Extracted text (via pymupdf_layout)
10053 characters
Special Meeting Minutes Wednesday, November 04, 2015 Board Members 9:00 AM Steve Chucri, Chairman, District 2 Clint Hickman, Vice Chairman, District 4 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Denny Barney, District 1 Maricopa County, Arizona Andrew Kunasek, District 3 (and the Boards of Directors of the Flood Control Steve Gallardo, District 5 District, Library District, Stadium District, Improvement Districts, Housing Authority of County Manager Maricopa County, Housing Authority of Maricopa Tom Manos County and/or Board of Deposit) Clerk of the Board Fran McCarroll "The mission of Maricopa County is Meeting Location to provide regional leadership and Supervisors' Auditorium fiscally responsible, necessary public services to its residents so 205 W. Jefferson they can enjoy living in healthy Phoenix, AZ 85003 and safe communities” BOARD OF SUPERVISORS The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Arizona convened in Special Session at 9:00 a.m., November 4, 2015, in the Supervisors’ Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, Arizona, with the following members present Steve Chucri, Chairman, District 2; Clint Hickman, Vice Chairman, District 4; Andrew Kunasek, District 3. Absent: Denny Barney, District 1; Steve Gallardo, District 5. Also present: Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board; Tom Manos, County Manager and Michelle Wood, Legal Counsel. Minutes compiled by Maria Armstrong, Minutes Coordinator. Votes of the Members will be recorded as follows: aye-nay-absent-abstain. 1. MARICOPA COUNTY VETERANS’ DAY CELEBRATION Fields Moseley, Communications Director, opened the program and explained that the Honor Guard was made up of County employee Veterans and asked the audience to stand for the Posting of Colors. Posting of Colors performed by Maricopa County Honor Guard members: Arizona Army National Guard John Julian, Master Sergeant (Retired) – Sheriff’s Office Arni Cook, Sergeant First Class – Adult Probation Arizona Air National Guard Gary Streeter, Senior Master Sergeant (Retired) – Adult Probation Jorge Palomino, Staff Sergeant – Assessor’s Office United States Air Force Dene Bimber, Master Sergeant – Adult Probation United States Army Stephany Gallegos, Specialist – Animal Care and Control National Anthem was sung by Michael Rubino, Employee Benefits and Health. Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 2 of 4 Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance was offered by Jeff Fine, Technical Sergeant, United States Air Force, Justice Courts. Mr. Moseley asked all veterans in the auditorium to stand to be acknowledged. He introduced the elected officials present and invited Chairman Chucri to give opening comments. Chairman Chucri said the day was a celebration of what has been accomplished not only as a Country but also a celebration for all veterans. He acknowledged the keynote speaker Bill Montgomery, County Attorney and decorated veteran. He stated there are 530,000 veterans who currently live in Arizona. He noted the following county initiatives for veterans such as homeless veteran housing, retrofit homes for wounded veterans and the Veteran Resources website. These programs show that the County is meeting the needs of veterans. He stated he is fortunate to celebrate with the veterans present. Mr. Moseley introduced the keynote speaker, Bill Montgomery, County Attorney who is a West Point graduate and a decorated Gulf War veteran. Mr. Montgomery thanked Chairman Chucri and the Board for giving him the opportunity to address all in attendance at the Veterans Day celebration. He noted that October 23, 2015 was the 20th anniversary of when he relinquished command at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He has never received any greater honor or privilege from the government than the two opportunities to serve as a soldier. His first opportunity was serving as a platoon leader during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The second opportunity was as a Cavalry Troop Commander. He asked that everyone pause and consider the impact of the men and women who have given their lives over the years since the Battles of Lexington and Concord to help give birth to a new nation, preserve it and defend the principals that secured the blessings of liberty for us, on faraway shores and in faraway lands. We should consider how best to honor the service of those who have gone before, who now serve and who will follow in a noble line of defenders of freedom. Our victory over England was not a sure outcome when Independence was declared on July 4, 1776. It took the sacrifice of men in the field, women who aided American efforts and the families supported the battle for freedom. Mr. Montgomery read a letter from the following individual to illustrate the nature of service during periods of war: Samuel Cooper, a militiaman from Roxbury, Massachusetts wrote a letter dated July 18, 1775 to his wife indicating his pleasure in the welfare of his family, request for a pair of linen stockings and his hope to return home. This year we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, a conflict brought about by the distance between the proclamation in our Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and the reality of what we practiced in the enslavement of fellow men on the basis of the color of their skin. As a monumental sin offering in blood, over 600,000 Americans died on the battlefields ranging from Vicksburg to Savannah, from Chattanooga to Gettysburg. Mr. Montgomery read a letter from the following individual to illustrate the nature of service during periods of war: William Norton from Hilton Head, South Carolina wrote a letter dated October 8, 1862 to his mother informing her that he was hospitalized from an illness and requested that she send him a package containing several items such as eggs, preserves, butter, lemons and handkerchiefs. Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 3 of 4 In fewer than a hundred years from this letter America would fight three major wars overseas. The wars known as World War I & II sought to preserve the ability of people to chart their own destinies and representative governments. In welcoming home heroes from each of our two wars we rightfully honored veterans of notable battles such as: Battle of Belleau Wood; Battle of the Argonne – First World War; Battle of Midway – World War II; Battle of Guadalcanal – World War II; Battle of Iwo Jima – World War II; Battles in North Africa – World War II; D-Day – World War II; Battle of the Bulge – World War II; Battle of Monte Cassino – World War II. For the men and women who returned from Vietnam it was a far different story. Over 58,000 Americans gave their lives for noble reasons in pursuit of noble goals but our nation did not honor their sacrifice. It was not until the first Gulf War that America looked with fresh eyes upon the immediate past generation who gave so much for so many and received so little. Today, since 9/11/2001 nearly 7,000 Americans have given their lives and over 50,000 have been wounded keeping evil at bay. With less than 1% now serving in uniform compared to the 12% who served during World War II, we need to be more vigilant in recognizing and honoring military service. General George Washington stated, “the degree to which future generations will be willing to serve no matter how noble the cause will be in direct proportion to how well they see us honor those who have served today.” How do we honor the service of those who have gone before? By shouldering the responsibility of being a citizen in a constitutional republic with all the nobility and honor that comes with that distinction. We honor those who gave their lives by not wasting the freedom they died for and by participating in and contributing to the betterment of our communities and our fellow citizens. How do we honor those who serve now? By remaining mindful that while less than 1% now serve in uniform, their families are among us. Those who serve will return home eventually. They will not ask for recognition so we need to reach out and thank them and make them aware of what is available to help with transitioning back home from long deployments and transitioning from military duty to civilian status. Mr. Montgomery stated he is honored to be part of a County in which these tasks are done each day with the various initiatives that Chairman Chucri mentioned. What do we do for those that will serve in the future? We show them by our example how we recognize and honor military service and we hand over a nation worth fighting and dying for. Let us pray for the protection of all who serve in uniform, for their safe return and for their families who patiently and steadfastly await their return. Keep in mind the words of Abraham Lincoln from his second inaugural address to “make sure that we care for he that has borne the battle and his widow and orphan”. Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 4 of 4 Mr. Moseley stating as a past journalist he has covered numerous stories of heroism and sacrifices made by service members and their families. Sadly many of the times it was covering their families as they were waiting for remains to come back to the United States. He made note of some who have served or have family members who have recently served including Valerie Beckett, County Manager’s Chief of Staff, who served in the Marine Corp and Candy Steill, District 4, who continues to help her grandson, Mason, who was injured in 2012 while serving in Afghanistan. He noted that Building Homes for Heros will present a refurbished home to Mason Steill on November 7, 2015. Mr. Moseley stated that military service does not touch as many Americans as it used to. He closed the celebration by thanking all of the veterans and their families. MEETING ADJOURNED There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. ______________________________ Steve Chucri, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: _____________________________ Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board