UH, SUFFICIENT ON ITS OWN. IS THERE, UH, UM, A I I WOULD SAY IS, IS LONG BEACH GETTING ITS FAIR SHARE OF THAT COUNTY FUNDING? YEAH. YEAH I WOULD SAY SO. I KNOW OUR CITY HOMELESS BUREAU, UM, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THEM BUT I KNOW THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH LOTSA. THE LA HOMELESS SERVICES AUTHORITY, THAT IS WHO GETS THE FUNDING FOR LA COUNTY. OKAY. TO GET OUR PORTION. AND WE HAVE OUR OWN PROJECT HOME KEYS THAT'S FUNDED BY THE COUNTY AND THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION IS ALSO COUNTY FUNDED. SO A LOT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE DO HAVE IS ALSO PART OF THE COUNTY MONEY AND THEN WE GET OUR OWN SPECIFIC FUNDING. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. GOOD QUESTION. UM, AND THEN JUST FOR SAKE OF TIME, I'M JUST GONNA MOVE THROUGH UM, OUR LONG TERM RESOURCES. HUD BASH, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT EVERYONE'S HEARD OF. HUD BASH IS A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER, UM, THAT IS MEANT FOR VETERANS. SO THE VOUCHER IS ISSUED BY OUR PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY. THE VA PROVIDES THE CASE MANAGEMENT. WE DON'T OWN THE VOUCHER, WE JUST PROVIDE THE CASE MANAGEMENT SO VETERANS CAN COME TO US. THEY HAVE TO BE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. SO THAT DEFINITION I MENTIONED EARLIER OR BE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, WHICH FOR UH, HUD DEFINITION IS WITHIN 14 DAYS. BUT WE'LL ACCEPT LIKE A 30 DAY NOTICE OR A 60 DAY NOTICE. UM, THAT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE. OR EVEN LIKE A THREE DAY NOTICE THE PAYER QUITS, WE'LL TAKE THAT AND ENROLL THEM. IMMINENT RISK. YEAH, THE IMMINENT RISK. UM, JAMES, THAT'S ALL THIS UH, SO THEY, DID I CHANGE THIS? YES, THEY JUST UPDATED IT. SO THEY HAVE TO BE HOMELESS OR AT RISK. THEY ALSO HAVE TO MEET THE INCOME REQUIREMENTS. THIS JUST CHANGED. IT USED TO BE JUST UNDER 50,000. UM, IT NOW IS A SINGLE VETERAN CAN MAKE 77,700 UM, AND STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR BASH. ARE THEY INCLUDING THEIR COMPENSATION AS THEIR INCOME? YEAH. UM, SO TWO NEW THINGS JUST HAPPENED WITH HUD BASH. ONE IS THAT LEGISLATION CAME INTO PLAY THAT MADE ALL THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES GO TO THE MAXIMUM LIMIT, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME. SO IN LONG BEACH FOR THE ONE HOUSEHOLD, IT'S THAT 77,000. THE OTHER BIG THING THAT HAPPENED, UM, THE LEGISLATION THAT CAME THROUGH WAS THAT UH, THEIR SERVICE CONNECTION, THEIR DISABILITY BENEFITS WILL NOT COUNT TOWARDS ELIGIBILITY. SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. SO RIGHT, THIS ONE OVER ME A LITTLE BIT. SO FOR ELIGIBILITY, SO LET'S JUST SAY THEY MAKE 80,000 A YEAR. SO THEY MAKE OVER THE 77, [00:35:01] THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL EXCLUDE THEIR SERVICE CONNECTION AND THEY MAKE OVER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SERVICE CONNECTION, A HIGH SERVICE CONNECTION, THEY WILL NOT COUNT THAT AND THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR HUD VASH. BUT HERE'S THE BIG, BUT WHEN THEY GO TO CALCULATE THEIR INCOME THOUGH, BECAUSE FOR HUD VASH, THE VETERAN PAYS 30 TO 40% OF WHATEVER THEIR INCOME IS AND THEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS THE REST. SO IF YOU MAKE $300 A MONTH, YOU ARE GONNA PAY 30 TO 40% OF THAT. IF YOU MAKE 40,000 A YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA PAY 30 TO 40% OF THAT. SO IF YOU'RE PAYING 30 TO 40% ON 80,000, 90,000, YOU'RE GONNA BE PAYING PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT FAIR MARKET RENT IS. SO THAT'S THE DISCLAIMER. WE'RE KIND OF GIVING VETERANS RIGHT NOW, LIKE WE'RE NOT DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS IF THEY'RE ABOVE THAT, UM, LIMIT. BUT JUST BEING KIND OF REAL OF IT AND TRANSPARENT THAT YOUR RENT STILL GOING TO BE PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY HIGH BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS PAY 30 TO 40% OF YOUR INCOME. NOW, WHO THIS MAY BENEFIT MIGHT BE VETERANS THAT, AND WE SEE THIS OFTEN THAT HAVE HIGH INCOME BUT NEED CASE MANAGEMENT TO GET INTO HOUSING, TO STAY IN HOUSING. SO THIS IS WHO THIS MIGHT BENEFIT, BUT OTHERWISE, UM, WE JUST WANT TO GET BACK TO THAT DISCLAIMER 'CAUSE IT IS A LOT OF PROCESS AND A LOT OF UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE JAMES PEOPLE BEING IN YOUR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT. YOU HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH THEM OR MAYBE NOT THAT MUCH BENEFIT IN YOUR RENTAL DECREASE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OKAY. I KNOW IT'S KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF WEIRD HOW THEY SAID IT UP. THAT MAKES SENSE. YEAH. AND THAT'S ONLY OVER 77,000. YEAH. IF, IF THEY'RE UNDER, IT'S STILL THE SAME RULE. IT'S 30 40% OF YOUR INCOME. BUT BECAUSE 30 IT'S A LOWER NUMBER, THE RENT PORTION'S GONNA BE LOWER. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES. I'M SURE IT'S PROBABLY THROUGH HUD VERSUS Y'ALL, BUT WHAT'S THE TIMELINESS OF LIKE A CHANGE OF LIFE REDUCTION? I LOST MY JOB. SO NOW INSTEAD OF 50 30, THAT 30,000 IS ALL I HAVE. YEAH, THAT'S THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE TELL 'EM GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAUSE YOU WANNA MAKE THAT SHIFT. SO WHEN THE NEXT RENTAL PAYMENT COMES THAT'S ADJUSTED FOR YOU, THEY'RE PRETTY QUICK ABOUT IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. YES. INTERNET. HOW, UH, SO WHEN I THINK OF SECTION EIGHT I I, I'M THINKING LIKE, UM, PARENTS ON SECTION EIGHT, THEY LIKE WAIT FIVE YEARS, SIX YEARS, SEVEN YEARS TO GET IN SOMEWHERE. IS THAT THE SAME OR NO, IT'S, THESE ARE DEDICATED VOUCHERS. SO I THINK WHEN PEOPLE THINK SECTION EIGHT, THEY THINK OF OUR HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS, WHICH THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU HEAR HAVE 10 YEAR WAIT LIST. AND THOSE ARE DEDICATED USUALLY TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOWER INCOME. THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO HOMELESSNESS, TO HOMELESS VETERANS. SO ANY HOMELESS VOUCHER YOU REGARDLESS IF THEY'RE VETERANS OR NOT, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT TEN FIVE YEAR WAIT LIST. UM, THE BASH PROCESS IS A PROCESS THOUGH. LIKE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW. UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE DEPENDING, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR DOCUMENTS, RIGHT? THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY ASKS FOR A LOT. YOU NEED YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE, YOUR ID, YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, UM, BANK STATEMENTS. MM-HMM UH, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. AND IF YOU'RE ON THE STREET, IT'S LESS LIKELY THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE. SO SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LONG TIME 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST GATHERING DOCS AND THEN IT IS, YOU KNOW, DOING THE APPLICATION, SUBMITTING THE DOCUMENTS AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE ANOTHER SEVERAL WEEKS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEN YOU GET YOUR VOUCHER. YAY. BUT NOW YOU GOTTA LOOK FOR HOUSING. SO THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE. SO IT CAN TAKE A CHUNK OF TIME, LIKE WE USUALLY SAY ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS TO REALLY LIKE FINALIZE EVERYTHING DEPENDING HOW MUCH STUFF THE VETERAN HAS AHEAD OF TIME AND HOW QUICKLY THEY CAN FIND HOUSING. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT THE HU THE BASH VOUCHER, WHAT THEIR REQUIREMENTS ARE, WHAT KIND OF THINGS THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR? SURE. YEAH. SO ANYONE THE, THE NUMBER ONE REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN CASE MANAGEMENT. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT AT FIRST, BUT IN THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU'RE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN YOUR HOUSE, UH, NO I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER. OH, FOR THE OWNER. THE PROPERTY OWNER SAYS, YEAH, WHAT DO I GOTTA DO IF I WANT TO ACCEPT A BATCH CERTIFICATE? YEAH, THEY GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE PRE-APPROVED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ALSO HAS THEIR SET OF INSPECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW. SO SOMETIMES THAT'S THE CHALLENGE OF OF GETTING UM, OUR PROPERTY OWNERS TO SAY YES IS THAT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PASS SPECIFIC INSPECTIONS AND, BUT IT IS A GUARANTEED LIKE 70, 60 TO 70% OF THE RENT ALL THE TIME FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, SO THERE ARE BENEFITS TO IT. UM, YOU KNOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS ALWAYS GONNA PAY YOU. UM, BUT THE BARRIER COULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME MORE INTENSIVE INSPECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO. BUT IF THEY WANT TO GET SIGNED UP, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND GET ON THEIR LIST. LET'S UM, 'CAUSE THE NEW RULE SAID THAT YOU COULDN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SECTION EIGHT IN THE CONSIDERATION OF HOUSING. IS IT THE SAME FOR BASH OR IS VASH INCLUDED UNDER THAT SAME? IT IS, YES. BUT IF SOMEONE SAY COMES TO A HOUSE AND SAYS I WANT TO RENT HERE, I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO APPLIES AND I HAVE A BASH CERTIFICATE, DOES THAT [00:40:01] MEAN THE OWNER HAS TO GO TO HOUSING UM, TO GET CERTIFIED? YEAH, SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE PRE-APPROVED. IT CAN'T JUST BE ANYONE. LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE PRE-APPROVED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TAKE THE VOUCHER AND SOMEONE FINDS YOU AND SAID, AND YOU SAY I WANNA RENT, YOU CAN GO AND GET APPROVED. UM, BUT THAT PROCESS CAN TAKE A WHILE. UM, SO I ALWAYS RECOMMEND IF THERE'S FOLKS THAT WANT TO RENT TO DO IT AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE GETTING APPROVED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS A PROPERTY OWNER AND A AND A TO TO RENT OUT COULD TAKE A MINUTE. WELL WHY DON'T YOU GO LEAVE ME A CARD 'CAUSE I'M A LARGE REAL ESTATE GROUP. YEAH. AND I'D LIKE YOU TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE PROCESS. YES, ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE THIS GROUP I'M WITH HAS TONS AND TONS OF OWN OF OWNERS OF LOTS AND LOTS OF PROPERTY. SO THEM UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PROCESS IS AND NOT GETTING AFRAID OF IT COULD OPEN UP MORE PROPERTIES TO VETERANS IF THEY UNDERSTAND. 'CAUSE ALL THEY HEAR IS SECTION EIGHT AND THEY GO, OH NO THAT'S GOVERNMENT. I DON'T WANT THEM ANYWHERE NEAR ME. BUT IF THEY UNDERSTOOD IT BETTER, THEY MIGHT BE, OKAY, MAYBE I'LL BE OPEN TO THIS AND CONSIDER IT. 'CAUSE ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW LAW SAYING YOU GOTTA CONSIDER SECTION EIGHT BASH, MAYBE IT'S, YOU KNOW, GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME OR YOU KNOW, IT'S EDUCATION. JUST, JUST POINT. JUST IF CAN, IF YOU AND MELANIE COULD, THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND, AND IT'S JUST TO BE SAKE OF TIME. UM, ANTOINETTE AND THEN IF WE HAVE, IF ANYONE ELSE HAS QUESTIONS SO WE COULD FINISH, GET THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND UM, GET TO OUR NEXT SLIDE. I'VE GOT A REAL SIMPLE ONE. WHERE IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PHYSICALLY LOCATED DOWN ON SANTA FE? NO. DID RIGHT, DID THEY MOVE AIRPORT WAY? OH, AIRPORT WAY. YEAH, THEY MOVED, DID THEY MOVE AGAIN? OH, WHAT, WHAT'S ONE IS THE COUNTY SUPERVISOR BUILDING OVER THERE NEAR THE AIRPORT? IS THAT BIG SPEED WAY OR WHATEVER? THE ONE WHERE IT USED TO BE WHERE LIKE, UH, PACIFIC GATEWAY MOVED THAT SAME AREA. OH. WHERE I KNOW THEY USED, I THINK IT, IT WAS RIGHT WHERE THE 4 0 5 AND THE SEVEN 10 MEET. OKAY, SO THAT'S YEAH. HOUSING AIRPORT AREA. RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY DID MOVE FROM UH, SANTA FE. NO, THEY'RE STILL THERE. THEY MOVED, MOVED IN THE SAME, THEY MOVED BUILDINGS BUT IN THE SAME COMPLEX. OH, OKAY. BUT OFF OF HUGS WAY. HUGS WAY. I'M SORRY. I GOT UP. EXCUSE WAY. OKAY. WE, WE CAN GET CLAR WE CAN GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND WE CAN PUT THAT OUT IN OUR NOTES. UM, ANTOINETTE AND THEN I'LL GO TO YOU JAMES. OH, WAS IT ON THE ADDRESS? IF, IF, IF YOU WERE PLANNING ON GOING IN PERSON? THEY ARE CURRENTLY NOT OPEN THERE. IT'S VIRTUAL 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR, THE CITY REQUIRES ALL THE RESPECTIVE SAFETY THINGS AND STUFF. THEY'RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, ANTOINETTE YEAH, SORRY, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS SUPER QUICK. I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE IF YOU GIVE SOMEONE A VOUCHER, UM, HOW DO THEY FIND PLACES WHERE THEY CAN SEEK HOUSING? THEY'RE ALREADY . YEAH, SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES HAVE A LIST. THEY ALSO GET SUPPORT FROM THEIR CASE MANAGERS. AND THEN WE ALSO PARTNER WITH OUR, THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE WITH OUR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES PROGRAM. SO THEY'RE THE COMMUNITY PROGRAM. WE ACTUALLY PARTNER WITH THEM TO DO ADDITIONAL WHAT WE CALL HOUSING NAVIGATION, WHICH MEANS SEARCHING FOR HOUSING. UM, SO SSVF IS THE OTHER RESOURCE I WANTED TO MENTION BRIEFLY. ONCE AGAIN, THEY'RE FUNDED BY THE VA BUT IT'S A COMMUNITY PARTNER. IT IS HERE IT IS. US VETS AGAIN AND MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA ARE TWO MAIN ONES. UM, AND THEY ALSO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR VETERANS. THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE. THEY DO SOMETHING CALLED RAPID REHOUSING, WHICH MEANS GETTING YOU INTO HOUSING QUICKLY. IT'S NOT A VOUCHER. THEY PROVIDE SHORT TERM RENTAL SUBSIDY FROM SIX TO 12 MONTHS. UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH SSVF, YOU KNOW THIS. UM, AND IT IS MEANT TO GET VETERANS INTO HOUSING QUICKLY. SO THEY PAY SECURITY DEPOSIT, MOVING COSTS A COUPLE MONTHS OF RENT HELP YOU GET ON YOUR FEET AND THEN YOU TAKE OVER THE RENT. SO FOR VETERANS THAT HAVE INCOME OR CAN GET INCOME, THIS IS ACTUALLY A MUCH QUICKER WAY OF GETTING INTO HOUSING. SO I USUALLY WILL PRESENT BOTH OPTIONS TO VETERANS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY KIND OF FIT BOTH AND LET THEM CHOOSE. SOME VETERANS CHOOSE SSVF 'CAUSE IT'S FASTER. 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT WAITING ON A VOUCHER, YOU'RE JUST FINDING AN APARTMENT AND THEY DON'T PRECLUDE YOU. SO YES, IF YOU'RE USING SSVF AND IT'S LIKE, UH, THINGS ARE STILL ROUGH, I NEED MORE STABILITY, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO REACH OUT WITH VASH. MM-HMM . THINGS LIKE THAT. MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN JUST QUICKLY, HOW DO YOU ACCESS ALL OF THESE RESOURCES? SO WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE WALK-IN HOURS AT THE VA MEDICAL CENTER. UM, IN OUR K WING BUILDING. WE ARE THERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT 30 TO THREE 30. SOMETIMES THE TEAM IS HERE AND THERE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT THERE, THERE'S SOMEONE TO CHECK IN WITH. UM, BUT WE'RE THERE FOR VETERANS THAT WALK IN. UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN EXTENSION THAT VETERANS CAN CALL. WE ALSO USE THE NATIONAL PHONE NUMBER. IF VETERANS CALL THE NATIONAL HOTLINE FOR VET HOMELESS VETERANS, IT COMES TO US IF THEY'RE IN OUR AREA. UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN EMAIL THAT VETERANS CAN USE AND THAT YOU ALL CAN USE IF YOU WANNA REFER A VETERAN. SO WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS. UM, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO OUT ON THE STREET AS THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM WHERE OUT THERE, OUR BIG OUTREACH DAY, WE GO OUT WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, SSVF, UM, V-A-N-D-M-H ON TUESDAYS WE ALSO GO OUT THROUGH OTHER DAYS IN THE WEEK. SO WE FIND VETERANS THAT WAY. BUT IF A VETERAN SEEKING SERVICES, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO [00:45:01] COME IN. THEY CAN CALL US. WE CAN DO MOST OF THE SCREENINGS OVER THE PHONE AND WE CAN COME OUT TO SEE THEM AS WELL, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT. 'CAUSE SOME OF OUR VETERANS JUST AREN'T GONNA MAKE IT INTO THE VA AND WE WANT TO BE UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, AND THEN I THINK ON THE LAST PAGE, I JUST GAVE YOU THE CONTACTS. YEAH. JUST REALLY QUICK. UM, WHERE'S MY PAGE? WHERE AM I? MY OWN PRESENTATION. HERE WE GO. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE ACTUAL CONTACT INFORMATION. SO THESE ARE GPD SITES. SO VETERANS CAN COME TO US TO GET THIS REFERRAL. THEY CAN ALSO GO STRAIGHT THERE. WE REALLY TRY TO TAKE THAT NO WRONG DOOR APPROACH. UM, IF THEY'RE ALREADY AT THE VA, WE CAN HELP CONNECT THEM TO A WARM HANDOFF, BUT THEY CAN DIRECTLY CALL THESE PROGRAMS AND GET THEMSELVES IN. UM, AND THOSE ARE, THAT'S OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND THEN THE ONLY TWO WALK-UP SHELTERS THAT ARE NEARBY, IT'S IN WILMINGTON. THAT'S THE CLOSEST WALK-UP SHELTER. IT'S A FAITH-BASED SHELTER THAT'S THE MALE AND THE FEMALE, THEY FILL UP PRETTY QUICKLY TOO. UM, USUALLY YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PHONE CALL, SO IF THEY HAVE A BED FOR YOU, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET IN, BUT I WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH THAT. UM, AND THEN ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OUR SSVF PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO ONCE AGAIN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME THROUGH US TO GET CONNECTED TO OUR SSVF GRANTEES. UM, THEY COULD GO DIRECTLY TO THEM. SO IF THEY'RE NEEDING, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, IF THEY'RE BEHIND ON RENT, THIS IS WHO WE GO TO. UM, WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY FOR THAT AT THE VA, BUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS DO. SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WE'RE GOING TO, IF PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ON RENT AND NEED TO CATCH UP. IN ADDITION TO THAT RAPID REHOUSING GETTING 'EM IN QUICKLY. SO SSVF DOES A LOT. UM, SO IF THEY'RE ONE OF PARTNERS. SO I WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH OUR CONTACTS FOR BOTH PUERTO, UM, AND THEN JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. I KNOW I THREW A LOT OF INFORMATION AT YOU. YES. UM, THANK YOU. UH, I KNOW WE DID Q AND A DURING THE PRESENTATION, BUT ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT OUR COMMISSIONERS HAVE? HOW ARE YOU HANDLING, UM, COUPLES, MARRIED COUPLES? GOOD QUESTION. THAT'S A CHALLENGING ONE. UM, BECAUSE THE GPD DOES NOT TAKE COUPLES, MOST SHELTERS WILL BE OUT. MOST SHELTERS DON'T TAKE COUPLES. UM, THEY HAVE TO SPLIT UP. OKAY. UM, ONE OPTION THAT WE'VE OFFERED TO VETERANS THAT WANT TO GO INTO GPD IS THERE IS A FEMALE, I THINK IT'S STILL THERE, A FEMALE PROGRAM RIGHT. FOR UM, CIVILIANS. SO IF A VETERAN IS COMING IN WITH, UM, THEIR PARTNER AND IT'S A FEMALE, THEY CAN STAY IN THE CIVILIAN BED AND THE VETERAN WOULD STAY IN THE VETERAN BED, BUT THEY'RE IN TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS. IT'S, BUT THEY'RE IN THE SAME CAMPUS. UM, BUT THAT'S USUALLY WITH COUPLES. IT'S VERY RARE. UM, THE ONLY PLACE I WOULD SAY WHERE YOU HAVE CAN DO COUPLES IS IN A HOTEL SETTING. OTHERWISE THE SHELTERS SPLIT 'EM UP, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY VETERAN COUPLES MAY CHOOSE TO STAY ON THE STREET OR IN THEIR CAR. SAFE PARKING. WHAT WHAT ABOUT SAFE PARKING? YEAH. SINGLE FATHERS. UM, THERE'S ONE RESOURCE IN LA COUNTY FOR SINGLE FATHERS. IT'S ON THE WEST SIDE. IT'S THROUGH WEST LA. UM, IT WOULD BE THROUGH THE WEST LA VA, BUT IT IS, I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED. UM, BUT IT IS ON THE WEST SIDE. SO IT'S PRETTY FAR LIKE WEST SIDE LA OKAY. IT'S PRETTY FAR FROM HERE. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES FOR THAT EITHER. UNFORTUNATELY. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS THROUGH OUR HOMELESS SERVICES SYSTEM, THAT'S WHEN WE GO SOMETIMES THROUGH THE CIVILIAN SYSTEM. LIKE WE GO THROUGH THE FAMILY SYSTEM OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, TO TRY AND CONNECT 'EM TO A FAMILY SHELTER. LIKE WE DON'T HAVE FAMILY SHELTERS. WE HAVE ONE GPD THAT TAKES FAMILIES. IT'S VERY SMALL. IT'S IN LA. SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD UTILIZE THE FAMILY SYSTEM OF HOMELESSNESS VERSUS THE VETERAN SYSTEM FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING. OH, OKAY. BUT I MEAN, YOU HAVE RESOURCES THOUGH. THERE'S RESOURCES. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S, THEY'RE CHALLENGING AND WE'LL SAY SHELTER IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING. THAT'S IT. GPD BEDS USUALLY HAVE AVAILABILITY, BUT IF THERE'S CHILDREN INVOLVED, WE DO HAVE A WOMEN'S PROGRAM. WE HAVE A WOMEN'S PROGRAM FOR FEMALES WITH CHILDREN, FEMALE VETERANS WITH CHILDREN OR FEMALE VETERANS. WE HAVE ONE AT THAT SITE, BUT NOT FOR MOTHERS, UNFORTUNATELY. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, ANY, UM, COMMENTS FROM, UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? OKAY WITH NO, UM, UH, NO THANK YOU. IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS, GINA KNOWS HOW TO GET AHOLD OF ME. I DON'T MY CARDS, I LEFT THEM IN MY CARD, BUT I HAVE THIS THING SO I CAN, YEAH. UM, YES. AND YEAH, GINA KNOW I WANNA GIVE YOU A STANDING OF THAT. YES. THANK YOU. AWESOME. IT, IT'S COMPLICATED SYSTEM. SO IT SOUNDS CONFUSING BECAUSE, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE AND ALL THAT, DO WE? RIGHT? YES. IT, WE DON'T HAVE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE NOTHING ON THAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU. AND ALSO BECAUSE OF, UM, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU. GET SOME REST. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. UM, I'M SORRY, WE DO HAVE TO DO JUST A QUICK RECEIVING FILE. OKAY. UM, A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE MOTION. MOTION. UM, AND, UH, UM, ANTOINETTE AND THEN NICK, FIRST AND SECOND. UM, ALL IN FAVOR A AYE. UNANIMOUS. [00:50:01] OKAY. I'LL VOTE IT. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RESHUFFLE REALLY QUICK. WE'RE GONNA RESHUFFLE OUR AGENDA AGAIN. SO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM WE'RE GONNA DO, UM, IS RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS GOAL NUMBER FOUR OF OUR VETERAN STRATEGIC PLAN. AND OF COURSE IS WE, WE'VE DISCUSSED MANY TIMES, UM, THE GOAL, GOAL FOUR OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS CENTERED AROUND VETERAN HOMELESS. SO WITH THAT, WE JUST HAD A PRESENT, A PRESENTATION FROM, UM, UM, FROM THE VA GOING OVER ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMINGS FUNDING. SHE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, SOME OF THE UPDATES AND NUANCES WITH PLACING, UM, HOMELESS VETERANS. SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO, UM, FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE, A TASK FORCE THAT WILL WORK WITH THE CITY, THE VA, AND OTHER ENTITIES IN THE CITY TO HELP, UM, IN THOSE EFFORTS WITH PLACING HOMELESS, UM, WITH OUR VETERANS THAT ARE SHELTER SHELTERED OR UNSHELTERED WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. HOW DO I SAY IT? UH, UM, SO IT'S A MOTION. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. YOU JUST MADE THE MOTION. SO YOU NEED TO SECOND, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO SECOND THE MOTION PLEASE. SECOND THE MOTION. MM-HMM . OKAY. IF THERE'S, UM, DISCUSS ANY DISCUSSIONS, ANY DISCUSSIONS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, KEN. WELL, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DEFINE IT A LITTLE MORE AT SOME POINT. MM-HMM . 'CAUSE IT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG BROAD BRUSH AS TO WHAT, HOW WE INTERFACE WITH THOSE GROUPS AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS AN INTERFACE TO CITY SERVICES. 'CAUSE WE'RE THE KIND OF THE MIDDLEMAN. WE CAN MAKE A CALL TO A COUNCILMAN OR, YOU KNOW, CONNECT THEM TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, BUT US BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. MM-HMM . THAT'S NOT GONNA, THAT'S A LOT. SO I KNOW SHE SAID RESPONSIBLE. I SAID, UM, UH, TO, TO ASSIST. YEAH. TO KIND OF LIKE, UH, UM, TO, UM, I'M SORRY. ANYONE ELSE BEFORE I, ANY ANYONE ELSE? I WOULD SAY NOT LIKE TAKING IT ON AS RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS OUR, IT IS OUR GOAL. SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING SOME OF THOSE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE DOING THE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, AND, UH, WORK ALONG THE SIDE. GATHER A REPORT, LOOK AT AT, LOOK AT THE DATA. WHAT, WHAT INFORMATION WHERE ARE SOME OF THE GAPS BETWEEN THE VA, SOME OF THOSE OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO CITY COUNCIL. ANY, UH, ANY OTHER, ANY COMMENTS, DISCUSSIONS? I WANTED TO JUST CLARIFY IF I MAY, THAT WHAT, WHAT JUANITA'S DRIVING TOWARDS IS THAT WHEN WE WORKED ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OVER THE SUMMER, IT ASKS HOW MANY RECOMMENDATIONS DID YOUR COMMISSION MAKE TO THE CITY COUNCIL? ZERO. RIGHT. AND SO THE IDEA OF BEING ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATES, SO TO SPEAK, JUST GOING BACK TO THE GOAL IS WHAT SHE WANTS TO GET INTO THE, WHY AM I USING BASEBALL HERE? THE SWING UP . MAYBE IT'S YOUR CAT . SO, UM, SO BASICALLY SHE'S, THIS IDEA IS THAT A SMALL SUBCOMMITTEE WILL FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, STUDYING THE ISSUE, GOING TO DIFFERENT MEETINGS AND PROPOSING SOMETHING AS NEEDED. MAYBE THERE ISN'T A PROPOSAL NEEDED ON THIS FRONT. MAYBE WE DECIDE TO DO SOME SORT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SESSION, BUT JUST A DEDICATED GROUP STUDYING. WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOMELESSNESS. YEAH. THE NUANCES. YEAH. SO, UM, WITH THAT, I GUESS WE, WE HAVE A FIRST AND SECOND AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE GO TO OUR VOTE. NO. PUBLIC COMMENT IS AFTER. NO. OKAY. SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY YAYS? A AYE, AYE. AYE. NO. UM, ABSTENTIONS OR, UM, ABSTAINS, DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES. SMITTY, PLEASE GO AHEAD. UH, JUST MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL ON THIS. THERE IS ALREADY, UH, A COMMISSION, THE CITY HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES, UH, COMMISSION THAT DOES THE WORK. SO YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT REINVENTING THAT WHEEL. YOU'RE TRYING TO BE A LIAISON TO HELP THEM ASSIST FROM THE VETERAN'S POINT OF VIEW. CAN WE COLLABORATE? MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND. MM-HMM . THAT'D BE SOMETHING YOU COULD DO, CINDY. IT'S NOT THAT I'M JUST THIS GENERAL STATEMENT. NO, NO. BUT CAN WE DO THAT? CAN WE COLLAB WITH THEM? LIKE WOULD THEY MIND, LIKE IF WE GOT TOGETHER, THERE'S THERE'S STILL COMMISSIONS THAT COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S JUST, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU GUYS. OKAY. THAT'S OUR, LIKE OUR FIRST STEP. WHAT ARE THEY DOING ALREADY? RIGHT? THEY DO ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION. EXACTLY. YEAH. YEAH. AND, UM, AND IF I MAY, AND, UM, UM, AND JAMES CHIME IN WHEN WE WERE AT THE OPEN HOUSE WHEN WE DID SPEAK WITH, UM, UM, [00:55:01] THERESA CHANDLER AND THE, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHAT'S, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE GENERAL'S NAME. AND PAUL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MADE, IS TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE LIKE THEY HAVE A MEETING AND TO PARTNER, UM, LIKE ONE OF US WITH THEM AS WELL OVER THERE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS. YES. AND WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. OKAY. OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK IT'S A BOUNCE, RIGHT? IT'S A STRAIGHT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. EXACTLY. EXACTLY. SORRY, . OKAY. SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE A FOR A SECOND AND WE HAVE A VOTE. ALL WE'RE DONE. OH, YES, WE ARE DONE WITH THAT AGENDA ITEM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ANY OTHER COMMENT. YEAH, MY, MY LITTLE COMMENT IS THAT NOW THAT WE'VE SAID WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS LITTLE BASICALLY SUBCOMMITTEE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . UM, WHO'S GONNA BE ON IT? I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON IT. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? DON'T JUMP UP, Y'ALL. I WOULD LIKE TO . I'M LIKE A BE PEN PERHAPS. EXACTLY. MAYBE YES, YES, YES, YES. KIND OF BE A WHEELHOUSE. EXACTLY. I JUST WON THE BE A FARMER. NO. OKAY. UM, UM, AND AGAIN, YOU GUYS, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT. AND OF COURSE I WILL, UM, UM, ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL. SO WE'LL MOVE ON, ON OUR NEXT, UM, AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS THE BEACH STREET SLASH VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION. AND WITH THAT, GINA, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. OKAY. OKAY. UM, I'M SORRY AGAIN FOR THE TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE SCREEN BECAUSE MY BEAUTIFUL SLIDES JUST DON'T LOOK AS BEAUTIFUL. UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK, UM, JAMES AND GUS FOR BEING AT THE COUNCIL PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT. AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST REPRISE IT, BUT IT'S SO HARD TO SEE THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE. BUT BASICALLY ON THE LEFT SIDE IS THE FLYER AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, WHICH, UH, WILL BE ENHANCED. AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE SHOWS THE BEACH STREETS ROUTE. SO HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT BEACH STREETS AND VETERANS DAY ARE ALL COMBINED THIS YEAR? ? YES. SO INITIALLY THE REACTION FOR SOME PEOPLE I TALKED TO WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, WHERE ARE WE GONNA PARK? SO I DON'T HAVE A POINTER HERE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU FOR ONE. HUH? . UM, BUT BASICALLY THE STREET CLOSURE ROUTE MAP IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. SO FROM SOUTH STREET TO ARTESIA ATLANTIC IS CLOSED TO CARS. AND FROM ATLANTIC TO, I MEAN, AN ARTESIA FROM ATLANTIC TO CHERRY IS CLOSED TO CARS. SO THAT'S, SO THE STREETS ARE OPEN FOR BIKING, WALKING, HIKING, YOU KNOW, UH, SKATEBOARDS, ROLLER BLADES. IT'S, IT'S VERY COOL THAT WAY. BUT THE MAIN THING WE WANNA MAKE SURE OF, AND THIS IS AGAIN, HARD TO SEE, IS THAT THIS IS HARD. HARDING AWAY RIGHT HERE. THIS IS HARDING, THAT'S MYRTLE AND THAT'S ATLANTIC. THAT IS GOING TO BE WHERE 88 PARKING IS. SO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PARKING IS GONNA BE THERE. AND THE, AND ON THE MURAL SIDE OF THE STREET ON HARDING IS GONNA BE WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, THE VETERANS MOTORCYCLE GANG. AS WE JOKE ABOUT THE, UM, THE ASSOCIATION. YEAH, THE ASSOCIATION. THE CBMA, UM, COMBAT MOTORCYCLE VETERANS ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE WE WANNA KEEP THE MURAL CLEAN AND CLEAR FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE PICTURES OF, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH HOW THAT IS. YES. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU SEE THAT. AND THE BASIC SCHEDULE, UH, THE, UH, THE FLYOVERS, UH, THE FLYOVERS IN THE RECOGNITION CEREMONY ARE AT TWO. UH, THE KIDS ZONE IS THE KIDS ZONE FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT. SO IT'S GONNA BE QUITE HUGE. FOOD TRUCKS, OF COURSE. BEER GARDEN, THE PERFORMERS AND SATIN DOLLS, IF YOU SAW THEM LAST YEAR, THEIR SETS ARE AT 12 AND ONE 15 AND NIGHT RIDER. SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, THE VETERAN'S, UH, DAY ON STER STEROIDS ON THE SETUP. I KNOW NORMALLY WE SET UP LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, UHHUH , BUT BECAUSE WE'RE TYING IN WITH THE SPEECH STREETS MM-HMM . THAT WE LEAVE THAT SIDE AS ACCESSIBLE AND OPEN. 'CAUSE LAST TIME WE HAD THE FOOD TRUCKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND IT KIND OF BLOCKED ARTESIA BOULEVARD. 'CAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE IT INVITING FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON BEACH STREETS TO COME IN AND PARTICIPATE WITH US. AND IF THERE'S A WALL OF TRUCKS THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STUFF BLOCKING IT. THEY'RE NOT COMING IN, THEY'RE JUST GONNA DO THEIR THING. WE WANT 'EM TO SEE US. RIGHT. HEY, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING COOL. COME ON IN FROM, CAN YOU PULL BACK UP THE MAP AGAIN? YES. AND MAP, CAN YOU POINT THAT OUT? CAN ON THE MAP? I, UM, YEAH, RIGHT HERE. YOU'LL GET IT WHEN I SEE MINE. OKAY. NORMALLY WE'RE HERE. NO, WE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE. WE'RE UP. OH, THAT'S, THEY'RE TARGETING, THAT'S, THEY HAVE LIKE THE FOOD TRUCKS AND STUFF HERE. MM-HMM . LAST TIME. [01:00:01] AND WE WERE FANNED OUT LIKE THIS HERE, AROUND THAT CENTER STEP AROUND THE STAGE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS TRY TO KEEP THIS LITTLE PIECE HERE AS OPEN AS WE CAN WITH SOME KIND OF SIGNAGE THAT SAYS, HEY, COME JOIN US AT THE VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RIDING THEIR BIKES UP AND DOWN THE STREET WILL SEE US OR WALKING OR WHATEVER AND COME JOIN US. I'LL DEFINITELY BRING THAT UP TO SPECIAL EVENTS 'CAUSE WE'RE YEAH. BRING AS BIG A THING AS WE CAN. WE'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY, LET'S GET AS MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ENJOY IT, COME ENJOY IT WITH US. YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE DOING AS WELL IS THAT THE RESOURCES, THE RESOURCES FAIR. UH, THE FIRST ROW OF RESOURCES FAIR BOOTH WILL BE FACING THE STREET, WHICH WILL BE KIND OF COOL. IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE IT AS INVITING FROM THE STREET, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM. RIGHT. THE EVENT INTO US. I KNOW IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD TO SEE, BUT AGAIN, UM, THE KID ZONE IS THE TOP. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, HOWTON PARK. SO THE KID ZONE IS IS IS THAT ORANGE THING ON THE TOP RIGHT? YEAH. CLOSER TO THE JORDAN SIDE. AND THEN DOWN HERE IS THE SKATE ZONE, AND THAT'S GONNA BE ACTIVATED AS WELL. SO THEY'LL HAVE, SO THE SKATE PARK, THE SKATE PARK IS GONNA BE ACTIVATED. SO, SO IT'S COOL FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THERE COULD BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON BIKE. WE WANNA MAKE OUR HUB STICKY AS YOU'RE SAYING. LIKE, IF YOU'RE GONNA GET OFF YOUR BIKE, COME ON IN AND HAVE FUN. IF YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR BIKING, MAYBE YOU STOP, YOU WROTE RODE A LITTLE BIT, YOU WALKED A LITTLE BIT SKATEBOARDING, WHATEVER. YOU DID YOUR THING AND YOU CAME OVER AND CHECKED OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. YEAH. RIGHT. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. 'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I JUST DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA BUILD A WALL AND HAVE 'EM SLIDE RIGHT PAST US. MM-HMM . I WANT 'EM COMING IN AND HAVE EVERYTHING BE ON ARTESIA. EVEN IF WE HAVE TO TAKE THE BOOTHS AND MAKE IT OPENING BETWEEN THEM, LIKE THE BOOTHS THAT ARE FACING HOT WORK, PUT A SPACE BETWEEN THEM SO THAT PEOPLE GET THE IDEA OF COMING IN MM-HMM . AND IT'S A FLOW, IT'S A BETTER FLOW. RIGHT. AND, AND I, I KNOW THAT SPECIAL EVENTS HAS CONSIDERED ALL ALL OF THESE THINGS AND, AND BUILT IT IN, BUT THEY DON'T SHARE NECESSARILY ALL OF THEIR CLIENTS. WELL, WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF LAST YEAR TOO. SO YEAH. JUST SHARE THAT WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY, YOU KNOW? RIGHT. SPECIAL EVENTS IS THE ONE THAT ORGANIZED LAST YEAR TOO. SO I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SPECIAL EVENTS IS IN CHARGE AND THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO. I HATE TO SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT YES. SOMEBODY, THE TABLES SO BAD. IT'S NOT UN TO HAVE A LINE OF TRUCKS THOUGH THOUGH. BECAUSE DURING WHEN THE UNIVERSITY B STREETS, THEY DID THAT AND IT WASN'T IN PROBLEM. I MEAN, YOU STILL HAVE NIGHT RIDER PLANE AND, UM, BY THE PYRAMID AND THE GRASS AND STUFF LIKE THAT WITH THE TRUCKS RIGHT BEHIND 'EM. AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE COMING IN. IT'S STILL WAITING TO GET AROUND. I JUST WANNA MAKE IT AS INVITING FROM THE SCREEN AS WE CAN. I'LL SAY TO A DEGREE, YOU ALSO GET PEOPLE SAYING DAMN FOOD TRUCKS AND YOU KNOW, EXACTLY. ME, JIM, I'M GONNA WAKE UP SWITCH. JIMMY HAD A, YOU HAD A QUESTION OR, OH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE VETERANS AREA GONNA CONSIST OF? WHAT'S GONNA BE GOING ON? WELL, EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON THIS, THIS LIST. UH, WELL, THE NIGHT THERE'LL BE A HUGE STAGE. LIKE LAST YEAR. DID YOU GO TO LAST YEAR'S, JIM? NO. OH, OKAY. UM, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. OKAY, GOOD. WELL, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU TOLD ME BECAUSE I'VE SEEN YOU IN SO MANY PLACES NOW THAT IT'S ALMOST LIKE, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHEN YOU WEREN'T AT ONE OF OUR EVENTS. . OKAY. SO MATTER OF FACT, UH, A YEAR AGO, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A VETERANS' COMMISSION, SO. RIGHT. ALRIGHT THEN. WELL, WE'RE VERY PLEASED. SEEN HOW FAR YOU, SO, SO BASICALLY IF YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH HOUGHTON PARK, RIGHT? AND, AND AT THE CORNER OF HARDING AND ATLANTIC IS VETERANS VALOR PLAZA. YEAH. AND THE HELICOPTER THAT THE VIETNAM VETS OF AMERICA POSTED THERE. SO, SO IT HAS ORIGINS AND I THINK HOUGHTON HIMSELF, GENERAL WAS A GENERAL, GENERAL HOUGHTON IN THE CIVIL WAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S THE, SO IT BEING IN THAT PARK IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE OF THE HELICOPTER BECAUSE IT'S WHO, WHO IT'S NAMED AFTER. BUT THEY TRANSFORM THAT WHOLE SPACE INTO, UH, A KID ZONE. FOOD, TRUCKS, BEER GARDEN, A HUGE STAGE WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES ON IT. UH, THERE'LL BE THE POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, THE TALKING HEADS PART OF COURSE. AND, UH, WITH, UH, THE MAYOR WILL PROBABLY BE THERE, ET CETERA. MAYBE CONGRESSMAN GARCIA. WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW. UM, SO IT, SO BASICALLY THAT WHOLE PARK IS ACTIVATED AS A TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED. YEAH. AND AND THIS IS REPLACING THE VETERANS PARADE THAT THAT'S RIGHT. ONLY DO FOR YEARS AND YEARS, RIGHT? YES. UHHUH , THE PARADE, THE PARADE'S LAST HURRAH, I THINK WAS 2019. I, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER. IT'S BEEN SO LONG. MM. BUT IT HAS BEEN A STATIONARY EVENT SINCE THEN. AND WE FIND THAT WE ACTUALLY GET A BIGGER TURNOUT WITH STATIONARY EVENT THAT OFFERS SOMETHING FOR KIDS AND ADULTS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, THAT WE HAVE ON THE SLIDE HERE IS THAT WE, THEY EVEN ORDER A GIGANTIC BOOT CAMP STYLE OBSTACLE COURSE, WHICH ADULTS LOVE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST KITTIES GETTING ON THAT, BUT, UH, [01:05:01] YOU KNOW, AND THE CITY'S LIABLE IF YOU BREAK ANYTHING. SO HOW DO WE FIND THESE CHARTS? HMM. HOW DO WE FIND THESE? ARE THEY ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE? UH, YEAH. I'LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING IN A MINUTE THAT, UM, UH, WE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GONNA CREATE A, THE TWO-SIDED FLYER THAT I SHOWED YOU. IT IS GONNA BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THERE WILL BE MEDIA COVERAGE. THE MEDIA RELEASE HAS GONE OUT. SO THIS IS JUST MY OWN VISUALS. YEAH. THERE ALSO WILL BE BE, BECAUSE IT'S THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THERE WILL BE A IMMUNIZATION CLINIC. CLINIC THERE. I HAVE SO MANY VERSIONS OF THIS POWERPOINT. I'M MISSING BULLET POINTS ON THIS ONE. OKAY. SO THE VETERANS RECOGNITION CEREMONY IS THE FLYOVERS PRESENTATION OF COLORS. POLLY HIGH JUST CONFIRMED, UH, RECOGNIZING A, A A COUPLE OF VETERANS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY SERVICE. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU SAW THIS. THIS IS JUST A QUICK LIST OF SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE FAIR. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN ADVANCE SO YOU'RE NOT COMING TO THE EVENT AND GOING, WHERE AM I GONNA PARK? MM-HMM . SO, ANTO ANTOINETTE, I HAD A QUESTION AND I'LL GO TO YOU, KEN. YEAH, I DID. I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THIS. UM, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THE LAST TIME I KNEW OF THE MEETING IT WAS SEPTEMBER 17TH. I KNOW I MISSED THAT ONE. HAVE YOU HAD A MEETING SINCE? NO. OKAY. AND THEN I NOTICED, OBVIOUSLY, 'CAUSE LIKE I'M COMPARING THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR, BY THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I THINK YOU, YOU ALREADY HAD THE RESOURCE PEOPLE CONFIRMED AND WE HAVE ABOUT, WE HAD EIGHT AS OF YESTERDAY. YEAH. OKAY. SO HOW, HOW DO I HELP WITH THAT? BECAUSE I'M ALREADY BEHIND. YES. WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, ARE YOU IN ON THE RESOURCES FAIR? ARE YOU YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO. UM, YEAH. PART OF WHY WE'RE SO BEHIND IS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S OF IT BEING A COM. A COM, EXCUSE ME. A COMBINED EVENT, BEAM STREETS. SO WE WERE WAITING FOR THE PRESS RELEASE TO DROP, WAITING FOR THEIR MEDIA TO DROP. I'M NOT WORRIED THAT WE WON'T GET ENOUGH, UH, PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE, UH, RESOURCES FAIR BECAUSE WE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT COSTCO SIGNED UP FIRST AND FOREMOST. THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT. UM, THE, WHAT WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON IS, IS DO WE WANNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT PASSPORT? MM-HMM . UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE HUBS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'RE ONE OF THREE HUBS. ONE HUB IS THE ARTESIA HUB AT CHERRY AND, UH, ARTESIA AND ANOTHER HUB IS THE ONE IN FRONT OF MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY ON ATLANTIC. SO WE'RE ONE OF THREE HUBS AND IT'S A MOBILE CROWD. SO DO WE WANNA INVEST IN DOING THE PASSPORTS? DO WE WANT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE WANNA CONSIDER, BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT STAY IN OUR AREA THAT LONG. SO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH US TALKING OFFLINE AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO BE PART OF THINKING THROUGH THE RESOURCES FAIR SIDE MM-HMM . JUST LET ME KNOW. 'CAUSE WE CAN DO, WE CAN DO AN UNDER, UH, WE CAN DO AN UNDER QUORUM MEETING, SO UNDER FIVE OF US CAN MEET AND DISCUSS IT. UM, JUST TO COMMENT ON THAT, I, I, I LIKE THE PASSPORT BECAUSE, UM, AND IF WE DO LIKE A VETERAN'S PASSPORT, BECAUSE THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO COLLECT, UM, VETERAN, YOU KNOW, CONTACT INFORMATION MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW UP AND REACH OUT WITH. SO THAT'S JUST A SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE FOR THAT. IF THERE'S ANY, UM, IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE ON THE, UM, ON THE VETERAN'S DAY? WELL, I, NO, I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, BUT THE PASSPORT IS JUST KIND OF IS, WHAT DO WE DO? IS IT, IT'S TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WIN SOMETHING. RIGHT? UM, IT WAS FOR THEM TO TAKE THAT SURVEY MM-HMM . OH, THE SURVEY? YES. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING THE PAST BEFORE. IT ENCOURAGES THEM TO INTERACT WITH ALL THE BOOTHS, INTERACT WITH THE BOOTS, AND FEEL THAT THEY GOT SOMETHING OUTTA THIS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GO TO ALL THE BOOTHS AND TAKE A SURVEY AND THEN WE GIVE 'EM A RAFFLE TICKET. OKAY. AND THEY SEEMED TO EAT THAT THING UP. OKAY. 'CAUSE I RAN OUT. OKAY. KEN, WAS THAT YOUR COMMENT? OR YOU, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD THAT IT WAS ALONG THE LINES OF THAT? YEAH. OKAY. IS, IS THERE, IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE ON THE CELEBR? NO, I HAVE A COUPLE. I HAVE A COUPLE. LITTLE OTHER LITTLE, WELL, I JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE, UM, NICK, THIS IS WHAT'S ALREADY UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OKAY. FOR, FOR BEACH STREETS. IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. IT LOOKS NICE. I LIKE IT. OH, I MEAN, IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOUR PHONE, BUT HERE. OH, THAT'S WHAT NOT THAT IT LOOKS, I LIKE YOU SAID THE FLOWERS. OH YEAH. SO, UM, KEN, ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE OFFICE OF VETERANS SUPPORT BOOTH? I CAN BE. WELL, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO. I JUST, IT IS JUST THAT YOU'RE FAMOUS FOR DOING THAT SO FAR. AND YOU HAVE THE OTHER STUFF. UM, WHAT, YOU HAVE THE OTHER, THAT WAS YOUR STUFF, RIGHT? THAT YOU BROUGHT OUT TO THE MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION. OH, TO RALPH ? NO, THAT WAS STUFF OFF OUR PALLET. WE USED UP THE PALLET. SO WE, THEY WENT TO THE WAREHOUSE. WE WENT THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THE STUFF IN THE WAREHOUSE. OH, OKAY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, A MEETING ON FRIDAY THE 18TH. THAT'S THIS, THIS WEEK AT 1:30 PM ONLINE AND WHOEVER CAN MAKE IT, I'M GONNA DO TWO FRIDAYS AT 1 30, 10 18 AND 10 25. SO OCTOBER 18TH AND OCTOBER 25TH. AND [01:10:01] WE'LL KEEP IT TO HALF AN HOUR AND I'LL ADDRESS ANY QUESTION. WE'LL ADDRESS AND TALK THROUGH, LIKE WE WANT VOLUNTEERS AT OUR BOOTH. WE WANT MORE, UM, INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE SIGNING UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER. UH, WE DO, WE WILL HAVE A SURVEY. WE'VE ALREADY DEVELOPED A, A DRAFT SURVEY THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS LAST YEAR'S THAT YOU ALREADY GAVE INPUT ON. UM, LET'S SEE. I WANNA DO ALL, I WILL HAVE, HAVE FLYERS PRINTED. SO I'D LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE, AS YOU DID IN THE PAST, TO TAKE A STACK AND DROP 'EM OFF AT THE VA AND AMERICAN GOLD STAR MANNER. SHOW BOOKS AND THAT SORT OF THING AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. UM, I ALSO REALLY WANT YOUR T-SHIRT SIZES BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE T-SHIRTS. WE HAVE A LITTLE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THINGS LIKE RETRACTABLE BANNERS ON A THE TABLE. WE WILL GET YOUR, UH, KEN'S LONG HELD WISH OF A A TABLE CLOCK. YES, IT'S FINE. GO AHEAD. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OF THAT LITTLE BUDGET FOR STEALING FOR SOME KIND OF GIVEAWAY? TCHOTCHKE? WE CAN'T PROBABLY USE IT. A BRAND FOR THAT. A BRANDED TCHOTCHKE SWAG. OH YEAH. WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE PAST THAT WE CAN CHANGE OUR MINDS ON IT. TATTOOS. THE TATTOOS ARE A LOT OF TROUBLE. THEY'RE A LOT OF EFFORT. WELL, THE KIDS LIKE 'EM. WELL, I'M JUST SAYING THERE ARE A LOT OF WHAT ABOUT STICKERS THE KIDS? 'CAUSE SOMEONE STICKERS ARE FINE BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS TO ACTUALLY DO IT. AND THEN GETTING SOMEONE TO DO, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE. OKAY. WELL IF SO, IF WE SWITCH UP TO SOMETHING THAT IF YOU HAND IT TO 'EM, THEY'RE OFF WITH IT, GREAT. BECAUSE A WATER BOTTLE OR BAG. YEAH. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. LET'S FIGURE IT OUT. 'CAUSE I'M SAYING IS THERE SOME, WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEEK A LITTLE MONEY FOR BRANDED MERCHANDISE. I WAS KIND OF STUCK ON TATTOOS MERCHANDISE. ISN'T THAT FUNNY? UM, BUT THE, I DO HAVE TEENAGERS THAT WILL DO IT AT A SEPARATE TABLE AS THEY DID LAST YEAR. 'CAUSE THE, THEY, THEY REALLY LOVED IT AND THEY HIT UP A LOT OF KIDS. AND IT'S NEAT BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SOMETHING THAT SAYS LONG BEACH VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION, A TATTOO THAT SAYS THAT WITHOUT THE YEAR THAT WE COULD USE FOREVER AND AN AMERICAN FLAG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT FLYING. WE GOT SOMEBODY TO DO IT. THAT'S MY ONLY PLAN. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. I THINK WE WILL HAVE THE TEAMS TO DO IT, BUT EITHER WAY, I WILL PUT OUT A TEAMS MEETING FOR THESE NEXT TWO FRIDAYS AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FOUR TO RSVP ARE IN, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE COMMISSIONERS. OR THAT'S A BROWN ACT VIOLATION. AND THEN I JUST WANT YOUR TWO BITS ON. UM, WHAT SIZE SHOULD WE MAKE THE FLYER? SORRY, JAN. ONE MORE THING. OH, OKAY. WHAT WAS THE TIME UNIT? YOU SAID THAT 1 31 31 30 IT. AND IF YOU CAN DO IT, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN TO MAKE IT. AND I'M OB OBVIOUSLY WILLING TO TALK TO YOU OFFLINE ONE-ON-ONE. OKAY. BUT THIS IS HOW WE DID IT FOR MEMORIAL DAY, IS THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH PLANNING TO DO THAT WE JUST SPLIT THE COMMISSION UP AND DID A COUPLE OF MEETINGS. DOES ANYONE HAVE, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE VOTED ON, BUT, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE SHOULD DO THE SLIDE. I MEAN THE, UM, THE FLYERS AS A POSTCARD, AS THIS SIZE OR AS A PIECE OF PAPER. THESE ARE ACTUALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE THE CHEAPEST OPTION, WHICH IS VERY SURPRISING TO ME. LIKE WHY IS THIS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN PAPER? YEAH. IN THE ESTIMATES THAT I'VE RECEIVED SO FAR. BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY THICK. YEAH. NO, IT'S PRINT. IT'S HOW THEY PRINT THEM. OKAY. THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE. IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE DOUBLE SIDED. THE MAP ON ONE SIDE YOU HAVE USE A LASER PRINTER TO MAKE THOSE SHEETS. AND THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE. UHHUH , THEY USE AN ACTUAL SHEET PRINTER TO DO THESE THINGS. YEAH. MECHANICAL SHEET PRINTER. THAT'S WHY CHEAPER. I WAS REALLY SURPRISED. LIKE SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER. BUT I'M, I'M BIASING YOU GUYS. OH, BUT SHOOT THIS ONE 'CAUSE IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. IT'S JUST IS THERE, IS THERE LIKE, IS IS THERE LIKE A CERTAIN BUDGET YOU DON'T WANNA GO OVER IT OR SOMETHING? NO, WE, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO USE LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR WE HAD, I MEAN THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR WE WERE TOLD BY SPECIAL EVENTS, OH, COME UP WITH SOME THINGS, YOUR WISHLIST AND LET'S DO IT. AND THEN THEY WERE LIKE, NO, WE CAN ONLY DO THESE SMALL NUMBER OF THINGS. NOW WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY ALL THREE WOULD WORK GREAT FOR DIFFERENT PLACES. WELL'S GONNA BE TOO EXPENSIVE. PICK ONE. YES. JUNE. YEAH. WILL WE HAVE A PDF OF EITHER OF THOSE SIZE SCALE TO STANDARD PRINT LIKE THAT? LIKE PRINTER PAPER? YES. BECAUSE I, I THINK A SMALL RUN, BECAUSE ONE THING AS COMMERS I'M SURE WE COULD DO IS, UH, HIT UP OUR LOCAL PLACES AROUND LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, MY LOCAL DONUT SHOP, WILL YOU PUT THIS UP? BUT YOU WANT A BIG ONE FOR THAT KIND OF THING TO HAVE ON LIKE, YOU KNOW MM-HMM . WHERE SOMEONE'S LITERALLY LIKE TAKING A PICTURE OF IT. BUT I PERSONALLY DO LIKE THE SMALL 'CAUSE I LOOK AT THINGS AND I AM PERSONALLY MORE LIKELY TO GRAB THAT FOR SOMETHING THAN I AM TO GRAB A WHOLE THING. OKAY. YEAH. HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE THEY GONNA PRINT? WELL, WE CAN DECIDE, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING 13,000. WE DID 13,000 LAST YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME THIS YEAR. THAT WAS CRAZY. YEAH, WE USE 'EM. WELL, NO WE DIDN'T. WELL WE HAVE, WE DID PUT THEM THROUGH ALL THE PARK SYSTEM, ALL THE LIBRARIES, AND WE DID, YOU KNOW, SUCK UP A FEW THOUSAND. WE STILL HAVE LIKE EIGHT. THAT WAS A SUGGESTION MADE TO ME BECAUSE WE HAD THEM TRANSLATED IN THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. THIS WE, WE PROBABLY WILL ONLY HAVE THE TRANSLATED VERSIONS ONLINE AND THE MAIN, BECAUSE IT'S A DOUBLE SIDED MM-HMM . MEANING THE MAP ON ONE SIDE AND THE DETAILS ON THE OTHER. SO WE CAN'T SEE. THIS IS THE SAME THING ON BOTH SIDES. ONE IN SPANISH. UM, IS THERE A QR CODE ON THAT? YES. [01:15:01] GREAT. YES. SO LET'S GO WITH THE SMALLER ONE. QR, LET'S GO WITH THE SMALLER ONE. OH, DOES SMALLER. YEAH, SMALLER KIND OF. AND THEN I'LL GET YOU, I'LL GET YOU ALL AS WELL. LIKE THINK ABOUT YOUR T-SHIRT SIZE AND I THINK THE BRAND WILL BE GILDEN T-SHIRT STANDARD. YEAH. STANDARD T-SHIRTS. YEAH. THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE WHITE T-SHIRTS. PROB MAYBE BLACK, BUT IT'LL SAY CITY OF LONG BEACH AND VETERANS COMMISSION UNDERNEATH. BUT JUST, YOU KNOW. SO EACH OF US HERE CAN, BEFORE WE LEAVE, TALK TO YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. AND GIVE YOUR SHIRT SIZE. TELL, TELL ME YOUR T-SHIRT SIZE. SO DON'T HAVE TO PUBLICLY SHAMING . NO, NO SHIRT SHAVING HERE. THERE ARE, THERE ARE MORE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE AMBASSADORS FOR THIS EVENT ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION, ABOUT, ABOUT ALL OF THIS. AND, UM, THE UNLOAD FOR THE, UH, THE RESOURCES FAIR IS GOING TO BE ON, UM, MYRTLE THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T UNLOAD FROM ATLANTIC OR FROM HARDY. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. MYRTLE UHHUH. MYRTLE IS THE, MYRTLE IS THE STREET THAT GOES BEHIND JORDAN. MM-HMM . THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. SO YOU'RE SAYING NO EXCUSE TO SHOW UP 45 MINUTES LATE LIKE I WAS LOOKING FOR PARKING . YEAH. AND THEN LIKE WHAT? AND THEN, UM, I TAKE, UH, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DO YOU KNOW LIKE WHAT TIME THE STREET'S GONNA CLOSE AT SIX? UM, IF YOU GO TO BEACH STREETS.COM, ALL OF THE DETAILS ON WHEN THE CLOSURES ARE TAKING PLACE, EVERYTHING IS THERE. OKAY. SO THEY, THEY PUT OUT A FLYER FOR THE BUSINESSES IN NORTH LONG BEACH. MM-HMM . AND HOW THEY'LL BE AFFECTED. THEY PUT OUT A BUSINESS, I MEAN A FLYER FOR THE RESIDENTS. SO ALL THE, IT CLOSES DOWN AT THIS TIME, ALL OF THAT. THEY, THEY HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB WITH ALL THE COMMUNICATION TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THE STREET CLOSURES. OKAY. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE AT LAST NIGHT'S PRESENTATION THAT PEOPLE KNOW, BECAUSE THE PANIC WAS LIKE, WELL, THERE'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE HONORING IS A DISABLED VETERAN. WE HAVE A, THERE IS A LIFT FOR HIM TO BE ON THE STAGE, BUT HOW, WHERE IS HE GONNA PARK? OR WHERE'S THE PARATRANSIT? SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S ACCESSIBLE. AND THAT WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN IN COMMUNICATING TO THE VETERANS COMMUNITY. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE GONNA INVITE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF THEY COORDINATE WITH THE VA AND THEY BRING PEOPLE OVER. THAT'S A FAIR CHUNK OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE IN RIGHT, RIGHT ON WHEELS. ARE YOU READY TO DECIDE THIS? YOU WANNA DO IT NOW? JAMES? YOU, YOU HAVE YOUR SIZE, YOU HAVE YOUR SHIRT SIZE. JUST PASS THIS AROUND. OKAY. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD. OKAY. SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER, UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UM, FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY. IF WE SAY NONE, IF WE COULD, UH, CAN I PUT YOUR NAME AND SIZE? YES. UH, WE DO NEED TO DO A RECEIVE FILE THOUGH, JIM. I AM JIM, IF I CAN GET, UH, A MOTION TO, A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE WHAT YOU RECEIVE. THANKED KEN AND NICK. A KEN AND NICK, CAN I GET A VOTE? WAS IT KEN AND NICK? OR KEN AND JAMES? I'M SORRY. NO, WE'RE GOING WITH KEN AND, UM, NICK. GOOD. SO ALL IN ALL IN FAVOR. AYE AYE. AYE. ANY NAYS? NO ABSTENTIONS. OKAY. ALL APPROVED. I MEAN, UH, UNANIMOUS ON THAT PART. OKAY. SO MOVING ALONG LARGER RATHER THAN SMALLER. OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, DISCUSS THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 VETERANS COMMISSION. ARE WE DOING THAT FIRST OR YOU WANNA DO THIS PART? I, I THINK IT'S FINE TO DO THIS NEXT. DO YOU WANNA DO THE PROGRAM OR THIS PART? LET'S DO THE, THE BANNER ONE. THE BANNER FUNDING NUMBER THREE. OKAY. TO DO THE, UM, THE VETERANS COMMISSION BANNER FUNDING REQUEST. GINA, AGAIN, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO PRESENT THIS ITEM. OKAY. I'M NOT SURE IF I HAVE IT. SO I'M JUST GONNA TAKE THIS DOWN QUICK. THE THING THAT'S IN YOUR HAND THAT LOOKS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT JUANITA WANTED US TO DO, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT IDEA, IS THAT WE ALL GET 1,000,001 EMAILS. SO PLEASE JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT. THIS IS GONNA BE A RECEIPT AND FILE. AND, AND, UM, OVER THE SUMMER, UH, WE WERE ASKED TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR $50,000 FOR BANNER'S PROGRAM NUMBER TWO. AND THE CITY ULTIMATELY DID PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AND FUNDED IT AT HALF THAT AMOUNT. BUT AS FAR AS YOU WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING THINGS TO COUNCIL, THEY BROUGHT SOMETHING TO US AND THAT'S HOW WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT THIS WENT OUT WELL, JUANITA, AS THE CHAIR WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU ARE ALL KEPT APPRISED OF THESE ACTIVITIES. UM, SO THANK YOU GINA FOR THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS? NO QUESTIONS, BUT I THOUGHT THIS WAS F FABULOUS, WONDERFUL JOB. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING IT PRINTED HERE SO THAT WE CAN EASILY READ IT. YES. BECAUSE TRYING TO SHIFT THROUGH A LOT OF EMAILS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, THIS WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO JUST GO AHEAD AND KNOCK IT OUT THERE. WELL, THANK YOU. AND, AND AGAIN, LIKE PUTTING IT TOGETHER IN A LOT OF THE COORDINATION AND A LOT OF THE, UM, THE DATA THAT WAS COMPILED, UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS, UM, GINA WENT BACK THROUGH, UM, [01:20:01] A LOT OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS, SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES AND KIND OF PUT A LOT OF THE ACTIVITY AND STUFF TOGETHER. AND OF COURSE WE USED A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION FROM, FROM THE ORIGINAL BANNERS PROGRAM. OKAY. THIS WAS VERY NICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GINA, ON THAT. UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS? DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? YES. SMITTY? SO, UH, ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS IF YOU GUYS, FROM WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE YOUR SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE BANNER PROGRAM GOING RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS YOU GUYS ARE BEHIND THE CURVE ON THIS. YOU SHOULD ALREADY HAVE, UH, AN AGENDA OF WHAT MONTH THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH. WHAT AT THIS POINT, YOU, I MEAN, YOU GOT UNTIL MEMORIAL DAY TO HAVE THESE THINGS INSTALLED. AND SO, UM, ONE THING I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE THAT I KNOW IT'S THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT RUNS IT, IS THE APPLICATION WINDOW SHOULD BE OPEN LONGER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR WE GAVE THEM 30 DAYS TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION. THAT SHOULD BE OPEN RIGHT NOW TOO. AND IT'D BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE VETERAN'S DAY EVENT SAYING, HEY, SORRY, HOLD ON. IT'S MY TIME. IT'S MY TIME. I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING. BUT IF I JUST POINT OF ORDER IT'S AGENDA ITEM. IT'S THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. THIS IS THE AGENDA ITEM. ARE WE ON? WE'RE ON THE, WE'RE ON THE, WE'RE WE'RE, WE ARE REQUEST, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS LETTER RIGHT HERE. WHAT AGENDA ITEM ARE WE ON? WE'RE ON THE ONE FOR THE FUNDING REQUEST. I DON'T SEE THAT ON THE AGENDA HERE. 'CAUSE WE, BECAUSE WHAT NUMBER IS IT ON? IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT IS. NO, WE'RE NOT THERE YET. YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. WE'RE ON NUMBER 24. 5 5 2 7 1. AND SO WE'RE TALKING, TALKING. WE DID THINGS A LITTLE OUT ORDER TO WE ABOUT SO YOU'RE STILL ON? OKAY. YEAH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING REQUESTS. THEN I'LL RETRACT UNTIL NEXT. OKAY. SO, SO WE'LL RETRACT, UM, UH, UM, WE ACCEPT WE RECEIVE YOUR COMMENT, BUT IF WE COULD CONTINUE ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE, UM, TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS, UM, FUNDING REQUEST FOR THE, UM, COMMISSIONER'S BA UM, BANNERS PRO, UM, REQUEST, UH, ANTOINETTE DISCUSSION PLEASE. NO, NO. I'M SAYING YES, I'M DRINKING. YES. SHE'S MAKING THE, SO ANTOINETTE, YOU'RE MAKING THE MOTION. SORRY. IS THAT HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO DO? I DO. ARE YOU SECONDING IT, JAMES? IS THAT WHAT IT, OKAY, SO ANTOINETTE AND JAMES, UH, I TAKE IT TO A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. NO NAYS. NO ABSTENTIONS. UH, THAT IS APPROVED. NOW WE'LL GO TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS TO REC, UM, 24 DASH 5 5 2 7 5 RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISCUSS THE VETERANS BANNERS PROGRAM. OKAY. AGAIN, GINA, I WILL TURN THIS OVER. I WILL TURN THIS ITEM OVER TO YOU. WELL, I, I THINK BASICALLY WHAT SMITTY JUST PROPOSED IS THAT, OR PROPOSED A WHILE AGO, IS THAT WE MAKE THE BANNERS SUBCOMMITTEE REESTABLISH THAT AND MAKE IT PERMANENT. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO, I MEAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT. YES. AND MAKE A MOTION. I MEAN, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE MOTION. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. MOTION BY ANTOINETTE. DO I GET A SECOND? JIM? JIM HAS SECOND IT. AND IF YOU COULD JUST STATE THE MOTION FOR THE RECORD. ANTOINETTE, PLEASE. UM, I MADE A MOTION TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE BANNERS PROGRAM. ALRIGHT. TO MAKE, TO MAKE, TO REESTABLISH IT. TO REESTABLISH A, THE SUBCOMMITTEE AS A PERMANENT COMMITTEE FOR THE VETERANS COMMISSION. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR FOR THAT? UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IT'S STILL DISCUSSION. YES. YOU, YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS. YEAH, I GOT A QUESTION. WHAT DOES PERMANENT MEAN? THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA DO YEAR FROM YEAR. WE NEED TO, FOR THE LIFE. YEAH. FOR THE LIFETIME OF OUR COMMISSION UNLESS WE DECIDE TO WAIT HOLD ON KIM. JUST ONE SECOND. IS THAT, ARE YOU, IS THAT QUESTION AND ANSWER ABOUT THE PER ABOUT IT BEING PERMANENT? NICK? I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR AN ANSWER. OKAY. OKAY. UM, COMMITTEES ARE FORMED AS AD HOC COMMITTEES, MEANING THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME LIT PERMANENT COMMITTEE. YEAH. WE HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON IT AS WE GO ALONG. OKAY, SURE. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE. RIGHT. IT WASN'T THE SAME PEOPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GONE OFF COMMISSION. NO. AND TO STAY WITHIN QUORUM, IT CAN BE NO MORE THAN FOUR. IT CAN BE NO MORE THAN FOUR COMMISSIONERS ON A COMMITTEE. SO IS THAT Q AND A? OKAY. NICK, I'LL GO TO YOU. I MEAN KEN. SORRY. ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND BY ANTOINETTE AND JIM, RIGHT? WAS ANTOINETTE AND JIM FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE? UM, VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NO NAYS OR ABSTENTIONS. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT. SO JUST GOING BACK TO YOUR MOTION OF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHEN I WAS COMMISSIONER, WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE, SO WE MIGHT WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT. CHECK THE NOTES ON THAT ONE JUST 'CAUSE I THINK IT WAS ALREADY DONE. MM-HMM . OKAY, BECAUSE I THINK WE DID, BUT GOING BACK TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS WAS THAT THE COMMITTEE SHOULD ALREADY [01:25:01] BE ESTABLISHED AT THIS POINT. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ON IT. YOUR CALENDAR AS FAR AS WHAT YOUR OUTLINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE FOR EACH MONTH SHOULD ALREADY BE DONE. UM, YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE KNOWING WHAT LOCATIONS THAT YOU WANT. SOMEONE SHOULD BE GOING OUT AND LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE POLES. 'CAUSE ACCORDING TO THIS MEMO, YOU'RE DOING 75 POLES THIS TIME, WHICH IS THREE TIMES IT WAS WHEN I DID IT. SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF POLES THAT YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND PHYSICALLY SEE BECAUSE, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS MIGHT NOT THINK THE POLE IS WORTHWHILE AS FAR AS THE TREE BLOCKING IT OR WHATEVER ELSE. OR THAT SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY HAS, UH, THE PERMIT FOR THAT POLE. SO THERE'S THINGS YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT AS WELL TOO. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF YOU. UM, AND KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE TIMELINE TO PRINT EVERYTHING AND SELECT EVERYBODY, I MEAN I THINK EVERYTHING WAS DONE BY MARCH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN LAST YEAR. SO THEY CAN PRINT IN APRIL SO WE CAN INSTALL BY MAY. SO IT'S NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE UNTIL MAY. YOU HAVE UNTIL LIKE FEBRUARY AND IT'S OCTOBER NOW. SO, AND LET'S BE HONEST, DECEMBER NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO YOU HAVE THREE MONTHS TO DO ALL THIS STUFF. SO, BUT ALSO GOING BACK TO THE APPLICATION WINDOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO OPEN UP THE WINDOW LONGER THAN 30 DAYS. SO THAT WAY THE VETERANS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE OUT THEIR APPLICATION SUCCINCTLY. FIND A WAY TO SUBMIT IT AS WELL TOO. 'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS QUICK AS FAR AS OTHER PEOPLE IS SUBMITTING ONLINE. SO, UM, THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO REALLY WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON, IS TRYING TO GET A LONGER APPLICATION WINDOW FOR THOSE VETERANS. ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF THEM WERE FOUND INELIGIBLE DUE TO, UM, TECHNICAL REASONS. WHETHER IT BE THEIR PHOTO OR THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT THEIR, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC INFORMATION OR WHATNOT. SO HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THESE FILES, I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY FOR SOMETHING BETTER. HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THAT? WAIT, CAN I ASK A QUESTION NOW? OR, UM, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT OR IT'S, I THINK WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN I THINK YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT A BACK AND FORTH. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, YOU CAN ONLY ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. YES. SO BASICALLY YOUR JOB IS TO TAKE IT IN AND THEN AFTER THAT, THAT'S IT. SO GO AHEAD. I'VE GOT A QUESTION AS WELL. GO AHEAD. WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, GINA. OH, OKAY. OH, SO YOU, ME, ARE YOU WILLING TO HELP THE COMMITTEE? LIKE, CAN WE CAN IN SOME CAPACITY CONSULTANT IN SOME CAPACITY? I'M WILLING TO HELP. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BE LIKE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND BE THERE EVERY TIME YOU GUYS WANT TO MEET, BUT I CAN HELP AS OFTEN AS I CAN. YEAH. OKAY. A ALONG THOSE LINES, IS THERE ANYBODY CURRENTLY WHO WAS ON THE COMMITTEE LAST YEAR? I WAS I THAT YEAH, JUANITA WAS. YEAH, I'LL HELP OUT WHO? JUANITA. OH, OKAY. YEAH. BUT SHE'S ONLY HERE FOR TWO MONTHS. YEAH. OH WELL. SO I THINK WHAT'S, WE ONLY HAVE TWO MONTHS TO GET IT ALL DONE ANYWAY, SO. WELL, I THINK LIKE THE FIRST, I THINK, UH, WITH, WITH THAT, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE SUBCOMMITTEE, WE JUST NEED SOMEBODY WITH EXPERIENCE TO START US OFF. SO, SO I THINK LIKE WITH THE FIRST COUPLE OF, UH, THE SUBCOMMITTEE, I THINK WE'LL GO OVER A LOT OF THE HOW TO THE LOGISTICS UPFRONT. OKAY. I THINK. AND THEN AFTER THAT IT COULD BE BECAUSE WE PRETTY MUCH STILL HAVE A LOT OF THE RESOURCES, UM, THAT WE, UM, UTILIZE. YEAH. WE, WE DON'T WANT TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. SO AS LONG AS YOU CAN GUIDE US AT THE BEGINNING AND I'VE ALWAYS YOU TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE BY YAY. SO THAT'S JIM AND ANTOINETTE. YOU SAID IT. JIM ANTOINETTE. IS THAT YOU TOO? KEN, ARE YOU THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING? KEN? HOW SOON CAN WE GET GOING? LIKE CAN WE JUST HOW LONG, SOON AS POSSIBLE IT TAKE TO HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO, TO AT LEAST OPEN THE APPLICATION RIGHT NOW. WELL, IS THERE KEN? KEN WERE YOU, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING AND I'LL WHAT TO YOU? CHRISTINA ONES SINCE I'VE BEEN, I'VE SEEN IT DONE ONCE. I'LL, I'LL CHAIR IF THEY WANT ME. AND UM, THE FIRST WEEK OR SO, JUST GETTING OUR FEET ON THE GROUND BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP, BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT THERE FOR THE PEOPLE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. THEY'VE ALREADY ALREADY GOT SIX 30 WE, WE SIX 30 AS A GROUP. WE PUT A PLAN IN PLACE. WE SAY, OKAY, THIS IS OUR TIMELINE. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO, THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS. AND WE OPEN UP APPLICATIONS BECAUSE WE COULD OPEN APPLICATIONS IN JANUARY. IT'S STILL BE NO, THAT'S NOT WAY TOO, TOO LATE. WELL REMEMBER IT'S WAY LATE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE CALENDAR BACKWARDS. SO MAY 30, MAY 30TH OR END OF MAY, THAT IS WHEN THE EVENTS, SO YOU'VE GOT MAY, THAT'S PRINT AND PRINT AND POSTS. THAT'S PRODUCTION. YOU ENDED UP THERE. THEN YOU'VE GOT APRIL, WHICH IS PROBABLY GONNA BE DECIDING WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE REVIEWING APPLICATIONS. 'CAUSE IT'LL TAKE A WHILE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE APPLICATIONS TO REVIEW 'EM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE APPLICABLE. 'CAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE 25 SLOTS. WE GOT 70. WELL WE HAVE SLOTS AND THAT'S SEVEN FIVE SLOT WE HAD, WELL WE ONLY, WE ONLY GOT $25,000. OKAY, WELL THE PROPO YES, GO AHEAD. SO THIS BUT YEAH. POINT OF CLARIFI A MEETING. SO THE ORIGINAL APP, UH, REQUEST WAS FOR 50,000. [01:30:01] YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A REQUEST FOR 75 SLOTS SO THAT THE 50,000 MATCHES, WE WERE ONLY FUNDED 25 TH UH, 25,000, WHICH WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID LAST. SHOULD IT LIKE LAST SIMILAR NUMBER. SO BE ABOUT 20. BECAUSE WHAT WE ALSO FOUND OUT IS THAT REPLACING A BANNER IS FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WE WERE ORIGINALLY QUOTED LAST YEAR. SO IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE. AND WE FOUND THAT OUT WHEN A CAR KNOCKED OVER A POLE LAST YEAR AND WE HAD TO REPLACE EVERYTHING. WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR THE HARDWARE ALSO. SO NOT JUST THE BANNER. THE OTHER THING IS LAST YEAR IT WAS, IT OUTLINED IN THE GENERAL, UH, FUNDS WHERE THE DOLLARS CAME FROM THAT IT HAD TO GO UP BY MEMORIAL. THIS YEAR WE ARE TIED TO THE FISCAL YEAR. SO IT ACTUALLY HAS TO GO UP BY SEPTEMBER 30TH TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW THE FUNDING WAS OFFERED TO US. NOW IF THE COMMISSION STILL WOULD LIKE IT TO GO BY MEMORIAL, THAT IS A DECISION THAT THE, THAT'S A CHOICE. THAT'S A CHOICE, BUT IT'S NOT A HAVE TO. LAST YEAR IT WAS A HAVE TO THIS YEAR IT IS DEPENDENT UPON WHAT ALL OF THE COMMISSION DECIDES. SO THAT'S WHAT OUR GROUP AS A GROUP SITTING DOWN CAN GO, OKAY, WE'LL MAKE A PLAN. MM-HMM . AND THEN WE'LL TAKE, YOU'VE ALREADY, WE DON'T HAVE TO RE WE DON'T HAVE TO INVENT THE SURVEY OR THE APPLICATION. WE DON'T HAVE TO INVENT A LOT OF THINGS. 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ALREADY DID THE HARD WORK LAST YEAR. WE CAN USE WHAT'S ALREADY THERE. MAYBE JUST REINFORCING THE INSTRUCTIONS. PICTURE MUST BE DON'T BE INCOMPLETE. YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM LAST TIME THAT KICK PEOPLE OFF, MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN BOLD ON THE INSTRUCTIONS AT LEAST, UH, THAT'LL HELP. SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL GONNA BE SILLY AND NOT DO IT. RIGHT. AND WE KNOW THAT WE COULD EVEN HAVE A SCANNING DAY, LIKE BRING YOUR PHOTO TO PROMAX. WE'RE THERE FROM 10 TO WHATEVER. LIKE BRING YOUR, SO WE CAN USE A HIGH QUALITY SCANNER AND WE CAN, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE MAYOR'S PHOTOGRAPHER WHO COULD DO SESSIONS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GREAT PICTURE, COME ON DOWN. YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE SNACKS AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER AND MAKE IT INTO, WE COULD TURN THIS ROOM INTO A LITTLE STUDIO OR SOMETHING. MM-HMM . SO WE, WE WILL GIVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET A BUNCH OF CRAPPY PHOTOS IF WE DID LAST. I, I LOVE ALL OF THOSE IDEAS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TIME TO DO THAT. AND WITH VETERAN CELEBRATION, US DOING THAT AND THEN PLANNING IT FOR NOVEMBER. WHEN CAN WE ACTUALLY GET STARTED ON THIS? 'CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO GET STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NO, WE CAN, YEAH. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOW I HAVE THAT IT'S ROBUST. THE GROUP OF US AS THE COMMITTEE UHHUH WILL DECIDE MAYBE HAVE A QUICK FIVE SECOND CHAT AFTER HERE. RIGHT. AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S MEET ON X AT Y AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AND WE'LL CREATE A PLAN. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S OUR FIRST POINT IS WE NEED A PLAN. AND KEN IS THE CHAIR. SO YOU HAVE EVERY, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND START REACHING OUT. I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A CONFERENCE ROOM AT MY OFFICE, SO IF WE WANT TO KIND OF SECOND AND PCH IF WE WANT TO COME DOWN AND USE MY CONFERENCE ROOM, IT'S NORMALLY EMPTY. SO I'M HAPPY TO HOST SO WE CAN HAVE WHOEVER'S ON THAT COMMITTEE. WE SIT DOWN, WE PLAN A LITTLE BIT, WE PUT IT IN WRITING. WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, YOU KNOW, BACKWARDS PLANNING FROM DAY OF WHEN WE WANT IT UP, ALL THE TASKS, WE DELEGATE THE TASKS TO OUR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, THEN WE START WORKING ON IT. OKAY. THE ADVANTAGE OF NOT HAVING TO DO IT IN TRANSLATION. OH NO, NO, NO. I'M ALL ABOUT THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING ALL THE WAY TILL SEPTEMBER TOO. NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT THAT FAR. YOU COULD TIE IT INTO VETERAN'S DAY BY HAVING A, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN UP FOR A MONTH BY THE TIME VETERAN'S DAY HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF CEREMONY AROUND THAT. AND WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TOO IS THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS WITH IT BEING THE FIRST TIME WE HAD, AFTER WHEN WE SHUT IT DOWN, WE STILL HAD OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE INQUIRING ABOUT THE BANNERS PROGRAM AFTER. SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, REASON WHY I THINK THERE WAS LIKE A LOT OF INTEREST IN POPULARITY. WE RECEIVED LIKE GOOD FEEDBACK. SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE ABLE TO, I'M ASSUMING WE WERE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH A GREAT INTEREST. THAT'S WHAT I, SO THAT'S A, SO THAT'S A PLUS AS WELL. AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE, THE 50 OR SO PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T CHOSEN LAST YEAR AND HELP THEM IMPROVE MUCH. BUT YEAH, THE GROUP, THE GROUP, OH NO, YOU HAVE ONE WE HAVE THAT WOULD BE COMING. WE, WE REACH OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE AND SAY, HEY WOULD LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY AGAIN AND WE CAN HELP YOU GET YOUR APPLICATION. THIS IS WHERE IT DIDN'T WORK. WE'LL HELP YOU FIX IT. YEAH. JUST REMEMBER THE APPLIC APPLIC SHOULD APPLY PROCESS IS AWAY FROM THE CRITICAL PATH THAT YOU GUYS BEEN WORK ON, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. SO YOU, THEY COULD BE APPLYING AND SITTING IN QUEUE OR WHATEVER ELSE AND GINA OR WHOEVER ELSE CAN REVIEWING THE APPLICATIONS THEY COME IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PHOTOS MEET THE, THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE WITHOUT YOU GUYS ON THE PLANNING COMMITTEE INFECTED AT ALL. SO THAT WAS MY BIG POINT IS THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE THINGS. OPEN UP THE APPLICATION PERIOD NOW SO PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO DO ALL THAT STUFF. FIX EVERYTHING. AND YOU GUYS STILL HAVE TIME TO WORK ON EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT YOU, YOU CAPITALIZE ON THE MOMENTUM THAT IT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW. UM, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A LOT OF POSITIVE PRESS GOING ON WITHIN LONG BEACH WITH THE WHOLE VETERANS THING. AND EVEN SINCE WE PUT OURS UP, WE [01:35:01] WEREN'T THE FIRST CITY TO DO IT, BUT LIKE THREE CITIES AFTER US STARTED DOING IT. RIGHT? OH YEAH. SO IF, IF, IF THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE LOOKING AT US TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT MEMORIAL DEBUT. THE THE, YEAH, THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD. BECAUSE I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE CONTRACT SAYS THEY'LL BE TAKEN DOWN AFTER TO ONE YEAR, RIGHT? MM-HMM . SO MEMORIAL JUST BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, THE CURRENT ONES THAT ARE UP ARE COMING DOWN. SO YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A, A DULL PERIOD, UH, BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND LAND SEPTEMBER. YEAH. AND THEN MAYBE LOOK AT THE LOCATION TOO. CORRECT. SO IT, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE UPSET ORIGINALLY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FIT ON THAT ONE STREET ON CARSON THAT THEY PUT HIM ON CLARK. AND ONE LADY REALLY HAD A HARD TIME WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS LIKE TWO OR THREE VETERANS THAT WERE SEPARATED FROM EVERYONE ELSE AND SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS DISRESPECTFUL. SO THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THINGS THAT POP UP SOMEBODY. SO YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA ROLL WITH THE FLOW. WHEN YOU SAY, DO YOU WANT THESE BACK OR CAN THEY KEEP THIS? SAY SOMETHING. SORRY, JUST QUICK QUESTION. LIKE HE WAS SAYING, IS IT, IS IT POSSIBLE OR WHAT CAN I DO PERSONALLY TO HAVE THE APPLICATION OPEN BY VETERAN CELEBRATION? IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. MAKE IT. YEAH. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE YOUR COMMITTEE HASN'T GOTTEN TOGETHER YET. LOOKED AT THE CRITERIA, THE POSTCARDS. I MEAN WE HAVE, WE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON VETERANS. SAY WE COULD PUT UP A SIGN AT THE TABLE THAT SAYS IT WAS ALSO IN THE NEWSLETTER THAT VETERANS BANNERS, UH, PROGRAM WILL, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR INFORMATION IN THE EARLY SPRING OR WHATEVER IT'S LIKE IN THE FUTURE. BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE 25 DAYS UNTIL VETERANS DAY FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO GET TOGETHER AND FINISH. I MEAN WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE CRITERIA, IF NOTHING'S CHANGING FROM LAST YEAR, WE'RE JUST REOPENING A LINK THAT WAS ALREADY OPEN. WHY CAN'T WE JUST DO THAT? WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING NEW. WELL, BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB TO DO IT AND I DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. OH, OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S PLAIN AND SIMPLE. THAT'S, WE GET, I'M NOT, WASN'T THERE, UM, WHERE WERE THE, UM, THE, THE, THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS THAT NOT APPROVED? WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT? THE ADDITIONAL UM, THE ADDITIONAL BODY TO HELP WITH THE PROGRAM. OH, SUPPORT EVEN. WELL, EVEN IF WE GET THAT, I, I STILL, IT, I, I HAVE TO GET AN INTERN. I HAVE TO HIRE AN INTERN OR HIRE SOMEBODY FROM UH, APPLE ONE TENTHS. OKAY. SO THAT'S, WE'RE, SO IT ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW SOON WE CAN, WE CAN GET THE ADDITIONAL, THE ADDITIONAL BODY THAT, THAT WE RECEIVE FUNDING FOR TO HELP SPECIFICALLY WITH THE BANNER PROGRAM. SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE UH, RIGHT, THAT CAN JUST BE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT WE KEEP THAT IN MIND. I THINK WE DO. I'M JUST SAYING, JUST MAKE NOTE OF THAT. 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE LETTER. GO AHEAD. WE CAN DO ONE THING. MM-HMM . WE CAN BRING THE MANUAL APPLICATIONS TO THE EVENT THAT WOULD BE NICE TO HAND OUT WITH A RETURN ADDRESS TO MAIL 'EM BACK. 'CAUSE THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT, DO WE HAVE A SIGN? DO WE HAVE A SIGN AT THE AT AT THE, AT THE MEMORIAL DAY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE PROGRAM? WE DID IT AT THE TOWN HALL. AT THE UH, UM, AT UH, OH, SORRY. AT THE GOLDSTAR MANNER. IT WAS THERE. WE COULD SET, THERE'S SOMETHING. THAT'S WHAT WE DID. BUT THIS WAS WHEN WE HAD THE ACTIVE PERIOD ALREADY UNDERWAY. SO WE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE STRICT CRITERIA FROM THIS DAY TO THIS DAY. THE APPLICATION PERIOD IS OPEN O OPEN TO BE EQUITABLE, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY. SO JUST OPENING THE PERIOD, LIKE ADD INFINITUM, YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE TO DECIDE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO A THREE MONTH APPLICATION PERIOD OR AN EIGHT WEEK. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO I I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO GET THAT. GO AHEAD AND GET THAT MEETING SET. YEAH. AS SOON AS YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU CAN WORK, YOU CAN DECIDE, WELL MAYBE WE WANT THEM UP RIGHT AFTER MEMORIAL DAY OR WHATEVER IT IS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING ON MEMORIAL DAY. THERE WAS NO FANFARE WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY LAUNCHED THERE. THERE'S NO RUSH TO DO IT. BUT I MEAN, I LIKE THE IDEA OF KEEPING THE MOMENTUM, BUT THAT'S ALL UP TO YOU. AND ALSO THE COMMITMENT YOU HAVE TO DOING IT BECAUSE IF YOU DO WANNA DO IT BY MEMORIAL DAY, WE ARE QUOTE UNQUOTE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SO TO SPEAK. AND I WOULD LEAN ON YOU GUYS TO DO A LOT BECAUSE AT LAST YEAR, ME TRYING TO DO THE MEMORIAL DAY AND THE VETERANS AT A LONG TIME, I, I WORKED LIKE SOME 60 HOUR WEEKS OR WHATEVER. SO I'M SAYING IF YOU GUYS CAN TAKE A LOT OF THAT OFF MY BACK, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. I, YEAH. AND I NEED TO GET MORE CLEAR ON THIS 'CAUSE I, I HEAR IT OFTEN, BUT, UM, FOR THIS BETTER PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR, WE SHOULD BE THE ONES DOING THE WORK AND YOU SHOULD ONLY BE DOING THE APPLICATION. RIGHT? THAT WOULD BE NICE. YES. SO IF I, SO IF I COULD, IF, UM, WHAT I WOULD AS, AS A, AS A, AS A, UM, INTERIM MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, UM, A MOTION THAT THE, THAT THE NEWLY FORMED BANNER'S DAY COMMITTEE, UH, UM, SCHEDULE THE FIRST MEETING TO MEET IN, UH, [01:40:01] NOVEMBER. JUST A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION MEETING. IT SHOULD BE MEETING IN OCTOBER. YEAH. WELL, I MEAN IT'S OCTOBER NOW. YEAH. WELL, YEAH. HOW ABOUT NEXT WEEK? OKAY. OKAY. SO IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT THIS MEETING. OKAY. SO I REVISE. SO INSTEAD OF NOVEMBER, WE MEET SOMETIME, UM, THIS MONTH. IS THAT, IS A MOTION NECESSARY DO YOU THINK? OR JUST WE, WE ESTABLISH, WE JUST TALKING THE CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, KEN, BECAUSE WE ESTABLISHED A SUBCOMMITTEE. WAIT, WE ESTABLISHED A SUBCOMMITTEE. SO THAT'S DONE. YES. UH, KEN IS THE CHAIR. JUANITA HAS OFFERED TO, TO ASSIST ANTOINETTE AND JIM. WHICH JIM, I'M SORRY YOU YES, THAT'S RIGHT. JUST TO MOVE THINGS ALONG. LET'S, LET'S TAKE, WE'LL SIT, WE'LL STAY A FEW MINUTES AFTERWARDS. OKAY. AND WE'LL TALK AND WE'LL DECIDE, WE'LL LOOK AT OUR CALENDARS. WE'LL DECIDE SUPER UNTIL THEY US IN RIGHT. . AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY OUT TIME, AND EITHER WAY WE POSES IN 15 MINUTES. WE CAN TALK FOR FIVE MINUTES. AND I WOULD SAY LET'S, UM, MOVING ON TO YOUR AGENDA TO HAVE THAT AND THEN MAKE THAT, UH, UM, A REPORT. WE'LL PUT IT, WE'LL PUT IT ON AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO ADD AS DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD. YES. AS A REPORT OUT. OKAY. EVERY MONTH, ANY OF THE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, UM, UH, MOTION. WE DO WE HAVE A FIRST AND SECOND TO I A FIRST. WHAT IS THIS FOR? AGAIN? THERE'S NO MOTION ON THE FLOOR. THIS IS, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GOOD. NO, I'M JUST NO. TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS. OH, WE, WE HAVE TO CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM. WELL, YOU ALREADY DID BY, I MEAN, ARE, ARE WE ON THE RECOMMENDATION DISCUSS? OH. 'CAUSE WE WENT BACK AND DISCUSSING. WE DID WE DO AN YES. CREATED DISCUSS COMMITTEE GUYS KILLED ME ON THAT. OKAY. SO WE CAN MOVE ON WE ALONG. NEXT ITEM, NEXT ITEM FOR BUSINESS. OKAY, GREAT. UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON THAT WOULD BE ANNOUNCEMENTS. WHICH ONE? ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE COVERED ALL THESE. YEAH, WE'RE COVERED ALL. SO FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS, DO WE HAVE ANY FOUR? OH YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. SO NEXT IS, UH, I'M SO SORRY. I THOUGHT OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 4, 2 4. I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE. 2 4, 5, 5, 2, 7 4 RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS CONDITIONS OF THE VETERANS IN VETERANS GRAVE CITY OWNED CEMETERIES. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, JIM, TO, UM, SHOTTER TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. I REALLY, BECAUSE WE HAD MOVED, WE ON PAPER THAT'S, WE SHOULD HAVE CHECKED, PUSHED THAT ONE UP. WE SHOULDA HAVE KEPT CHECKING. YEAH, I DIDN'T, I IT COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY YOU DIDN'T CHECK. SO I WENT, I TOOK A WALK IN SUNNYSIDE JUST TO TAKE A WALK, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. AND WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING LIKE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, STUFF THAT COMES WITH AGE, LIKE THE CIVIL WAR, GRAVES, THINGS LIKE THAT. JUST GENERAL GRAVES IN GENERAL ARE UNKEMPT THERE. I HAVE A COUPLE PICTURES THAT GINO PUT UP, BUT LIKE IN GENERAL, I ONLY TOOK PICTURES OF THE VETERAN INFLUENCE. 'CAUSE I FEEL THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING UNDER OUR PURVIEW. BUT THEY DON'T LOOK GOOD. IT'S THINGS LIKE, UH, ONE OF THEM. I MEAN, I KNOW LIKE IT'S, I MEAN IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT AT THAT POINT IT HAD SET SO MUCH THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A LAYER OF ACTUAL DIRT UNDERNEATH. IT'S NOT LIKE GRASS CLIPPINGS THAT WERE ONLY ON THERE FOR, THEY WERE WAITING FOR A BLOWER TO COME THAT AFTERNOON. BUT THERE'S A LAYER OF PHYSICAL DIRT UNDERNEATH THAT FOR THE STUFF LIKE THAT. I MEAN, JUST THOSE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. I MEAN, IF IT'S A CITY RAN THING, WE HAVE PARK MAINTENANCE THAT IT FALLS UNDER THEIR PURVIEW. LIKE I DON'T THINK WE KEEP OUR PARKS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. I CERTAINLY THINK THE CEMETERY SHOULD HAVE THAT SAME, YOU KNOW, LEVEL. I WANTED TO BRING TO THE COMMITTEE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE AT THIS POINT I, I AM GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO, UH, MY COUNCIL PERSON, UH, VICE MORALE. BUT I JUST WANTED TO, I SEE ON THE NEWS ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, BOY SCOUTS CLEANING GRAVES AND IT, IT, I KNOW IT'S WEIRD 'CAUSE IT'S CITY PROPERTY AND I KNOW OFFICIALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY GET, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T DAMAGE THEM. BUT PER THE UH, VA CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO ALL THE REAL CLEANING REQUIRED WITH A SOFT BRISTLE BRUSH AND WATER, EVERYTHING NEEDED, ESPECIALLY THE DIRT. THINGS LIKE THAT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE HERE LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE HAVE HAD A LITTLE, BUT THEN ONE OF THEM, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT HERE, THE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY CANID, LIKE THAT IS PART OF THE CEMETERY'S JOB TO, UH, THIS, THIS ONE. WHY? I DON'T KNOW WHY IT KEEP, IT WON'T CLOSE THESE OTHER ONES. OH NO, I SENT A FEW. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ONE HAS MADE IT. WAS THIS THE ONE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT? NO, THERE'S ONE THAT I HAD. IT PHYSICALLY LOOKED PRETTY GOOD, BUT WE'RE SITTING, THE PICTURE DOESN'T EVEN DO IT JUSTICE. IT'S SITTING LIKE THIS AT A CAMP LIKE THAT. I KNOW THAT IT IS THE, WE ARE THE CUSTODIANS BEING THE CITY OF THAT CEMETERY, PART OF ROUTINE CEMETERY OPERATIONS IS THE GROUND DOES SHIFT. ESPECIALLY OUT HERE. YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REBUILD THAT BACK UP, KEEP IT FLAT, THINGS LIKE THAT. I AM IGNORANT TO THE FACT OF, I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS, IF, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT'S EXPERIENCED IN THAT. BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS WHAT, DURING COVID THAT THE OFFICIAL TOOK OVER HAPPEN. I THINK WE'D BE, IT'S US BEING THE SQUEAKY WHEEL TO WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF IT. MM-HMM . SO WE'LL GO AWAY THAT THEY, WE HERE'S OUR, WHAT WE SAW, FIX IT AND WE KEEP, YOU KNOW, HERE'S ANOTHER LETTER, HERE'S ANOTHER LETTER. IT COMES TO ME, THEN IT GOES TO THE COUNCIL. YOU KNOW, JUST [01:45:01] IF WE'RE A SQUEAKY WHEEL ON THE ISSUE, I THINK WE'LL GET IT DONE. WANT US TO GO AWAY? HERE'S MY, IT IS NOT JUST VETERANS THOUGH. 'CAUSE I READ IN THE PAPER AND I HAVE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS THAT THE CEMETERIES ARE ALL IN BAD CONDITIONS AND EXACTLY, AND THAT'S THE THING. IT'S THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THIS OR THAT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS CITY PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THE CITY TOOK IT ON. I MEAN, I GET IT. THE CITY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD MUCH OF A CHOICE HONESTLY AT THE TIME, BUT THE CITY DID TAKE IT ON AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S SOMETHING, I MEAN, I THINK HONESTLY AMONGST US, THE FISH, NOTHING I WANT TO PUT FORWARD IT AS A VOTE AMONGST US. WE COULD FIND A SATURDAY EVERY QUARTER, GET TOGETHER, FEW OF US. AND BUT THIS THE THING OF CAN WE DO WE HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN GENERAL OR IS PARKS MAINTENANCE? JUST NEED TO KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM. 'CAUSE MY CONCERN IS REALISTICALLY WE'RE COMING UP ON VETERAN'S DAY. I'M ASSUMING THEY GET OUT THERE 'CAUSE THEY DO TOURS OF THE CEMETERY. BUT THEN WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE IN FEBRUARY? IS IT LIKE, IS THIS THE STANDARD AND THEY ONLY CLEAN IT UP FOR 4TH OF JULY VETERAN. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THINGS LIKE THAT. I FORGOT TO GRAB THAT ONE. THIS IS THE ONE HE IS TALKING ABOUT. I KNOW IT'S KIND OF . YEAH, I KNOW THE PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE, BUT IT'S THE ONE THAT'S LEANING LIKE THIS. I, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PARTNER WITH THE, UM, HISTORIC SOCIETY. WANNA PASS. I WANT TO SAY AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A NON-PROFIT, BUT IT GOT KIND OF TOLD, EH, WHEN THE CITY TOOK OVER BECAUSE OF ALL THE LI YOU KNOW, ALL THE LIABILITY STUFF, ALL THAT. 'CAUSE THERE WAS A FRIENDS OF SUNNYSIDE. BUT I WANNA SAY WHEN THE CITY TOOK IT OVER, THAT KIND OF WENT AWAY. BUT THE HISTORIC SOCIETY DOES THOUGH. THE HALLOWEEN EVENT IN THE CEMETERY. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I'M SURE THAT MAYBE THEY, MAYBE THEY WOULD BE A GOOD PARTNER. HISTORIC SOCIETY. THOSE ARE HISTORIC GRADES. DO I THINK THEY'LL NECESSARILY LOOK LIKE THIS IN A MONTH OR TO FIND NO, BUT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE THIS AGAIN IN THREE MONTHS? MAYBE. ANY OTHER, UM, THANK YOU. UM, JAMES REINA, SERGEANT DETENTION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS? IS THIS FOR NOW GONNA BE WHEN SOMEBODY MAKES A MOTION OF RECEIVING FILE OR DO WE WANNA HAVE A SEC LIKE WE'RE DOING A SECOND MEETING ON VETERANS BANNERS AND VETERANS DAY? DO WE WANNA HAVE A, A DISCUSSION SESSION? I THINK I'D BE OPEN TO A DISCUSSION SESSION. NOTHING AMONG YOU GUYS TO START PLANNING. WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? SO LIKE, UH, IF I MAY, UM, LIKE JIM SAID, WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS IN, IN OUR DISCUSSION, UM, FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MIND IS OF COURSE, UH, BSA DOING THEIR EAGLE SCOUTS AND GIRL SCOUTS DOING, UM, THE OLDER GIRLS THAT ARE TRYING TO LOOKING FOR PROJECTS. THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PROJECTS. AND UM, THE ONES THAT ARE LIKE IN CHARGE, YOU KNOW, IN CHARGE. SO MAYBE WE FIND OUT AT 6:50 PM BY RIGHT NOW, I'M SORRY FOR THE, UM, THE CITY, UH, BRING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION. LIKE YOU SAID THROUGH CITY COUNCIL, WHOEVER, OR BECAUSE IT'S THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. IS IT THE PARKS AND REC? IT IS. IT FALLS UNDER WHAT PARKS? REC, MARINE, LIKE THAT. PARKS, REC AND MARINE. OKAY. PARKS. UHHUH. . OKAY. ANY OTHER THIS? SHOULD WE DO A RECEIVING FILE FOR NOW AND THEN? YES. I, I THINK TO UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UH, GO AHEAD KEN, THINK YOU CAN DIG INTO IT A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. AND PUT IT ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA. YEAH. AND YOU CAN BRING IT BACK WHAT YOU FIND FOR FURTHER, UM, MOVE IT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. TAKE NEXT STEPS. YEAH, NEXT STEPS. UM, MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE NEXT STEPS. ANTOIN NEXT STEPS. JIM? KEN. KEN. SURE. ANTOINETTE AND KEN ON THAT TO TAKE NEXT STEPS. UM, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NO NAYS. NO ABSTENTIONS. OKAY. WITH THAT OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM. OH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY, GREAT. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO ANNOUNCEMENTS. I KNOW WE ANNOUNCED ENOUGH STUFF. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON WITH THE, UM, THE CEMETERY. WE'RE GONNA GET AN UPDATE, UH, FROM OUR BANNERS, OUR, OUR BANNERS SUBCOMMITTEE, AND ANY, UM, ANY, ANY OTHER FUTURE. YES, KIM? UM, I WANT YOU PUT A SPACE ON THERE FOR A GUY, STEVE HAGERMAN. HE'S FROM LOAN DEPOT. IT'S TALKING ABOUT VETERANS, A VETERANS HOUSING PROJECT BEING BUILT A HUNDRED UNITS, UM, CAMBODIA TOWN. IT'S JUST IN THE EARLY PHASES THAT I WANT HIM UP A CHANCE TO PRESENT US TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP HIM COORDINATE WITH ALL THE MULTITUDE OF CITY PIECES TO SEE THIS THING GET DONE. A THING TO PUT OUR NAME ON IS A NEW A HUNDRED UNITS OF VETERAN. A THING TO HAVE US PART OF AND BE PART OF THE FOUNDING OF THAT WOULD BE A LEGACY FOR ALL OF. SO PRESENTATION BY STEVEN HU? YEAH, STEVE HAMAN. I'LL TELL HIM HE NEEDS TO COME, JUST TALK TO US ABOUT IT. OKAY. OKAY. UM, OKAY. SO, UM, WITH THAT, IF THERE'S UH, NO FUTURE D ITEMS, OUR NEXT MEETING IS WHEN, JUDY, YOU HAVE TO ADJOURN? NO. WHEN IS OUR NEXT MEETING? OH, I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT WE HAD ADJOURN. WE ADJOURNED FIRST. I'M GETTING ALL MIXED UP. OCTOBER, UM, IT'S NOVEMBER. WHAT IS THE SECOND WEDNESDAY [01:50:01] IN NOVEMBER? IT'S 13. IS IT THE 13TH? OUR NEXT NOVEMBER 13TH. OUR NEXT UH, VETERANS COMMISSION MEETING WILL BE NOVEMBER 13TH AT 5:00 PM AND WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 6 52. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.