Extracted text (via pymupdf_layout)
12100 characters
Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Board Members 9:00 AM Denny Barney, Chairman, District 1 Steve Chucri, Vice Chairman, District 2 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Andrew Kunasek, District 3 Maricopa County, Arizona Clint Hickman, District 4 (and the Boards of Directors of the Flood Control Mary Rose Wilcox, 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 Meeting Location Supervisors' Auditorium "The mission of Maricopa County is to provide regional leadership 205 W. Jefferson and fiscally responsible, Phoenix, AZ 85003 necessary public services to its residents so they can enjoy living in healthy and safe communities” BOARD OF SUPERVISORS The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Arizona convened in Special Session at 9:00 a.m., November 5, 2013, in the Supervisors’ Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, Arizona, with the following members present Denny Barney, District 1; Steve Chucri, District 2; Clint Hickman, District; Mary Rose Wilcox (entered late), District 5. Absent: Andrew Kunasek, Chairman, District 3. Also present: Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board; Tom Manos, County Manager and Rob Pulver, Legal Counsel. Minutes compiled by Shirley Million, Minutes Coordinator. Votes of the Members will be recorded as follows: aye-nay-absent-abstain. 1. MARICOPA COUNTY VETERANS’ DAY CELEBRATION Juan Casteneda, MCDOT, played a saxophone solo. Master Sergeant Gary Bridget, US Air Force Reserves, acted as Master of Ceremony. The Colors were Posted by the Maricopa County Honor Guard; the assembly recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner was performed by E. LaMont Leonard, Adult Probation. Sgt. Bridget introduced Supervisor Denny Barney, Vice Chairman of the Board, who introduced the elected officials who were present: Supervisors Steve Chucri and Clint Hickman; Sheriff Joe Arpaio; County Attorney Bill Montgomery; Clerk of the Court Michael Jeanes; County Assessor, Paul D. Petersen; and County Treasurer, Hos Hoskins. Representatives from several federal offices were also present. Acting Chairman Barney said that 600,000 veterans live in Arizona. One out of every ten residents either has served or is actively serving this nation in the military. Three of the County’s elected officials have served in the military, Charles “Hos” Hoskins, Bill Montgomery and Joe Arpaio, and he expressed his gratitude to them for their service. ~ Supervisor Wilcox entered the meeting ~ Congresswoman Kyrsten Synema thanked all of the veterans who have served this Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 2 of 4 country including those in her immediate family. She said the newly redesigned Veterans Resource Portal, a mobile-friendly website, is an important tool to serve veterans and their families in the County. She said we owe it to the latest generation of heroes serving overseas and in this country to assure that they will receive the services they deserve as they return home. She thanked the leadership of many in the County who have made it possible for Arizona to be one of the most veteran-supportive states in the nation through a very effective network of veteran service providers. Supervisor Steve Chucri said there are 14 individuals from Maricopa County who are currently playing active roles in serving the country. He motioned toward the many pictures of Arizona veterans mounted on the wall behind the Board and said, “this wall says it all.” He also noted the families who wait for loved ones to return home after completing their service requirements. He stated that it is important to teach previous and future generations about the sacrifices the members of our armed forces and their families make for them, and about what those honored in Veteran’s Day celebrations contribute in preserving our American freedoms. Supervisor Wilcox noted there are thousands of veterans who live in District 5. She said people dedicate many years of their lives to the service of this country. She explained that there are five American Legion Posts in District 5 and they provide many programs for service families including scholarship drives and programs for youth to promote staying in school and graduating. She said that one thing people learn in the service is to serve your community and to serve with all of your heart. Sergeant Bridget asked all the veterans who were in attendance to stand to be recognized. Supervisor Clint Hickman said his father is an Army veteran and had served in Alaska during the period between World War II and the Korean War. He helped guard a military post in Alaska and he reported, "Thankfully the enemy bombers never came." He said he employs many veterans in the egg plants his family owns. Supervisor Hickman accessed the web to show the County’s Veteran Resources Website that includes links to employment, housing and legal, training and education, wellness and additional supporting services such as helping veterans find jobs. He thanked those in County management, IDA and OET, for helping develop the site. He said Luke Air Force Base is in his district and he is proud that their current mission is to train the world’s best F-16 fighter pilots. Col. Bob Whitehouse, now stationed at Luke with the 69th Air Squad, said he spent 3,000 hours in an F-16 while he was deployed in Iraq. He has more than 200 combat hours. After his service he became a commercial airline pilot. Col. Whitehouse said he is honored to represent the men and women who have served this country. He added that Luke Air Force Base provides a $2.1 billion impact to the local economy each year. Col. Whitehouse said that starting in January 2014, 144 new F-35 families will be stationed at Luke and this will provide a large charge to the community and to the County. He explained that veterans usually get very involved and provide a large social impact in community affairs, education, youth sports; and many provide assistance to various charitable organizations and are active in groups like Big Brothers and Big Sisters. They also actively promote the State of Arizona in their full-time careers as they must all find full-time employment in addition to the hours spent in the reserves. County Attorney Bill Montgomery is a West Point Graduate and a decorated Gulf War Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 3 of 4 Veteran. He said his family was greatly supported by those stationed at Luke while he was deployed. He believed there is an urgent need to end the backlog of many of the services for veterans in many fields, and to promptly provide those services that are needed and deserved by so many. He said America will never fall as long as the military is on watch. He added, “We must protect what they are willing to die to preserve.” Tom Manos, County Manager, felt it is appropriate for Maricopa County to take the time to celebrate and honor those who have served this county and this country. He said some County employees are deployed overseas from time to time. They leave behind family members who also make the sacrifice of the long-term absence of a loved one. He that Maricopa County employs many of these young men and women after they return home. The County works closely with Luke Air Force Base to provide services to meet the needs of returning service men and women and he provided an online preview on what is included on the new veteran’s website. Mr. Manos added that by 2015 Maricopa County will no longer have any veterans who are homeless and living at the emergency shelter. They will be in permanent supportive housing. He added, “That’s not a wish, that’s not a dream, it’s a reality. It is not acceptable to anyone in this community that we have our veterans living and sleeping on the floor in an emergency shelter.” He noted that Supervisor Hickman was firm that he wanted this website introduced to the community on Veteran’s Day and he congratulated the IT Team that accomplished it. He said it is rich in data and has been tested by those at Luke. He added that three members of the IT Team are veterans. Mr. Manos introduced David Adame, President of the Industrial Development Authority, and said that he has a long history of working with veterans and that the IDA funded the website project. Mr. Adame thanked Supervisor Wilcox for appointing him to service at the IDA. He said his family is military and he is a member of the American Legion Post 41. He introduced colleagues on the IDA, which provided a $25,000 grant to support the development of the website and made a grand commitment of $1 million to the Homeless Services Campus to continue their work. He said it is shameful to all of us that any American veteran would be homeless, adding that he gets the sad statistics on suicides among veterans every day. He added that the site gives veterans access to resources so they don’t feel helpless and so they don’t give up. “They didn’t give up on us and we can’t give up on them.” Tom Manos introduced businessman Mike McQuaid, Chairman of the Human Services Campus Board of Directors, who has spent the last 25-30 years in serving the homeless in various ways and was instrumental in the development of The Human Service Campus, which provides service to 1,300 people a day - about a quarter of those are veterans. Mr. McQuaid said that Maricopa County has always helped with services to the homeless and added that the many things that have been accomplished could not have been done without the help of the County. He said the whole County staff and community members have helped make the Campus a successful best-practice model for the country. A basic core mission when the Campus was started was to help veterans. The Campus now has 42 beds dedicated to homeless veterans. He said a group of veterans came to him a few years ago and asked how they could help improve conditions. They call themselves the Madison Street Veterans Association and with support they received from various local governments they opened the MANA House Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, November 05, 2013 Page 4 of 4 (Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force) and 52 individuals are sheltered there every night, there are programs to help them get jobs and into permanent housing. Last year the Center helped more than 1,200 people find employment. A goal is to turn the Campus into more of a short-term-stay rather than a way of life. Mr. McQuaid said that all of the Supervisors, going back to when Governor Jan Brewer was Chairman of the Board, have been constant in supporting efforts for veterans. He thanked them, “from everybody that we serve at the campus.” He added that the Board supports the new Welcome Center and the County IDA has provided a grant to redo the entrance to the Welcome Center so proper screening of individuals can be done before they become caught up in the shelter system and so their needs can be assessed more quickly. Many times individuals can be diverted to more appropriate ways than the shelter lifestyle to end their homelessness. He said this is most important for young, returning veterans for whom there is a growing need. About 25% of the homeless populations are veterans. Many are returning with severe disabilities and with needed treatment for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The goal of MANA House and other similar organizations, is to end chronic homelessness among veterans “so that a year from now there will not be a single homeless veteran left in Maricopa County.” He told Members, “What you’ve created is really helping.” He added, “We want to go out of business.” E. Lamont Leonard sang, a cappella, the verse and chorus of “I’m Proud to be an American.” MEETING ADJOURNED There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. ____________________________________ Denny Barney, Vice Chairman of the Board ATTEST _____________________________ Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board