HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-12-16 VAC AgendaCITY OF
CHULA VISTA
Veterans Advisory Commission
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA
December 16, 2020 VIA TELECONFERENCE
6:00 p.m
PLEASE NOTE THAT, PURSUANT TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S
EXECUTIVE ORDER N-29-20, AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY,
MEMBERS OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION AND] AND STAFF MAY
PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING VIA TELECONFERENCE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
EXECUTIVE ORDER, THE PUBLIC MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AND NOT IN THE
CHULA VISTA POLICE DEPARTMENT, ADMIN CONFERENCE ROOM.
HOW TO WATCH: Members of the public can access a link to the livestream at
www.chulavistaca.gov/virtualmeetings. Members of the public who wish to join. by
telephone only, may call 1-408-418-9388 (United States Toll) and enter the access code:
[146 306 9294].
HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: Visit the online eComment portal for this meeting at:
www.chulavistaca.gov/virtualmeetings. The commenting period will be open shortly after
the agenda is published for a particular meeting and will remain open through the meeting,
as described below. All comments will be available to the public and the VETERANS
ADVISORY COMMISSION using the eComment portal. Comments must be received prior
to the time the Chair calls for the close of the commenting period. Comments received after
such time will not be considered by the VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION. If you have
difficulty or are unable to submit a comment, please contact Claudia Bravo for assistance at
cbravo@chulavistapd.org.
ACCESSIBILITY: Individuals with disabilities are invited to request reasonable modifications
or accommodations in order to access and/or participate in a VETERANS ADVISORY
COMMISSION meeting by contacting Claudia Bravo at cbravo@chulavistapd.org (California
Relay Service is available for the hearing impaired by dialing 711) at least forty-eight hours
in advance of the meeting.
***The City of Chula Vista is relying on commercial technology to livestream and accept
public comments via Granicus, Inc. With the increase of virtual meetings, most platforms are
working to scale their systems to meet the new demand. If we have technical difficulties, we
will resolve them as quickly as possible. City staff will take all possible measures to ensure a
publicly accessible experience. ***
V.03
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL: Commissioners Balolong, Bartlett, Mueller, Torres, Moyer, Vice Chair Larkin and
Chair Sears
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Persons may address the Board/Commission on any subject matter within the
Board/Commission's jurisdiction that is not listed as an item on the agenda. State law
generally prohibits the Board/Commission from discussing or taking action on any issue not
included on the agenda, but, if appropriate, the Board/Commission may schedule the topic for
future discussion or refer the matter to staff. If you wish to comment, please submit comments
electronically at: www.chulavistaca.gov/virtualmeetinzs.
ACTION ITEMS
The Item(s) listed in this section of the agenda will be considered individually by the
Board/Commission and are expected to elicit discussion and deliberation. If you wish to
comment on one of these items, please submit comments electronically at:
http: //www. chulavistaca. gov/virtualmeetiL7gs.
1. WELCOMING CAPT. REDMOND AS OUR NEW STAFF LIASION AND TO THANK
CAPT. THUNBERG FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY AND TO OUR VETERAN
COMMUNITY
Recommended Action: Commission hear the presentation.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Recommended Action: Commission approve the meeting minutes.
3. DISCUSS AND DIRECT STAFF TO WORK WITH CHAIR TO RESPOND TO EMAIL
RECEIVED REFERENCING THE VETERAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Recommended Action: Commission discuss, provide comments and direct staff to work
with the Chair to finalize response.
4. DISCUSSION ON POTENTIALLY MOVING THE REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE
COMMISSION TO THE CHULA VISTA VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING IN AN
EFFORT TO MAKE THE MEETING MORE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Recommended Action: Commission discuss and provide direction to staff.
Page 2 1 Veterans Advisory Commission Agenda December 16, 2020
OTHER BUSINESS
5. STAFF COMMENTS
6. CHAIR'S COMMENTS
a. UPDATE REGARDING UPCOMING VETERANS EVENTS
7. COMMISSIONERS'/BOARD MEMBERS' COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT to the regular meeting on January 20, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
Materials provided to the Veterans Advisory Commission related to any open -session item on
this agenda are available for public review by contacting the Chula Vista Police Department at
cbravo@chulavistapd. org.
I declare under penalty of perjury that I am
employed by the City of Chula Vista in the
Police Department and that I caused the
document to be posted ng to Brown
Act requ'rements.
Dated: I q Z13 Signe_W
Page 3 1 Veterans Advisory Commission Agenda December 16, 2020
Page 1 | Veterans Advisor y Commission Minutes September 16, 2020
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA
September 16, 2020 Via Teleconference
6:00 p.m.
Pursuant to the Governor of the State of California's Executive Order N -29-20, and in the interest
of public health and safety during the COVID -19 pandemic, members of the Veterans Advisory
Commission and staff participated in this meeting via teleconference. All votes were taken by roll
call.
CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the Veterans Advisory Commission of the City of Chula Vista was called to
order at 6:17 p.m. via teleconference.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Commissioners To rres, Balolong, Larkin, B artlett, Vice Chair
Wynne, Chair Sears arrived 6:25 p.m.
ABSENT: Commissioner Mueller
ALSO, PRESENT: Captain Thunberg Chula Vista Police Department and Secretary
Claudia Bravo
CONSENT CALEN DAR
Vice Chair Wynne called for a two-minute pause to allow members of the public to su bmit any
final electronic comments on items on the consent calendar. Secretary Bravo announced that no
electronic comments had been received and no comments had been received via email.
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of February 19, 2020.
ACTION: Commissioner Larkin moved to approve the minutes as written. Commissioner
Bartlett seconded the motion, and it carried by the following roll call vote:
Yes: 5- Torres, Balolong, Larkin, Bartlett , Vice Chair Wynne
No: 0
A bstain: 0
Page 2 | Veterans Advisor y Commission Minutes September 16, 2020
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR
There were none.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Vice Chair Wynne called for a two-minute pause to allow members of the public to su bmit any
final electronic public comments. Secretary Bravo announced that no electronic comments had
been received and no comments had been received via email.
ACTION ITEMS
2. DISCUSSION REGARDING ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITES AND AUTHORIZE
STAFF TO FINALIZE AND SUBMIT
Commissioners discussed the Annual Report of Activities. Report approved by commission with
no changes.
Vice Chair Wynne called for a two-minute pause to allow members of the public to su bmit any
final electronic comments on items on the consent calendar. Secretary Bravo announced that no
electronic comments had been received and no comments had been received via email.
ACTION: Commissioner unanimously approved t he A nnual Report of Activities.
Yes: 5 – Torres, Balolong, Larkin, Bartlett, Vice Chair Wynne
N o: 0
Abstain: 0
3. ELECTION O F CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020/2021 TERM
(Action Items was taken out of order, moved on to Action Item #4)
Commissioners members announced their nominat ions for Chair and Vice Chair. The nominees
accepted their nominations. The committee voted , and the Chair and Vice Chair w ere announced.
The results: Chair, Bill Sears and Vice Chair Patricia Larkin.
Chair Sears called for a two-minute pause to allow members of the public to su bmit any final
electronic comments on items on the consent calendar. Secretary Bravo announced that no
electronic comments had been received and no comments had been received via email.
Page 3 | Veterans Advisor y Commission Minutes September 16, 2020
ACTI ON: Chair Sears made a motion to approve the selections for Chair and Vice Ch air and
it carried by t he f ollowing roll call vote:
Yes: 6- Sears, Torres, Wynne, Balolong, Larkin, and Bartlett
N o: 0
Abstain: 0
4. VETER AN O F THE YEAR FOR 2020/2021
One application received f or 2020/2021. Commissioners discussed postponing selection until
next year due to COVID -19. Commissioner Bartlett recommend ed proceeding wit h the one
nominee and being more aggressive next year with advertising.
ACTION: Chair Sears made a motion to approve this year’s nomination for the 2020/2021
V eteran of the Y ear, Commissioner Bartlett second the motion, and it carried by
t he f ollowing roll call vote:
Y es: 4 - Sears, Torres, Larkin , Bartlett
No: 2 - Wynne, Balolong
Abstain: 0
Joshua L. Roberts was selected by the Commission to be the Veteran of the Year for 2020/2021.
ITEMS REQUIRING NO ACTION – PRESENTATION AND/OR D ISCUSSION ONLY
5. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE FLAG AT MEMORI AL SQUARE
Commissioner Sears and Bartlett received an email from a resident of Chula Vista regarding the
lack of an American Flag near the memorial square. Capt. Thunberg will address this item with
city staff. Capt. Th unberg recommended reaching out to the Chula Vista resident to present this
to council. C hair Sears will invite the resident to next month’s meeting for furt her discussion.
OTHER BUSINESS
6. STAFF COMMENTS
Capt. Thunberg thanked the commission for their pat ience during these difficult times.
7. CHAI R’S COMMENTS
Page 4 | Veterans Advisor y Commission Minutes September 16, 2020
Chair Sears asked t he committee to look out for any Veteran’s D ay events coming up.
Chair Sears supplied information about the Veteran’s Day Virtual Walk on November 11,
2020.
8. COMMISSIONERS’/BOARD MEMBERS’ COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT
At 7:13 p.m., Chair Sears adjourned the meeting to the next Regular Meeting on October 21,
2020, 315 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, California.
____________________________________
Claudia Bravo. Secretary
Page 5 | Veterans Advisor y Commission Minutes September 16, 2020
General guidelines & standard state ments for minutes:
Minutes across the organization should share the same general look and style. They should b e
reviewed thoroughly and be free of typographical, grammatical, and t echnical errors. They
should be clearly laid out and easy to read and follow.
Minutes should follow these basic guidelines:
- The style is narrative.
- The tone is impersonal and objective.
- No descriptive or judgmental phrases should be used (e.g. “a heated debate”).
- Always use formal names; never use nicknames or first names.
- Always identify individuals with their titles, such as “Commissioner Smith” or “Public
Works Director Hopkins”
- Use few adjectives and a minimum of pronouns.
- Never use the following pronouns: “I ,” “you,” “we,” or “our.”
Topic Description/example of standard la ng uage
Abstention Board Member/Commissioner LAST NAME stated he would be abstaining from
voting on Item # due to a potential pro perty-related [or oth er type of conflict] conflict
of interest.
Dates Spell out dates: Month Day, Year (i.e. May 1, 2012)
Item When referring to a specific item (i.e. Item 7), “Item” should be capitalized. In all
other cases, it should be lowercase (i.e. “This item was taken out of order…”)
Page Format 1 -inch margins all aro und. Times New Roman, 12 pt, with very little or no a dd itional
formattin g (underline, italics, bold, etc.), text justified.
Recess Chair NAME recessed the meeting at 8:01 p.m. The b oard/commission reconvened at
8:15 p.m., with all m embers p resent.
Speake rs What the speakers say should be recorded as his/he r opinion, not as f act. “… stated that
the conditions of the City’s roads were poor,” not “… talked about the poor condition
of the City’s roads.”
Th e Municipal Code (Section 2.25.230(B)) requires that th e minutes reflect the name
and city of residence of persons addressing the board/commission, the title of the
subject to which their remarks related, and whether they spoke in support of or
opposition to the matter. Members of the public c annot be required to provide their
name or city of residence; howeve r, if they elect to do so, it should be reflected in the
minutes.
Staff Always identify individuals with their titles and last n ame, such as “Public Works
Director Hopkins”
Techn ology “Videos,” not DVDs; “Presentation,” not PowerPoint
Votes Votes are reflected as numbers in the following format: Yes -No-Abstain (if any).
Those abstaining or voting in opposition to the item should be identified following the
vote. Absences do not c ount as votes and therefore shouldn’t be included in the
recorded vote.
Examples:
5 -0 – reflects 5 in favor and 0 opposed
4 -0 – reflects 4 in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 absent (absence not represented in vote)
4 -0 -1, with Commis sioner Smith abstaining. – reflects 4 in favor, 0 opp os ed, and 1
abstaining.
4 -1, with Commissioner Smith opposed. – reflects 4 in favor and 1 opposed.
Nomination for "City of Chula Vista Veteran of the Year (VOY)"
(Please Print — Information contained will be used for publication and press related materials)
Date: 27 July 2020
Subfnitting Or anization/Cor oration Information
Organization Name:
Firstt_asr
Organization Point of Contact:
Jennifer
Roberts
Sneer : I ddress
Organization Mailing Address:
ci,,.
state
zip Cade
Chula Vista
CA
91915
Phone
Phone
Ell
Organization Contact Info
Organization Website (if applicable):
N/A
Veteran of the Year (VOY) Nominee Information
Selection of your Veteran of the Year (VOY) is to be determined by your organization or agency.
Reqnest onlv one submitted nominee front each or anization or agencv.
First
Middle Initial
Last
Nominee Name:
Joshuah
L
Roberts
U.S. Military Branch of Service:
❑ any ❑ Marine Corps Navy ❑ Air Force ❑ Coast Guard
Front (NfonthlYeary
To (atmuh/Year)
January 1998
March 2012
Rank,/Rate: E-6/ET1
Period(s) of Service:
From tmlomh/Year)
To (AlonthiYear)
Sweet.lduress
Nominee Mailing Address:
cit.
state
Zip Cn(fe
Chula Vista
CA
91915
Phone )Monte)
Phone (Cell)
Email
Nominee Contact Info
NIA
Personal information of all entrants is important to the VOY selection process.
All personal in ormation will remain private and sa a uarded rant unauthorized disclosure bevond the purpose o 'the board.
Nomination Eligibility/Submission Criteria
Why Should Your Veteran of the Year Be Selected?
Eligibility Criteria: For consideration as the City of Chula Vista Veteran of the Year, your nominee must be a veteran
honorably discharged from U.S. Military Service, employed within or a resident of the City of Chula Vista, and a citizen who
has made significant contributions to the community since military service. Emphasis should be placed on nominee's
accomplishments that support your organization's service to the community, individual contributions to the local community
and support of the Veterans community of San Diego.
Supporting Documentation: Remember, whether thejudges know your veteran or trot, the nomination submission package
shouldprovide all information necessary for the judges to stake their decision without seeking -further information. Each
nomination package should include two photographs (one in uniform from military service; one of nominee present day) and a
narrative highlighting the nominee's contributions. Highlight special characteristics of the nominee that makes him/her an asset to the
Veterans Community of Chula Vista (i.e. leadership, professionalism, fairness, irttegrih), ethics, respect, and trustworthiness). If your
nominee is employed, please provide a current job description. Describe contributions to co-workers and/or other organization
members, involvement in the organization activities and special contributions to the organization. Describe community service (i.e.
participation in church, youth, school, civic activities and other volunteer efforts).
Please provide a completed copy of this application/form to your Veteran of the Year.
Submit completed package (including all items addressed above) by June 30"' (of the year of'submission) to:
City of Chula Vista
c/o Police Department
Attn: Veterans Advisory Commission
315 Fourth Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Staff POC: Mariluz Ze eda / Phone: (6.19) 691-5133 / Email: C`•`'eterans a.ChulaVistaCA. ov
27 Jul 2020
From: ITC Jennifer Roberts, USN
To: Veterans Advisory Commission
Subj: City of Chula Vista Veteran of the Year Nomination
As an active duty service member of 20 years, I am grateful that our community recognizes our
military veterans and I am honored to nominate my husband, Joshuah Roberts for the City of
Chula Vista Veteran of the Year.
Joshuah Roberts honorably served in the United States Navy from January 1998 until March
2012 as an Electronics Technician First Class. He currently works at Naval Information Warfare
Command Pacific as a Civil Service Professional in Point Loma, CA. We have been residents of
Chula Vista since 2013 and reside in the Windingwalk Community with our two children that
attend Olympian High School.
In August 2019, he led and coordinated a safety forum with the Chula Vista Police Department
and City Councilman Steve Padilla to discuss the rise of criminal activity in the
community. This forum enabled over 50 concerned residents to share their personal experiences,
address their concerns, and gain a better understanding of what the future holds for the
community. Joshuah Roberts was interviewed and featured on ABC News for his efforts in
planning the meeting that aired on August 3, 2019.
Through his character, professional achievement in the civilian sector, and exceptional devotion
to the community, Joshuah Roberts is the best candidate as Chula Vista's Veteran of the Year.
Link to the news article:
https://www. l Onews. com/news/local-news/east-chula-vista-concerns-lead-to-plan-for-safety-
forum
Very Respectfully,
ITC Jennifer Roberts, USN
-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Roberts
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 10:20 PM
To:
Cc: CVVeterans <CVVeterans@chulavistaca.gov>
Subject: Veteran of the Year
Warning: External Email
Mr. Sears,
I would like to start by saying that we are grateful that our city honors veterans in the community.
When I first learned about the nomination, I was so excited to recognize my husband for his efforts.
I viewed the last virtual meeting in September and I was disappointed to hear the comments. Many
factors were discussed such as postponing the selection due to COVID or because there was only
one nominee. It was brought up that there was only one nominee last year but he was, in fact,
selected as VOY. Additionally, one board member brought up that the package wasn't “strong.”
Compared to whom? Rather than adding to FB comments or complaints about crime in our
community, my husband coordinated the meeting. Judging by the attendance, the meeting
answered many questions and concerns for many families and victims of local crime. No one else
put forth the effort to reach out to CVPD and Councilman Padilla.
I felt embarrassed for my husband to be selected this way, embarrassed that the VOY program was
downplayed the way it was in the virtual meeting, and embarrassed that his efforts weren’t “strong”
enough.
Any of our friends or colleagues can easily view the meeting or may have already. For these
reasons, we are declining the selection as Chula Vista’s VOY.
I hope that the Veterans Advisory Board doesn’t continue to downplay their own program. VOY is
an honorable way to recognize our local military families that contribute to our community and I
thought very highly of it.
Thank you for your time,
Jennifer Roberts
Sent from my iPhone