Commissioners will continue with the veterans assistance commission.

Elizabeth Soto will give the presentation.

Hello.

All right, good afternoon, Commissioners.

Thank you for the opportunity to present the veteran disciplines.

Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County's mid-year budget for FY26 update.

Accompanying me today is our Deputy Superintendent, Mr.

Grant Jacobson, our manager of finance and business operations behind me, Mr.

Rajiv Samuel, as well as our manager of communications and operations, excuse me, communications and outreach, Mr.

Connor Interest, who are present for any added inquiries after this very short and succinct presentation.

So I would like to begin with an overview of our FI26 general fund performance through the mid-year reporting period.

At the mid-year of FY26, we continue to manage our budget responsibly and remain on track to meet our fiscal goals.

As expected, we have experienced some variances within individual budget categories to address personnel expenditures.

They are currently below budget due to delays in filling authorized vacancies.

A key factor was the implementation of the Cook County resolution, which required us to update job descriptions and salary memoranda before recruitment could proceed.

Regrettably, at the time of this resolution's passing, our agency was not made aware of the updates, and so our hiring process was delayed significantly.

However, since then we have worked very closely with the Cook County Department of Human Resources as well as the Cook County Department of budget throughout this process and are moving forward with recruitment.

Our pending positions have been posted, and we will be in the process of interviews and selections within the next two weeks.

As positions are filled during the remainder of the FY26, personnel services expenditures are expected to align more closely with the approved budget.

Continuing on with contractual service expenditures, they are currently above a budget due to a significant 114% increase in emergency financial assistance provided directly to Cook County veterans in comparison to the same time period as last year.

The increase is so great that we will need to uh request um 144,000 budget transfer from personnel service salaries to contractual services for board approval to ensure we can continue meeting these critical needs.

We do want to keep you in mind that uh we anticipate to expend all funds from our direct disbursements line items by the close of August.

So this 144,000 transfer will potentially only cover September and not October or November.

And just to clarify, this will not be an increase to our overall budget, but rather a reallocation of existing funds.

Um and so we will begin requesting additional funding uh for FY27 so as not to run into this issue uh again next year.

But this year we are looking to the board for recommendations on what our next steps forward uh could be so that we do not halt these much needed services.

Uh that brings us lastly to supplies and material expenditures, which are currently below projections due to the timing of planned purchases as we continue hiring staff and expanding operations at our headquarters, the Chicago Regional Office, and the newly projected rolling meadows location.

We anticipate increased spending on office and operational supplies overall.

But at this time, no corrective action is needed, and we expect expenditures to align with the approved budget by the end of this fiscal year.

So on to our initiatives and goals for the remainder of the FY.

Our first priority continues to be strengthening our workforce to support operations at both our headquarters and our Chicago regional office.

And as we fill key positions, we expect to improve service delivery, reduce wait times for financial assistance, and veteran service officer appointments, expand outreach efforts, and enhance customer service for veterans throughout the county.

Our second largest priority is preparing for the opening of our third VAC office location in rolling meadows.

This new location will expand access to services for veterans in the northwest suburbs by reducing travel barriers and increasing opportunities for outreach and community partnerships.

And once operational, the office will strengthen our regional presence and allow us to serve more veterans closely to where they live.

So as of as of the mid-year reporting period, the VAC has 20 authorized positions with 11 currently filled and nine vacancies.

As earlier stated, we remain on track to fill all authorized positions by the end of FY26.

And as hiring progresses, we will fully staff our headquarters, strengthen operations at our Chicago Regional Office and prepare for the opening of our new rolling meadows district office.

Again, I stated that this would be short, succinct, and to the point.

So we uh are available now for any questions you may have.

Well, let me begin by thanking you for you and your entire staff for your dedication.

Thank you.

I know we've been in communication, Commissioner Miller has, in reference to some of the concerns, especially when you've mentioned And you're going to be running running out of money for services.

And with a transfer funds cover of the September, or is it August, September actually?

We're averaging about a spend of 125,000 each month.

And so we're we're crossing our fingers that this month was a little slow, so we may be able to completely uh fulfill September, but by the second week of October, we may expend completely out of this line item.

Because uh I know also and I'm glad to hear the vacant the um improvement has been made and going to be made as it made the agencies and the applications will be done.

In reference to the rolling meadows location, when is it anticipated to open?

We are working closely with real estate and uh the Bureau of Asset Management right now, and so it is pending.

I know that there are some final facilities management um items that they need to address, but outside of receiving some information on when that will be completed, um you'll be the first to know once we get to the remote.

Well, I would hope the because I would assume the entire board would be in favor of whatever facility, whatever is needed at this facility rolling rolling meadows.

And gets a fast forward from the entire board from and I would assume the entire board would be supporting it.

Uh Commissioner Lower.

Chairman, thank you, and thank you for the presentation.

I too am looking forward to uh the rolling meadows facility.

Um I should know this, but I don't recall.

How many total facilities or locations do we currently have or do you currently have?

With the exclusion of rolling meadows, we have two.

One located at the juvenile detention center at 1100 South Hamillon Hamilton, and the second, which we recently opened at uh 69 West Washington on the 14th floor.

And on average, um what's the outreach to you?

Would you say on a daily basis, whether it's uh by phone, in person, uh whatever means.

What what type of outreach are you receiving?

So I actually have our communications and outreach manager who can give you much more detailed information.

Connor, if you make it succinct.

I'll try and do my best.

Um Connor Interest, the communications and outreach manager for the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County and Commissioner to answer your question.

Uh there's various ways we conduct outreach.

So traditional outreach is what you might be more familiar with.

We conduct office hours, resource fairs, claims clinics.

On average, a um outreach coordinator or a VSO might interact with at least um five to six veterans coming through the door throughout the day.

Um we also conduct outreach at least um digitally through marketing materials as well, which many veterans use our intake forms through that process, which automated.

We can usually respond to most veterans.

On average, I think for the past year with your intake system, we see at least uh 10 requests each day.

Uh beforehand, we had to have uh actual staffers call them up, follow up and answer any questions, concerns.

We've automated that process now so they can get direct information like that.

Um and then the final way that we kind of interact with veterans is via phone.

So often we had previous to this would have multiple calls go through our staff, both to EFS as well as their VSOs or through partner referral program that we kind of developed as well.

Um that was often triage as needed basis, but now we've also automated that system as well.

So we can send veterans direct information about all of our different partners in Cook County, government partners, and nonprofit partners again within a few minutes as long as they click on that, as well as the fact anything that's case um request that's outside of that, we have our staffers, the coordinators generally are the ones who actually interact with the veterans to help them through those issues.

But uh the new intake system we developed, we can track all that as well.

So we know every veteran uh or we we just actually started implementing last week.

So last week we actually uh finalized intake system.

We started on Wednesday, and from every interaction that we've tracked, we've helped at least 154 veterans directly.

That's great.

Um and we can actually see the names, phone numbers, emails, and zip codes of all those veterans.

So it's audible, you guys can actually review that.

Or at least as much as we can actually share that information.

We can't show the exact names and so on.

But uh to that point, um that was generally how we conducted outreach and interact with veterans and assisted veterans with their issues.

That's uh wonderful information that you share, and so important, especially as we look at uh the resources which are needed.

Um there's a real call, call for all of us to do what we can.

So I really appreciate you for a long time doing more with less.

Uh also thank you for joining me in my upcoming men's and family health fair.

And uh um thank you.

Thank you.

Agna, thank you.

Thank you for being here and all the work that you do to support veterans and their families in Cook County.

So we had a briefing two weeks ago where we talked a little bit about the challenges that your office faces.

And we had talked about the Rolling Meadows office and your your office taking the lower level space and the rolling meadows courthouse.

So I wanted to learn a little bit more about when you expect that to be open and if there are existing challenges that you're facing to get it open and how we could be supportive.

I can say that uh Bureau of Asset Management as well as real estate have been very helpful.

I I previously stated that uh there are a couple of facilities management items, I believe uh something to do with the carpet, painting, you know, some minor items that they need to address.

But as soon as that is complete, uh once we get the word, we'll make sure to reach out to each commissioner uh to inform you.

I mean, we want to let the entire community know, but we're just pending a response at this moment.

Okay, and then my other question to you is you've had some vacancies this year.

Um, due in part, I think to I think nine vacancies due in part to lay awareness about certain requirements.

So can you share a little bit about the context of hiring and um how that's coming along?

Absolutely.

So as I had stated during the presentation, there was a resolution that was passed last year, and unfortunately, our office was not made aware of uh the resolution.

I want to say it's 25-2910, um, which required us to revital revitalize our job descriptions as well as our salary memos.

And so unfortunately, at the moment when we wanted to just proceed forward with hiring is uh per the norm for the calendar.

Um, you know, we had uh we had come about this information on the Granicus calendar, and it was just my happenstance.

And so when we reached out to HR, um unfortunately they weren't made aware either.

So we had to work together to um about our situation.

I'm sorry, I should say they were made aware about our situation.

So um we had to work together and they you know they worked as fast as they could.

I know that they have uh a very small team working on specifically job descriptions as well as salary memos, so they they did what they could and um weekly they were in communication with us and until finally the last week we were able to get our positions posted, which are currently open now.

We have one position for a BSO posted, but it's actually for five uh vacant positions.

So um I believe later on this week, HR is also going to follow up with a an admin position as well as a manager of veteran services position that should be posted uh by no later than next week.

So we're hoping to uh begin, like I stated, uh interviews as well as filling those positions within the next couple of weeks to you know maybe two months.

Great.

Well, I hope you get um great resumes, uh great you know, people in those chairs to do that work.

So thank you so much for our thing and share those were all my questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner, thank you, Chairman.

Thank you, Superintendent Soto for being here and again for your patience.

Um for our delays.

Um just to follow up on the location.

So in I would even say the last decade or so, there's been conversations about the JTDC now being the maybe correct place to have you know services directly, particularly the actual location, which you have to kind of travel in through.

Um so it it does present a few challenges, I would say, um, in regards to access.

Um have you all had any conversations with any of the partners?

Not only I know you mentioned real estate within the county, but any other partners like the Jesse Brown VA, and whether there's space or opportunity to collaborate there, um, just to make the the access point easier for the folks that we're trying to get to.

No, absolutely.

So that was one of our initial um interactions with Jesse Brown was to see if the uh the VAC could have a physical office space located at the Chicago Regional Office at 2122 West Taylor, uh, directly connected to uh the Jesse Brown Medical Center.

So it is their um location where all of their BSO uh and veteran service organizations uh provide their services.

Unfortunately, um we have yet to be able to um gain access to that location permanently.

Um but I know that this is sort of the narrative that it is a location that is not best suited for our veteran community, but I just want to remind everyone that when the VA medical centers shut down, so did the BBA, so did 2122 West uh Taylor Street.

And yet the VAC didn't.

The VAC was open to continue to provide services.

So many of those requests for assistance were just filtered through our office and our agency stayed open.

Um and we continue to do so.

So we are conveniently located right across the street from that center.

So until we can gain access, maybe for a little bit more expanded visual um outreach.

Um we I believe it's the closest county building.

I think that's why it was determined that we should be there because it's the closest county building located to a facility that you know assists veterans on a daily basis.

And it's literally within walking distance.

But I know that Grant we're in conversations with the BA to potentially continue I mean we're continuing our partnership but potentially have a space maybe at a later date I don't know if you want to expound on any other portions of that.

Commissioner Grant Jacobson Deputy Superintendent Veterans Commissioner Cook County Everything that the superintendent said was spot on uh there's not much to elaborate but I will elaborate a little bit uh got got I have two point of views I worked at the Jesse Brown VA medical center and then as well as now work at the VAC which right across the street and I know a lot of people say it's inconvenient because it's lower level of a joint detection center.

It's it deters people because of the but we had got so much traffic in through our office when the government shut down when the federal government started failing the veterans the county government stood up and we were able to triage everybody so the VA itself was sending people to our Jesse Brown VA medical center was sending people to us and the regional office had a sign that said go see them across the street.

So the one at the one advantage we have over any other organization is that when a veteran for example if you were a veteran and you were in a social service office uh through the social work office of the VA and you were having a hard time they would actually walk you over to us.

If we move locations from that spot not gaining other locations but if we actually vacate that location that's a huge miss for a lot a huge target of veteran so the idea is to go where the veteran is and that's why we try to go we we're inside of everybody's districts we're inside of your ward offices your commission offices state reps offices because that's ideally where the where the citizen goes the veteran always goes to the VA so we are able to cast a massive net and also we were able to barter up sorry spark a deal with the VA to have us in their hallway so now we have a hallway office that's open to the public in there twice a week for the entire year.

And that is just paying dividends well I mean even that is in itself great right and I think you know to your point about unfortunately the federal government scaling back on services and doing that I I mean our hope is that it doesn't remain that way right our hope is that you know we pick up um and that it picks up services it picks up their responsibility to the veteran community and their families um but you know preparing for that what that looks like and I'm glad that you know we had folks coming in but I think we're all on the same page that we should be in a in a in a place where it is accessible it is dignified um and obviously you have this board um as as a as a partner in that so thank you again for all of the work that you do you all have been amazing um we're working with us um on many many things whether it's you know sending people your way or whether it's our annual veterans breakfast um which I of course uh will be inviting you all again um and I again appreciate the partnership and and all of the the work that you are doing because you're staying true to your mission thank you commissioner I have one more thing to add real fast it's a shout out to the circuit court of cook county we're actually working with them to get in all of the circuit courts to find extra space so that way any veteran of any of any statute or stature can show up to our offices randomly or not and we'll offices will be open to other veteran service organizations.

I did Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs the VA itself and any other uh state or federally chartered or 501c3 organization that has a credible background so I just want to throw that out there.

Commissioner thank you very much I just want to thank you Elizabeth all the support you got in my office and my the veterans in my district I don't know what they would do without your without you and your department and your staff so thank you very much they specifically appreciate the work you did with the uh uh former retired marine he was he came to my office desperate and he was asking questions a thousand thousand miles a minute and uh I question couldn't answer but you did put you immediately again the phone you took care of them so thank you very much commissioner miller thank you chairman and thank you uh superintendent Soto and Grant and Connor for being such um amazing support to veterans and appreciate the work that you've done specifically with my office thank you Connor for coming out and having your outreach and working with Sam in our office I think we've built some really great relationships out in the South suburban area um and um as we looked at these budget cuts I know that you're going to be um we will be definitely supportive of whatever we can do if it's reasonable um and I am glad that you'll be staffed up I think that's also going to help as far as getting the word out to more and more veterans and meet and meeting some of them that were not connected to some of the service organizations as well as to some of the VFWs and whatnot.

Is there anything else that you think that you are going to do from an outreach perspective that you haven't done yet or you don't have plans I know staffing was an issue on some of that.

So what does outreach moving forward look like and from a budgetary standpoint like marketing communications and things like that.

So I know that Grant has something as well as Connor but I just want to say for FY27 um we definitely want to focus more on having resources provided out in the Southland.

So one of our biggest initiatives for outreach and permanent outreach and service supportive services will be to request uh for a location out in the South Suburban Cook uh county area and then I'm gonna pass it on to Grant kind of not calling up the rest.

Um it is uh fairly broad question commissioner and I'll try my best to answer in the case here is that outreach has evolved quite significantly over the past year and a half two years under both the tenure of Elizabeth uh Soto or Superintendent Elizabeth Soto and Deputy Grant Jacobson um we did traditional outreach which was mostly just going to resource fairs upon request that was just generally what we did and that was kind of the standard fare for most offices if we've ever worked with um we have actively expanded our systems to be not just faster more effective but also again more auditable to any of our partners and um at least Cook County in general no I just told you it wasn't this Saturday please please say that you're saying yeah we don't we know we're not coming Saturday um and to continue at least forward that since our staff has been somewhat limited we again are trying to automate and streamline our systems.

Again the intake uh system that we've developed previously has made that faster and more effective in this process developing the forms to allow veterans whoever scan our QR codes to be able to use uh utilize our systems as well as get the information they need as quickly as possible um and then training our staff to be able to triage those veterans effectively now in regards to how outreach is going to look like in the future honestly it's mostly just expanding the current models that we have so we have conducted vet connect um office hours with many of you in regards to how you see that work being in the community with our elected officials across Crook County just being available in a consistent manner to the veterans there.

We've expanded partnerships with the universities with many of the VA um medical facilities, C Box as well as multiple partners across every um conceivable place we can mostly the goal is to try and be as consistent as possible for the veterans in our community as well as being as much as we can about in the community.

So with that in mind there's a lot of uh at least details I know that Grant would probably want to hammer on at least in initiatives that he's been discussing with some of the partners uh that we've been talking with but at least in from my perspective right now it's mostly just trying to get enough staff and a larger volunteer core which we've been developing that recently as well to be able to be out in the communities more effectively which is the biggest thing.

And I would like to to double down on that a little bit uh so uh everything that you're seeing in the public right now Commissioner is is being ran by two or three people uh so we're doing roughly 42 events a month which is I'll I've I've never heard of anybody do at more events with such least with at least a lot of people and so the it will not change visibly because these just eventually events are going to start going with just different people in there.

But one of the things that we are starting to do more is uh part of the veteran treatment court.

Uh it's a restorative justice program ran by Jesse Brown via medical center and through the other uh federal state organizations actually did it back just with Jesse Brown via medical center we partner with them directly as well as the courts to provide services for the veterans that are in the veteran treatment court it's a phen we're we're just now getting into it but it's a phenomenal court and that kind of leads to the next part of it is that our goal now as a leadership side is to get at once everything starts moving in effect is getting part of boards and different um different uh advisory advisory advisory council so right now we're currently we both sit on uh the the current or the sorry the circuit court the circuit court of Chicago of county courts the assessor's office the state of Illinois financial uh board which I am I'm the ambassador for and I was directly asked for by the the chairman uh so our goal is to have our voice in every conversation uh the veteran the veteran voice needs to be heard and if you're not in the room to speak for it it's not gonna be heard so uh leadership means a lot of different things to a lot of different people but one of the things it means to us is that you we are being asked to speak on behalf of the veteran and that's astronomical and it that that's got a testament to Liz uh so Superintendent Soto's leadership and her ability to lead I know that that's kind of redundant but it's a reality.

So our strategic plan is to make sure that everybody knows who we are the VA we want to be next to the VA so when a veteran has something we want to be the automatic call call the VA call the VAC and not just here out of Cook County.

We want everyone to use their VAC statewide this is an amazing opportunity this is a very small form of government as everybody knows and it's county funded by some of the greatest taxpayers this country has we uh we want to make sure that every veteran understands their what their uh their their their rights are what their benefits are and how to attain them.

And we're still going to make sure it happens either way, but please more money.

Well, thank you for that.

And thank you also for providing um resources out throughout the whole community.

And the need is there.

And I also think that it's great to note that even in light of cuts on uh the federal level of government that we pointed out here that Cook County still had benefits and sources and resources available for our veterans.

So thank you for making sure that that word dig it out to those who and I know you're working with a small and mighty team.

And um I look forward to the resource fare that'll come up uh that was in September now that we're gonna have it or okay.

I would like to give a shout out to BOA.

Uh there we're now getting into this program called uh Gov Delivery, which is gonna help us get our message out across the entire county.

So uh with the help of BOA and and their their guiding us through this process, uh there is a list that we're gonna be not I don't know if we have access to, but we're gonna be able to so when I you get a uh a survey from the county, we're gonna try to be able to get that for the veterans.

So not because sometimes veterans aren't on that, but their relatives are, their cousins are, their neighbors are.

There's their employers are, their landlords are.

So if once we take once we're able to tap into Cook County proper systems, as far as getting our message on the shootout platforms, it's gonna be astronomical for the veteran of Cook County.

So we're excited about that.

And as we dig down, like veterans are getting younger.

I mean, so they're not as the same age as they were before.

So that's gonna also help.

Awesome.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you very much, Superintendent Soto, Grant Connor.

Um you've done wonders in my district.

Um I also wanna uh what I'm hearing today is very good.

Last time I heard you speak about this, you were still encountering some problems in terms of hiring.

Uh you also were encountering, if I remember correctly, some budget issues with respect to the rolling meadows facility.

And again, shout out to rolling meadows.

It's a gro I'm so happy you're gonna be opening that center.

Um, not just because it's in my district and in my hometown, but because of the history of rolling meadows as affordable housing for veterans.

But what I the question that I have is could you explain a little bit about what those budget issues were that you talked about at your meeting in Lagrange and what has happened either to resolve them or move move things forward since then.

So I think there was a bit of confusion um pertaining to our request inside of a Cook County facility, which would not require us to budget um or add additional funds to our current budget um for us to be able to provide services uh directly from a Cook County location.

And so I believe that that I don't know if there was misinterpretation or just a misunderstanding, but once it was uh discussed and we um we were able to inform the county of exactly what our need was, where it would be located, how we have been in the process of this request for uh I want to say a little over two years.

Um I think all of the pieces came together and it was determined that because we are going to be in a Cook County facility, our budget would not need to increase since the state space is available.

So um we we were able to pick up where we left off and move forward, and so that's what we're doing now.

That's great to know.

Um and again, I want to thank you all, and I think you know you've done great, great work in my d district, and I was just told by Grant that there's gonna be an event next week.

Yeah.

Uh so um I will try and make it.

Or at least put in a showing.

But thank you so much for the work that you do.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, ma'am.

Thank you all again.

Just curious, how much are you um asking for?

We are asking for uh FY27 budget.

Is that what you're asking?

Uh $5,699,230.

And that is an increase from our $3.2 million budget for FY26.

Um it's it's uh an increase, but as you have heard today, there is a need, and we will uh potentially run out of funding this year.

So this is within consideration to that.

Thank you very much, ma'am.

Commissioner McClay.

Thank you, ma'am.

Let me uh um anyone else?

Let me also thank you again um for your hard work.

Uh needless to say it was but you to grant GAG.

Great.

Um for your dedication and to the men and women who uh need this the most.

And we're here and ready to help.

All the best.

Thank you.

We appreciate it, sir.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Judge.

I see.