Loading...
Minutes 03-11-15 MINUTES OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING HELD IN THE WEST WING CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BOULEVARD, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, AT 10:00 A.M. PRESENT: Tom Kaiser, Chair Jeff Livergood, Board Liaison Frank Bregoli Jeffrey Korentur Kenneth Nichols, arrived 10:44 p.m. Bridget Roberts Stanley Gavlick, Alternate Robert Manson, Alternate Stuart Preston, Alternate ABSENT: James Bowman Karl Washington 1. CALL TO ORDER — Tom Kaiser, Chairman Chair Kaiser called the meeting to order at 10:09 a.m. IL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — All Hands The members recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Ill. INVOCATION — Designated Chair Kaiser gave the invocation. IV. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS Roll call established a quorum was present. Also present was Honorary Member, Dottie Moore. Chair Kaiser announced Steve Anton had missed meetings and was no longer on the Board. He advised he recently reapplied as an Alternate member, and he would attend future meetings. V. AGENDA APPROVAL, March 11, 2015 Motion Mr. Bregoli moved to approve the agenda. Mr. Preston seconded the motion that unanimously passed. Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach,-Florida March 11, 2015 I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES, January 14, 2015 It was explained there was an equipment malfunction affecting the January minutes. The members indicated they would review the January minutes together with the March meeting minutes. VII. COMMENTS a. Chair Chair Kaiser announced Ray Kinney from Vitas Healthcare was present. Vitas was similar to Hospice and Chair Kaiser endorsed the company. When he took the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., the company assigned a guide that accompanied Chair Kaiser in his wheelchair throughout the entire trip. He explained the same level of service was given to each veteran on the plane. Ray Kinney, VITAS Veteran Liaison, expressed it was a privilege to accompany the veterans. B. Members or Visitors Mr. Kinney introduced himself. He was drafted in Vietnam. His father was a Korean veteran. His father-in-law was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and his son was an combat Iraqi veteran. He advised on Thursday, there would be an expose at the Boynton Beach VITAS Office. They are making a large contribution to the Honor Flights, and he would be travelling to Washington, DC in May. He was present at the dedication of the Battle of the Bulge monument and thought it was fantastic. He expressed he would like to meet all the members before they left the meeting and he agreed to provide the form for the Honor Flights to the members as well as an application for the World War 11 trips. In response to a question from Ms. Moore, Mr. Kinney explained the escorts on the Honor Flights were called Guardians. To be a Guardian, the company prefers the person be a veteran, aged 65 or younger who could lift 100 pounds, and make a financial contribution of $400. VIII. OLD BUSINESS: a. Veterans Memorial Park Events 1. Commemoration of D-Day, June 6, 2015 Chair Kaiser noted when veterans hold Saturday or Sunday events at the Park, City employees are paid overtime. He requested they try to avoid this and they hold the D- Day event on June 5th instead of the 6 He asked for a motion to hold this event on June 5 at 10 a.m. Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, Florida March 11, 2015 EOMMUE� Motion Mr. Preston moved to hold the event on June 5th. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion. Next year, if it fell on a Sunday, they would hold the event on Monday. If it fell on a Saturday, it would be held on Friday. The motion unanimously passed. The Veterans Advisory Committee would combine the December 7 th and December 16 th events for the same reason. b. Boynton Beach Memorial Park L Memorial Day Flag Placement, Saturday, May 23 Chair Kaiser expressed his frustration over it taking a year or more for veterans to obtain the French Medal of Honor. He announced the applications for the medal are sent to Miami where they remain until they receive a certain amount of requests. Then the requests are sent to Washington, D.C. and the same situation applies. He advised more veterans from Florida received the French Medal of Honor than anywhere else in the country. He recently contacted a Miami reporter about the medals who published an article giving Chair Kaiser's contact information and he received 20 to 25 requests. The last time he heard medals came in was a year ago in December. He advised 45 medals were given on one day alone in Boynton Beach. Chair Kaiser invited all the veterans' organizations represented on this Commission to use Veterans Memorial Park and he advised the Korean Veterans used the Park for one of their events. The requirement was to announce the event, advise who would be attending and Mr. Livergood would set it up. No loud or outrageous events were permitted. Chair Kaiser advised they created a program for the Submarine Veterans and the Combat Pin; a World War 11 Medal was a high honor. Mr. Gavlick had a program scheduled for April. They worked to create a bronze plaque which was unveiled on February 28, 2015, and would work with veterans to obtain the medals. The Korean War Veterans normally meet the second Sunday of the month and had always met on Mother's Day. This year, it was cancelled. Governor Scott proclaimed May 16 th , a Saturday, would be the State's Korean War Veterans Day. Mr. Gavlick would like to hold the meeting at the Park on May 16 th at 11 a.m. He did not anticipate more than 30 veterans would attend the meeting and he would like the City's permission to hold a meeting there. The Veterans donated three tents to the City. They could set up a tent on one side, and two tents on the other side and the members would bring a chair. It would be a very official looking meeting, and there would be press. 3 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, Florida March 11, 2015 Motion Mr. Gavlick moved to obtain the City's approval to hold a Korean War gathering at the Park on May 16 at no cost to the City. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion. Mr. Livergood inquired if the veterans would set up their own tent and if officials would be invited. He noted there are a number of large events that the City holds each year. At those events, the media and elected officials are invited. The City sets up a sound system and a program is created. Veterans Park is an open park. It is a park veterans could use. The Veterans can hold a meeting there. This was the first time they would have a meeting there and they wanted to see how it would go. Chair Kaiser commented the Korean War Veterans received very little recognition when they returned from the War. It would require very little work to pitch three tents and the Boy Scouts could help with the tents and bring chairs. They could also come with their colors. Whatever could be done to have a program and increase attendance should be done. The veterans would issue invitations and Mr. Livergood agreed to notify the Police Department the veterans would be at the park. The motion unanimously passed. ii. Memorial Day Observance, Sunday May 24, 2:00 PM Mr. Gavlick noted the flags would be placed graveside on Friday, May 22 at 8:30 a.m. Beverages will be available sponsored by the Veterans group. The rain date to install the flags would be Saturday, May 23, 2015, with the ceremony on Sunday. On Memorial Day, there is always a barbeque for veterans and their spouses and/or significant others. IX. NEW BUSINESS: i. Discussion of Home Depot donations for monument circle at American Legion Post 164 Chair Kaiser commented about seven years ago, the City constructed a circle and donated the eagle and some of the base of the pole. The white column by the railroad tracks was originally an entrance to a housing community. Mr. Livergood explained the column was on the City and railroad right-of-way. Chair Kaiser did not know what could be done with the column; perhaps removing what was on top . of it and replacing it with a small eagle. Mr. Livergood confirmed he had spoken with Home Depot Store Manager, Jeff Montgomery and there are a number of vendors willing to donate time and materials to work at both locations. He did not yet have a scope of work, but he would work with them regarding permitting and whatever needed to be done. When the scope of work was completed, he would forward it to the members. (Ken Nichols arrived at 10:44 a.m. and apologized for his late arrival.) 4 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, Florida March 11, 2015 There was brief discussion about bank and checking accounts for the Veterans Council. On a different note, Chair Kaiser announced he read there would be a U.S. Army Museum. For $35, donor names are posted on the Wall of Honor. They are sent a citation and baseball cap. He noted the World War If Monument was constructed with private funds only. X. BENEDICTION, MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER Chair Kaiser gave the benediction. I. NEXT BOARD MEETING — Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 10:00 AM XIII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Kaiser adjourned the meeting at 10:50 a.m. (I I QAJ Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 032615