Meeting Information

San Francisco Veterans Affairs Commission

06-05-00VAC

MINUTES - June 5, 2000, Meeting of the Commission, Room 104

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1. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 1804 hours.

2. ROLL CALL: Veronika Cauley, Renie Champagne, Bob De La Cruz, Charles Coolidge, George Gibbs, Leonard Grube, Wallace Levin, Jim Lineberger, CJ O’Mara, Elizabeth Melnik, Glenn Raswyck, Edwin Wilkerson, and a quorum was present. City Attorney Wayne Snodgrass, VSO Cheryl D. Cook, and Diana Oswald, a reporter from the ’Independent’ were also present.

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: All.

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: The agenda was approved unanimously with a hand vote.

5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF May 1, 2000 The minutes were approved unanimously with a hand vote.

6. PUBLIC COMMENT: Cheryl Cook, representing the county’s VSO, participated generally throughout the discussions involving the funding letter and plans. Commissioners Levin and Wilkerson received valuable advice from the VSO regarding this process.

7. REPORTS: A. President Raswyck was authorized to respond to the Grand Jury with respect to the archiving responsibilities of the commission.

B. Secretary reported steps taken to comply with the requirements as set out in the Grand Jury Report. It was also noted that announcements and items of interest would be better handled if the secretary were provided complete, written notes.

C. There was no health and welfare committee report.

D. Legislative Committee. Comm. Wilkerson delivered two draft versions of a support letter, one of which was clearly preferred. We were informed that the initial publicity regarding our March 6 Resolution by the ’Independent’ was triggered by its discovery in the public files of the Mayor’s Office. A discussion of the Memorial Day Commemoration and past arrangements for support, (financial, volunteering, etc.) followed with some disputed details, but little relevant to the planning, or the letter under consideration. It was disclosed that the funding for the

May 2001 Memorial Day is already committed and the outcome of the proposed letter will not immediately alter arrangements. Current support is through the Grants for the Arts Comm. which may not supply food and has other features--i.e. annual application--that are awkward. The U.S. Army had previously provided chairs and other accommodations that may not materialize in the future.

E. Website Report. Commissioner O’Mara pressed for establishing an interactive capability on the website, and to provide support for this in the proposed letter. She also requested to be present when the approved letter was delivered.Commissioner Levin offered a reprint of a May 29 ’SF Chronicle’ article describing the need for commemoration of Vietnam veterans. One of the ideas in the article was opening up the commission’s website as an interactive place for San Francisco’s veterans and their families. The article noted such a technique was in use in Berkeley.

F. The letter, as amended, was approved with one nay vote.

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A 50th Commemoration of the Korean War. A handout announcing United Nations Charter Day Celebration included in the fourth paragraph an announcement that veterans of the Korean War would be remembered by the commission on the fiftieth anniversary. Both events occur on June 26. Other ongoing concerns were continued to future meetings.

9. NEW BUSINESS. There was no new business.

10. ANNOUNCEMENTS

--Commissioner Lineberger thanked everyone for concern during his recent health event.
--Comm. Veronika Cauley is celebrating her selection as one of five local heros in KQED’s occasion for Lesbian and Gay Pride Month on June 14.
--Comm. Charles Coolidge, Commander of the Alexander Hamilton Post, announced that his post had proposed a circle of roses for the commemorative space between the War Memorial Building and the Opera House.
--The passing of Jerry Bourgeois was reported.

11. ADJOURMENT After some discussion it was decided that a quorum would be difficult to obtain over the July date. The commission’s next regular meeting will be August 7, 2000, unless some unforeseen emergency prompts an earlier call. After a moment of silence in honor of Jerry Bourgeois, the meeting was adjourned at 1948 hours.